When the boot is on the other foot, sock it to them!!

Radio Haney got into a little scuffle with the editorial staff of the TIMES this week. Briefly RH wrote a letter objection to the TIMES opinion that perhaps a barrier should be put around the fountains in what passes for Spirit Square on 224th street. RH compared the barrier proposal to preventing more skateboard parks being built or street hockey being banned. RH was aiming at drawing a comparison, but apparently failed to do so.

Long story short; the editor accused RH of 'putting words in our [the TIMES] mind.'

How cool is this? The public and politician's consistently complain that the NEWS and the TIMES misquote them. Now we the public [well one of us anyway] is accused by journalists of putting words in their mouths.

RH loves accusation and wears it with pride.

Our response below (it is unlikely that it will be published):

Harmless Fun, July 17, 2009; "Editor's Note" If nothing else my repartee with your editor has raised the issue of design in Maple Ridge. I am not sure who approved the design of Spirit Square, but I do know that if the editor of the Times and a few other design-savvy citizens had banded together then we might have come up with that open classical look that so many of us would have applauded. A quick glance around Maple Ridge and even the less than pernickety design aficionado will soon learn that design has always been been and remains this District's most obvious weakness. Good design all the way, from our awful lack of urban planning down to our public buildings and scruffy downtown remains and embarrassment to sensitive individuals such as your your editor and I.

I digress.

You will forgive me for suggesting that you or your publication may have fought against street hockey and more skate parks (it sort of fits in with need to put a barrier around our carbuncle of a fountain). Silly me. How churlish. In is objection however, he states:"Mr. Andrup has also put words in our mouth, saying that we are somehow against street hockey and skate parks."

The sweet irony. A reader putting words in the mouth of a newspaper.? Our mayor and council will take some comfort that the TIMES will never stand accused of such an effrontery.

Harmless Fun in Haney.

Claus Andrup