TUESDAY
K A M L O O P S
THIS WEEK Tuesday, April 30, 2013 X Volume 26 No. 34 www.kamloopsthisweek.com X 30 cents at Newsstands
Washrooms magnets for sex offenders? By Andrea Klassen STAFF REPORTER andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
THROWN FROM THE TOP SHELF Levi Lawlor from Quesnel had a wild ride on a bull named Top Shelf at the North Thompson High School Rodeo, which was held on the weekend at Whispering Pines north of Westsyde. The next regional high school rodeo will take place from May 10 to May 12 at the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo Grounds in Merritt. The province’s best will meet in Quesnel from June 6 to June 9 for the B.C. High School Rodeo Championships. Allen Douglas photos/ KTW
Kamloops Mounties are concerned that two family washrooms planned for Riverside Park could become hubs for “pedophile types of activity.” The city wants to install two of the gender-neutral washrooms in the park — one in the main washroom building and another in a kitchen unit to the west — but is having difficulty figuring out how to design the bathrooms. At the city’s coordinated enforcement task force meeting on Monday, April 29, facilities manager Jeff Putnam said the washroom’s locked door is the main concern. A family washroom with a full-sized, locked door at the Tournament
Capital Centre is already giving the city some trouble, he said. While that bathroom originally had a gap at the top and bottom of its door, Putnam said, “we had people in there with cameras taking pictures” through the gaps. Coun. Marg Spina said the washrooms will make it easier for the elderly or persons with disabilities who have an opposite-gender caretaker or spouse and need assistance going to the bathroom. However, RCMP Insp. Jenny Latham said the city’s 285 registered sex offenders will also like the privacy of the new washroom. “They have been an issue in the park,” she said, “and they were an issue at RibFest, and they will be an issue with the bathrooms.”
Besides police concerns, city staff also worry children who use the washrooms on their own could get locked inside. Putnam said it would cost about $40,000 to install the two family washrooms in the park with locking doors. Other options would likely be more expensive, he said, noting most nearby communities are using portable toilets to deal with the issue. Spina and Coun. Ken Christian, who also sits on the task force, said the washroom project needs to go ahead and urged staff to keep looking for a design. They also suggested the family washrooms be locked up at sunset. “You’re looking at just basic human dignity,” Spina said.
Watch your watering habits Yes, it snowed in the upper reaches of Kamloops yesterday (April 29). And, yes, it has been cold enough to don tuques while venturing outside and battling hurricanelike winds. Nevertheless, the calendar is the calendar and, believe it or not, tomorrow (May 1) is the start of watering restrictions in the city. From May 1 to Aug. 31, homes with even-number addresses may water lawns and gardens on even-
number days; homes with oddnumber addresses may water lawns and gardens on odd-number days. Manual sprinklers are allowed between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to midnight, while automatic (timed) sprinklers are permitted between 6 p.m. and 11 a.m. the following day. There are no warnings for those violating the bylaw. Offenders will be fined $100 for the first offence and $200 for the second and subsequent violations.
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