In the Jan. 4 issue there was a article on West Kootenay property assessments (Greater Trail assessments drop slightly for 2013, Trail Times Jan. 4).
West Trail’s assessments were reported to have, “dropped by 5.2 per cent, “Nelson’s dipped by 3.5 per cent,” “Slocan Valley’s were down by up to 20 per cent”, but Rossland’s assessments, “plummeted $7,000 to $243,000.”
The percentage that this represents is 2.8 per cent. Hardly a plummet, which the dictionary defines as a vertical drop!
I bring this up as the debate to close one of Rossland’s school is coming to a head.
This is a very emotional issue.
I hope in covering this topic, The Times will avoid some of the unhelpful and potentially inflammatory terminology found in the Jan. 10 article “Facilities review meetings set to begin next week,” discussing the upcoming facilities review meeting in Rossland Jan. 15.
I don’t think that “the knives will be sharpened,” nor do I think that “trustees will have targets pinned to their backs for the evening.”
This is not a vendetta.
Your reporter, Timothy Schafer, does an admirable job but sometimes strays with sensational wordplay.
I know it’s tempting to spice up the reporting of local issues, but most of us read for facts, not gossip.
Raymond Masleck’s op-ed on the school issue was much more helpful.
Larry Doell
Rossland