Dear Editor:
I'm curious. Why is it, if Hyack is so out-of-date, behind-the-times and small-minded, that the Hyack detractors want everything it has?
Were there not five Hyack board members who wanted Hyack under their control so bad they relentlessly instigated a hostile takeover - only to fail? Then, did not Bart Slotman in a letter to the editor (The Record, Sept. 25) admit to taking domain names that belonged to Hyack? Did he not state "Yes, I personally registered these domains," yet documents showed at the time he registered both festivalsnewwest.com. and .ca for Uptown Property Group on Aug. 30? Has he returned these domains to Hyack?
Then there is the question of ownership of the brand/event Uptown Live! While Mr. Slotman claims it is his, why did Coun. Betty McIntosh make note that it was the proprietary property of Hyack Festival Association during a council meeting? While the question of ownership of Uptown Live! continues, is it not the intent of the Uptown Business Association New West - of which Mr. Slotman is chair - to involve Alliance West Sport Ent., a company owned by the past executive director of Hyack? Was this intent not included as part of their Oct. 30 application by the Uptown Business Association for the funding of Uptown Live!
If that was not enough, I read with interest that Mr. Slotman now wants Hyack's crowd from the parade. Can Uptown Live! not draw a crowd of its own, especially with the outrageous sum of taxpayers' money it was given?
Wouldn't having the demi-god of all event marketing, who the city cried tears for and who was
nominated as a possible Citizen of the Year - not be enough to ensure the overwhelming success of Uptown Live! as a stand-alone event?
Then there was the initiative by Coun. Chuck Puchmayr to take the Parade of Lights from Hyack and give it to the city to produce. Referred to by some as "Chuck's City Christmas Parade" (CCCP), was this line-up of first-responder vehicles and cars with city employees really better than Hyack's past parades? Recently, in council during discussions on Hyack, Mr. Puchmayr was heard to say (paraphrasing) "if it takes place" in regard to the international parade. Is he planning on taking this from Hyack too?
On Feb. 17, I watched council where Mrs. Radbourne (Hyack President 98/99, wife of the 2012 Hyack president and in charge of the 2011 to 2013 Hyack Miss New Westminster ambassador program) asked for money to fund her ambassador program. Hasn't the ambassador program been Hyack's for over 40 years.
Why did Coun. Betty McIntosh feel it necessary to inform council she had an outside legal opinion, if ownership of this program and name was not likely to become a legal matter? Recent articles inform it has a high probability to do so.
Further, wasn't Mrs. Radbourne's presentation made even more suspect by the presence of Mariane Kazemir, one of the rogue ex-directors of the failed takeover of Hyack, sitting beside her? Is she one of the nine directors on this "new" Ambassador program? How many other rogue ex-directors serve on Radbourne's board?
So why are those so critical of Hyack the ones who are so eager to take everything it has? Are they incapable of creating anything new of their own? In this letter, I have identified domains, events, brands, crowds, past personnel, parades and youth programs that are being acquired from Hyack presumably without its consent but with the apparent sanction of council and mayor, with the exception of McIntosh. Seems to me, these actions are confirmation that Hyack is indeed desirable and relevant.
Has taking what doesn't belong to you become the new norm in politics and business in New West? We used to be a city of giving. Are we now a city of taking?
Paul R. Thompson, New Westminster
