Dear Editor:
In answer to the Friday, March 14 letter to the editor from a Paul R. Thompson (Everyone wants a piece of Hyack).
I find it interesting that the letter writing campaign for the Hyack Festival is being generated by friends of James Crosty. Paul is James’ partner and has been instrumental in structuring and releasing press releases for the Hyack association. There have been letters from John Ashdown, whose wife is on the board of Hyack, and Ted Eddy, who is now on the Hyack board, all associated with James. I ask the question, is the Hyack office being used as a political campaign office for the next civic election?
Paul mentioned in his letter that there was a “relentlessly instigated hostile takeover” attempt by five Hyack board members. These members were trying to stop a lawsuit and added legal fees from a wrongful dismissal of the executive director. The executive took it upon themselves to initiate this dismissal. This dismissal was not authorized or ratified by the Hyack board as a whole.
A suit was filed and Hyack has to pay out for the wrongful dismissal and legal fees; these could be between $50,000 and $70,000. Hyack has asked the city for over $180,000 in grants this year, an increase from the $140,000 Hyack got last year. Do we want taxpayers’ money to pay for the wrongful dismissal?
Another question one might ask is, Coun. Betty McIntosh was the city representative for Hyack until shortly before this wrongful dismissal, but for some reason resigned from this position. After the firing she took her spot back as the city representative for Hyack. Did she have knowledge of the firingahead of time? Mr. Thompson mentions in his letter that McIntosh quoted a legal opinion from a lawyer at the presentation Lynn Radbourne gave to council on Feb. 17. How can one get a legal opinion that fast when the council didn’t even know there was going to be a presentation that night?
I have kept out of the argument surrounding Hyack, but I think this ongoing slanderous dialogue coming from the Hyack group of friends has to stop.
I have been volunteering for different organizations in New Westminster for over 50 years, nearly 30 with Hyack, having received a Service Award of Merit in high school, Hyack Volunteer of the Year, recognition for my volunteering in New Westminster from the Government of Canada and received Citizen of the Year in 2010. There have been many very satisfying moments throughout the 50 years.
I was trying to stop a wrongful dismissal suit against Hyack, along with the five other directors, and trying to take Hyack out of the “amateurish events” it had been holding, into a new era of high impact and fun events initiated by Douglas Smith as executive director.
To have my wife, Lynn Radbourne, fired from volunteering as the coordinator of the Miss New Westminster Pageant and to have a letter sent to council and to the newspapers from the 2014 president of Hyack, threatening a suit against Lynn and maligning her good name because she was associated with the “wrong faction,” namely me, shows very little respect for her and the city.
If the priority of the “wrong faction” was to save a man’s livelihood and good name, as well as bring a higher profile to Hyack events and the new Hyack regime thinks that was wrong – then I ask, what is the new Hyack regime’s priority?
Bill Radbourne,
New Westminster
