RATTAN’S RUMBLE: How many benches should there be in Surrey’s Frank Hurt Park?

 

RUMBLE PARK 1RUMBLE PARK 2SINCE last year, some community members have been pushing the City of Surrey to put up a few benches in Frank Hurt Park for South Asian seniors and others who go there to meet up with friends.

Well-known Punjabi journalist Gurpreet (Lucky) Singh Sahota and community activist Jasvinder Singh Badesha have been sending emails to Surrey councillors to make them aware of the situation, but with no luck.

This year, a frustrated Sahota fired off yet another email to the City guys: “As per discussion last year, as you can read below in thread, nothing has been done on this issue. I’m attaching 2 pictures to show how people sit on ground because they don’t have benches to sit. Please look into the matter and install few benches (Covered, if possible).” (See the first two accompanying photos)

Sahota forwarded me those emails and I sent them to the City media guys for a response and I must say they were quick to respond.

Surrey’s Manager of Parks Owen Croy emailed me on Wednesday:

Photo: City of Surrey
Photo: City of Surrey

“There is a bench at Frank Hurt Park, adjacent to the playground, as shown in this photo taken in the mid-afternoon today.

“We are looking at locations for the potential installation of one more bench.  We are reviewing this carefully, as we have had some night-time gatherings at the bench that resulted in vandalism to the park, and do not want to create a problem for the community”

But surely just two benches are not enough. I think there should be at least four benches.

The argument about benches leading to vandalism is a RIDICULOUS one – what the hell are police doing? They should go after such rowdy characters and arrest and charge them – and release their names to the media to shame them.

Why should DECENT seniors suffer because of these idiots?

Instead it seems that the City and police officials are too busy chasing kids and their dads peacefully playing soccer in the parks!

LOPSIDED priorities are causing these problems, I guess.