How it started

Editor:

It’s great to see the Walk of Stars and associated murals becoming a first class tourist attraction in this community. Compliments to all involved.

I wonder though, who remembers who originated the idea? The first year of the music fest my friend, Frank Larre, pitched an idea to the Merritt Lions Club as a fundraiser. His idea was to have the music fest stars put their hand prints and signatures in cement stars that could be sold for $200 each to downtown businesses and placed in front of their stores where tourists could wander the streets to see these displays, just like Hollywood. Frank designed the mold and researched the process for curing the right kind of cement. The Lions bought the materials and half a dozen stars accommodated the project.

The plan hit a snag in that the city would not permit the installation. Undeterred, Frank carried on asking the Lions to build a Walk of Stars in Lions Park – not a fundraiser any longer, but a community service. The Lions agreed, but this hit a snag when the city put

onerous and expensive conditions on creating the walk and wanted the Lions to commit to maintaining the walk and be responsible for any liability incurred. The Lions couldn’t make that commitment. So Frank had the stars stored with Barry Jackson who, to his and others credit, resurrected the idea with government funding.

So when you see one of the displays, remember the guy who originated the idea.

Ralph Poynting

Merritt

Thanks, it looks great

Editor:

Kudos to City Furniture, the makeover to their store and warehouse looks great. They are to be commended.

Yvonne Cressy

Merritt