万锦市被诉400万，高跷奶牛雕塑再成新闻 5-5

我们最后一次关注万锦市那个站在高跷上，名字叫慈善的的奶牛雕塑是在2017年9月。当时，我们报道说，在万锦市议会投票决定挪走该雕塑后，万锦的老百姓在这一有争议的事件中占了上风 – 雕塑挪窝只是时间问题。

Last time we paid attention to the Cow on stilts (Charity) statue, it was in September of 2017. At that time, we reported that the residents in Markham won after Council voted to remove the cow statue – it was all just a matter of time, right?

关于这一话题的其他文章，请点击：http：//chinesenewsgroup.com/news/662531

For the earlier article, click: http://chinesenewsgroup.com/news/662531

 

问题是，计划赶不上变化！最近，这个奶牛雕塑的动态又成为人们议论的话题。这个丑陋的雕塑究竟放在哪里再次成了一个棘手的问题。 

We counted our chickens before they were hatched! The latest developments have once again put the statue in the news front and centre. The destiny of this ugly statue is once again put into limbo.

2018年4月8日，该雕塑的一个重要组成部分，戴在牛脖子上的金属花环的一片叶子坠落地面。叶片重达一磅。当时若有人在雕塑下面，他/她很可能被严重砸伤。更令人惊讶的是，市府工作人员早就预测了这种事可能会发生。

On April 8, 2018 a hunk of large metal leaf which is a component of the garland circling the statue's neck speared into the earth below the statue. This piece weighing nearly a pound could have seriously injured anyone nearby if they had the misfortune to be there at the wrong time. Amazingly, this hazard was identified by the City staff earlier.

 

市政府工作人员表示，根据成本，空地，以及何时挪窝，他们对三个可能的安放地点进行了考察。他们原打算在4月给市府提交报告。正如我在去年9月的文章中所指出的那样，雕塑捐赠者认为该项目还没有完工，他们仍然是该雕塑的主人。

City staff said they were evaluating three alternative locations for the statue on stilts, based on cost, the readiness of the site, and when it could be installed. They expected to bring a report to council sometime in April. As predicted in my September article, the donor considers the project incomplete and remains technically the statue's owner.

 

不久前有报道说，雕塑的捐赠者-罗曼多尔农场于2018年3月21日把万锦市政府告上法庭。罗曼多尔农场要求万锦市：（a）向他们支付400万的赔偿金，其中300万是挪窝和违约罚金，剩下的为其他相关的损失; （b）万锦市必须承担所有迁移该雕塑并把雕塑还给捐赠者的费用。罗曼多尔农场声称他们仍然是该雕塑的主人，虽然万锦市声称自己现在是雕塑的主人。（c）或者让法庭判定该雕塑留在原地。

It was reported that a lawsuit was filed in Toronto by Romandale Farms Ltd. against the City of Markham on March 21, 2018. Romandale demands the City to either (a) pay damages in the amount of $4 million, including $3 million for conversion of property and punitive damages, plus costs and associated damages; (b) pay the full costs to remove Charity from its location in Charity Crescent and return it to the owner, which Barber-Roman maintains she still is, in spite of the city’s claim the sculpture now belongs to it; or (c) leave Charity on Charity Crescent in its current location.

 

去年十月份，万锦市议会投票决定，一旦接手了这个艺术雕塑，万锦市将决定在哪里摆放。市政府工作人员表示，根据与市府达成的协议，曼多尔农场可以在3月9日前撤回雕塑捐赠。由于曼多尔农场在截止日期之前没有任何动作，因此，万锦市认为自己成为雕塑的主人。

Last October, Markham City council voted that the move of the statue would take place once Markham had ownership of the donated art piece and could figure out where to put it. Recently, the City staff said they had given Roman-Barber until March 9 to take the sculpture back, according to the terms set out in an agreement between the two parties. Since no response was provided by the donor by that deadline, the city just assumed that they have taken ownership of it.

 

如果猜测没有错，罗曼德尔农场显然不喜欢被市府摆弄，他们固执己见，并通过民事诉讼让万锦市服从其旨意。万锦市第二选区市议员何胡景表示，雕塑交接的手续仍然在进行之中。他承认交接过程比想象的要长。尽管市议会期望雕塑挪地，但他表示他不能保证在今年秋季的市政选举之前雕塑会被挪走。

This is a wrong assumption as Romandale Farms apparently does not like to be told what to do and they want to take control of the situation instead and dictate its terms to the City through a lawsuit. Local Ward 2 councillor Alan Ho says the city is still finalizing the ownership details. He admits the process has taken longer than it should. And despite the willingness of council to see the sculpture moved, he says he can’t guarantee it will happen before the municipal election this fall.

 

我们差点忘了今年是市政选举年！如果这座雕塑不能很快挪走，当地选民也许会通过选举让现任议员卷铺盖走人。不管雕塑是否能挪窝，万锦居民都会因为市府议员大人们的“错误判断”而付出代价。正是这些议员大人不听“公共艺术咨询委员会”两次建议，仍然给在Cathedral镇摆放该雕塑开绿灯。

We almost forgot that this is a municipal election year! If this statue does not get removed soon, the residents may not be voting for the incumbent councillor any more. Regardless of the outcome, Markham residents will be spending some money to pay for the “error in judgment” made by the members of Council who approved the installation of the statue in Cathedral town after the Public Art Advisory Committee turned it down twice.

 

正当准备花上几十万来挪此雕塑时，我们却为此惹上了一场官司。这可能会给市政府造成数百万元的损失。万锦市目前没有其他选择。为了不在官司上耗费金钱，它必须将雕塑归还给对方。因为当初市府想当然地认为自己已经是此雕塑的主人了。 

Just when we think that the cost of tens of thousands of dollars will be expended for relocation of the statue, we are now faced with a lawsuit that will potentially cost the City millions of dollars. The City of Markham does not have any choice now. It must return the statue to the owners and avoid losing even more money in a protracted lawsuit just for the sake of establishing that it was correct in assuming ownership of the statue.

 

在这个不幸的故事中的受益者恰好是那些住在是维多利亚广场大道/布蒂罗马大道，弗里斯比公园，树木园和遗产果园的那些居民。他们将不必担心这个丑陋的雕塑矗立在他们的眼前，同时担心雕塑的金属碎片哪天会砸在自己的脑袋上。 

Some other winners in this unfortunately fiasco is a future urban park at Victoria Square Blvd./Betty Roman Blvd., Frisby Park, Arboretum and Heritage Orchard. Residents living nearby these locations will not have to put up with this unsightly statue and take a risk of getting hurt by its falling garland pieces.

 

目前，万锦市政府闭口不谈这个民事诉讼。许多市民担心这个官司会没完没了，耗费大量纳税人的钱。他们对此官司很关心。市府如何应付此官司最终将在未来的市政大选中反映出来，因为选民会把气撒到现任议员身上。

Right now, City of Markham is not commenting on its reaction to this lawsuit. Many residents are anxious to know as they do not want this matter unresolved or sinking more tax dollars into it. They are watching this closely. How the City react will ultimately translate into votes that may unseat incumbent member(s ) of council in the coming municipal election.