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espile the warts of Dconlroversy which have grown on the city's largest recreation pro- Ject recently. RIM Park offi- cially opened to an embrac- ing crowd Saturday during a special community ceremo- ny. "Once you take away the negative feelings and look at it through new eyes, you see that it's absolutely magnifi- cent," said Waterloo Mayor Lynne Woolstencroft, in describing thepark. 'Truly something special' "Once people see all the wonderful opportunities to teach their children. people will learn to like it, and some will absolutely love it." The mayor hopes the rest of the public will find a way to overlook the behind-the- scenes blemishes that have plagued the park. and enjoy the amenities the facility has to offer. The largest feature of the park is the multi-use building which includes four Olympic- size ice pads, four double gymnasiums. a multi-sport fitgdhouse, an indoor track. a world-class figure skating facility and a fitness centre. And, built around the ath- letic facility, park users can enjoy the lB-hole Grey Silo golf course. a number of sports fields and baseball dia- monds, trails, and a nature centre. Community embraces RIM Park at official opening "We're now able to meet the needs of the community in terms of ball diamonds, soccer fields, skating rinks, performance areas, and the list goes on," Woolstencroft "We've stood try our no- pesticides policy by using bent grass, and we've testabi- By ANDREA Bum Chronicle s2atr lined the Grand River shores. "And the (preservation) of the Elam Martin farmstead is the icing on the gake. - - "Thise are all good things that I believe will stand up to the test" Some community mem- bers are still unsure of how to feel about the finished prod- uct, given the negativity attached to the facility via. decisions made by past and present Waterloo city council members. Controversy first arose when council voted to change what was once called the Millennium Recreation Park to RIM Park after a $2-million donation was given lo the city's park fundraising cam- paign by employees at the Research In Motion high-tech corporation. k number of residents felt that since it's the taxpayers LIFESTYLE From there it seemed a snowball etiect had started when investigation revealed a discrepancy in the park's finance arrangement made with MFP Financial Services of Mississauga. Visitors to MM Park's official opening Saturday enjoyed a variety of activities including basketball, skating and soccer. who will be footing the major- ity of what was then assumed to be a $56.7-million project bill, they should have Ctrst crack at the naming rights When the deal was agreed upon in early 2000, council was under the impression that the $48.3 million in pre- paid rent the city borrowed from MFP in a leasing agree- ment to help fund the park would be based on an interest rate of 4-7.3 per cent over three decades. In tum, MFP leased the park back to the city for the