Kenzo Dozono

Owner of Kenzo Dozono’s S.K.I. Belleville Karate School, Dozono is running for mayor of Belleville. Inducted into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, Dozono is also the Technical Director and President of the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation. A native of Japan, Dozono has been in Belleville for 45 years.

(613) 962 -0870 home

(613) 932 -8551 work

dozono@sympatico.ca

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Your Voice, Your Vote – The QNetNews Municipal Election Project sent out a questionnaire to all the candidates for mayor and council. Here are Kenzo Dozono’s unedited responses.

Question 1 – One concern we’ve heard from a number of people is about the future of jobs in Belleville, and where job growth will come from.

What role do you see city council playing to help bring new jobs to Belleville?

What kind of jobs do you envision in Belleville’s future?

How does council help make that happen?

Response – Belleville need solid Fire Department and Police Department to ensure this community can provide very safe environment for quality of life,no industry will come if we are not ready for unexpected.Since I worked internationally for many large companies as an interpreter and Quality Control manager,I understand that today’s industry executive’s concern is where their employee’s family lives….Are they safe ? Do they enjoy in that community ? Because of their productivity is depend on the environment where they live.
We must solve Police Department location as soon as possible,then,only then,Mayor and council must go
out for our availability, we must cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce and Loyalist college think tank
to discuss our strategy.

Question 2. We’ve also heard from a number of people who say, with regards to young people in Belleville, that there’s not enough for them to do here, and there’s not enough to keep them here after they graduate, whether that’s from high school or from Loyalist College. For the purposes of these questions, we’re defining young people as being between 12 and 24.What role does the city play in providing interesting things for young people to do?

How does the city keep more of its young population here after they leave school?

How do you envision the city working with Loyalist College to do just that?

Response -This question is so related with # 2, It is so simple,if no job is available,no kids can stay here even they want to stay. My son is a scientist at the Facebook in San Francisco,whenever he comes home,he have to go to Toronto or Ottawa area because his school friends are not living here because of no job, and also says ” No excitement in Belleville.” Well, our councillors live in a small pond,they don’t have any sense of urgency to create Jobs,this city is in danger of becoming a retired community.

We must organize our think tank with Loyalist college for our strategy,we can not just say ” Job, job “
We have to be creative for tourism,our city is invisible,we need very visible unique identity.
Do you know why the BIG APPLE beside 401 at the Colborn has more visitors than our city ?
Because whoever drive 401,they can see the Big Apple and they have curiosity to drop in for next trip.
We should have the visible attraction at the Via train station and 401,WE NEED TO HAVE a Large
WELCOME CENTRE with local products with flying International flags and FOREIGN LANGUAGE signs .
You’ll be so happy to see your own country’s flag when you travel other country.
We must do have very unique visual display at the train station and 401.
Facebook,twitter,internet are not effective for this community because there are million same information.
Travellers want to see from windows,then create curiosity.Don’t you think ?

Question 3 – We also heard a lot of concern about poverty in Belleville, especially child poverty. There are two main concerns tied to the discussion of poverty in this community – food and shelter.

One in three children in this community face food insecurity issues. What can council do to address that?

What role does council have in providing more affordable accommodation for more people in this city?

Does Belleville need a men’s shelter for those who are temporarily homeless?

Response – Honestly, I can not have any quick answer for this, this is very big issue for this city to look after citizens.I think we should control our spending Tax and save money to be able to have some special project to hire those homeless. I know how tough to live as homeless,I slept under a bridge for a month. When I came to Canada,I was O.K. because I intentionally wanted to challenge Canadian winter.

We certainly have to take care of those unfortunate Children and homeless with city’s assistances.
Let’s gather our idea together and tackle this very important issue, they are all our family.
Let’s give them our LOVE.

Question 4 – Council recently passed a Transportation Master Plan.

What are your thoughts on that plan?

How would you characterize the existing public transit system in Belleville?

What would you do to improve it?

What can the city do to improve cycling infrastructure in this city?

Response – I would like to ask bus drivers what they would like to see for the T.M.P.

I characterize as a patch work operation.
Why can’t we have smaller bus to run more often when it’s not morning and afternoon rush hours.
We are wasting so much energy for running a large bus with no passengers.
We should clean up side walk prior cycling infrastructure,cycling is not workable in winter.
I know it is nice to have the cycling infrastructure,but which one is priority for majority of Taxpayers ?

Question 5. – Sometimes it seems the future of downtown Belleville is a more popular topic of conversation than the weather is. How do you see downtown Belleville being revitalized?

Response – Downtown need more activities for kids and seniors with colourful decoration.
We can create City hosted tournament or championships with Mayor’s cup,
For example, such as paper airplane championships,card game championships,we should create fun activities for kids and seniors.
How about home made burger championships.
we can have Julyfest or August fest vs. OOktoberfest
Let’s have fun in downtown.
Where do you go when you go to Toronto,Montreal,New York,Boston,Tokyo, Paris ?… Downtown !
Why ? Because It’s fun place to be,if it’s not fun,nobody will go.
Let’s revitalize downtown Belleville with activities first, easy to spend Tax,but it is not solution.
To make gathering place does not need spending Tax. we have to change mental attitude.
Let’s be creative to attract people.
We can have a branch police station there for safety,so that children and senior can walk without fear
from being attacked.
We should look into how to save the Memorial arena, we can make a beautiful museum.
We need a museum for visitors.
Question 6. What role does council play in supporting a vibrant arts community in Belleville?
Response – City hall must cooperate and assist many organization to do things together.

City Hall, Chamber of Commerce , merchants, Art ,culture,sports group gather together and celebrate
our life at downtown with colourful parade.Why not to welcome parade for the champions of sports,those things must be initiated by City Hall,I think this City Hall is so lazy.
The City Hall, Civil servants are so lazy. They forget that meaning of Civil servant is to serve public.
They should know they are lucky to be hired by Tax payers, they have wrong attitude to behave like kings and Queens. No wonder that this city has no enthusiasm.

Question 7 – Many people pointed to tourism as an important economic driver in this city. What role can the city play in both bringing more tourists to the city, and keeping them here longer?

Should there be a better connection between the Bay of Quinte waterfront and Belleville’s downtown?

Response – How does the city make that happen?

# 7 and # 6 has link,we can not separate them.
Bay of Quinte waterfront and Downtown are one unit.
Downtown need better service for customer,especially restaurant business. Some Downtown restaurants
are terrible for service,they need more training for customer service.Do we have to wait and ask for a glass of water ? You should visit Quebec or other country,you have to learn how to serve customers.
Please think that Customers are kings and Queens .
This problems come from the City Hall, when you visit the city Hall, those city staffs never smile nor kind.
they are so miserable,how can it be a friendly city ? They are suppose to be very friendly but not !
They are not helpful ,they should change their attitude,they should remember people go to the City Hall
TO GET HELP, people go to the City Hall to have assistances, please do not be nasty.
Be nice, smile, helpful, then downtown will be more cheerful place.
We have to start from fundamental for Downtown.
I can make more vibrant place.
So,you better make me as your Mayor.
Only Kenzo Dozono can fix this problems with his international experience,he knows how to welcome
people and give very good feeling.

Question 8 – What are your thoughts on a casino in Belleville? Why/Why not?

Response – Casino in Belleville ?

Why not ? Lots people go to other place from here.Casino can be very good investment for this City
then we can improve #1.2.3.4.5.6.7 with more visitors and improve infrastructures because we need it.

Question 9. – Who should pay for upgrades to the Yardmen Arena?

How important do you think it is that the Bulls remain in Belleville?

Response -Didn’t we upgrades already ?

Do we still have contract problems ?
I do not know exact situation for the Yardmen Arena unless I get in.
Bulls are very important for this City, but using Tax for private business must be very careful.
We should look into partnership,need lots research for this matter.

Question 10. We heard complaints from people in Thurlow that it’s the forgotten part of this city, especially when it comes to city services.

How do you respond to those complaints?

Response -Thurlow is going to be very important part of this City.

Expansion will go to toward Thurlow,we can not ignore the Thurlow.
The H.R.Frink Conservation is very unique attractive place for visitors.
Our Tax has limited amount,so let’s hear what is priority for people in Thurlow.
Only I can say now is Thurlow is so huge, we’ll be bankrupt if we do cover entire Thurlow with city services,but we must be able to provide some Fire Dept and Police Dept with branch.