I have tried and tried to reproduce a Christmas Greeting received from Aurora Arboretum. The photo is spectacularly beautiful.
A creek flows through snow-covered banks with blonde reeds on either side, stuck together here and there with cotton balls of snow ,
Frozen scrub trees lean over to form a higgledy-piggledy sentinel as the creek twists and meanders and narrows out of sight.
The water is so precisely edged with snow, it hardly seems natural..
I know it is because June Yates is the photographer.
June is the editor of the Arboretum News. Husband Tom and herself are also members of the Seniors Club . Photography is a passion and Tom always credits June as the best of the two.
My grand-daughter Stephanie, tried without success this morning to reproduce the photo.
It really does need to be shared.
Anna ,if you are reading this post , maybe you could make contact with June and ask if you can share this and other beautiful photographs regularly presented in the Arboretum News.
There would surely be sufficient to create an annual calender of breathtakingly beautiful spots in Aurora. Enough calenders for the next twenty years.
There's another reason for wanting to share the greeting .. It bears the names of the Arboretum members,
There are thirteen. All familiar. All well- meaning volunteers with passion for creating something spectacular in the Lambert Wilson ravine that stretches from St. John Sideroad to John West Parkway. It ends at the Senior Centre. Precisely where Petch House has been re-located and is near completion.
The town has provided half a million dollars already to the group .
Last year's grant was $50,000. Every year before $100,000. I believe this year is the sixth year.
I supported the grant initially. I thought it was a good use of interest from the hydro reserve fund.
For various reasons, I changed my mind. Not the least of them careless, thoughtless disregard for increasing taxes.
The funds are derived from taxation.
Added to those handed over to the autonomous Historical Society which hasn't provided a museum service since 2002.
Added to half a million dollars annually to another autonomous board that sells culture out of a rent-free building.
The funds are no less than 3 points of the annual the tax rate increase.
It's money filched from tax-payers pockets to be handed out , given away freely, to non-elected, non-accountable bodies to spend at their pleasure and publicly supported in statements made by an appointed official of the municipality. Like he knows no better.
It's money filched from tax-payers pockets to be handed out , given away freely, to non-elected, non-accountable bodies to spend at their pleasure and publicly supported in statements made by an appointed official of the municipality. Like he knows no better.
With the best intentions in the world, I don't believe any self-respecting elected body, charged with responsibility for stewardship of public resources can tolerate such flagrant excess.and such disrespect for the electorate who gave us their trust.
Good fiscal management it is not.
The amount they receive is excessive & I believe they are aware of that fact. It is up to the group itself to make a proper decision about what they truly need. There are only a certain # of days per year for tree planting and care in Aurora. With willing volunteers available through the schools, the money from taxpayers could be greatly reduced. If Council continues to fund beyond what is necessary, only the group itself can take the initiative.
ReplyDeleteThe money isn't for the benefit of the thirteen Arboretum members - it is for all fifty-five thousand of us to enjoy their efforts.
ReplyDelete(So much for the Season of Goodwill)
Evelyn, :) yes I am reading this. I will get in touch with Tom, see what we can do. Anna :)
ReplyDelete1:49 PM - Who's the snark now?
ReplyDeleteI have a question, please.
ReplyDeleteWe have learned that the Centre has socked away more than $100,000 in a Contingency Fund. Which is outrageous but not the issue in this instance. Or is it? Does Council know if any of the funds given to the Arboretum overt the years have been saved and are now available for them to use? Sorry - that was 2 questions.
The veneer of volunteerism tends to wear thin when it is abused. In this case, what began as ' seed money ' to help begin a program has escalated into an annual demand. Aurora is already having trouble generating income. Time to cut back if not cut out. Keep up the program but within certain constrictions on expenses. Just a suggestion.
ReplyDeleteFORD DEFAMATION CASE THROWN OUT
ReplyDeleteFord - 1
ReplyDeleteToronto Star & Total Staff - 0
Wow! That shows what is thought about renewing a contract without tendering it out. And Aurora Council still wants to do the same with the Centre?
ReplyDeleteI have found the Master Plan for the Arboretum Project. It seems just fine & ambitious. What it does not supply are facts & figures about how to achieve the aim. Perhaps taxpayers would be more sympathetic to money requests if they were confident of the financial management being as solid as the planning for plantings.
ReplyDelete