The Auroran is not Hansard The editor does an excellent job of news reporting but that's it.
Contrary to opinion,I do get tired of repeating arguments. It happens when an issue keeps going round in circles.
The town has thirty years experience in museum operation. It was a seamless part of municipal operations and among the best value received for tax dollars.
The curator was also heritage planner. A position now probably costing in excess of a hundred thousand dollars annually. We are on our third since the curator did the dual function.
Any person had access to research services into town or family history. The service was cheerfully provided for the asking.
The collection was displayed and cared for. Church Street School was shared with other groups.
Teachers brought classes to the museum for introduction to meaning and respect for heritage.
Summer history camps were operated as part of recreation services
Events were organised. A Victorian tea party or a Victorian Christmas re-enacted in keeping with the community's beginnings.
Fifty years ago, Aurora Historical Society was founded .Meetings were held in a box room in the old town hall. The Collection was assembled from donations.
When Local Architecture Conservation legislation was passed, Aurora was first in Ontario to set up and get going with research, one building at a time. I was proud to be part of that.
Annual cost to the municipality was a $50,000 annual grant to the Historical Society.
Eventually the Society fund-raised to renovate the old School.The building was re-named the Heritage and Culture Centre.
Almost a million was raised and much of that expended for the purpose.
The community was kindly disposed.
Thousands of hours of physical labour were donated to gut the building.
Specialist architects were retained and paid for by the Historical Society to design a state of the art
facility.
In 2006, the hydro utility company was sold under duress from the Province.
A resolution moved by myself seconded by Councillor Wallace was approved by Council to provide funds needed to complete renovations and get with the program.
$2.3 million dollars were spent from the hydro fund.
A grant of $750,000 was obtained for museum purposes.
When the facility was opened several years and a new council later, no mention was made of the museum.
Instead ,a Cultural Centre Board was created , the building washanded over, rent free, maintenance provided and a luxurious "purchase of culture agreement" of $340,000 . plus other goodies was signed.
It has grown every year since with the space intended for the museum given away rent free to a regional arts organization.
So...we have wrested 16% of the space back. None of the funding.
Two members of Council sit on a board that self-selects and meets in secret. with no requirement to
report to Council.
Money is raised by selling naming rights, funds kept secret while continuing to receive ever more from the town.
A bid for the contract of operating museum service was made by the Culture Centre Board. Providing Heritage programming was part of the purchase of service agreement.
Not a person at the Council table , myself the exception , had the intestinal fortitude to reverse what has become, in my opinion, a scandalous betrayal of public interest.
A motion was made to re-direct funds for museum service. and failed while a shudder went round the table at the very idea of withdrawing funds from the greedy maw of the vulture board.
Responsibility no longer rests with the past.
"We have seen the enemy. It is us. "
Friday, 9 May 2014
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8 comments:
The vote was 6-2, I think. We will see where the 6 go from here. I imagine that Cllr Gaertner will vote with the 2. We are right back where we were at the beginning of this term.
Poor Mr Mar.
Mr Weir must be having a bad day. Some candidate has accused the Auroran cartoon of being subliminal messaging. ......but not the cartoonist. I am still trying to figure out that convoluted reasoning. Does he mean the cartoonist draws the sketch but does not mean it? I love all of them. This week's is another winner.
"The Auroran is not Hansard"
It's not alone in that regard.
"The Auroran is not Hansard"
It's not alone in that regard.
16:04 & 16:05
Neither are you it would seem.
25% of the space & there is this huge reluctance to share the town-funding ? I am not sure the building usages or the funding are up to the Centre to decide. The original arrangement was for shared space -with the Centre providing both culture and heritage. They failed. Funding is up to our fractious council to decide. I am quite sure the current residents could afford a modest reduction in allowance.
It is really quite fascinating to watch the "run for the roses" by individuals seeking an elected position. The machinations and maneuvers by one such individual, has for the time since he announced his intention, flooded the tweetosphere and has now spilled over into our own little Auroran.
With all the scandalous events surrounding the days leading up to the last election, I can't recall an Editor's Note or a Cartoonist's Note by way of response to such an ego-addled letter as that which appears in this week's edition of the Auroran.
Is the author thinking on all cylinders? He states: "At the very least they should not be fear-mongered into voting anti-ward system by The Auroran cartoonist. That was not a cartoon, that to me looks like a paid political message by those who wish to tighten their control on Aurorans; and that scares me.
Had The Auroran placed a notice that the cartoon was a paid political announcement, then of course that would [be] perfectly within the rules and I would not be writing this letter. What incensed me was that what looks like a paid political ad was presented as an Auroran cartoon."
Back off, sir. Your paranoia is showing, possibly also the fact that you write before you think, always dangerous in life, and especially in politics. You don't want people laughing at you, rather with you.
There are still over five months of tough campaigning to go. Take four of them off so you can come back refreshed in the fight to the finish, hopefully making more sense than you do at present.
It is a pretty decent morning if you keep your back to the gusts. Try to catch some sun, E.
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