"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 6 May 2012

To Market...To Market...To Buy a Fat Pig

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "It Is What It Is":

It would have been helpful at that mob-meeting if the town had seen fit to hand out those figures in your post to those attending. Maybe it would have filtered through to some of them that they were involved in a giant rip-off. Or not

****************
 Or not.

The  Market opened yesterday.  Already  signs are, it will be our newest  hot bed of political  intrigue.

The new president, the jam lady,  came to Council a couple of weeks ago. Introduced the new market manager. Did not reveal source of   funds  for manager.. Rumour  has it  new owners of Wells Street School property  have provided the necessary.

The new president and manager have ambitious  plans for the Farmers Market  to become  a cultural event  and all  that jazz.

Yesterday, .a new wrinkle was added. A Code of Conduct  was distributed to vendors by the president and  manager, with  expressed requirement it be signed before the end of business  yesterday.

It appears  market vendors may  have had no input into the code. .

A  clause in the Code   requires  vendors  not speak to the press.

Market "officials" have apparently become closely affiliated with the force occupying Church Street School.

It looks like an alliance..

They have not rented the band shell  in the park.  But they have erected a tent on the dance space  in front of
the band shell.  It is not known at this time if a permit fee was  paid.

Yesterday, apparently, the St Kitts woman was much in evidence. Took over the microphone  in the tent and used the opportunity to promote the  family  Jazz Festival.

.They have no booth in the Market therefore  no permit fee paid.

A valid  connection is not apparent.

Did you  catch what I said yesterday.

The town does not lease  the park. No  user fee is charged for  its use. The park is public. Open to all.

Why then is a  fence  erected  during the jazz festival to exclude people  who have a right to use the park,, by people who have no right to exercise authority   over the park.

It will be the  next question  I ask of the town's administration

 How did this come about?

Well, it appears to. mean, anybody from anywhere, can bring a fence to an Aurora park, fence all or part off and demand other people pay to be  allowed  to enter.

 A resident  might just want to walk a dog. Toss a frisbee. Play ball with a child. Check out thetalent.

Yet a stranger with no authorty  whatsoever, including a permit,   could conceivably  fence off the children's playground and  charge an admission fee. Or a soccer field or a baseball diamond, Or a basket ball net.
Or a gazebo.

Whatever is there in our parks is free  to be exploited by whatever bandit may decide to erect a fence and charge a  fee  or rent out space in our parks  to vendors and  food-stands.and beer gardens and collect revenue from a space they nave no right to..


Why not ?    The St Kitts Family Music Enterprise does it

 What  gives  them the right?

Certainly not payment of a user fee. 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Market "officials" have apparently become closely affiliated with the force occupying Church Street school ."

Name names.

Anonymous said...

The Farmer's Market should be located in a field on the fringes of town.

That way all the fringe lunatics can congregate there and not clog our park.

Does the code of conduct extend to a guarantee on all the produce/products that this group sells? No rotten tomatoes I hope.

Anonymous said...

I seem to recall Mayor Dawe being told not to campaign at the Market. He complied with grace. Have they now re-written their rules to allow campaigning ? And how do you define the act between election? It looks as though the place will be very interesting to watch. But the business of erecting tents must be sorted out. The Town will have to consider if allowing one could have a dandelion effect. The situation is new - let's see how it develops.

Anonymous said...

11:58 AM
As usual you demand, never do you contribute.

Anonymous said...

Is there a an individual on both executives of the Market and ACC?
My understanding is the Jazz Festival vendors are booked by one and the same.
What a tidy web we weave.

Anonymous said...

For someone who prides herself on "facts," this post reads as rumour-mongering and paranoia.

Anonymous said...

@1:08

Less innuendo and more facts, please.

Anonymous said...

For 1:15 PM
If there are factual errors in the post, please offer your corrections. Contribute.

Anonymous said...

To 12:38/3:52:

What is your contribution? Telling others what to do?!

Anonymous said...

Code of conduct, dont speak to the press, whats next? The ten commandments? Fasten your seatbelts! "Sticky" the jamstress has a plan...

Anonymous said...

Show me the code of conduct...

Anonymous said...

Evelyn:

Do you have any way of putting your hands on a copy of the Code of Conduct that is now required from all participants in the Farmers' Market?

It would make interesting reading alongside a copy of a similar document that the Town introduced during the former's term.