"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

Friday 26 October 2012

Perception Is The Reality

Council adopted a motion on Tuesday to direct staff to invite proposals for a music festival  in the Town Park on the August long week-end. 
The park is public property as is the band shell. Similarly all  amenities , like  washrooms, picnic tables,  power for food vendors
and parking are publicly owned.  
Shade from mature trees and play facilities for children make the  park an ideal  gathering place and a perfect venue for  entertainment.  
A pad in front of the bandstand provides for dancing   if  people are so  inclined.
The idea of inviting proposals  to  ensure  no  group has the monopoly of a public facility doesn't seem so far-fetched.
There needs to be equity  and logic ifor fees paid for amenities provided. 
The concept of fencing the park off from public use. and employing security to ensure residents do not  enter   for a period of days without paying admission, does not sit well with some .
C'est moi, mon ami.
Councillor Ballard had some  accusatory things to say about the motive for the motion.The Councillor was  honoured guest at the Festival this  year. 
The town's first citizen was snubbed by  organizers. 
It  appears Jazz Festival  supporters are being organized for an e-mail onslaught against  the decision made on Tuesday.
Tracy Smithof Culture Centre Board fame, was first up to bat with  castigation. 
In fulsome fashion, he charges  ignorance and other less than complimentary attributes among Councillors.
Someone who apparently makes a living assisting festivals with advice and  equipment,  lets us know where he is located. Should his services be required I  presume.
A couple from Richmond Hill want  the town to notify of where the Jazz Festival might be held  if  not in Aurora. They don't want to miss it. It is part of their summer. 
It's not yet quite  a deluge of e-mails 
It's hard to imagine the objective.
The question  asked by Councillor Ballard is, are we  going to put hockey tournaments  and similar events out to competition?
It  makes one  pause. 
How are hockey tournaments organised?
Hockey is a Sport.  Associations organized by district. Dozens of parents volunteer to coach and manage  teams.
High registration fees are paid.  Equipment costs  hundreds of dollars,
Thousands of dollars  are paid to the town for ice time and a surcharge when new facilities are built. 
Tournaments are fund-raisers to help control  registration fees .They are organised by  the Minor Hockey, Association .
Nobody  makes a living from  giving kids an opportunity to learn and play hockey. Local businesses provide sponsorships.  
The same principle applies to other junior sports.
With the possible exception of Minor Soccer. 
So why would we offer free  use of  an arena  to a  private organization to exploit , for the business of making profit?
Councillor Ballard's logic escapes me. 
But then, I just noticed ,the Culture Centre Board will present its  2013 budget to Council on the same night as the Library Board 
presumable with the same status as the Library Board. 
The town will again  provide funds  from  tax revenues to purchase art and culture. To provide free space for exhibits to artist from throughout the Region. 
That doesn't make sense to me either. 
I obviously makes perfect sense to Councillor Ballard and others.                       

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everything appears to revolve around money being expended. I think residents are far more interested in learning about how Aurora can create revenue generating opportunities. Having competition for the use of the park could be one. But we need more than a single instance. The budget could be drastically reduced but I do not expect this in view of those sitting around the table.

Anonymous said...

To 11:12....

Everything that is going on revolves around one theme.

Two years ago the council of the day was replaced with new. Anyone connected to or with the leader of the previous council, be it within the Town organization or out of it, had to be purged.

SO much so that the new council began a systematic reversal of previous council decisions and initiatives.

Naming of John West Way
Chicanes
Green trucks
Cultural Centre
etc etc

And now, we get to Jazz Festival.

This has nothing to do money. Evelyn's topic of this post is true. This is all about PERCEPTION. The perception is that the years of 2006 to 2010 were ruled by evil doers and we have to reverse the entire 4 years.

After this one is dealt with, next will no doubt be the armoury.

Anonymous said...

I find Councillor Ballard’s tweet from yesterday interesting. He states: “#Aurora Council would end Aurora Jazz+ Festival … voted on of Ontario’s “100 best”. Vindictive.” He of course is referring to the Jazz Festivals award from the Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) organization’s (see http://www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca/about/awards ) Top 100 Ontario Festivals.

Not saying that the Jazz festival may not have its audience and its own success, etc. but this award has always been a thorn to me when I first saw it announced last winter and how it has been used. (which I know the whole purpose is for marketing). But look at the info:

The award comes from a private organization called FEO whose business is to promote festivals. You have to be a member to receive an award (makes sense why would they give out awards to non-members). It is not an award from a third party organization. The #2 reason they give in applying for this member award is “Being an FEO award winner is a great marketing tool”. (yes, I can honestly see that – why wouldn’t you want to include it in your marketing as the Jazz Festival does).

The thing that gets me is that last winter when I looked at FEO’s website I saw that Sher St. Kitts, Manager Aurora Jazz+ Festival is on the FEO’s Board of Directors. In reviewing all the board members, their respective festivals or organizations and the winners of the awards it would appear to me that all of board members’ festivals are award winners either as a festival or as a supplier to the festival. Bit of a coincidence I believe. So do you win the award and get asked to volunteer on the board or if you are on the board do they make sure you’re included in the Top 100 as a reward for your “volunteering”. There’s got to be some benefits.

I agree that any organization can have its own awards – chambers of commerce, boards of trade, clubs, volunteer organizations, etc. do it all the time and that’s great – people should be recognized. But this award comes across a little sly in that it is worded and has a logo “Top 100 Festivals and Events Ontario” which is doubling their organization name. So it sounds all that more impressive. My thought with these types of awards is that you could have the very best festival but if you don’t belong to the FEO you don’t qualify for an award. (But that’s marketing, that’s business… that’s life). Not to say but for a festival the size of Aurora Jazz Festival it only costs $260 per year to be a member and $25 to put your name in the Top 100 bin and for less then $300 you’re getting a very good marketing return – so who wouldn’t do it. 99.99% of the people are not going to know the above or really care are they. And everyone is going to keep spreading it on, just like Councillor Ballard – how could they do this to a Top 100 festival – how dare they. So it’s win-win-win isn’t it. (if you want to get in the Top 100 quickly – I recommend you join their board).

I know this may be getting picky about the point but I always feel that you have to judge info as to who and how it is presented. Information including statistics can in many cases be manipulated to agree with the perspective you are trying to sell. And I think in this case you need to take it with a grain of salt.

So by the way why isn’t Aurora’s Ribfest a Top 100?

(Oh! I don’t see them on the FEO member list,– I see the Toronto Ribfest there and I don’t even see the Town of Aurora as a member, got to get someone onto that or do we?)

How about we have an award for the Top 8 Town of Aurora Councillors as chosen by the Aurora Town Councillors? (You must be a current councillor in good standing to be eligible).

Anonymous said...

I would like to return to Mayor Dawe a quote he made when he was just plain Mr Dawe in pre-election mode.
" What part of ' no ' is it that you do not understand? "

Anonymous said...

12:03 PM
I think I have figured you out. Why you have so much time to nit-pick here. Why you bear so much anger & hate. Why you deeply resent being told to get your own Blog and stop being a parasite. You did run for election, didn't you? And you were soundly beaten, weren't you? And you did have a Blog of your own, did you not? Christopher really nailed that Blog.
It all falls into place. Running again, are you?

Anonymous said...

1:00 PM

Who do you think this guy/gal is? I am trying to think of who had a blog and ran for election last time...

Something Fishy in Aurora said...

When Clownclr Ballard compares Jazz fest to Ribfest he fails to take into account that the other event does not charge admission.

Anonymous said...

1:00 PM Love the careful scatter-gun mystery & that there are all sorts of combinations. It has just hit on Evelyn's site again with a virulent comment.

Anonymous said...

1:00 p.m.
I don't think Morris had control of her Blog so maybe someone who had access? Someone put that damn elephant up there & she claimed never to have seen it.

Anonymous said...

To 12:11 PM

Now that is interesting ! It is amazing how the world turns.

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous 12:11 PM.

SI have always suspected that some people appear to think that they have a completely seperate of rules.