FYI...Copiied From Elsewhere

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• Sandra Bolan
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• Aug 07, 2012 - 12:46 PM

Stouffville arts centre getting profitable

This is the year the Lebovic Centre for Arts and Entertainment - Nineteen on the Park may turn a profit.
Earlier this summer, it was predicted the three-year-old arts centre in downtown Stouffville would have a shortfall of $2,301 come the end of 2012. But thanks to an adjusted Ontario Arts Council grant, it may go into the black.
The facility – which cost $3.8 million to renovate and open in 2009 –  actually received $7,250 for the upcoming season, versus the initially reported $5,000, according to Steven Foster, cultural facility and programming co-ordinator for the Lebovic Centre for Arts and Entertainment - Nineteen on the Park.
Adding to the potential for a surplus is the anticipated ticket sales for shows this fall, according to Mr. Foster.
“This is really good news,” said Councillor Rob Hargrave, during Mr. Foster’s recent council presentation. “I know it’s a tough thing to get launched off the ground, Your value-add is getting out there.”
The arts centre board gave itself three years to break even. Although Mayor Wayne Emmerson noted it could take up to five years.
“It takes a while to get it off the ground,” he said during the council meeting.
Mr. Emmerson also noted the facility’s floor has some noticeable wear and tear to it.
“If a building is being used, that is what will happen,” he said.
In their effort to turn a profit, Mr. Foster said the board has worked diligently at cutting its maintenance expenses, which includes pushing the purchase of equipment they now have to rent on occasion, to 2013.
Savings have also been found with staff salaries/benefits thanks to a Trillium Foundation grant.
When it comes to generating revenues, the board has reduced its fundraising goal from $15,000 to $10,000.
“Fifteen thousand dollars was a rather ambitious goal,” Mr. Foster admitted to The Sun-Tribune in an interview.
This year’s inaugural fundraiser gala brought in $5,000 and Mr. Foster said the facility’s board is currently putting together another fundraiser to take place during the Christmas season.
Another revenue source – sponsorship – is expected to be right on budget at $10,000, according to the council report. But the board, according to Mr. Foster, is hoping to increase it.
“There’s a real effort this year to really go after the revenue side more aggressively,” he told The Sun-Tribune.
That includes changing things up a bit when it comes to booking performers.
Mr. Foster said there was a conscious effort on his part to book more popular/wider appealing acts, versus the indie performers of the previous seasons.
But that still does not guarantee more money, as ticket sales fluctuate from event to event. If 75 to 80-per-cent capacity is reached for the majority of the remaining 2012 events, Mr. Foster said it would equate to an additional $5,000 in revenue.
During the 2011-2012 professional series, there were three sold-out performances and according to Mr. Foster, most theatres anticipate 60 to 65 capacity for any given event.
“It can be pretty random,” he told The Sun-Tribune.
In order to bring performers to Stouffville, it will cost $10,000 more than anticipated versus the projection made at the beginning of the year. The cost is now expected to be $81,000, which Mr. Foster said is still in-line with previous years.
“I’ve been pretty good in working with agents to bring down the cost. Given the economic climate over the past few years, it’s easier to work with agents in negotiations,” he said.
The challenge no longer appears to be getting people to buy tickets, but to actually find the facility, according to Mr. Foster.
“It’s been a challenge. ... We don’t have a storefront,” he told The Sun-Tribune.
There is currently a message kiosk at the top of Civic Square at Main Street, which houses event posters, but the quality varies depending if it is a community event or part of the facility’s professional series.
Mr. Foster hopes early next year there will be a new electronic message centre in its place.
The approximately $10,000 unit is in the town’s 2013 capital budget, according to Mr. Foster.
In his council report, Mr. Foster noted the electronic marquee would establish the facility and Civic Square as a downtown “landmark”. It would promote not only facility events, but those taking place within the downtown, such as the farmers’ market and outdoor movie nights.
“A study by the Small Business Administration (USA) has shown that the use of an electronic message centre increases revenues by 15 per cent at a minimum. Based on our 2012 budget this would represent an increase of $15,750 in ticket sales,” according to the council report.

A Battle For Honour

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A Shocking Revelation":

Wouldn't want to honour the person twice. Good work!

*********
I knew when I spoke about it , it might be hard for others  to understand why  the issue  was  important .
I said; "" Maybe it's because my uncle and  brother's names  are both on a war memorial "
I don't think of a name carved in granite in the circumstance as an honour  like a certificate of merit. 
It's a record of  sacrifice. A symbol of  terrible loss.
A memorial  that takes the place of a known resting place.
The reality is those  killed in the carnage of war, are unlikely  to have remains, let alone a resting place.
It would be no more appropriate to have a grave and  headstone    in a cemetery for a person who has been buried elsewhere.
A bomber crew or fighter aircraft blown to pieces in the sky are unlikely to  have  remains  gathered. 
The crew of a ship  blown out of the sea  by torpedoes are unlikely to have been  recovered from a sea of burning oil.
Thousands of rows of white markers in Allied cemeteries are nothing more than  physical a record of  names, ranks and numbers.
Memorials in towns and villages  and capitals all over the civilized world have a  significance  beyond material substance.
Far more than a list of names on a tablet to be added to on a  personal whim. 
During the 2003/2006 term another situation caused controversy. 
The fence around The War Memorial was in bad shape and had to be replaced. Parks staff discovered a veterinarian located in Edward's Plaza had cut an opening in the fence and installed a gate for  convenience of using town property  as a dog run for his patients because of a dog's need to defecate on grass.
The vet was informed by parks staff  the gate would not be replaced. He brought the  problem to Council.
Some Councillors found nothing wrong with his expectation . Especially since he had provided the fence around the leash free dog park on Industry Street
My objections were strenuous  for the same reason as cited above.
I could not understand their  argument any more  than they apparently understood mine.
I received a call from a high school teacher at G.W.Williams who did not choose to identify herself but had a listening  audience at her end of the phone. 
She infomed me she had lived in Aurora twenty-seven years. That's how old she was. Old enough to dismiss as ridiculous any argument other than her own; dog excrement is no worse than squirrels or bird droppings  and I was an out-of-date idiot. She seemed secure her status as a high school teacher lent weight to her logic.
Some years earlier , a  surplus tank became  available for anyone who would give it a home. Someone had the idea the war memorial would be a suitable location.Kids could climb and play on it.
It had to be pointed out  the War Memorial is not a memorial to war. 
Once again it had to be  stressed, it is a memorial to  human beings.
over a period of years, miles from home and families,  blown to pieces in infernal war machines like tanks and planes and ships and thousands of families left with the memory for the rest of their lives.  

A Shocking Revelation

To discover how quickly information and knowledge can get  lost.
Two weeks ago Council received a staff report recommending  a name be added to the Aurora War Memorial
An  ancestor of a soldier killed in the First World War, had done some research and decided his name  had inadvertently been left off the  Aurora Memorial. 
Staff accepted the contention, consulted with the Aurora Legion,. noted there was space for an additional name and recommended to Council  it be added.
My mother's brother , my grandmother's first born child, twenty-two  year old James Diamond's name  was chiselled into   the War Memorial of  our  home town.
After the  Second World War, my twenty-one year old brother, Patrick Finnigan's name was chiseled  into the same memorial.
For  eighty years ,War  Memorials have been sacred to the memory of  the names carved into history for the ultimate  sacrifice.
It is little enough.
In Aurora the Cenotaph is surrounded by green and  pleasant space.
A tree is planted for every name.Replaced immediately if it dies.
At  time of  planning a group  formed representing. King Whitchurch. and Aurora to create  the most  fitting memorial. Sir William Mulock at its head.
Funds were raised, land acquired and several years  later
the project  was  completed and pledged to the memory of sons who failed to  return.
It was a small community.
Names numbered in the twenties. 
Hardly likely a family would be slighted. A name overlooked.
Until almost the end of the century, a Board governed and cared for the Memorial. Norm Weller, town  parks keeper. in his time , provided care and  maintenance. 
Memorial Board Members grew  old.
They asked the Town  to accept responsibility.
The Town accepted. 
Ownership and assets were transferred.
Aurora Legion members, as veterans, are  committed  to keep the memory alive. They organize the annual parade and  service.
Aurora Legion does not own the Memorial. 
No jurisdiction or responsibility for its care and protection  falls on their shoulders.
The question  of adding a name to the  Aurora.,King and Whitchurch War Memorial  could not simply be a matter of adding a name  on the basis of  an  assumption of entitlement.
I have  received information, the fallen soldier's name appears  on the Memorial of Warkworth, Ontario.
I will provide  additional details  to those who should be concerned
 I thank the person who provided them to me.  

A Wrong Choice Of Words

Anonymous said...

Are you saying that this Council is just as screwed up as its predecessor, only for different reasons?

That is truly depressing.

10 August, 2012 7:08 PM

Anonymous said...

OK, I will bite. If everyone is a " Director ", how come Council is so far behind on so many items ? Is no one managing the Town Hall?
**********************************

Chaos and confusion is exaggeration.
Though Council is not functioning as a unit.
It  hasn't since the beginning.
Part of the problem is the Mayor  carries out  the  role as if  he is   the new owner of a private corporation completely dependent on the general manager.
Actually every Mayor infuses the role with previous experience.But that usually includes Council experience.
It's not surprising. 
But it  contributes nothing  to making Council a cohesive unit.
Though it's not entirely responsible either.
Three  members  made it clear from the beginning, their  intention was not to be  part of a cohesive unit.
They did  not  understand  that's what's  required of  a newly elected Council.
And  they didn't much care. 
There really isn't anyone driving this bus.The  steering is erratic.
That's not the same  as the last Council.
There was never any question from the start that bus was careening  down a  long straight slippery slope.
It made it all the way. 
This term is not halfway over. . 
There is time for correction.
 Stuff that needs to be sorted.  

It's My Blog, If YOu Don't MInd.

Anonymous said...To 8 August, 2012 4:45 PM....

Other than Evelyn's musings, who said that Aurora is doing the same thing?

I would remind everyone, including our host, that this blog is called "Our Town and its Business" and not "Their Town and our Business"
Anonymous said...To 8 August, 2012 4:45 PM....

Other than Evelyn's musings, who said that Aurora is doing the same thing?

I would remind everyone, including our host, that this blog is called "Our Town and its Business" and not "Their Town and our Business"
 **************
I would refer  the reader  to the report of the Director of Environment and Infrastructure, previously known as Public Works Director, on the subject of colour of the town's fleet of vehicles.
I will publish it next week. if I  find it after the house is tidied for  the week-end. 
The Director's report  informed Council the  colour  white, was   chosen  by  administrative decision.
In other words,  Council was not consulted. 
The report  states colour  is a means of branding. 
It  further notes half a dozen municipalities. the Region, Power Stream  and .Enbridge Gas have all chosen  white..
If branding is a means of distinguishing  one municipality from another or from a private utility, how is it accomplished by everyone having the same colour  ?
I suspect it means administrations throughout the Region  and the Region.do not distinguish between the Region and  neighbouring municipalities.
We are told Treasurers throughout the Region  conference about how rates are to be charged for water.  Meter rate increases locally are attributed  to Regional  rate increases. If all  Treasurers  agree together what regional rate increases are to be,  would that not be called " fixing "  prices in the private sector?
Is that not why monopolies have to obtain government approval for price increases ?
A "Pending" Report will be submitted  to Council in August. 
The last  was in April. 
It's  coming up close to a year since Council approved  several resolutions for certain actions to be undertaken. 
I expect to see them listed on the Pending Report. Without progress noted. As they were in April.
Council did not direct staff to  review  " Customer Service " . Staff  recommended a " Program" be purchased without direction for review  from Council.  No report noted  unsatisfactory customer service.
One  reason for the recommendation was the Towns of Newmarket and Whitchurch-Stouffville  had purchased the program .
In response to the comment published above, a perspective  is formed with  time  and observation.
This Council started with three members making  a point of  detachmentfrom the newly elected body.
Councillor Gaertner repeatedly emphasised  loyalty to defeated comrades.   

Gradually it has become apparent , the  role  has steadily been. diminished 
The Mayor and CAO  have  meetings with this organisation and that, discussing whatever.
Council. as a whole,  is brought into the picture after the fact when   approval is sought without opportunity for  input.
The Mayor becomes peevish when "good ideas" do  not  receive  proper appreciation.   
In the meantime, direction  given to staff  by resolution of Council  is simply disregarded.
The role of Municipal Clerk is  to ensure Council's direction is followed. Pending reports  are  prepared by the Clerk . 
The role of  Presiding Member is to ensure the authority of Council is paramount.
What happens when the Presiding Member doesn't understand that  role ? 
Chaos and confusion ,that's what

No Threat There

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Easy-Peasy":

Is the reference to the supoena a threat Evelyn? I thought that the whole anonymous posting thing on blogs was settled by the Morris vs the 3 judge
*******

No threat intended. . I just noticed it in a passing headline on T.V.
and thought it might be  of  interest.  I said  I thought it was an American Police Force that was trying to bring down that wall. 
I had  read  the decision  published here. Part of it dealt with the  non- case  argued by the complainant. 
For all the town money  spent on it. 
All the same, I don't think the argument  about the right to anonymously comment on  a blog is going  away, as long as public money  is available to be spent on it. 
Recently I read in  solicitor/client advice, a municipality cannot sue for defamation. Yet we did. On advice from the same lawyer.
It  fascinated me how the same could be  argued, for or against,depending upon how the wind blew for the  the Mormac
 crew
As much as the realisation that no matter the legal  devices the Province has in place to protect  public interest, they are all for nought, as long as   politicians can find a lawyer to offer advice  expected of him.
I expect we will continue to see  lawyers  assail the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as long as public funds are available to pay the fees. 
I even heard it suggested recently the Harper government might try to undermine the Charter. Considering agreement of  Provinces 
would be required to change the Constitution of which the Charter is a part, it would be no easy task.
Still,  if  Prime Minister Harper became convinced the cause was righteous, I think he would try. 

Easy-Peasy

The word jazz spelled with an "i"  has somebody, I would guess Al , beside himself with excitement.
Feverishly tapping  at his keyboard , he is spilling out  "hilarious" images that enter the tiny, narrow space between his ears. 
I will not be reading  comments to that particular post.
Whoever you are,you are wasting your employer's time. 
I read last night in a news headline of a police department issuing a subpoena to obtain names of anonymous  from Twitter  to  solve a crime. 
It was in the States. But Canada is never far behind. 
I hear  Councillor Ballard is producing a U-tube attacking the Mayor but does not identify himself as the author.
The Whiz Kid among us broke the code easy-peasy.
 

Mark My Words

I check the job postings on MWXTRA . It comes to me by e-mail.   Sometimes it's the only way to know/.
The ad for the job in Newmarket is both interesting and alarming. 
We followed Newmarket and Whitchurch Stouffville,   buying a 
Customer Service program 
I've never been sure the administration and myself  share an understanding of who the town's "customers," or "stakeholders " are. 
The  program, which Council was assured would cost no more , was a classic example.
 I haven't seen any signs of improvement. But then I was not aware of  problems either. I think of Councillors being first in the line of fire and being  the first to know of "customer" dissatisfaction. 
The  wording  of the Newmarket posting  has Strategic Plan Commissioner  written all over it.
 It will undoubtedly be another six figure salary. 
We just adopted  a new Strategic Plan that cost us $80.000.  Everybody but me  is really  excited about it. Kids at soccer games were asked what they wanted the town to look like in twenty years.
The first reference has already been made  in a report recommending  approval  of the division of a large lot into two  on Kennedy Street West,
The comment  was;  the division of  a single large lot into two  large lots conforms to  the provincial  requirements for  intensification.
It also accomplishes the town's objective of providing a  superior  quality of life for all. 
I kid you not. 
I don't have the report in my hand. My wording is not  a precise quote.  But that certainly was the  meaning.
 I read it out at  the Council meeting. I laughed but  without any  real amusement.Sometimes there's nothing else you can do.
Newmarket is probably  ahead  of us  in adopting a twenty year 
Strategic Plan. We do seem to be the Johny- Come- Latelies
It should be an advantage in knowing what mistakes not to make but in this business, in this age,  nobody ever admits making mistakes
Reading the ad gives an idea of what Newmarket's  plan intends  to accomplish 
All that's required  is a  Harry Potter Wizard type candidate complete  with  a magic wand. 
That will be us in a short while.. I'll betcha.  

Will Aurora Be Far Behind ?

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Commissioner-Community Services-Town Of Newmarket ON

Expiry Date: 2012-08-24

Town of Newmarket

Centrally located in the heart of York Region with a flourishing population of 80,000 and a land area of 38 square kilometers, Newmarket offers a unique blend of big city amenities paired with small town charm. Ranked within the top 15 places to live in Canada by MoneySense Magazine, Newmarket is a complete community where quality of life comes first.

Commissioner, Community Services

The Town of Newmarket is pleased to announce an opening for the position of Commissioner, Community Services who will serve as a champion of the Town’s mission, vision and core values to all staff. As a strategic leader working closely with the CAO, the Commissioner, Community Services will assume responsibility for the leadership and direction of the Community Services Commission, including Economic Development, Customer Care, Recreation and Culture, in addition to effectively leading all aspects of planning, financing, implementation and sustainability of commission services.

As a participant in strategic planning, you will advocate continuous improvement through efficiencies and processes including: establishing, implementing and monitoring performance measures and development and delivery of policies, programs and services. You will also create strategies that will take the Town to the next level, focusing on fostering a vital economy, attracting workers and businesses and creating a healthy community. Current priority projects requiring an enhanced understanding of Economic Development include: The re-development of major corridors (e.g., the redevelopment of the Yonge Street/Davis Drive corridor; maintaining/advancing the vibrancy of the downtown area; and increased focus on the healthcare sector); and redevelopment of strategic lands. Your demonstrated interpersonal skills and stakeholder relations will be utilized to maintain and develop collaborative relationships with partner organizations, local business and community groups, such as the Newmarket Public Library.

A dynamic public presenter, you enjoy working with community stakeholders and interacting with members of Council. You have economic development experience and your university degree in Public Administration, Business, Economics or another related discipline serves as the foundation of your progressive leadership experience in the municipal sector. Meanwhile, strong values, integrity and accountability confirm your success in representing the best interests of the community while monitoring Federal, Provincial, Regional and Municipal regulations and initiatives to ensure compliance.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION IN CONFIDENCE TO:
Phelps Talent and Executive Search
401 Bay Street, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4
Application Deadline: Friday August 24, 2012

newmarket@phelpsgroup.ca

The Phelps Group, in partnership with the Town of Newmarket, is committed to equity in employment and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, Aboriginal peoples, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities. While all responses will be appreciated and handled in the strictest confidence, only those being considered for interviews will be acknowledged.

Posted on 2012-08-07
Province: ON

So Let's Keep Dancing

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Saying NO Is Not Without Consequence":

OMG, did someone get a picture of that?
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 No doubt someone got a picture of the entourage on Saturday night that did not include the Town's Mayor or  representative. 
In case there is  lingering doubt or doubt cast , the Town's  Number One Citizen was not invited, I am able to assure readers ,he was not. 
Councillor Able asked the Mayor. There was no invitation..
The blog recorded quite the  fuss and muss since Sunday  over an invitation that wasn't extended 
Like they were content to make the slight, knowing full well what hey were up to. They just weren't happy to be called on it.Typical of the type. 
Consequently, the situation  triggered  attack   the messenger approach.
There's plenty of footage on that modus operandi., a favorite of the ex-Mayor. 
***********************
 Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Saying NO Is Not Without Consequence":

EVELYN... Do you know what JIZZ is? This site is getting disgusting
 ****************
 As far as I'm concerned the word Jazz spelled with an i is an error in spelling. Whatever else was intended went over my head though I did wonder for a nano second  why it was "hilarious"
The site therefore is only disgusting to those familiar  with the terminology.
I plead ignorance.of that particular disgusting term and happy to remain so.
*************
It's another beautiful morning. I don't plan on missing it.
Wherever you are whatever you're doing, try to enjoy it. It will not return. . 
It's  all there is.   

So What?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A Comment Deleted":

*poof* another published comment disappears, making a subsequent reference to it look glaringly silly.

***************
"Who's been sleeping in my bed?" growls the  Papa Bear.
 Slightly more interesting than the storybook tale, how quickly comes a  response to a change on the blog:
A  hostile individual  is sitting somewhere in front of a computer  with nothing better to do than wait and  pounce.
Like  Sylvester the Cat 's efforts  to outsmart Tweetie Bird; salivating at the thought of swallowing  him whole. 
How long will it be, I wonder ,before social media  becomes the   plot for a cartoon series.
Maybe it's happened already  in another generation.
When  the  ugliness becomes too awful  to contemplate, humour takes over, the logical  means  for survival intact.
A wealth of comedic material exists  in our town alone. 
At this very moment elsewhere in the world , people with automatic weapons and suicide bombs strapped to their bodies are intent on  causing the greatest harm possible
Women. children,  the elderly and  young , no age is safe..  They weep with  grief, the same as the rest of us when the loss is theirs.
Still the horror continues.
Only exhaustion of  resources, physical, financial, emotional,  bring it to an end.
Our lives are as safe as any place in the world.
Our rights are secure. 
We  are free to express ourselves and  let others do the same.   .

Saying NO Is Not Without Consequence

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Skullduggery Afoot.":

During elections we see candidates listing their achievements. Most include some volunteer services. In a Town our size, there are bonds formed between like-minded individuals.

Why is it a surprise that you see members of council and former members of council that had like-minded activities before that still have them now? Holy crap, in some cases they are friends.

"Councillor Ballard was not delegated to represent the Town in official capacity." How do you know this? Maybe Dawe told him to handle it. I thik that you are so bitter that this thing even happens that you cannot see straight.

************************
There are a couple of points worth responding to in the above. 
First is the reference to new candidates listing  previous volunteer activities in the town  to indicate community involvement.
That is  natural and normal. 
Problems arise when tax resources  are perceived as a ready source of gravy to distribute between  various charitable organisations.
No distinction is made between a property owner's authority to make his/her own decision about charitable giving, and a Councoillor's authority   to put a hand in someone's pocket, without as much as a by-your-leave, and filch money to contribute to a cause of the Councillor's choosing. 
Waiving user fees for charitable causes  is a classic contradiction in terms. 
Most organisations  using town facilities are volunteer dependent. Few  sports programs would exist without parents  contributing hours to manage and  coach teams and raise funds to keep fees reasonable.
They don't have an option. 
Yet their cause is righteous. ..
They are required to pay user fees to reduce dependence on taxes to maintain the facilities needed for the  programs 
Then along come the Cure for Cancer fund raisers requesting fee waivers so they can  contribute a hundred instead of ninety-nine thousand to the cause.There's an ego factor here.
Or Jazz Festival organizers so they can pay  musicians a hundred  instead of ninety-eight thousand and  make the enterprise look like something it is not.
Objections  to either on  the  principle it is not the function of tax collectors to  contribute to  charitable causes  or provide employment for musicians, is obviously  because one is not in favour of finding a cure for cancer or providing  employment for musicians.
Oh Dear Me YES !!! The person saying NO is always the dastardly villain.
In the next election, we will discover again what people really think about that. 
On the second point; I do know Councillor Ballard was not delegated to represent the Mayor because Council has already taken care of that chore. 
At the first meeting of the term, Council  appoints an Acting Mayor for any time the Mayor is not available.
This term  Councillor John Abel, as in other terms the Councillor who gained the  highest number of votes,. was appointed. .
He was at the Jazz bash.He paid his $5.  He was not part of the entourage . He was not invited. 
It's  that simple. 
Neither the Mayor nor his representative were  invited to represent the Town at the event. 
The Town was slighted. Deliberately
Despite putting the Jazz bash private interest ahead  of the Municipal Corporation business.
Hopefully, a lesson  may have been  learned. .  

Skullduggery Afoot.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A Comment Deleted":

I'm still not certain, what exactly is the substance of the "snub"? That provincial and federal politicians attended in the company of only certain town councillors?

Please explain the precise nature of the perceived snub.
*****************

The event was held  in  the  Town of Aurora Park.

Town facilities, bandshell, park, washrooms and parking have been the venue for the  St.Kitts Jazz Festival since it started, when it was  nothing more than a promotional event  for the Farmers Market.

The idea of a Music and Arts Festival was presented to the Leisure Services Advisory Committee by a resident without  connection to St Kitts Enterprises.  

Some among us suspect  the Market was moved from the downtown location for no other reason but to exploit the park and bandshell.

In the years after the move, the town contributed  to the Market for promotional events. The ex-Mayor had control of the funds.

Eventually,  promotional events became a Jazz Festival. 

The Town contributed sponsorship  which  more than  covered  user fees for the bandshell.

Last year, despite not having received a financial  accounting, the Town rejected staff advice to provide a $3,000  grant ..

Susan Morton Leaonard appeared before Council and complained it wasn't enough. Council upped it to  $5,000. 

A financial accounting for the 2011 Festival revealed revenue of $150,000. Council decided there was no basis for further financial support from town resources. 

The Provincil Minister of Culture and the Honorable Member of Parliament were undoubtedly invited to be guests at the Ceremonial Opening.

 In 2011, a Trillium grant of $75,000 was received. 

In 2012, a Federal Heritage grant was awarded of somewhat less value. 

In turn, despite support for the Trillium grant, direct financial support  and  free venue provided from the beginning, the town was criticized in some obscure festival web site publication for failing to shovel in more funding. 

No invitation was extended to be part of the ceremonial.

Councillor Ballard was not delegated to represent the Town in  official capacity.

There lies the snub.  Deliberate and pronounced.

Protocol demands  the Number One Citizen of the Town  providing all the amenities, the Mayor or his representative, was entitled to be present and recognized. 

By withholding  invitation, the Town was insulted by the St Kitts and  St Leonards and whatever other supporters are still out there of the Mormac regime.

Granger was sighted on the eve. Wilson was spotted at the Market on Saturday, in conversation with the Jam Lady.

Councillor  Gaertner was collecting fees for admission.   

No lingering doubt  remains of political  intrigue.

Skullduggery lurks. 

No call to be mistaken, for what it is not.   

A Comment Deleted

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oh Dear!! What can the matter be": 
Holy overwrought overreaction, Batman! 
Apart from you, who took offence? (What "snub"?, we all might ask)
And you weren't even there to take dubious offence!
BTW, what would you do without your trolls reporting back so you can pass on second- or third-hand hearsay?
************** 
I deleted the above comment Not worth the space to print it.Then
I made the mistake of quoting the last part to my family member.
Theresa is a weekly visitor to the Market. On Saturday, a shift  selling rafffle tickets for the Hoe Down Charity was her mission.
To enjoy  the music and a  couple of  musicians known  from King Henry's Arms brought her back to the Jazz Bash on Saturday and Sunday evening.  
Councillor John  Abel and wife Tracy are friends. They all paid the admission  fee to listen to the music in the Town  Park.
The entourage, with the  Province's Minister of Culture and  the Honorable Member of Parliament, Lois Brown and Councillor Chris Ballard was clearly intended  to be noticed as  part of the program..
Without an understanding  of protocol, the insult to the Town  may well have passed unnoticed by everyone except those responsible.
I expect more  from a  Provincial Cabinet Minister and a Member of the Federal Parliament.  The snub  was deliberate.
The ignorance is hard to excuse.Such conduct deserves to be noted.
If only as a lesson to newbie politicians who need to learn yet again,, there is  no  pay-off  for selling out the town's interest. 
It's an Old Morality Tale.
No respect is  earned by  doling out public resources  for  private gain.
It's  a  slippery slope to political perdition. 
Another  morsel gleaned from Sunday's wind up:.
A  call went out for a show of appreciation  to the St Kitts Family Enterprise.
The silence was conspicuous. 

No Solution At All

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Granger Sighting In The Park":

Wonder why Mayor Dawe wasn't there to share the downpour. Do you suppose he feels responsible?
*************
A more pressing and intriguing question would be the role of Councillors Gaertner,  Ballard at the event. .
The town's efforts to fix the problem with the Culture Centre Board without actually fixing the problem, raises interesting angles by Councillorinvolvement  with organisations separate from their  elected authority.
The last administration created an autonomous body to govern  use of a public facility; Church Street School. 
An agreement was  concurrently signed to purchase non-specific services  provided in a valuable rent and maintenance free building with half a million dollars thrown into the bargain, to increase by 3% year by year. 
The current  administration thought the obvious problem could be resolved  by adding two Councillors to a continuing  autonomous board.
Tweren't never going to work 
The board is no less autonomous by adding two Councillors.
It  would  deprive  Council of two voting members when  financial matters of the board are on the table for discussion.
The Councillor  members would consequently have a conflict of interest  at  Council.. 
They would have  a  pecuniary interest whatever financial  decisions needed to be made.
So here we are, eighteen months after taking office, no closer to  solving the problem  of  continuing to ladle out  hundreds of thousands of dollars  to an outfit that calmly, deliberately and repeatedly thumb their noses at the elected  body and the community it represents.
We are further from  the obvious solution than we were. Tactics are delay. 
We  no longer know who's who among the players.
Already it was clear Councillors Gaertner,Gallo and Ballard were in cahoots with the board. They said so.
Then  came  the Abel- Pirri resolution , carefully constructed with the help of the town solicitor, seemingly supported by the rest of Council, until  the last  word of debate , then suddenly, inexplicably,  sabotaged by Humphryes, Thompson and Mayor Dawe. 
Perniciously, they aligned themselves with Gaertner, Gallo and Ballard. 
As clumsy a maneuver as I have ever seen, to land with a foot on each side of the controversy, to cover their political arses, with all interest of the municipality thrown to the wolves. . 
As  we await advice from a judge on the question, we now  know the town's interest did not come first with this administration , any more than it did with the last.
We have  alignment  between  the Culture Centre Board, the Aurora Historical Society  the Farmers' Market Executive  and  St Kitts Jazz  Bash outfit with  the town's  resources in the centre, continually ripe  for the fleecing . 
Hundreds of thousands of dollars  continually slip through our fingers  without  an iota of accountability.  
While the Mayor writes a column  for The Auroran assuring the community of fastidious efforts on behalf of Council to manage the town's  resources.
You can fool some of the people, some of the time. You  cant fool all of the people, all of the time. 
Lying with the enemy is never a useful strategy.
 

Oh Dear!! What can the matter be

Market affairs are not  happy these days. Vendors are being harried and harrassed. .
The Jazz Bash had an advertising  banner  on the fence at the Wells Street School.
A farmer vendor's refrigerated truck obscured the banner. He was asked to move from space provided  by virtue of a town  permit. 
The  condo developer of the Wells Street School wants another vendor's space for a  sales promotion planned  for  September 
The Market ends in October. Seasonal permits are issued by the town until that time. . 
The Market has apparently accepted sponsorships from the developer and several real estate sales operators.
It seems the munificence  has not come without a price. 
Yesterday morning, vendors arriving early to set up  in  their usual spots in the park, found themselves fenced out. 
A security guard informed them he could not allow  entry until he had received permission, presumably from whoever was funding his service. It was not the Town. .
Permits are granted  by the town for use of  space by market vendors for  a specific time period. 
Yet the town allows the park to be fenced off during that  period. 
In 2010, the Jazz Bash,  an out- of -town operation,  received  a sponsorship of $2,000. from the Town of Aurora.
The CAO was on vacation. The sponsorship was given by the Manager of Economic Development. The ex- Mayor was on hand. 
Funds of $10,000 were in the budget for promotion of the Market..
The Mayor was  given authority to write the cheques. 
In 2011, staff recommended a grant of $3,000. for the Jazz Bash.  Susan Morton Leonard came to Council and complained it wasn't enough. 
Council approved $5,000.instead.
Declared revenues of $140,000. for the bash  in 2011, convinced Council no grant was necessary in 2012.
The  result of  which  decision, persona non grata status was accorded to the Municipality, within the Municipality, by no  less a person  than The Honorable Member of Parliament Lois Brown  and the Minister of Culture for the Province of Ontario.
Both allowed their presence to be used as a snub to the Municipality last evening within our own Town Park. 
On one hand, Ms, Brown fully exploits Aurora's Christmas Parade and July 1st Parade for political advantage. while at the same time having no apparent  respect toward the town's  authority to make  their  own decisions.
Ms Brown's apparent collusion with  the St Kitts and Morton Leonards to punish the town for  refusing to submit to  extortion  should not  be allowed to pass unnoticed.
No Siree!!! 
Stuff like that should  always  come back to haunt.the parties.  

Granger Sighting In The Park

The Jazz Bash is underway.
The fence  has been  up since Friday
I hear vendors  paid  $600 a pop to peddle merchandise in the  park. But not to the town. 
Apparently, a permit fee to use the bandstand   provides many a blind eye benefit.
Last night was an interesting scenario. 
The  Provincial Minister of Culture was present at a walk about. Tis said,  he was invited to attend by our Federal M.P. the Honorable Lois Brown who was also present.
Aurora Councillor Chris Ballard was a member of the entourage .
Councillor Gaertner was taking money at the gate.
Granger was sighted briefly before Councillor Able,  gatecrashed the party and introduced himself as Acting Mayor for the day,  and welcomed the Minister to Aurora.
Talk about being disrespected on your own turf. 
Whatever the  arrangement  was supposed to be,  it came to an untimely end with sharp rolling claps of thunder , streaks of  frightening lightening and a fitting deluge of drenching summer rain.
It reminds me of the  last time the  Minister came to town
Aurora was  honoured to be chosen by the Ministry to open Library Week in 2010. 
Librarians from surrounding areas  were invited .. A private reception was prepared  to allow the Minister to  make personal contact with  librarians from a distance, all brought together for the purpose. 
The plan was the Ministry's own.
All was prepared. Librarians arrived in good time out of  respect of the Minister's  schedule. . 
We  waited. And waited. Embarrassed by the Minister's no-show.
Eventually the august personage arrived,  guided by  ex- Mayor  Morris grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
The Minister had been highjacked on the way to the library to visit  Church Street School. Morris' little gang were in attendance,  thrilled by the success of their strategy,
It wasn't clear the Minister was in on the plan.
I  deny absolutely responsibility  for the storm last night. 
But I would  bet, in the right creative mood ,with the right associates, I could write a fitting  version of  a  British Pantomine Farce;

Dick Whittington, Dick Whittington,
Where have you been?

I've been to London to visit the Queen.

Dick Whittington, Dick Whittington
What did you there?

I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

Flashback

Out of nowhere it came. Somewhere in the town office on Yonge Street.
Angus MacGregor raised a foot and tapped  his crocodile brogue.
"I didn't pay for  those with what the Town of Aurora pays " He  said.
He was  annoyed. I had the impression I was the target. I seemed to b able to get under people's skin without even trying. 
MacGregor was a  volatile individual.  He had spent his  career    on job sites all over North America as construction supervisor.  I gleaned  from his comment his job in Aurora as a comedown and he wanted others to understand.
The late Mayor Dick Illingworth and he  had a few  blowouts in public. I remember one about parking on Wellington Street between the post office and  traffic lights. The Mayor was displeased and gave his orders.
MacGregor was secure in his own authority.There was much shaking of shaggy heads and quivering of hirsute visages,
It's odd how  such an altercation between two males can pass without note. 
A female  involved  gets quite a different reaction . 
The town was  a small operation. Administration consisted of a Clerk-Treasurer, deputy-clerk, treasury clerk and  clerk in the Clerk's department. 
Public works had a foirteen man crew.
The Volunteer Fire Department numbered twenty-four. A number  were works department employees.
Norm Weller had recently been hired to take care of  parks. We had three . 
MacGregor thought Weller should be under his control  
Weller had ideas of his own and went about his job with vigour and determination. 
Former Councillor Walt Davis  had the last word. Weller knows what he's doing ... doesn't need anybody to tell him .... we get the best from him  by leaving him alone.
So that's what we did. When it came time to get  a truck for the parks department, it was in the colour green. When the department grew, the colour  remained green.
Works department vehicles were red.
I'm not sure when the fleet  colour changed to white. Council wasn't  consulted. 
When Norm Weller came to Council a few months ago to ask for 
parks vehicles to be returned to  green, I echoed his views. The argument had everything going for it even more than fifty years ago. 
Council  was supportive.
I remarked to the Mayor; "We are on the side of the angels"
There had been conversation before  the notice of motion came forward. 
There's an additional cost  it was stated.
I  inquired of suppliers. 
Discovered it not to be a fact. . 
Still it was insisted .When Council  finally got around the circuitous  path to a decision, information was still  presented  except for Ford, there is an extra $200. for  green vans and passenger vehicles. 
The parks department does not use vans or passenger vehicles.
Bids are called  to specifications for the supply of vehicles.
Supplier with the best price fulfilling  specifications gets the  business.
Green  for parks trucks would be a specification.
Weeks passed  between the request from Norm Weller, notice of motion presented in writing,  motion tabled, motion deferred,  a six page staff report with  a single line at the bottom of page five, acknowledging no extra cost, before finally  a decision was  made that  parks trucks will be green.
Elsewhere a  Mayoralty comment  is noted about the need  to streamline Council meetings,
 Councillors are deemed culpable  in their tendency to grandstand.
Well Heavens to Betsy!!! Imagine!!!!  Politicians who desire their voices to be heard.
People  knowing  how  a politician's mind works.  
I would point  in another direction.for  the problem of endless circuitous discussion before a vote is taken.
I think the presiding member has a role to play
A presiding member who does not distinguish between the authority of  Council  and the role of the admiuistration, functions at a definite disadvantage. .      

Nearly New Blog Site

Hi Everyone –

Hope you’re enjoying this hot summer! I spend far too many hours griping about the cold in winter, so you’ll hear no complaints from me regarding the heat J

Ok...the following is a “shameless self-promotion” alert;

If you haven’t already been reading it, there is a new blog site in Aurora, called “Community FOCUS”. The address is www.livinginaurora.com

Aurora resident Anna Lozyk Romeo, creator of her beautiful “Living In Aurora” photo journal blog, has recently launched this new community site, and she asked me if I would contribute a regular column regarding local political issues, or issues of local political/social relevance. I was honoured to be asked, and have to date submitted 3 columns. The most recent, “Doors Open Aurora – Of Swans and Freedom Fighters”, combines my account of the wonderful Doors Open events I attended, an amazing personal interview, and the continued fight to protect free speech right here in Aurora.

Anna has stressed to me the importance of encouraging strong community involvement in this blog to make it successful. As such, an invitation is wide open for anyone who wants to contribute. Community FOCUS has areas set up to share thoughts on a wide range of local issues, including politics, history, food & drink, health & wellness, shopping, business, and others. She’s also set up a project called “Aurora-Youth-Writes”, inviting local youth to contribute their views and opinions. She has also approached Aurora seniors to contribute any issues and opinions relevant to their lives here in town. This blog is prime and ready for contributions on many fronts, and by whoever wants to share their thoughts. Community FOCUS also has a local business directory set up called “Aurora Directory”, where any local business can submit their profile online, and have it posted on the site for free.

My column, like others on the site, is open for comments, so please feel free to share your thoughts.

Please take a few minutes and check out Community FOCUS.  What Anna has created is a beautiful, positive, welcoming, and inclusive blog site. We live in an amazing town full of amazing people. The more we can make use of platforms like Community FOCUS to share our thoughts, opinions, and ideas with each other, the stronger our community becomes.

Cheers,  Matt Maddocks

 ******************

Anna has been posting for some time. My first contacts were with  comments to my blog. Then we met at the site of the Petch House while it was being demolished.

Like others engaged in social media  Anna's blog is eon's ahead of my own in  technical  expertise.

My own is restricted  to  town  business and by my limited technical skills.  I relay information from the advantage and perspective of a sitting member of Council.

There must be discipline.  I  am not  completely free.

My   opinions are mine to share.  I  provide only exact quotes of  the Mayor and other Councillors.

As elected officials, when we speak, we do not speak for ourselves alone. We speak on behalf of others.

Those others have a right to know whereof  we speak.

There's always the risk  how I heard  a comment, may not  be  how the comment  was intended. That's a risk elected officials  take every time we open our mouths.  Or write either for that matter. 

How town affairs are presented in Anna's blog are not from the same perspective. 

Matt Maddocks  has been attending  to town affairs as a  resident and taxpayer since long before the last election. 

He participated in the election Contributed to its outcome.

Since the election, he  has  regularly attended Council and  General Committee meetings.

He applied ,was appointed and has served as Trustee of the Library Board.

Matt has  regularly posted comments to my blog , Aurora Citizen blog and always identified himself. 

He is thoughtful and analytical. He has no fear of  allowing his opinions to stand on their merits.

As an  observer, he has expressed  frustration with  decisions.  The  social media  has provided a healthy outlet to take off the edge. 

Letters to the editor  have been doing it for me  for  fifty years.Sharing a daily journal with constituents has been infinitely more satisfying.

Matt's  regular contribution on Anna's blog  on town affairs  will be another  important voice added  to  the public debate.

Add Christopher Watts to the  mix and I would say.in the field of politics, we are coming of age.

So  welcome MattMaddox

Anna as soon as I can figure how to do it , I will add your blog as a link to mine and restore Christopher's as well.

We are living in exciting times!!!

 

Legislation Not Worth a Hill of Beans

Much as I would like to, it would not be wise to publish your comments on the status of my legal action against the former Mayor and followers
They are a dodgy lot for sure. 
At the time of notice of the action , Evalina MacEachern was quoted as assuring the others the whole thing was a joke. 
Al Wilson was quoted , in his judgement ,
" She'll be dead before the case ever gets to court".
It has been an interesting journey and an educational process.
When it's over, I will share the entire experience. 
It might be useful to  municipal  Councillors who find themselves, despite being citizens of  a country with a Charter of Rights , and a Province rife with rules and regulations to guarantee integrity in municipal government, as part of a Council  with a majority who   recognize no limits to their power.
I hear Codes of Conduct are no longer popularly regarded as a guarantee that those elected to office will conduct themselves in an honest and straightforward fashion.
What a ridiculous notion that people given  trust and confidence 
at the polls require  a document to spell out what exactly what is required of them  . 
Remember how it started:
Spending on computers in  Toronto  escalated to millions,while the salesman wined and dined and romanced a finance official. Mysterious payments appeared in bank accounts, mansions were purchased and expensive Disneyland family vacations were enjoyed with no obvious means of payment. Furtive comings and goings came and went  in the underground parking at City Hall. 
Madam Justice Bellamy carried out a Commission of Inquiry and uncoverd the  whole seamy,degrading mess .for all the world to see at a cost of $13 to $14 millon dollars. 
The Province played a lament on  the fiddle and drew up permissive legislation for municipalities to create Codes of Conduct compleat  with a means of punishing  recalcitrant  Councillors guilty of such reprehensible conduct.
Former municipal lawyers exulted at the new found source of easy money  and  taxpayers groaned under the burden.
Years passed . No notable benefit resulted from the legislation. 
So...what else is new?.  

Query Box

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "News":

Does "Unanimously" mean that everyone that was in attendance voted the same way? I think that as long as a quorum was in place,and everyone in attendance voted for it... it was unanimous.
*************
For the purpose of a municipal record a vote would be categorized as unanimous if all present voted the same way
The record wold also show  elsewhere ,who was present and the names of absent members.
For the purpose of evidence in a court, to suggest the entire Council was unanimous if the entire Council  was not  present  is not an accurate representation of  facts.
**************
On the status of  court file no. CV-09-096918-00; examination for discovery of my evidence took place  August 3rd 2011.. Discovery of the defendants  has yet to take place. 
Justice Boswell has been appointed by a Supreme Court Justice to 
case manage the file. 
***************** 
A Code of Conduct  is  enforceable  with  an Integrity Commissioner appointment. No Integrity Commissioner has been appointed since the last one was notified of termination.
****************

Question Posed and Answered

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "News": 
I know that Aurora voted, over the usual objections, to stop funding Morris. But I am not SURE that this would have prevented some obscure insurance policy from continuing to support her. Does anyone know - for SURE?
**************************
The Town's insurance does not  indemnify  a member of Council to 
litigate against another party .
In the relatively short period of his employment, the former town solicitor advised Council of that on at least two occasions. Once I believe. in writing. 
Councillors are indemnified  for litigation  against them for decisions made in  performance of their duties. 
Coverage extends  apparently even after they have been removed from office in an election
In  defence against legal action  to contrive  a Code of Conduct complaint against a Councillor, other municipalities including Toronto provide a fund for a legal defense.
But not in Aurora. 
The process proved to have had  a single purpose.. It was never used for any other.  
Redress through  the Courts  for Abuse of Authority, Abuse of Public Resources  Denial of Civil Rights and Defamation of Character. is therefore the only option available.

News

The wires are abuzz today with  a story emanating from a final hearing on costs for defendants  against  the Morris defamation litigation against two resident families.at taxpayer expense.

It seems Morris ,through her lawyer , claimed the September 14th 2010 council  resolution which stated "that the Town Solicitor be directed to  retain external legal counsel and to take any and all actions to bring resolutions to this matter" was "carried unanimously"
Morris' lawyer omitted that  two Councillors  refused to attend the in-camera meeting on the basis Council had no business in the matter of critical comments made against the  former Mayor in a Blog .
Or that the Deputy-Mayor who did attend, repudiated the decision in a statement made in  open Council and declared the action was not, in his opinion, permitted under the Ontario Municipal Act.
Because the  account  was read from The Auroran, Morris lawyer dismissed all that as "hearsay". 
The argument for costs in the action is being heard  by a Master.
The decision is expected to be handed down in a month. Which will be almost two years since the  action  commenced with the Town ultimately paying out $65,000. from tax revenues in  legal fees  .

Meandering

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Pyramid Scheme Aurora Style": To Anonymous 11:19....

"Negative and skewed"??? Your post is certainly positive and not skewed at all! NOT...
.I would not be astonished at the backgrounds of some of Evelyn's readers. Not sure what that has to do with anything however. I've met some of Evelyn's readers. Not astonished at all. The Town is full of interesting and impressive people. You'd be astonished at my background if you took of the blinders long enough to look. The comment about shady dealings being more common today is a reality. This is not the same little Town that Evelyn waxes on about. We have developers, we have power-seeking councillors, we have lobbyists trying to get their causes heard. This is the way things are done now. We cannot continue living in the past (except a number of the readers here want to). Evelyn talks about politics being a game... I disagree with the analogy but if it is a game, the rules are changed. Either get in a play with the big boys or get out.
**************
I  came to Aurora with the second largest subdivision built in the town's history. 
Except for  when I was Mayor, when the Province froze our growth, development has been constant.
Councillors have always sought to influence  decisions.. Why else would they  be politicians?
Residents  with vested interests always sought their own interests.
Why would someone who came lately, imagine they understand more about change in the town than I do?
It's an interesting question  often repeated.
Why do  younger people feel free to patronize  people who are  older ?
How juvenile is that?
What are the rules referenced that I need to get with or get out??
Is it suggested Councillorsare subject to different pressures today  therefore personal integrity is no longer a factor in politics?
Is there something I don't know  about politicians after a lifetime in politics?
The Mayor and eight Councillors engage regularly and  listen critically to separate slants of debate.
 Somehow that makes me sublimely unaware.
Pish Tosh and Balderdash!!!!
The biggest scandal  in these parts in recent times was  a  Councillor in Richmond Hill who bought golf clubs with an allowance provided  by the municipality. He said  it was less expensive than renting them when he was obliged to play in charity golf tournaments.
It recalls a comment by a Councillor in my first years in office, who lamented the hardship of spending hours in smoke- filled rooms at conferences. He was talking about the Good Roads Association. He  smoked black cigars and played poker.
The second  modern scandal  is of  a Newmarket Councillor, leaving a  public reception, fully tanked, getting behind the wheel of  his car and bumping into another.
He didn't hurt anyone. But he could have. 
He pleaded guilty as charged . He's been doing his best to make amends ever since while being continually taunted by a  virtuous colleague. 
Whether he will be excused  by the voters will not be determined until the next election.
It's his burden to  carry.
Maybe the voters will let him off for time served.
In Aurora, Councillors are  virtuous and well-intentioned to the point of  obsequious.  It's positively nauseating.
Last night we almost voted to hold  two committee meetings in 
school venues for students to see how it's done to stimulate their  interest in politics .
I think it would have  the opposite effect.
We  did vote to encourage  town employees to go to an underdeveloped country and help out with  government problems.
God help them! 
I think we would do ourselves a  bigger favour by not permitting Councillor Pirri to attend any more FCM conferences by himself.
I didn't say it of course. 
The Mayor was already peeved by my lack of enthusiasm for what he believes are good ideas.
We have  our share of sheep dressed in wolves clothing. 
A roustabout  rascal would show well  in  contrast.   

KA-NON has left a new comment on your post "Pyramid Scheme Aurora Style":

The link below indicates that Town passed a resolution to consider alternate forms of Town ownership of Hillary house.

http://www.yorkregion.com/print/1265644

Is that not what this is? Do you remember the resolution from council? 

****************************

I recall  a previous meeting between Historical Society representatives , once again ,the Mayor and  CAO, neither directed nor authorised by Council,which discussed  mainly disposition of the museum collection.
I do not view a poorly disguised  promotion to  acquire  two  privately owned properties in the same context..
Who  knows who  is  connected to what?
How long has  the scheme has been cooking?
At what point was it decided to  cast the net  to reel in  town  Councillors?
What about the structure of the Aurora Historical Society?
A hundred members  who meet annually?
An Executive Board and an Executive within the Executive?
Kind of like the Federal Government.
Government members.  Cabinet . Privy Council.
What is that about ? 
How can the Aurora Historical Society  meeting  once a year,
withdrew from a commitment to operate a museum, surrenders
financial interest in the museum's home, declares itself willing to divest itself of the museum collection ,also willing to unload the Hillary House, be considered  serious representation of the Town's Heritage ?
Who would have thunk it?
Wheels within wheels.
Am I the only one who thinks that's weird ?
 

Pyramid Scheme Aurora Style

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Eh1 What's dat you say":

Are furtive liaisons, where pitching and wooing take place, the usual way political business is done municipally?
I thought that there might be a few on this present council who wouldn't operate that way. There go my idealistic hopes again!!
******************
Actually ...No!... Shady dealing by shadowy individuals are not the 
usual way political business is done municipally.
There is no cover.  
Suzanne Reiner's invitation for  private individual meetings with this Councillor was refused.  I  responded immediately  such meetings were entirely inappropriate.
Apparently, they proceeded anyway. 
Up to the point, a shady meeting  with shadowy characters was held last week with the Mayor, the CAO and  Director of Parks and Recreation.
All conducted without  direction of Council.or Council  even being informed of the goings on.
Bruce Sprague,   owns  one of the properties in play.It is designated for miltiple-residential development. Has been  on the market for seven years. 
Obviously, the price is not right. 
John McIntyre, a member of the Historical Society's executive,  owns the other  property in play.  Not  publicly offered but stands to gain  by never having to take his chances with the market..
The price touted  is $1.2million apiece for the Sprague and McIntyre properties.
The Historical Society were not initially promoting the real estate deal. 
The president and an executive member initiated the process, independent of the Society.
I  inquired of the structure of the Society. It involves  membership and an annual meeting. .
The last firm membership figure was from a previous president when the Society withdrew from autonomous commitment to manage Church Street School and operate the museum.
There were fifty-nine members.
The small number was a shock.
Until I realized . It does not reflect  community interest in the town's heritage..
A figure  heard since is around a hundred members.
But that too does not tell the whole story. 
The Society  meets  in February.
An Executive Board of eight meets regularly. .
Within that is  yet another executive group.
It includes the President and   member who have aligned themselves with a real estate agent to float something which amounts to a pyramid scheme for a park on Yonge Street. 
An investment of  $2.4 million for the private properties is required. 
It's not known if a public offering of shares will be floated..
 

Eh1 What's dat you say

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Last Of The Mohicans":

You sure are putting your daughter, the Historical Society executive member, in a tough spot, aren't you?
*********
How so?
Was this wonderful scheme already promoted  on Alyson's show by Tim Jones  as an idea for use of  the hydro funds ???   was it all   supposed to be  secret ?
The last people to hear being the public about to be fleeced like sheep.
Who have themselves been asked to think about a worthwhile replacement for the town's hydro utility.
Was I not supposed to tell about the invitation I received from the President of the Historical Society to meet with the real estate operator, owner of one of the properties being promoted in the scheme, and the third person a second member of the Society's executive and the second property in  private ownership of another member of the Historical Society.
If the whole thing was supposed to be secret until  all the right names had been  rallied  in support of something I see as nothing but a money grab for personal gain, then my friend, I was the wrong person to rell.

'Tis TheSeason of Boondoggle.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Last Of The Mohicans":

I think you are incorrect about Councillor Ballard's not being one who met with the proposers.
***************
The comment  could be correct. That's the problem with furtive behind the scenes meetings. There are no records. No minutes.
Nothing to indicate  meetings ever took place. Or what deceptions, extravagant embellishments, coercions and cajolery or general skullduggery took place at the location
Three people on one side of the equation, cooing and doving and whispering sweet nothings and  on the other a person unaware, never thinking; something  is wrong with this picture.
If the concept is so brilliant and above board  and to the  eternal benefit of the community ,why did  it not warrant  a public  presentation  in a delegation before Council with trumpets blaring????
The scheme has been kicking about for weeks,being talked about 
 molded and manipulated ,support solicited in the right places.. preparing labels like " unfriendly to heritage' for the opposition..
It is still without substance.
The objective is clear.
Let's grab us a share of that public mullah .Property owner's with most to gain, out there in the forefront of the potential boondoggle.   
***************

The question was asked  some time ago, if Messrs Granger or Wilson are ever heard of or have they flown the coop?
Granger, I believe is still about.
Wilson is for sure. The sound of train whistles on Saturday and Sunday is a severe trial to him.
Every time I hear the whistle, I smile and send a small prayer of gratitude heavenward. 
Councillor Pirri received an e-mail from Wilson when the trains started to run  at the week-end. 
Now look what you "bunch of brain-dead turds" have done, he said.