Well it has been quite a ride these past few days trying to pack and get ready for our holiday and checking out some of the Facebook rants.
The Advance Poll was yesterday and I am not certain how many went and cast their ballot. Hopefully those who cannot make it for Oct. 21st went if they are at all interested.
I say that tongue in cheek because after all the firestorms caused by some comments about other candidates.......and then the vindictiveness towards me...........wow. I had to admit I had a knot in my gut for a while over all of that. All I can say is that when you put your name out there for Public Office you might get a comment or two and believe me some of the comments may not be flattering!
I am trying to rise above it. I used to do that - the unflattering comment stuff - when I worked for the Coronation Review. Yes I had my fun. I poked fun at certain Councillors, I criticized, I ranted a bit. I didn't get much feedback but my first clue that something was wrong was when some of them crossed the street to walk on the other side when they saw me coming! My second clue was when the paper appeared at the Council Meeting and was waved in my face!
Then I became a Councillor. It was actually easy the first time because there was not an election. I was basically out of the loop and I realized that at the first meeting because it was all prearranged in regards to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions. What can you do? What can you do? The next time around we had an election and it was a little more stressful since I had to wait for a phone call to see if I was successful or not.
I was successful and so began the journey. I felt a little more responsible this time since I had a little more knowledge about governance, etc. and how things work. So we had nominations for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and picked our committees and life went on.
I am actually disappointed in how some things went because as usual when I got in my stride and tried to hammer my point home sometimes it didn't have a successful outcome! Other times I really should have kept my mouth shut. Oh well, I think there were and still are hard feelings but at least it happened during the meetings where it should have happened.
There were some things that happened that were not so pretty. My advice to anyone who is in public office: please do not presume to tell other groups and organizations in town what a decision of council will be before the decision is made. Bad, very bad. Do not do it. If you do it, admit you did it, make amends and move on.
All the crap on Facebook? Well, I didn't start it did I? I probably have a slim chance of getting enough votes to sit at the council table again. If the electorate does not cast their ballot for me because of all of this then so be it. I would rather I got their vote because I am for Coronation and I am for spending our tax dollars as wisely as possible.
I care about the community but I have to admit if I do not get back on Council I am not so sure how available I will be for anything such as volunteer groups or helping out by sitting on the odd board or committee. I think I would just take a break from it all.
Cheers to all and please vote one way or another since it is one of the few democratic rights that we have.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013
And one more thing
I broke my own rules by commenting on something. So I will just copy and paste now.
Oh and by the way, no mud slinging is coming from me. I would like to remind people that I don't have to sling anything, people's records speak for themselves and most thinking people can read between the lines. I have enjoyed every minute of my six years on Coronation Town Council and I have worked very hard to prepare myself and to attend meetings and events both in and out of town. I do not think it is a fault to speak my mind and I do so with no apologies. I have a brain and I use it and I am proud to say that I think of each and every citizen in Coronation when I am in "councillor" mode. I am especially thinking of all the taxpayers in town - and those who pay taxes as a business. I would like to ask them where they think their tax dollars are going? Are they staying here at home to promote, market and develop Coronation, or are they flying out of town to some innocuous organization that they have never heard of?? Just ask.
Our job as a Council is to govern and to keep the citizens of Coronation in mind with everything that we do and with every motion that we make. I voted to not send the money out of town - AGAIN - and others thought they should just let it go and cave in to pressure that certainly does not come from the taxpayer let me tell you.
I was there in June 2010 when the hall was filled with angry and upset people. Two business owners in town - who do not even live here but pay big money in taxes to run their businesses - were so upset that they paid money to advertise on a billboard. They encouraged the citizens to go to the council meeting. At the time we held our Council meetings in the meeting room at the hall.
The people started pouring in through the meeting room door. I opened the doors to the main hall while the rest of the councillors and the mayor sat there with stupefied looks on their faces. I opened the doors and I had to tell the rest of them to set up a table and put the chairs out. I did that, not anybody else. I sat there and I listened while the mayor at the time gave a little speech about not being able to run the town anymore because the county doesn't give us enough money for recreation and the fire department. Oh yeah he said that and now he would probably deny it. So what. He never came to another meeting after that. He resigned - four months before the election. I spoke up and said something that I can't even remember now and I even got some appreciative applause. Thank you for that.
The point of all this is that I would like to be appreciated for standing up for the town of Coronation instead of caving in to outside forces every time an issue arises. I stand up for all the businesses in town. I know what kind of taxes you pay and I would like you to get value for your tax dollar. If others on council do not see it that way by voting to send the money out of town then perhaps you should ask them why.
Oh and by the way, no mud slinging is coming from me. I would like to remind people that I don't have to sling anything, people's records speak for themselves and most thinking people can read between the lines. I have enjoyed every minute of my six years on Coronation Town Council and I have worked very hard to prepare myself and to attend meetings and events both in and out of town. I do not think it is a fault to speak my mind and I do so with no apologies. I have a brain and I use it and I am proud to say that I think of each and every citizen in Coronation when I am in "councillor" mode. I am especially thinking of all the taxpayers in town - and those who pay taxes as a business. I would like to ask them where they think their tax dollars are going? Are they staying here at home to promote, market and develop Coronation, or are they flying out of town to some innocuous organization that they have never heard of?? Just ask.
Our job as a Council is to govern and to keep the citizens of Coronation in mind with everything that we do and with every motion that we make. I voted to not send the money out of town - AGAIN - and others thought they should just let it go and cave in to pressure that certainly does not come from the taxpayer let me tell you.
I was there in June 2010 when the hall was filled with angry and upset people. Two business owners in town - who do not even live here but pay big money in taxes to run their businesses - were so upset that they paid money to advertise on a billboard. They encouraged the citizens to go to the council meeting. At the time we held our Council meetings in the meeting room at the hall.
The people started pouring in through the meeting room door. I opened the doors to the main hall while the rest of the councillors and the mayor sat there with stupefied looks on their faces. I opened the doors and I had to tell the rest of them to set up a table and put the chairs out. I did that, not anybody else. I sat there and I listened while the mayor at the time gave a little speech about not being able to run the town anymore because the county doesn't give us enough money for recreation and the fire department. Oh yeah he said that and now he would probably deny it. So what. He never came to another meeting after that. He resigned - four months before the election. I spoke up and said something that I can't even remember now and I even got some appreciative applause. Thank you for that.
The point of all this is that I would like to be appreciated for standing up for the town of Coronation instead of caving in to outside forces every time an issue arises. I stand up for all the businesses in town. I know what kind of taxes you pay and I would like you to get value for your tax dollar. If others on council do not see it that way by voting to send the money out of town then perhaps you should ask them why.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Brief Synopsis
I am sorry I cannot be present for the Candidate's Forum on October 15th. We had planned a much anticipated vacation way back in January so we will be gone at that time. I had planned it that way in order to be back just in case I wanted to run for Council.
As it turned out the Forum was planned for the 15th which did not jive with my plans. Oh well. The Advance Poll is tomorrow at the Lion's Rec. Centre from 12 noon to 6 p.m. I would like your vote and here is why.
I have served on two consecutive Councils from 2007-2010 and 2010-2013.
I have my six years of experience to draw on.
These past three years on Council have seen a lot of accomplishments and I am proud to say that I have played a huge role in the following:
Physician Recruitment and Retention: we successfully recruited one new physician and his family to this community and we are now in the process of another phase of recruitments.
Community Standards Bylaw/Bullying: I was on the council committee that reviewed our Community Standards Bylaw and brought forward to Council a new and improved section on Bullying. I believe this is what the community wants and needs.
New Town Office: I am proud to have promoted and supported the creation of a new town office that was more cost effective and justifiable to the public than our previous one. We had the Grand Opening on September 12, 2012 and I was present. What a wonderful place we now have, modern, private, state of the art at about ten percent of what had previously been proposed.
I am also proud to say that we have a totally new office staff in place. We have an excellent CAO who is well versed in municipal governance, a new Financial Officer who excels at her job and we have hired excellent front office staff to serve the public. Thanks to these people we are confident that the public is being served in a professional and efficient manner.
I supported a motion by this council to move forward with the concept of a Wellness Centre for our community. It is community driven and I do hope that it flourishes and comes to fruition in the near future. Our current recreational facilities are getting to the end of their useful life and they will have to be replaced. Our Wellness Centre Society is working hard to make that dream a reality.
I fully support all of our volunteer organizations in town. We have a lot to be proud of: Communities in Bloom, Minor Sports, Community Centre (hall), Library, Choosewell, Chamber of Commerce, just to name a few. Keep up the good work, you have my support.
We moved the Coronation and District Support Services (CDSS) Office to the site of the former town office in the Coronation Mall. Our Community Liaison, Diane Schmidt, now has more room for her office which serves a large and varied sector of our community.
We negotiated a new and more equitable Fire Agreement with the County. I was in on these talks that saw the communities of Coronation, Castor and Halkirk get together and come up with a plan to present to the County. Thanks to solid leadership on our Council we brought everyone together and came up with a good agreement which will protect the people in this community.
We have attracted new businesses to town, in particular Techmation's Regional Office. We conducted phase one and two environmental studies to make it possible to have the surveying done for a light industrial subdivision south of Railway Avenue. I am in full support of this and proud to be a part of the decision making.
We have improved our methods of communication and a Town Newsletter was implemented as well as a new and improved web site and Facebook page. We are trying to move with the times and social media plays a huge part.
I took part in the strategic planning for our Community in April 2013. I, along with all of the other members of council, gave up a Friday evening and a whole day on Saturday to take part in this exercise. I believe we have a strong document which will now be implemented by administration.
The Coronation Transfer Site finally became a reality. Thanks to good planning we are now proud to say that this Transfer Site has provided recycling opportunities for Coronation.
I have sat on just about every board and committee there is to sit on and I bring a lot of experience to the table.
I would appreciate your vote and your confidence in me to sit as a Councillor. Thanks for your vote!
As it turned out the Forum was planned for the 15th which did not jive with my plans. Oh well. The Advance Poll is tomorrow at the Lion's Rec. Centre from 12 noon to 6 p.m. I would like your vote and here is why.
I have served on two consecutive Councils from 2007-2010 and 2010-2013.
I have my six years of experience to draw on.
These past three years on Council have seen a lot of accomplishments and I am proud to say that I have played a huge role in the following:
Physician Recruitment and Retention: we successfully recruited one new physician and his family to this community and we are now in the process of another phase of recruitments.
Community Standards Bylaw/Bullying: I was on the council committee that reviewed our Community Standards Bylaw and brought forward to Council a new and improved section on Bullying. I believe this is what the community wants and needs.
New Town Office: I am proud to have promoted and supported the creation of a new town office that was more cost effective and justifiable to the public than our previous one. We had the Grand Opening on September 12, 2012 and I was present. What a wonderful place we now have, modern, private, state of the art at about ten percent of what had previously been proposed.
I am also proud to say that we have a totally new office staff in place. We have an excellent CAO who is well versed in municipal governance, a new Financial Officer who excels at her job and we have hired excellent front office staff to serve the public. Thanks to these people we are confident that the public is being served in a professional and efficient manner.
I supported a motion by this council to move forward with the concept of a Wellness Centre for our community. It is community driven and I do hope that it flourishes and comes to fruition in the near future. Our current recreational facilities are getting to the end of their useful life and they will have to be replaced. Our Wellness Centre Society is working hard to make that dream a reality.
I fully support all of our volunteer organizations in town. We have a lot to be proud of: Communities in Bloom, Minor Sports, Community Centre (hall), Library, Choosewell, Chamber of Commerce, just to name a few. Keep up the good work, you have my support.
We moved the Coronation and District Support Services (CDSS) Office to the site of the former town office in the Coronation Mall. Our Community Liaison, Diane Schmidt, now has more room for her office which serves a large and varied sector of our community.
We negotiated a new and more equitable Fire Agreement with the County. I was in on these talks that saw the communities of Coronation, Castor and Halkirk get together and come up with a plan to present to the County. Thanks to solid leadership on our Council we brought everyone together and came up with a good agreement which will protect the people in this community.
We have attracted new businesses to town, in particular Techmation's Regional Office. We conducted phase one and two environmental studies to make it possible to have the surveying done for a light industrial subdivision south of Railway Avenue. I am in full support of this and proud to be a part of the decision making.
We have improved our methods of communication and a Town Newsletter was implemented as well as a new and improved web site and Facebook page. We are trying to move with the times and social media plays a huge part.
I took part in the strategic planning for our Community in April 2013. I, along with all of the other members of council, gave up a Friday evening and a whole day on Saturday to take part in this exercise. I believe we have a strong document which will now be implemented by administration.
The Coronation Transfer Site finally became a reality. Thanks to good planning we are now proud to say that this Transfer Site has provided recycling opportunities for Coronation.
I have sat on just about every board and committee there is to sit on and I bring a lot of experience to the table.
I would appreciate your vote and your confidence in me to sit as a Councillor. Thanks for your vote!
Dum ta dum dum DUMMMMMM! Election time in Coronation!
With election time looming and with a lot of speculation about who will get in and who won't, who knows anything and who knows nothing, I thought I would throw my views into the mix.
As a candidate I am doing it today because there was a little firestorm on Facebook last evening with comments even coming from people who don't even vote here anyway! But, everyone has opinions including me and apparently my husband. Yes, my retired husband has taken on a new venture called Crown News and he is having a great time. First he learned how to build a website from scratch, and he's still learning. He did that while I thought he should busy himself doing other things, but he managed to multi task so I am not criticizing him, just observing!
Of course he has made comments on the candidates, well most of them since I see there is more to come. I guess he is spreading it out over time so people can read and absorb. Not sure. It is his online newspaper and he calls the shots. To my knowledge there haven't been any direct comments made to him, only one Facebook comment by one local resident who, while appalled that he should even voice an editorial comment, was encouraging everyone to come out and vote.
I encourage that as well, and I also encourage the voters to ask the questions that were posed. Really, we should all know what or who convinced the candidates to run, what they want to accomplish during the next term of council, why they think they would be a suitable candidate and just a general answer to a common question about taxes and water bills.
Am I running again for Council? Yes I am and some days I wonder why but I am. I have been called names, I have lost friends (although I am not sure they were my friends to begin with), I have also gained friends. I have had my voice mail and my phone tied up with irate citizens. I have lost sleep, I have embarrassed myself, I have embarrassed others. I have been accused of improprieties. I have been down the road many times about a lot of things. I have learned that sometimes the truth hurts; and if it is said it is said, no regrets on that one. Anyone who becomes a Councillor, anyone who puts their name forward, had better be prepared for the comments, and sometimes the love just isn't there. Oh well, oh well, that's life in the trenches. I am not looking for sympathy because I didn't have to do it, no one twisted my arm. I will be two years away from collecting my old age pension when the four years are up. I feel that I still have some gas left in my tank so I will run again and let the voters decide based on my record. I would like to thank those who have encouraged me.
I should also point out that Council meetings are open to the public and the minutes are an open book as well. The minutes tell a story that would amaze and impress if anyone took the time to read them. We have made many motions, discussed many a by-law, had umpteen discussions about a lot of things. So just take the time and form your own conclusions about the past and present governance of this community. I was proud to be on both Councils for the past six years. I wasn't always proud to be a part of some of it: some of the malice, the hidden agendas, the decisions made before I even got there, the wink and a handshake crowd. No I wasn't proud of that at all, I refused to take part. I fought the good fight and basically became a renegade which is frowned on in some circles. I can say that this past three years has been refreshing because it all happened at the council table. Discussion is good, everyone has a point of view, everyone sees things differently. Some people are of the same mind, some are not. Some will speak up, others are more reticent. At the end of the day the decisions are made and we live with it.
I also want to point out that the nomination papers are open to public scrutiny. If you are a voter in Coronation just go in to the town office and have a look at them if you want to see another story. They could perhaps tell you something about the dedication of some, the determination of others. Prior to nomination day there was also some meddling by people who don't vote here and that I find very troubling and also very amusing. So........if you think that the Town of Coronation should be governed by those who don't get a vote and who think they have a lot of influence, then so be it. We also have the folks out there who will not let their name stand but do manage to get others to do their bidding. Some also have some very strong, inaccurate and ugly opinions about some of us who collectively have more common sense, brain power and experience than they will ever have. Those with the strong opinions also don't have the intestinal fortitude to voice anything in public; cowards in my opinion.
Having said that. Good luck to all the candidates. Congratulations and welcome to the world of politics. To all of you, stay strong, stay true to yourself, don't be discouraged. If you have your own reasons for running and you have the courage of your convictions you will be fine. I think we probably all want the same thing: to serve our community. If you want to comment on my performance or on my character, go right ahead I have nothing to hide - I am an open book and I try not to take myself too seriously.
Later on today I will give my reasons for running and why you should vote for me and what I can bring to the table. I am also taking the opportunity to put my "Five Minute Speech" out there because I cannot make it to the Candidates Forum on October 15th. Tomorrow, October 10th, is the advance poll for those who cannot make it to the October 21st election.
As a candidate I am doing it today because there was a little firestorm on Facebook last evening with comments even coming from people who don't even vote here anyway! But, everyone has opinions including me and apparently my husband. Yes, my retired husband has taken on a new venture called Crown News and he is having a great time. First he learned how to build a website from scratch, and he's still learning. He did that while I thought he should busy himself doing other things, but he managed to multi task so I am not criticizing him, just observing!
Of course he has made comments on the candidates, well most of them since I see there is more to come. I guess he is spreading it out over time so people can read and absorb. Not sure. It is his online newspaper and he calls the shots. To my knowledge there haven't been any direct comments made to him, only one Facebook comment by one local resident who, while appalled that he should even voice an editorial comment, was encouraging everyone to come out and vote.
I encourage that as well, and I also encourage the voters to ask the questions that were posed. Really, we should all know what or who convinced the candidates to run, what they want to accomplish during the next term of council, why they think they would be a suitable candidate and just a general answer to a common question about taxes and water bills.
Am I running again for Council? Yes I am and some days I wonder why but I am. I have been called names, I have lost friends (although I am not sure they were my friends to begin with), I have also gained friends. I have had my voice mail and my phone tied up with irate citizens. I have lost sleep, I have embarrassed myself, I have embarrassed others. I have been accused of improprieties. I have been down the road many times about a lot of things. I have learned that sometimes the truth hurts; and if it is said it is said, no regrets on that one. Anyone who becomes a Councillor, anyone who puts their name forward, had better be prepared for the comments, and sometimes the love just isn't there. Oh well, oh well, that's life in the trenches. I am not looking for sympathy because I didn't have to do it, no one twisted my arm. I will be two years away from collecting my old age pension when the four years are up. I feel that I still have some gas left in my tank so I will run again and let the voters decide based on my record. I would like to thank those who have encouraged me.
I should also point out that Council meetings are open to the public and the minutes are an open book as well. The minutes tell a story that would amaze and impress if anyone took the time to read them. We have made many motions, discussed many a by-law, had umpteen discussions about a lot of things. So just take the time and form your own conclusions about the past and present governance of this community. I was proud to be on both Councils for the past six years. I wasn't always proud to be a part of some of it: some of the malice, the hidden agendas, the decisions made before I even got there, the wink and a handshake crowd. No I wasn't proud of that at all, I refused to take part. I fought the good fight and basically became a renegade which is frowned on in some circles. I can say that this past three years has been refreshing because it all happened at the council table. Discussion is good, everyone has a point of view, everyone sees things differently. Some people are of the same mind, some are not. Some will speak up, others are more reticent. At the end of the day the decisions are made and we live with it.
I also want to point out that the nomination papers are open to public scrutiny. If you are a voter in Coronation just go in to the town office and have a look at them if you want to see another story. They could perhaps tell you something about the dedication of some, the determination of others. Prior to nomination day there was also some meddling by people who don't vote here and that I find very troubling and also very amusing. So........if you think that the Town of Coronation should be governed by those who don't get a vote and who think they have a lot of influence, then so be it. We also have the folks out there who will not let their name stand but do manage to get others to do their bidding. Some also have some very strong, inaccurate and ugly opinions about some of us who collectively have more common sense, brain power and experience than they will ever have. Those with the strong opinions also don't have the intestinal fortitude to voice anything in public; cowards in my opinion.
Having said that. Good luck to all the candidates. Congratulations and welcome to the world of politics. To all of you, stay strong, stay true to yourself, don't be discouraged. If you have your own reasons for running and you have the courage of your convictions you will be fine. I think we probably all want the same thing: to serve our community. If you want to comment on my performance or on my character, go right ahead I have nothing to hide - I am an open book and I try not to take myself too seriously.
Later on today I will give my reasons for running and why you should vote for me and what I can bring to the table. I am also taking the opportunity to put my "Five Minute Speech" out there because I cannot make it to the Candidates Forum on October 15th. Tomorrow, October 10th, is the advance poll for those who cannot make it to the October 21st election.
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