Balancing Act

As the election campaigns are beginning to take hold in our town of Coronation I am pondering what to write next.

My last blog commented on what a ride it has been.....not only for the past week or two since the nomination papers went in but really just my life in general these past few years.

I guess what makes me wonder sometimes is what others can be thinking, but then I guess that's their business.

So, I will make some points based on my "promises" from 2010.

I have supported and will continue to support:

• Senior's Housing
• Doctor Recruitment and Retention
• Community Involvement
• Economic Development
• Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability
• Honesty, Openness and Common Sense
• Dependability, Trust and Respect

Point number one:  Senior's Housing

Well here is how it went for me.  I am still the Chair of our local Senior's Manors and Social Housing Board.  We have a very good manager who keeps us in the loop, collects the rent, does the bookkeeping, oversees the cleaning and maintenance contract and is the first one the people call when there is a problem.  We follow the policies and guidelines and we are in close contact with Alberta Housing.  We hold quarterly meetings.
I managed to stay on the Castor and District Housing Authority/Paintearth Lodge Board for a short while.  Let's just say that we are not getting much help from that little arrangement. We are required to send money every year to support this agreement.  Check your tax notices for further information.  You may also contact our CAO to find out the exact amount that is sent from the Town of Coronation.  It is in the 25 to 30 thousand dollar range.

I do not sit on the Supportive Living Board but I do know that we also support this facility with a yearly requisition that is based on equalized assessment.  Our portion is about 25 thousand, it could be more.  This is an Advisory Board and all agreements for payment from the other members are not mandated by a ministerial order or any such thing.  It is a mutually agreed upon arrangement.  This board now meets monthly.  During our tenure on council the board has hired a Coordinator to seek funding opportunities and partnerships in the hope of replacing this aging facility.

I will admit it is so frustrating to get anything done and I want it done yesterday!  The only thing that I can say is that we need to keep advocating for more and improved Senior's  and Affordable Housing in Coronation.  We have to move forward and find ways to get it done.  While appreciating what has gone before we cannot get mired in the past we have to look to the future and keep going.

Point number two: Physician Recruitment and Retention

I am currently one of two Councillors who sit on this board.  We are in a cost sharing agreement with the county.  The board is made up of two County Councillors, Two Town of Coronation Councillors, One member at large from town and one member at large from the county, one member at large from town/county.  Our town and county CAOs, the site manager from the hospital and our physicians all act in an advisory capacity.  In the past three years with this Board we have purchased two houses as rental accommodations for our physicians, use the town condo for locum accommodations, continue to fine tune our recruitment incentives and meet monthly and more often at the call of the Chair.  We have successfully recruited one physician and his family to Coronation.  We are in the process of recruiting again (and again and again).  I say that because you never stop recruiting.  I think that sometimes we forget about the retention part of what we do.  We always have to think of the critical role our physicians play in our community and never forget how much we appreciate them.  I would also like to say that we are very appreciative of all our health care professionals and everyone who works at our Hospital and Care Centre, Continuing Care and Supportive Living.  The largest employer in Coronation is our Health Care Facility and we need to support every aspect of recruitment and retention.

Point number three:  community involvement

I have and will continue to be involved in our community.  We have chosen to live here and we want to make the best of it.  Sometimes my idea of what constitutes community spirit and involvement and other people's perception are two different things.  I am not in favor of always doing things the same old way.  We have to move with the times and come up with new and exciting ways to do things.  I believe that by doing this we can engage more of our citizens in community endeavors.  We have several volunteer opportunities for people who want to get involved.  These are all great groups and I am sure they would welcome more helping hands. Young people especially have different ways of doing things and I think we should be mindful of that and try to embrace some of their unique perspective.  This is why we did the community survey for the Wellness Centre and why we decided to get the school age kids involved in the survey.  In other words:  instead of telling them how to do something ask how they think it should be done!  Kudos to all the people who get involved in the community life of Coronation.  I hope that you all feel welcome and that you count!

Point number four:  Economic Development

I went to a Travel Alberta one day session this spring and met a fellow who stood up and said:  Economic Development is a fancy phrase for Tourism.  I agree.  We need to promote our town every chance we get.  The idea behind tourism for our little community would be that we come up with some plans to attract people to town for one day and maybe they will come back next year and stay for two days.  We have several businesses in town who could put their collective heads together to not only market themselves but also help one another to keep people at home to shop, to eat, to enjoy their lives right here at home. 
We belong to PEPS which eats up a lot of our Councillor time and a lot of the taxpayer's money.
I would suggest that if you have questions perhaps you could ask some of the most recent new businesses in town if they have heard of PEPS.  Then ask them how PEPS encouraged and promoted for them.  Then ask some of the older businesses in town how they have benefited from the Paintearth Economic Partnership Society.  I am not going to speak for the businesses and I am not going to tell you what to think.  Ask.
Otherwise I am proud to say that our Town CAO  has done a very good job with Economic Development.  I am also proud to have been part of a proactive council that approved everything that needed to be done to develop our new Light Industrial Subdivision.  We can all thank good leadership for that one.

Point number five:  Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability
I think that by the changes we made to our administration that we can now show fiscal responsibility and accountability.  Now we need to move one step further and show the taxpayers that the same old ways of spending the money can be changed up a bit.  Sometimes the hard decisions have to be made and I believe they were made.  It is not really council's job to parse the money out; but council has to approve a budget that is balanced and responsible to the people.  To tell you the truth budget time gives me a headache.  I just want to thank our CAO for working so diligently the first year of this council's term. 

Points six and seven: 

Honesty, Openness and Common Sense

Dependability, Trust and Respect

If anything I am honest and open.  Sometimes it gets me in trouble since in my way I sometimes equate bluntness with honesty.  We have to follow the rules and that is what I meant by common sense.  It is not common sense to make up your own rules just because you think that would work better.  It is in the publics' best interests to have rules, policy and by-laws and it is in any councillor's best interests to exhibit common sense and follow these rules.  It works better for everyone.
On the last three lovely statements I am a dependable person and I hope that people trust and respect me not only for who I am but how I am.  I respect each and every person, group and organization in this community as well.  I am not in favor of disrespecting or showing favor to any one person or group over another.  I make no excuses if this was ever the case.  Being on a town council is a balancing act.

So there you have it - an explanation of how I think I did based on what I said I would do.

Quite a ride

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.

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.

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!

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.

Hard day

I have never been good on this day, October 4th, not for thirteen years now.  So I decided to just write away and drink my coffee and do laundry and do whatever I have to do to keep busy.  I don't like going out much even though today is similar to the day thirteen years ago when I began this journey that I did not want to take. 

Yesterday after taking yet another yearly course to update my Basic Live Saver skills I thought about it all afternoon while trying to keep up with the compressions and the airways and all the information.  October 4, 2000.....everything is as clear as a bell and I wish I would just lose my mind. 

I can hear the phone ringing, I remember getting up to answer it and recognizing Brett's number on the call display.  Bernie had already left for his physio appointment in Coronation and I was awake but not wanting to get up just yet.  I grumbled a little, I wish I hadn't.......7:00 a.m., what could he possibly be wanting to tell me at this hour.  His voice was strained, he was sick and he told me all about it and I regret to this day that I didn't go to him right away.  That's what mothers are for; but he did not want me to so I didn't, he just wanted to talk. 

I went to my Standard Ed. Day - anyone around at that time will know that we had to take a whole day of education as part of the health care system.  The morning we learned about WHIMS, and OH&S, etc. etc. It was actually fun.  I remember telling Wendy A. about Brett's early morning call and we talked about colds and flu.  I told her I was kind of worried.  We went for lunch at the cafeteria - some kind of taco salad thing - I floated a two dollar loan to Wendy and we joked about it.  Then the phone call from Bernie.  Irene L. walking through the link with the portable phone and I had to call him back because the connection was poor.  He tells me Brett called, he didn't sound good and he was worried about him. 

All the phone calls from Assisted Living to Brett to tell him to call an ambulance and how he started to cry and I just hung up.  My phone call to 911 and to Edmonton and finally to him again to tell him that they were on their way.  Flying home to tell Bernie what I was doing, packing a bag, flying again to Edmonton, trying to concentrate on my driving.  Three people previously saying the word "meningitis" to me........I couldn't even think and then when I got to Camrose I realized that my phone wasn't turned on so I pulled over and talked to Bernie, talked to Nicholas. First Brett is in the hospital, then he isn't, then he is again.  I don't know what the hell is going on and Bernie is telling me that Brett thinks he has chicken pox and I told him about the meningitis thing.  It was all so unreal but I can still see my hands gripping the wheel of that van and willing it to just go.

So I get to Edmonton and go to get Nicholas at his place and we get to the hospital and Bernie calls to say that Brett is at home.  He lived just a few blocks away.  So we peel out of there and get to his place.  He never did give me a key so I have to lean on the bell.  Nicholas is just following me, he is so scared but I was glad he was there.  We just ran up those stairs and into his apartment and out of the bedroom he comes with purple spots all over his face.  I rummaged through a pile of things and found his keys and we just got the hell out of there.  He was bigger than both of us and fought us the whole way, not well, not very coherent except that he did tell us about his previous encounter at the hospital.  I wasn't sure at the time how he got there - found out later he took a cab and he must have either walked home after he left the Emergency Dept. or called another cab, who knows.  He did not go with the ambulance that I know. 

We got him to the Royal Alex. and wheeled him in.  They just stared at him.....I think now that they all knew they screwed up royally.  A young man walks into ER, purple spots on his face, and they tell him to wait.  So they ask him why he walked out and he just shrugged but I knew it was because he could and because all you could hear in that crazy place was people being told they would have to wait for three hours.  I wanted to scream but I didn't.  Nicholas was a wreck and he came into the examination room with us but left soon after to just sit in the waiting room.  The Dr. was no help, she knew too, it was too late.  By the time they got him to the trauma room he was dead and I knew it I just did not want to believe it, who would. 

The doctor booted me out of the trauma room, I wanted to stay, the other doctor thought I should.  I left because I was just being obedient.  Nicholas and I sat in the Quiet Room for another half hour before we were told Brett was dead. 

Everything is so clear - the people who talked to us, the long walk to the room where he lay dead, the drive back to Nicholas's apartment, the trip to the pharmacy for the drug I was supposed to take, the phone calls to all the family.  Bernie finally getting to Edmonton around ten o'clock, I don't know how he endured it.  What the hell, this wasn't really happening was it?

What were we supposed to do now?  All the bloody phone calls from health people, so called important people expressing their sympathy in one breath and then trying to discourage us from going public.  Well, that is when the "Bonnie" in me kicked in and a couple of days later I told them all to go to hell I was going to the media and his name would be released.  He wasn't going to be just another one of their goddamn statistics, the 39th or 40th or whatever it was to contract meningitis in the Capital Region.  I wasn't putting up with that crap.  He was the 3rd death.  Wow.  Only three?   Well that must mean it's not that bad so why worry.  Oh no, I was putting a face to this and to all the screw ups along the way.  I was told by someone that the doctor who saw him the day before he died must be feeling really bad.  Well I hope he did because how the hell did he think we felt?

I wondered if all of these important people would now like to plan a funeral for our son.  We of course did not have much experience in this area and it was all new ground to cover.

Our house was full of people.  All the family came.  All of our friends, Brett's friends.  We had enough food to feed an army, our cupboards were loaded, the fridge was full, the freezer was filled to capacity.  Everybody was wonderful, we would not have made it through those first few days without all the people.  Complete strangers called us.  As a family we walked to the Church for the funeral, it wasn't very far, we had nothing but time.  It was a beautiful warm day.  Our family was wonderful to get things together, lots of pictures, lots of memories to share.  I of course had to record the Eulogy because I didn't want anybody else to read it.  Just the "Bonnie" coming out in me again.  Bernie couldn't quit crying, I had to hold it all together.  I lost it when I saw the bus full of  our hockey family.  We made it through, the sun still rose and set.  Everyone else's world kept on turning.  Ours had stopped. 

I saved all the newspaper clippings, I saved everything and made a scrapbook later.  It made me feel better.

Now I can't go through anything so I am glad that I forced myself to do that scrapbook.  We have a closet full of Brett's things and there is a great big t.v. sitting in front of it.  I cannot go through it again.  I was forced to when we moved from Veteran but I think it will just stay there forever.  I open the door and I just shut it again.

In the days, weeks and months following Brett's death from meningitis we encountered the good and the bad.  Mostly the good came from all the people who just surrounded us and put their arms around us.  I am so grateful for that, I still am.  In some ways I am more affected by everything now than I was then.  I just pull back and let everything wash all over me because I do not want anyone around.  No one really.

Since I have a way with words I wrote countless letters to the editor.  I contacted just about every major newspaper in Canada.  I was on a mission to get the message out about this terrible disease and the fact that there are vaccines that can prevent another tragedy.

Years later I still marvel at all the people I have come in contact with and formed strange relationships with because of Brett's death.  Dee and Sherry two moms who lost a daughter and a son to meningitis the same year.  We formed what I referred to as "the grief and crying club".  They were a source of strength, courage and inspiration to me.  I lived in a little world of my own.  I struggled at work and I had to take a leave of absence, I became this person who lived in front of the computer scanning all the news stories from everywhere for meningitis cases.  I wrote letters to health regions in Alberta and asked them for their stats on meningitis.  Some of them questioned why I would ask and when I told them they just sent along the info.  We had endured some rude treatment from a local health care manager and I fought back against that as well.  I wasn't putting up with any crap.  They phoned and invited me to be present for the mass immunizations but I declined.  We saw lawyers and got information that might have lead to a lawsuit, but in the end it went no where.  Just as well.  Ironic that 75% of the information we paid them to get I actually got for nothing!  I was very forceful.  I put it out there, the media lapped it up, we worked together.  I knew they had their bottom line and I had mine.  Eventually I tapered off because I was really losing my way.  I had to let go of a few things and I did.

Bernie and I went on a Cross Canada Cycling trip with the Tour du Canada.  It was just what we needed.  I am glad he talked me into it.  We discovered that we both had a lot of healing to do.

What a journey it has been.  I miss my son every day.  I am forever changed and some days I don't like myself very much.  Some days I don't even understand myself very well.  Over all, I have learned, I have moved forward.

Every October 4th I will remember, I will cry all over again, I will always wonder what if......it won't matter how much time passes.

Drive on Brett
 

Not very consistent!

I have not been very consistent with my blogging.  I started to comment on a few things on Facebook this morning and then did not post them because it would be better if I blah blah blahed my way on my Blog!

Nomination Day is slowly creeping up.  Nomination Day for what you say?  Well, for Municipal and School Board elections that's what!

I have not made anymore You Tube videos with tips for anyone considering becoming a Councillor.  I think one is enough really.  If you missed it here is the link: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f--6elKEq-c

 

That was a lot of fun and anyone who has heard it might draw some conclusions about "growing up to be a Councillor".  I didn't do it to discourage, I did it to educate and I hope I did. 
1.  The term is now four years.  Think about how old you will be when your term is up. 

2.  Your pay will be $500.00 a month and $650.00 if you "wannabe" the Mayor.  Make sure you take off appropriate deductions for income tax.  If you don't you will pay the tax man in April.  I would advise just donating the whole shebang to the government every month, let them hang on to it and maybe you will get a refund.  No kidding.

3.  Be prepared to attend two Council meetings per month.  Be prepared when you attend those meetings.  Read your Council package for crying out loud.  Don't show up at the damn meeting with a puzzled look on your face and ask what is on the agenda.  If you do don't be surprised if you get your ass kicked by the rest of those who did come prepared and who have made themselves as knowledgeable as they could get with the information provided.  Don't let your public down - you are there for them and you are also there as part of a team so don't let your team down.  Council packages are ready by Thursday evening and are posted on the Civic Website.  If you become a councillor you will get a password to get into this website to retrieve your package.  That's right, it is yours, make it yours.  Get to know it intimately.  Use your Town supplied computer/tablet when you get to Council Chambers for the meeting.  Please arrive a little bit earlier than the 7 p.m. start time in order to plug your computer in and make sure you are on the wireless network.  It is not that hard, if you are reading this you know how to use a computer.  Council passed a motion a while back that there would be no paper copies of the council package made for Councillors since we are trying to go green and be responsible when it comes to paper usage.  We also felt that if we were given the computers for our use and given the use of a website to access the council package why would we need paper.  If you want to make copies of things then go ahead and hit the print button and print off whatever you want on your own printer which you probably have.  If you don't, then get one they aren't that expensive and your life will be easier from here on in.  I use scrap paper to print things on.  I think it is a waste if you don't use both sides.

4.  Keep in mind that you are there as a team of seven people.  You will be asked to nominate a leader - the Mayor - to chair the meetings and to be your Chief Executive Officer.  The Mayor is like the captain of the team and while each team player should be respected and valued, so too should the Mayor.  The Mayor is expected to show up for everything in town and give a speech once in a while.  You will also choose a Deputy Mayor who will quite likely take over for the Mayor more than a few times during the term.  Be happy with your choices and move on.  Don't start dickering, bickering, whining and complaining about your choice a year or two into the term.  Deal with it, get over it and get on with it.  That's about the only advice I have on that one.

5.  When you make a motion, have a good discussion if you need to have one, vote yay or nay and live with the decision.  A motion of council is decided by all of council and whatever the decision is you must abide by it.  Do not go around yipping to anyone who will listen later on about why you did not agree with something.  No one cares anymore and it doesn't matter, the motion was made and council decided.  If you are asked about a motion you can say it was a council decision.  You get your chance before the decision is made, at a meeting, to voice your concerns.  Please don't be the one who goes all over town yapping about who said this and who said that - let the press do that.

6.  Speaking of the press:  They have every right to be at a meeting and basically they will report on what goes on.  You have no control over it so just act naturally. There may be times when you want to make a point and you will use the press for this.  This may not always turn out to be your best decision since sometimes "the paper gets it wrong".  Once again, live with what you have no control over or it will drive you crazy.  It is not a good idea to write letters to the editor since that just makes the paper more popular and is that what you really want?

7.  Be aware that you are now a public figure.  People will get a hold of you on the phone, in person, etc. etc. and sometimes it isn't very pleasant.  Mostly it is just to ask a question because they know you are on council and they trust what you have to say.  Be careful with that since you do not and never will have all the answers.

8.  Be prepared to sit on council committees, community committees and boards and regional boards.  I would think if you were really doing a good job as a councilor you would be spending at the very least about 10 hours a week doing that job.  You will be representing council and the community on these boards.  My best advice is when asked a question about the town to say you will take it back to Council and get back to them on that. 

9.  Remember that the CAO is your only employee, the rest of the town staff are not.  Do not attempt to guide the town employees with any of your wisdom since it is inappropriate to do so.  The CAO is their employer and the CAO is responsible for them.

10.  Do not throw your name in as a candidate if you have a personal agenda since that is not the right reason.  Say you have never liked Mr. So and So down the street and you think if you get on council you will make it miserable for him since you are sure there are some bylaws that you could use to get back at him for this personal grudge match you have had going on for years and years.  Stop right there.  That is not a reason to run for council.  Your only reason should be that you have some time to devote to your community.  Use that time wisely and you will come away from it as a better person.

 

I think ten things to remember or consider are enough, maybe too much.  It is not easy and like the song says:

"Councillors ain’t easy to love and they’re harder to hold

They’d rather give you a story that’s already told.

Five hour meetings, In Cameras, delegations, each meeting begins a new day

If you don’t understand things and they don’t explain

They’ll just move on their own way."

 

Above all, don't take yourself too seriously.