POTATO SHORTAGE

Wow, maybe potatoes will be worth more than gravel someday.....Daniher, are you taking notes in your little book???  Seth, are you out there?

Global potato shortage may hike prices

Farm Credit Canada says there is a global shortage of potatoes, exports of Prince Edward Island’s 85,500-acre crop have risen dramatically, while elsewhere crop acreage across North America has declined. It hasn’t predicted what all that is likely to do to consumer prices, but quotes general manager Greg Donald of the P.E.I. potato board as saying, “we’re very concerned with getting the best price for growers.” While the crop news might be good for producers and not so good for consumers of table potatoes and various potatobased products such as chips, it might be a temporary situation. The spike in exports to Holland is being attributed to heavy rains and in Russia to a drought last year. This accounted for a 90 per cent increase in overseas sales, according to FCC. Meantime, exports to the U.S. increased by about 10 per cent.
Exports to the Caribbean appear to have held steady. Closer to home, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in its latest available statistics, estimated in February 2009 that there were 5,430 acres of potatoes in Dufferin. Production was cited as 15,200 pounds per acre. For comparison, Simcoe County had 13,260 acres, and a yield of 14,300 pounds per acre. In all of Ontario, total potato acreage estimated was 15,000 hectares or 37,000 acres. Canada as a whole had 153,100 HA or 378,400 acres of potato land, according to Statistics Canada. By comparison, the state of Idaho grew 129,500 HA or 320,000 acres of potatoes. Europe, excluding Russia, had 504,800 HA or 1,25-million acres. No information was found for Russia, nor do immediately available statistics indicate the yield per acre.
Source: citizen.on.ca
Publication date: 2/25/2011

RAIL BED POLL

The Orangeville Banner recently ran a poll asking:


"Would you like to see the rail corridor restored between Orangeville and Owen Sound?"


Results were:
Yes 130 (35%)
No 238 (65%)


Back to you Melancthon politicans.....

FOR A POLITICIAN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO

Excerpt from the Caledon Citizen

Aggregate municipalities looking for form lobbying group

"Mayor Marolyn Morrison announced at Tuesday’s council meeting that the mayors of the top 10 aggregate producing municipalities (including Caledon) have been invited to get together, with the possibility of forming a group to lobby the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). "

Full article at this link:

http://www.caledoncitizen.com/news/2011-02-24/Front_Page/Aggregate_municipalities_looking_for_form_lobbying.html

(Hint, hint)
Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison's contact information is:
TOWN HALL

6311 Old Church Road, Caledon, Ontario L7C 1J6
T 905.584.2272

RECREATIONAL VEHICLE VS TRAIN-TRAIN WINS EVERY TIME

On Page 2 of this week's Dundalk Herald there is notice about a meeting at the Southgate municipal office on Thursday March 3 @ 7:00 p.m. to discuss the potential loss of ATV, dirtbike and snowmobile trails. 

The wording is: "There are some individuals in this town that are trying to ban the use of recreational vehicles in Southgate."

Doesn't sound like they even know about the potential loss of the rail bed as a trail. 

This might be a good opportunity for say one of the Melancthon politicians to enlighten them, because after all if Orangeville with their weighted vote sells the Dufferin County railbed to Highlands, next on Highlands long list of things to fXck up will be the Grey County rail bed.

THEY'RE BACK

Highlands has approached the new County Council about purchasing the rail line.

Just to recap, a couple of years ago they offered the Town of Orangeville $7 million dollars to sell Orangeville's section of the rail line, $5 million on the sale and a $2 million bonus when the first tracks are laid.

Which means, the rest of the County of Dufferin rail bed (and presumably Grey, because there is no sense laying track to Dundalk and then having no where to go) must be sold.

And how does Orangeville ensure the County of Dufferin sells the rail bed outside of Orangeville's jurisdiction in order to get their $2 million bonus?

Well it isn't hard-they have the weighted vote at County and with only one or two more votes they pretty much run the County.

At the February 17 County meeting Bill Hill, Darren White and Allen Taylor voted against entering into closed session negotiations to sell the rail bed.  Those that were in attendance and didn't have a conflict, according to media reports all voted in favour.

The County has agreed to hold a public meeting, but it seems from the media reports that that won't happen until after the closed session negotiations with Highlands......sort like putting the horse before the cash, I mean cart.

Because after all, if the County was going to hold an open house and truly consider the ratepayers and user groups opinion and input, they would not spend money on staff time or lawyers meeting with Highlands to hammer out a deal, now would they?

DOES THIS DEEP SIX THE DEEP PLANT?

Eddie can't get what he wants for a price on the energy to be produced by the DEEP plant. 

So the questions are:

Why wouldn't they know that before they got this far in the process AND, does this DEEP six the DEEP Plant?

Entire article at this link: http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/952388--deep-project-cents-ing-snag

SLAPP IN THE FACE....TO THE BULLY DEVELOPER

A lawsuit launched by a land developer against two Markham Councillors was thrown out of court by Justice James Spence, who called it "an abuse of the court's process and an attempt to intimidate the councillors"..

Excerpts from the article include:

"the lawsuit was intended as a "nasty message" to her and to others on town council to not "mess with the plans of wealthy developers who want to make countless millions from unsustainable urban sprawl".

"We stood up to this bullying and continued to say what we were elected to say,

"I strongly suspect that these pressures do affect municipal councillors all over the province," she said.

"It is often much easier to just do what the bullies want, but I hope that with this court decision, we can all speak more freely about what we honestly believe is good for our communities."

Click the link for the entire article:
http://www.yorkregion.com/news/article/954162--trespass-lawsuit-against-markham-councillors-thrown-out

In December 10, 2010 the provincial government received the Anti-Slapp Panel's report. 
http://www.news.ontario.ca/mag/en/2010/12/anti-slapp-advisory-panel-provides-advice.html

You are encouraged to email your MPP with your views.  You can locate your provincial MPP at this link:
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_current.do?locale=en

AN APOLOGY TO HIGHLAND COMPANIES

NO, not by me silly.  As you know, I NEVER apologize for anything!!

But someone else is clearly bigger than I, so here is an apology that appeared in the letters to the editor section in today's Free Press/Citizen:

Selected excerpts:
"The great news is Orangeville will have a new industry, will become known for industrial train traffic and for being a mega hub for a transportation corridor to support, perhaps, 1,000 additional aggregate trucks daily on the local roads, both loaded and empty, together with heavy commuter traffic that currently exists. Home ownership, quality of life and commuting will certainly get more interesting for Orangeville residents."

Full article at this link:
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-02-10/Mailbox/An_apology_to_Highland.html

A SHOW OF FORCE

So, it ain't over for FORCE, the ratepayers group in Flamborough, who shoulder to shoulder with their Council from the day the very first tree was felled have battled St. Mary's Cement against a quarry.

"Pending council approval, the City of Hamilton will seek party status in opposition to the proposed Flamborough Quarry at the upcoming Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing and pre-hearings. Hamilton’s planning committee, chaired by Ward 14 councillor Robert Pasuta, endorsed the move during an in camera session last Tuesday." 

For entire article click the link: http://www.flamboroughreview.com/news/article/296284


This mirrors closely what Caledon did with their ratepayers group FROM THE VERY BEGINNING when James Dick, over 10 years ago casually announced he would be digging a 150 acre hole.  The municipality stood shoulder to shoulder with their ratepayers group and WON.

What neither Caledon or Hamilton did was sit back while grassroots organizations mobilized and filed and paid for the things Council should have been doing through strengthening their Officials Plans, tightening up tree cutting bylaws, demolition controls bylaws and amending their fees and charges bylaws.

GLOBE AND MAIL

Perhaps our elected officials could put pen to paper and start a letter writing campaign and lobbying provincial and federal politicians, instead of worrying and responding to what is being written on a stupid blog.  Please...

They could start with the issue in the Globe and Mail (link attached).  It seems timely and impacts what is happening in their own backyard.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-needs-policy-overhaul-to-keep-up-with-global-food-markets/article1898130/page2/

TOARC

The Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation TOARC is what Melancthon is to rely on if Strada disappears without rehabiliating their exhausted pit, pursuant to the site plan.

Here is a link from an article on Gravelwatch from 2001.  Hope they have all these little niggling problems worked out by now.

http://www.gravelwatch.org/orig-gw/toarc/requests-to-toarc.htm

GOOD COVERAGE ON GRASS ROOTS JANUARY 22, 2011 MEETING

http://www.orangeville.com/print/940538

GREY HIGHLANDS FIGHTS TURBINE ROAD AGREEMENT

In July 2010, Melancthon Council entered into with Plateau for use of municipal road allowances to lay their lines for turbines. 

The Ontario Energy Board states that distributor of electricity have a right to access municipal road allowances for distribution.

Grey Highlands is taking a run at fighting it.  

....Click the link for details:
http://www.radioowensound.com/news_item.php?NewsID=32032

This will be interesting to follow.

IN A PICKLE

"Anyone remember the Sprung Greenhouse fiasco? In 1987, Newfoundland Premier Brian Peckford attempted to boost local employment by subsidizing the building of a massive hydroponic greenhouse operation that its inventor, Philip Sprung, said would turn the province into a world leader in green produce. His plan had failed in Alberta, but in Peckford he found a gullible partner willing to abandon common sense and start signing over other people’s money.

During the construction phase the premier pointed with pride to the hundreds of jobs apparently created. Meanwhile the province kept signing cheques and promising that cucumbers and economic renewal were on the way in equal measure.

Cucumbers did start appearing. The problem was each one cost $1.10 to grow, and the wholesale market price was just over 50 cents. The greenhouse went bankrupt and ceased operations by 1990. The jobs vanished, and the tiny province was left with $14 million in debts to pay...."

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.enviralment.ca/2011/01/10/mcguinty-has-led-us-all-down-the-green-energy-garden-path/#

AND REMEMBER, THOSE WHO FORGET HISTORY ARE JUST STUPID DUMB FXXKS

SNOWMAGEDDON or SNOWAPALOOZA

I just got off the phone with friend living in northern North Dakota near the Canadian border.

He said that since early this morning the snow has been nearly waist highand is still falling. The temperature is dropping way below zero and the north wind is increasing to near gale force.

His wife has done nothing but look through the kitchen window and just stare.

He says that if it gets much worse, he may have to let her in.

WHY NOT FARMING?

Here is an article showing where our provincial tax dollars go-to funding a company's expansion of its mining and aggregate supply service.

http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2954683

Gee, if farm operations/businesses could get this type of help, perhaps they could actually afford to feed cities.

Just thinking out loud.

AND THE PIN HAS BEEN PULLED

Well, well, well.

The Township of Melancthon agenda and attachments for the February 3, 2011 meeting of Council, to commence at 9:00 am is pretty interesting.

There is an Official Plan Amendment filed by a grassroots organization called CAUSE, which according to the submission is the Citizen's Alliance United for a Sustainable Environment, an incorporated entity which is a coalition of MC2, CORE and NDACT.  They have filed an OPA with Melancthon to "put in place standards related to mineral aggregate resources".

Details at this link:
http://melancthontownship.ca/11council/corr-action.feb3.pdf

In December 2010 the Official Plan Amendment NDACT filed for Specialty Crop designation was deemed complete. For details go to http://www.ndact.com/

Getting interesting now.

I picture several board rooms in the great cities of Boston, New York, Brazil, with large mahogany executive tables, situated around which are several "suits"  IN suits (and ties and pointy metrosexual leather shoes), and on receipt of this information, the mental image I get of all of those people in those suits doing this, all at the same time:

And thanks to these organizations for taking some concrete action. 

Hopefully Jorden, Melancthon's contract planner, is able to handle the pace.  Maybe now he won't be sitting there at Melancthon on his two days in the office a month doing nothing, as the former Deputy Mayor, now Mayor indicated at one meeting.