How? Just change them.
Mining amendments to exempt 'lower-risk' activities
The B.C. government introduced amendments to the Mines Act Monday that would exempt “lower-risk” mining activities from the permitting process.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Mining+amendments+exempt+lower+risk+activities/5709971/story.html#ixzz1dkILjimS
Problem solved.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
PULLING THE BLOG DOWN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS
It appears as though I have some urls that are referring my site somewhere and I need to pull this down until I figure out how to stop it so people don't get spammed by this blog.
See you in a couple of days.
PS Hope all the computers a Baupost have been spammed already!!
See you in a couple of days.
PS Hope all the computers a Baupost have been spammed already!!
TEST DRIVE
There has been a bit of a flap of late over the Shelburne Fire Department's wish to purchase a new truck. Specifically a quintuple combination pumper,” which is a fire vehicle serving five functions; including pumper, water tanker, fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders.
Costly, yes, no argument there.
But since the rural areas contribute to the fire costs in a shared servicing agreement, they have some valid questions too.
How will the big shiny new truck benefit them? Rural area's typically have no big industries or box stores. Will it be able to manoeuvre in rural settings? Will there be enough water in the rural areas to be able to pump at the rate it requires?
Melancthon Deputy Mayor White had a good point which was reported in the Citizen: "He had previously said the manufacturer should bring a quint up and provide a demonstration. “Does anybody buy a car without driving it? Buy a house without touring it? I don’t think I’m being unreasonable.” (Full article here: http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-11-03/Local_News/Councillors_eye_county_buying_quint_truck.html )
Which got me to thinking.
Wouldn't it be great if Highlands could give us a test run on their little proposal? You know that 200 foot below the water table 2,100 acre open pit limestone mine?
Foodstock gave everyone a test run of the traffic chaos caused by 7,000 cars.
What about the rest of it?
Well there is a little spot in California, who has a mine, operated by Lehigh Southwest Cement.
The mine/quarry is called Permanente (can you guess why?) and existing operations cover 618 acres and plunge 700 feet deep. There is a plan to expand to 917 acres. Quarry officials note 238 acres have been added as buffer lands that won’t be used for mining. That leaves 61 additional acres that could be mined. Quarry lands total approximately 3,200 acres. http://www.greenfoothills.org/news/2009a/3-25-09_LosAltosTownCrier.html
So take a peek at what that looks like, then times it by five to have sort of a test run of Highlands little proposal.
Costly, yes, no argument there.
But since the rural areas contribute to the fire costs in a shared servicing agreement, they have some valid questions too.
How will the big shiny new truck benefit them? Rural area's typically have no big industries or box stores. Will it be able to manoeuvre in rural settings? Will there be enough water in the rural areas to be able to pump at the rate it requires?
Melancthon Deputy Mayor White had a good point which was reported in the Citizen: "He had previously said the manufacturer should bring a quint up and provide a demonstration. “Does anybody buy a car without driving it? Buy a house without touring it? I don’t think I’m being unreasonable.” (Full article here: http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-11-03/Local_News/Councillors_eye_county_buying_quint_truck.html )
Which got me to thinking.
Wouldn't it be great if Highlands could give us a test run on their little proposal? You know that 200 foot below the water table 2,100 acre open pit limestone mine?
Foodstock gave everyone a test run of the traffic chaos caused by 7,000 cars.
What about the rest of it?
Well there is a little spot in California, who has a mine, operated by Lehigh Southwest Cement.
The mine/quarry is called Permanente (can you guess why?) and existing operations cover 618 acres and plunge 700 feet deep. There is a plan to expand to 917 acres. Quarry officials note 238 acres have been added as buffer lands that won’t be used for mining. That leaves 61 additional acres that could be mined. Quarry lands total approximately 3,200 acres. http://www.greenfoothills.org/news/2009a/3-25-09_LosAltosTownCrier.html
So take a peek at what that looks like, then times it by five to have sort of a test run of Highlands little proposal.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
NOVEMBER 11
In honour of those who served, please be at a local cenotaph tomorrow at 11 am and observe.
Thanks.
The World’s Most Famous WAR MEMORIAL POEM
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields
Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium
On May 2, 1915, John McCrae’s close friend and former student Alexis Helmer was killed by a German shell. That evening, in the absence of a Chaplain, John McCrae recited from memory a few passages from the Church of England’s “Order of the Burial of the Dead”. For security reasons Helmer’s burial in Essex Farm Cemetery was performed in complete darkness.
The next day, May 3, 1915, Sergeant-Major Cyril Allinson was delivering mail. McCrae was sitting at the back of an ambulance parked near the dressing station beside the YserCanal, just a few hundred yards north of Ypres, Belgium.
As John McCrae was writing his In Flanders Fields poem, Allinson silently watched and later recalled, “His face was very tired but calm as he wrote. He looked around from time to time, his eyes straying to Helmer's grave."
Within moments, John McCrae had completed the “In Flanders Fields” poem and when he was done, without a word, McCrae took his mail and handed the poem to Allinson.
Allinson was deeply moved:
“The (Flanders Fields) poem was an exact description of the scene in front of us both. He used the word blow in that line because the poppies actually were being blown that morning by a gentle east wind. It never occurred to me at that time that it would ever be published. It seemed to me just an exact description of the scene."
Thanks.
IN FLANDERS FIELDS POEM
The World’s Most Famous WAR MEMORIAL POEM
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields
Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium
On May 2, 1915, John McCrae’s close friend and former student Alexis Helmer was killed by a German shell. That evening, in the absence of a Chaplain, John McCrae recited from memory a few passages from the Church of England’s “Order of the Burial of the Dead”. For security reasons Helmer’s burial in Essex Farm Cemetery was performed in complete darkness.
The next day, May 3, 1915, Sergeant-Major Cyril Allinson was delivering mail. McCrae was sitting at the back of an ambulance parked near the dressing station beside the YserCanal, just a few hundred yards north of Ypres, Belgium.
As John McCrae was writing his In Flanders Fields poem, Allinson silently watched and later recalled, “His face was very tired but calm as he wrote. He looked around from time to time, his eyes straying to Helmer's grave."
Within moments, John McCrae had completed the “In Flanders Fields” poem and when he was done, without a word, McCrae took his mail and handed the poem to Allinson.
Allinson was deeply moved:
“The (Flanders Fields) poem was an exact description of the scene in front of us both. He used the word blow in that line because the poppies actually were being blown that morning by a gentle east wind. It never occurred to me at that time that it would ever be published. It seemed to me just an exact description of the scene."
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
HOLY FREAKOLIE
This blogger will be the first to admit that I have been somewhat critical in my observations of the current and past Council, mostly in their lack of handling the mega quarry issue, openess and transparency, closed meetings, oh I could go on and on.
BUT this, this takes the cake.
At the November 3, 2011 meeting of Melancthon Council, they considered Geriatric Jorden's Planning Report titled: Initial Planning Considerations: Possible Township Industrial Park, Part Lot 13, Concession 4 NETSR, Melancthon.
Can't blame Ol Ger for producing the report, as Council would have needed to come up with this asinine idea.
But the first thing I note in this professional planning report, is NO map. Not a single map of the area showing the location, existing land uses, etc. etc.
Small, I know, but I had to start with something positive.
They are proposing an industrial park on approximately 98.5 acres of land owned by the Municipality next to the dump.
I won't bore you with the astute observations provided in the report such as:
a portion of the property is located on and near provincially significant wetlands;
not consistent with the Provincial Policy statement that directs development to urban settlement areas;
must ensure the necessary infrastructure is provided;
subject lands are not consistent with growth management policies;
located on prime agricultural areas which shall be protected for long-term agricultural use;
no municipal services either water or sewage;
No, I won't dwell on any of that.
I will mention the studies that will be required after provincial consultation:
need/market study;
study demonstrating why a site in a prime agricultural area is needed;
a study demonstrating that there are no sites avaialble on lower priority lands;
noise and emissions study to determine potential impacts on sensitive uses;
documentation justifying and describing the proposed method of providing water supply, sewage disposal and utilities to the proposed development;
stuides of soils, hydrology and hydrogeology;
evaulation of environmental impacts;
transportation study;
Stage 1 archeological study;
If SOME of these studies seem familiar they are.
They are all the same ones Council told us they couldn't afford to do regarding the mega quarry, so they would just take a look at the information provided by Highlands.
And the biggest problem with this industrial site idea? This is NOT economic development in the new world. This is the 1970's way of doing economic development, called chasing the smokestack.
Not only is Melancthon competing with neighbouring towns and municipalities for "industry", they are competing globally.
With no infrastructure in place, (meaning water, sewer, hydro etc.), hundreds of miles from a major transportation network and something called the US/Canada Border, the ONLY "industry" that would come near the place is a compost, crap plant or soil remediation facility.
Those companies will have guys drive a mountain in Nepal with three wheels and no brakes to haul that crap to an "industrial" site.
In fact, one of the positives Jorden reports on is the fact the site is located next to the dump. Hmmm....
The report starts on page 93 at this link: ttp://melancthontownship.ca/11council/agenda.nov3.pdf
If you rezone it, they will come. Just ask Southgate.
If they want to get it approved in accordance with the Provincial Policy Statement, locate it near a settlement area - you know Corbetton, Hornings Mills, adjacent to Dundalk or close to Shelburne...just a thought.
BUT this, this takes the cake.
At the November 3, 2011 meeting of Melancthon Council, they considered Geriatric Jorden's Planning Report titled: Initial Planning Considerations: Possible Township Industrial Park, Part Lot 13, Concession 4 NETSR, Melancthon.
Can't blame Ol Ger for producing the report, as Council would have needed to come up with this asinine idea.
But the first thing I note in this professional planning report, is NO map. Not a single map of the area showing the location, existing land uses, etc. etc.
Small, I know, but I had to start with something positive.
They are proposing an industrial park on approximately 98.5 acres of land owned by the Municipality next to the dump.
I won't bore you with the astute observations provided in the report such as:
a portion of the property is located on and near provincially significant wetlands;
not consistent with the Provincial Policy statement that directs development to urban settlement areas;
must ensure the necessary infrastructure is provided;
subject lands are not consistent with growth management policies;
located on prime agricultural areas which shall be protected for long-term agricultural use;
no municipal services either water or sewage;
No, I won't dwell on any of that.
I will mention the studies that will be required after provincial consultation:
need/market study;
study demonstrating why a site in a prime agricultural area is needed;
a study demonstrating that there are no sites avaialble on lower priority lands;
noise and emissions study to determine potential impacts on sensitive uses;
documentation justifying and describing the proposed method of providing water supply, sewage disposal and utilities to the proposed development;
stuides of soils, hydrology and hydrogeology;
evaulation of environmental impacts;
transportation study;
Stage 1 archeological study;
If SOME of these studies seem familiar they are.
They are all the same ones Council told us they couldn't afford to do regarding the mega quarry, so they would just take a look at the information provided by Highlands.
And the biggest problem with this industrial site idea? This is NOT economic development in the new world. This is the 1970's way of doing economic development, called chasing the smokestack.
Not only is Melancthon competing with neighbouring towns and municipalities for "industry", they are competing globally.
With no infrastructure in place, (meaning water, sewer, hydro etc.), hundreds of miles from a major transportation network and something called the US/Canada Border, the ONLY "industry" that would come near the place is a compost, crap plant or soil remediation facility.
Those companies will have guys drive a mountain in Nepal with three wheels and no brakes to haul that crap to an "industrial" site.
In fact, one of the positives Jorden reports on is the fact the site is located next to the dump. Hmmm....
The report starts on page 93 at this link: ttp://melancthontownship.ca/11council/agenda.nov3.pdf
If you rezone it, they will come. Just ask Southgate.
If they want to get it approved in accordance with the Provincial Policy Statement, locate it near a settlement area - you know Corbetton, Hornings Mills, adjacent to Dundalk or close to Shelburne...just a thought.
HOME OF THE FREE
Apparently not so much free speech.
REMOVED: Seth Klarman’s 2010 Shareholder Letter
October 31, 2011
By Jacob Wolinsky
You can all thank the person who posted w/o my permission Klarman’s S/Ls under my name on a big site, which alerted Baupost’s CCO to my site. I will no longer be able to publish anything from Baupost Group in the future.
Read more: http://www.valuewalk.com/2011/10/seth-klarmans-2010-shareholder-letter/#ixzz1dG4y0bbN
REMOVED: Seth Klarman’s 2010 Shareholder Letter
October 31, 2011
By Jacob Wolinsky
You can all thank the person who posted w/o my permission Klarman’s S/Ls under my name on a big site, which alerted Baupost’s CCO to my site. I will no longer be able to publish anything from Baupost Group in the future.
Read more: http://www.valuewalk.com/2011/10/seth-klarmans-2010-shareholder-letter/#ixzz1dG4y0bbN
Saturday, November 5, 2011
DON'T READ THIS BLOG ANYMORE
Forget about spending time reading this blog.
Here is a blog that you should read...often.
http://deathanddustmystory.blogspot.com/
Jeanine Cressey
Here is a blog that you should read...often.
http://deathanddustmystory.blogspot.com/
Jeanine Cressey
OFFAL SMELL
If the Mayor of Shelburne wonders where that offal smell is coming from, he needs to look no further than out his front window and watch the trucks filled with raw human waste and offal passing by his house as they head to the 26 acre "fertilizer" facility in the works for Southgate, aka Dundalk.
Don't forget, however, these trucks will be jockeying for position with the 7,000 trucks PER day with Highlands hole in the ground and yet even more trucks will be trucking contaminated soil to another 20 acres adjacent to the fertilizer facility in Southgate, aka Dundalk.
But they will ALL be competing with road space with the trucks who will be hauling to the DEEP plant, which of course the Mayor of Shelburne has and is championing.
So here he is on another horns of a shituation.
He can't really object to Southgate hauling crap (bad pun, I know) through his Town and past his house, because that is what will happen to others if the DEEP plant goes through. Garbage and stink past their place. Which of course the Mayor has been championing-did I mention that?
Hmmmmmm.....
Don't forget, however, these trucks will be jockeying for position with the 7,000 trucks PER day with Highlands hole in the ground and yet even more trucks will be trucking contaminated soil to another 20 acres adjacent to the fertilizer facility in Southgate, aka Dundalk.
But they will ALL be competing with road space with the trucks who will be hauling to the DEEP plant, which of course the Mayor of Shelburne has and is championing.
So here he is on another horns of a shituation.
He can't really object to Southgate hauling crap (bad pun, I know) through his Town and past his house, because that is what will happen to others if the DEEP plant goes through. Garbage and stink past their place. Which of course the Mayor has been championing-did I mention that?
Hmmmmmm.....
This will require some DEEP thought.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Good catch by someone on the Stop the Quarry facebook site:
" Both John Scherer and Joseph Izhakoff (Minebuster note:we met them on the CBC show where a 20 second pause seemed like 20 years and we met the Barney Rubble Double on Paiken the other night) are principals of Nationsrent Companies. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, this company provides rental equipment for construction and industrial customers in the U.S. They cater to general contractors, sub contractors, highway contractors, manufacturing plants and distribution centers. Very interesting.....Nationsrent is currently controlled by none other than our good friend Seth Klarman of The Baupost Group and Phoenix Rental Partners. Baupost bought Nationsrent out of bankruptcy in 2001 for $80 million. In 2006 Nationsrent was acquired by Sunbelt Rentals for a cool $1.05 billion. Sunbelt is currently one of the largest equipment rental companies in the U.S."
Did you catch that? Baupost bought it in 2001 for $80 million and sold FIVE years laters for $1 billion. Tidy profit for forty investors in the Baupost Group. Wonder how you turn a company around in five years to make that kind of profit or is it just shuffling paper and bamboozling buyers?
And Izhakoff's name first surfaced around here in 2009 : Joseph Izhakoff is president of the investor group trading under Highland Rail Group. In email responses to this newspaper, he says the rail line could serve as a spur to economic development - and would be complementary to farming operations. (In a technical sense, the farm purchaser and the rail bidder are separate corporate entities.
He goes on to say that his company, "Like our agreement with the Town of Orangeville, we are not against accommodating special interest groups, such as the snowmobilers and trails, however you can appreciate that we are not in those businesses and our priority will be continuing to provide, and expanding, rail service along the line"
Full article at this link:
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2009-03-26/regional_news/009.html
" Both John Scherer and Joseph Izhakoff (Minebuster note:we met them on the CBC show where a 20 second pause seemed like 20 years and we met the Barney Rubble Double on Paiken the other night) are principals of Nationsrent Companies. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, this company provides rental equipment for construction and industrial customers in the U.S. They cater to general contractors, sub contractors, highway contractors, manufacturing plants and distribution centers. Very interesting.....Nationsrent is currently controlled by none other than our good friend Seth Klarman of The Baupost Group and Phoenix Rental Partners. Baupost bought Nationsrent out of bankruptcy in 2001 for $80 million. In 2006 Nationsrent was acquired by Sunbelt Rentals for a cool $1.05 billion. Sunbelt is currently one of the largest equipment rental companies in the U.S."
Did you catch that? Baupost bought it in 2001 for $80 million and sold FIVE years laters for $1 billion. Tidy profit for forty investors in the Baupost Group. Wonder how you turn a company around in five years to make that kind of profit or is it just shuffling paper and bamboozling buyers?
And Izhakoff's name first surfaced around here in 2009 : Joseph Izhakoff is president of the investor group trading under Highland Rail Group. In email responses to this newspaper, he says the rail line could serve as a spur to economic development - and would be complementary to farming operations. (In a technical sense, the farm purchaser and the rail bidder are separate corporate entities.
He goes on to say that his company, "Like our agreement with the Town of Orangeville, we are not against accommodating special interest groups, such as the snowmobilers and trails, however you can appreciate that we are not in those businesses and our priority will be continuing to provide, and expanding, rail service along the line"
Full article at this link:
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2009-03-26/regional_news/009.html
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
FAVOURITE FOODSTOCK FACE
Passion
Wisdom
Integrity
Patience
Intelligence
Perseverance
OCTOBER 31 IS THE DAY
It is expected to double in 50 years-14 billion people.
That should signify to everyone the importance of protecting water and food.
If push came to shove, we CAN, believe it or not live without cells phones, t.v. internet (NO, NO, NO) and we can live in houses and drive on roads made from something other than limestone.
It wouldn't be the comfort and conveniences we have become accustomed to, but we could do it.
BUT here is the hard truth, we can NOT live without water and food.
While you are thinking about that, think about where you are in the chain of 7 billion people.
Check out this cool website and you can find out what your number is-kinda like Where's Waldo:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515
Friday, October 28, 2011
THE AGENDA
Did anyone notice last night on the Agenda last night that when the Highlands rep, Johh Scherer, smiled he looked like this:
He should be less worried about the hair - terrible toupee by the way- and more worried about his facial expressions, since it looks like he will be doing alot of media trying to explain this asinine idea.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
FINAL NAIL IN THE REPORTING COFFIN?
Minebuster has long warned readers of this blog that the Shelburne Free Press/Orangeville Citizen, particularly Wes the Crypt Keeper Keller, are biased in their reporting regarding the Mega Quarry.
From the beginning (January 2009) Wes was writing that the grass roots group opposing the mega quarry were wasting people's time and money, they should just "settle" for a 100 acres, they were fear mongering, etc. etc.
All the while the paper for which he "wrote" was taking Highlands, at times, weekly $900 buck ads.
In fact some of the "articles" that appeared in the paper were nothing more than press releases of Highlands that had been rewritten.
Then this blog advised people that Wes wasn't even showing up for meetings, just writing (NOT reporting) from agendas and minutes. He would attribute statements to people and make the statement such as "Mr. XXX was not reached for comment".
What that means is they were not contacted at all.
Well not only has Wes been cribbing from agendas and minutes, apparently also from other reporter's articles.
In today's Free Press/Orangeville Citizen is this:
APOLOGY TO THE BANNER
Last week’s issue contained an article on page A9 which clearly should not have been published. Headlined, “Foodstock was overwhelming for one farmer,” the excellent article was from the previous Tuesday’s edition of the Orangeville Banner.
The article had been downloaded from the Banner’s website by freelancer Wes Keller, who had planned to produce a similar piece based on his own interviews, but was unfortunately submitted in the document with Mr. Keller’s story on Foodstock. Since the second article lacked any byline or other indication of its external source, it appeared to the Editor to be a “sidebar” and accordingly was run in addition to Mr. Keller’s Foodstock article.
In the circumstances, the article was obviously published without the prior knowledge or approval of The Banner and without crediting the writer of The Banner article, Bill Tremblay. We acknowledge that publication of The Banner's article was contrary to basic principles of responsible journalism. We sincerely apologize to The Banner and to Bill Tremblay for this error. http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-10-27/Local_News/An_apology_to_The_Banner.html
And here is the Banner's item on this little slip up.
ORANGEVILLE CITIZEN APOLOGIES FOR COPYING BANNER
Owners of the Orangeville Citizen were forced to publicly apologize today (Oct. 27), after they published an article taken from The Banner.
The article in question — Quarry protest never tasted so delicious — appeared on the front page of this newspaper’s Oct. 18 print edition and was posted on www.orangeville.com a day earlier under a similar headline.
A nearly identical version, containing no independently conducted interviews or research, was published in The Citizen last Thursday (Oct. 20).
Use of the article was not authorized and demonstrates a clear infringement of copyright laws.
“We are very upset and embarrassed that such a mistake like this has occurred,” Alan Claridge, publisher of the Orangeville Citizen, wrote in an email to The Banner’s publisher Ken Nugent.
Claridge went on to claim the “mistake” was the result of how information is collected for news articles appearing in that newspaper. http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1232764--orangeville-citizen-apologies-for-copying-banner
And the funniest thing? Highlands uses Wes’s wisdom on their website to support their quarry…..
http://www.melancthonquarry.ca/index.php/site/latest/entrenched_in_the_silly_season
SLAM...SHUT
From the beginning (January 2009) Wes was writing that the grass roots group opposing the mega quarry were wasting people's time and money, they should just "settle" for a 100 acres, they were fear mongering, etc. etc.
All the while the paper for which he "wrote" was taking Highlands, at times, weekly $900 buck ads.
In fact some of the "articles" that appeared in the paper were nothing more than press releases of Highlands that had been rewritten.
Then this blog advised people that Wes wasn't even showing up for meetings, just writing (NOT reporting) from agendas and minutes. He would attribute statements to people and make the statement such as "Mr. XXX was not reached for comment".
What that means is they were not contacted at all.
Well not only has Wes been cribbing from agendas and minutes, apparently also from other reporter's articles.
In today's Free Press/Orangeville Citizen is this:
APOLOGY TO THE BANNER
Last week’s issue contained an article on page A9 which clearly should not have been published. Headlined, “Foodstock was overwhelming for one farmer,” the excellent article was from the previous Tuesday’s edition of the Orangeville Banner.
The article had been downloaded from the Banner’s website by freelancer Wes Keller, who had planned to produce a similar piece based on his own interviews, but was unfortunately submitted in the document with Mr. Keller’s story on Foodstock. Since the second article lacked any byline or other indication of its external source, it appeared to the Editor to be a “sidebar” and accordingly was run in addition to Mr. Keller’s Foodstock article.
In the circumstances, the article was obviously published without the prior knowledge or approval of The Banner and without crediting the writer of The Banner article, Bill Tremblay. We acknowledge that publication of The Banner's article was contrary to basic principles of responsible journalism. We sincerely apologize to The Banner and to Bill Tremblay for this error. http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-10-27/Local_News/An_apology_to_The_Banner.html
And here is the Banner's item on this little slip up.
ORANGEVILLE CITIZEN APOLOGIES FOR COPYING BANNER
Owners of the Orangeville Citizen were forced to publicly apologize today (Oct. 27), after they published an article taken from The Banner.
The article in question — Quarry protest never tasted so delicious — appeared on the front page of this newspaper’s Oct. 18 print edition and was posted on www.orangeville.com a day earlier under a similar headline.
A nearly identical version, containing no independently conducted interviews or research, was published in The Citizen last Thursday (Oct. 20).
Use of the article was not authorized and demonstrates a clear infringement of copyright laws.
“We are very upset and embarrassed that such a mistake like this has occurred,” Alan Claridge, publisher of the Orangeville Citizen, wrote in an email to The Banner’s publisher Ken Nugent.
Claridge went on to claim the “mistake” was the result of how information is collected for news articles appearing in that newspaper. http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1232764--orangeville-citizen-apologies-for-copying-banner
And the funniest thing? Highlands uses Wes’s wisdom on their website to support their quarry…..
http://www.melancthonquarry.ca/index.php/site/latest/entrenched_in_the_silly_season
SLAM...SHUT
OFFICIAL PLAN UPDATE FOR 2011
You may or may not know that our Planning Contractor-Geriatric Jorden-was the contract planner for Melancthon in 1978 when an Official Plan was adopted.
We are still working under that 1978 plan.
Ger has been working on an updated plan now for say, 5-6 years? I have lost track, not sure.
In January of 2010 he assured Council the final draft was on its way within a few weeks.
Still waiting.
I can report that in 2010 taxpayers paid $94,000 for planning services.
Not sure what we are getting for that, because of course his bills are never presented to the public and his reports are given in closed session, which the Meeting Investigator said was not permitted under the closed meeting provisions of the Municipal Act, 2001 but I DO know we haven't got an updated Official Plan yet.
We are still working under that 1978 plan.
Ger has been working on an updated plan now for say, 5-6 years? I have lost track, not sure.
In January of 2010 he assured Council the final draft was on its way within a few weeks.
Still waiting.
I can report that in 2010 taxpayers paid $94,000 for planning services.
Not sure what we are getting for that, because of course his bills are never presented to the public and his reports are given in closed session, which the Meeting Investigator said was not permitted under the closed meeting provisions of the Municipal Act, 2001 but I DO know we haven't got an updated Official Plan yet.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
PUTTING OUT FIRES AT THE MULMUR MELANCTHON FIRE BOARD
Remember Amberley Gavel, the meeting investigator for the Township of Melancthon who ruled that Melancthon did in fact hold a closed meeting in contravention of the Municipal Act, 2001 (see blog posting dated September 7, 2011)
And remember the outraged reaction of Council when they heard they were in the wrong?
No?
Let me remind you:
Comments by Council members at the September 8, 2011 meeting at which Council received Amberly Gavel's report (minebusters brilliant and insightful comments in green):
“It was felt that Fred Dean, Amberley Gavel owes the municipality an apology as this report is very insulting – the premise of the report is wrong and information contained in the report is not factual."
(Here is a link on Fred Dean’s credentials, the individual council is demanding an apology from: http://www.notl.org/files/%7BAFA27048-D660-4B62-8506-3B8B67276080%7DMunicipal%20Government%20101%20Workshop%20-%20Fred%20Dean%20Profile.pdf
"....Council has the right to defend itself and we have every right to consult with our legal counsel on such a report...." (WRONG-the Municipal Act provides no appeals court so to speak)
"Council to reconsider whether or not they are going to stay with LAS. " (here we go, lets fire them, they ruled against us)
"Council to also reconsider whether or not Mr. Jorden, Township Planner, will remain in the Township Office twice per month. Council want to know who Mr. Jorden is meeting with and if this cannot be done in Closed Session, there is no point in having him here. This was initiated by ratepayers to have a Planner in the office for easier accessibility to Planning matters." (lets punish the taxpayers)
For full details of Council's comments on Amberley's report on Melancthon, click on this link and go to page 3:
http://melancthontownship.ca/11council/minutes.sept8.pdf
BUT now, Amberley Gavel has made their report public on an investigation they did on a complaint about an alleged closed meeting of the Mulmur Melancthon Fire Board.
AND they found no fault-there was no contravention of the Municipal Act, 2001 as it related to the Board's closed meeting.
So where is the outrage from Melancthon Council?
Well no where, because IF you agree with Council all is good.
If you don’t, well suffer their wrath.
And here is a link to the closed meeting report re: the fire meetings starting on page 26 http://melancthontownship.ca/11council/agenda.oct6.pdf
And remember the outraged reaction of Council when they heard they were in the wrong?
No?
Let me remind you:
Comments by Council members at the September 8, 2011 meeting at which Council received Amberly Gavel's report (minebusters brilliant and insightful comments in green):
“It was felt that Fred Dean, Amberley Gavel owes the municipality an apology as this report is very insulting – the premise of the report is wrong and information contained in the report is not factual."
(Here is a link on Fred Dean’s credentials, the individual council is demanding an apology from: http://www.notl.org/files/%7BAFA27048-D660-4B62-8506-3B8B67276080%7DMunicipal%20Government%20101%20Workshop%20-%20Fred%20Dean%20Profile.pdf
"....Council has the right to defend itself and we have every right to consult with our legal counsel on such a report...." (WRONG-the Municipal Act provides no appeals court so to speak)
"Council to reconsider whether or not they are going to stay with LAS. " (here we go, lets fire them, they ruled against us)
"Council to also reconsider whether or not Mr. Jorden, Township Planner, will remain in the Township Office twice per month. Council want to know who Mr. Jorden is meeting with and if this cannot be done in Closed Session, there is no point in having him here. This was initiated by ratepayers to have a Planner in the office for easier accessibility to Planning matters." (lets punish the taxpayers)
For full details of Council's comments on Amberley's report on Melancthon, click on this link and go to page 3:
http://melancthontownship.ca/11council/minutes.sept8.pdf
BUT now, Amberley Gavel has made their report public on an investigation they did on a complaint about an alleged closed meeting of the Mulmur Melancthon Fire Board.
AND they found no fault-there was no contravention of the Municipal Act, 2001 as it related to the Board's closed meeting.
So where is the outrage from Melancthon Council?
Well no where, because IF you agree with Council all is good.
If you don’t, well suffer their wrath.
And here is a link to the closed meeting report re: the fire meetings starting on page 26 http://melancthontownship.ca/11council/agenda.oct6.pdf
Sunday, October 23, 2011
CRAPPY SITUATION
There is a crappy situation to the north of us in Southgate Township, specifically Dundalk.
Southgate Council has been less than transparent about their decision to install an industry that burns human waste, offal (animal waste) in a facility located adjacent to a school and homes.
Like really, really close.
There is already a facility that does something with "compost" and here is an excerpt from the minutes from the Southgate June 1, 2011 Committee of the Whole about their traffic options:
Highway #10 by-pass roadway from Ida Street options:
Option #1 – The best option at this point as it is the most efficient route and least EP land impacts;
Option #2 – Not enough room between lagoon ponds and Foley drain;
Option #3 – This option has a few problems being the cost of a box culvert to cross he Foley drain, EP lands would be effected and loss of some saleable industrial lands for this roadway route;
Option #4 – This option has EP lands and is not being considered; and
Option #5 – This option would us the existing road allowance townline right of way, however more EP land than option #1 and would require legal investigation and agreements with Melancthon Township.
And at the October 12 meeting about Lystek, the business that wants to bring that offal smell with their product, the Mayor of Southgate stated that meetings had been held with Melancthon about a bylaw/diversion road through Melancthon for the smelly trucks. Anyone else hear anything about that?
Southgate Council has been less than transparent about their decision to install an industry that burns human waste, offal (animal waste) in a facility located adjacent to a school and homes.
Like really, really close.
There is already a facility that does something with "compost" and here is an excerpt from the minutes from the Southgate June 1, 2011 Committee of the Whole about their traffic options:
Highway #10 by-pass roadway from Ida Street options:
Option #1 – The best option at this point as it is the most efficient route and least EP land impacts;
Option #2 – Not enough room between lagoon ponds and Foley drain;
Option #3 – This option has a few problems being the cost of a box culvert to cross he Foley drain, EP lands would be effected and loss of some saleable industrial lands for this roadway route;
Option #4 – This option has EP lands and is not being considered; and
Option #5 – This option would us the existing road allowance townline right of way, however more EP land than option #1 and would require legal investigation and agreements with Melancthon Township.
And at the October 12 meeting about Lystek, the business that wants to bring that offal smell with their product, the Mayor of Southgate stated that meetings had been held with Melancthon about a bylaw/diversion road through Melancthon for the smelly trucks. Anyone else hear anything about that?
Saturday, October 22, 2011
HALF ASS EFFORT, BUT...
Still on hiatus from Foodstock, holy cow. I was going to post poignant and moving blogs with pictures and stuff, but Stop the Quarry and Foodstock facebook sites and UTube have said it all.
So in keeping with the spirit of the season (get it, Hallowe'en season, spirit, ghosts???) enjoy this site:
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/
So in keeping with the spirit of the season (get it, Hallowe'en season, spirit, ghosts???) enjoy this site:
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/
Friday, October 21, 2011
FULLSOME (get it? full??) FOODSTOCK COVERAGE
The article is great, but at the bottom are links to all the articles and videos, check it out.
http://orangevillemarketwatch.typepad.com/thewatersgroupjournal/2011/10/foodstock-2011.html
http://orangevillemarketwatch.typepad.com/thewatersgroupjournal/2011/10/foodstock-2011.html
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