I wasn't there but this fellow was

A correspondent noted: "We had to close and secure the doors for the first presentation when we got to about 160 people. The presentation was received with a feeling of shock in the room (at the revelations) and a very prolonged round of loud applause. The questioning session which followed was intense but ended after about an hour when an audience member whose name is 'Lisa' disrupted it with personal insults. She is the same person who came down to the park and, while literally screaming at us, tried to tear down our rope and signs that we attached to the picnic tables for our protest. We were astonished to learn last night that she is an employee of Totten Sims Hubicki. The second presentation was similar with close to a full house, without the disruption. Overall, about $1,000 was donated in cash and cheques as people left the two presentations. (The total out-of-pocket administrative and outside legal costs for the four organizers and the dozen or so 'mentors' who have been guiding our work now exceeds $3,000.)"

Observations arising from the meetings

• Many people were surprised to learn that we have already installed the drainage system for a natural rink, that a natural rink would allow the grass to remain year-round (covering the grass with ice for skating doesn't hurt it -- it's covered with snow and ice anyway), and that we are about to pay more tax dollars to rip out that drainage system because of the new plan.
• Forrest Rowden, the former Mayor of Hamilton Twp (who lived in Cobourg for much of his terms), stood up and made a remarkable public statement about the inappropriateness of how this matter has been handled by Cobourg.
  
• The meeting organisors will have delegation status at Monday's Council meeting to summarize the presentation.
  
• No Councillors other than Frost and Mutton could be seen in attendance.
  
• It was said that a Town official was present to take notes and that the Town intends to challenge everything we said. To protect themselves the organisors voice recorded and video recorded both presentations.
  
• A Rotary member revealed that the lip and drop at the edge of the planned concrete basin is an extreme liability issue for Rotary because they had at least a couple of stumbles or falls even at the last Waterfront Festival with the tent over the oval.

There were two recommendations from presentation. First, that everyone should attend Monday's Council meeting by 6:15 pm (on the day that the Mayor returns from his vacation trip to Russia) and fill the lobby, staircase and chamber as he arrives -- as a human petition. Second, that people should urge the Town to use the natural rink capability at least once this winter to see if it works and if citizens and tourists like it -- we've already paid for it and it won't cost anything to try it out.

There are a couple of background documents available to the public - the power point presentation here, and the paper trail outlining the project chronology here These items will be available as soon as I can log into my ISP