A question for the local news, including the BurdReport

Last week I received emails pointing us to Wally Keeler's local online journal (read the details here), our cultural affairs correspondent, wherein he outlined a story about local businessman Jim Corcoran (he owns St Ann's Spa) and his pending lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Peterborough and 12 local Cobourg parishioners. The story is that Mr Corcoran, an admitted, but chaste for 19 years, homosexual began to serve the sacrament just before last Christmas. Twelve local parishioners objected, wrote a letter to the Bishop and Mr Corcoran was removed. Mr Corcoran responded by filing a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and is personally suing the twelve parishioners and the Bishop for $25,000 a piece.and the people named in the suit could be fined up to $25,000 (source "Catholic register").

Now the question - where was the local MSM in this, nary a comment even though the story was out there for the picking. It has only come to light now because the National Post has a piece about it this morning here. The sad part here, for MSM advocates, is that it was a rabid homophobic 'family values' site that broke the story early last week, beating the MSM to the punch.

This is where the MSM is - covering Dalton. The Lib spin machine is in full bloom taking advantage of the summer dearth of news and to announce an announcement, probably one of "old money" being re-announced. Put the above story with this one and you get a local MSM not willing to rock the advertisers and pump out political spin because it is safe. Really ,how many 'real people' will be there to see Dalton anyway?

Another piece of locally significant news was the announcement that the local hospital is setting up a "Citizens' Advisory Panel". This group of folks will be the sounding board for the bad news of cuts in the hospital budget. As part of the contingency plan, where the budget is balanced, a "community engagement plan" has to be filed with the LHIN before such a contingency plan can be approved. A Queen's Park requirement that is such total BS that it stinks even from there. The idea is that the public can be brought on side with the proper massaging and consultation. Rather like putting five people in a room and saying to each of them, "You all have to lose a limb, what will volunteer to cut off - an arm or a leg?"

Two problems with this idea - the idea itself; that unpalatable decisions are more acceptable if the dirty work is done by some people other than the Board who are elected to make the dirty decisions and the fact that cutbacks are mandated by a remote central body like the LHIN. When the idea was being floated I assumed that the CAP would be a vehicle of consultation led by local people who would talk to others in the community and form community opinion. But talking to the CAO he thinks that the discussion will remain in the room of the appointed people. Whoa Nelly, where is the legitimacy in that? Who gets to speak for me and when do I get to speak to them?

A bit redundant we have an open membership that elects a Board, based on regional demographics and geographic representation and that Board is expected to make decisions. But in this case, probably the most important decision they will make this year - the budget, they decide to delegate their representative responsibilities - sad.

A guest column

Click for the guest column the pics are refreshing [that's because we can't smell it -ed]

A morning in the park

With a fresh breeze blowing in from the Lake, Victoria Park was packed and most were feeling chilly but pleased with the show. The Great Pine Ridge Car Show was on hand and nobody mentioned the chill just walked around in the sun and gawked.

From the oldest car - a 1913 Ford belonging to local aficionado, Terry Barker, to the flashiest a modified 190 purple lowered Chevy Impala, anywhere from 200 to 250 vehicles will be parked in the park today. One of the organisors, Bill Alls, told me, "That as cars are still arriving and depending on the weather, there will be up to as many as 250 cars here today."
Nationally revered car restorer, Doug Greer; of Cobourg, was greeting people at the gate and told me that apart from the popular ballot, one that anyone can enter for a buck, and select the best car, there will be no show champion. "The Judged show will be in Port Hope next month." So if you like cars there is plenty to look at this summer, in the area.

Reading between the lines

Two letters to the Brighton Independent question the motives, process and price to be borne by taxpayers in the railroad crossing debate in Brighton. In this letter Councillor Craig Kerr wonders how the CAO of the County managed to insert himself, and the County, into the debate without any direction from anyone in Brighton. This topic may not even have been on the agenda at the County, so what's he doing butting in? In this letter well known fiscal conservative and one-time reformer and former County Councillor Bonnie Browne asked just who will be paying for this massive expenditure when other needed County projects are on the books.

Reading between the lines anything that the County can do to undermine the autonomy of the lower tier it will do. If only to justify its own existence. For years the lower tier and the County have been locking horns about the efficacy of "County Roads". These are roads that begin in one Twp and finish in another. The County has been trying to download some of them particularly the ones that today seem to have no rationale. County Rd 33 going North from Hwy 45 at Fenella and leading to nowhere comes to mind. But Alnwick-Haldimand cries poor whenever the subject of transfer is raised.

In this case there are valid questions about Mr Pyatt's presence: who authorised it and who gave him the mandate to tell Brightoners "Brighton needs to finalize this quickly" (The Independent, July 2).
Councillor Kerr raises two more fundamental questions: "Two questions arise immediately. What inspired an employee of an upper tier administration to flagrantly interfere with, and attempt to override, the decision process of your elected council? How and why was the CAO's visit arranged without notice, and how did the report of it conveniently find its way into the local papers when no reporters were present at the meeting?"

Obviously more to come.

August 22nd 1999 these two, with another paddled across Lake Ontario in 10hrs 20 mins. Drs Paul Caldwell, Bill Moebus and Investment banker Jim Edwards intend to do it again in September, from Cobourg to Oak Orchard, to mark the anniversary.

This morning Bill Patchett announced the United Way fundraiser and the options for fundraising. For instance for $5000 you can sponsor one paddle, one life vest and a name on the canoe. The Doctors, Caldwell and Moebus will also buy dinner for two at the Woodlawn. Other sponsorship options exist and Billy P will give you a good price for your name. $2.00 tickets, that will win you donated prizes are on sale at 70 retailers around the area. And the big prize will be $500 for guessing the time taken to paddle the voyage - $5 for one or 3 for $10.

Remember this, the bike that was crossing Canada? Well it's back in Town for a refit. George Parker, the intrepid cyclist determined to go to N'fland, hit a snag on the east side of James Bay. His front wheel fell apart on the washboard gravel roads. But undeterred, I spoke with him this morning, he is getting the wheel rebuilt in Toronto, with a more robust rim, and has used the first part of the trip as a shakedown exercise. "I put no time limits on the trip and have accomplished the Ontario section, learnt a lot about myself and the equipment and will be ready to hit the trail again in a couple of days, but I don't want to ride without the best wheels, I need super rims!"

This time he will be starting in Quebec. He intends to pick up the trail in Matagami, after two days of train travel to get there and will be back in the thick of the blackflies by the end of the week, this time with a better and finer mesh headgear to ward them off. "Riding they don't bother ,you but as soon as you stop you are swarmed."

What is it about the cells in the Port Hope police station, a second person has been found hanging from the beams, at least they found the latest guy alive. Within 55 minutes of first encountering the Police he was discovered hanging with a blanket around his neck, sort of bang him up and then check the TV some time after he was placed in the cells. Obviously the cells are not monitored constantly, as the inquest into the first guy will hear. Hey Port Hope Cobourg has a pretty good system and it comes cheaper than a complete refit of facilities and staff.

With the swirl around the Liberal Party politics, another wrinkle is being added. Former Cobourg resident and popular Grocer - Tom Batchellor, of No-Frills fame, is heard as a potential nominee for the Macklin seat.

With the story in the TO Star about a Cabinet Minister being punished for doling out money to the Gay Pride parade here the conservative votes in Warkworth may just have switched from the rainbow coalition to the farmers. This move will obviously please the conservative base and offend the LGBT folks. If this is going to be government policy, giving tax money only to those groups that please the ruling party, then we are in for some fiery policy situations and perhaps some Charter challenges. For an insiders opinion about the whole furor, which is being stirred up by a conservative homophobic website called "Lifesite" click here. And, here is a column by pundit Paul Wells about the whole government programme that is causing so much grief.

Summer thoughts

Putting the MJ event in perspective. A writer from the Vegas Sun has penned this story. A comparison of mammoth funerals and points out that the MJ event wasn't as big as it seemed when put up to other funerals.

Hot and sweaty politics in Northumberland. The President of the Federal Liberal party is going to be here for a meeting of the NQW liberals. Local Lib organisor Martin Partridge tells the BR that this was just going to be another mundane executive meeting but -

"However, with a hot nomination race suddenly underway there's more excitement within the ranks.  Attendance is expected to be quite high, and both of the declared candidates (and perhaps one or two undeclared candidates) will be chatting up the crowd."

Mr Alfred Apps ( I bet nobody has the cheek to call him Alfie) is here to chat up the troops, keep the morale high, and remind all that there is an election to win. And of course if you are a Lib and want to check out the new faces get to the meeting: 7pm at the Colborne Legion.

The days after

With all the Waterfront festival people claiming a record success, they would wouldn't they? I went off to look for myself on cleanup day.

The King St merchants I spoke to did not notice much more traffic during the festival, cementing an opinion that visitors to the waterfront rarely migrate to the downtown whenever there are waterfront activities. This opinion was confirmed when the merchants told me that Sunday, the first day after the festival and the day after the American holiday, was a busy one. "Nothing at the harbour let's go downtown!" seemed to be the sentiment from the majority of people, mainly visiting Americans. Not to be negative let's celebrate the fact that Cobourg put on a good show, even though one must remember that it is a major commercial event run by the Rotary for the Rotary.

The Toronto garbage strike is going to drag on and the two sides have to get down to brass tacks now that McGuinty has said he will not legislate them back, well he can't if he has let the Windsor strike drag on for eleven weeks. What did Mayor Miller expect? that the union would roll over. Not going to happen. You can't give all the unions (police and fire) except the grunts 3% raises and improvements to contracts and then turn around and takeaway a year later in the bargaining cycle, "Just because things have changed" Besides despite the big issue, that keeps getting distorted, like the sick pay issue (this one for all the union bashers is in lieu of the short term disability that most provate sector companies have) you can't take away without a quid pro quo. I wonder what all the bashers would say if the Feds suddenly said, when all the execs in the country are getting bonuses and when all MPs and other pols are raising their own wages "Your CPP is being cut by 10% because we are in a recession!" not going to happen. But because these folks are in a union their wages and benefits are fair game. Both the City and Union have to get real - compromise and finish with a status-quo contract. Unfortunately Miller, who has had bad advice on this issue, will come off worse but perhaps he deserved it because he has not led on this one.

Sad, reports from the war-zone that two more soldiers have died today. The tragedy about this one is that it may have been caused by technical failure. Let's face it we are fighting with equipment built by the lowest bidder and held together by baling wire.

Must be the day for weird headlines

The headline says it all, funny old world where this guy is now richer by dying and nobody really knows who the heirs are. His mother isn't in charge any more, his ex-wife may come back and claim the two children she bore and then dumped, The brain is going to be tested for all kinds of things and may be buried later, probably a big plot for another funeral. E-bay has clamped down on the "free" tickets to his service that were being sold for thousands and although everybody says they are sick of the whole affair TV ratings for anything associated with MJ go through the roof.

Mexicans love their wrestlers, big or small and the whole country is mourning the loss of a pair of famous twins who died after drinking 'spiked' drinks with two prostitutes, story here.

So, the question is - how much do we want to pay?

The Fullertons, the family that has owned the property at 100 Bagot St, since 1916, have a solution to the problem of beach access. They have offered to sell a part of their undevelopable land to the Town for $345,000. They justify the price as less than market value of the land, if an upzoned value was applied, because they also want a solution. But as with all good negotiators, Mr Morand, back in the picture as the spokesman, says that there will be no termination of a considered lawsuit if the Town does not give a speedy response.

So the question is this - is $345,000 a good price for the Town to pay? As the local editorialist from the NToday.com opined on Friday, it may be high but worth it and called for the Council to stop being petty and negotiate a resolution. The BurdReport's position is simple, the Northern boundary must be in line with the boundary of the High School's property, which is also the same as the Legion Village's property all the way to the beach. Pay the money and let sleeping dogs lie. There must also be a public subscription campaign the way the Victoria Park extension was funded. If Cobourgers want the beach they cannot have it handed to them by a benevolent Council, they must pay for some it themselves!

There is a burning rage amongst old Toronto Sun staffers to recreate themselves and whenever Sun Media lays another person off, consolidates offices and services or just shuts local newspapers down the writers of this website (the TorontoSunFamily) go nuts and encourage the affected personnel to recreate the "miracle of the TO Sun". Well today's post on the TSF site announces that in Hinton Alberta, four ex-staffers have done just that. An online version and a print edition are going out weekly, here is the online version and investigation reveals of the stafff on board two are in sales so the emphasis is on ad revenue. It will be interesting to see if the traditional model of "one news and two ad people" can cut it in the world of fast diminishing ad revenue and a weak online presence can be a commercial success that will support four sets of wages. Good luck to them for trying.

Elvis is alive and seen in Cobourg

Spotted in a wine bar?? Elvis was in Cobourg last night. One of the sights of the waterfront festival. The second full day seemed to be an event that was running out of steam, at 5pm anyway. The food vendors and the Midway people were standing around looking at each other and scanning for customers - let's hope that today will be better; it is Friday after all!

The death of an urban legend. One of the local tales, that circulated really fast this week, and spread by gossips who should have known better, it even surfaced at Rotary on Friday, by way of the Dutch Oven, was a story about one of the local Police - Sgt. (well he was last week) Delkie Curtis. A bit of a lad this fellow stands about five foot ten and not an impressive looking (no muscle builder is he) guy - just your normal hard-working enforcer of the law.
The story that came back to me by way of a brother-in-law fresh from a trip at the do'nut shop was, "Hey have you heard that Delkie Curtis got pummeled into the ground by seven guys outside Kelly's the other night?" With ears perked I tucked the info away and then yesterday I had a chance to ask his Boss - the Chief about it. Roaring with laughter he chortled, "That's just an urban legend, do you think that we wouldn't have heard about it if it had happened?" Then last night riding through the park I spotted the man himself, DC, and asked him. "I've had people coming up to me all week asking how I am" he said. Besides it wasn't seven guys it was only two but one of was a big 'un, and Greg McCurdy took him down" Referring to an arrest his platoon made last week. Some one watching must have been either in the cups or wanted to stretch an overworked imagination and told his pals. A good story though!

Videos of our Senate at work. Videos have appeared on Youtube that show a Senate committee in dispute about almost everything on the agenda. Click here to go to the "video page" to see them

At least this ride had riders! - well only two.