That's right. One more day. I'll be here tomorrow for the Melford announcement, and then I drive to Lunenburg tomorrow night, then airport and T.O. on Wednesday. I'm still processing what all has happened over the past three months, as I've always been so busy that I'm not sure whether I'm coming or going most days, but I hope that I got to help out and entertain a few people during my time here.
I've met amazing people, and I understand why people are fighting so hard to get more jobs and facilities here--it's a beautiful place with great people and a lot of potential. You're facing a hard battle, but I know that good things will happen in Guysborough--starting with tomorrow's announcement--and if anyone can turn around the economy it's the Guysborough RDA and the council. People here really care.
I wish you all the best of luck, and will be following events here from Toronto. Some of you may even be subjected to a few more interviews from me:)
Thanks to everyone who helped me out with answers to stupid questions, directions and just being friendly to me on those days when I felt very alone.
For anyone who wants to keep up with my exploits, I've started a new blog as I'll no longer be a Guysborough Girl (though I will always remember it, from the raccoon on the roof and the giant pointsettia to Keltic and Melford and everything in between). You can check it out here: http://jenthejournalist.blogspot.com/
Wish me luck as I set off on another adventure.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
This Guysborough Girl's days are numbered...
So, I'm leaving the end of this month to head back to cbc.ca in Toronto. Same game, different place, better shoe shopping. It was a really tough decision, and I'll really miss parts of Guysborough. At the same time, I'll be glad to get my hands on sunny weather Starbucks double chocolate chip blended cream frappucinos.
Until then, chocolate pie at the bakery is an excellent substitute.
Life has been busy here at the Journal. Someone stole the alligator from the playground in Mulgrave, Seafreez has said that it won't have any work this summer, the Deep Panuke recommendations are coming in, and, of course, last night was Guysborough Council.
Normally a highly efficient, orderly council, last night was anything but. The first item on the agenda was the presentation from the Concerned Citizens of Lincolnville, same one as last time but this time it was on the agenda and sent to committee for consideration. This went fairly well, until council said it wasn't going to be forcing any resignations or creating any committees during the meeting.
It turned into a screaming match where I'm pretty sure councillors were trying to explain that things have to be done in due process, i.e. sent to committee, notice given, etc. I can't say for sure, because no one stopped to listen. The Concerned Citizens might be better off without their contingent from Halifax, who kept yelling at council to strike a committee instantly. They also kept referring to Robert's Rules of Law--the parliamentary procedures--as governance, but someone should perhaps explain to them that municipal councils operate according to council bylaws.
Looks like someone isn't doing their homework and is misleading the Concerned Citizens. No wonder they're disappointed if they're being told that something can happen instantly and it doesn't. Problem is, councils don't work that way.
Then came a banner. By this point, the council had allowed for a question and answer session to pursue, with a lot of questions but no time for answers. And heckling from the advocates of Robert's rules.
The banner stated five demands, including a public apology for last month's walk out on the unplanned presentation, the resignations of Sheila Pelly and Alonzo Reddick, the closure of the landfill and a new committee.
Council put forward plans to meet in Lincolnville for their regular meeting next month, but were told they wouldn't be welcome in the community, that no one invited them.
So, what happens next? We'll have to see whether any one from the community shows up at the next meeting if council holds it in Lincolnville, or if council backs out and awaits an invitation. Staff is reviewing the demands, so we'll see what happens there. The one thing that can't happen is the removal of Sheila Pelly, unless she chooses to resign--which I think is unlikely--because council can't fire councillors. That's got to wait another year and a bit for the elections in October 2008, but I fear that's not going to be taken well by the Concerned Citizens, who feel like they're not being represented, or by their quasi-advisors who really should take the time to look up due process and the rules governing the operations of council.
I understand the citizens of Lincolnville are upset, no one wants a landfill near their community. What may help them is to play the game, go through the processes of council, and get advisors who can do the necessary research and behave themselves.
Until then, chocolate pie at the bakery is an excellent substitute.
Life has been busy here at the Journal. Someone stole the alligator from the playground in Mulgrave, Seafreez has said that it won't have any work this summer, the Deep Panuke recommendations are coming in, and, of course, last night was Guysborough Council.
Normally a highly efficient, orderly council, last night was anything but. The first item on the agenda was the presentation from the Concerned Citizens of Lincolnville, same one as last time but this time it was on the agenda and sent to committee for consideration. This went fairly well, until council said it wasn't going to be forcing any resignations or creating any committees during the meeting.
It turned into a screaming match where I'm pretty sure councillors were trying to explain that things have to be done in due process, i.e. sent to committee, notice given, etc. I can't say for sure, because no one stopped to listen. The Concerned Citizens might be better off without their contingent from Halifax, who kept yelling at council to strike a committee instantly. They also kept referring to Robert's Rules of Law--the parliamentary procedures--as governance, but someone should perhaps explain to them that municipal councils operate according to council bylaws.
Looks like someone isn't doing their homework and is misleading the Concerned Citizens. No wonder they're disappointed if they're being told that something can happen instantly and it doesn't. Problem is, councils don't work that way.
Then came a banner. By this point, the council had allowed for a question and answer session to pursue, with a lot of questions but no time for answers. And heckling from the advocates of Robert's rules.
The banner stated five demands, including a public apology for last month's walk out on the unplanned presentation, the resignations of Sheila Pelly and Alonzo Reddick, the closure of the landfill and a new committee.
Council put forward plans to meet in Lincolnville for their regular meeting next month, but were told they wouldn't be welcome in the community, that no one invited them.
So, what happens next? We'll have to see whether any one from the community shows up at the next meeting if council holds it in Lincolnville, or if council backs out and awaits an invitation. Staff is reviewing the demands, so we'll see what happens there. The one thing that can't happen is the removal of Sheila Pelly, unless she chooses to resign--which I think is unlikely--because council can't fire councillors. That's got to wait another year and a bit for the elections in October 2008, but I fear that's not going to be taken well by the Concerned Citizens, who feel like they're not being represented, or by their quasi-advisors who really should take the time to look up due process and the rules governing the operations of council.
I understand the citizens of Lincolnville are upset, no one wants a landfill near their community. What may help them is to play the game, go through the processes of council, and get advisors who can do the necessary research and behave themselves.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
It's May!
I can't believe it snowed on May 1. That's just depressing.
So, I was off for the end of last week to go home, recuperate, and move my fiance to Ontario. I spent my time off packing up my apartment frantically, and didn't get as much work done as I had hoped. So, it was a long, hard start to the week this week, but the paper made it out AND I can breathe through my nose. Things are looking up.
I've already been to Canso twice this week, both on Monday.The first was for the end of the Reading Circle, and the second was for the ever-lively council. Council passed it's code of ethics, so it was actually more quiet than usual, with nothing really controversial on the agenda. They have a meeting Monday with Seafreez, which is pretty exciting, and the light-bulb campaign is starting, but otherwise, things in the Town of Canso are pretty much the status quo. At this rate, Guysborough is going to move up a notch for controversy, as I expect both the civic centre and the Lincolnville demands to return next week.
I feel like I'm starting to get a handle on some of the issues in the county, but I'm still out of the loop on so many things. I feel like being new, and not from here, puts me at a huge disadvantage. And, because of the regular turnover at the Journal, our coverage of some things has been spotty at times, combined with a system of archiving stories based on the reporter's whims for saving documents at the time (i.e. I have named two stories fisherman).
I feel like I'm constantly chasing things down, only to find out they're old, and missing other things because I would have never expected them to be important. As Mayor White told me the other night, coming into Guysborough County is kind of like moving in mid-way through a soap opera--there are a lot of confusing sub-plots, spinoffs, and back stories that a newcomer can't possibly grasp. You can get the gist, but never the whole story unless you've been following for a while.
Also, my interests are pretty different from the main audience, so sometimes I feel like I might miss things. The bulk of the population is considerably older, and sometimes our interests differ. I try, really hard, to catch news on everything I think will interest people, but I haven't been following the Continuing Care Strategy/health/seniors issues beat for very long.
I guess I've just been spending a lot of time feeling like I'm floundering. I get cryptic hints that I can't figure out (PS--If anyone knows what 'Watch if Fletcher buys that building" means, please let me know, and I will be eternally in your debt), and there's a lack of background information available about issues that have been going on for years. Back with the CBC, I could just go to the archives and get more information than I ever could need, while here, I need to talk to three or four people with different stories and memories and try to figure out which is the most reliable.
In addition, I'm feeling quite lonely, with council meetings being the closest thing to a social life. My friends are in Halifax, Toronto, and Calgary, my fiance is in Ontario searching for a job, and I'm working my butt off and still feeling behind in Guysborough, Nova Scotia.
Luckily, the next few days are kind of quiet meetings-wise, so while it does mean I have to work harder to find news stories, it also means that I'll have an evening or two to myself for a change. This whole working all day, all night, and over the weekends thing is getting exhausting. But, for now, my weekend is free and clear. I think I'm going to sleep.
So, I was off for the end of last week to go home, recuperate, and move my fiance to Ontario. I spent my time off packing up my apartment frantically, and didn't get as much work done as I had hoped. So, it was a long, hard start to the week this week, but the paper made it out AND I can breathe through my nose. Things are looking up.
I've already been to Canso twice this week, both on Monday.The first was for the end of the Reading Circle, and the second was for the ever-lively council. Council passed it's code of ethics, so it was actually more quiet than usual, with nothing really controversial on the agenda. They have a meeting Monday with Seafreez, which is pretty exciting, and the light-bulb campaign is starting, but otherwise, things in the Town of Canso are pretty much the status quo. At this rate, Guysborough is going to move up a notch for controversy, as I expect both the civic centre and the Lincolnville demands to return next week.
I feel like I'm starting to get a handle on some of the issues in the county, but I'm still out of the loop on so many things. I feel like being new, and not from here, puts me at a huge disadvantage. And, because of the regular turnover at the Journal, our coverage of some things has been spotty at times, combined with a system of archiving stories based on the reporter's whims for saving documents at the time (i.e. I have named two stories fisherman).
I feel like I'm constantly chasing things down, only to find out they're old, and missing other things because I would have never expected them to be important. As Mayor White told me the other night, coming into Guysborough County is kind of like moving in mid-way through a soap opera--there are a lot of confusing sub-plots, spinoffs, and back stories that a newcomer can't possibly grasp. You can get the gist, but never the whole story unless you've been following for a while.
Also, my interests are pretty different from the main audience, so sometimes I feel like I might miss things. The bulk of the population is considerably older, and sometimes our interests differ. I try, really hard, to catch news on everything I think will interest people, but I haven't been following the Continuing Care Strategy/health/seniors issues beat for very long.
I guess I've just been spending a lot of time feeling like I'm floundering. I get cryptic hints that I can't figure out (PS--If anyone knows what 'Watch if Fletcher buys that building" means, please let me know, and I will be eternally in your debt), and there's a lack of background information available about issues that have been going on for years. Back with the CBC, I could just go to the archives and get more information than I ever could need, while here, I need to talk to three or four people with different stories and memories and try to figure out which is the most reliable.
In addition, I'm feeling quite lonely, with council meetings being the closest thing to a social life. My friends are in Halifax, Toronto, and Calgary, my fiance is in Ontario searching for a job, and I'm working my butt off and still feeling behind in Guysborough, Nova Scotia.
Luckily, the next few days are kind of quiet meetings-wise, so while it does mean I have to work harder to find news stories, it also means that I'll have an evening or two to myself for a change. This whole working all day, all night, and over the weekends thing is getting exhausting. But, for now, my weekend is free and clear. I think I'm going to sleep.
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