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PanAm problems in Mono

June 17, 2015   ·   0 Comments

I went to the Mono Council this week because PamAm officials were on the agenda to seek approval for the equestrian cross-country event being set up on the 5th Line Mono. They didn’t show up but sent an email a half-hour before their scheduled appearance to say that pressing matters in Toronto had kept them from making it to Mono.

I’m quite a fan of the PanAm parade on the 5th Line.  First it was the various fleets of matched brand-new limos, full of some of their infamous untitled Vice Presidents one can only presume, checking out the place. Consultants by the dozen race up and down – one of them asked to have one of Mono’s hills moved. Recently a perimeter fence went up and the metal detectors arrived. Metal detectors on the old Coleman place? – Just imagine the dangerous fencing nails that were found!  A courier delivering me a parcel told me he was given an extra security check before coming to the 5th Line. We should invite Dufferin’s favourite playwright Dan Needles to title his next comedy “The PanAm in Mono.” It’s a great vein of comedy material.

I went to the Council to meet someone in the flesh from the PamAm games, having seem so many drive by at high speed, to ask what kind of incarceration we should expect at our place on the 5th Line.  It’s said that our road will be sealed off by security staff but we haven’t received anything official from PanAm. Do we stay or do we go? (Note to self: Don’t order pizza that day.)

PanAm is a half year late getting their permits from Mono, so I don’t expect mere taxpayers can expect much. I’m sure someone will put us in the picture at some point. In the meantime, neighbours have pieced together a handwritten list of the presumed rules of incarceration. For the price of a single tank of gas for one of their rented limos, PamAm could confirm, type up and share the rules with us neighbours. But I guess they’re trying to save money, trying to keep the cost of the games under $5 billion, and they don’t want too much of that money to leak outside of Toronto.

John Riley

Mono

 

Mulmur residents ‘not well served’

Mulmur Council would like you to believe that they are open, transparent and they seek input from the good people of Mulmur. However, in the last term they refused knowledgeable and professional input regarding fire safety standards from the former deputy mayor who was trained and qualified in municipal fire service. They used tax payers dollars in their efforts to stop her involvement and input on municipal fire service matters.

On numerous occasions they have claimed ratepayers were harassing staff when the ratepayer identified municipal errors and inaccuracies.

In this term council members continue to claim the same thing yet act in another.  For example, in the last term there was a heritage committee to which Carl Tafel was the chair. Carl was a diligent and committed heritage advocate, he researched and documented historical architecture, anecdotes and data on Mulmur and attempted to bring Mulmur’s heritage and history to the forefront. Unfortunately the current council did not have the same opinion on some matters so they merely changed the committee structure which did away with the need for Carl. The people of Mulmur were not well served with that decision.  Similar exclusion occurred with the formation of the new Mulmur Recreation Committee.  Diligent individuals involved with the Honeywood Arena and Mansfield ball diamond, who spent years on the former committees working with community members trying to enhance and encourage community participation and involvement at the grass roots level, were not suitable for the new committee. Again this council did not appreciate the efforts put forward in this regard and again changed the committee structure and selected those who would tell council what it wanted to hear.  Local people who reside in Mulmur and are dedicated to the betterment of our community should be the individuals appointed to committees. No change for the sake of change or expensive special meetings for back slapping. Mulmur Council, it is your mandate to serve the people of Mulmur, not your personal whims and agenda.

Old Silver Pen

Jim Pendleton

Mulmur Township

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