Anti Bullying and Hannah Arendt, One of My Favourite Thinkers

Hannah Arendt is one of my favourite authors and thinkers. The main thing I have learned from her is that evil doesn't have to be a monster. Evil has many guises including someone who is "just following orders." The 'banality of evil' is the common everyday, hum drum stuff that seems normal because many people accept it rather than speak out against it.

Bullying is something that people seem to accept in many guises and needs to be recognized as something that is not good.

A movie based on Hannah Arendt's life has just been released and I hope I will have a chance to see it at some point.

The Kindersley Jr. Klippers

Owning a junior hockey team in the SJHL is not an easy way to make money. Teams take turns doing well financially while others struggle. Currently, it is the Klippers turn to struggle. When I was Chaplain of the Weyburn Red Wings I observed they pinched every penny even though the bottom line was doing better than other years; hosting the RBC Cup and winning it made a difference on their bottom line.

Over the years the Town has invested in the Klippers in a variety of ways and Council is still learning how we have invested and how much. As we assess the situation with the Klippers, and Council is still awaiting information to make an informed decision, there are a number of issues to consider; email me if you think of more:

• for some residents, the Klippers enhance their quality of life in Kindersley by allowing them a night out;
• the Klippers may provide a rallying point for the community when they are successful;
• some people assert that the Klippers increase economic activity in the community;
• the Klippers provide a goal for some local hockey players to aspire;

The Klippers represent different things to different people. What is a reasonable return on the community's investment that the Klippers should be demonstrating? Any compromise that is reached between the Town and the Klippers has to responsibly acknowledge that the Klippers are a non-profit business with a large profile which generates lots of passion both for them and against them.

A couple of years ago I was fortunate, with some colleagues, to have lunch with Ken King, the President and CEO of the Calgary Flames. His take on hockey and his perspective on selling hockey was enlightening when he first introduced it; basically he applied his experience selling newspapers to selling seats. Yes, hockey is a product but what the marketing department were selling was a time sensitive product in the form of seats. A lost seat is permanently lost revenue. I was encouraged to hear the Klippers say they want to sell more seasons tickets.

The President of the Klippers, Rod Perkins, suggested that if things don't go well next year the Klippers may not be playing the following year. I think the best way to show that Kindersley supports the Klippers is not through Town relief but through an increase in ticket sales. And yes, I will buy more tickets; for the record, my wife and I will be buying two season tickets. In fact, Council is looking at purchasing advertising from the Klippers as 7 private individuals supporting the team by putting their own money together, rather than in an official capacity with Town funds.

Go Klippers!

Empty Mail Box: A Rare Find at the Town Office

The voters of Kindersley elected me Mayor October 24, 2012. Effectively I started in the deep end October 25, 2012. May 27, 2013 was the first day I didn’t have any mail in my inbox. So far I figure that I spend, on average, an hour per day responding to email, the phone, and people I see on the street. There have been days when it has been much, much more.

This empty mail box was a real treat.

Construction and Finance can be Beautiful!

5th Ave West, May 28, 2013

This is a great day: roads being repaired on budget and on time.



One of the things I am working on as Mayor is spending, our tax dollars, the Town’s money, prudently. Asset Management, or in accounting lingo, Asset Cost Recovery, is helping us achieve those goals. The pictures in this blog are all taken on 5^th Ave. The work being done, curb and gutter, with paving later, is the result of prioritizing which roads and underground infrastructure such as road, sanitation, and water, are in the worst condition, medium condition, and good condition.

Using our budget dollars we ask what is the best way of spending the money to achieve good infrastructure for a reasonable investment.



5th Ave West, May 28, 2013

Last year 5^th Ave wasn’t repaired because the state of the underground infrastructure was unknown. Now we know and spend the money wisely. As an example: the surface may be bad but the underground is poor or visa versa.

The tricky part about asset management is simple: the known unknowns. We know there is going to be something somewhere that is going to break. We don’t know what will break, when it will break, and, most importantly, how much it will cost to fix. How does the Town address it? Reserves.

Recently, I think it was in March, a water main ruptured causing a significant amount of inconvenience and damage to the neighbourhood. It took a number of days to repair and it cost almost $500,000. Why do I bring this up? The Town needs reserves to ensure that repairs like this can be made in a timely manner.

Timeliness is expensive. This past year the tenders for the road, sanitation, and water were put out a little early resulting in cost savings. Generally, projects that are urgent and need to be completed sooner than later are more expensive. By tendering our projects early companies were able to plan for our work and give us a price that was within our budget.

With our next budget I am hoping that we can have public input at an earlier stage and have it completed before the end of January. Yes it is early but the consensus is that the Town of Kindersley can realize a lot of savings by putting out tenders early and purchasing equipment in February rather than late spring and early summer.

This is a change for the Town and I am hoping that each of our tax dollars goes that much further.

 

LINKS

Here is the link to the Town of Kindersley's website.

Kindersley is home to the Kindersley Jr. Klippers, our Junior A team in the SJHL.

Kindersley is a hockey town with a senior team, the Red Lions who play in the Sask West Hockey League. If your interested, there is a Red Lion Hockey Team in Australia.

Kindersley is very fortunate to have a terrific Minor Sports Association.

Relay for Life 2013

The Relay for Life was held Saturday May 25^th at the Co-Op Rink. Great food was served as people gathered to celebrate the victors against cancer and remember those who have passed away.

Did you know that the Canadian Cancer Society is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary in 2013?  I hope it won’t reach 100 because it achieves its goals; however, I’m enough of a realist to realize that if cancer is around I hope the Canadian Cancer Society is around just as long.

Relay for Life is an inspirational, non-competitive, 12-hour overnight fundraising event that brings you and your community together to celebrate life and fight cancer. Relay has a festival-like atmosphere that your family, friends and co-workers can enjoy regardless of age or fitness level!  Kindersley has been hosting a Relay for Life event since 2000. Congratulations!

Here is the link for the Canadian Cancer Society.

I learned last night that $0.93 of every $1 raised in Saskatchewan stays in Saskatchewan.

It was very encouraging to see so many people come out. Cancer is a disease that does not discriminate. On a personal note my step-father is dealing with cancer, my uncle has just come through managing prostrate cancer, and my mother-in-law has been cancer free for so long we can’t remember when she came off of tamoxifen.

As I have watched friends and family interact with cancer I can’t help but think that the challenge, as with other tragedies, is to ensure that we rise above the disease. It is easy to let the disease define who we are and take over our identity; but our challenge is how we will let it work for good in our life and in the lives of our friends and family.

Congratulations to the Relay for Life Committee of 2013! They include:

Co-Chairs: Brenna MacDougall & Jamie Ward

Luminaries: Jeanne Krentz

Food Services: Michelle Clarke & Alana Eisenkirch

Survivors: Terry Bosch & Esther Boyd

Coordinator: Dean Butcher

Accounting: Jeanette & Dave Halpenny, Miranda Wu, Jen Wagner

Receiving special recognition for the 64 cancer patients she has mentored was Karen Callsen from Flaxcombe

And numerous volunteers, without whom the Relay would not have been a success!

On behalf of the Town thank you for everything!

Just a quick update on our efforts to enhance health care in Kindersley:

·         A new doctor is starting on or about May 27^th.

·         Councillor McTaggart and I have been working to have someone represent Kindersley on the Regional Health Authority Board.

·         Kindersley has more doctors in the recruitment pipeline and are optimistic to have 7 or 8 by Christmas; however, there are no guarantees.

·         We are working with both Heartland Health and the Clinic to ensure that we have the best healthcare in Kindersley.

Two Public Meetings Per Month!

Council will now be holding regular public meetings twice per month. The meetings are the second and fourth Monday unless that Monday is a holiday. There are many reasons for the change but here are mine:

·         Council was a bottleneck holding up development or decisions,

·         Now the longest someone should have to wait is about two weeks rather than more than a month;

·         Gives more opportunities for our friends and neighbours to attend Council meetings;

·         It will enable Senior Administration to do their due diligence on a project knowing that the next Council meeting is in two weeks.

The public meetings will commence at 6:00 PM. Prior to the meetings we have arranged to do a complete review of our policy manual with a consultant to ensure that we have a policy manual that is effective and efficient for Kindersley.

The resolution has been passed and our Policy Manual has also been changed to reflect this initiative.

Moment with the Mayor: Some Changes

Hi Everyone:

Council has been very busy recently. During the past two weeks we have met twice for strategic planning as well as our regular meetings.

I would like to share some changes we have been implementing

First, we will now be having two regular public meetings per month. These meetings will be on the 2^nd and 4^th Mondays of the month. The public session starts at 6:00 PM. There have been a number of reasons for this change and we are excited to be able to do this.

Second, if you are not able to make it to Council you can watch the meeting over the internet. The microphone is installed and the camera should be up next week. If this goes well then we will be streaming live to you from www.kindersley.ca.

Third, we are working towards integrating many past studies and plans into a comprehensive asset financial plan. All of these plans and studies including transportation, housing, recreation, and more will be implemented over the course of the plan. Here’s how it may look: we will have an Official Community Plan for the next 25 years; an integrated asset financial plan or a growth plan, for the next 10 – 15 years; and a strategic plan for the next 4 years.

The changes are being implemented to ensure that we, Kindersley: have responsible and intentional change and growth and that we are doing our share at this time to ensure Kindersley is a socially and economically vibrant community.

Bouquets this week go to the organizers of the Relay for Life initiative at the Co-Op Rink. The local organizing committee has been hosting Relay for Life since 2000. We have to acknowledge our local group because a chapter of Relay for Life in the southern USA has copied the idea to release balloons.

Congratulations to all of the teams who walked all evening and a special thank you to the organizing committee including: The Committee Members for the Relay this year were: Co-Chairs: Brenna MacDougall & Jamie Ward, Luminaries: Jeanne Krentz, Food Services: Michelle Clarke & Alana Eisenkirch,

Survivors: Terry Bosch & Esther Boyd, Coordinator: Dean Butcher, Accounting: Jeanette & Dave Halpenny, Miranda Wu, Jen Wagner, and numerous volunteers! Thanks for everything!

As a side note: the Canadian Cancer Society is celebrating their 75^th Anniversary; congratulations!

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. I appreciate your feedback.

Have a good week!

Great Plains College Graduation 2013

On Friday May 24^th Great Plains College helped more than 30 students take the next steps in their lives. The graduation was somewhat unique because a whole class was absent from the celebrations. The good news for the absence was they all had jobs; the bad news is they didn’t stay in and around Kindersley.

I think the bravest graduates I saw at this grad were the students who went back to get their grade 10 and grade 12. Congratulations!

Sharon Koop graduated yet more students out of her fine Office Administration programs and most of those students are employed.

The Town has been working closely with the College to determine what our partnership may look like to develop Phase 2. It has been a pleasure to work with David Keast, the President, and his team. Nothing is certain but we have realized the project would be better if we worked together to achieve our goals.

Kindersley needs a strong college presence. Learning is not a one shot deal; it is an experience that lasts a lifetime. For me, the more I learn the more I need to learn: there are always learning curves in life and institutions like Great Plains College help us master those curves. With greater program access in Kindersley over a broad range of areas from Power Engineering to healthcare to safety, Kindersley will have more opportunities for everyone to grow both personally and professionally.

I am looking forward to see Great Plains College grow.

May Schedule

Here is my schedule for May and the first week of June. This is subject to change.

May 2 – Red Cross

May 6 – Mayor’s Hours

May 9 – Medical Arts Clinic Meeting

May 10 – Mayor’s Hours

May 13 – Mayor’s Hours

May 13 – Council Meeting

May 15 – Multi Use Facility Phase 2

May 15 – Kinder Kollege

May 15 – Multi Use Facility Phase 2

May 16 – Council Planning Meeting

May 17 – Mayor’s Hours

May 20 – Victoria Day

May 21 – Council Planning Meeting

May 22 – WCMGC

May 24 – Mayor’s Hours

May 24 – Kinder Kollege Opening

May 24 – Great Plains College Graduation

May 25 – Relay for Life

May 27 – Mayor’s Hours

May 27 – Council Meeting

May 28 - Planning Meeting

May 30 – FCM Vancouver

May 31 – FCM Vancouver

June 1 – FCM Vancouver

June 2 – FCM Vancouver

June 3 – FCM Vancouver

June 6 – Kindersley Trade Show

June 7 – Mayor’s Hours

June 7 – Kindersley Trade Show

Mayoral Report: Feburary 2013

Date	Activity	Purpose/Outcome	Follow Up	Policy Number
02/02/13	Municipal Leadership Development Program	·      Improve effectiveness as mayor	·      Apply knowledge as mayor	·      GP.5
02/03/13	Newly Elected Seminar	·      Improve effectiveness as mayor	·      Apply knowledge as mayor	·      GP.5
02/03/13 – 02/06/13	SUMA	·      Improve effectiveness as mayor	·      Apply knowledge as mayor	·      GP.5
02/05/07	Federation of Canadian Municipalities	·      Improve effectiveness as mayor	·      Apply knowledge as mayor	·      GP.5
02/05/13	Ministers of Health	·      Communicate state of health care in Kindersley	·      Follow up meetings to improve healthcare	·      GP.4.
02/07/13	President of Great Plains College	·      Determine college’s involvement w/multi use facility		·      GP.4.
02/08/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
02/11/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
02/11/13	Met w/Masons	·      Accept cheque for Handibus on behalf of Town		·      GP.4.
02/12/13	Chamber of Commerce AGM	·      Represent Town and Support CoC		·      GP.4.
02/13/13	Biggar Employment Support Agency class	·      Talk about being a good employee	·      Opportunities for participants with the Town	·      GP.4.
02/13/13	Kindersley Minor Sports Meeting	·      Listen to concerns	·      Communicate concerns to Administration	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
02/15/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
02/19/13	Governance Issues	·      Met with Administration, Government Relations, Lawyer	·      Ongoing	·      GP.4.’
02/20/13 – 02/21/13	Human Resources			·      GP.2.
02/27/13	WCMGC	·      Co-Chair of Committee	·      ongoing	·      GP.4.

Mayoral Report: April-May 2013

Date	Activity	Purpose/Outcome	Follow Up	Policy Number
04/18/13	Phase 2 Needs Assessment Open House	·      Learn what people want in Phase 2	·      Communicate talks with Council	·      2.1
04/19/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
04/19/13	Meeting with Chamber of Commerce President	·      Share Town information and learn about CoC concerns	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1;
04/22/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
04/22/13	Council Meeting	·      Regular meeting	·      Refer to minutes	·      GP.0., GP.1.
04/24/13	Municipal Infrastructure Conference: Humboldt	·      Learn about infrastructure development; share what Kindersley is doing	·      Bring some best practices for Kindersley	·      GP.0., GP.1.; GP.2.1; GP.7
04/25/13	Municipal Infrastructure Conference: Humboldt	·      Learn about infrastructure development; share what Kindersley is doing	·      Bring some best practices for Kindersley	·      GP.0., GP.1.; GP.2.1; GP.7
04/26/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
04/27/13	Legion Awards	·      Bring Greetings from the Town	·      Shared happenings with Council	·      GP.2.1;
04/29/13	Meet w/Ministry of Health Representative	·      Champion Town concerns and learn about MoH actions	·      Work towards enhanced health care delivery	·      GP.4.
04/29/13	Met Town Lawyer	·      Get to know; share town activities; gain knowledge		·      GP.4.
04/30/13	P3 Seminar	·      Learn about P3	·      Enhance development of Phase 2	·      GP.0.
04/30/13	Met w/Deputy Minister of Transportation	·      Progress on Hwy development	·      Shared with Council and residents	·      GP.4.
05/02/13	Red Cross	·      Discuss Red Cross services	·	·      GP.2
05/06/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
05/09/13	Kindersley & District Medical Arts Authority	·      Annual meeting	·      Work towards enhanced health care delivery	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
05/10/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
05/13/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
05/13/13	Council Meeting	·      Working Session	·      Refer to minutes	·      GP.0., GP.1.
05/15/13	Phase 2 Needs & Operations Assessment Update	·      Update on Consultant’s Progress	·      Working to ensure success	·      GP.0., GP.1.
05/15/13	Kinder Kollege	·      Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day	·      Rep Town and hear concerns	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
05/15/13	Phase 2 Needs & Operations Assessment: Potential Partners Meeting	·	·      Agreement in principle for the concept	·      GP.0., GP.1.
05/16/13	Council Retreat	·      Strategic Planning and Governance to improve Council effectiveness	·      Improved governance and strategic plan	·      GP.0.; GP.2; GP 4.; GP.7
05/17/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7
05/20/13	Mayor’s Hours	·      Met with residents	·      Brought concerns to admin/Council	·      GP.2.1; GP.7