Column: Joe Morinville

The Town and its people are planning lots of stuff this year, but there seems to be some confusion on what that stuff means or how things are supposed to work. I’d like to clear that up a bit for those who do not get it.

1/ The Town is funding a project called Incredible Edible. They plan to incorporate more local food into the Town’s landscaping and they’d like businesses and property owners to do the same. Now this does not mean leaving your bag of McDonald’s garbage in the Sobeys and Mac’s parking lot or leaving your half empty beer cans and chip bags along the walking trail. It means planting trees and tomato vines and the like.

2/ Speaking of edible food – the Community Garden will be gearing up to get growing again real soon. Now you’d think this concept doesn’t need to be explained to folks, but Community Garden doesn’t mean you can just come and pick stuff and take it home for your supper. The stuff belongs to the people who rent a garden plot and grow it for their supper.

3/ Berating volunteers at the arena on Family Day because they did not have change set aside for the candy machine is not the way to show your children your finer qualities. It’s also not the way to thank those volunteers for giving up time with their families so they can put something on for you to do with yours. You can look that up, lady. It’s in the Big Book of Common Decency. Might also grab a dictionary and look up the word gratitude. If you can’t find the word, use that big old dictionary to whack yourself in the head so you can kick start what few brains you got in there.

4/ The Town loves stringing letters together for their organizations, plans, studies and even buildings. CRB, MSP, ASP, CCC, MCCC (them last two look like Roman numerals). Problem is most folks don’t know what those letters mean. And when folks don’t know what the letters mean, they offer you a few of their own – like BFD!

5/ I’ll take a break while you figure out that last acronym.

6/ Watched that video that was put together about the Family Day weekend and only saw two members of Council in it. Now they tell me the one with the shiny shoes was off to Vegas for a holiday, so I guess we can excuse him. But where was the other three? Just because your kids are grown is no excuse not to pop your head out to support the stuff going on in the community you represent. When I see council and Town employees out enjoying their community, I get warm fluffy bunny feelings. When I don’t, I get out my pen and paper and make a reminder who not to vote for in the fall.

7/ Some people are talking about whether the library being open on Sunday is a good or bad thing. You know you live in a small community when the library being open Sundays is both a news story and cause for argument. It’s funny to me how those upset they are going to open Sundays are some of the same people saying there’s nothing for people to do on weekends and no employment for students in Morinville.

8/ People are also complaining about the Town thinking of putting roundabouts downtown in the future. I’ll not likely live to see it or any other long-term plan, but if it gives people a fighting chance to cross 100 Avenue, I’m all for it. When drivers won’t slow down with crossing guards and a bylaw officer present, there is just little hope for anyone crossing that street.

9/ Not sure what the cultural centre did different on that show last Wednesday night, but they ought to do it again. Nearly 200 people out to see a country singer on a Wednesday night after a holiday weekend is to be commended. When I saw the poster I was sure it’d be another bust. Maybe they ought to book more country singers and less pretentious guys in Buddy Holly glasses banging on xylophones for an hour and a half. Why anyone would think a town of 8,000 would have 200 xylophone lovers is beyond me. Fiddle lovers for sure, but a xylophone is no substitute for the fiddle.

10/ This has nothing to do with Morinville, but maybe it does. Go to the YouTube right now and look up Harlem Shake. Watch a couple of them and tell me the world has not lost its mind.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

3 Comments

  1. Love the article – but wish a little more research was done in regards to point #6. When assumptions are made, “I too can get out my pen and paper” and straighten out the facts. I am one of the councillors mentioned and was unable to attend any events over the Family Day Weekend. Unfortunately I was at home sick for 4 days-needless to say I would have much rather been enjoying the festival events. I apologize to the members of the community and to the Festival Society for not attending this wonderful event. In the future, I welcome any emails or phone calls inquiring as to why I wasn’t able to attend as I would rather get the facts out the first time around.

    This article does also raise one last concern for me…. when it comes time to vote in October does this mean Joe Morinville will vote for the councillor(s) who attended the most events or waved to the crowd on parade day, or vote for who will bring the most to the table by reading their agenda packages, attend committee meetings, budget sessions, and strategic planning meeting- I hope you see the point I am trying to make.
    Have a great day.
    Councillor Boutestsein

  2. Joe’s gonna vote this election like I have in everyone I’ve ever voted in since about 1967 or 1968.

    I’m gonna vote for the man or the woman that’s gonna get the job done for the people of the community or the province or the country.

    And I’m likely gonna give some extra consideration to the feisty ones thats not afraid to take a guy to the woodshed when they feel they been wronged by a comment.

    So your point is taken and I hope mine is too.

    Representing the community means being out in the community. Some of you and I include you personally here do that fairly regular and theres been some of your colleagues we only see at meetings, ribbon cuttings and campaign time.

    That was my point. I think you get that point and that’s why you got so feisty when you was included amongst them.

Comments are closed.