Rotzy’s theme could be AGEING which suits us just fine as it’s a new category on the website. So Rotzy’s spot on in his commentary when he talks about the instant “ageing” of the Ford policies, the “ageing” building in his town, and his own “ageing” and how he must deal with ownership, relocation and residential planning. We empathize and understand Rotzy…it comes to us all.
Correction
In last week’s column I reported….erroneously it would seem….that Premier Doug Ford had fired the entire Board at Hydro One, on the heels of Dougie getting rid of the CEO Mayo Schmidt (*see below). Actually, in checking back, I used the term ‘turfed’ in regard to the Board’s sudden departure. Same thing, eh? My initial information came from a Tor-Star article, so whether I ‘interpreted’ it correctly or not is up for grabs, because a follow-up article the next day stated quite clearly that the Board had ‘left en masse’ (of their own accord) without being ‘shown the door’, by Ford or anyone else. Why? Your guess is as good as mine….maybe as a ‘show of support’ for the (now-unemployed) $6.2 Million Dollar Man? Why not? as they surely hired Schmidt in the first place. So….SO….Ford will now ‘appoint’ a new Board….and….they will hire a new CEO…..at much less than $6.2 Million per annum I imagine/hope. Stay tuned.
Readers Write
And this one says it blunt, blank and to the point….like it or not! It might have been written by an American, but it applies to Canada too, and it goes like this: “We live in a country where men want to be women and vice versa, and kids eat Tide Pods*. If you think guns are the problem, you need to open your eyes”. (thx Rusty)
And Furthermore….
….to this week’s opening item, Ford also told us there will be ”zero severance pay” for the ‘now-ex’ CEO Mr Schmidt and/or his now-departed Board. Well, Rotzy really, really, really wants to believe Premier Doug’s promise to Ontarians, but I am having a tyme of it, when Schmidt is ‘entitled by law’ to a farewell package of $10.7 Million Dollars….why in hell would anyone in their right mind turn it down/walk away from it??!! Another concern yours truly has with this Hydro ‘situation’ is the fact that Ford had promised ‘NO JOB CUTS’ all during his election campaign. Right? Well, it was all over the news last week that the P/C’s, in their very FIRST effort to get the Wynne Liberal budget mess in order, they’re gonna hit on Education and Health Care….hence ‘Hallway Health Care’….which Ford swore was a ‘thing of the past’….is gonna be back ‘in vogue’! (for lack of a better term) It says here, ‘like never before’!! And as to all of the recent gains made down at TBRHSC in T Bay…including new programs in Heart and Cancer care….you gotta wonder with a (projected and approximate) staff of 200 less people how devastating an effect the cuts/cutbacks will have??!! Stay tuned….AGAIN!
95th Anniversary
We’ve been commenting in “F/N” lately about how various improvements can been seen around town….especially upgrading of buildings and properties….as we get closer to Anniversary/Bass Derby W/end, beginning on Fri Aug 3rd. Hey….whatever it takes to do some painting/staining and cetera, huh? Well, the latest to catch our eye was/is the CNR Office/Shop up beside the Caboose….a long-tyme facility that may well have qualified as the town’s ugliest/most neglected building, since forever. The paint was SO faded it’s impossible to say what colour it had been originally. Blue? Grey? Who knows? Well, in addition to some newly installed office windows, it’s currently becoming an eye-catching orange bottom and black top half, with a white band in between. Great job!!! While we’re talking about CN, a tip of the “F/N” Hard Hat to the LOCAL crew who recently put the finishing touches on the #584 crossing. It’s almost a pleasure to drive over these days!!! *Don’t forget the 95th Parade….Sat Aug 4th….Rain or Shine….please ‘join in’….see you at The Northern lot at 10:45AM for Rotzy’s last kick at the can!!
‘Twas A Busy/Hectic Week….
….for Miz. Jo and me, it was. Met with our real estate agent last Thurs, closed the deal on Rancho Deluxe and pretty much finished up with “F/N”HQ, our property here in town. It’s been like a merry-go-round! Or perhaps I should say more like an emotional roller-coaster….especially for a couple oldsters, who just sold the ONLY property….make that TWO properties….we’ve actually ever owned! All in preparation to our planned exodus to the banana belt….aka somewhere in Southern Ont….altho at tyme of writing this (Sun AM) we have it ‘narrowed down’ to four or five different towns/cities, as Jo Ann quipped one day last week, ”somewhere between Windsor and Kingston”. I guess I can go one better than that, like between Newcastle and Paris. Paris, Ontario that is. Kind of an ’emotional tyme’ Saturday, as we handed over the keys to Rancho Deluxe on scenic Lower Twin Lake to the new owners. Although they’re not new to the bush, they are new to this part of it, and the look of joy and excitement in their faces took me back to 1978, when we were handed the keys. I figured that 30 or 40 years from now, they’ll be doing the same thing. We’re awaiting results on our water test here in town, it should close late Sept, then we’ll seriously start hunting down south. The waiting lists for any/all Seniors-Type Buildings down that way are the result of a quickly aging population….many/most of them from 2 to 7 or 8 years. Hello!!?? Well, this olde guy would just as soon find an occupancy while I’m on the right side of the lawn, thank you. MIz. Jo has ‘longevity’ going for her as her Mother Mary was in her 102nd year when she passed two years ago. I figure 80 will do me just fine, thank you. Movin South Update coming next week….so stay tuned.
*Thought Of The Day…I am grateful for what I have, bravely acknowledge what I need and wisely know that the path to enlightenment requires both. (thx v.c.)
“From Nakina”…until next tyme.
