01 April 2012
April 7, 2012
07/04/2012 05:41
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur.
The Thailand Files: Flora
Doug and Helen continue to send shots taken as they tour Thailand.
Be Careful Of Thin Ice
Hi Sinc,
Just a heads up for parents with young children. I was walking my dogs at Lac Lacombe a few days ago and had occasion to suggest to two youngsters (about 8 or 10) that they should stay off the ice. They were about 20’ from the shore and there weren’t a lot of people around to help if they got into trouble.
Parents, the ice on this man-made lake is very thin. Please watch out for your kids.
Grahame Allen
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Good advice around any outdoor ice surface at this time of year. Thanks for the heads up Grahame!
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Rogers contracts push the envelope, lawyer says - CBC
California nuclear plant shut indefinitely - CNN
Rise in earthquakes caused by oil production - CTV
Man dead in accident on Henday - Edmonton Journal
Wildrose continue to dominate polls - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
A creation called 'Hornets' . . .
What Did
You Think
It Was?
God's Strength Prank
The Just for Laughs gang are at it again to put a smile on your face.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur.
The Thailand Files: Flora
Doug and Helen continue to send shots taken as they tour Thailand.
Be Careful Of Thin Ice
Just a heads up for parents with young children. I was walking my dogs at Lac Lacombe a few days ago and had occasion to suggest to two youngsters (about 8 or 10) that they should stay off the ice. They were about 20’ from the shore and there weren’t a lot of people around to help if they got into trouble.
Parents, the ice on this man-made lake is very thin. Please watch out for your kids.
Grahame Allen
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Good advice around any outdoor ice surface at this time of year. Thanks for the heads up Grahame!
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Rogers contracts push the envelope, lawyer says - CBC
California nuclear plant shut indefinitely - CNN
Rise in earthquakes caused by oil production - CTV
Man dead in accident on Henday - Edmonton Journal
Wildrose continue to dominate polls - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
A creation called 'Hornets' . . .
What Did
You Think
It Was?
God's Strength Prank
The Just for Laughs gang are at it again to put a smile on your face.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
If My Body Were A Car
07/04/2012 05:41
But that's not the worst of it.
My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close.
My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.
My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
But here's the worst of it. Almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter, either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires.
Be sure to visit our home page.
WEBBITS
07/04/2012 05:41
Tiny Houses Cost Under $200
07/04/2012 05:41
What the little wooden dwellings lack in space, is made up for in style thanks to plenty of decorative detail.
The 33-year-old uses parts of discarded household items to ensure each home has basic functions, the glass from the front of a washing machine is converted in a porthole-like window while a sheet of metal becomes a flip down counter.
Full story here.
__________________________________________________________________
City Council
Starbucks
Coffee At
$ervu$ Place
Decision
Links To Today's Outstanding Photographs
07/04/2012 05:41
Today's Activity Corner
07/04/2012 05:41
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
Article of the Day
Article of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
This Day in History
This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary
Today's Birthday
Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary
In the News
In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library
Match Up
Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
April 6, 2012
06/04/2012 05:08
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur.
Photographs From My Library
With all that snow yesterday we look ahead today the the days in the near future when the early blooms of spring are upon us. Lilacs are the first trees to bloom and this shot from last spring may brighten your day as you get rid of that last snowfall.
Poll: Public Rejects Art Gallery Expansion
If council would only listen, they would know now what to do with the request from AHF in May to blow over $4 million on the arts gallery expansion:
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
6 myths about saving on gas - CBC
Mexican drug gang leader gets life - CNN
U.S. sinks Japanese ghost ship - CTV
Banff feeling ripples of Kelly TV show - Edmonton Journal
Whyte Ave. assailant strikes again - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
An interesting way to mould taco shells . . .
Almost
Made
It!
Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
You've all heard this catchy song many times, but did you ever wonder what Mungo Jerry looked like? I hope it doesn't ruin your enjoyment of the song.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur.
Photographs From My Library
With all that snow yesterday we look ahead today the the days in the near future when the early blooms of spring are upon us. Lilacs are the first trees to bloom and this shot from last spring may brighten your day as you get rid of that last snowfall.
Poll: Public Rejects Art Gallery Expansion
If council would only listen, they would know now what to do with the request from AHF in May to blow over $4 million on the arts gallery expansion:
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
6 myths about saving on gas - CBC
Mexican drug gang leader gets life - CNN
U.S. sinks Japanese ghost ship - CTV
Banff feeling ripples of Kelly TV show - Edmonton Journal
Whyte Ave. assailant strikes again - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
An interesting way to mould taco shells . . .
Almost
Made
It!
Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
You've all heard this catchy song many times, but did you ever wonder what Mungo Jerry looked like? I hope it doesn't ruin your enjoyment of the song.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
Men On Wives
06/04/2012 05:08
* 'I've had bad luck with both my wives.The first one left me, and the second one didn't.' - James Holt McGavra
* Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming. When you're wrong, admit it, when you're right, shut up. - P Murra
Be sure to visit our home page.
WEBBITS
06/04/2012 05:08
Old Cars And Old Movie Stars
06/04/2012 05:08
Remembering Hollywood Squares
06/04/2012 05:08
Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?
Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.
__________________________________________________________________
City Council
Starbucks
Coffee At
$ervu$ Place
Decision
Links To Today's Outstanding Photographs
06/04/2012 05:07
Today's Activity Corner
06/04/2012 05:07
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
Article of the Day
Article of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
This Day in History
This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary
Today's Birthday
Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary
In the News
In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library
Match Up
Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
April 5, 2012
05/04/2012 06:14
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur.
Just In - Local Bus Service Suspention Lifted
Did City $tarbuck$ Cost Us Over $1,000,000?
As many people long suspected, the $tarbuck$ deal in $ervu$ Place likely cost more than council or administration would have had us believe. A lot more.
Following receipt of the set of answers below from Councillors Cam MacKay and Malcolm Parker, that figure for a simple coffee shop might be closer to $1,080,000 than the $280,000 claimed by council when the project was announced. We arrived at that possible number by taking Parker's apparent admission that the lease arrangement with the Skybox Grill is a 10-year commitment by the city to pay (or subsidize) $80,000 annually for the space the $tarbuck$ outlet now occupies in the former Skybox Grill location.
That folks, appears to bring the total cost of that simple coffee bar for hockey moms, to well over the $280,000 council and administration would have had us believe. When you add to that, the estimated $800,000 (10 years times $80,000 per year) in subsidies, or whatever the city wants to call it, to the Skybox Grill, the number escalates. Whether it is cash paid, or discounts given, or a subsidy, it still factors into the deal as a cost to local taxpayers.
While we make no claims that our estimates are accurate, the city leaves citizens will little choice but to speculate by hiding behind an unnecessary in camera session. Of course there is one way the city can do some damage control and that is to open the entire deal to the public in an honest and factual release to clear the air. The ball is in their court on that one. Until then, all citizens can do is fear the worst and speculate that our council has let us down.
By our calculations, at council's estimated profit of $90,000 per year, it may take the $tarbuck$ outlet as long as 12 years to recoup the start-up costs alone before it ever turns a profit.
What a business plan! Can you imagine if you were a private businessman going to a bank with a business plan that basically stated you wanted to borrow over a million bucks to open a coffee shop and did not expect to turn a profit for 12 years? The bank would turn you down flat, right after they had stopped laughing. But apparently the Bank Of The Taxpayers Of St. Albert was eager to risk that kind of capitol on such a cockamamy plan.
We will have more on this back-room deal in future as we, and other local citizens dive into those confidential documents to try and dissect them, to dig out details on that profit forecast of $90,000 annually. Frankly the forecast of 2,000 customers per day for about 360 days a year that the number is based on, seems just a tad optimistic to many of us.
Here are the councillor's responses to our questions of April 2 to council so you can form your own conclusions.
Question 1. Why did this deal have to be private? What proprietary business information needed to be protected? If anything knowing that a restaurant had a secure cash flow of eighty grand a year from a city would improve its value.
MacKay: The reason for confidentiality was third party business interests. This has some merit in relation to Starbucks as there may be proprietary methods of brewing coffee, however in regards to the sub lease arrangement with Skybox Grill, there is no third party business interests that are protected by confidentiality. This portion of the business deal does not have to be confidential. It is to the benefit of Skybox Grill to have this knowledge made public as it only increases the value of their restaurant. A steady cash flow from a municipal government is a significant asset to have when going for a loan or attempting to sell the business.
Parker: In camera sessions are held to address land, legal and personnel matters.
Question 2. Why did acting city manager feel the need to deliver political responses rather than factual responses to the Gazette's questions in their story on Saturday? Should city staff not leave politics to politicians and strictly deal with facts? And why did he deny the amount in question was in fact $80,000 when the copy of those confidential documents I have, clearly show that it was exactly that amount?
MacKay: The acting city manager's responses in the Gazette may or may not have crossed the line between providing factual information and political answers. I will leave that to the public to decide.
Parker: The acting city manager provided factual responses respecting that some terms of the agreement were confidential.
Question 3. Why is the accounting so odd? When is the last time you walked in to pay your taxes and the government said, 'no don't pay us we owe you money for CPP'? Normally governments want to create a paper trail, not conduct business under the table, or was this the prime intent of the accounting? Does this comply with accepted accounting regulations or Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants regulations?
MacKay: The accounting arrangement whereby the upstairs lease is reduced to the lower end of the market rate and the sublease rate paid by the city is increased to the higher end of the market rate is an odd way to confer an agreed upon benefit. It would be much simpler accounting wise to simply send a cheque, so I can only presume this was to maintain the confidential nature of the subsidy.
Parker: The Starbucks operation has been structured as a cost centre and as such the accounting is expected to follow accepted accounting regulations. Financial statements will be provided on a regular basis to Council which will provide the opportunity for review and questions.
Question 4. Has the restaurant upstairs in Servus Place shown a history of financial stability?
MacKay: Operating a restaurant in Servus Place has never been financially stable.
Parker: Previous operations such as Don Cherry's obviously were unsuccessful and this may have be attributed to management, slow customer traffic, etc.
Question 5. Was this business deal for the benefit of St. Albert residents or the Skybox Grill?
MacKay: Having a restaurant at Servus Place may offer the opportunity to attract more venues. The Skybox Grill clearly benefits from this arrangement, however should this venture become profitable the taxpayer would benefit through a reduced deficit at Servus Place.
Parker: I presume the business deal being referenced is the Starbucks operation on the main floor. The intent is to provide a profitable customer service offer for Servus Place patrons and profits realized from the operation will be applied to any Servus Place deficit which eventually results in a benefit to the residents.
Question 6. How many years exactly does the $80,000 continue being paid to the Skybox Grill and what is the total real cost?
MacKay: I don't know how long the sub lease arrangement is in place for. It may or may to be renewed to confer an $80,000 benefit after the initial term.
Parker: The agreement is ten years.
Question 7. Was the $80,000 annual cost included in the financial projections that showed the Starbucks outlet in Servus Place would make an annual profit of $90,000? If not, should the real projected profit not be $10,000 at best?
MacKay: Yes the $80k subsidy was included in the financial calculations determining potential profit.
Parker: Yes the $80K was included in the financial projections.
Question 8. Was that projected profit for the Starbucks outlet in Servus Place calculated to include revenues from St. Albert Steel hockey games over an entire season? And if it did, has it now been deducted from that remaining $10,000 profit to reflect lost sales since the team is leaving St. Albert?
MacKay: I'm sure the Steel's attendance figures we're included in the traffic volumes used to analyze this business venture. I don't think their modest attendance will affect the bottom line that much.
Parker: The St. Albert Steel games should have an impact on the revenues as there would be an expectation some fans would purchase product from the Starbucks operation. Fan attendance has not been strong and there are only 30 home games excluding any possibilities of playoff games so the revenue expectations would not be high. At this date (April 4th), sales revenues would not be revised as there has be no confirmation the team is leaving St. Albert. Should the team leave St. Albert, the ice time available will be taken up by minor hockey and other interest groups such that sales revenues should remain as projected.
Do YOU Want Council Give AHF $4.5 Million?
A story in Wednesday's St. Albert Gazette outlines how a simple request for handicap access of the art gallery has ballooned into a $4.5 million boondoggle. The request is from the ever-with-their-hand-out artsy fartsy crowd over at AHF.
The Gazette is running a survey on the subject, so we're joining the fray with a survey of our own to run for the balance of today and all day tomorrow.
The story is located at: AHF asks for $4.5 million gallery addition
Photographs From Our Readers Libraries
With Easter weekend nearly here, fishing columnist Paul C sent along these shots of the bunnies that make their home near the used car lot on the St. Albert Trail.
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
High gas prices may mean tough summer for motorists - CBC
U.S. to sink Japanese boat washed away by tsunami - CNN
No immediate relief in sight at the pumps: expert - CTV
Senate votes to kill long-gun registry - Edmonton Journal
Map: 2012 street construction projects - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
A chuckle courtesy of SAP reader Pete in Lloydminster . . .
Free At
Last, Or
Maybe Not!
An Extraordinary Experience
Leave a bunch of stationary bikes on the street and people's curiosity takes hold and the fun begins.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
Notice Of Special Fundraiser
You may have heard that Fred LaRose is facing a difficult time with his health and needs our support. Fred is a fantastic person and a well-respected and important part of our musical community. Please join us in providing your support to help him through this difficult time.
Straight From the Heart Fundraiser
Sunday April 29
Century Showroom Casino 13103 - Fort Road
$30.00 per person
Doors at 2:00 pm, music 3:00 - 11:00 pm.
Tickets at Century Casino, Blackbyrd Myoozik and Permanent Records
Links will be on the Edmonton Blues Society website and facebook page soon.
If you wish to make a cash donation please mail to Fred LaRose in Care of Rusty Reed: 9920 - 153 St., Edmonton T5P 2A9. Or if you have an item you can donate for the silent auction, please contact Carol Tomasky on Facebook. Alternatively, you can contact me and I will get in touch with Carol or Rusty. All support provided will go to help Fred.
Let's get behind Fred with all our hearts!
Andy
President
Edmonton Blues Society
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur.
Just In - Local Bus Service Suspention Lifted
Did City $tarbuck$ Cost Us Over $1,000,000?
Following receipt of the set of answers below from Councillors Cam MacKay and Malcolm Parker, that figure for a simple coffee shop might be closer to $1,080,000 than the $280,000 claimed by council when the project was announced. We arrived at that possible number by taking Parker's apparent admission that the lease arrangement with the Skybox Grill is a 10-year commitment by the city to pay (or subsidize) $80,000 annually for the space the $tarbuck$ outlet now occupies in the former Skybox Grill location.
That folks, appears to bring the total cost of that simple coffee bar for hockey moms, to well over the $280,000 council and administration would have had us believe. When you add to that, the estimated $800,000 (10 years times $80,000 per year) in subsidies, or whatever the city wants to call it, to the Skybox Grill, the number escalates. Whether it is cash paid, or discounts given, or a subsidy, it still factors into the deal as a cost to local taxpayers.
While we make no claims that our estimates are accurate, the city leaves citizens will little choice but to speculate by hiding behind an unnecessary in camera session. Of course there is one way the city can do some damage control and that is to open the entire deal to the public in an honest and factual release to clear the air. The ball is in their court on that one. Until then, all citizens can do is fear the worst and speculate that our council has let us down.
By our calculations, at council's estimated profit of $90,000 per year, it may take the $tarbuck$ outlet as long as 12 years to recoup the start-up costs alone before it ever turns a profit.
We will have more on this back-room deal in future as we, and other local citizens dive into those confidential documents to try and dissect them, to dig out details on that profit forecast of $90,000 annually. Frankly the forecast of 2,000 customers per day for about 360 days a year that the number is based on, seems just a tad optimistic to many of us.
Here are the councillor's responses to our questions of April 2 to council so you can form your own conclusions.
Question 1. Why did this deal have to be private? What proprietary business information needed to be protected? If anything knowing that a restaurant had a secure cash flow of eighty grand a year from a city would improve its value.
MacKay: The reason for confidentiality was third party business interests. This has some merit in relation to Starbucks as there may be proprietary methods of brewing coffee, however in regards to the sub lease arrangement with Skybox Grill, there is no third party business interests that are protected by confidentiality. This portion of the business deal does not have to be confidential. It is to the benefit of Skybox Grill to have this knowledge made public as it only increases the value of their restaurant. A steady cash flow from a municipal government is a significant asset to have when going for a loan or attempting to sell the business.
Parker: In camera sessions are held to address land, legal and personnel matters.
Question 2. Why did acting city manager feel the need to deliver political responses rather than factual responses to the Gazette's questions in their story on Saturday? Should city staff not leave politics to politicians and strictly deal with facts? And why did he deny the amount in question was in fact $80,000 when the copy of those confidential documents I have, clearly show that it was exactly that amount?
MacKay: The acting city manager's responses in the Gazette may or may not have crossed the line between providing factual information and political answers. I will leave that to the public to decide.
Parker: The acting city manager provided factual responses respecting that some terms of the agreement were confidential.
Question 3. Why is the accounting so odd? When is the last time you walked in to pay your taxes and the government said, 'no don't pay us we owe you money for CPP'? Normally governments want to create a paper trail, not conduct business under the table, or was this the prime intent of the accounting? Does this comply with accepted accounting regulations or Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants regulations?
MacKay: The accounting arrangement whereby the upstairs lease is reduced to the lower end of the market rate and the sublease rate paid by the city is increased to the higher end of the market rate is an odd way to confer an agreed upon benefit. It would be much simpler accounting wise to simply send a cheque, so I can only presume this was to maintain the confidential nature of the subsidy.
Parker: The Starbucks operation has been structured as a cost centre and as such the accounting is expected to follow accepted accounting regulations. Financial statements will be provided on a regular basis to Council which will provide the opportunity for review and questions.
Question 4. Has the restaurant upstairs in Servus Place shown a history of financial stability?
MacKay: Operating a restaurant in Servus Place has never been financially stable.
Parker: Previous operations such as Don Cherry's obviously were unsuccessful and this may have be attributed to management, slow customer traffic, etc.
Question 5. Was this business deal for the benefit of St. Albert residents or the Skybox Grill?
MacKay: Having a restaurant at Servus Place may offer the opportunity to attract more venues. The Skybox Grill clearly benefits from this arrangement, however should this venture become profitable the taxpayer would benefit through a reduced deficit at Servus Place.
Parker: I presume the business deal being referenced is the Starbucks operation on the main floor. The intent is to provide a profitable customer service offer for Servus Place patrons and profits realized from the operation will be applied to any Servus Place deficit which eventually results in a benefit to the residents.
Question 6. How many years exactly does the $80,000 continue being paid to the Skybox Grill and what is the total real cost?
MacKay: I don't know how long the sub lease arrangement is in place for. It may or may to be renewed to confer an $80,000 benefit after the initial term.
Parker: The agreement is ten years.
Question 7. Was the $80,000 annual cost included in the financial projections that showed the Starbucks outlet in Servus Place would make an annual profit of $90,000? If not, should the real projected profit not be $10,000 at best?
MacKay: Yes the $80k subsidy was included in the financial calculations determining potential profit.
Parker: Yes the $80K was included in the financial projections.
Question 8. Was that projected profit for the Starbucks outlet in Servus Place calculated to include revenues from St. Albert Steel hockey games over an entire season? And if it did, has it now been deducted from that remaining $10,000 profit to reflect lost sales since the team is leaving St. Albert?
MacKay: I'm sure the Steel's attendance figures we're included in the traffic volumes used to analyze this business venture. I don't think their modest attendance will affect the bottom line that much.
Parker: The St. Albert Steel games should have an impact on the revenues as there would be an expectation some fans would purchase product from the Starbucks operation. Fan attendance has not been strong and there are only 30 home games excluding any possibilities of playoff games so the revenue expectations would not be high. At this date (April 4th), sales revenues would not be revised as there has be no confirmation the team is leaving St. Albert. Should the team leave St. Albert, the ice time available will be taken up by minor hockey and other interest groups such that sales revenues should remain as projected.
Do YOU Want Council Give AHF $4.5 Million?
A story in Wednesday's St. Albert Gazette outlines how a simple request for handicap access of the art gallery has ballooned into a $4.5 million boondoggle. The request is from the ever-with-their-hand-out artsy fartsy crowd over at AHF.
The Gazette is running a survey on the subject, so we're joining the fray with a survey of our own to run for the balance of today and all day tomorrow.
The story is located at: AHF asks for $4.5 million gallery addition
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.
Photographs From Our Readers Libraries
With Easter weekend nearly here, fishing columnist Paul C sent along these shots of the bunnies that make their home near the used car lot on the St. Albert Trail.
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
High gas prices may mean tough summer for motorists - CBC
U.S. to sink Japanese boat washed away by tsunami - CNN
No immediate relief in sight at the pumps: expert - CTV
Senate votes to kill long-gun registry - Edmonton Journal
Map: 2012 street construction projects - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
A chuckle courtesy of SAP reader Pete in Lloydminster . . .
Free At
Last, Or
Maybe Not!
An Extraordinary Experience
Leave a bunch of stationary bikes on the street and people's curiosity takes hold and the fun begins.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
Notice Of Special Fundraiser
You may have heard that Fred LaRose is facing a difficult time with his health and needs our support. Fred is a fantastic person and a well-respected and important part of our musical community. Please join us in providing your support to help him through this difficult time.
Straight From the Heart Fundraiser
Sunday April 29
Century Showroom Casino 13103 - Fort Road
$30.00 per person
Doors at 2:00 pm, music 3:00 - 11:00 pm.
Tickets at Century Casino, Blackbyrd Myoozik and Permanent Records
Links will be on the Edmonton Blues Society website and facebook page soon.
If you wish to make a cash donation please mail to Fred LaRose in Care of Rusty Reed: 9920 - 153 St., Edmonton T5P 2A9. Or if you have an item you can donate for the silent auction, please contact Carol Tomasky on Facebook. Alternatively, you can contact me and I will get in touch with Carol or Rusty. All support provided will go to help Fred.
Let's get behind Fred with all our hearts!
Andy
President
Edmonton Blues Society
The Man Who Gave Up Sex For Golf
05/04/2012 06:14
"Boy, I'd give anything to sink this putt," the golfer mumbles to himself.
Just then, a stranger walks up beside him and whispers, "Would you be willing to give up one-fourth of your sex life?"
Thinking the man is crazy and his answer will be meaningless, the golfer also feels that maybe this is a good omen so he says, "Sure," and sinks the putt.
Two holes later, he mumbles to himself again, "Gee, I sure would like to get an eagle on this one."
The same stranger is at his side again and whispers, "Would it be worth giving up another fourth of your sex life?"
Shrugging, the golfer replies, "Okay." And he makes an eagle.
On the final hole, the golfer needs another eagle to win. Without waiting for him to say anything the stranger quickly moves to his side and says, "Would winning this match be worth giving up the rest of your Sex life?"
"Definitely," the golfer replies, and he makes the eagle.
As the golfer is walking to the club house, the stranger walks alongside him and says, "I haven't really been fair with you because you don't know who I am. I'm the Devil, and from this day forward you will have no sex life."
"Nice to meet you," the golfer replies, "I'm Father O'Malley."
Be sure to visit our home page.
WEBBITS
05/04/2012 06:14
The World's Quietest Place
05/04/2012 06:13
The longest that anyone has survived in the ‘anechoic chamber’ at Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis is just 45 minutes.
It’s 99.99 per cent sound absorbent and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s quietest place, but stay there too long and you may start hallucinating.
Shhhhhhhhhhh.
__________________________________________________________________
City Council
Starbucks
Coffee At
$ervu$ Place
Decision
Links To Today's Outstanding Photographs
05/04/2012 06:13
Today's Activity Corner
05/04/2012 06:13
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
Article of the Day
Article of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
This Day in History
This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary
Today's Birthday
Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary
In the News
In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library
Match Up
Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
April 4, 2012
04/04/2012 06:15
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
Do YOU Want Council Give AHF $4.5 Million?
A story in Wednesday's St. Albert Gazette outlines how a simple request for handicap access of the art gallery has ballooned into a $4.5 million boondoggle. The request is from the ever-with-their-hand-out artsy fartsy crowd over at AHF.
The Gazette is running a survey on the subject, so we're joining the fray with a survey of our own to run for the balance of today and all day tomorrow.
The story is located at: AHF asks for $4.5 million gallery addition
Project to make building universally accessible evolves into proposed expansion
"NEW GALLERY - The Arts and Heritage Foundation surprised city council Monday with a nearly $5-million proposal to build an addition to the Banque d'Hochelaga building, turning it into this artist's rendering of a new art gallery.
What began as a project to make the Art Gallery of St. Albert (AGSA) universally accessible to individuals with physical challenges has evolved into a potential $4.575 million addition to the building that caught city council totally by surprise."
Please feel free to participate in our survey below.
City Council Clamps Down On Legal Businesses
Council has made it more difficult for local businesses to sell materials and products that are often connected to the illegal drug industry.
“The illicit drug industry is not welcome in St Albert. This is a family community and we want to ensure our kids grow up in a healthy and safe environment. This development sends a strong message to purveyors of illicit drug paraphernalia businesses that thrive on the presence of illicit drugs,” says Nolan Crouse, Mayor of St. Albert.
On April 2, 2012, Council approved amendments to Business License Bylaw 43/2000 and Tobacco Retail Licensing Bylaw 20/96.
Here’s a summary of Bylaw 9/2012 amendments to the Business License Bylaw:
• defines the number of restricted consumer products:
• a product that displays a marijuana plant
• a device intended to facilitate smoking activity, including a pipe (metal/glass blown, plastic, wood), water bong or vaporizer
• a type of grinder (electric or manual)
• a type of digital weigh scale
• a detoxifying product (including a drink, pill or other product) marketed for masking drug effects or making such effects undetectable through tests
• prohibits, within a single business location or under a single business license, the display or offer for sale of restricted products from three or more categories
• prohibits the sale of restricted products to minors
• requires that restricted products be obscured from outside view
• excludes licensed pharmacies (or places of business within which a licensed pharmacy is operated) from the application of these new restrictions
• allows that the license inspector, on a discretionary basis, add timely conditions to a new or existing business licence in relation to the establishment and management of a proposed business
• gives the licence inspector the discretionary authority to deny or revoke a license upon the reasonable belief that it is within the public interest to do so
• replaces current penalty provisions with more recently standardized bylaw enforcement provisions, including a $1,500 fine.
Bylaw 10/2012 amends the Tobacco Retail Licensing Bylaw by adding certain smoking devices to the definition of “Tobacco Products”: any device intended to facilitate smoking activity, including pipes (metal/glass blown, plastic, wood), water bongs and vaporizers.
Council has been seeking measures to restrict the same of these items since July, 2011 when they asked Administration to develop recommendations on ways to control or prohibit the sale of products by local businesses that are connected to illegal drugs. The Criminal Code of Canada prohibits the manufacturing, promotion or sale of instruments for illegal drug use; however, due to the difficulty in enforcing the rule, the prohibition is relatively ineffective at curbing trade in goods or devices that may be used for illegal drug use, such as, pipes, scales, grinders and similar items.
SINC SAYS:
So there you have it folks. A council claiming to be business friendly has clamped down on legitimate and legal businesses in St. Albert, effectively sending medical marijuana users scurrying to Edmonton to purchase legally available accessories. As for the mayor's claim this sends a strong message, forget it. Drugs have been part of the culture of St. Albert for many decades and will continue to be in spite of this 'grasping at straws' attempt to make council look good.
City Inks Deal To Lease Hemingway Centre
The City of St. Albert has reached a five-year lease agreement with the Visual Arts Studio Association (VASA) for use of the Hemingway Centre, effective June 1, 2012.
“Finding an appropriate use for the historic Hemingway Centre was a Council priority. Our preference was to use it as an incubator for visual arts entrepreneurs, so we are really pleased to have VASA find a home here,” says Mayor Nolan Crouse. Council asked the City in January to proceed with lease negotiations with VASA.
“Arts are integral to the city’s botanical arts brand so we are thrilled to have a great space to provide an opportunity for disparate artists in the community under one roof to create the fantastic synergies that can happen when people work together. VASA will be able to expand on their outreach programming,” adds Crouse.
“Studies show that cities that invest and support artist studio complexes such as this one, foster and nurture a creative economy,” adds Crouse.
VASA will be leasing 64 per cent of the building. Space utilization will be split approximately 60/40 between community outreach programming (including exhibition space and education space), and studio area, respectively. The City uses a portion of the building for storage and covers the operating costs not covered by the VASA lease agreement.
Currently, VASA members are located at Studio Gallery on Perron Street and also occupy space in Grandin Mall, as well as a portion of the Hemingway Centre. They will consolidate their presence in the Hemingway Centre.
The last permanent tenant of Hemingway Centre was the RCMP who relocated in 2001. Since, then various community groups have occupied the building, mostly on a temporary basis. The Hemingway Centre is currently partially occupied by the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games 2012 organizers who are wrapping up their operations.
Photographs From Our Readers Libraries
St. Albert's Place reader and local resident Alan Towey, who is visiting Portugal sent us these shots of the flowers native to the area.
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Gas prices spike before Easter weekend - CBC
College shooting suspect in court - CNN
Ontario man survives train running over him - CTV
Area could be walloped by more snow - Edmonton Journal
Not guilty plea in Mountie shootings - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
There's more truth to that than not . . .
Watch
This New
Trick!
You Don't See This Every Day
Open your back door to the porch and see an eagle sitting on the railing, a fox on the porch and the two house cats too, all getting along just fine.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
Do YOU Want Council Give AHF $4.5 Million?
A story in Wednesday's St. Albert Gazette outlines how a simple request for handicap access of the art gallery has ballooned into a $4.5 million boondoggle. The request is from the ever-with-their-hand-out artsy fartsy crowd over at AHF.
The Gazette is running a survey on the subject, so we're joining the fray with a survey of our own to run for the balance of today and all day tomorrow.
The story is located at: AHF asks for $4.5 million gallery addition
Project to make building universally accessible evolves into proposed expansion
"NEW GALLERY - The Arts and Heritage Foundation surprised city council Monday with a nearly $5-million proposal to build an addition to the Banque d'Hochelaga building, turning it into this artist's rendering of a new art gallery.
What began as a project to make the Art Gallery of St. Albert (AGSA) universally accessible to individuals with physical challenges has evolved into a potential $4.575 million addition to the building that caught city council totally by surprise."
Please feel free to participate in our survey below.
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.
City Council Clamps Down On Legal Businesses
“The illicit drug industry is not welcome in St Albert. This is a family community and we want to ensure our kids grow up in a healthy and safe environment. This development sends a strong message to purveyors of illicit drug paraphernalia businesses that thrive on the presence of illicit drugs,” says Nolan Crouse, Mayor of St. Albert.
On April 2, 2012, Council approved amendments to Business License Bylaw 43/2000 and Tobacco Retail Licensing Bylaw 20/96.
Here’s a summary of Bylaw 9/2012 amendments to the Business License Bylaw:
• defines the number of restricted consumer products:
• a product that displays a marijuana plant
• a device intended to facilitate smoking activity, including a pipe (metal/glass blown, plastic, wood), water bong or vaporizer
• a type of grinder (electric or manual)
• a type of digital weigh scale
• a detoxifying product (including a drink, pill or other product) marketed for masking drug effects or making such effects undetectable through tests
• prohibits, within a single business location or under a single business license, the display or offer for sale of restricted products from three or more categories
• prohibits the sale of restricted products to minors
• requires that restricted products be obscured from outside view
• excludes licensed pharmacies (or places of business within which a licensed pharmacy is operated) from the application of these new restrictions
• allows that the license inspector, on a discretionary basis, add timely conditions to a new or existing business licence in relation to the establishment and management of a proposed business
• gives the licence inspector the discretionary authority to deny or revoke a license upon the reasonable belief that it is within the public interest to do so
• replaces current penalty provisions with more recently standardized bylaw enforcement provisions, including a $1,500 fine.
Bylaw 10/2012 amends the Tobacco Retail Licensing Bylaw by adding certain smoking devices to the definition of “Tobacco Products”: any device intended to facilitate smoking activity, including pipes (metal/glass blown, plastic, wood), water bongs and vaporizers.
Council has been seeking measures to restrict the same of these items since July, 2011 when they asked Administration to develop recommendations on ways to control or prohibit the sale of products by local businesses that are connected to illegal drugs. The Criminal Code of Canada prohibits the manufacturing, promotion or sale of instruments for illegal drug use; however, due to the difficulty in enforcing the rule, the prohibition is relatively ineffective at curbing trade in goods or devices that may be used for illegal drug use, such as, pipes, scales, grinders and similar items.
SINC SAYS:
So there you have it folks. A council claiming to be business friendly has clamped down on legitimate and legal businesses in St. Albert, effectively sending medical marijuana users scurrying to Edmonton to purchase legally available accessories. As for the mayor's claim this sends a strong message, forget it. Drugs have been part of the culture of St. Albert for many decades and will continue to be in spite of this 'grasping at straws' attempt to make council look good.
City Inks Deal To Lease Hemingway Centre
“Finding an appropriate use for the historic Hemingway Centre was a Council priority. Our preference was to use it as an incubator for visual arts entrepreneurs, so we are really pleased to have VASA find a home here,” says Mayor Nolan Crouse. Council asked the City in January to proceed with lease negotiations with VASA.
“Arts are integral to the city’s botanical arts brand so we are thrilled to have a great space to provide an opportunity for disparate artists in the community under one roof to create the fantastic synergies that can happen when people work together. VASA will be able to expand on their outreach programming,” adds Crouse.
“Studies show that cities that invest and support artist studio complexes such as this one, foster and nurture a creative economy,” adds Crouse.
VASA will be leasing 64 per cent of the building. Space utilization will be split approximately 60/40 between community outreach programming (including exhibition space and education space), and studio area, respectively. The City uses a portion of the building for storage and covers the operating costs not covered by the VASA lease agreement.
Currently, VASA members are located at Studio Gallery on Perron Street and also occupy space in Grandin Mall, as well as a portion of the Hemingway Centre. They will consolidate their presence in the Hemingway Centre.
The last permanent tenant of Hemingway Centre was the RCMP who relocated in 2001. Since, then various community groups have occupied the building, mostly on a temporary basis. The Hemingway Centre is currently partially occupied by the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games 2012 organizers who are wrapping up their operations.
Photographs From Our Readers Libraries
St. Albert's Place reader and local resident Alan Towey, who is visiting Portugal sent us these shots of the flowers native to the area.
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Gas prices spike before Easter weekend - CBC
College shooting suspect in court - CNN
Ontario man survives train running over him - CTV
Area could be walloped by more snow - Edmonton Journal
Not guilty plea in Mountie shootings - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
There's more truth to that than not . . .
Watch
This New
Trick!
You Don't See This Every Day
Open your back door to the porch and see an eagle sitting on the railing, a fox on the porch and the two house cats too, all getting along just fine.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
Funny One Liners
04/04/2012 06:15
* Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.
* Don't marry the person you want to live with; marry the one you cannot live without. Either way you do, you'll regret it later.
Be sure to visit our home page.
WEBBITS
04/04/2012 06:14
New BMW I8 Concept
04/04/2012 06:14
BMW has unveiled their i8 Concept Spyder. It's absolutely incredible.
They say the i8 represents a vision of the future where intelligent thinking, advanced materials and innovative construction techniques fuse together to create a high performance roadster that is outstandingly efficient and environmentally aware. It possesses, they claim, the performance of a sports car with the consumption of a city car. It doesn't look too shabby either.
See all the pictures on Shortlist.
__________________________________________________________________
City Council
Starbucks
Coffee At
$ervu$ Place
Decision
Links To Today's Outstanding Photographs
04/04/2012 06:14
Today's Activity Corner
04/04/2012 06:14
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
Article of the Day
Article of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
This Day in History
This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary
Today's Birthday
Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary
In the News
In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library
Match Up
Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
April 3, 2012
03/04/2012 03:56
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
Careful When Feeding Wild Birds
The feeding of wild birds is done by people with good intentions but there are some repercussions that should be considered.
The feed that most people use is usually old bread. The bread that people consume is not good for the wildlife due to chemicals in the preservatives.
Hawerlak Park in Edmonton has signs that say they should not feed the birds. Hermitage Park also have lots of geese and the ponds are smaller and give good photo shooting angles for those wildlife photographers.
The other factor to consider is the wildlife are learning a behavior they could come to depend on people for food. Geese are very easy to train to this kind of behaviour.
Since most people are less active in the winter, that would make their survival even harder. The best way is not to feed them and in places were they allow this just feed them grain that is available from your local farmer or grain elevator.
The photo below clearly shows how easy it is to train a wild bird. I informed the person feeding the goose and it never dawned on him, but he then clearly understood what I was talking about.
This time of year the geese are quite hungry after there long flight from the U.S.A. The females are eating more because they are getting ready to have goslings.
They are fun to watch as they pair up to have there young and are also fun to photograph.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Paul C.
Wee-Hours Custom Tackle
Ultra Lite Fishing Tackle Company
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Gateway hearing cancelled over security concerns - CBC
Small plane crashes into Florida grocery store - CNN
Kutcher to play Apple founder Steve Jobs - CTV
Wildrose plan to return money to Albertans - Edmonton Journal
Woman dead after her vehicle backed into her - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Well, if you insist . . .
Eggs
Times
Two!
I Got You Babe
Here’s Sonny and Cher at their finest, long after their “best before” date – This was a great television moment when it aired (November 13, 1987 to be exact), but now after Sonny was so tragically killed it's even more cherished. Good for Dave Letterman for coaxing Cher into it. It would be the very last time they would ever sing together.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
APRIL 3
Eric Martin (Guitar and vocals) and
Larry Kehl (Keyboards)
Eric - is a R&B guitarist vocalist who has a library of tunes up his sleeve. I have heard through the grapevine that he knows over 1500 songs. This gives us such a universe of tunes to ask for as jammers and sure makes a show of his Thursday night jam at J.R's pub. We first met at The Castlerock Pub through Simon Bennett where I got a chance to sit in with Eric. A major part of building the southside jam scene at JR's jam and a very respected musician. I enjoy Eric's calmness playing live and his knack for playing many styles of rhythm and blues. Also a very respected bass player.
Larry - I met Larry at LB's where he and I were kindly invited to play a few with Darrel Barr and Bobby Cameron. I was very impressed by his keyboarding and just had to introduce myself and give him a few high fives as we were playing. Last year Larry joined the band Big Daddy and the Blueshounds and sits in regularly all over the city with many jams and bands. Very good ear for dynamics and timing and a excellent blues style of play. Second time visit for Larry as a feature to the moosehead/barsnbands open stage.
The Tuesday
Moosehead/Barsnbands
Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Hosts Mark Ammar, Jim Dyck and Randy Forsberg
Moosehead Beer Specials and barsnbands prizes
Moosehead Beer
Barsnbands
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
Careful When Feeding Wild Birds
The feeding of wild birds is done by people with good intentions but there are some repercussions that should be considered.
The feed that most people use is usually old bread. The bread that people consume is not good for the wildlife due to chemicals in the preservatives.
Hawerlak Park in Edmonton has signs that say they should not feed the birds. Hermitage Park also have lots of geese and the ponds are smaller and give good photo shooting angles for those wildlife photographers.
The other factor to consider is the wildlife are learning a behavior they could come to depend on people for food. Geese are very easy to train to this kind of behaviour.
Since most people are less active in the winter, that would make their survival even harder. The best way is not to feed them and in places were they allow this just feed them grain that is available from your local farmer or grain elevator.
The photo below clearly shows how easy it is to train a wild bird. I informed the person feeding the goose and it never dawned on him, but he then clearly understood what I was talking about.
This time of year the geese are quite hungry after there long flight from the U.S.A. The females are eating more because they are getting ready to have goslings.
They are fun to watch as they pair up to have there young and are also fun to photograph.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Paul C.
Wee-Hours Custom Tackle
Ultra Lite Fishing Tackle Company
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Gateway hearing cancelled over security concerns - CBC
Small plane crashes into Florida grocery store - CNN
Kutcher to play Apple founder Steve Jobs - CTV
Wildrose plan to return money to Albertans - Edmonton Journal
Woman dead after her vehicle backed into her - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Well, if you insist . . .
Eggs
Times
Two!
I Got You Babe
Here’s Sonny and Cher at their finest, long after their “best before” date – This was a great television moment when it aired (November 13, 1987 to be exact), but now after Sonny was so tragically killed it's even more cherished. Good for Dave Letterman for coaxing Cher into it. It would be the very last time they would ever sing together.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tonight At LB's Pub
Eric Martin (Guitar and vocals) and
Larry Kehl (Keyboards)
Eric - is a R&B guitarist vocalist who has a library of tunes up his sleeve. I have heard through the grapevine that he knows over 1500 songs. This gives us such a universe of tunes to ask for as jammers and sure makes a show of his Thursday night jam at J.R's pub. We first met at The Castlerock Pub through Simon Bennett where I got a chance to sit in with Eric. A major part of building the southside jam scene at JR's jam and a very respected musician. I enjoy Eric's calmness playing live and his knack for playing many styles of rhythm and blues. Also a very respected bass player.
Larry - I met Larry at LB's where he and I were kindly invited to play a few with Darrel Barr and Bobby Cameron. I was very impressed by his keyboarding and just had to introduce myself and give him a few high fives as we were playing. Last year Larry joined the band Big Daddy and the Blueshounds and sits in regularly all over the city with many jams and bands. Very good ear for dynamics and timing and a excellent blues style of play. Second time visit for Larry as a feature to the moosehead/barsnbands open stage.
Moosehead/Barsnbands
Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Hosts Mark Ammar, Jim Dyck and Randy Forsberg
Moosehead Beer Specials and barsnbands prizes
Moosehead Beer
Barsnbands
An Irishman In Church
03/04/2012 03:56
After Mass, the priest caught up with him and said, "Murphy, I am so glad ya decided to come to Mass. What made ya come?"
Murphy said, "I got to be honest with you Father, a while back, I misplaced me hat and I really, really love that hat. I know that McGlynn had a hat just like mine and I knew he came to church every Sunday . I also knew that he had to take off his hat during Mass and figured he would leave it in the back of church. So, I was going to leave after Communion and steal McGlynn's hat."
The priest said, "Well, Murphy, I notice that ya didn't steal McGlynn's hat. What changed your mind?"
Murphy replied, "Well, after I heard your sermon on the 10 Commandments I decided that I didn't need to steal McGlynn's hat after all."
With a tear in his eye the priest gave Murphy a big smile and said;"After I talked about 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' ya decided you would rather do without your hat than burn in hell, eh?"
Murphy slowly shook his head. "No, Father, after ya talked about 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery' I remembered where I left me hat."
Be sure to visit our home page.
WEBBITS
03/04/2012 03:56
13 Delicious Recipes Using Cadbury Creme Eggs
03/04/2012 03:55
In honour of Easter's best candy (Cad Eggs), here's a collection of divine Cadbury Creme Egg recipes.
See all 13 recipes here on BuzzFeed.
__________________________________________________________________
City Council
Starbucks
Coffee At
$ervu$ Place
Decision
Links To Today's Outstanding Photographs
03/04/2012 03:55
Today's Activity Corner
03/04/2012 03:55
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
Article of the Day
Article of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
This Day in History
This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary
Today's Birthday
Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary
In the News
In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library
Match Up
Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
April 2, 2012
02/04/2012 02:17
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
$tarbuck$ Fiasco Raises More Questions
Since the St. Albert Gazette revealed details of the back-room deal to subsidize the Skybox Grill with tax dollars, it has prompted citizens to ask for more details on this secret deal St. Albert city council didn't want taxpayers to know about.
Council has been caught red-handed spending many more tax dollars than they told the citizens of St. Albert and now residents want to know the true story.
Mayor Crouse and Council, here are a list of questions to which citizens want answers. Will you continue to hide the truth, or for once be forthcoming and do the right thing for the people who elected you by revealing the truth?
1. Why did this deal have to be private? What proprietary business information needed to be protected? If anything knowing that a restaurant had a secure cash flow of eighty grand a year from a city would improve its value.
2. Why did the acting city manager feel the need to deliver political responses rather than factual responses to the Gazette's questions? Should city staff not leave politics to politicians and strictly deal with facts? And why did he deny the amount in question was in fact $80,000 when our copy of those confidential documents clearly show that it was exactly that amount?
3. Why is the accounting so odd? When is the last time you walked in to pay your taxes and the government said, 'no don't pay us we owe you money for CPP'? Normally governments want to create a paper trail, not conduct business under the table, or was this the prime intent of the accounting? Does this comply with accounting regulations or Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants regulations?
4. Has the restaurant upstairs in $ervu$ Place shown a history of financial stability?
5. Was this business deal for the benefit of St. Albert residents or the Skybox Grill?
6. How many years exactly does the $80,000 continue being paid to the Skybox Grill and what is the total real cost?
7. Was the $80,000 annual cost included in the financial projections that showed the $tarbuck$ outlet in $ervu$ Place would make an annual profit of $90,000? If not, should the real projected profit not be $10,000 at best?
8. Was that projected profit for the $tarbuck$ outlet in $ervu$ Place calculated to include revenues from St. Albert Steel hockey games over an entire season? And if it did, has it now been deducted from that remaining $10,000 profit to reflect lost sales since the team is leaving St. Albert?
City, Council's Actions 'Beneath Contempt'
Don,
The strategy that the City and some on Council are adopting to dismiss the input of concerned citizens who engage in the democratic process and question the City's processes and projects, is to brand them as fear-mongers.
They seem to have forgotten that democracy is about engaging the electorate and considering their input between elections, not just at election time.
They seem to have forgotten that being elected does not mean it is OK to become dictator like during your term by saying we are elected to make decisions and that removes any obligation to consult or listen.
They seem to believe it is OK to castigate those who dare express an option.
They then seem confused about why voting rates are so low and why, when they ask for input, so few of our citizens participate.
This strategy, which basically involves an attempt to ignore the issues by name calling, is a tactic that U.S. politicians have honed to a fine art because it avoids dealing with the facts.
It is ironic that our Mayor has castigated the federal Conservatives for negative ads in the last election, when this is just a variant on that theme.
I suggest it is beneath contempt.
A Concerned Citizen
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
There is little left for me to say as this writer has hit the nail squarely on the head. Any mayor who calls his citizens, fear-mongers and chirpers and tells them to get out of town has no honour and deserves the contempt of his citizens.
St. Albert Taxpayers Question Spending
This is not an April Fool's joke! Today, April 2, the Arts and Heritage Foundation will ask the city to pay $2.883 million to expand Profiles Gallery.
(Note: The details of the request were published on this site yesterday and can be read here.)
If you feel this just might not be in the best interest of the taxpayers in St. Albert, please let Council know today by email.
Lynda Flannery
Director and Past President
St. Albert Taxpayers
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Public servants learn details of job cuts today - CBC
Ray Charles' foundation sues his children - CNN
Michael Buble, Feist win top Juno awards - CTV
Election: Panic mode or bumps in the road? - Edmonton Journal
Woman charged in deadly crash - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Going nowhere fast . . .
C'mon
In
Kitty
Our World In Three Minutes
A jaw-dropping look at ourselves in glorious high definition.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
APRIL 3
Eric Martin (Guitar and vocals) and
Larry Kehl (Keyboards)
Eric - is a R&B guitarist vocalist who has a library of tunes up his sleeve. I have heard through the grapevine that he knows over 1500 songs. This gives us such a universe of tunes to ask for as jammers and sure makes a show of his Thursday night jam at J.R's pub. We first met at The Castlerock Pub through Simon Bennett where I got a chance to sit in with Eric. A major part of building the southside jam scene at JR's jam and a very respected musician. I enjoy Eric's calmness playing live and his knack for playing many styles of rhythm and blues. Also a very respected bass player.
Larry - I met Larry at LB's where he and I were kindly invited to play a few with Darrel Barr and Bobby Cameron. I was very impressed by his keyboarding and just had to introduce myself and give him a few high fives as we were playing. Last year Larry joined the band Big Daddy and the Blueshounds and sits in regularly all over the city with many jams and bands. Very good ear for dynamics and timing and a excellent blues style of play. Second time visit for Larry as a feature to the moosehead/barsnbands open stage.
The Tuesday
Moosehead/Barsnbands
Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Hosts Mark Ammar, Jim Dyck and Randy Forsberg
Moosehead Beer Specials and barsnbands prizes
Moosehead Beer
Barsnbands
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
$tarbuck$ Fiasco Raises More Questions
Council has been caught red-handed spending many more tax dollars than they told the citizens of St. Albert and now residents want to know the true story.
Mayor Crouse and Council, here are a list of questions to which citizens want answers. Will you continue to hide the truth, or for once be forthcoming and do the right thing for the people who elected you by revealing the truth?
1. Why did this deal have to be private? What proprietary business information needed to be protected? If anything knowing that a restaurant had a secure cash flow of eighty grand a year from a city would improve its value.
2. Why did the acting city manager feel the need to deliver political responses rather than factual responses to the Gazette's questions? Should city staff not leave politics to politicians and strictly deal with facts? And why did he deny the amount in question was in fact $80,000 when our copy of those confidential documents clearly show that it was exactly that amount?
3. Why is the accounting so odd? When is the last time you walked in to pay your taxes and the government said, 'no don't pay us we owe you money for CPP'? Normally governments want to create a paper trail, not conduct business under the table, or was this the prime intent of the accounting? Does this comply with accounting regulations or Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants regulations?
4. Has the restaurant upstairs in $ervu$ Place shown a history of financial stability?
5. Was this business deal for the benefit of St. Albert residents or the Skybox Grill?
6. How many years exactly does the $80,000 continue being paid to the Skybox Grill and what is the total real cost?
7. Was the $80,000 annual cost included in the financial projections that showed the $tarbuck$ outlet in $ervu$ Place would make an annual profit of $90,000? If not, should the real projected profit not be $10,000 at best?
8. Was that projected profit for the $tarbuck$ outlet in $ervu$ Place calculated to include revenues from St. Albert Steel hockey games over an entire season? And if it did, has it now been deducted from that remaining $10,000 profit to reflect lost sales since the team is leaving St. Albert?
City, Council's Actions 'Beneath Contempt'
The strategy that the City and some on Council are adopting to dismiss the input of concerned citizens who engage in the democratic process and question the City's processes and projects, is to brand them as fear-mongers.
They seem to have forgotten that democracy is about engaging the electorate and considering their input between elections, not just at election time.
They seem to have forgotten that being elected does not mean it is OK to become dictator like during your term by saying we are elected to make decisions and that removes any obligation to consult or listen.
They seem to believe it is OK to castigate those who dare express an option.
They then seem confused about why voting rates are so low and why, when they ask for input, so few of our citizens participate.
This strategy, which basically involves an attempt to ignore the issues by name calling, is a tactic that U.S. politicians have honed to a fine art because it avoids dealing with the facts.
It is ironic that our Mayor has castigated the federal Conservatives for negative ads in the last election, when this is just a variant on that theme.
I suggest it is beneath contempt.
A Concerned Citizen
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
There is little left for me to say as this writer has hit the nail squarely on the head. Any mayor who calls his citizens, fear-mongers and chirpers and tells them to get out of town has no honour and deserves the contempt of his citizens.
St. Albert Taxpayers Question Spending
(Note: The details of the request were published on this site yesterday and can be read here.)
If you feel this just might not be in the best interest of the taxpayers in St. Albert, please let Council know today by email.
Lynda Flannery
Director and Past President
St. Albert Taxpayers
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Public servants learn details of job cuts today - CBC
Ray Charles' foundation sues his children - CNN
Michael Buble, Feist win top Juno awards - CTV
Election: Panic mode or bumps in the road? - Edmonton Journal
Woman charged in deadly crash - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Going nowhere fast . . .
C'mon
In
Kitty
Our World In Three Minutes
A jaw-dropping look at ourselves in glorious high definition.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
Eric Martin (Guitar and vocals) and
Larry Kehl (Keyboards)
Eric - is a R&B guitarist vocalist who has a library of tunes up his sleeve. I have heard through the grapevine that he knows over 1500 songs. This gives us such a universe of tunes to ask for as jammers and sure makes a show of his Thursday night jam at J.R's pub. We first met at The Castlerock Pub through Simon Bennett where I got a chance to sit in with Eric. A major part of building the southside jam scene at JR's jam and a very respected musician. I enjoy Eric's calmness playing live and his knack for playing many styles of rhythm and blues. Also a very respected bass player.
Larry - I met Larry at LB's where he and I were kindly invited to play a few with Darrel Barr and Bobby Cameron. I was very impressed by his keyboarding and just had to introduce myself and give him a few high fives as we were playing. Last year Larry joined the band Big Daddy and the Blueshounds and sits in regularly all over the city with many jams and bands. Very good ear for dynamics and timing and a excellent blues style of play. Second time visit for Larry as a feature to the moosehead/barsnbands open stage.
Moosehead/Barsnbands
Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Hosts Mark Ammar, Jim Dyck and Randy Forsberg
Moosehead Beer Specials and barsnbands prizes
Moosehead Beer
Barsnbands
A Golf Ethics Question
02/04/2012 02:17
You had the honour and hit your ball a modest two hundred fifty yards to the middle of the fairway, leaving a simple six iron to the pin.
Your opponent then hits his ball, lofting it deep into the woods to the right of the fairway. Being the golfing gentleman that you are, you help your opponent look for his ball.
Just before the permitted five minute search period ends, your opponent says: "Go ahead and hit your second shot and if I don't find it in time, I'll concede the match."
You hit your ball, landing it on the green, stopping about ten feet from the pin. About the time your ball comes to rest, you hear your opponent exclaim from deep in the woods: "I found it!".
The second sound you hear is a click, the sound of a club striking a ball and the ball comes sailing out of the woods and lands on the green, stopping no more than six inches from the hole.
Now here is the ethical dilemma:
Do you pull your cheating partner’s ball out of your pocket and confront him with it or do you keep your mouth shut?
Be sure to visit our home page.
WEBBITS
02/04/2012 02:17
Special Deviled Eggs
02/04/2012 02:16
Looking for a different Easter egg?
"Horseradish sauce and sweet relish sets these deviled eggs apart from the rest!"
Find the recipe here.
__________________________________________________________________
City Council
Starbucks
Coffee At
$ervu$ Place
Decision
Links To Today's Outstanding Photographs
02/04/2012 02:16
Today's Activity Corner
02/04/2012 02:16
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
Article of the Day
Article of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
This Day in History
This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary
Today's Birthday
Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary
In the News
In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library
Match Up
Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
April 1, 2012
01/04/2012 05:02
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
City, Council's Actions 'Beneath Contempt'
Don,
The strategy that the City and some on Council are adopting to dismiss the input of concerned citizens who engage in the democratic process and question the City's processes and projects, is to brand them as fear-mongers.
They seem to have forgotten that democracy is about engaging the electorate and considering their input between elections, not just at election time.
They seem to have forgotten that being elected does not mean it is OK to become dictator like during your term by saying we are elected to make decisions and that removes any obligation to consult or listen.
They seem to believe it is OK to castigate those who dare express an option.
They then seem confused about why voting rates are so low and why, when they ask for input, so few of our citizens participate.
This strategy, which basically involves an attempt to ignore the issues by name calling, is a tactic that U.S. politicians have honed to a fine art because it avoids dealing with the facts.
It is ironic that our Mayor has castigated the federal Conservatives for negative ads in the last election, when this is just a variant on that theme.
I suggest it is beneath contempt.
A Concerned Citizen
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
There is little left for me to say as this writer has hit the nail squarely on the head. Any mayor who calls his citizens, fear-mongers and chirpers and tells them to get out of town has no honour and deserves the contempt of his citizens.
St. Albert Taxpayers Association Statement
Proposed Expansion of Profiles Gallery
with $2.883 million of taxpayers dollars
Administration recommendation to Council: April 2, 2012
SATA continues to have concerns with the amount of resources City Administration and Council pour into nice-to-have projects. AH&F asking for $2.883 million is just another example of a special interest group wanting to be first in line for public money for their project. The total cost of the project is $4.6 million with AH&F hoping the feds and province will cough up $1.175 million dollars. We'll examine city strategies for artificially generating support for these initiatives, as well as those that suggest that democracy ends at the ballot box.
The first group of City strategies for presenting these projects in a positive light includes:
Creating master plans that include their favourite nice-to-have projects, then using those plans as reasons why the projects should be approved. This is empty support.
Considering requests for major funding outside the budget process so that the projects do not get considered in the context of the whole picture. Eg. What other more necessary projects will move to unfunded or stay unfunded when these “one-off projects” are approved.
Creating utility reserves through 4 years of 9.5% increases, so that utilities do not compete with other municipal capital projects for funding. This frees up capital so that “nice to have” projects aren't competing with necessary infrastructure. But it costs taxpayers a 44% increase in their utility bills for the foreseeable future.
Bringing forward bits and pieces of these master plans separately, to conceal the degree of expenditures that lie behind them.
Further in the context of the first set of strategies, SATA believes there are specific questions that need exploration:
Why is Council considering a request to fund a large project separate from the budget process?
Currently the three year capital budget shows a similar project as an unfunded project. It got there through an assessment of its merits relative to all other projects and the available funds. That is why three and 10 year capital project plans are created: Projects are considered relative to one another and total funding capability.
As the capital budget is fully utilized, approving this could mean a higher priority project gets delayed or deleted. But Council will be unaware of that with a one-off decision process.
We recommend: this request be tabled until capital budget deliberations.
Why is this coming forward a month after administration assured Council that requests for funding for the Cultural Plan would be made at budget time?
A month ago the Cultural Master Plan was approved with Administration and Council assuring the public that approval did not mean support of projects or spending.
Administration went further and said that expenditures would be in the range of $350,000 in the next couple of years and would come at budget time. This was partially in response to SATA's comments on the potential huge cost of the plan initiatives which included the art gallery expansion.
Now, there is a request, supported by administration, for Council to approve this major project for an additional $2.883 million outside of the regular budget process.
We suggest these actions during the deliberation of the plan was, at best, misleading to the public and to Council.
We suggest Council not encourage this undercutting of legitimate processes.
How can UNFUNDED plans be used to support one project within them?
The DARP plan as well as the Cultural master plan included the gallery expansion project. Both of these plans are cited in the Council report as reasons the gallery expansion project should go ahead.
Yet neither of these plans are funded. But they are treated as though they are done deals and will move forward with all their initiatives. Citing these as support for the project is like building on a foundation of sand!
The use of the Master plans in this manner, illustrates why SATA has raised concerns about approval of these plans by Council. In short, the fact that this project is contained in those plans is not a valid reason to approve it.
What are the primary reasons put forward by AH&F in support of this project and are there other solutions?
AH&F is citing “barrier free access” to the gallery and programs as its primary mover for the project.
With respect, we suggest there is a very easy way to provide access to the gallery by utilizing the ramp for the Community Hall next door. A simple bridge and new door into the Gallery would meet this need.
Another benefit they cite is that the city would save rental costs for space for programs above the Wine Kits store. Including the administrative space across the street this would allow the city to cut AH&F annual funding by $74,000.
We suggest there is a far easier and less expensive solution: Space in the Hemingway building. This space has been approved for the ARTS as an arts incubator. What better way of reinforcing this ideal by ensuring AH&F programs for the disabled become part of it, as well as having their office space within the same building. This would “save” the rent amount with very little other expenditure.
What support is there in the community for this project when it means other more necessary projects may not be constructed?
This speaks to the need to gauge public support for the project. We suggest one measure could be the success of the fund raising drive for $516,900 that AH&F plans to initiate in support of the project.
In advance of successful completion of the fund raising drive, any project decision should be tabled. A successful drive is a necessary requirement for considering the project in the context of the whole capital budget. In itself, it is not determinative of using public dollars for the project.
Photographs From Our Readers Libraries
"If you waited long enough last night," says local photographer Elke Blodgett, "this is what you would have seen on Big Lake". Beautiful shots Elke, thanks so much for sharing them with SAP readers.
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Spring storm sweeps eastern Newfoundland - CBC
2 killed, 12 hurt during funeral shooting - CNN
New app monitors diabetes on iPhone, iPad - CTV
Nasty Tory Tweet leads to resignation - Edmonton Journal
Edmonton eyeing million-dollar golden balls - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Things aren't always what they seem . . .
I Flip
You Flip
I Flip
You Flip
'She's Got You' - Lip Sync
A high school reunion performance lip syncing the Patsy Cline song.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends.
City, Council's Actions 'Beneath Contempt'
The strategy that the City and some on Council are adopting to dismiss the input of concerned citizens who engage in the democratic process and question the City's processes and projects, is to brand them as fear-mongers.
They seem to have forgotten that democracy is about engaging the electorate and considering their input between elections, not just at election time.
They seem to have forgotten that being elected does not mean it is OK to become dictator like during your term by saying we are elected to make decisions and that removes any obligation to consult or listen.
They seem to believe it is OK to castigate those who dare express an option.
They then seem confused about why voting rates are so low and why, when they ask for input, so few of our citizens participate.
This strategy, which basically involves an attempt to ignore the issues by name calling, is a tactic that U.S. politicians have honed to a fine art because it avoids dealing with the facts.
It is ironic that our Mayor has castigated the federal Conservatives for negative ads in the last election, when this is just a variant on that theme.
I suggest it is beneath contempt.
A Concerned Citizen
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
There is little left for me to say as this writer has hit the nail squarely on the head. Any mayor who calls his citizens, fear-mongers and chirpers and tells them to get out of town has no honour and deserves the contempt of his citizens.
St. Albert Taxpayers Association Statement
with $2.883 million of taxpayers dollars
Administration recommendation to Council: April 2, 2012
SATA continues to have concerns with the amount of resources City Administration and Council pour into nice-to-have projects. AH&F asking for $2.883 million is just another example of a special interest group wanting to be first in line for public money for their project. The total cost of the project is $4.6 million with AH&F hoping the feds and province will cough up $1.175 million dollars. We'll examine city strategies for artificially generating support for these initiatives, as well as those that suggest that democracy ends at the ballot box.
The first group of City strategies for presenting these projects in a positive light includes:
Creating master plans that include their favourite nice-to-have projects, then using those plans as reasons why the projects should be approved. This is empty support.
Considering requests for major funding outside the budget process so that the projects do not get considered in the context of the whole picture. Eg. What other more necessary projects will move to unfunded or stay unfunded when these “one-off projects” are approved.
Creating utility reserves through 4 years of 9.5% increases, so that utilities do not compete with other municipal capital projects for funding. This frees up capital so that “nice to have” projects aren't competing with necessary infrastructure. But it costs taxpayers a 44% increase in their utility bills for the foreseeable future.
Bringing forward bits and pieces of these master plans separately, to conceal the degree of expenditures that lie behind them.
Further in the context of the first set of strategies, SATA believes there are specific questions that need exploration:
Why is Council considering a request to fund a large project separate from the budget process?
Currently the three year capital budget shows a similar project as an unfunded project. It got there through an assessment of its merits relative to all other projects and the available funds. That is why three and 10 year capital project plans are created: Projects are considered relative to one another and total funding capability.
As the capital budget is fully utilized, approving this could mean a higher priority project gets delayed or deleted. But Council will be unaware of that with a one-off decision process.
We recommend: this request be tabled until capital budget deliberations.
Why is this coming forward a month after administration assured Council that requests for funding for the Cultural Plan would be made at budget time?
A month ago the Cultural Master Plan was approved with Administration and Council assuring the public that approval did not mean support of projects or spending.
Administration went further and said that expenditures would be in the range of $350,000 in the next couple of years and would come at budget time. This was partially in response to SATA's comments on the potential huge cost of the plan initiatives which included the art gallery expansion.
Now, there is a request, supported by administration, for Council to approve this major project for an additional $2.883 million outside of the regular budget process.
We suggest these actions during the deliberation of the plan was, at best, misleading to the public and to Council.
We suggest Council not encourage this undercutting of legitimate processes.
How can UNFUNDED plans be used to support one project within them?
The DARP plan as well as the Cultural master plan included the gallery expansion project. Both of these plans are cited in the Council report as reasons the gallery expansion project should go ahead.
Yet neither of these plans are funded. But they are treated as though they are done deals and will move forward with all their initiatives. Citing these as support for the project is like building on a foundation of sand!
The use of the Master plans in this manner, illustrates why SATA has raised concerns about approval of these plans by Council. In short, the fact that this project is contained in those plans is not a valid reason to approve it.
What are the primary reasons put forward by AH&F in support of this project and are there other solutions?
AH&F is citing “barrier free access” to the gallery and programs as its primary mover for the project.
With respect, we suggest there is a very easy way to provide access to the gallery by utilizing the ramp for the Community Hall next door. A simple bridge and new door into the Gallery would meet this need.
Another benefit they cite is that the city would save rental costs for space for programs above the Wine Kits store. Including the administrative space across the street this would allow the city to cut AH&F annual funding by $74,000.
We suggest there is a far easier and less expensive solution: Space in the Hemingway building. This space has been approved for the ARTS as an arts incubator. What better way of reinforcing this ideal by ensuring AH&F programs for the disabled become part of it, as well as having their office space within the same building. This would “save” the rent amount with very little other expenditure.
What support is there in the community for this project when it means other more necessary projects may not be constructed?
This speaks to the need to gauge public support for the project. We suggest one measure could be the success of the fund raising drive for $516,900 that AH&F plans to initiate in support of the project.
In advance of successful completion of the fund raising drive, any project decision should be tabled. A successful drive is a necessary requirement for considering the project in the context of the whole capital budget. In itself, it is not determinative of using public dollars for the project.
Photographs From Our Readers Libraries
"If you waited long enough last night," says local photographer Elke Blodgett, "this is what you would have seen on Big Lake". Beautiful shots Elke, thanks so much for sharing them with SAP readers.
_________________________________________________________________
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Spring storm sweeps eastern Newfoundland - CBC
2 killed, 12 hurt during funeral shooting - CNN
New app monitors diabetes on iPhone, iPad - CTV
Nasty Tory Tweet leads to resignation - Edmonton Journal
Edmonton eyeing million-dollar golden balls - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
Things aren't always what they seem . . .
I Flip
You Flip
I Flip
You Flip
'She's Got You' - Lip Sync
A high school reunion performance lip syncing the Patsy Cline song.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Older Crowd
01/04/2012 05:02
"Is it true," she wanted to know, "that the medication you prescribed has to be taken for the rest of my life?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," the doctor told her.
There was a moment of silence before the senior lady replied, "I'm wondering, then, just how serious my condition is, because this prescription is marked 'No refills."
Be sure to visit our home page.
WEBBITS
01/04/2012 05:02
Remembering Hollywood Squares
01/04/2012 05:02
Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.
Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.
__________________________________________________________________
City Council
Starbucks
Coffee At
$ervu$ Place
Decision
Links To Today's Outstanding Photographs
01/04/2012 05:02
Today's Activity Corner
01/04/2012 05:02
Word of the Day
Word of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
Article of the Day
Article of the Day
provided by The Free Dictionary
This Day in History
This Day in History
provided by The Free Dictionary
Today's Birthday
Today's Birthday
provided by The Free Dictionary
In the News
In the News
provided by The Free Dictionary
Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day
provided by The Free Library
Match Up
Match Up
provided by The Free Dictionary
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
