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Welcome back LFP hope your summer was relaxing. The Fisherman on the Fraser were reeling them in today. It was a beautiful afternoon. It was nice to see several young ones frolicking on the beach. Only set back was the constant comment of the children screaming "I'm going to kill you" as they played.
Thanks ss, enjoyed the sea air sailing the coast. Whats popping on the equally inane School board front 
How truly embarassing for Township Mayor Alberts and council. Most of today's many Advance ads for LCS have wording like,
'proud to support the community' or 'proud to support' and even Langley City's Mayor Fassbender's ad says 'thank you for partnering with the City of Langley'.
No wonder Mayor Alberts and the Township council can't say any of the proceeding. They refused to support LCS when asked to. What is their real reason though? How embarassing. Will there be congratulatory newspaper ads by them instead for wayward Langley dogs in lieu at our taxpayer funded and gold plated Township supported kennel club? Congratulations to councillors Ward and Richter for being the only ones to suport LCS.
I agree Embarassed, very embarassing indeed. Langley City's Mayor Fassbender's ad almost seems to me to be rubbing Mayor Alberts' Township council's rejection of LFS in even more so with his other statements in addition to the ones you quoted in the City's congratulatory advertisement. Specifically;
"continued success in delivering the valuable services you provide to our community. Welcome home!! "
OUCH...especially shrewd methinks are his two prominent exclamation marks after welcome home. Clearly makes the point of which home really supports the LCS who provide for our community's needy. Certainly not this current Langley Township Mayor Alberts and his majority Council who sadly and questionably voted against helping LCS and their proven and valuable non-profit and volunteer community work. Yet they seem to be able to tax, spend & borrow for any and all other ridiculous things in the Township to date without question and delay. Yes how truly embarassing and sad and yes stupid.
Like a bear you rise from hibernation, too bad the summer wasn't longer so we didn't have to tune in to the negative rhetoric so soon. This was a great decision made by council and Ward and Richter need to be accountable for their initiative to support spending MY TAX DOLLARS on a CITY organization when I know there is equal or better organizations offering programs in the Township and they get no gifts of money. This is an embarassment to those two Councillors and believe me I won't forget this type of hypocracy next November. 'Tax and spend' is Richters battle cry and this is exactly whgat she is doing in this instance.
One of today's ads by one of the buildings contractors that you quote obviously has an inadvertant blooper. It says;
'We are proud to have been part of this team for Langley City and Township on their new facility.'
The blooper is essentially that Langley Township obviously was not and will not be on the team nor considers it their new facilty! Yes its more than embarassing it's unfortunate and short sighted and even perhaps terribly spiteful and immature on the part of Township council.
With it! How the heck can you justify Cllr. Charlie Fox's statement then when he has been at the forefront of voting for TAX, SPEND and BORROW motions since being elected? The pot calling the kettle black don't you think? Maybe Anon is right only Richter & Ward are not short sighted, spiteful and immature. Did I say Ward? WOW!!!! Bite my tongue!
Hi LFP:
On the school front. As you can tell people are getting fired up
There has been a net decrease of 123 schools since 2001/2002. (Closures less new schools) www.bced.gov.bc.ca/keyinfo/pdfs/
ski_plusglossary.pdf ). BCTeachers Federation has also published information that can be found at
http://www.bctf.ca/data.cfm?
page...=SchoolClosures.
Unfortunately, anticipated additional closures of elementary schools in the South Central Core of Langley school district will add to this growing number. So far Otter, South Carvolth, Aldergrove, and Bradshaw Elementary schools have closed recently and at least 3 to 4 more are rumored to be threatened for closure. The next few schools to close will have even greater adjustments to make because it will be difficult, if not impossible to move the school population as a whole.
It will be very interesting to see the Langley School Board's agenda for the first meeting of the 2007/2008 year. I wonder if the parents realize that HD Stafford is not the only "important" school that will be involved in reconfiguration or closure. They have only just begun. With the evident split on the Board now, I wonder if anything can be decided for the best interests of students; or will it only be political posturing for the next election? The first meeting of the year is September 18, 2007 School Board Office 7:30 PM.
A reliable source advised me that today LCS had their grand opening of their new building at which City Mayor Fassbender was the only political keynote speaker since the Township Mayor and his council did not apparently even respond to the invitation to the grand opening. MLA Mary Polak sent a representative and her personal regrets.
The Township Mayor and all the LCS Township nay voters were noticably absent and essentially it was said to be viewed as a slight and political snub by many of the attending significant and important community attendees. Only Township councillors Richter and Ward were there. Very blatantly embarrasing situation according to my reliable source and the topic of many a hushed discussions at the opening ceremonies.
LFP, if someone can get the ball rolling on transportation,I don't think it matters who it is. Fraser, 200th, who cares as long as some plan is put together where they all connect at the right points.
The real stumbling block is not having the East /West trunk line, and that's where the province has dropped the ball big time. The present time schedule that Falcon has laid out will not do at all, because within the span of time it takes for a proper fix, we will see perhaps 30% growth in the area south of the Fraser. We have gridlock on a regular basis now. What the heck does the future hold for us down the road?
The routing for an East/West light rail system should be on the table right now. The growth patterns of all building construction would naturally follow that route. This has been a fact all through history, whether it was rivers and lakes, canals, roads, or railways. Right now growth is all over the map.
Wake up Kevin Falcon!!!! The taxes from economic growth will justfy the cost of a proper transportation system south of the river. All plans for buses to do the job should be tossed before any more time is wasted on them. Their time has come and gone.
Methinks, is it possible that the north -south route suggestion is politically self serving by on one hand giving the impression of being a rapid rail route crusader in Langley and on the other hand basically confusing, diluting and delaying any realistic rail efforts such as Valtac's in the near to mid term?
Remember the Prov. Libs including the local mlas are to date deafingly mum on any rail route intiative south of the fraser for 20 or more years! Also isn't Cllr. Bateman a high ranking prov liberal executive member too?
I am new to the Langley politics arena but the biased manner in which you spin the stories is certainly extrodinary! A presentation to council with no business plan, no facts and or figures to support a building project when it is done (shouldn't the plea have come before it started)to offset the mortgage payments, the CITY owned the building and it was not insured - come on where are the sound business pracrtises with that hogwash decision made some time along the journey.....and then Cllr Richter makes a motion that borders on conflict as she was once a Board member of LCS - does she still have strings attached. LFP Editor, get off the tax and borrow thing, your favorite councillor just broke the mould and you are having a tough time living with it!
Pheonix, Bateman is a sidekick of Rich Coleman, but there is no way he is colluding with the those planning our transportation future. It makes no sense. So far his support is from the surrounding municipalities as far as I can see. If anything, some of the MLA's are pee'd off with Jordan, for creating a stir while they remain so undecided. We should all be asking why both Langley councils have not raised hell on this issue long ago. The township mayor (Bless his misdirected soul) has been in a position to show some leadership with Translink, but has only stared blankly as things went from bad to worse. This guy is supposed to be a planner???!!! Point the waving finger at him, not Jordan.
In order for the 200th Street route to become a backbone, the Golden Ears Bridge would have to accomodate a decent light rail system. It could then connect with the West Coast Express, or the Green Line(If it ever goes out that far). It could be part of a main route if planned that way. However the present plan for the bridge does not include provision for rail!!!! Therefore the 200th Street Line may end up as a connector to some other route, and perhaps a good one at that, but where the heck IS the main route? Then think of the fact that when they finally come up with a backbone route, the cost of expropriatioon will needlessly be through the roof.
Really Pheonix, is doesn't matter at all if 200th Street gets set aside for another north/south route that serves a similar purpose. The point is that this whole community has to join someone like Jordan, or the big guys on the North Shore will keep eating our lunch without any thought about a fair and balanced approach to transportation in the Lower Mainland as a whole. Think about the time span between a final plan, and eventual completion, and try not to get too agitated....or even too old to appreciate it, or,.....yes that too.
With It!, you missed the point again and evaded the question I posed to you. Your vain attempt to suggest that Richter is the spendthrift as opposed to the clearly documented track record of TAX, BORROW & SPEND of the Township Council old boys club is classic! This sounds just as ridiculous as our PM Harper who now says he is a leader on reversing climate change! Mere months ago he did not believe climate change was happening at all! Both are sad spin attempts and are obviously just as ridiculous as well. Let me try and repeat my previous question,
"How the heck can you justify Cllr. Charlie Fox's statement (as quoted in the main posting) then when he has been at the forefront of voting for TAX, SPEND and BORROW motions since being elected? The pot calling the kettle black don't you think? Maybe Anon is right, only Richter & Ward ARE NOT short sighted, spiteful and immature."
Since you bring up the topic of sound business plans please note this Township Council old boys club multiple fiscal and cost overun fiascos documented in undisputeable detail in our archives which Cllr. Richter consistently voted against and pointed out to no avail. I bet you also think that the police cost sharing deal is a victory for this ole boys club township council as well! LOL! Wasn't that just a beautiful piece of business planning and negotiation by the ole boys club? Try the truth 'With It', it will set you free.
PS: You obviously have not seen a real business plan yet since I note the outrageous spending and cost overun issues decided on by Council did NOT have anything close to a real business plans provided to council at all! Maybe you should consider taking business courses too because obviously you need them as badly as the good ole boys do!
This is another reason I believe the amalgamation of the Township and City should happen along with the amalgamation of the Education Board. There has been way too much of we and them and not enough about the citizens and their needs. It has become a political arena of you didn't do this so we won't do that.
Langley Township and City people have similar needs and only require one council to do the job. If amalgamation happened it would be a very exciting and informative election for all involved and there would not be any acclaimed persons.
The next thing to come out is that the Township took it upon themselves to name property of which they do not technically own.
Amalgamate Edu. Bd., do you mean the Michael J. Smith field named by the township besides Langley Sec. School in MAP that has the $6-7-8 million Grandstand white elephant?
Also believe it or not the Times Editor in todays Langley Times agrees with LFP that the LCS $500k 'grant is in order. He also further agrees and says. "the Township appears jealous" of Langley City and that "the new building should not be a political football for the two councils to kick around".
Bucky, so far the Township ole boys club are the only ones kicking the political football. Look no further than to the quotes from Cllr. Charlie Fox who suddenly, after voting for just about every Township white elephant cost overrun and every annual whopping township tax increase, suddenly has seen the light and wants to hold up spending finally on something and the political loser is Langley community services! Yet on the very same day he approves the same amount on construction cost overruns for the gold plated dog shelter! Go figure.
Is vindictiveness a real possiblity as even Bucky suggests by the ole boys club at Township council? DOH, DO YOU THINK! By the way 'With It' why don't you share some of your LFP vemon with The Times Editor, Bucky, who also now agrees with me? Obviously "With It" you sshould be uggesting that the Times Editor Editorial also "spin (of) the stories is certainly extrodinary!" as you suggested previously above that this LFP Editor does! I rest my case Turkey!!! It's YOUR spin that won't work! Once again 'With It' and Langley Township Ole boys club, Try the truth, it will set you free.
"PREDICTION BY LFP EDITOR OR 'LFP KARNAK' THE MAGNIFICIENT"!!!
This Editor predicts that Langley Community Services will appeal one more time and that the political and jealous agenda outed of the closet will convince the Township Council to ultimately donate something. But wait I further predict that they will first make LCS jump though many hoops and delays but that they will ultimately buckle down and grant something. Then either way the Township ole boys club council will look stupid and petty once again. Meanwhile the City Mayor & council will look benevolent & saintly publicly and sly & shrewd winners to all of us 5% political insiders, once again!
Oh by the way Bucky how come YOU don't in the Editorial say that Cllr. Richter who moved/voted the LCS grant and Grant Ward, the only supporting cllrs. who voted for the grant are above this political football when & where it really counts, specifically the LCS? Do I still sense a federal Liberal vindictiveness residue Bucky?
Yes I am speaking of the MJS fields formally LSS fields.
The Education board had to slip through a motion to accept this and in doing so set a new precedence of allowing school fields to be named.
I know Township paid for the upgrade of the fields at LSS $575,000. I do not know why they thought it was alright to set a precedence that will cost the School District 5,000 plus installation and maintenance, for any of the other fields that someone may like to re-name instead of leaving them called the school name. Every public school must have a certain amount of playing fields attached to it. Sad really considering they are closing schools that the board has chosen to open themselves to this type of cost. We also have hungry on the street this type of money spending can wait till after you have a surplus and have taken care of the citizens needs. To spend money on things like flowers and signage I see as frivolous spending of tax dollars considering what they have chosen not to spend money on, like family services of the homeless. I say it is time to amalgamate/consolidate, then this type of thing would not be an issue.
Correction should say." I see as frivolous spending of tax dollars considering what they have chosen not to spend money on, like Family Services OR the homeless."
I'm still choking over the cost of that cement blob in McCloud Park. There should be an audit done on that job IMO.
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