A POWDER KEG FOR THE NEW YEAR - GRAVENHURST IS HEADING FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS DISASTER
DON'T ALLOW BIA TO BULLY THEIR WAY THROUGH ZONE-EXPANSION PROCESS - PREVENT DEBACLE NOW
LET ME BEGIN TODAY'S BLOG WITH A HEARTFELT APOLOGY. I PROMISED READERS THIS FALL, THAT I WOULD WRITE MORE THAN THIRTY NON-CONFRONTATIONAL CHRISTMAS / HOMETOWN BLOGS, CONTAINING NOTHING BUT CHRISTMAS REVELRY AND NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION; AND EVEN IN THE EARLY GOING, I'VE BEEN DISTRACTED TWICE BY IMPORTANT NEWS OF THE DAY. TO OFFSET THIS BLOG-ATORIAL TODAY, WHICH I FELT WAS NECESSARY, I'VE INCLUDED, AT THE BOTTOM, A RE-PUBLISHED COLUMN I WROTE FOR THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF THE "GREAT NORTH ARROW," AS THE PAPER'S SOUTH MUSKOKA CORRESPONDENT. SEEING AS THE NEWSPAPER ISN'T AVAILABLE HERE, AT PRESENT, I THOUGHT A FEW OF MY READERS MIGHT WISH TO READ THE CHRISTMAS COLUMN. THE GREAT NORTH ARROW IS PUBLISHED IN DUNCHURCH, ONTARIO, AND HAS ENJOYED TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN ITS FIRST TWO YEARS. THE RELEVANCE IS, FOR ME, THAT I WROTE THE COLUMN, RIGHT HERE IN THE HEART OF GRAVENHURST, WHILE LOOKING OUT OVER THE SNOWY BOG…….AND GETTING INTO THE SEASONAL SENTIMENT, BY WAXING NOSTALGIC. THE POINT OF THE COLUMN, ACTUALLY, WAS TO THANK THE PUBLISHERS OF THE ARROW, FOR RE-CREATING THE KIND OF NEWSPAPER THAT I CUT MY TEETH, WORKING ON, BACK IN THE LATE 1970'S. IT'S THE FAILURE OF MANY PUBLICATIONS TODAY, IN THE RURAL CLIMES, THAT VILLAGES AND HAMLETS HAVE BECOME OF MUCH LESSER CONSIDERATION. THE IMPORTANT CONNECTION THAT THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER MADE, BRINGING TOGETHER, IN COMMUNICATION, ALL THE RURAL POPULATION, FOR WELL MORE THAN A CENTURY, HAS BEEN, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, ELIMINATED. IT SUCKS. THE COLUMN AS SUCH, IS ONE OF LAMENT. BUT FOR ME, AND THE ARROW, WELL, HISTORY DOES REPEAT. WE NEED THE SAME REVITALIZATION OF OLD TIME COMMUNICATION, BACK IN MUSKOKA.
COMMUNICATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND HONESTY
ON ANOTHER NOTE. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BIA ACTIVITIES IN TOWN. I DON'T DENY THAT THE BIA NEEDS MORE BUSINESSES TO GIVE IT A GREATER DYNAMIC, AND ECONOMIC BASE FROM WHICH TO WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY. I DON'T WISH FOR ITS DEMISE, AND I'M SURE THE FOLKS WHO MAKE UP ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WORK LONG AND HARD, TO ACHIEVE POSITIVE PROMOTION FOR THE UPTOWN BUSINESS COMMUNITY. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO BECOME A THORN IN THEIR SIDE, AS A DETRACTOR OR AGITATOR, BECAUSE OUR FAMILY HAS A BUSINESS TO RUN. WE REALLY DON'T HAVE "AGITATION TIME" LIKE WE USED TO, WHEN THE BUSINESS WAS MUCH SMALLER, AND WAS ONLY MUSIC RELATED. JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY. THERE IS HOWEVER, AN ISSUE THAT FRIGHTENS ME, AND IT SHOULD CONCERN EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN, AND NOT JUST THOSE IN THE AFFECTED AREA OF THE MAIN STREET. THERE IS A DEMOCRACY ISSUE ON THE LINE, AND IT'S THE ONE AREA OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE THAT ALWAYS PRICKS ME A LITTLE HARDER, EACH TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS. WHILE I DON'T FEEL ANY NECESSITY TO FIGHT SOMEONE ELSE'S BATTLE, IF I SENSE, IN ANY WAY, THAT DEMOCRACY IS BEING NEGLECTED, ABUSED, OR ADJUSTED TO SWING THE PROJECT, I GUARANTEE, FIRST OF ALL, THAT I WON'T BE SETTING MYSELF ON FIRE IN PROTEST; BUT I WILL DEDICATE MYSELF TO WORKING IN OPPOSITION…..AS A HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS. MY HOPE IS, THAT THE BIA, AS A GROUP, WILL RECOGNIZE WHAT PUBLIC RELATIONS DISASTER THEY ARE HEADING INTO……AND PULL BACK UNTIL THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH-UP ON ALL THE PLANS UNFOLDING, ESPECIALLY SO, COMING EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR. WITHOUT BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, HAVING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE PROPOSED BIA EXPANSION, THERE NEEDS TO BE A HIATUS PERIOD, WHERE PUBLIC CONSULTATION CAN TAKE PLACE. THIS MUST NOT BE RUSHED. IF IT IS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THE PROCESS WILL TAKE TIME. I'M FEELING THAT THERE ARE MOVERS AND SHAKERS HERE, PUSHING THEIR AGENDA……AND THAT IS NEVER A GOOD THING FOR A DIVERSE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
I FEEL THAT WHAT I AM ABOUT TO RELATE, IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO THE WELL BEING OF OUR HOMETOWN, THAN PRE-OCCUPYING ON NOSTALGIA…..EVEN IF IT'S WHAT I LOVE TO DO. THERE IS A NEWS ISSUE HERE THAT IS SLIPPING BELOW THE RADAR. AND WE ALL NEED TO RECOGNIZE WHAT'S HAPPENING……BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE…..AND CONTROVERSY ERUPTS, AS A RESULT OF MISHANDLING. I DIDN'T PULL YOUR LEG ABOUT THE OPERA HOUSE ROOF, AND ITS DELAYS, AND I WON'T MISLEAD YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS LATEST TOWN UPDATE. YOU WON'T READ THIS ADVISORY IN ANY OF THE OTHER MEDIA…..THAT HAVE ALLOWED THIS UNFOLDING STORY TO BREAK, WITHOUT ANY RESPONSIBLE, "JOURNALISM 101" COUNTER-POINT. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS COUNTER-POINT! THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE JUST FINDING OUT WHAT THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE……OF AN EXPANDED BIA ZONE. AND THEY'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT. BUT IF YOU READ THE NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT, THIS WEEK IN "THE BANNER," ONE MIGHT ASSUME IT'S THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO GRAVENHURST. THIS IS YET TO BE PROVEN.
THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST CAN AVOID A NASTY BIT OF BUSINESS IF IT SO DESIRES. IT'S UP TO THEM. EACH COUNCILLOR WILL HAVE TO WEIGH THIS SITUATION OVER, AND JUST HOW MANY MORE TERMS OF OFFICE THEY MIGHT WISH TO REMAIN, AS A ELECTED OFFICIALS. IT WOULD BE PAINFULLY NAIVE, (UNACCEPTABLY SO) TO THINK THAT THE BIA EXPANSION PLAN, CURRENTLY ON THE TABLE, ISN'T PARTICULARLY CONTROVERSIAL. JUST A ROUTINE BEHEMOTH EXPANSION! THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT FEW MONTHS IN COUNCILLORS' FOUR YEAR TERM OF OFFICE. IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN READING THE LOCAL PRESS, THE BIA HAS BEEN MAKING IT CLEAR, AT LEAST IN UNACCEPTABLY ONE-SIDED NEWSPAPER COVERAGE, THAT IT HAS ITS SIGHTS ON AN EXPANDED AREA FOR THE UPTOWN / MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION ZONE. THE PARAMETERS OF THE LARGELY EXPANDED ZONE WERE PUBLISHED THIS WEEK IN "THE BANNER," AND IT IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE, FOR ALL THOSE IN THE AFFECTED AREA, TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH ALL THE NUANCES AND ENCUMBRANCES, THIS EXPANDED ZONE WILL REPRESENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ADDITIONAL TAX BURDEN. THEY ALL MIGHT WANT TO BRUSH UP ON WHAT THE BIA HAS DONE IN THE PAST, AND WHAT THE OTHER ASSOCIATIONS HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN ONTARIO COMMUNITIES. GOOD AND NOT SO GOOD. IT WOULDN'T HURT TO BRUSH UP ON THE BIA CONSTITUTION AS WELL.
THIS HAS BEEN A CLUMSY STEALTH EXERCISE, OF TRYING TO PUSH FORWARD AN AGENDA, USING POSITIVES LIKE LAXATIVE, WITHOUT THE PROTOCOLS OF RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. THE BIA HAS BEEN OPENLY DISCUSSING THE OBJECTIVES, OF EXPANDING THE GOVERNANCE AREA, WITH REPORTERS OF THE LOCAL MEDIA, AS IF THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A "RUBBER STAMP," TO SEAL THE WHOLE DEAL. WHERE IS THE TOWN ON THIS ONE? WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN PRO-ACTIVE, AND MADE SURE THAT THE FOLKS, WHO ARE GOING TO BE MOST IMPACTED BY THIS PROPOSAL, WERE ADEQUATELY INFORMED, BY LETTER OR PUBLIC MEETING, BEFORE THE BIA STARTED TO SPOUT OFF ABOUT THE REALLY BIG PLAN…….THAT BY THE WAY IS ALREADY ATTRACTING OPPOSITION. YOU JUST WON'T FIND THAT OUT BY READING LOCAL PUBLICATIONS. YES, IT IS A FAULT OF THESE PUBLICATIONS. YOU CAN'T JUST RUN ONE-SIDED NEWS STORIES AND BELIEVE YOU'VE DONE YOUR EDITORIAL DUE DILIGENCE.
I'M NOT OPPOSING THE EXPANSION PLANS……BUT DAMN MAD ABOUT THE WAY THE PROPOSAL IS BEING HANDLED
I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR……I AM NOT SETTING UP OPPOSITION TO THEIR EXPANSION PLANS. BUT BY JESUS, IF THEY WANT OPPOSITION, BECAUSE THEY LIKE IT THAT WAY, THEN I WILL VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST THOSE WHO WILL POTENTIALLY BAND TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE AMALGAMATION. WHY? BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO IN A DEMOCRACY. LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK. LET EVERYONE KNOW, WELL IN ADVANCE, WHAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEM……AND INFORM THEM, WITHOUT DELAY, WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE, TO OPPOSE THE LARGE SCALE EXPANSION OF THE BIA.
What is so galling about this, comes from the blatant propaganda being pumped-up to the constituents of our town. Much as if to say, "It's a done deal, so get over it!." Surely councillors must see this. How could they not know this expansion issue is going to be opposed, by property owners, not wishing to be lumped together with a BIA, that even today, is at best, only modestly supported by current member businesses. If you don't believe me, then help us ask Town Council to survey the business community, as they should, to find out if members would like to withdraw from the BIA entirely. Don't ask, don't tell. They know there is not full compliance along the main street. Yet they may be prepared, to let the present BIA steamroll this expansion proposal ahead, regardless of what internal strife it already declines to deal with…..and this is a foolish enterprise. Unless it is clearly understood……really understood, what problems exist today, with the BIA as an entity, heading off into an expansion……even if it is the right thing to do, by provincial model, is destining an existing under-functioning group, to became a huge and unstable organization. The BIA is not all-powerful, despite what they dream about……or fantasize, and they most certainly are not over and above the control of Town Council, which has routinely turned away from the organization's internal conundrums. They have known of these problems, some that a few years ago, were highlighted regularly in letters to the editor, from disgruntled former board members. Were these critiques wrong? Well, they were, at the very least, worthy of the town's focus, and with a town representative sitting on the board, they had a vested, in-person opportunity, to represent disharmony for what it was. This failure could now escalate into a full blown crisis, because if there are problems with the BIA at present…..isn't it logical, that with an expanded zone, and more potential board members, the stresses will only be increased. If you are made aware that the wing of a plane has been repaired with roofing nails, and you're pretty sure it won't hold-up in flight, would you climb aboard without concern? Not bloody likely! Thus, knowing what may be a serious problem, within the BIA presently, and then taking it on a whirlwind expansion junket, should remind those in authority of the town……it better be checked out and repaired first…..or the consequences will be shouldered by them. There will be no one else to fob-this-off-on after the fact.
So here's my opinion, whether the Town wants this or not. I'm giving a clear heads-up about the problems soon to be encountered. Councillors can minimize this, and consider me one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Fact remains, there are property owners now, upset by how this information has been passed around in their affected neighborhood. They have no idea, at this point, if they will be forced to join the BIA, or if they have a right to refuse membership. They don't have any idea what the implications are, of being a member of the BIA, particularly what it will cost in annual taxation. And if so, how this taxation, over and above normal municipal tax burden, is determined. A public meeting should be held early in the new year, as it is anticipated the BIA expansion plan, will be presented in the early spring. Of this, I stand to be corrected. This is not an issue that should be handled by the media alone, and not entrusted to the BIA agents, who will not be offering even a smidgeon of the "down side," that comes with being a member business. The Town has to make a stand here. From what I've read recently, I have serious concerns this may already be a done deal. I hope I'm wrong about this. I will gladly use my time and space on this blog, to present the town's side, if they would like to clarify their position. I want their opinion on the matter. So do a lot of other folks in this town.
There is no need to enter this period without eyes wide open. There is no reason that we have to be informed by the media, of this program being imminent. With the communication protocol concerning council this past year……and requiring formal policy to deal with it……well folks, it might appear to the critic, that this failure to communicate fully…..is the net result of too many protocols. And a lot less logic and sensibility about real-life issues……that can't always be packaged under a policy number in a councillor's handbook. As to the suggestion that people like me, fan the flames of discontent……well, give me an argument that has some meat, and we'll talk about it. For those who know me, and have some intimate knowledge of our family's support of this town……the last interest for me, is to hurt the community I adore…..or the business community, of which we are a vested part. That would be peeing in the wind. I did it once at age five.
I don't often beg, but in this case, I'm going to allow myself to grovel……to ask for mercy…..a little favor, for a constituent, who also happens to be a blogger. I ask Town Council, with all of my heart, to please take the initiative, to manage this proposal before it becomes a serious and emotional fight, and a legal opposition, potentially in the courts. This matter needs to be postponed, temporarily withdrawn, in order to allow democracy its cycle…….to either formally oppose the expansion plan…..or on the other hand……accept what it has to offer. There is a goodwill opportunity here, to negotiate versus impose. The damage such a forced implementation will cause, may be irreparable for years to come. Knowing this potential exists, and that there is an opposition building within, should be all the reason for the town to step back…….and more fully examined the implications attached. Wouldn't you expect advice like this from a friend?
I can not say with any evidence at hand, that an expanded BIA zone, is the boost we have needed in this community, to build back a stronger main street. What I am proposing, is that the way to a better business future, for all of us, in this main street zone, is to let opponents into the mix, and allow democracy to prevail. It will at least create a more durable reality of co-operation from the get-go……instead of the hurtful, negative impression, on the part of some property owners now, who have a feeling they're about to shanghaied, into a business union they don't want to be a part. Even the BIA directorate, should insist on full disclosure and compliance, to the test of democratic decision making……and co-operate with all initiatives to give the public their day. Having this expansion foisted upon property owners, isn't the best way to start a prosperous relationship……and the BIA should oppose anything that looks and acts like a forced marriage. Here's why.
The present Board of Directors, in an expanded BIA, will have to shift their Family Compact way of doing business. They will not be able to operate without the infusion of ideas and initiatives from other members, who at present, may not share even the slightest interest in past, or even the current agenda. Which means, if the old guard wishes the grandeur of the expanded base of operations, they are going to have to play nice……and give up the ideals of the perfect fiefdom, as they might prefer it remain. If the BIA wants to preserve the status quo it enjoys at present…..(because many businesses won't participate at the administration level….or show up for meetings, ever) then adding already disgruntled property owners, who may have been forced to participate in the expansion, will create a disharmony that will destroy, once and for all, the old way of conducting business. Do the executive members appreciate the box they are building for themselves? No escape from the reality, they will be forced into, having to accommodate the ambitions and policies brought with new members…….which could be a significant obstacle, based on past experience? This should be good for democracy…..except if it is resisted. Once again, in past performance, resistance and stubbornness have been the problems. This is not a small expansion, affecting only a few properties. This is an enormous and potentially business changing model. There may be businesses affected, that will move as a result…..not wanting any additional taxation, in an already economically vulnerable area. The biggest concern, is how the eventual full-coverage of this proposal, and the ensuing debate, (the double-banked front page headlines) will impact everyone with a vested interest……most of us not interested in having more debacle, dumped on top of existing issues…..that have still never been resolved.
This is the town's most serious internal challenge, in their term of office. They might not believe it……and this is, in essence, the problem. Just like a lot of affected property owners, who have little idea what the proposal will mean down the road. Ignorance is not a defense. There's time to get this all out in the open and begin consultation. The town must take their responsibility seriously……and not just confine their business to the paper work and agenda of the day. There are people out there who need to know what's going on……what's in store for them…… So far, what has appeared in the print media, offered up generously, by both the town and BIA, has been, in essence, the wrong way to spread the word, about such a huge and dramatic shift in the business community.
It is not my place to mount a campaign to block the BIA expansion. But I won't hesitate getting involved, to help others, fight a plan that is unfairly imposed and implemented. I think citizens generally will have something to say about this……if they are afforded the opportunity.
If the expansion proposal is a winner…..then all the relevant parties will find the way to negotiate a solid, workable, future relationship. Of course it could work. But this is up to the partners in this project, and I'm an outsider. I hope those in the affected area, slated for future BIA inclusion, will band together to make a joint presentation to council. And before it's too late.
A WARM CHRISTMAS FEELING BEING IN GOOD COMPANY
By Ted Currie
Specially prepared for the Great North Arrow Christmas Issue
As a sometimes weary writer, former reporter and bleary-eyed historian, I hate to admit how easily I can get depressed these days, hearing and reading about increasing economic calamities, natural disasters, and precarious military engagements that seem to teeter all of civilization, on the brink of a global conflict. I wonder what it felt like back on the cusp of World War, in this country, when it came around to celebrating Christmas? I surmise about this, as an historian, and from what my parents and grandparents used to speak about, but I still find it hard to appreciate the actuality of the period; the unsettling trepidation of every day, of every week, hoping the evening's static-filled radio newscast would provide some hope, and news of victory, rather than defeat.
I don't think anyone today, who keeps up on international affairs, will dismiss this as just typical world disorder, or something that will diminish through negotiation alone. When someone sings the song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy," geez, if it was only that easy. It does behove us to think of others, less fortunate, who find themselves in unrelenting war zones, and displaced by natural disaster, such as what occurred in the path of Hurricane Sandy. Then there are those, who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a country burdened by recession, and austerity programs, that have created poverty from prosperity, such that we can't even comprehend what the same conditions would mean for us, tucked safely into the bosom of Canada.
As a long-serving news hound, who does occasionally get burdened by the rigors and truths of the profession, I can so clearly recall the first Christmas of my full-time editorship, with a small community newspaper, in Bracebridge, Ontario. It was back in 1981. I had become the youngest non-family editor, of The Herald-Gazette, housed in a historically appointed, Victorian era building, on Dominion Street. I can remember walking back to the office that particular Christmas Eve, in the light snow of a moderate storm moving in off the lakes, and thinking that with the haloed lamplight, and the imbedded architectural history, of the picturesque neighborhood, that Charles Dickens might have created this backdrop……for his well known story, "A Christmas Carol."
I didn't have any reason to return to the office, that night, as the Christmas editions of our regional publications, had been released the day before, and staff had the coming week off. But as vain as it may seem, I just had to sit in that venerable old oak desk, in my editor's office, to bask for a few quiet moments, when there were no demands on my time, no ringing phones, no barking of orders coming from the publisher, and not a story left uncovered. I wanted the history to sink in to my young soul. I wanted to feel all the vibes of all the editors who had sat in this same chair, and typed out editorials at deadline, on huge snapping manual Underwoods, high on this time-ravaged desk. I wanted to look out on that snowy street, just as they would have, on winter nights like this, and then made copious notes about stories needed for the next edition. I did feel like the King of the World, for those few gentle moments of innocent contemplation.
I sat there for about an hour thinking myself so abundantly fortunate, to have fulfilled a dream, in my hometown, of becoming editor so soon after graduating university. I must say, for those few quiet, thoughtful moments, I did feel a little Dickensian, pen in hand, snow dashing against the window pane, as the storm front drew closer, and the snowfall heavier. During my years, in that same editor's chair, one of my greatest joys, and most appreciated qualities (at least this is what readers told me), was my respect for the newspaper traditions. The way we respected the contributions of our rural correspondents, and accounts from all the hamlets and crossroads, that had stories to tell, and news to report. It didn't matter whether it was a 4-H Club report, or notes from the most recent meeting of a local Women's Institute; announcements from the United Church Women, the Anglican Church Women, the Masonic Lodge, the Rotary Club, Lions, Kinsmen Club, the Horticultural Society, Historical Society, or the Knights of Columbus. It was all important to our readers. It was the ribbon that threaded our newspaper together from front page to last.
When I left the newspaper, to pursue freelance writing and the antique trade, in the late 1980's, i watched many of these traditions between the major towns and hamlets being abandoned, as insignificant in terms of readership numbers. I was sad to see a changing focus and different market strategy, where it was seen as cost efficient to run what we called "canned copy" in the form of camera-ready press releases, sent from government agencies. The country correspondents were bumped for stories about asparagus and Ontario tomatoes. The papers that once depended on the rural areas to survive, decided to become urban area papers only, and simply stopped running these community news and event columns, and as far as I was concerned, it was a foolish move on all counts.
I am finishing-up my second full year as an editorial contributor to the Great North Arrow. I can't tell you how at home I feel, being associated with this product, and all the folks who have contributed to its publishing success. In many ways, sitting at my old desk now, in my home office, looking out at the falling snow over The Bog, across the road, working on this column for the Great North Arrow has restored my faith in the community press. I haven't felt this way in a long time.
I want to thank the publisher of this paper, and family, for inviting me to join the editorial crew of the Great North Arrow, a couple of Christmases ago. I want to thank them for creating an old-time quality product with solid footing in contemporary times. It is good to see a publisher, so interested in regional connectedness, and good neighborliness, which never becomes outdated or unnecessary. It is a pleasure writing for such a family oriented business, that was willing to take a chance on the strong ties of tradition and benefits of regional inclusion, to launch a dynamic publication amidst a period of economic turmoil.
I feel at times, as if I've unknowingly, and through some strange portal, fallen back to another era in my writing career, when excitement was part of every news story and column I wrote. This is what working alongside this courageous group of newspaper proponents, and talented writer-kind, has done for an old writer like me. I hope they will agree to keep me on for another year.
I want to wish everyone connected to the Great North Arrow, and of course, the readers who have made it all such a great success, a sincere Merry Christmas, and of course, a Happy New Year. I trust there will be many more years of friendship between us all. That's my Christmas wish!
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