Why Was The Opera House Closed Part 2

IS COUNCIL RUNNING SCARED? HOPELESSLY INDIFFERENT? UNFLINCHINGLY ARROGANT? OR JUST WOEFULLY NAIVE?

TIME TO BREAK RANK, AND STEP OUT FROM WHATEVER SHADOW THEY'RE HIDING BEHIND

     IT WOULD NOT OFFEND ME IN THE LEAST, IF ANY MEMBER OF GRAVENHURST COUNCIL, CLICKED OFF THIS BLOG RIGHT THIS MOMENT, VOWING NEVER TO RETURN. GO AHEAD SPIT IN MY EYE. I COULD NOT HOLD A GRUDGE, JUST BECAUSE THEY, IN PRIVATE, GAVE ME THE FINGER, OR VARIOUS OTHERS CREATIVE HAND SIGNS INDICATING "BE GONE YOU A-HOLE!" I'D BE KIND OF EXCITED TO KNOW THERE WAS A PULSE OUT THERE, IN COUNCIL LAND, THAT THEY COULD EVEN MUSTER A SIGNIFICANT HAND GESTURE. THERE ARE A FEW VOYEURS, WHO HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF LIFE OVER THERE, AND ANY VOICES THAT MIGHT SEND FORTH A MESSAGE ABOUT OUR TOWN…..AND WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON. JUST READ WE LOST ANOTHER TOWN STAFFER AT THE LIBRARY. BUT OF COURSE THERE'S NO COMMENT, ABOUT REASONS FOR THE DEPARTURE. JUST A LOT OF ROOM FOR US TO SPECULATE. THAT'S NEVER GOOD. IN FACT, FOR ALL THE EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD IN PUBLIC RELATIONS, THIS PRESENT TOWN COUNCIL HAS ME BAFFLED. THEY'VE BROKEN EVERY RULE, EVEN FOR FUNDAMENTAL, RUN-OF-THE-MILL DAMAGE CONTROL. THEY'VE JUST KIND OF HUNKERED DOWN AND BEEN CONTENT TO LET THE MISSILES LAND WHERE THEY MAY. IN FACT, I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR IN 35 YEARS OF MEDIA WORK. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF IT. POSSIBLY IT IS SOME REALLY CLEVER PLAN, TO GET THROUGH FOUR YEARS, WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO TAKE A SERIOUS GRILLING BY THE MEDIA, AND NOT HAVING TO FACE THE PUBLIC, ACCEPT UNDER THE RATHER RIGID TERMS SET OUT FOR COUNCIL DEPUTATIONS.

      TAKE THE RECENT OPERA HOUSE SITUATION FOR EXAMPLE. WHEN THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO THE PUBLIC, AND PROVIDE INFORMATION WHY THE OPERA HOUSE WAS SUDDENLY CLOSED LAST WEEK, AND ONGOING THIS WEEK, THEY DECIDED AGAINST ISSUING A PRESS RELEASE, OR PLACING AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE LOCAL PRESS (IN ONE OF THE TWO ADS THEY RUN EVERY WEEK ON OUR DIME), AND BELIEVED THAT THE SMALL NOTICE TAPED TO THE OPERA HOUSE DOOR WOULD HANDLE ALL ENQUIRIES. WHEN PUBLIC ACCESS IS DENIED IN THE BUILDINGS WE CALL "PUBLICLY OWNED," WE SHOULD, AS CONSTITUENTS, BE INFORMED OF THE REASONS WHY. THE TOWN HAS PROTOCOLS FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING, EXCLUDING THE BREAKING OF WIND, SO I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S SOMETHING IN THOSE VAST VOLUMES, ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW. GEEZ, IT'S MUNICIPAL POLITICS 101. THESE FOLKS OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T GET THAT FAR.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM TOWN COUNCIL ANYWAY?

     I've got a burdensome page of notes, that right now frustrates me. That happens when I'm mired down in silly stuff, and lost about how best to present my argument, to have any weight whatsoever. Arguments to be foisted upon a town council that marches to its own drummer, have to be cleverly crafted…..because they cleverly, or otherwise, seem to be able to dodge them all, by covering their eyes and ears. I realize that I'm trying most of all, to reach the constituents of this town, to see if my take on the situation makes sense to them. It must. I've almost doubled my readership without using a single picture involving nudity, or any offer of door prizes, or coupons. My readers seem genuinely interested in the same things around this town that I am. They've got questions they'd like answered. My failure, is that I can't make any sense of what's going on over there, other than to use the word dysfunctional and undemocratic. Once again, if you're a Gravenhurst Councillor, and hate being ambushed by a blogger in the woods, then feel free to tune-out. If on the other hand, you're a Gravenhurst Councillor, itching to defend yourself, or this present council, then by golly, we are truly connecting after all this time. The fact a councillor may still be this far into the blog, could mean there is disharmony amongst what appears cult-like at times, when everyone seems in agreement that falling in line causes no pain. Heaven forbid we should have a public Q. and A. ruin the balance of their term of office. Is it possible that a councillor might pop out of the status quo, and shadows of "one message, one speaker" to show a splintering away from being "on message," and drone-like. This is what the residents of this municipality are wondering. Do they really think this is a one person campaign to make them break rank, and actually answer questions on their own? If the Opera House was open, for a public meeting, we'd find out how many citizens want their questions answered.

     This morning, via the local press, the residents of Gravenhurst, deserved an answer about why there was almost a month's delay, from the time of the Chief Librarians resignation, to the time it became public. Instead, the press was treated to nothing in particular, other than the striking reality we need another librarian. We should have been able to read a paragraph, at least, about why the Opera House was unceremoniously closed last week, due to roof repairs, when the work up top has been going on for weeks without need of barring the doors to the public. And we also should have a counter point presented to us, why the Muskoka theatre project has been given the run-around, if we are to believe the most recent published stories, which I believe ran in both The Muskokan, and then in Wednesday's Banner. I would doubt whether anyone reading the articles, would finish them feeling that Gravenhurst was a "together" municipality. Actually, if you take what has happened recently with this town, including the initial Terrence Haight bequeath debacle, and the here today, gone tomorrow employment situation, the article is worth paying attention to, if for no other reason, than it's precisely the impression our council and town hall is reflecting these days. If any councillors are left, reading this, do they feel any necessity whatsoever, to either save themselves from being broad stroked, by the critics' brush, or petition council itself, that it must recognize the hole in the boat, before it sinks.

     I will ask a simple question of these citizens, who have been elected to represent us. Why was it deemed unnecessary to inform the public, why the historic building they own, has been closed to the public for the past week?

     I can surmise, guesstimate, hypothesize, speculate, and fantasize to come up with answers. My answers aren't important. Their answers are imperative to the democracy some of us still put stock in…..even with the doubts that pop up from time to time about its general well-being. If the Opera House was closed for structural problems, which might explain the plywood nailed to the roof, what was the damage, and was this anticipated as a possibility, prior to the commencement of the project? If it is an air quality situation, seeing as construction won't be completed for some time, what limitations does this place on day to day operations? Is it safe for staff? Will any booking have to be cancelled because of any of these prevailing problems? Will the roof be repaired before the onset of winter?

     The questions in return, might be, "we are not obligated to answer," and "we don't recognize your press credentials." The answers I'd expect, are likely to be, "Everything is moving along well," and "What hole in the roof?" Honestly, some times I confound myself, trying to figure out, why our councillors seem numb to the reality, their popularity is plummeting; as fast as our confidence, we elected the right people two years ago. It doesn't have to be this way. But even when given a chance, such as to hold a public meeting, to give the public a chance to make some honest enquiries, a majority of councillors feel there is no need….nothing that says they have to do this, in order to stay in office. What is required, is a hale and hearty belief that democracy won't hurt any one. Haven't we learned that already.

     We still need to know what's going on with the Opera House. If council fails to be forthright with this information, then we have a far more serious problem with accountability than we expected.

     Thank you for joining today's blog. If it doesn't solve any problems, it wasn't for a lack of trying. You all come back now, you hear!