I am gonna start with some "Truth in Advertising" on my post of two days ago (20th). I have read what I have posted probably ten times; yep ten times and am finally getting to where and how I made MY mistake. What I posted on the Arpin's and their issues with the City of Vienna be it Ms. Kearns and/ or Mr. Rapp was an error on my part concerning the Family Night on the 17th.
I did the parts of my posting in segments and while I was content with each one, I failed to properly connect and correct them all in a row. That stupidity on my part led me to make a comment on the 17th that had NO connection to the birthday party issue(s) for the Arpin's.
I am content that the 17th is STILL the third Friday in June and Ms. Kerns is still seeming to have a problem with reading a Calendar. She is apparently going to have a similar problem in July by now scheduling more on the 22d of July which is the third Friday in July too. The 8th and the 9th appear to be on line with the Calendar and her always on the second Friday comment. And that is where I went wrong.
I still firmly believe that the P'burg Multi Cultural Festival is MORE important to the education and enjoyment of the kids be they 3 or maybe as little as a precocious 2 year old. At those ages, children are like sponges. They absorb information and are forming their little minds so fast. And as I understand it, will do that up to the ages of 7 or 8. NO child is born a Racist; a Bigot or a Hypocrite. They learn this from the parents, family, peers and those they come into contact with over time. The more exposed at the earliest is a plus for the tykes. Especially in todays ever shrinking World. Would suggest that Ms. Kerns made an error to schedule against the Festival?
For reasons other than my failure to review all the segments of the post, I failed to catch and somehow misread that she had a reservation for the 9th of July. Somehow and don't know how, I read it as she had reserved a day (17th), nine (9), months in advance for the Birthday Party. I screwed up and just not sure how I read it that way?
This does NOT change the intransigence that the Arpin's received from the City. Ms./ Mr. Arpin are still correct that the City should have accommodated their Reservation. And the attitude she stated she received in her 22 May posting showed the poor Customer Service some get at 29th Street. I have a pretty good idea who she spoke with but am going to let that go as the damage is done and that one person will not change no matter how many years she works for the City.
In any case, we (the City), lost the two bookings Ms. Arpin referred too. And the black eye that the City overall has received will be a long time if ever forgotten by some. I laid this at Ms. Kerns and Mr Rapp's feet because of their positions in the City and the lack of accommodation after Ms. Kerns made her error.
Some time back, I noted a person should never "proof" their own writing. My failure to properly review and tie it all together is on me and me alone.
Some might say why even worry about what you posted a few days or whenever? Well, to me, it is very important to try and be honest in what I post to anyone reading this blog. I don't care if costs me in some people's eyes because I admit I am human and made a mistake.
What is truly important is I am willing to admit it and try to fix the error. Ethics, Morals and Integrity are not just idle words to me. I would rather you respect me for my attempts to be honest than how "slick" you think I might be or how you might think I can "spin" stuff.
This is how I worked for 22 years in Federal Service and how I will work for you as your Mayor.
Call for more Rio security after Paralympic athletes robbed
Associated Press 5 hrs ago (Posted 11:00 A.M., 21 June 16)
SYDNEY — After two members of the Australian Paralympic sailing squad were robbed at gunpoint, Australia's Olympic team leader is urging Brazilian authorities to implement Olympic-scale security now in Rio de Janeiro "before an athlete gets hurt."
The weekend incident in Rio highlighted fears of crime against foreign athletes ahead of the Aug. 5-21 Summer Games.
An estimated 85,000 police and soldiers will be patrolling the streets during the Olympics and Paralympics, but violent crime remains a fact of life in Rio. And they ain't seen nothing yet folks. Rio is a dangerous, dangerous place.
"This is not an isolated incident, athletes have been mugged while training or competing in Rio test events and we want our athletes protected," Chiller (Chef de mission for the Australian contingent), said. "We have briefed our athletes leading into the Games. Basically we are saying that if you are confronted by criminals, comply, handover your belongings and don't argue. That is exactly what the two Paralympians did on Sunday."
She said the Paralympic sailors were confronted by men at 7:30 a.m. near their accommodation.
"There were people around but no-one came to their assistance.
This is a major concern and the only answer is for the authorities to put extra police and security on the ground now," Chiller said. "We are taking over 400 young athletes to the games, we need to ensure they are protected at all costs."
Australian team leaders have already barred athletes and officials from visiting shantytowns and slums in Rio, and are considering team curfews and other no-go zones. Sadly will not be enough as there are going to be major sad headlines out there before it ends I am afraid?
"The local mayor was very upset with me when we announced that the favelas were off limits to members of our team," Chiller said. "This was not a slur on his city, which is a beautiful and vibrant city. It is a simple security precaution." Is called staying alive and unharmed in simple English.
Still trying to absorb the WVU tuition increase of 4.7% for next year. Year after year, the Colleges and Universities raise their charges far more than the so called inflation. The excuse they have to pay the Professors/ Educators more to keep them is a sorry excuse. From how some of the lads and lassies are coming out of Higher Education with no marketable skills and huge debt can only make one very skeptical of what they are actually learning?
It was commented to me on Monday about the City not putting up any minutes for sometime and than taking down the 9 June dated minutes. These turned out to be the 26 May 2016 minutes or were to be what happened in that meeting. I have already noted the inconsistencies in what was put out and what was said in the meeting.
As an aside, while I was commenting on the across the board raises and the special ones, I noted the new cost in the raise as noted in the meeting. It did not cover the extra costs as near as I could tell on the 9% contribution to the individual City Retirement/ the Social Security Tax payments and so. This comes to about another 16- 17%. Than, I did not remember the City paid Vision Plan being voted on in another meeting? That was estimated at another $1,000/ year per Employee. 'nuff said'
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).