Short and Sweet

I know many bloggers don't like to quote or refer to newspapers or other media sources but I make exceptions when I'm the one being written about.
I don't think the Gleaner would mind since I have praise for them in this post.

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Heather McLaughlin of the Daily Gleaner to talk about my last blog. She had a couple of questions about my decision to not seek re-election in the spring.
We spoke for a few minutes and I left it to fate to see how it would play out.

(You recall that in the past some news sources have taken my words and I haven't always come out looking so well.)

I was very pleased when I saw this in the Gleaner on Monday October 10.
Heather did a very nice job of keeping the details of our conversation short and sweet to which I am thankful.
Here is a link to it.

Gleaner article

If for some reason the link above doesn't work I have copied and pasted it here as well.

Scammell won't reoffer
Published Monday October 10th, 2011
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN

New Maryland Coun. Tim Scammell says he has decided not to reoffer when municipal elections roll around next spring.

Scammell said he's enjoyed his experience on council.

"I would encourage anyone to offer themselves for public office, but I really recommend that they evaluate the time commitment and determine if it fits into their lives or not," Scammell said.

The married father of twin boys, who will be 14 by the time May elections roll around, said he wants to spend more time with them during their teenage years.

Scammell said he wanted to make his intentions known early so that anyone interested in running in the next municipal election has a headstart.

"I know of a couple of guys who have expressed their interest in it and if they do, it will be great. It would be an awesome council if they got on," he said.

Scammell said he'd be happy to share his thoughts with any candidates who want to know what the job of councillor entails, and he's not ruling out a return to local politics if the timing is right.

This appeared in the Comments section on the web version of the story.

"But Tim, you are the one who should be running for Mayor! If anyone can get some GOOD things happening for the village, it would be YOU. Too bad the younger blood and voices are being chased out. Wish you would really stay on!"
A Reader, Fredericton on 10/10/11 11:02:10 AM ADT

I appreciated this and replied to it.

"Thank-you very much for the kind words and confidence A Reader. I appreciate it more than I can tell you.
Please don't feel that I'm being chased out though. I don't feel that way.
I plan on staying involved with Village matters and would like to remain on at least one of the committees that I'm presently on if the upcoming Mayor and Council will permit.
It wasn't an easy decision to make but it's the right one for now.
However, in 2016 my sons will be 18 and most likely quite independent of their dear old dad.
That may be a good time to consider seeking office again. (If the voters would have me).
Thanks again.
Tim"
Tim Scammell, New Maryland on 11/10/11 12:05:38 PM ADT

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by what A Reader said.

My pal Charles posted my last blog on his blog site and I was stunned by the level of nastiness that spilled out of the comments section.
If that venom was left here I would not allow them to be posted but Charles censors very little on his blog.
I won't bother repeating them here but I was saddened that there are people who could look at what I had written and blast me for it.
I've blown it off now thanks to good words from good friends who put it in perspective.

Anyhoo, now I carry on with the last few months of my term on New Maryland Council.

There's some busy times ahead with the upcoming budget and the new year coming.

Carry on.

Stay well,
Tim

Ready? Here we go!

All righty then. Here we go.
This may get a little wild but bear with me and I'll try to be as organized as possible.
In case you haven't guessed I'm talking about this morning's press conference about the York Street Station in Fredericton.
I'll try to keep these blogs to the point but I doubt I'll be able to keep them short.

First, here is a link to an article in today's Daily Gleaner. Shawn Berry interviewed me late yesterday afternoon in anticipation of today's news.
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/795886

Secondly, I'm pasting the official release that was given to everyone at the Centennial Building today.

(You won't have to be of legal drinking age to go into the station. Or to read this article.)

As follows:

Sept 18, 2009

Details of York Street train station liquor outlet announced

Details of the plan to refurbish Fredericton's York Street train station into an Alcool NB Liquor retail outlet were announced today by Alcool NB Liquor.
Greg Byrne, minister of finance and minister responsible for the New Brunswick Liquor Corp., said that he is very pleased that such a positive solution has been found to the issue surrounding renovations of the former CP Railway station.
"This is great news for Fredericton, and the newly refurbished station will assure that the station is restored to its former prominence in the city centre area," said Byrne. "The new building will enhance the capital city and be enjoyed for many, many years.
"The new liquor outlet will be about 1,247 sq. metres (about 13,425 sq. ft.), and will incorporate the existing 318-sq.-metre (3,425-sq.-ft) train station, as well as a new, 929-sq.-metre (10,000 sq. ft.) structure at the rear.
The outlet is scheduled to open in August 2010.
"The train station area will house a wine boutique and product sampling counter, with a food preparation area and room for specialty product displays," said Dana Clendenning, president and CEO of Alcool NB Liquor. The products, checkouts, cold room, warehouse and offices will be located in the new structure, and each will be open to the other.
"The exterior of the station will be restored by J.D. Irving Ltd., as per the federal Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act.
The interior brick walls will remain intact, and the historical detail will be incorporated in the interior décor. The new store will be a unique concept for Alcool NB Liquor.
"This is such a good-news story for residents of Fredericton and the supporters of local heritage," said Environment Minister Rick Miles. "I believe that this project will stimulate enhancements to the downtown area of the city."
Alcool NB Liquor will lease the refurbished building and new structure under a 20-year lease. The location meets all of the corporation's key criteria, including a central and visible location, ample customer parking, easy access, and improved service to the downtown core.
"During the past 15 years we have worked continuously to realize a viable development that would enable the restoration of the train station," said Stew Valcour, vice-president, J.D. Irving Ltd. "We are very pleased to be working with Alcool NB Liquor. We appreciate the support that many in the community have given to these efforts. As part of our commitment we will be ensuring a trail access as part of the Sentier NB Trails network. During the next three weeks we will begin the replacement of the roof, which will secure the train station for the winter."
"I would like to congratulate everyone at Alcool NB Liquor and J.D. Irving Ltd. who were involved in bringing this matter to a resolution," said Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside. "I think it is wonderful news for Fredericton."
MEDIA CONTACTS: Nora Lacey, communications, Alcool NB Liquor, 506-452-6453; Mary Keith, communications J.D.Irving Ltd., 506-632-5122; Marc Belliveau, communications, Department of Finance, 506-453-4138

All stakeholders involved have been told that they have the full support of myself and the membership of the Fredericton Friends of the Railway Inc.
I am very happy about this.
Thankfully I was not required to be at the head table for the announcement.
MLAs Rick Miles and Greg Byrne, Stew Valcour - Vice-President of J.D. Irving, Fredericton Mayor and good pal of mine Brad Woodside and President and CEO of Alcool NB Liquor were seated at the front.
I was introduced by Rick Miles as well as representatives of other groups that were in attendance.

Absolutely every media outlet in the province was there and I was interviewed by pretty well all of them!
It's going to be difficult to link to them all but I will try.
All I can say is to watch the news if you are here in New Brunswick.

It's funny but the most extensive coverage will be at Charle's blog! http://charlesotherpersonality.blogspot.com/
I'm serious! He was right there for everything!
He interviewed me on video and recorded me being interviewed by the television stations.
Just go there. He already has a picture up of the artist's rendering of how the station will look.

Much more to come.

I snatched this picture from Steve Boyko's blog. Thanks Steve. :)

Stay well,
Tim

A Little Bit of Housekeeping

I just wanted to mention a couple of things before heading off to Halifax tomorrow.
I am very happy that my tattoos are all done now. They will be wonderful when the healing is done. For now they're a wee bit red and tender but doing very well.
When I went in there I honestly didn't know what Joey was going to do. I was trying to casually press him for details of his intentions.
I wouldn't say he was evasive but seemed to be a tiny bit amused at my concern.
I should have known already to just trust him. He's a professional and takes much pride in his work.
Even though it only took a couple of hours Joey took no chances and cleared his afternoon for me. He fully intended to take his time and make absolutely sure that my tattoos were going to be perfect.
If only everyone was as serious and took this much pride in their work.
This young man could teach the world a lot about work ethic.
The pictures have already been put on my Facebook for my wonderful friends there.
As usual the comments started right away and as usual I feel so much love from my friends who love me.
It was funny. As I was walking back to my car from White Lotus I ran into the world's second best blogger, Charles LeBlanc.
I hadn't seen Charles in person for quite a while and it was great to see my good friend as it always is.
Of everyone I know in this place Charles is one that I would trust with my life to guard my back. I would do the same for him too.
He knows that.

It's funny, the other day I told someone that there are many people that I would give my life for and they may never ever know it.
Charles knows this though. I've told him.

On Tuesday night I received a copy. Of the Water and Wastewater Committee meeting minutes from the last meeting.
There was something unusual about them.
At the top where it says who was at the meeting it had the mayor's name with Chairman beside it, Councillor Paul Co-Chair and my name with Chairman beside it!
Wow! Was I being promoted? What a lovely surprise! And my birthday isn't until June.
At the Council meeting last night the mayor have the water and Wastewater committee report.
Before accepting the report and voting on it the Deputy Mayor pointed out that it said Chairman beside my name.
I was so excited that the mayor was going to make the big announcement that I was going to be a real Councillor again!
But I'm afraid it was a typographical error...
The person typing it had not been feeling well and was obviously delirious when she put that there. Everyone made sure that was duly noted to fix right away!

I think I was already a little grumpy already last night anyway.
Earlier I had spoken my mind about something and my feelings of manipulation by someone who wants so badly to get their way that they will make the rest of Council appear as heartless by not supporting their motion.
If anything I hope that the grumpiness got the point across that I'm not in the mood for that and won't put up with it anymore.
It was fun really.
I felt pretty good afterwards.
I think I really need to get a punching bag.

Have a great weekend.
I love you all and some a little more than the others.

Stay well,
Tim


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Do You Think?

The human mind is a very wonderful, fragile and sometimes very dark place.
It's like a fingerprint really.
Each of us is different in what makes us work, how we work or even why we think we are working.
The way we deal with that which comes at us relies on how our little electrical impulses are wired together.
All of the chemicals in us get mixed up in various combinations which will cause each of us to look, act and deal with aspects of the outside world in different ways.
I stop short of saying that we can't be held responsible for our actions since we can't control how we are put together.
I think that if the reactive part of our brain is pushing us in one direction there should be the reasoning part which keeps it in check and tries to prevent us from heading down a path of self destruction. There should be anyway.
Having said that, there is the small matter that what one person's self-preservation unit may be emitting as good advice will most likely differ from another person's. Hopefully not too much though.

It is no secret that my life has been under attack over the past few months. Some very important things have been torn away from me long before I was ready to let them go.

My sister and mother always believed in me no matter how stupid or irresponsible I could happen to be at times.
I would like to think that their little reasoning units jumped in and kicked mine out of the way sometimes and stopped me from making a bigger fool of myself than I already had.
I was able to admit to them when I had screwed something up. Again.

Mom would shake her head sometimes and read the riot act but she would help me find a way to dig out of the hole I had dug and jumped into.
Hayley was always so darn smart. She was always level headed and often protected me from my reactive and emotional side. I can think of the situations that she was with me by how well they turned out.
I can also recall situations that she was not with me by the fact that the end result wasn't so good.
I don't have enough space to go into details about it here.
She protected me from myself more times than anyone could ever know. Looking at us you know that I am 2 ½ years older than her but talking to us would lead you to think that she was older by her maturity and common sense.
She was so beautiful and so intelligent. It was easy to underestimate her brilliance.
Fortunately, for a few years I was able to protect her.
I did stand up and watch out for her.
One of my best friends probably won't admit to this story but I swear it's true.

I am proud of my surname Scammell. I always have been and always will be.
It's unfortunate that so many other words rhyme with it that are less than flattering.
One of these is "scrambled eggs".
I was tormented with this one in childhood. It felt worse than it may sound here.
One day Hayley came in the door upset that someone had called her this name.
I had put up with it for years but would be damned if my baby sister would ever suffer this.
I took off out the door and up the road. The boy (now one of my closest friends) was still heading up the street to his house.
He saw me running his way and must have realized that I wasn't coming to ask him to play street hockey.
He ran as fast as he could for the safety of his house.
My mind's eye probably exaggerates my memory but he made it into his front door with a fraction of a second to spare.
He thought that he had survived that day in victory.
I had other ideas. I rang the doorbell and his mother came out.
"He called my sister scrambled eggs!" I told her.
As the door closed I could see the terror in his eyes from what was to come. It would have been more humane if I had opened the door and let him out to let me beat him up.
 
Not on my watch. Not my baby sister.
 
As in every brother sister relationship there were the times that we had scraps and times that I was not nice.
There were a couple of situations that often came up at times of humour and storytelling in our adult years.
Thinking back on them didn't seem so funny to me as I grew older.
When she was just a tiny little thing she had these little boots that barely came up above her ankles. My friend and I were playing in the forest that used to be behind our house.
There was this huge puddle. It was almost a lake in my memory.
Hayley asked how deep it was. I told her it wasn't as high as her boots. I knew how deep it was.
She walked into it and became submerged up to her waist.
My friend and I took her out and took her home. She was crying.
I know that kids are kids but why did I do that?
 
Some kids around the corner from us got a brand new trampoline one day. All of the neighbourhood kids went there.
Hayley was bouncing on it and wanted to get off. I told her to just jump off.
She landed hard on the ground and broke her arm.
 
Just before Hayley passed away she was in a coma-like state. The nurses and doctors told us that she could hear everything we were saying.
I was alone with her one day.
I told her that I was saying goodbye not because I wanted to but because I had been told that I have to.
 
I said that even though she probably would never want to hear it I was sorry for some of the things I had done.
I was sorry about the time with the big puddle.
I was sorry for telling her to jump off the trampoline.

A minute later the nurse came in to check on her.
I moved out of the way and went to the other corner of the room.
 
"Oh look! She's crying!" the nurse said.
There were tears in Hayley's eyes. It was like she wanted desperately to say something to me but couldn't.
 
If she could have spoken perhaps she would have told me to not be so silly. I had redeemed myself.
Maybe she just wanted to say that she forgave me for that and every other stupid thing I did.
That's what brothers and sisters do.
 
The most difficult part of losing Hayley was that no matter how bad things looked or how I wondered what could be done, she had all of us totally convinced that she was going to be fine and that she would win the war. I'm afraid we all lost that battle.
 
The week before Hayley passed she called me to discuss mom's condition. She talked on about what treatments mom was going to have and everything that was going on.
I interrupted her and asked "but what's going on with you?"
Hayley told me that she was not feeling so great but it was just a temporary thing and she would be fine. Then she went back to talking about mom.
 
I'm going to stop talking about this here. It's difficult to write about for too long.
 
There are likely many people who ask why do I do this to myself then? Why am I putting my soul on display for the world to see and judge?
 
The answer is simple.

I'm not sure.
 
Cheryl asked me a while ago if writing about this stuff on a blog was helping me get over it.

I'm not sure. I'm really not.

It has become clear that talking about these things isn't helping me.

Cheryl almost didn't go to Ontario for mom's funeral. She wanted to be there for me in my time of grief and sadness.
The problem is that it hasn't been a time of sadness and I haven't wanted any shoulder to cry on.

I want something to hit very hard.
 
I am so freaking angry at what has happened I can't describe it.
I'm not so angry and feeling sorry for myself as that I am furious for them being cheated!
Hayley had so much to offer the world and did so much for everyone who knew her.
Mom was so young for her age. She was so busy doing fun things which made her feel good as well as those around her.
We were robbed. And I am angrier than I have ever been in my life.
 
Sadly, those little extra self-preservation boosts that mom and Hayley always had available for me aren't there anymore.
And that just leaves me with me. We all know how well that works for me.
 
Cheryl and the boys feel this pain as well as everyone who loves and cares for us.
Cheryl wants to help me and the boys do too. In the best way they can.
 
Why is it so hard for me to talk to her about this?

Why do I insist on coming on here and writing things that I know are going to lead to trouble?
 
I'm not sure.
 
One thing I do know is that I expect to be treated fairly and respected as a human being. That is, unless I have done something so vile and offensive that this is not deserved.

The catalyst for my composing the deleted blog the other day was the fact that I had been humiliated when I did not deserve it.

I won't rehash it here but it boils down to a situation where I was being punished for speaking my mind.
It's irrelevant now whether the punishment was justified or not.
I was ready to accept my punishment and move forward.
What I was not prepared for or expecting was the humiliation that sprang from the way the punishment was done.

So I reacted.
I blogged the whole situation and added my opinions of what I thought.

I upset someone whom I love and who loves me, even when I do these things.
For that reason I took the blog down.

Do I regret posting the blog?
I'm not sure.

I do regret upsetting someone I love, yes.

I do not regret speaking my mind about my feelings and opinions.

Until my dying day I will fight for anyone's right to say what they feel unless it is threatens the safety or security of another.

There are people that we have been aware of at some point in time or have had a direct impact on ours lives who society has labelled different, strange or eccentric. (I will be watching for comments here and will delete any I don't like.)

If they want to stand on a soapbox and tell the world how blue pigs in tutus threaten the paper clip supply of North America they will be able to say it.

No matter how strange something may seem to the rest of us the fact is that this person's reality is just as important and real to them as ours is to us.

Our wiring may be different but they are no less a human being than another.
It's not our right to judge what is right or wrong unless it threatens safety or security.

I may not care to hear about the blue pigs myself but I will make damn sure that nobody stops them from speaking of it.

Why do I bother with this aggravation and grief? Don't I have enough on my mind dealing with day to day functioning?

The answer to this I AM sure .
I want to do what I can to assure that those who follow will always have the same rights as we do today.

I see that there are not too many of us that are so outspoken and take these matters to such a level. But I'm thankful that we are not alone.
The world may never fully appreciate or realize what people like Charles LeBlanc have done for us.
I do.

Many are uncomfortable with Charles and myself telling things as they are.

That's okay. I'll do it anyway.
I guess I'm just wired differently.

Tim

 
 

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While I Was Out...

It's sort of funny really.
Since I was elected onto Village Council I didn't get much media coverage.
This was understandable.
I haven't had too much of interest going on to warrant coverage so I understood.
This morning Cheryl emailed me that I made the front page of the Gleaner.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/front/article/525358

When I read the article I was surprised and couldn't believe that someone outside of my friends and family was really looking at my blog!
Then I realized that it was because my pal Charles mentioned it in his blog.

http://charlesotherpersonality.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-maryland-councilor-tim-scammell.html

At least I know that Charles is taking care of business while I am here in Ontario.

Tim

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