WVM2008-34
Ccl Mtg NOTES Dec 15th
Calendar to Dec 31st/Jan 12th
by Carolanne Reynolds, Editor
www.WestVan.org

~*^*  The last newsletter of the year  *^*~
Eid Mubarak (belatedly), Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Festive Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!
IN THIS ISSUE:
Have some Christmas Pun! (No agenda cuz next ccl mtg is Jan 12th -- happy holidays!)
=  Vive le Canada; ANIMALWATCH (Donkeys on Nativity Trail); from the EDITOR'S DESK (Good News from Mumbai!); UPDATES & INFObits (Safe Ride Home; Licence Renewal deadline Dec 31; Recycling Xmas trees)
=  CALENDAR to Dec 31st (and to Jan 12th? AFAIK at the moment)
=  Need a Calendar? Zoo staff strip!; THEATREWATCH (Don't miss Drowsy!); Clowns in Beirut; WEBWATCH (Political Satire/Robin Williams);
=  Ccl Mtg NOTES Dec 15th: Tribute to Kevin Pike, Dir/Parks (his last ccl mtg); WV Family Place Society (interesting facts/research/slides); 2009 Ccl Mtg Schedule (two mtgs per month!); Lottery Home in HBay; WVSPCA Agreement; Heritage Awards Cmte; NSh Waterfront Liaison Cmte WITHDRAWN; ADDED ITEM re stop work order and remedial work at 856 Anderson Crescent; Correspondence comments re Cypress Park Society (newsletter)
= NEWSWATCH (Some holiday reading: Bibliotheca Alexandria; Canada Buys UAVs; Annapolis Peace?; Walking in Goma); SNOWWATCH (Crisis in Victoria :))
=  LANGUAGE and BOOKWATCH (Gifts of Gab: Safire's recommendations); HAIKU (Solstice); Quotations, Riddles, Puns; Leave 'em Laughing!

TIME FOR SOME CHRISTMAS PUN  [cont'd at end]
from Richard Lederer's A Stockingful of Christmas Puns:
        How do cats greet each other at Christmas?
                                                                                                                                                Have a Furry Merry Christmas and a Happy Mew Year!
===  Vive le Canada  ===
Jon Stewart on The Daily Show expressed surprise and envy our govt cd fall if it lost a confidence vote saying they'd been losing confidence for eight years.  Another advantage with our constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system!

===  ANIMALWATCH  === (cute) donkeys on the Nativity Trail; start, rest on BBC
BBC has this daily for ten days to arrive in Bethlehem at Christmas:
+  BBC NEWS | Middle East | Part I: The road to Bethlehem  18 Dec 2008 ... BBC correspondent Aleem Maqbool retraces the journey taken by Joseph and Mary ... Aleem Maqbool and his (third) donkey, 17 December 2008 ... news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7784227.stm
+  BBC NEWS | Middle East | Part II: The road to Bethlehem  19 Dec 2008 ... BBC correspondent Aleem Maqbool retraces the journey taken by Joseph and ... THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM. Aleem Maqbool with donkey ... news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7789479.stm
+  Aleem Maqbool, Bbc Correspondent, Retracing, Correspondent ...18 Dec 2008 ... The BBC's Aleem Maqbool walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem, ... Two donkeys down, I crossed into the West Bank alone" is a great quote. ...www.britishblogs.co.uk/theme/bbc-correspondent-correspondent-retraces- christmas-journey-bethlehem-road-road-bbc/

===  from the EDITOR'S DESK  ===
+  Good News from MUMBAI!
Some of you know that I review AWAD and AWADmail (600,000 subscribers in over 200 countries).  Anyway, Anu is visiting Mumbai at the moment and sent this uplifting report:
In a spontaneous demonstration of unity, a couple of weeks back more than twenty thousand showed up near the Taj Hotel, one of the sites of 26/11. Hindus and Muslims joined hands with Sikhs, Christians, and everything in between from Atheists to Zoroastrians.
What a heartwarming event and let's hope this spirit of harmony and mutual respect grows.
+  RIDDLES
Have started putting some riddles in WVM.  Winners of the last two appear at the very end after the Quotations, wch includes the Pun Corner!
+  TYPOS, etc
Just so you know........  Often WVM goes out in haste and/or in the wee hours.  Sometimes there are typos, omissions, etc.  If I catch it in time (or if someone is kind enough to seen me a correction or additional information in case I haven't caught it), the printed version is revised before printing.  Anything after that we hope to catch before it goes on the website.  If they are small changes, spacing for example, I don't mention it.  If the additions/changes/updates are more substantial, I'll put an * on the front.  WVM33, for example has a printed version WVM2008-33=BA to indicate it's not the same as the emailed one (or even a previous version).  31r* had several changes/updates!
+  RESOLUTIONS
Will you be making some?   Let me know -- write to resolutions@westvan.org -- yours or wishes for Ccl, Gordon Campbell, Stephen Harper, ....

===  UPDATES & INFObits  ===
+  Apres Pike:
The CAO does not plan to replace Kevin Pike for a few months.  Meanwhile, Anne Mooi is Deputy Director of Parks & Community Services and she will attend Council Meetings.
+  SAFE RIDE HOME
Who is your designated driver this holiday season?   Why not call Rudy at 604-619-0942 or 1-877-604-6673.   For the eighth year in a row, the four North Shore Rotary Clubs are providing "safe rides home" on Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 and 31, 2008 between 9pm and 3am.  A team of volunteers will drive you and your car home for free.   Donations are welcome; all proceeds will be used for youth programs on the North Shore.
+  2009 Dog and Business Licence Renewals
Dog Licence and Business Licence renewal notices have been mailed out for the 2009 licensing year. Licences are issued for the calendar year and will expire on December 31st.  Pay online, by mail, or in person at Municipal Hall (check the Holiday Schedule). The District also accepts Debit, Visa, and Mastercard.  For more info contact Bylaw and Licensing Services at 925 7152.
+  Recycle Your Christmas Tree  --  Sunday, January 04, 2009
Below is a list of Christmas Tree Chipping Events. Proceeds from donated trees directly benefit their corresponding charity.
~  Roberge Trucking
Saturday, December 27 through early January (during regular business hours - 604-980-5413 for details)
100-1331 McKeen Avenue, North Vancouver
~  Canadian Cancer Society
Saturday & Sunday, January 3 & 4, 2009 (10am to 4pm); Extra Foods Parking Lot, 17th & Lonsdale, NV
~  Howe Sound Lions
Sunday, January 4, 2009 (10am to 3pm); Ambleside Park, West Vancouver
~  North Vancouver Host Lions Club
Sunday, January 4, 2009 (9:30am - 3:30pm)
Two locations - Lynn Valley (Karen Magnussen RecCentre Upper Parking Lot) and Edgemont Village (Highland Chevron, 3150 Edgemont Boulevard)
*  All decorations, tinsel, lights, and any flocking must be removed prior to chipping.  Trees will be received at the discretion of the individual agencies.  For up-to-date listings, visit www.northshorerecycling.ca
*  HERITAGE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: 2009 Nominations (by Jan 23)
Info: http://www.westvancouver.ca/Level3.aspx?id=1136 (Don't you just love the URLs that DWV has!)

===  CALENDAR to Dec 31st (+ beginning of Jan)  ===[mtgs at M Hall unless indicated otherwise]
= Wed Dec 17
   ~ 1:30pm ~ Arts and Culture Facilities WG [the day before, I found it had been changed to 11:30am at the top floor of the Museum! -- and then that morning was cancelled b/c of the weather]
   ~ 6pm ~ Child Care WG [also cancelled b/c of weather]
= Thurs Dec 18 ~ 9am ~ CEC [also cancelled b/c of the snow; may be postponed to 11am Tu Dec 23]
= Fri Dec 19 ~ 8:15am ~ 2010 Leadership Cmte
= Sun Dec 21
   ~ 3pm ~ A Solstice Concert at St Francis in the Wood (see prev WVM): Fusion Latina [CANCELLED]
= Tues Dec 23 ~ 11am ~ Cmnty Engagement Cmte (CEC)
= Wed Dec 24 ~ end of sales of Christmas Trees by Howe Sound Lions Club in Ambleside Park
= Wed Dec 31 ~ usually there's a New Year's Eve party at the bottom of 15th at the clock

+ Third Annual Photography Group Competition/Exhibition 2008
CAROUN PHOTO CLUB (CPC)
This Competition is held in North Vancouver and it is open to the all individual photographers in Canada and worldwide; Professional and Amateur photographers, and who are interested in photography and take photos!  Subject: Close Up  Prizes: $1000 cash / CAPA Medals / CPC Mentions /  Deadline: Dec 31
More details:  www.CarounPhotoClub.com  or  www.Caroun.com/News/Exhibitions.html

+++  WV MEMORIAL LIBRARY +++  See: http://www.westvanlib.org/
*  CHRISTMAS CAROLS ON THE PIANO
Wednesday, December 17th 2:30 - 3:00 pm
Thursday, December 18th 1:00 - 1:20 pm and 4:00 - 4:20 pm
Friday, December 19th 1:00 - 1:20 pm
+++  FERRY BUILDING GALLERY  +++ Special shopping hours to 8pm on Fridays!
=  Great Stuff 2008  --  Christmas Gift & Art Sale - ends Dec 20
        See: http://ferrybuildinggallery.com/exhibitions/upcoming_exhibition
=  January 6-18, 2009  --  "A Whimsical Interpretation"
Mixed Media: Luciana Alvarez, Graham Eagle, Lynsey Paterson, Carol Shumas, Bettina Weidemann
***  Opening Reception: 6 - 8pm Tues Jan 6  ***  Artists' Talk: 2pm Sat Jan 10  ***
+++ SILK PURSE +++  (1570 Argyle)  www.silkpurse.ca
December 2 - 18, 2008 -- "Rediscover Photography"
The word "photography" comes from the French photographie which is based on the Greek words for "light" and "drawing", together meaning "drawing with light". Explore the world of light and photography with works of acrylic Giclee on canvas, chromium ink photos, and digital photography by artists Richard Alm, Laura Clark, Michelle Demers, and Sheryl Smith.
+++  WV MUSEUM +++  Visit: http://www.westvanmuseum.blogspot.com/
        The Prints of Alistair Bell  to February 7, 2009

+++ KAY MEEK CENTRE +++
To see the electronic newsletter, the address is http://kaymeekcentre.weebly.com.  Getting onto the mail list: the simplest method is to call the box office (604 913 3634) or email tickets@kaymeekcentre.com
+++ ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 60, WEST VANCOUVER
To view the latest newsletter, just click the following link for direct access:
 http://www.westvan60.com/Images/The%20Torch%20Newsletter%20-%20Winter%202008.pdf
The newsletter is available to any non-member who is interested.  To sign up, please fill in the form at the bottom of the webpage, http://www.westvan60.com/newsletter.html  Please email thetorch60@telus.net, if you would like to submit an article, or if you have any questions or comments.
Events at the WV Legion:
Our regular meat draw is on Saturday, December 20th, with a festive twist.  Instead of the usual wonderful meat prizes, the blue ticket draw will consist of eight turkeys and four hams, and the red ticket draw will comprise ten special "Christmassy" prizes, such as chocolate, cookies, etc.
The price for a set of the combined tickets will still be only $5.00, and the draw will begin at 4:30pm.  NOTE:  A limit of only one turkey or one ham per person, as drawn; no person can win more than once.
New Year's Eve -- come down and celebrate with friends at 8pm on Wed, Dec 31st.  For $25 there will be party favours, appetizers, door prizes, dancing to the live music of Ray O'Toole, and a champagne toast at midnight.  Delight in some fun!  Tickets are now on sale behind the lounge bar.
Guests must come with a member, and both must have tickets.

+++++++  2009 JANUARY -- Happy New Year!  +++++++
= Wed Jan 7 ~ 6pm ~ Child Care WG
= Thurs Jan 8  ~ 2pm ~ Heritage Award Cmte (may be postponed) // ~ 5:15pm ~ Measuring Up WG

===  NEED A CALENDAR?
Zoo staff strip for calendar
A group of zoo keepers at Dudley Zoo has stripped off for a naked calendar to help raise funds for a wildlife campaign. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7752852.stm

===  THEATREWATCH  ===
Cdn't wait to see The Drowsy Chaperone but lucky to manage to see it in spite of the snow.  If you like musicals and a few laughs -- do recommend it to you for some season's silliness.  North Shore's treasure Jay Brazeau is priceless as the main character who tells us about his favourite musical from 1928.  The beautiful Debbie Timuss is very talented.  David Marr was his inimitable self (we know him from Bard).  Adolpho (Thom Allison) is the uberdramatic ham.
Don't be late!  The play does have a short introduction by 'the Man in the Chair' who describes overtures as appetizers, but it's 100 minutes long with no intermission.
As you know, started as something written for a stag party in Toronto.
Play ends Dec 27 so you have time to make it part of your holiday entertainment.
www.vancouverplayhouse.com

:-) :-) :-)   Clowns bring comic relief to streets of Beirut    :-) :-) :-)
Tue Dec 9, 1:06 pm ET AFP - Clowns and street performers dance in the Hamra shopping district of Beirut. Clowns and street performers =8A
BEIRUT (AFP) - Clowns and street performers danced in the rainy streets of Lebanon's capital on Tuesday bringing holiday cheers to the traffic-jammed Hamra shopping district.
Thirty performers from Germany, Italy, Morocco, and Lebanon donned rainbow-coloured wigs and red plastic noses to put on a show, as frustrated drivers blasted their horns.
Some clowns walked on stilts as others danced, juggled, blew balloons and took pictures with the crowd that gathered to watch the show under pouring rain in mainly Muslim west Beirut.
Tuesday's performance, which fell on the second day of the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha and in the runup to Christmas, was the culmination of a week-long workshop in Beirut on street performances.
"It is meant to introduce street performances and comic relief as a way to deal with tense situations and conflict," said Tonnie Selwood Choeiri, one of the organisers.
"They were taught about the history of clowns and the role of madness in society," she said.
This holiday season sees Lebanon in recovery after three years of unrest, including a string of assassinations, a devastating war with Israel, a 15-week battle with Islamists, civil strife, and a debilitating political crisis.
"They brought back some smiles and happiness to us," said Ibrahim, a 27-year-old passer-by. "They gave us a sense that the holidays are upon us."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081209/lf_afp/lebanonclownsoffbeat_081209180624;_ylt=ApYOzF72LG4KsFck0e00FGObOrgF

===  WEBWATCH  === (More laughs -- Political Satire)
Robin Williams in London:
        http://politicalirony.com/2008/11/30/robin-williams-on-obamas-election/

===  Ccl Mtg NOTES Dec 15th ===
Mayor: Good evening; call mtg to order; turn over to our CAO
CAO: want to publicly thank Kevin Pike for 19 years of service; park facilities, artif plan/fields, XXX , Master Plan; inspiration innovative design, envtal sustainability; worked in Parks and ? for almost 40 years and reported what happened
efforts. cmnty benefits, inclusiveness; Edmonton NV, City of V, DWV; Civic Youth Strategy 2005, won an award for innovation; inclusiveness; open invitation
[POWER POINT PRESENTATION -- impressive!]
See remarks/press release on DWV website: http://www.westvancouver.ca/Level3.aspx?id=13084]
CONGRATULATIONS KEVIN PIKE
APPLAUSE
KP: attended 700+ mtgs...; sit straight, not allowed to raise our eyebrows or sigh
as you defer things one more time, wonder what thinking; ask for another report when we've written many; console ourselves
it's always been a pleasure to be here, and must remember that
Churchill said Democracy is the worse form of govt except for all the others.
...We haven't found the perfect yet, but this is the best we get in our society
Bismark said Politics is the art of the possible
Some things are possible and some things are not
Grant McRadu said M administration is messy
Yes, and those of us who sit here time after time do find it's messy
All of these have some elements of truth and reflect the difficult job that each of you have
wonder not why you make the decisions you do, but why you do this at all
we sit here quietly, quietly respectful of you, those of you who risk rejection and humiliation by putting your names forward for election every three years; you never know what's going to happen. Those of you who serve, most of you 18 hours a day, seven days a week for a pitiful wage, and still come back every Monday night
You make v hard decisions and those of us who write the reports know they're v hard decision,  you get precious little credit and often you get huge amounts of abuse; at end of your tenure -- you don't want to hear this -- you're generally forgotten and your legacies taken for granted
and back again and again and again, ppl come to serve
my belief you're here b/c of your belief in cmnty, the idea of cmnty
without you and what you do every week we wd have no cmnty , no democracy, and no society
what we do as staff, we must have these beliefs or go somewhere else
we do choose to be here, not to be rich or famous
Like you we have to believe
Thank you for allowing me to be here .... work with some fantastic staff and fantastic citizens over many years, serve excellent mayors and cclrs; and to be witness close up to your vocation, love of cmnty, and this cmnty of WV
as we begin this new three-year term, have this nagging feeling, nagging feeling won't be able to sit here and watch you do more great things, but it's been a pleasure all along; I thank each and every one of you
[APPLAUSE; STANDING OVATION in fact]
Mayor: thank you; didn't think that was going to be a roast of Ccl
but when we nominated you for the Cdn Park Assn's highest honour last spring wch you won, I wrote a letter
[read laudatory paragraph from letter; WV known for its parks, ...]
I know Parks wdn't be at the heart if it weren't as well along with your family and the citizens, and even the politicians, and certainly the staff.
So thank you
[MORE APPLAUSE]
and the last word
Sop: Thank you, Madam Mayor.  I was remembering back to the time in the late 80s, found myself on Parks Commission
also chaired Cmnty Day
met Kevin, always at the mtgs; opened the door; inclusiveness and friendship
open positive way, unique desire to put WV on the map
excellence we see today a result
indeed a special man with special talents and won't be forgotten
1.  APPROVAL OF AGENDA
SW: add to 4: Reports from Dir Parks and from Clerk; new item 9.1 remedial action for excavation works 856 Anderson Crescent
SSch: was there a withdrawal of Item 9 to be included
Mayor: and withdrawal of Item 9
SW: Oh!
Mayor: [yes] thank you
2.  ADOPTION OF MINUTES:  December 1, 2008 Inaugural Council Meeting.
3.  DELEGATION
K. Erdman and F. Jones, West Vancouver Family Place Society, regarding an Update on the Society and its Activities (File:  0120-01/0055-01)
KE: thank Ccl for support over past ten years.  I'm Co-President and I have with me Fran Jones, Coordinator ....  Understanding the Early Years.  Come to share some results.
Introduce mbrs in attendance [named them and they waved from the gallery]
Talk will take three parts and what WVFP is contributing to our cmnty, Fran summary, ...., and look to future.
Been working with the M since 1998 ongoing partnership
[SLIDES]
successful prog, link to other orgs; federally registered; ........
our progs are going to be moved into the new Cmnty Ctr
.... family drop-in 329 diff adults 380 chn
play-based structure; sound parenting strategies; ev feels welcome and connected
Recent research in early childhood devt
United Way 25% of chn not read to ... school at age six
language, social and motor skills
birth to age six have a signif and life-long impact
ready for school more likely to xxxxx
FJ: I've never been brief but will try; four slides originally 48
I've lived in WV for 40 years or more, chn here, taught here, administrator here, still here
Human Resources ... Devt Canada funded, study xxxx
immigration, huge change
Ambleside and Brit Props has higher immig level than any other
[graph]
high immig rate in Amb and Brit Props; language -- highest where not English or French, where do not speak [Eng] most of the time
means coming to school without xxx of English
new immigs not speaking English easily, find hard to integrate
many extremely lonely; need .... to integrate into cmnty; vulnerable on one or more
EDI Scales
Norgate, Central/Lower Lonsdale -- high vulnerable and at risk
take five-year-olds across NSh in 2006
61 in L Lonsdale, Parkgate .... language cognitive schools
also in WV 61 chn vulnerable and at risk
from UBC, not just target .... areas
recognize needs of xxx
Scale 3: Emotional Maturity
no chn in WV not getting......
Dund, Amb, HBay, top three of language and cognitive
emotional maturity, more in Dund HBay area struggling with maturity -- need support of cmnty xxx to help be the strong ppl
and shd you like to see all 48 slides, I'd be happy to do that
Mayor: that's ten minutes, just so you know
FE: moving into
ability to xxx
resources we bring.... bring $50K with $33K from prov $3K in cmnty grants from WV
huge volunteer....; almost no paid staff
this formula has allowed a... growth, not sustainable over time
collaborative effort; need to supplement volunteer contrib with staff
year to year to strengthen our partnership... enter into a service agreement that wd more accurately .....
Ask you to consider an increase from current $4K to $20K
meet opps for young chn; expand capacity to access further funds
relationships with ... indiv donors and volunteers
in this mix we respectfully request enter into discussion, service agreement
child devt a priority; services make a diff for a lifetime
thank you for time; app opportunity to come to speak with you
[MS moved thanks]
REPORTS
4. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Licence and Operating Agreement - Alternative Approval Process (File:  1145-06)  To be provided on-table.
ML: moved received for information
= moved further recommend effect June 2007 to 2017
alternative approval process deadline was Dec 12
5. Council Meeting Schedule for 2009 (File:  0120-01)
Sop: What is that?
Mayor: two mtgs a month,...; outlined
Sop: thought have ... more...  broader discussion
wonder if we're slowly doing less biz in front of the public
Mayor: we're trying to ... a schedule
CAO: what's before us is the actual legal requirement; as to the actual work, hope Ccl will agree to, a corporate strategy, as we move forward, multiple mtgs re that ...
a multitude of mtgs, citizens understand where we're taking
Mayor: this is a minimum first step

{NB: The first mtg of 2009 is Jan 12; ccl mtgs are the first and third Mondays of the month with some adjustments for holidays.  For example the mtgs in January are the 12th and the 19th.}
7:35
6. Application from Primex Developments for Lottery Home - B.C. Children's Hospital Home Lottery - Penthouse Unit #3 - 6688 Royal Avenue Horseshoe Bay (File:  1605-01)
TP moved: THAT
1.  the request from Primex Developments with respect to their property at #3 - 6688 Royal Avenue being provided as a prize home in the 2009 B.C. Children's Hospital fund-raising lottery campaign, be approved with exceptions, in accordance with the Regulations for the Operation of Home Lotteries for Charitable Organizations policy, and
2.  exceptions to sections 2.4 and 2.5 of the policy to permit Primex Developments to conduct the following activities, be approved:
public viewings of their property at #3 - 6688 Royal Avenue as a prize home for the 2009 B.C. Children's Hospital fund-raising lottery campaign, from January to April 2009, with the exception that public viewings will not be permitted during the Easter long weekend April 10th - 13th 2009 inclusive; and on site ticket sales.
Mayor: anything?
TP: Good exceptions b/c in commercial area
7. 2009 Heritage Achievement Awards Committee (File:  2585-11/0115-01)
CARRIED THAT
1.  a Council committee be established for a period of three months, to review nominations and select recipients for the 2009 District of West Vancouver Heritage Achievement Awards; and
2.  members of the former Heritage Strategic Plan Implementation Working Group be appointed to serve on this committee through February 2009.
8. Council Appointments (File: 0115-01)
CARRIED THAT Councillor Panz be appointed as the Council liaison to the 2009 Heritage Achievement Awards Committee.
9. North Shore Waterfront Liaison Committee (File:  0115-01) WITHDRAWN
RECOMMENDED: THAT the report dated December 8, 2008 from the Chief Administrative Officer titled "North Shore Waterfront Liaison Committee" be received for information.
9.1  ADDED AGENDA ITEM
Mayor: re 856 Anderson Crescent
Woman: immediate action for remedial action
856 unsuccessful
from 14 to five days
damage has undermined driveway and exposed the gas line
longer excavation open, ... want to move as quickly as possible
Cmnty Charter, have to give ...
out of country, in Japan, have to move asap
Sop: Ccl consider 856 legally described as
creates an unsafe condition, signif risk;... stay away....
person on adjoining props
within 15 days, required to obtain a report.... geotechnical
866 nbring property; install, etc etc
Mayor:
Sop: Miss Holitzki, is there a stop work order?
LH: yes; and holding bldg permit application as well
Sop: there's been a slide that has undermined the driveway and steps; engg report
wd the owner of the subject property be required to produce a safe and satisfactory mitigation for nbring prop?
LH: yes,... provide an engg report
what must be done and that the work actually be done
Sop: what penalty's going to be imposed?
LH:have it prepared and at his cost; looking for remedial action and they'll pay
[checked, working with] solicitor
first step as quickly as possible for safety
right now 866 is unoccupied want to make sure safe asap
Sop: viewed prop, tarps, rains, well frozen now; open dirt going to continually erode
what remediation while waiting for prop [owner]...
some work shd be done, devastating as you can see from picture
can anything be done by contractor?
LH: asked but refused to do anything; nothing until Ccl has passed this
once 15 days is up will move as quickly as possible
Mayor: add note at bottom
Sop:
{FYI, Sop read at beginning too; here's the whole motion:
Council considers that the excavation located on the property at 856 Anderson Crescent, West Vancouver, and legally described as Lot 5 Block 3 DL 1048 Plan 6735(the "Property") creates an unsafe condition that poses a significant risk to the safety of both persons on the Property and to persons on adjoining properties.
Council therefore resolves that within 15 days of receiving a copy of this resolution, the owner of the Property is required to:
1) Obtain a report from a Professional Engineer or Engineering firm with expertise in geotechnical and structural engineering to:
a. Review and report on the effect of the Excavation on the stability and safety of the Property, as well as the land and improvements at 866 Anderson Crescent (the "Neighbouring Property");
b. Prepare a report advising of any remedial actions that should be taken to ensure the stability and safety of the Property and the Neighbouring Property; and
c. Provide a copy of that report to the District and to the owner of the Neighbouring Property;
2) Install visible secure metal frame construction fencing along the Western perimeter of the Property. Alternatively, and only with the written consent of the owner of the Neighbouring Property, this fencing may be installed on the Neighbouring Property;
3) Place signs along the Western perimeter of the Property, visible from the West Side of the Property, warning of the excavation and directing that people stay at least 10 feet back from the perimeter,
4) Install lighting adequate to illuminate the entire Western perimeter of the Property; and
5) Place a soil berm along the Western property line to temporarily stabilize the slope cut until any remedial work recommended under paragraph 1 is commenced and furthermore have a Geotechnical Engineer review this temporary remedial work and submit a report to the District.
Note: If a person with notice of this resolution wishes to request reconsideration of these requirements by Council, written notice of this request must be provided to the Municipal Clerk within 5 business days of that person receiving this notice.}
ME: the nbr at 866, have they vacated or own desire to b/c of damage
LH: just so happened; mother and daughter; mother moved to srs' ctr; son to move in Jan 1st so just so happens
ME: on 16th day, how quickly do we require work to be done? number of weeks, or following day?
LH: if order placed tonight, place order in writing, send to number of owners there
will have engrs in line; we'll have all set up after 15 days, ready to move in if owner fails to comply
ML: maybe for Dir/Planning
we all went and looked at this site, v distressing, wondering if in addn to Section 77 Cmnty Charter
are there any other regulations or bylaws that shd be in place that aren't there today that we shd be considering in future, to prevent occurrence in future
Sokol: certainly something staff is looking at
MOTION CARRIES

BYLAWS ADOPTED
10. Waterworks Regulation Bylaw No. 4490, 2006, Amendment Bylaw No. 4587, 2008 (File: 1610-20-4587)
        This bylaw received three readings at the December 8, 2008 Council meeting.
11. Sewer and Drainage Utility Fee Bylaw No. 4538, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 4588, 2008 (File:  1610-20-4588)
        This bylaw received three readings at the December 8, 2008 Council meeting.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS
12. Consent Agenda Items - Reports and Correspondence
REPORTS FOR CONSENT AGENDA
13. Development Variance Permit Application No. 08-044 for 1350 Ottaburn Road (File:  1010-20-08-044)
RECOMMENDED:  THAT the Municipal Clerk give notice that Development Variance Permit Application No. 08-044 for 1350 Ottaburn Road, which would provide for a subdivision creating two lots with a variance to the minimum site width requirement for proposed Lot 2 and a variation to the front yard requirement on proposed Lot 1, will be considered on Monday, January 12, 2009.

{This is property owned by DWV; I completely agree with selling -- we need the moolah!}

14. Development Applications Status List (File:  1010-01) (received for information)

{Do look at this list; see if there's an application near you, and what's being asked for.  Some lots from one to two, or two to three; a 40-unit bldg, replacement homes within the riparian setback zones.  I'd asked some years ago that residents be informed of applications so that we're not surprised and so not too large and faced with a fait accompli.  This is a list to let us know.}

CORRESPONDENCE LIST FOR CONSENT AGENDA
15. Correspondence List (File:  0120 24)
Ccl: withdraw, 3, 1
1.  November 29, 2008, regarding Community Centre Completion Date
MS: about opening of Cmnty Ctr; last Ccl asked for a monthly report; ask for one for first mtg in January; given two M elections from demolished; think cmnty anxious to see where going
Mayor: KP
KP: am sure staff wd be happy to bring that report forward
remarkably we share some of those xxx, we do expect to have staff into the building this month; in fact we're testing some systems; hoping open to public in Feb
given many issues we've run into wrt supplies/suppliers, etc
CAO: yes, first mtg in Jan
3.  K. Steig, Friends of Cypress Provincial Park Society, December 5, 2008, regarding Funding Levels for Cypress Park and November 2008 Newsletter
Sop: VANOC spending a lot of money, CBRL legacy to them and to us wrt Olympics, a positive side; $300K and $100K provided to BC Parks
thoughts were that, our backyard; ... other than venue for Cypress Bowl Recreations, what's legacy to us?
she's cited a couple of places in US, magnif components; we have such a beautiful backdrop, ... and this park; look at more of a legacy than to date
wonder if warrants some Letter  to
trails and display in letter
thinking of future, ...  green network, haven't moved on that in years
CAO: comments good, something the 2010 Leadership team been talking about
can come back with further discussion -- early in the New Year
Mayor: how underfunded the rangers...
ultimately resp of prov and that's what we shd be focusing on
Sop: nothing wrong with Cypress having those
what's left?
that's a prov park; push hard for upgrading
three or four rangers;  ... excellent time to do it
16.  REPORTS from MAYOR/CCLRS
Mayor: Christmas trees in Dundarave, have raised up to $24K now
see success of that cmnty partnership
Sop: Ccl Clark hat, [Santa Cap; Cclr] Clark wore every year
left for Pike a giant-sized chocolate cookie; forgot it today
7:55
17. PUBLIC QUESTIONS/COMMENTS  
CR: Good evening, Mayor and Councillors.  In chronological order.
I wd like to add my thanks to Director Kevin Pike, as well.  He's been marvellous to work with; he's been really really nice.  I wanted to thank him very much, and his support for the RoyalTea* in the summer has been v much appreciated among other things, so I really wanted to thank him.
I also wanted to thank Ccl for moving so quickly for the Heritage Awards Cmte** b/c as you know I asked for that right away since we're really late.  It's upon us already with a deadline in January.  So if you have any ideas to nominate ppl for a heritage award, pls do it.  The forms, I understand, are up on the website now, and we have posters.  Thank you very much.
Otherwise, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Mayor: thank you very much
I wish to say to the cmnty on behalf Ccl, happy winter solstice, Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, have a wonderful break; we look forward to an exciting year together.
20. ADJOURNMENT 7:57
*  The RoyalTea-by-the-Sea was first in 2000 in Ambleside Park on Aug 4th for the 100th birthday of HM the Queen Mother; received permission to have in WV park, and the last few years it has been in Dundarave Park midsummer.
**  Appointed at this ccl mtg; deadline for nominations is Jan 23; Heritage Week is Feb 16 to 22.

===  NEWSWATCH  ===
*  BIBLIOTHECA ALEXANDRINA
PCI Geomatics lends its support to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, DirectionsMag
December 15, 2008
Richmond Hill, Ontario--PCI Geomatics, a world leading developer of software and solutions for geospatial imaging applications, is pleased to announce its support for the New Library of Alexandria, Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) in Egypt. Committed to education and community development, PCI Geomatics has provided the library with 2 copies of its premiere software suite Geomatica=AE.
The new library is dedicated to recapturing the spirit of openness and scholarship while connecting Egypt's history to the world via cutting edge technology such as Geomatica. Its mission is to be a center of excellence for the production and dissemination of knowledge, and to be a place of dialogue and understanding between cultures and people.  ...
The BA is not only a library, but also a beehive of knowledge that includes an internet archive, six specialized libraries, three museums, a planetarium, an Exploratorium, four art galleries, a conference center and many other admirable offerings.
For additional information on the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, please visit: bibalex.org.
*  UNITED NATIONS REPORT
U.N.G.A. President Reports Death Threats, Thalif Deen, IPS  -- December 15, 2008
UNITED NATIONS  - The outspoken president of the General Assembly, Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, who recently described Israeli policies in the occupied territories as tantamount to "apartheid", says his life is under threat. ...
The love-hate relationship between the United Nations and Israel has been compounded further by Israel's refusal to permit U.N. Special Rapporteur Richard Falk to visit the occupied territories currently under siege.
Falk was denied entry to Israel when he arrived at Tel Aviv airport Monday with staff members from the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He was on an official visit to carry out the mandate entrusted to him by the Human Rights Council.
His mandate included an investigation of human rights violations of the civilian population of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the territories occupied by Israel since 1967.
Falk was also planning to investigate "the rising humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip resulting from the siege of Gaza's 1.5 million population imposed by the occupying power."
According to the United Nations, Falk was held almost incommunicado for at least 30 hours before he flew back to New York.
D'Escoto said Israel's detention and denial of entry to Falk "reflects a dangerous decision by individual countries to rebuff U.N. mandates and U.N.-appointed mandate holders."
Yeves said the two actions concerning Israel -- the media attack on D'Escoto and denial of entry to Falk -- "are not helpful or conducive for the climate of international harmony" that D'Escoto is trying to promote.
D'Escoto has consistently maintained that the 192-member General Assembly should always remain "inclusive", not "exclusive".
Last month he criticised a move by the United States to host an international conference on the global financial crisis because the White House confined the meeting to the G20 countries.
He said the conference should have included all of the members of the General Assembly ("the G192"), not just 20 countries.
The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States. The European Union is also a member, represented by the rotating Council presidency and the European Central Bank.
When he started his presidency in mid-September, D'Escoto said one of his top priorities would be "the democratisation of the United Nations".
He will also hold three high-level meetings: one to review the international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF); the second on the revitalisation of the General Assembly; and the third on reform of the Security Council.
Meanwhile, the Israelis also seemed unhappy that D'Escoto launched an attack on Israel last month when he told delegates that that it has been 60 years since some 800,000 Palestinians were driven out of their homes and property, becoming refugees and an uprooted and marginalised people.
The General Assembly, 61 years ago, adopted a historic resolution (181), calling for the creation of a Jewish State and an Arab State, he said.
"The State of Israel, founded a year later in 1948, celebrates 60 years of its existence," D'Escoto said, "Shamefully, there is still no Palestinian State to celebrate."
"What is being done to the Palestinian people seems to me to be a version of the hideous policy of apartheid," he told delegates during a General Assembly meeting commemorating the "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People".
The New York-based Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) condemned the General Assembly for commemorating Palestine Solidarity Day and "deplored" D'Escoto's remarks on apartheid.
The Assembly president also blasted the heads of both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for skipping a key U.N. conference on Financing for Development in the Qatari capital of Doha last month.
The U.S.-born D'Escoto was ordained as a priest of the Maryknoll Missionaries in the early 1960s; graduated from the prestigious School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York; served for over a decade (1979-1990) as the foreign minister of Nicaragua; and is currently a senior adviser on foreign affairs, with the rank of minister, to the left-leaning Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Saavedra.
*  CANADA BUYS ISRAELI 'PLANES'
Canada to fly Israeli UAVs in Afghanistan, Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post   -- December 15, 2008
It plays a vital role in IDF operations in the Gaza Strip and in southern Lebanon, and in February the Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will make its debut in Afghanistan as the main surveillance drone for the Canadian Armed Forces, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Last month, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) supplied a number of Heron UAVs to the Canadian military for operations in Afghanistan. The Heron will replace a small French-built UAV that Canada has been operating in Afghanistan for several years.
The Heron was supplied to Canada under a $95 million contract signed in August. Canadian forces are currently committed to participating in operations in Afghanistan until 2011. ...
The Heron is capable of remaining in the air close to two days straight without refueling. ...
The Heron can also fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet, making it a difficult target for standard anti-aircraft weapons. It has the ability to carry a 250 kg payload, in comparison to the 100 kg the Searcher is able to hold.
The Heron has a wingspan of 16.6 meters and weighs 1,200 kilograms, with an operational range of hundreds of kilometers and the ability to fly in all weather conditions, as well as during the day and at night.
With the delivery of the Heron, IAI is hoping to secure another contract with the Canadians, valued at $750 million and called "Project Justas" (Joint Unmanned Surveillance Target Acquisition System).
A few months ago, the Canadian government published a letter of interest seeking feedback from defence industry companies on potential platforms to provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition.
IAI is offering the Heron TP, an upgraded version of the UAV already supplied to Canada. The Heron TP is the largest Israeli UAV, with a 26-meter long wingspan, the same length as a Boeing 737. It weighs 4,650 kilograms and can fly at an altitude of up to 45,000 feet.
According to reports in the Canadian press, the Heron TP also possesses a lethal-strike capability.
*  ANNAPOLIS PEACE?
Annapolis has made peace impossible, Nicola Nasser, The Jakarta Post  -- December 16, 2008
Bir Zeit, West Bank -- Palestinian-Israeli peace-making can only deliver if Palestinians are united, but the current Annapolis "peace process" was launched first of all as a blueprint for perpetuating the inter-Palestinian divide. ...
In Annapolis, Arab leaders and the Palestinian presidency were lured by a promise of a Palestinian state by the end of 2008 and a wider Arab-Israeli peace process, mainly on the Syrian track thereafter, to coexist with the inter-Palestinian divide between the PLO-led West Bank and the Hamas-led Gaza Strip and to grudgingly hide their bitter resentment of the U.S.-Israeli threat of siege, which had aborted Qatari, UAE, Saudi, Egyptian, Yemeni, and other Arab and non-Arab mediation efforts to unify Palestinian ranks.
The Annapolis plan to implement the first stage of the 2003 Road Map for a Palestinian-Israeli political settlement has built on two pillars, the first a Palestinian-Israeli security coordination that is solely and directly monitored by three senior U.S. generals, namely James Jones, William Fraser, and Keith Dayton, and the second pillar is inter-Palestinian divide between the PLO in Ramallah and Hamas in Gaza.
However, the failure of the "Annapolis process" could be better proved by the unmet deadline of 2008 and the un-honored promise of a Palestinian state, but the two pillars nonetheless survived the failure of Annapolis so far to perpetuate and exacerbate the Palestinian rift, with the security coordination raising accusations by Hamas of PLO collaboration with Israel and the divide developing into what threatens to become a permanent separation between the West Bank and Gaza.
There remain too at the core of the Annapolis process and at the heart of the Palestinian divide the three Israeli-U.S. "good conduct" preconditions that qualify Palestinians to be partners to peace negotiations as well as to evade military siege, economic blockade and diplomatic isolation, namely to unilaterally renounce violence without any guarantees of Israeli reciprocity, recognize the existence of the state of Israel without any Israeli reciprocal recognition of the state of Palestine, and commitment to the accords signed by the PLO with Israel regardless of Israeli reciprocal respect thereto.
Israel's lack of reciprocity has come recently under spotlight by the refusal of the U.S. State Department to publish a report by its Middle East security envoy General James Jones on Palestinian-Israeli security, which the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, quoted by AFP on Nov. 26, described in August as "an extremely critical report of Israel's policies" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."
It is now public knowledge that the Palestinian partner to the Annapolis process, represented by the President Mahmoud Abbas-led Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the autonomous Palestinian Authority (PA), are wholeheartedly committed thereto irrespective of any Israeli reciprocity.
The emergency meeting of the Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on Nov. 26 concluded similarly committal, encouraged beforehand to let go the undelivered promises of the Annapolis conference by indications floated by both the Israeli President Shimon Peres and the U.S. President-elect Barak Obama's team of their willingness to deal with the collective Arab peace initiative. ...
However the end game of the Annapolis process is still far away from being the only game in the town as it is held hostage to Hamas's fate as much as it has cornered Hamas, but meanwhile this process remains the detrimental factor that makes or breaks the unity of Palestinian ranks, as long as both Palestinian protagonists continue to risk it out in their brinkmanship policies.
*  GOMA
CPTnet  18 December 2008
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO REFLECTION:  Walking in Goma by Wendy Lehman
I went for a walk by myself a couple mornings ago to buy some tomatoes for lunch and ran into between fifty and seventy-five soldiers in downtown Goma. ...
Our partners here had told us that everyday life continues in Goma.  But just like that, one day, dozens of soldiers are on the street with checkpoints interrupting daily life.
Our partners had spoken of soldiers acting with impunity and of people arrested illegally with no charge.  One spoke of seeing detainees in shipping containers with no window, no light, and no air, with salt scattered on the floor as a "bed".  To get fed while in prison, one's family members need to bring food, and they have to pay a fee to do so. ...

===  SNOWWATCH :-) === Victoria, ~Dec 21
        [This just in from a friend's cousin in Victoria .... saying her heart goes out to her.]
The following is an hourly report of the extreme weather concerns in Victoria, British Columbia:
6:22am  -- Temperature plunges. Word spreads that a Victoria man finds ice on his windshield! Curious neighbours gather to watch him scrape it off with a credit card. One motorist, a former Albertan, claims use of mysterious "defrost" switch on dashboard can aid in process.
9:30am  -- Hardware stores sell both of their snow shovels. Islanders begin cobbling together implements made from kayak paddles, umbrellas, plywood, cookie sheets, and boogie boards.
10am  -- Golfers switch to orange balls. Beacon Hill Park cricket players, anxious not to repeat the ugly "snow blower incident" of the Blizzard of '96, switch to orange uniforms.
Noon  -- Word of impending West Coast snowfall tops newscasts across Canada. Saskatoon hospitals report epidemic of sprained wrists related to viewers high-fiving one another.
1:20pm  -- Elementary schools call in grief counsellors. Grief counsellors refuse to go, citing lack of snow tires.
2:30pm  -- Rush hour begins an hour early as office workers come down with mysterious illness and bolt for home. Usual traffic snarl is compounded by a large number of four-wheel-drives abandoned by side of the road.
2:50pm  -- Aeroplanes are grounded and ferries docked. No way to travel between Island and rest of the world. Times Colonist headline: "Mainland cut off from Civilization."
3:22pm  -- Prime Minister Harper announces Canada's DART rapid-response team can be on the ground within six months. "We can't leave Victoria to deal with 225 centimetres of snow on its own," he tells Mayor Lowe. "Um, that's two to five centimetres [5cm = 2 inches], not two-two-five," replies the Mayor. The Prime Minister hangs up.
3:33pm  -- Provincial government responds to crisis by installing slot machines in homeless shelters.
4:10pm  -- At behest of Provincial Emergency Program, authorities begin adding Prozac to the drinking water.
4:15pm  - Fears of food shortages lead to alarming scenes of violence and looting. Grocery shoppers riot across the city, except in Oak Bay, where residents hire caterers to do rioting for them.
4:30pm  -- Bracing for the arrival of snow, the city is gripped by an eerie stillness reminiscent of Baghdad on the eve of the invasion.  Searchlights comb darkening sky for first sign of precipitation.
4:48pm  -- Panic ripples across the region as words come in that the first flakes of snow have fallen on the Malahat. False alarm! "Flakes" turn out to be nothing more than anthrax spores released by terrorists.  An uneasy calm returns to city.
5:40pm  -- Television reporter, Ed Bain, shaking uncontrollably, tells viewers that snow warnings have been extended. This weather pattern could go on for days. Mercury plummets to Calgary-in-August levels.  Martial law is declared. Victoria-area politicians announce plans to establish an emergency command centre aboard HMCS Regina once it reaches Oahu.

===  LANGUAGE/BOOKWATCH  ===The last WVM issue had 2008 book lists from NYT, Guardian, and The Economist.
ON LANGUAGE
Gifts of Gab  By WILLIAM SAFIRE  Published: December 19, 2008 New York Times
Here we are in the literary suburb of Blurb City, sternly policed by those who have appointed ourselves the vocabulary constabulary. What books do we tout at Christmastime (excuse me, the holidays) for our fellow language mavens?
If you have one book to give to a lover of the lingo, latch on to "Always On, Language in an Online and Mobile World," by Naomi Baron (Oxford, $30). It was briefly previewed here this summer as "seminal," which in Blurbian means "creative; spawning follow-up books." Baron, with good taste and relentless research, tackles a big question of interpersonal communications: What is e-mail, instant messaging, mobile phonology and other forms of Internetese doing to our spoken and written language?...
Now to two brain-stuffers: "The Artful Nuance," by Rod Evans (Perigee paperback, $14), is synonymy delivered with a hairsplitter's delight: "A naked person is totally bare, wearing nothing; a nude person has become nude by removing clothes." A mistake I made recently had me reading this one twice: "A homonym is a word like another in sound and spelling but different in meaning: ...  A homophone is a word pronounced the same but different in meaning from another, regardless of whether the spelling is the same: ...
"i never metaphor i didn't like," a compilation of analogies, metaphors, and similes by Mardy Grothe (Collins, $15), seeks attention by lower-?casing the entire title; it is a pun not quite as good as the play on Robert Browning's "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" substituting for the poet's final phrase, "or what's a metaphor?"
The section on writers' tropes is best: Alexander Pope versified "True ease in writing comes from Art, not chance,/As those move easiest who have learned to dance." F. Scott Fitzgerald directed fellow writers to cut out a certain punctuation: "An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke." The legendary Times sports columnist Red Smith is represented in his most memorable figure of speech: "Writing is easy. You just sit down at the typewriter, open up a vein, and bleed it out drop by drop."
And Edmund Burke put forward a simile that might be taken to heart by readers of instant messages sent by the swiftest thumbs: "To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting."...
For the whole article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/magazine/21wwln-safire-t.html?ref=magazine

===  HAIKU  === 2008 Dec 21/22

                Solstice is a time of joy
                        slowly door opens
                                facing new year's hopes

===  QUOTATIONS / RIDDLES / PUNS  ===
QUOTATIONS
In politics, absurdity is not a handicap.  -- Napoleon Bonaparte, general and politician (1769-1821)

Leo Rosten (1908 - 1997) was born in Lodz, Poland.  At age three, he emigrated with his family to the United States, settling in Chicago.  After graduating from the University of Chicago, he taught English.  His 1968 classic was "The Joys of Yiddish".  Rosten had a full and varied career, teaching at a number of universities, serving in a variety of government posts, and working at "Look" magazine for more than 20 years.
I never cease being dumbfounded by the unbelievable things people believe.
Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909 - 1966) (born Baron Stanislaw Jerzy de Tusch-Letz) was a Polish poet and aphorist of Polish and Jewish noble origin. Often mentioned among the greatest writers of post-WW2 Poland. One of the most influential aphorists on the 20th century.
He was born on March 6, 1909 in Lviv (then Lemberg, Austro-Hungarian Empire), the son of the Baron Benon de Tusch-Letz and Adela Safrin. His well-educated parents were noted Jewish eccentrics who converted to Protestantism in a Catholic country.
No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.
Eddy Peters (love it but I can't find who he is/was. Anyone out there know?):
Not only does the English Language borrow words from other languages, it sometimes chases them down dark alleys, hits them over the head, and goes through their pockets.

To be nobody but myself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.        
                -- E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962); hm, didn't he insist on e e cummings?
RIDDLES
1 = The winner of the glass of pumpkin ale for the first correct answer of the last question (why won't oysters share? -- Shellfish) was Danielle Charlton (in one hour ten minutes after Tidbits went out last week). 
2 = The next riddle was: What's this message?     ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTVWXYZ
There were many amusing/interesting answers:
        You're missing ("U" are missing).
        Where are U?
        U've gone missing.
        What happened to U?
        Wrong letter: you shd hv left out L  (b/c of this time of year -- No el)
        Answer to riddle: ONLY THING I'M MISSING IS...U..
        Is the message, 'I'm missing U'? :)
        How about :  Everyone there but you (U) - "All there but you?"
        The answer to the alphabet puzzle is:   MISSING YOU
Winners for the second one are: Baz Collins, Phyllis Elliott, Andrea Flintoft, Ali Lakhani, Joy Smith
{So now I just have to arrange for a coordinated time for that offer of a glass of ale!}
PUNS
Holidays are coming:    Christmas dinner is a place where you can really talk turkey!
                        Smartly dressed poultry would be called chic hens.
MORE CHRISTMAS PUN
from Richard Lederer's A Stockingful of Christmas Puns:
        How do cats greet each other at Christmas?Have a Furry Merry Christmas and a Happy Mew Year!
Punnery is largely the trick of compacting two or more ideas within a single word or expression. Punnery challenges us to apply the greatest pressure per square syllable of language. Punnery surprises us by flouting the law of nature that pretends that two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Punnery is an exercise of the mind at being concise. Punnery is a rewording experience, especially around Christmas time. That's when people exchange hellos and good buys with each other, the time of year when every girl wants her past forgotten and her presents remembered, the time of year when mothers have to separate the men from the toys. More ...
How do sheep greet each other at Christmas?
        Season's Bleetings and Fleece Navidad! Fleece on earth, good wool to men!
FYI: Been told the actual translation is Peace on Earth to Men of Goodwill
LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING
Here's the standup comic John Pinette in Las Vegas: http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=n1cnd6no7c