I don’t know what’s in the water around here, but I’m not sure I want to drink it anymore. I’m afraid if I do I’m either going to get fired or resign for some reason.
Let me explain.
It’s been quite the week around here in the Barrhead and Westlock areas. Since the month of December – a month that should be devoted to shelling out vast amounts of money we don’t have on gifts for people we can barely tolerate – there has been a rash of resignations and a mysterious change of employment at an important public institution.
Dec. 1 saw 55 Plus Games promotions director Angie Hampshire resign. That was followed by communications and safety director Ken McCarthy’s resignation. Finally, on Dec. 3, Games board chair Henry Romanchuk resigned as well. And there are rumours, currently unfounded, that more directors may be quitting. We’ll keep you posted on that.
And then there’s the murkiness coming out of the Pembina Hills school division. Nine days ago, on Dec. 4, the division announced that Supt. Egbert Stang was no longer an employee of the division.
Why?
No one wants to say. Stang says it’s best to ask board chair Doug Fleming, vice chair Sharon Volorney or Deputy Supt. (now Acting Supt.) Colleen Symyrozum-Watt as to why he is no longer an employee.
Symyrozum-Watt, on the other hand, isn’t speaking. Nor is Fleming.
This is all leaving a sour taste in my mouth. At the very least, I want to know the answer to the following question: Did Egbert Stang quit, or was he fired?
And once I know that, the next question is: Why?
Without knowing either of these facts, I and many other community members are left in a vacuum. And if anything I learned in physics is true, it’s that nature abhors a vacuum. With no information, people are going to start jumping to unfounded conclusions.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have quite the imagination when it comes to human activity. You don’t really want to know the crazy scenarios I have in my head about what’s really going on at Pembina Hills.
But perhaps the most shocking tectonic shift that took place in the last week was Friday’s bombshell that Ken Kowalski is done with politics.
The man I have heard dubbed the “Godfather of Alberta politics” will not run in the upcoming election. For me, it’s as drastic a change as finding out my home riding went NDP orange after being a federal Liberal stronghold since 1988. In other words, it’s a monumental change.
So that’s it. No more Barrhead or Westlock water for me. I hate bottled water and think it’s a waste of money. But if it’s the only way to keep my brain from being addled, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
