All I want for Christmas is my telephone

We can fit 32 gigabytes of memory into an object the size of a postage stamp, we can send hundreds of satellites into space, beaming back thousands of tv channels... why can't Telus make two phone numbers ring on one line?  For the last three days, we've been thrown back to the dark ages with our phones, trying to amalgamate the Art Gallery and Arts Council phone lines.  They can't do it this way, they can't do it that way, reconfigure this, reconfigure that, oh if you have it this way it won't go to voice mail, if you do it that way it won't call forward.  For goodness sakes!  I thought it was going to be simple!  That sound you hear is me pulling my hair out.  Long story short, be patient when trying to call the Art Gallery or Arts Council for the next five business days.  Perhaps use the ol' stand-by... email.

My Dream Council

Only a week or so remains until municipal election day here in Salmon Arm. I'm quite delighted that most of the candidates have indicated that they are willing to hammer out a fee-for-service agreement between the City and the Arts Centre.  On November 15 I will be sending out a list of candidates who signed the letter of support.  Vote culture!

Election Issues

Less than three weeks remain in the municipal election campaign.  In light of the recent developments, as we at the Arts Council/Art Gallery research the City's funding practices, we have turned arts and culture funding into an election issue.  I am hopeful that the eighteen council candidates will sign the letter of support indicating they would be willing to work on a fee-for-service agreement for operations at the Arts Centre.  Of course we would continue to generate about 80% of our own revenue, as we have always done.  We are only asking for about 20%, a security blanket, to provide stability and allow us to plan for the future.  I have put the brakes on a number of projects and ideas because of the lack of stable funding.  If the City ponies up, we will finally have some capacity to put important community projects into action.  To help us in this cause, ask your candidates how they feel about a fee-for-service agreement with the Arts Centre.  It's your money.  Why should it all go to sports and business?