SGC Admin Bits and Pieces, Events: Present and Upcoming

Vendors Wanted: Clarington Home and Garden Show & Metro East Spring Show

Vendors Wanted: Previous post SGC December 12 2012:


Clarington Home and Garden Show April 14-15 2012 

10×5 Booth $199:00

For information on either of these shows or to be a vendor please contact:

Devon 905-579-4473 ext: 2236 or Wendy at ext: 2215 

Metro East Spring Home and Garden Show: March 30 to April 1 2012: 

Pickering Markets: For Booth info please contact: Audrey or call her @ 905-683–5110 ext: 257

SGC Admin Bits and Pieces

2011 “numbers” for Durham Region Council Members

From the Editor: FYI The workings of Durham Council… :)

Free Graphics Meeting : business meeting

Our members of council are paid a wage and entitled to have expenses/mileage reimbursed or covered as part of their agreement to work for the people. 

I would like to suggest, that if one is working for the good of the people, no matter at what level of “governance” the most important aspect of that work is the welfare and comfort of the people and the place in which they reside. And if that meant not expensing certain things, such as lunch meetings, extended or necessary travel and other travel expenses then that is what I hope I would do. technology has brought us a new way to commute with one another, it is no longer necessary to leave your office to conduct or engage in meetings with your peers. 

Expensing lunch is an old-fashioned worn out idea and only benefits the people at the luncheon. Gas is not only expensive it is bad for our environment, we should all be thinking more about why and where we are driving to and members of council should be setting an example. Many of the commuting working public do not get reimbursed for the gas they use to get to and from their place of work, it comes out of their income and they have to budget for it. 

There is one council member who has truly impressed me by expensing 0 for 2011, and I hope he will stand as an example to others for the future.

Thank You Oshawa Mayor John Henry for doing what you feel is right…. 

Listed below are the “numbers” for 2011, the information was printed in Whitby This Week Feb 29 Edition

1.3 million = Salary

18,910:00 = Mileage

53,630:00 = Expenses (conferences, conventions, meetings)

Base Salary for Regional Council Members for 2011: 48,983:00

15 Former Councilors 546,331:00 = Severance

Roger Anderson Regional Chair 185,037 Salary, 6,527:00 Mileage, 28,071 Expenses

Pat Perkins (Mayor of Whitby) Expenses 5,036:00

Debbie Bath (Brock Councillor) Mileage 2,433:00 (Councillor is the furthest away from Headquarters)

John Henry (Oshawa Mayor) Expenses 0 Mileage 0

SGC Admin Recipes and Tips

Knorr Recipe Hearty Beef Stew…

From the Editor: From our inbox to you… Beef stew is a favourite of hubbies…and sometimes when I make it, it’s great and other times not so good…. We don’t eat much red meat in our house, but stew is a dish I can manage on occasion… As of yet, I haven’t tried the following recipe, but it looks  good… if anyone does try it please send us along your thoughts… :) Click Here for more Knorr Recipes…

HOME-STYLE BEEF STEW

 
SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 15 Minute(s)
COOK TIME: 1 Hour(s) 25 Minute(s)
INGREDIENTS

 
1- lb. beef eye round roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tub Knorr® Homestyle Stock – Beef
2 cups water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cups baby red potatoes, halved
3 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
PREPARATION

  1. Toss beef with flour; set aside.
  2. Heat oil in 4-quart saucepot over medium heat and brown beef. Remove beef from saucepot; set aside.
  3. Stir onions and garlic into same saucepot and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in Knorr® Homestyle Stock – Beef, water, Worcestershire sauce and beef. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until Stock is melted. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes or until beef is almost tender. Stir in potatoes and carrots and simmer an additional 40 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender.
NUTRITION INFORMATION per serving 
Calories 410, Calories From Fat 100, Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 11g, Cholesterol 45mg, Sodium 750mg, Total Carbohydrates 44g, Sugars 5g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Protein 31g, Vitamin A 150%, Vitamin C 70%, Calcium 6%, Iron 25%
 
Made with

Beef Stock

Discover a great tasting stock made with carefully selected ingredients, simmered to perfection — perfect for broth and soups; rice, mashed potatoes and pasta; and sauces and gravies. Find it in the broth aisle!

  • No MSG added*
  • Low Fat
  • Cholesterol Free

*This product contains no added monosodium glutamate beyond small
amounts naturally occurring in autolyze

SGC Admin Bits and Pieces, News and views

Jim Cuddy nominated for two Juno’s this year…. :)

From the Editor: FYI: One of my favourite singers has been nominated for a Juno in two categories this year…. Lets put our positive minds together and send those that choose a big hug filled with tons of desire for Jim to win….. He truly deserves it, if you know his voice I am sure you will agree and if you haven’t had the pleasure please Click Here to go to his web site for a little listen at what you have been missing…. :) 

Skyscraper Soul

JUNO NODS FOR JIM

Big congratulations to Jim on his Juno nominations for Skyscraper Soul! Jim has been nominated in the Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album categories. We’ll be cheering him on when the ceremonies air on CTV this April 1. Visit the Junos site for a full list of this year’s nominees.

SGC Admin Bits and Pieces

How do you feel about allowing shopping on Christmas Day, Easter Sunday and other holidays?

With the Christmas season just behind us it is likely that some of the magic that Christmas brings still remains…. with this in mind it may be a good time to review the following survey being conducted by the city of Toronto. The survey is view public input into allowing retailers to be open on the days we have to this date considered to be holidays. 

**The City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 510, Holiday Shopping [link to:http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_510.pdf] and the Ontario Retail Business Holidays Act [link to: http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/Business_Retail_Holidays.aspx] generally require retail stores to be closed on Public or Retail Holidays (i.e. New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day). Both the Municipal Code and provincial statute provide for exemptions by type and size of retail store that enable some stores to open while others must remain closed. The provincial statute also provides for tourist area exemptions. The City of Toronto Municipal Code does not.**

My husband was the one who brought this to my attention, as hubby’s work takes him to the city (Toronto) availing him to some of the cities news. And to be honest I thought he was kidding at first… I mean who would have ever have thought anyone would have even considered opening up stores on Christmas Day…

Perhaps I am getting old, or my ideas are old fashioned… but somehow it just doesn’t seem fair to take away our Christmas holidays, or any other holiday for that matter and I truly am concerned that if holiday shopping is allowed to happen, we will do just that lose our holidays…. I still don’t like the idea of Sunday shopping, but hey I got used to it and now Sundays don’t mean the same anymore. They used to equal quiet time, a time to recoup from the craziness of the week, a time to spend with family or to enjoy working on a hobby, but now they are kind of like any other day… :(

And what about the people who will have to work those shifts??… 

Do we really have to have stores open 365 days of the year??? 

Won’t we lose that lovely feeling of magic that happens at Christmas time???

Won’t we lose the feeling of “togetherness” that comes from sharing holidays with the whole province or nation, no matter what religious background??

Any way, like I said I thought my husband was kidding, until I looked it up on the internet and sure as honey is sweet, there is a survey going around and it will be looked into this coming Spring…. I have filled it out and sent it in and if you would like to keep your holidays as holidays, please put in your two cents worth too….. 

Please Click Here to view the survey and to participate …. Please note you don’t have to live in Toronto to participate