On one of the nicest fall days in history, the 2013 October 21st elections for both the Town of Ponoka and County of Ponoka Councils generated a result that was heard around the Province and will be discussed in the coffee shops for quite some time. This time around there was absolutely no doubt that throughout Alberta the political winds were howling for change, and in and around the Ponoka hustings was no exception.
The turnout of the eligible voters at both the Town and County polling stations averaged around 36%, and due to our amazing world of electronics the results came in shortly after the last ballots were cast, so all the celebrations, high fives, and farewells could begin quickly. While the Town of Ponoka welcomed five new councillors (Carla Prediger-Sandra Lyon-Marc Yaworski-Teri Underhill-Tim Falkiner) and incumbent Loanna Gulka; the spirited race for the Mayor’s chair between two former councillors roared in with a dramatic final result of 960 votes for Rick Bonnett and 959 for Doug Gill. The excitement carried over until Wednesday afternoon, when a recount was conducted, the result remained the same, and Bonnett was declared as the winner.
Over at the County Office their final October 21st election results also created quite a stir, as three long time incumbents (Gordon Svenningsen- Gawney Hinkley and George Verheire) were defeated by newcomers Bryce Liddle (Division one), Mark Matejka (Division two), and Doug Weir in division three. Another newcomer, Nancy Hartford was acclaimed in division five, while the only returning incumbent was Paul McLauchlin in division four. Now that all the signs have come down and the new councils have been sworn in, we can assume that it was a very successful and lively campaign, and would likely have been even more dramatic if some of the other 60% plus of eligible voters would have come out to cast their ballots??
Congratulations to all of our newly elected officials as well as to each and every candidate in both the 2013 Town and County elections who expressed their sincere willingness and desire to serve their municipalities for the next four years. It is now the time to get to know our new leaders even more, and never be afraid to ask questions and look forward to sharing in the future plans for all aspects of your community and divisions. Everyone can be a part of the team by always endeavouring to keenly participate and enjoy the progresses, the successes, the services, the support, and the countless family amenities that are available to young and old 24-7.
The famous quotes and queries of 1955
If we lived or were growing up in that era just 58 years ago we likely had kind of a rock and roll get-er-done no matter what attitude, but likely also had some of these questions or theories about what might lay ahead for our future?
● I’m afraid that the new fancy and hot Volkswagen car (later known as the Beatle) is going to open the door for a whole lot of foreign automobile business.
● It won’t be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so that they can both go to work, and then those fluffy cloth diapers will likely become a thing of the past.
● Did you see that some baseball player just signed a contract for $50,000.00 just to play ball? It wouldn’t surprise me that someday these athletes will be making more than the President.
● Scientists now think that it will be possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. (P.S. It actually happened on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong took one small step for mankind.).
● I am now afraid to send my kids to the movies ever since they let Clark Gable get by with uttering ‘damn’ in Gone with the Wind. Now it seems that every show has swear words in the script. Who knows what’s next?
● If they think that I’ll pay 30 cents for a haircut, forget it. Bring out the old pot in the kitchen and just cut around the edges like mom used to do.
● No one can afford to get sick nowadays because it costs $15.00 a day to stay in the hospital. Short weekend getaways are fun, but at $2.00 a night for a hotel room, it’s cheaper to take a tent and a picnic basket.
● This ‘fast food restaurant craze’ might be convenient for a quickie meal, but I seriously doubt that it will catch on? Thank goodness I won’t live to that day when the Governments will take half of our income. Sometimes I really wonder if we are electing the best people as our leaders..
Don’t forget to turn back your clocks on Sunday, November 3rd, be brave and get a flu shot, prepare and pamper your car and your pets just in case the weather turns cold, and have a great week, all of you.
— Hammertime