Another Round of the ongoing White Rock BIA Conflict; My letter to Monique

The Old BIA and the New BIA http://www.whiterockbia.ca Letter 16 Jan. 2010

Dear Monique

Our beautiful sunshine this Saturday morning 'help
sooth my sore emotional bones and soul'.

I ask 'What the heck is wrong with the world and in
particular with White Rock business community and its Old BIA?

Transparency.. my love..just lack of transparency. That's all. I will call you later but just read
what I am 'getting off my chest this grand morning inviting to contemplation and
some brisk walks on the beach and seaside of my White Rock.

Friends, residents and businesses of White Rock BC

Waking up this lovely sun drenched beautiful crisp
morning; a Saturday morning filled with ambiance only the coastal area of our
Semiahmoo Peninsula can
offer visitors, tourists and residents, I just had to unload some of my stuff I
have pondered upon for a couple of days.

There is presently only one BIA assigned, legal and
frozen in its administrative and executive structure. This until the BC Supreme
Court has made its verdict and order.

What brought the Supreme Court of BC into the
picture was not just for 'arguments sake' but it was the former [old and
redundant BIA of White Rock and its directorship which was replaced by a due
legal process provided to 'Victoria'..] who decided to dispute and question
actions which resulted in the old BIA's demise and replacement.

Replaced by a new up to par entity of motivated persons urging for a change and improvement of the five year old organization which had turned stale, trite and nepotistic in its attempts to pursue their mission impossible; And this without any planning in advance . I say: "No Plan -No Business Will Ever Evolve and Develop Out of a Trash Can".

With the Old BIA membership as is, spoon fed special events created by a 'self-proclaimed event executive and planner and some indifferent directors on a unproductive Board of the Old BIA, as an onlooker and many with me could see the disaster and the train-wreck approaching to become a fact in short time. The future for the Old BIA was bleak from the start. It's no more.

The lack of creative and productive leadership capacity was written all over the murals in White Rock. An intensive battle ensued to cover up the fallacies in implementation of mediocre target practice. Graffiti removal did not work to erase traces of incompetence and lack of communication between the stake holders.
Using loose rounds of ammunition to cover up the lack of results and engagements one may expect from a disarranged and discontent merchants community, did not work.

Swiftly, the movie and graffiti 'phenomenon were introduced to keep the 'troops calm and in order'. Those events became the hall marks of result based events and were quantifiable. But it had nothing to do with stimulating business, per se.

A business grad student could have assessed that fact in two minutes.

The Old BIA was created and set to initially and continually improve the climate for businesses; to improve their each business bottom-line and over-all sales.

Old BIA did the filing of an action to dispute the dilemma the Old BIA found themselves in [after having been replaced by the New BIA by and after Registrar and 'Government' had resolute made the decision to have them all replaced. http://www.whiterockbia.ca/

All this after a requisition was submitted to the Government in Victoria, and supported by a sufficient number of voting 'disgruntled members' of the Old BIA. One wanted change.

Go to the website for your personal discovery process. You owe it to yourself if you are in business of doing business in White Rock, BC.

The website will direct you to the present and by too many neglected facts of this debacle which so heavily is negatively affecting our community of White Rock and its reputation, tourism and citizenry.

Until the Court so find reasons to do otherwise in its review of filed protest and grievances put forth by the Old BIA then the legal and authentic body of the new BIA [since July 2009], need to be listened to and recognized as a co-operative at least, and as a 'speaking partner' in the
interim, one would think. This to be expected by all involved, presently and from and in
the past.

The former executive director of the Old BIA is fired. We should all recognize the fact his services ceased the minute the pink slip was issued by the New BIA, and the persons became aware of the fact he was terminated from his position as an employee of the Old BIA.

Still this very day in January 16th 2010 for some peculiar reasons the City of White Rock is not and have not put its actions and plans by by-laws on hold until the appeal made by the Old BIA is overturned or approved by the Supreme Court of BC.

But instead the City has initially said 'it is not involved' and later by its own actions certainly documented the fact 'it is very much involved in the doings of the Old BIA as were and is performing to-date.

And the City officials and staff directorship has been involved in the Old BIA from the very 'get go' by having its [now Mayor Ferguson] own liaison then Councilor Catherine Ferguson [now the Mayor of White Rock] representing the then present Council and its members and staff. Did she exercise 'business savvy and business experience' to oversee and report back to Council members and the then Mayor of the day?

There are many questions one may ask. There are many questions asked by Mr. Anschell [as an example] and they were never answered in full.

As a bystander and entrepreneurial semi-retired marketing professional and business person I am anxiously waiting for 'some common sense and clarity' and transparent engagement to arrive in the horizon and to this community.

A seaside resort on the cusp to bankruptcy
[Besides tax base it's only revenue is a parking lot the city rents to harvest
parking fees from during intensive tourist traffic in summers.

The revenues are not enough to cover the expenditures plagued by indecisiveness, nepotism and 'old boys' club attitudes. I say welcome to you all; the new millennium is here and we all must demand more from the Council and its Mayor today.

For the City to be proposing 'a new start over again' policy for a BIA that failed grossly in its implementation, strategic and tactic planning is truly astounding.

'Who is hiding what from whom and when'?, one may
today ask oneself. So I do and many with me would like some coherent, explicit answers and explanations. Not excuses.

A Soap Opera and a most embarrassing situation is allowed to progress. I am speaking of the neglect of judicial process and 'law and order' one may expect be a natural consequences from all one can read about in the local press, in local websites and in the 'papers' and documents and
minutes provided by the City of White Rock, its Mayor and its Council and its Corporate Chief Executive Officer and delegated staff.

I conclude from the above we all live in a seemingly 'lawless' and non-responsive' society within which anyone can do as he or she pleases. I had better get used to it, I guess? NO! I WON'T.. BECAUSE I AM A TRUE CANADIAN BY CHOICE; since 1988.

Correct me if I am wrong. My email is johanpublisher@gmail.com

Welcome to the wild west and White Rock, BC and a most profound and interesting and relaxing tourist destination located by the Pacific Ocean. Only two hours north of Seattle, Washington State, USA.

Respectfully Yours Truly

Johan

PS/Hon, the phone to City Hall is 604 541 2100 and they now have only Council meetings every so often. [Only God knows why they cut down, reduced their 'In Council hours-duty' last year] call first./DS

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION BIA AGM 18 JANUARY 2010 ELKS HALL WHITE ROCK

As the wind and rain pounded on on the streets of our fair city last night, myself, LARRY ANSCHELL Treasurer of the "newly recognized" BIA Business Improvement Association, BOB YEARSLEY the acting President of said organization and JOHAN SANDSTROM also a Director of the "new BIA" walked the streets of the five business districts in White Rock.
Our mission was to distribute an information letter to the members of the BIA made up of local businesses owners. The letter is designed to inform the business community the scheduled AGM Annual General Meeting called by the "old & ousted" BIA scheduled meeting for Monday evening at the Elks Hall in our humble view has no validity.
NOTICE OF CANCELLATION FOR BIA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING JANUARY 18TH, 2010
Unauthorized information has been recently distributed calling an Annual General Meeting of the White Rock Business Improvement Association for January 18th, 2010 at the Elks Hall, White Rock.
The calling of this meeting was not authorized by the registered Directors of the BIA , and a petition distributed to call this AGM does not conform to the Bylaws of the BC Society Act.
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTED INCLUDES UNAUTHORIZED CHANGES TO THE BIA CONSTITUTION, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND PROPOSED BUDGETS
The White Rock BIA is currently before the BC Supreme Court to determine the validity of the last Directors election July 7th, 2009. Until this ruling is received, further elections and resolutions for the White Rock BIA cannot be filed in Victoria and be deemed effective.
The BC Deputy Registrar has stated “until BC Registry Services receives satisfactory evidence that the dispute has been resolved, the Registry will not accept further filings for the Association”.
A motion was passed by the BIA Board on December 3rd to terminate the employment of Russ Davies in his position as Executive Director, for the continued violation of the governing bylaws of the White Rock BIA. Mr. Davies has refused to release the records of the Society to its registered address and has been responsible for distributing false and unauthorized information to members.
It is the intention of the BIA Board of Directors to hold the next AGM on March 31st, 2010, pending the release of financial records of the Society to its registered address, as required by Section 11 of the BC Society Act.
For more information please visit: WWW.WHITEROCKBIA.CA
For 18 months a group of business owners have banded together to shed some light on the past and the future of the Business Improvement Association in White Rock.
The registrar of the Society Act in Victoria is on record as recognizing the "new Board of Directors" and has clearly stated until the matter is settled by the two parties or by the current court case before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the "new directors" are the group that is recognized by their office. The matter in their mind is frozen and will remain that way until such time the mater can be settled by the two parties or the courts.
Following the initial court case earlier this month in the courts in New Westminster, the law firm representing the "old BIA" proposed to the "new BIA" a possible sit down to settle the matter. The "new BIA" stated it would be more than willing to participate in such a meeting. LARRY ANSCHELL this week received word from the law firm, the "old BIA" was unwilling to participate in the meeting. They have decided to proceed with the AGM, elect a new Board of Directors, which will include the same old group with the addition of only one new director stepping forward for nomination.
For months now every effort has been made to keep the business community and the City of White Rock informed on our actions. The City of White Rock finance the operation of the BIA through a levy on local businesses. The response from the local business owners to say the least has been under whelming. That was until they received the latest handout from the "old BIA." It has taken an inordinate amount of time but as they say "the proverbial worm has turned."
The White Rock BIA which is coming to the end of its first mandate of 5 years is now asking for a new by-law to be created by the city that will extend their next mandate from 5 to 10 years. They are also asking for a considerable increase in the funding from the city as well as new sweeping powers for the Executive Director that would allow for the Director to have veto power over the board of directors.
At a time when the business community is littered with vacant store fronts and more businesses looking to sell, the time for a fully functional BIA is more pronounced than ever before. The encroachment of new shopping communities at Southpoint and Grandview Corners has put tremendous strain on the health and future of the local business community.
The Monday evening meeting is open to any member of the White Rock BIA as well as guests of business owners.
The "new BIA" will be represented at the meeting. As the matter is before the Supreme Court it will necessitate documentation of the matters discussed at the meeting. In the past the "old BIA" has had difficulty simply attracting enough business owners to establish a quorum for their previous 4 AGM's.
A number of local business owners seemed content to accept the levy administered by the City of White Rock as just another tax. For that mater most business owners were not even aware they were paying the levy, as the city actually sends the bill to the commercial property owner. The majority of the commercial property owners simply rolled the levy into the triple net of the business owners rent, and by not breaking it out and informing the business owners - many were unaware they were paying the levy.
Under the proposal that will be put forth by the "old BIA" Monday evening the mandate will double from 5 years to 10 years, with the levy increasing annually. Previously on average business owners were stuck with roughly a $4,000.00 levy over the course of the 5 year mandate. With the new graduated 10 year levy those same business owners will on average be hit with upwards a $10,000.00 levy.
The City of White Rock and the "old BIA" just might have hit the tipping point.
Monday's evening will no doubt answer some questions as a number of merchants will be in attendance with some tough questions for the "old BIA." The "new BIA" will be on hand to continue to advance their causes from the very beginning of this sordid tale.
1. A full and open disclosure of where the money has been spent over the past 5 years.
2. An open and accountable BIA that will advance the interests of the business community of White Rock.
3. Making the City of White Rock accountable for the money they have taken from the local commercial property owners in order to fund the BIA.

UPDATE 10:00 a.m. Friday January 15, 2010

LARRY ANSCHELL Treasurer of the "new BIA" reached the registrar
of the Society Act in Victoria this morning. RICHARD RODGERS stated he had
restated to the "old BIA" the Registrar's office would probably only validate
the AGM if the meeting had been approved by both parties. RODGERS stated his
office would wait until next week to rule on the validity of the AGM called
Monday evening by the "old BIA."

The Registrar's Office in Victoria is on record as stating the
White Rock BIA Board of Directors (New BIA) has been frozen until the two
parties are able to reach a resolution or the court case in the Supreme Court of
British Columbia rules on the matter. The court case is to request the Supreme
Court to quash the election of the "new BIA." This confirms what the "new BIA"
has maintained all along. Until such time as there is common ground found
between the two parties or the court rules, the "new BIA" is the legally
recognized by the Registrar's Office in Victoria.

ROGERS also stated the information being circulated by the "old
BIA" that a Parliamentary representative was now involved had not been
registered with is office. RODGERS stated he had put this option forth to the
"old BIA" as an option to solve the problem but had not received any
confirmation this had occurred. Neither ANSCHELL or any of the other directors
of the "new BIA" have heard from any "Parliamentary" representative regarding
their involvement in the matter.

http://www.whiterockbia.ca
http://http://www.whiterocksun.com

Libraries in the danger zone of Wi-Fi electromagnetic radiation. Dr. Magda Havas in Ontario

Dr. Havas 'on libraries and the presence of Wi-Fi electromagnetic radiation compromising one's health?

From: Dr. Magda Havas, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Environmental & Resource Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, ON,
Canada, K9J 7B8
phone: (705) 748-1011 x7882 fax: (705) 748-1569 email: mhavas@trentu.ca
www.magdahavas.com www.magdahavas.org

Open letter to Librarians, Library Administrators and Visitors to Libraries.

ALERT: WiFi Hotspots in Libraries may be Harming Staff and Visitors and may
Prevent Access to those with Medical Implants.

I was asked to write an open letter about WiFi in libraries and am
attaching a pdf of that for those who can use this information to
help convince libraries to go with wired connections rather than
wireless. It has information about electromagnetic interference
(EMI) for those with medical implants so will be new information for
some of you.

The same material is on my website but with live links. So please go
to www.magdahavas.com for the live link "Open letter." You will note
there is one for libraries and one for schools, both written at the
request of women who care.

Forward to those who need to know.

Thanks,
-magda