Update 2011 No. 1
Published 22nd September 2011
Dear Summerway Friend,
I hope you are keeping well and life is treating you kindly.
After more than 73 years of sterling service, my heart has sent me a warning. The RD&E hospital brilliantly opened up the blocked artery and shoved in a couple of stents. I'm informed the other side is 90% blocked, and we are awaiting the results of a review to decide the next step. While damage has been done, I'm feeling fine in myself and surviving all the advice to 'take it easy'!
• Meeting with ECC's ACE. The meeting with Exeter City Council's Assistant Chief Executive took place as planned on 10th January. This was agreed to be 'off the record' to allow free discussion, hopefully leading to an understanding. I emailed Ms Arjoon a week later with 'Unresolved Concerns' as the stated subject. I didn't specifically request a reply, and no acknowledgement was given.
• Letter to ECC's ACE. Realising how busy the Council's officers have been, coping with the consequences of the economic climate, I didn't chivvy Ms Arjoon for a reply. Hearing absolutely nothing in the eight months following our meeting, I felt it proper to send a letter (view) reminding her of some of our concerns with the object of discouraging municipal stagnation.
• Ms Arjoon's Response. Considerable disappointment was my initial reaction to
a letter (view) received earlier this week from the City's Assistant Chief Executive.
It appears that no action is forthcoming regarding our concerns. It will take me
a few days to formulate an appropriate letter as the next step, as my understanding
following the January meeting was that Ms Arjoon would be examining the Council's
conduct towards Summerway. I was certainly expecting explanations at the very least.
Just don't lift the corner of ECC's carpet -
• ECSR Treasurership. I have served as the Summerway Junior LTC's representative on the Exeter Council for Sport and Recreation for decades. This body has the important function of distributing grants to local sports clubs from an annual grant allocation from the City Council. It cannot function without a Treasurer, and no one was willing to fill this position at the 2011 AGM. When asked directly, I agreed to this office rather than leave the Council in the lurch. Talk about ask a busy man ....
• Newcourt Travellers’ Site. 400 Exeter Residents attended Sandy Park during Sunday lunchtime amid the hazard of snow and ice to protest about the lack of consultation. Wow! I was there. The leader of the City Council, Cllr Peter Edwards, wasn't, and is quoted as saying later, "The consultation was perfect", "The council has made a decision and that is it" and "I understand the strength of feeling but the decision has been made. I am not at all surprised by the number of people that turned up to the meeting but I think the majority of people are in favour of our actions". Delusional, or what?
• Sports Development. The City Council has axed its sports development department, dispensing with the services of Kevin and Jayne. This hits the City's children particularly hard, but children are a soft target for cuts, especially as they don't yet vote. More evidence of ECC's ivory tower mentality!
• Campaign Publicity. I hand out my laminated Summerway Watchers cards daily, increasing the number of those keeping an eye on the campaign and raising awareness of our videos on YouTube. The total number of views now exceeds 26,000 with the video shown on 'Five News' being the most popular. Our website continues to receive thousands of hits, and is frequently targeted by search engines.
Think of me when you're enjoying bars of chocolate and scrumptious cream buns. I've had to replace Crunchie bars and a couple of canisters of Pringles from my daily diet by bowls of oats. Oats! Horse fodder! You won't catch me running in the Grand National.
With warmest regards,
Jim.