600CKAT

Well it took exactly 8 and a half hours after Mayor Vic’s announcement that he would not be running in this year’s election, for “Silly Season” to set in. What’s “Silly Season” you ask? Well, it’s that time when an election season is in full swing and people say and do silly things in the hopes of getting their name in the newspaper or on the radio. Do these things need to make sense? Do they need to be well thought out and bear much weight in importance? The answer is “NO” to all of the above.

It seemed the heavens opened up on silliness from the Mayor’s announcement to that night’s city council meeting (8 and a half hours), when Chamber of Commerce president Sean Lawlor appeared before council to ask council to reduce the upcoming tax increase and they could do it by cutting out 300 thousand dollars somewhere in the budget. This is certainly within his right to do. He’s the Chamber president(and a tax payer by the way), and has been elected to speak on behalf of that group. Not everything needs to be voted on by the 900 members of the Chamber for it to bring weight.

Councillor Vaillancourt asked about Lawlor’s motives. Was it personal or on behalf of the 900 members? WHO CARES!!!! Who in there right mind wants a 3.45 percent increase anyway??!! “Do I like higher taxes? YOU BET YOUR BOOTS. Bring it on!”….

Come on…

City Council always says that they never get input from the community of tax increases… HERE’S AN OPINION BY THE CHAMBER PRESIDENT!! It’s shot down…So where does that leave regular folks like you and I? No wonder no one wants to give a public tax opinion from the podium at city council.

It’s been long rumoured that Lawlor would run for a seat on council. I can only assume this is where Councillor Viallancourt was heading with his questioning……Aaaaand with THAT, “Silly Season” was launched.

Will it get better between now and the fall? Oh no…it will only get worse…and very very silly.

This is the season when wishes come true right?

Here are some hopes and wishes I have for the new year.

I hope we ALL become less obsessed with Jon and Kate Plus their divorce. I still can’t believe she was named one of Barbara Walters most Fascinating People of 2009!! What??! Kate Gosselin??!? Is this what the world has become? A reality show ”star” has become one of the most Fascinating People in the WORLD????!!! Lord help us!

My other hope for 2010 is that we’ll hear a little less about Tiger Woods’ marital infidelities…although with more ladies coming out of the woodwork left and right, this one might not come true.

I hope we “tweet” less and talk more…I hope we “google” less and read real books more….

I hope we genuinely care more about our neighboors and I hope we do a better job of caring for the poor and those who have less than us.

And finally…Sing with me….”On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to meeeee…NO H.S.T.”

Well, one can hope and pray right? If we ever needed a Christmas miracle, it’s now.

Here we are approaching the Christmas season. The stores and malls are encouraging us to spend, spend, spend. It’s good for the economy. In the long run, it’s good for all of us. Sounds like a plan. It IS the time of year when we all spend like crazy as we seek out those perfect Christmas gifts. Here’s the problem this year with the plan to “help the economy”. The 2010 that awaits us in the new year seems like one frought with extra expenses, extra taxes and extra cash flying out of our collective wallets.

Just before the holiday shopping season, the provincial government solidifies the H.S.T.(which no matter how you spin it, no matter what beautiful coat of paint you brush on it…still stinks in the long run……and the short run for that matter.). I’m not done…North Bay Hydro wants a 5 dollar a month increase on your electric bill, and city council is looking at yet ANOTHER hike in water and sewer bills(to the tune of a possible 6.9%)…and that ain’t even the eventual city tax hike we’ll also see in the new year…

So….how are all these announcements this month going to encourage us to spend more money this Christmas season, knowing we’ll have less to spend in 2010…Sometimes timing is everything…Sometimes I wonder if those “in charge” really know what they’re doing. More importantly I wonder if they know “when” they’re doing it.

“We’re adding a  tax and raising Hydro and water and sewer…BUT go out and spend, spend, spend…It’ll help us all get out of this slump.”

Where will the leaders of our various levels of government be when we’re in a slump in January when the Christmas bills come in? They’ll be there…with their collective hands out, palms up, asking us to pay up and pay more for the same level of services….

Bah Humbug!

When it comes to H1N1, the media has been accused of fear mongering. All the news stories, the commercials, the clinic announcements, the focus on the “deaths” stories, (when hundreds more recover quickly)…it all becomes a bit much right? The majority of the content on my last couple of morning shows has been H1N1. Am I contributing to the fear mongering? Are the accusations true? Yes…I sadly confess that I probably am. It’s a hard topic to avoid. It’s hard to present a balanced opinion when a seemingly healthy 12 year old hockey player is dead due to this flu virus. As a parent it’s frightening. But let the fear mongerer now bring a bit of perspective.

I just read an article yesterday that detailed that 166 “children” died(in the U.S.A) from regular flu between 2004 and 2007.
86 more between 2007 and 2008….There were no media reports on any of these deaths that I remember…BECAUSE it was the regular flu…The fear of this new flu have whipped us all in a frenzy…

As a parent of 5 am I worried? Absolutely. Am I worried about what’s in the H1N1 shot (mercury etc…) still untested in Canada? ABSOLUTELY….Do I wonder why 1 in 4 doctors refuse to get the shot? Yep.
Do I worry that a 12 year old hockey player has died? Yes!
Do I worry that my son Denver can leave the house and get hit by a car? Yes…

The media does it’s fair share of fear mongering and in most cases I disagree with that assessment…In THIS case, we may have taken it too far.

The highlighted quote (above the headline) on the front page of today’s newspaper is this quote from Dr. Jim Chirico. “This virus attacks younger people and one death is too many but it’s likely there will be more deaths.” That’s at the top of the page, and just below that is a LARGE headline screaming, “FIVE KIDS HOSPITALIZED”. It isn’t until you get to the end of the article (on the second page), the very last sentence is another quote from Dr. Chirico. “The public needs to be reassured that the majority of those infected with the virus feel rotten for a couple of days, but they will get better.”

Now should THAT last quote have been the headline? Should our newscasts begin with the number of people who have recovered instead of the 1 death that day? Believe me when I say that it’s a hot topic of discussion around the water cooler here at the radio station.
A LOT of questions……But as a parent I AM burdened by this issue, and hope to balance things out in coming days and pray that there IS more to balance out with.

We have begun awarding our 2nd Annual Best of Awards. As voted by you, here are the winners so far…I’ll update the blog daily this week as we continue to surprise the winners.

BEST PLACE FOR BREAKFAST———-Burgerworld(Algonquin)

BEST PIZZA——————————Greco’s (Algonquin)

BEST FURNITURE/APPLIANCE STORE-Leon’s

BEST FLORIST—————————Rose Bowl Florist

BEST HAIRDRESSERS——————–First Choice Haircutters

BEST REAL ESTATE COMPANY———-Remax

BEST CLOTHING STORE—————–Walmart

BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN—————-Anthony Rota

BEST FITNESS CENTRE——————-YMCA

BEST BOOKSTORE————————Coles

BEST AUTO SERVICE———————Canadian Tire

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT———–George’s China Kitchen

BEST BAR/PUB—————————The Fraser

BEST RESTAURANT———————-Burgerworld(Hammond)

BEST GROCERY STORE——————No Frills(Lakeshore)

BEST CUP OF COFFEE——————-Tim Horton’s (Lakeshore/Marshall)

BEST CAR DEALERSHIP—————–North Bay Chrysler

BEST GOLF COURSE———————Pinewood

BEST CHICKEN WINGS——————Moose’s Big Game Sports Bar

BEST NEXT MAYOR———————-Vic Fedeli

If you’re like me, you LOVE a good Thanksgiving turkey(left-overs included). But how does one cook the perfect bird? Here are some tips I got from Yahoo Health…

Figure for a bit over an hour of cooking time per kilogram of turkey (30 minutes per pound). Set the oven temperature to 165°C (325°F) or higher. If using an oven cooking bag, carefully read the bag’s instructions first. Poke a meat thermometer into a thigh or breast to see if the turkey’s internal temperature has reached 85°C (185°F). By this temperature, the turkey should be thoroughly cooked. Check that meat is tender and no pink juices remain. Cook stuffing separately and add it once the turkey is fully cooked and ready to serve.

So there you go…Happy cooking and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at AM 600 CKAT.

You know what? We’ve got great homegrown country music in Canada. People like Shania Twain, Terri Clark and Michelle Wright have had some success beyond this country, but we have a lot of good artists doing their best to have their big break(whatever form that takes for them). Many of them were highlighted during the 2009 CCMA AWARDS in Vancouver. Johnny Reid took home 5 of the awards he was nominated in. He’s coming to North Bay by the way in October. Do NOT miss his show at the Capitol Centre.

In case you missed the awards show. Here’s a list of the winners. All well deserved, and all GREAT Canadian talent.

Single of the Year: “Brothers” ~ Dean Brody

Album of the Year: Dance With Me ~ Johnny Reid

Songwriter(s) of the Year: Johnny Reid/Brent Maher for “A Woman Like You”

CMT Video of the Year: “A Woman Like You” ~ Johnny Reid

Female Artist of the Year: Crystal Shawanda

Male Artist of the Year: Johnny Reid

Group or Duo of the Year: Doc Walker

Roots Artist or Group of the Year: Corb Lund

Rising Star: Tara Oram

Fans’ Choice Award: Johnny Reid

You know, we always seem to hear and read news stories about the “bad” youth in our society. Wether it be stories about kids spray painting buildings or teenage parties or teens in fights or on drugs or getting arrested etc etc…It all seems a bit much at times and makes one wonder who’s hands we’re leaving our futures in.

Well let me tell you about Brooklyn Roebuck. Brooklyn was a contestant in the 12 and under Karaoke division of the Country Open Singing Contest this year. In amonst 18 other competitors in that category, Brooklyn was defintely a stand-out. A beautiful voice and poise for such a young lady. But Brooklyn stood out even more as it was announced that she won her division. Taking home a trophy and a cheque for 200 dollars. But that’s not the end of the story. Brooklyn stood out even more than that…because she didn’t take home both of her prizes. In fact Brooklyn gave back the cheque for 200 dollars to the Country Open committee saying she just enjoyed the experience of the competition and the joy of winning was just enough for her. She gave back the money to help out the competition which is solely run on donations and fundraisers.

So can we have faith in the youth of today? As long as there are more young people like Brooklyn Roebuck out there…we sure can.

There’s something about summer that makes you wanna roll the windows down and sing at the top of your lungs…or go to a festival with a lawn chair, plunk yourself down and enjoy the entertainment on stage.

Your last chance to do that this summer in North Bay is coming up at the end of August. I think it’s one of the best ways to enjoy your favourite country music sung by some possible future superstars

The Country Open Singing Contest is all set to go again this year at Lee Park on August 28, 29 and 30th. I think it’s the BEST weekend for country music fans.

So please bring your lawn chairs, your picnic blankets, your water bottles, your umbrellas(just in case), and please feel free to sing along and cheer on your favourites. I know I will…We’ll see you there!

Met up with Canadian fishing legend Bob Izumi last week. He was in town helping out Tim Horton’s with their annual Camp Day Fundraiser. I had forgotten how personable Bob is. There is a reason he is a success on TV and Radio. He’s good with people. It’s a lesson all of us in the media or entertainment world can take from Bob. He made EVERY single person who approached him for an autograph feel like they were the most important person in the room at the time…and not because Bob wanted to keep a fan, I believe it’s because Bob genuinely LOVES talking to people. He enjoys the differences and experiences of conversation with people from all walks of life.

He’s a pro…but more importantly, he’s a nice pro!

P.S.—If the above picture seems a bit murky to you, that’s okay. I think it’s perfect. To take a picture with the fishing guru and have it turn out like we’ve taken it with a foggy, water logged camera is PERFECT!