 FAMOUS JOCKEY HONOURED -- Edmonton horse jockey, Red Pollard, and underdog horse, Seabiscuit, have been commemorated by the City of Edmonton and Northlands. I had the honour of unveiling the new name of 79 Street (Red Pollard Way) Aug. 22. Members of Pollard's family, including niece Marne Edwards (right), attended the event. PHOTO BY JASMINE FRANKLIN Edmonton honours Seabiscuit jockey In June, my office was contacted by Calgarian June Donaldson to help spearhead a worthy project to honour a famous native of Edmonton by renaming a street after him. I was pleased to unveil the new name of 79 Street (Red Pollard Way) Aug. 22 at a special ceremony at Northlands. The renaming initiative was a joint project by the City and Northlands. Watch this VIDEO to hear about the famous tale of Edmonton horse jockey, Red Pollard, and underdog horse, Seabiscuit, that inspired the Hollywood blockbuster movie: Seabiscuit. Feel free to leave your comments about this on my website here. |
|
 FLOODED -- Constituent Evelyn Premji sent me this photo of flood damage following the July 12 storm. Public meetings about the flooding will be held between the City's Drainage department and Mill Woods residents in the coming weeks. Meetings to be held for flooding concerns Residents in Mill Woods who have concerns about flooding will have their say in upcoming meetings with the City of Edmonton's Drainage department. My office called for these public meetings after several torrential rainstorms this summer have left many residents feeling rightly riled about flooded homes and garages. The first meeting is tentatively set for Sept. 24 for Tweddle Place residents only. Another meeting will be held after that for all Mill Woods residents. Check my website for further details on time and location as soon as they're confirmed. Other public meetings regarding flooding will be held throughout the city. City administration points out system-wide drainage improvements have been made in Mill Woods since the 2004 flood. They also admit a major project to address the problem won't be complete until 2014. We need to find a solution quickly on this flooding issue and I'm doing everything I can to find one. Do you have feedback on this? Go to www.kerrydiotte.com to comment on this flooding issue or to give opinions on any other topic. Thanks to all of you who've contacted my office about this serious matter. |
|
Tweet o' the month (Comment regarding the renaming of 79 Street to Red Pollard Way. I had the honour of unveiling the new street name.) @eyekaye says, "Pollard's story is fascinating, and until today, I had no idea he was from Edmonton. #yeg #heroesfromthepast ." Follow @KerryDiotte on Twitter. |
|
At the scene with a city inspector Watch the video of my experience HERE. Recently I had a first-hand, behind-the-scenes look at how the City responds to residents who have concerns about roadways and a host of other issues. When someone makes a 311 call about an issue such as a pothole problem, the City sends out an inspector to assess the situation. I spent a morning responding to several calls with Jim Berrisford, district inspector for the southeast division. The affable Jim says he loves his job -- and it shows in the way he interacts with residents. Many of the calls we dealt with involved those much-loathed potholes. Incidentally, Jim revealed that about two thirds of his calls involve potholes. |
|
Have your say on senior housing sites This October councillors will be reviewing a proposed rezoning to allow the future use of eight surplus school building sites for seniors housing. These sites were originally set aside to build schools, but the schools were never built. A public meeting about the rezoning is scheduled for Edmonton's south side communities Sakaw, Kiniski Gardens, Bulyea Heights and Blue Quill on Sept. 13 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Confederation Leisure Centre. Another public meeting for Edmonton's north side communities will be held Sept. 12 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Central Lions Seniors Centre. For more information visit www.edmonton.ca/surplusschoolsites. |
|
Did you know?
- City Hall turned 20 years old Aug. 28. Gene Dub, local architect and former Alderman designed the building that opened in 1992.
|
|
Good news in the City!
- The founder of Edmonton's Fringe Festival, Brian Paisley, has a new lasting legacy. The Paisley neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton has been named to honour the Fringe founder.
|
|
Money well spent? The City is spending roughly $1.3 million in 2012 to create on-street bike routes throughout Edmonton. What do you think about this? I want to hear your thoughts. |
|
You said it... Tony Sneep commenting on the proposed downtown arena: "Thanks for your efforts Kerry. Many Edmontonians are on side with you on your arena stand and appreciate your efforts on our behalf." (I support building a new arena but we need a better financial deal for taxpayers.) |
|
Come out for Community League Days I hope to see you out and enjoying several Ward 11 events for Community League Days on Sept. 15 including:
| |
Avonmore: (7902 - 73 Avenue) Free pancake brunch from 11 a.m. to noon - games, bouncy houses and a barbecue from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Ritchie: (7737 - 98 Street) Learn canning, sewing or mechanical and technological skills from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Knottwood: (445 Knottwood Road West) Barbecue from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Millhurst: (5811 19A Ave) Garage sale, bouncy castle and barbecue - TBA. North Millbourne: (980 Millbourne Road East) Fundraiser - TBA. Woodvale: (Jackie Parker Park) Music, games and barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. |
|
|
Stay in touch with me at City Hall As a city councillor, I welcome your comments, concerns, feedback and ideas. Stay updated with timely civic issues. Check out my website at www.kerrydiotte.com and leave a comment on any issue you like. My e-mail is: kerry.diotte@edmonton.ca My City of Edmonton website is: http://bit.ly/eeV4DW
Send mail to: Coun. Kerry Diotte, 2nd Floor, City Hall 1 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2R7 Phone: 780-496-8142. Fax: 780-496-8113 Sign up for my e-newsletter by going here: http://bit.ly/zhFtB9 Sincerely, -- Kerry |
|