By now you all know the story of the Lions Park skating rink and how Mayor Paul Tomlinson cut funding for the part-time rink attendant. Without an attendant the clean, heated washrooms remain locked and unused, forcing the Lions Club to pay for Port-a-Potties, which are not heated or clean. And Port-a-Potties don't allow for hand-washing, diaper-changing, first-aid, or changing. Thank you, Mayor Tomlinson.
So this winter a community volunteer stepped up to act as attendant. Was it the lovable Mayor Tomlinson? The community-spirited Councillor Barry Dingwall? The fun-loving... you get the irony.
No, it was just a local father who wanted to see the local children enjoy some skating without having to pee in the bushes and wipe their hands with dead leaves. There was a roll of toilet paper kicking around at one point but then Tomlinson used it all up polishing his "Supreme Mayor In All The Cosmos Whose Accomplishments Are Too Amazing To Be Made Public" medal.
Anyway, the volunteer was given the key to the rink's facilities and the blessing of the Lions Club and there was joy in Kearney. Even Mayor Tomlinson was so happy that he had to creep past the rink FOUR times in his car while the volunteer tended to the ice and the pavilion. Tomlinson probably wanted to stop and express his appreciation but was understandably afraid that his sheer awesomeness would strike the simple townsfolk of Kearney deaf and dumb.
And so the good people of Kearney skated, while the good mayor lurked, until it was time for dinner and the volunteer locked up, promising to return after his evening meal. And return he did... To find that the washrooms had been newly bolted and padlocked.
It turns out that Tomlinson didn't like the idea that those stupid townies were going to have fun so in a total dick-move he skulked around until the volunteer left for dinner, then had the Public Works Department, at taxpayer expense, bolt and padlock the washrooms. Then he made up a bunch of stupid excuses about the volunteer not being a union member, etc. Seriously? Suddenly, nobody can volunteer to do anything in Kearney because they have to be in the union? That's the best you could come up with? And you had to slink in like a sneak-thief to do the deed without any discussion or, at the very least, a courtesy call to the volunteer?
Why are we not surprised?
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