Bob Osterman is doing his part for the environment - sign by sign.
Osterman has been reusing the same election signs for many years rather than buying new signs.
"I am recycling my election signs," he laughed.
"When this is all over, I may declare them heritage signs."
Osterman has served on city council since 1996, and previously served a number of terms on school board. Through the years, he pasted over "trustee" and added "reelect" to allow him to reuse his signs.
"My sticks, when they are not used for elections, they are used to stake my tomatoes," he said.
ALWAYS ON A SUNDAY
James Crosty would restore free parking to the city meters on Sundays.
In 2011, the city expanded parking meters to Sundays and directed Sunday parking revenues toward a grant program to help licensed, non-profit child care facilities to make upgrades or to expand.
"We are not in a social program. We have a business to run a city," he told The Record during a recent interview. "If private child care/daycare places need money then that is the free enterprise. If the city is sponsoring a daycare centre and it has the ability to do that, well sure let's go there, let's do it. But let's not do it on the backs of businesses."
ENVIRONMENTAL ANSWERS ONLINE
New Westminster Environmental Partners has released the results of a candidate survey that addresses sustainability themed topics.
In partnership with the Tenth to the Fraser blog, the questionnaire for New Westminster mayor and council candidates is intended to help the electorate make informed decisions before heading to the polls. Questions tackled a variety of topics from transportation to incinerators to tree bylaws.
"We're very pleased all mayoral candidates and the majority of council candidates took the time to answer our questionnaire," said Matthew Laird, a director with New Westminster Environmental Partners. "We've heard some candidates found the questions challenging - we're glad to hear that.
These are tough issues that don't have simple soundbite answers. Ensuring we have a council that grasps the complexity and depth of these issues is vital to a sustainable and prosperous New Westminster."
The full questionnaire and answers sorted by candidate can be found on the
New Westminster Environmental Partners' website at http: //nwep. ca/election-2011candidate-survey/. Answers will be sorted by topic and will be available on Tenth to the Fraser at http: //www.tenthto thefraser.ca/
STRATEGY WORKING
Jonathan Cote wants to continue building a city that cares about its residents.
Cote, who has served two terms on city council, said the city hasn't been afraid to tackle difficult social and environmental issues. He said city council has adopted plans such as an affordable housing strategy, childcare strategy, a Green Action Plan, a community energy and emissions plan and a homelessness action strategy.
Cote said the city has hired a full-time social planner and an environmental coordinator to help implement these plans. During the past three years, he said the city has seen a 45 per cent reduction of the street homeless population, a net increase of 130 licensed child care spaces and an increase in the solid waste diversion rate from 31 per cent in 2009 to 59 per cent in 2010.
CARRY ON CAMPAIGNING
James Bell is proving to be a trooper on the election trail.
Having started the campaign with two fractured hips, he's since broken his shoulder. He hasn't let that stop him from attending all-candidates meetings.
Bell, who is running for city council and school board, was one of five mayoral candidates in New Westminster's 1996 civic election that was won by Helen Sparkes.
CATCH THEM HERE
With just two weeks until the Nov. 19 civic election, voters have two more chances to check out the candidates for city council and school board.
The Queen's Park Residents' Association is holding an all-candidates meeting for mayoral and council candidates on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Centennial Lodge in Queen's Park. The District Parents Advisory Council is holding the final all-candidates debate of the 2011 campaign for mayor and school trustee candidates on Thursday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the New Westminster Secondary School library at 835 Eighth St.
