Opinion

It's easy to criticize politicians when they give themselves raises. After all, who of us have that power to be able to approve our own pay hike, particularly one of the significance that Cochrane's mayor and council approved during budget deliberations Nov. 28. Cochrane's six councillors will go from a base salary of $18,707 (not including allowances, which bumped that amount up to around $25,000) to $27,967.

Life is full of firsts. I ran my first marathon at the age of 48, completed my first Ironman Triathlon at 50, set my first Guinness World Record at 56 and changed my first diaper at 58.

Around 3 p.m. in the afternoon, Patrick Carty and Dana Sampson, two young Manitobans, are driving to a new job in Kelowna, with a Monday start date. In the area of the Stoney Nakoda Casino, the men pull over for a quick break on a side road.

The last several years have seen great debate take place on media platforms over the extension of the Christmas holidays — from the tackiness of tacking up blinking lights before Remembrance Day to the Boxing Day blitz that extends well into January.

Last week’s column looked at what it means to become a real “mentsch,” that wonderful Yiddish word for a person who humbly listens to their inner voice and allows it to shape their character and actions.

“To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally. " This is the definition of 'beating around the bush.' Unfortunately, it's often the chosen tactic when a contentious issue is debated in the public forum. This is particularly the case when a person or organization has an agenda they are trying to push.

Is your horse getting all the minerals he needs? What really does he need? A horse really only needs the tiniest amount of minerals, yet these small quantities are critical for the correct functioning of many bodily functions.

There’s a copy of the draft budget on my desk with circles, lines and question marks scribbled all over it. It’s the seventh budget I’ve worked on in my time as a councillor. I remember my first budget debates with a team of rookie councillors.

Property taxes differ throughout the country, and compared to many municipalities around Canada, Cochrane homeowners should be fairly happy with what they pay each year.

Over the years, these columns have often touched on core values and qualities that are shared among people of goodwill across religious and cultural boundaries.