COLLINS – Next step in the mayor’s saga comes tomorrow
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
TOMORROW NIGHT (Feb. 6), the Board of Education for School District 73 jumps into the best-seller, The Saga of RHJ.
The mayor, who has already jumped into the mud with councillors and administration, has now muddied the floors of a local high school.
In late January, a nurse was helping a student at Sa-Hali Secondary with a presentation on opioids. As part of the presentation, the public health nurse had some naloxone kits for demonstration.
At the end of the presentation, some of the kids mistakenly thought the kits were available for the taking, and brought them home. Some parents complained, and one of them contacted the mayor, who says he shared the email with councillors.
But here’s where the story goes off the rails. The mayor, who is faster than a speeding bullet and able to leap tall buildings at a single bound, decided to find out what was going on. So, totally unannounced, he went into the school to meet with the principal. The principal, by all accounts, kept his control and the two had an amiable meeting where all was cleared up and the mayor left.
But that meeting had no business taking place.
Doug Collins has had a wide background in the broadcast industry, having done virtually every type of news and sports broadcasting, including news anchor, sports play-by-play, and editorialist. His “One Man’s Opinion” aired on TV from 1973- 2013. He retired from his management roles in the station in October, 2018, but continues to write his column. In 2019, Doug was awarded the Freedom of the City.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
That Mayor, a parent himself, sounds like a compassionate man who was an advocate for another concerned parent. Maybe the media folks should look for the good in our Mayor and be thankful for him.
Mr. Collins, did you talk to the principal? What was his reaction? Was it what you alluded to, or did he welcome a member of the public who pays his salary and who took the time to find out the facts?
The mayor went to the school, rather than picking up the phone (which is always problematic with poor reception and endless on-hold) and had an amicable conversation with the principal. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. Face to face is much better than hiding and sniping Collins.
A phone call would likely have been a better course of action, certainly more time efficient and less newsworthy but I disagree that it wasn’t warranted. I prefer more engagements by local politicians rather than less in regards what’s happening in town. A citizen had a legitimate concern and the mayor took some initiative, to me this is a good thing. Obviously he can’t do this in every instance but the fact that he’s willing to get involved is refreshing to me.
Yes, I agree!
Well, reading the piece it indicated the meeting that the Mayor went to unannounced should not have taken place. Who Is hiding and sniping?