(Reposted for the Anmore Youth Group)

Christmas is coming! 35 days and counting! Christmas may seem far enough away that you can put it on the back burner.  But now, even in November, it’s a great time of year to think of others less fortunate than ourselves who may not have much at Christmas.  There are many living in the Lower Mainland who would go hungry without food banks. Food banks help to fill their cupboards, their stomachs, and bolster their spirits.

The Port Moody SHARE Food Bank hopes to fill food hampers for 1800 families this year.  You can help by donating non-perishable food items, or by cash donations. On 20 November,  the Anmore Youth Group in Action will be coming to our doors to collect  for the Food Bank Drive. Place food items in bags outside your door, marked “Anmore Youth Group Food Drive.”

SHARE Food Bank has a list of items they most need to fill their Christmas hampers, along with special items like canned cranberries, canned ham, stuffing mix and candies and chocolates. Here is the list: SHARE FOOD DRIVE – Food Items Most Needed So on your next visit to the grocery store, why not pick up some items for the Food Bank Drive…and know that your donation of non-perishable foods will make a difference to someone in need. It’s a great way to feel good at Christmas, and a great way to feel good now.

Mark your calendars for Sunday 20 November.
The Food Bank Drive is from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Please place food items in bags outside your door,
marked “Anmore Youth Group Food Drive.”

If you were unable to attend the All Candidates Meeting on November 3rd, the Anmore Times has posted all of the video on their web site at www.AnmoreTimes.com .  It is in 8 parts and takes a few hours to go through. 

Some of you have asked me asked me about Councillor Sedergreen's rather colourful question to me about development permit areas.  It is posted below.

Enjoy!

UPDATE:  Over 200 people voted in our Anmore Advance Voting Day!   Next voting day is Saturday, November 19th at the Village Hall from 8 am - 8 pm

ADVANCE VOTING DAY IS TODAY. Please take the time to head to the polls and cast your vote. The Anmore Village Hall (on Sunnyside) is open from 8 am - 8 pm today and all residents can vote. 

All you need to vote is a valid piece of ID with your address on it. Non-resident property owners can also vote with their property tax information.

If you are from another municipality and want voting information, please visit your local municipal web site for voting places. The next voting day will be Saturday, November 19th, so save your weekend and get out and vote today!!

Some of you weren't able to make it to the 2011 Anmore All Candidates Meeting last Thursday.  It was a big event for Anmore, with over 200 people in attendance and a lot of great questions from residents.  Most of the questions were about cooperation on council, moving forward (development, financial planning, infrastructure replacement) and communication to residents.

We had 2 minutes to introduce ourselves and deliver a message on why we are running for council.  Here is a copy of my speech:

ALL CANDIDATES MEETING SPEECH (2 minutes)
Good evening, my name is Tracy Green and I am a council candidate for the Village of Anmore. It’s wonderful to be here this evening and to see so many Anmore residents come out and actively participate in our local election.

I have been very involved in the community of Anmore in the 8 years that I have lived here.  As a volunteer I have participated on many Village of Anmore committees and with local community groups and believe strongly that this type of participation helps build a healthy, strong and more vibrant community.

I am asking for your support on November 19th so that I can work with residents and council to move forward in a positive and collaborative manner, and make decisions our community can be proud of.

There are several things I would like to accomplish, with your help and input, while on Council.

1)      The first is to reaffirm the Village of Anmore’s commitment to community.  I would like to see our council working with residents to identify short and long term goals for health, recreation, arts and events and to continue to support local community initiatives. 

2)      I will continue to support Council’s current work on fiscal management and long term planning.  This includes identifying service priorities through public consultation and working on a collective plan that matches the size and character of our semi-rural community.  Using open communication to define our community needs, we can develop a responsible budget that achieves our residents’ dual goals of service provision and reasonable tax rates. 

3)      Over the next year, the Village of Anmore will be updating their Official Community Plan (OCP).  This review needs to focus on acquiring extensive community input about the type of developments we want to take place in our community so we can create a plan we as residents are all proud of.   I want to work with our residents and village committees to develop specific neighbourhood plans that provide a clear vision for future land use and development, maintains our semi-rural lifestyle, addresses environmental issues, protects our green spaces, and creates parklands.

Anmore needs a strong council representative that will listen to Anmore residents and help to clearly define municipal priorities and goals based on public consultation and ongoing community conversations.  My promise is to listen to Anmore residents and bring forward your concerns in a cooperative and responsible manner on council. 

I look forward to all of your questions and comments.