We have solar power and solar hot water up and running now. Rarely need the electric booster this time of year.

Let me know if you want to know a little more about the systems we have. I am glad I have invested in them.

Our solar panel system is attached to the grid. When we are producing more electricity than we are using we export to the grid and receive s credit on our bill.

Considering wind power as well though far from sure on this one.

Here is some miscellaneous views I hold.

People are more important than animals
I like U2
Don’t believe the world will end/begin in December 2012
Can’t stand Australians singing with American accents
Feel very comfortable singing “Advanced Australia Fair”
Hate how the media scare us: Swine Flu, Bird Flu
Think the universe was created with purpose and thought
Wish people would offer ideas as much as they criticise
Believe the word “inappropriate” is lame
Regard abortion in most cases as wrong
Love star gazing in the astronomical sense
Want to own some rural land one day
Very interested in solar and wind energy
Do not want to be Mayor
Love NBA basketball
Have had recurring dreams that I was a fast bowler in the Australian Cricket side. Sad.
Sometimes I wish I lived the “quiet life”
Don’t want many friends. A few good close friends is enough.
Like Tony Abbot’s straight talk
Can’t believe how many rumours fly around our community with very few ever bothering to confirm if they are accurate
See it imperative to separate my position and my person. Very dangerous to find my identity as a person in being Deputy Mayor.
Grieve deeply when friendships are severed
Have learnt that it is impossible to please all ratepayers
Wish the community bothered to stand more than 2 candidates at the last election
Am a member of no political party
See party politics in local government as horrid.
See a self righteousness (more enlightened than you!) in the Greens that is nauseating. They have things to offer as does everyone else. No need for a superiority complex.

So there. That is a little about the current Deputy Mayor. A complex person just like you!

I went to the Australia Day breakfast this morning in Sheffield. A really enjoyable event. The Mayor was in fine form. Pretty amusing.

The citizens of the year were Ethel and Eli Howe. An amazing couple. They have been married for almost 65 years. They have been involved in The Hub forever.

The event of the year went to the Kentish Lions Music Hall. They had their 25th anniversary this year. Impressive.

A bacon and eggs breakfast was provided along with some Australian flags.

Council is swinging back into gear for the new year. The Mayor is back in the drivers seat which is fine with me. We have our first Council meeting for the year tomorrow night. Hopefully not too eventful. Many of you no doubt about the disturbance at the previous meeting.

We are keen to see Kentish become an Extreme Sports hub in Tasmania. Extreme sports include mountain bike racing and rock climbing. We have a fantastic natural environment that suits extreme sports including mountains and rivers.

We will soon be hosting a major Triathalon event named Hell in the Hills. Triathalon includes running, cycling and swimming. Council will consider tomorrow night allocating up to $5000 towards supporting the event. I will vote for this.

The agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting is available on the Council website.

I received an interesting info sheet in my Council folder the other night. About paper made from wheat straw. Very interesting. Click here to read the info sheet.

There is a push on to establish a community bank in Kentish. Deloraine has one. It is under the Bendigo Bank badge. Some of the profit stays in the community which is what we all want.

Click here to listen to a public meeting that discusses community banking in Kentish. Click here to look at a Powerpoint Display that went with the talk.

What do you think? Do you want to be involved?

Some of us lost a good friend last week to cancer. Debbie died at home with her family. As she would have wanted it. The Murray-Wattons have been good friends of ours for years. We have a fair bit in common. Large home educating families. Kids are friends.

Debbie was pretty central to the family. Holding many things together like a good mum does.

Debbie’s death is our children’s first close experience with grief. Our grief must be nothing to what the Wattons is.

Debbie is missed by so many of us.

The grass is growing quick as we all realise. Council is starting it’s slashing program for the year. Have a look at the timetable. Please note these times may change a little given weather conditions etc.

I have been Acting Mayor basically since the new Council came into being. I have been thrown headfirst into the role.

I chaired my first Council meeting on November 17 at Barrington Hall. Pretty happy with how it went. I have mentioned before my dislike for the formalities of these meetings. That said it went well. There was only one question from the gallery which was unusual.

I have had to deal with the media. I always fear being misquoted and are quite guarded. I have been happy with how I have been reported though with no real issues.

The phone rings a lot more when Acting Mayor. It seems many roads lead to the Mayor. I have lost no sleep in the role and have enjoyed it. I could not see myself in the role in the future because of the huge time commitment. Yes a small municipality but very complex with people feeling free to go straight to the mayor with a grievance or comment.

I have quit my contracting web design job to concentrate on being Deputy Mayor. I receive an allowance to be Deputy Mayor which offsets the loss of income.

The Mayor is slowly coming back on board and should be well and truly back at the helm in around a week. Looking forward to handing it back to him. He is one elected to the role. Many Deputy Mayors sit and wonder when there chance will come to fill in for the Mayor. I had no time to wonder and wouldn’t have it any other way.

E-Waste is old electronic bits. They can now be dropped down at the Sheffield Waste Transfer Station. Let’s face it who wants a Pentium 75 these days? Till now they have ended up in landfill. Now they don’t have to. There is no fee to drop them off. The parts will be recycled wherever possible. You can also drop old tv sets off as well. Ring Council on 64912500 for a complete list of what you can dump.