Scott Leaf Real Estate Marketing & Associates

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, resentments, anger, and frustration; so.........

Love the people who treat you right.

Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it,

and ninety percent how you take it.

Have a garbage-free day !

The Lord knows, as do most of my friends, that I am not perfect but I am trying to internalize this and be a better person for it :)

"with thanks to Eric Gan & Peter Talbot of Keller Williams Elite Realty forwarding this to me"

Clearing of the land for the new Kanaka Creek Bridge in Albion is well underway. I stopped by recently to have a look at the scope of this project.

It seems that phase one involves removing all the trees in order to widen the right of way and stabilize the approaches which are quite steep.

The scope of this project vastly exceeds simply replacing the bridge deck and will change the landscape and views around this area forever in the Maple Ridge real estate neighborhood of Albion.

I had the pleasure of attending the Gaby Davis Foundation volunteer thank you picnic held at the River Springs Community Centre in Coquitlam today.

The Gaby Davis Foundation was started in memory of Gabrielle Davis who lost her battle with childhood cancer in March 2007.

Her brave fight against cancer inspired many to help with her wish to help other families fighting this terrible beast.

During Gaby's fight, it was necessary for her father to leave his employment for the course of her 44 week treatment. It was also necessary for Gaby to travel to California for 7 weeks in order to receive specialized radiation treatment for her cancer.

There were many costs that were not covered by insurance and her parents were required to carry two households during her time away.

The family was very fortunate to be given a great deal of support during Gaby's treatment but not all families are so lucky. Many families struggle to keep afloat both financially and emotionally. Many of whom had to be away from home and family for much longer periods of time than they did and had treatment protocols that go on for years.

Scott Leaf Real Estate Marketing & Associates - Keller Williams Elite Realty is a proud supporter of the Gaby Davis Foundation and it's efforts. Teodora Leaf is an active foundation member, and both her and I (especially her) have helped out in at various events to support this great cause.

Today's BBQ for volunteers hosted by Guy & Tanya Davis was well attended and appreciated by all. Thanks to them for hosting this event along with the Foundation board of directors and a thanks to the River Springs real estate neighbourhood for such great support of the Gaby Davis Foundation.

On the Web http://www.gabydavisfoundation.com/

The District of Maple Ridge have made the commitment for the Lower Jackson Farm on 102nd Avenue to become a park.  There were 4 options proposed in the staff report to Maple Ridge Council on how to aquire the property from the owners:

1. District of Maple Ridge purchase the Lower Jackson Farm property.
2. District of Maple Ridge trade municipal owned property within the Urban Boundary for Lower Jackson Farm
3. Upper Jackson be designated Urban Residential in exchange for Lower Jackson being dedicated to the District of Maple Ridge.
4. Satus quo - Upper Jackson remains in the Urban Reserve and the District of Maple Ridge awaits outcome of the Master Parks Plan before exploring the acquisition of Lower Jackson through other mechanisms.

The proposal that Maple Ridge Council has proceeded with to Public Hearing is Option 3.  This option should be the least desireable to anyone that lives in Albion:

• A minimum of 113 home on the upper property above the gravel pit on 100th Avenue, or as Maple Ridge Councillor Craig Spiers has suggested, even more.
• An unplanned for 200 more children into the already overcrowded Albion Elementary and Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary.
• Already ridiculously dangerous conditions on 240th Street for school children made insanely more so by adding 113+ more homes whose residents would be forced to use 102nd Avenue & 240th Street
• A dangerous one way in access to the subdivision along the steep curve where 102nd Avenue turns into 100th Avenue.
• Destruction of a real and productive piece of farmland located outside the Albion Urban area, creating unplanned for Urban Sprawl without following the implementation strategies of the Maple Ridge Official Community Plan.

The WIN-WIN solution that presents itself, but for inexplicable reasons has been neglected, is Option 2, for the District of Maple Ridge to trade a piece of property that they own that is already within the Urban Boundary such as Silver Valley.

The Public Hearing for the By-Laws to enable this travesty to happen #6674-2009 & #6675-2009 will be held at Maple Ridge Council Chambers September 15th, 2009 @ 7PM.

Please express your opposition to this debacle that will forever negatively impact the quality of life in the Maple Ridge real estate neighborhood of Albion.  Come to the Public Hearing or write a letter of opposition to mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca

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Maple Ridge Council will look at a request next week by Haney Place Mall (Amarsham Holdings) to change the design guidelines and allow a two-story building for a new Westminster Savings and Credit Union in the Zellers parking lot at the southwest corner of 224th Street and Lougheed Highway, fronting on the highway.

The mall wants to put up the 10,000-sq. foot building in the southwest corner of its lot on 224th Street. The city guidelines for that area say new buildings should be at least three stories high and for good reason, density equals people, people support businesses.

Unfortunately this attempt to enhance Maple Ridge real estate in the squalid downtown core and time passed by Haney Place Mall has hit a major hurdle. The anchor tenant in the Mall, the great Canadian company Zellers, have used a clause in their lease to veto the proposal, why would they want a thriving downtown core? I guess they make more money in their business model from the existing demilitarized zone like conditions that currently exist.

Amarsham Holdings wants to build the $1.65-million structure for their perspective tenant Westminster Savings and Credit Union, which is looking for a new home after having outgrown their legacy location on Lougheed Highway at about 225th Street. A district of Maple Ridge staff report says that agreeing to the downgrade in building height from three to two stories will ensure a building is built and a major employer, Westminster Savings, is kept downtown.

Amarsham Holding have said they plan to 'de-mall' Haney Place and add residential over commercial over time, placing this 2 story mini-mouse at a key intersection isn't exactly getting that project going is it? Zellers does not want to be obscured from the highway by a three story building. Is it just me or would a simple solution present itself where the District of Maple Ridge relaxed it's sign by-law and gave Zeller's a SIGN on the highway thereby forever reminding us of where we can collect our Club Z points.

I am not privy to the Zeller's lease but if they can kibosh this building being 3 stories how is the Mall going to add residential over commercial, I am certain 1 story over isn't going to get the job done. I think that Zeller's is being a very bad corporate citizen standing in the way of this project following the District guidelines and that they are assuring that not much will change in the grunge district for a long time to come.

If the Maple Ridge Council supports this change they must also be criticized for taking the easy way out, bending on the height issue and being reactive instead of being proactive. In sales they tell us to undertake a needs analysis of our clients, what is Zellers' need? Is there nothing that will satisfy their need and allow the 3 story buildling to be built? With this Council we may never know.