Tenantiaid yn pleidleisio o mwyafrif mawr i drosglwyddo'r stoc tai - Tennants vote by large majority in favour of stock transfer

Ar ol misoedd o drafod, cyhoeddwyd yn hwyr y brynhawn yma fod tenantiaid tai Cyngor Gwynedd wedi pleidleiso o mwyfrif sylweddol iawn i drosglwyddo stoc tai y Cyngor i landlord cofrestredig newydd Cymdeithas Tai Cymunedol Gwynedd.
Mi ddaru 65% o'r tenantiaid oedd yn ddilys i bleidlesio fwrw eu pleidlais ac allan o'r rhai bleidleisiodd, roedd 72% o blaid trosglwyddo a dim ond 28% yn erbyn y bwriad.
Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, yn bersonnol, dwi'n meddwl fod hwn yn ganlyniad da iawn - er mi roeddwn ar un adeg yn meddwl mai NA fyddai barn y tenantiaid!
Dwi'n mawr obeithio y bydd Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd yn uwchraddio tai y tenantiaid i safon llawer iawn gwell na mae nhw ar hyn o bryd.
Wrth wneud hynny, dwi hefyd yn gobeithio'n arw y bydd cwmniau a chreftwyr lleol yn cael cyfle i gyflenwi gwasanaethau i'r Gymdeithas Dai newydd er mwyn sicrhau y budd economaidd mwyaf posib i'r economi leol allan o'r £80m amcangyfrifir bydd yn cael ei wario ar y tai yng Ngwynedd maes o law.
I Ffrancon Williams a phawb arall oedd ynghlwm gyda rheoli'r broses arweiniodd at canlyniad mor glir a diamheuol, estynaf fy llongyfarchiadau gwresog.

Following months of debate, late this afternoon, the result of Gwynedd Council's Housing stock transfer ballot was announced.
65% of tennants eligable to vote, decided to do so, with 72% voting in favor of transfering the housing stock to the new registered social landlord, Gwynedd Community Housing Association. Only 28% of those who voted wanted their tenancy to remain with Gwynedd Council.
I personally am very happy for the tennants and I feel that they have made the right decision. I sincerely hope that the new landlord will move as quickly as possible to upgrade and improve the many homes across Gwynedd that have been neglected or ignored in the past by the Council due to the lack of sufficient funding.
I also hope that Gwynedd Community Housing Association will ensure that as much as possible of the £80m earmarked for improving the housing stock will be spent locally with local suppliers, builders and craftsmen being contacted to carry out the necessary work.
To Ffrancon Williams and everyone who worked with him to secure this tremendous result by the tennants I extend my warmest congratulations.

Codiad mewn ffioedd gofal yn creu problemau - Increase in care fees create problems

Yn ol yng nghanol mis Chwefror pan drafodwyd y mater o cynyddu ffioedd ar gyfer gofal o £8 i £12 yr awr (cynydd o 50%)gan Fwrdd Cyngor Gwynedd mi ddywedais pryd hynny fod codiad o'r fath yn anheg ac yn afresymol o gofio'r hinsawdd economaidd presennol.
Penderfynodd y Bwrdd i fabwysiadu'r bwriad. Doeddwn i ddim yn cytuno gyda hynny ac felly mi ddaru mi gyfeirio'r mater yn uwch ar gyfer gael trafodaeth ar lawr y Cyngor llawn diwedd Chwefror.
Yn y cyfarfod hwnnw, mi gyflwynais gwelliant er mwyn cynyddu'r taliad o £8 i £10 oedd yn dal yn gynydd o 25%.
Yn anffodus unwaith eto mi gollais y bleidlais ac mi enilliodd y cynnig gwreiddiol i gynyddu'r ffi 50%.
Ddaru pob un aelod o Blaid Cymru oedd yn bresennol yn y Cyngor y diwrnod hwnnw gefnogi'r cynydd hwnnw.
Dyma yw effaith eu penderfyniad, ac mae'n ddrwg genai ddweud hyn ond "ddaru mi eich rhybuddio" yn do?.

In the Gwynedd Council Board meeting that was held in mid February, there was a discussion regarding the planned increase of care fees for non-residential care for the elderly in the County from £8 to £12 an hour (an increase of 50%).
I opposed this proposal and following a vote at the Board which passed to adopt the above, I felt so strongly about such a price hike on the vulnerable residents of the County that I referred the matter up to the full Council.
The full Council met at the end of February and I put forward an amendment that the care fee should be raised from £8 to £10 ( this was still an increase of 25%!), however this amendemnt was not seen as reasonable or as a compromise by the majority who still pushed through the rediculosly high increase of 50%.
At that Council meeting, every Plaid Cymru member present supported the 50% increase.
This is the effect that their decison has had.
Now I hate to say it but -"I did warn you", didn't I?

Wrecsam heno, Gwynedd yn fuan - Wrexham tonight, Gwynedd soon

Dwi'n mawr obeithio fydd Janet Ryder ac aelodau eraill Plaid Cymru yn y Cynulliad dros y Gogledd, Canolbarth ac etholaethau o fewn Gwynedd yn barod i weithio gyda rhieni, athrawon a llywodraethwyr o fewn y Sir er mwyn sicrhau na fydd ysgolion yn cau yma, fel yr achosion yn Wrecsam.

I sincerely hope that Janet Ryder and other Plaid Cymru members in the Assembly for North and Mid Wales as well as the Constituencies in Gwynedd will be willing to work with parents, teachers and governors within the County in order to ensure that schools do not close here, as may be the case in Wrexham.

Little Maldwyn spits his dummy out.....again!

Over the last three weeks the letters page of the Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald has seen a litle spat between myself and Plaid's Cheerleader in Chief, Maldwyn "The Mathamatician" Lewis.
It seems that Maldwyn has real issues with myself and with Llais Gwynedd, merely due to the fact that we are standing up to Plaid and some council officers who show little or no consideration to the views of electors and ratepayers on a whole range of issues.
Whilst he vents his spleen on hearsay I responded with facts...now he has spat out his dummy and got personal so I shall not be responding just in case he throws his rattle out and I wouldn't want to bore the Herald's readers either who quite frankly deserve better.
Here are the letters in question....judge for yourself;

Little Maldwyn's 1st Letter:
AFTER nearly 30 years as a Gwynedd county councillor and chairing for many years the council’s schools, education and finance committees I am saddened by the behaviour of the Llais Gwynedd councillors. During the last election they campaigned negatively and viciously. They appear to have adopted the same attitude as councillors
Cyngor Gwynedd has a long tradition of debating in a courteous manner. Llais Gwynedd have tragically poisoned the atmosphere of the debates by their spiteful and personal remarks concerning conscientious and able officers and fellow councillors.
As far as I can ascertain not one of their suggestions has been adopted.
None of them seem to have a rudimentary knowledge of Local Government finance.
They have wasted ratepayers money and councillors time by postponing urgent decisions with unrealistic and naïve proposals.
As a result the District Auditor and Dafydd Ellis Thomas have now warned Gwynedd that the authority is in real danger of losing its share of the capital available to build new schools because of the delay in making unpopular but necessary resolutions.
It seems to me significant that in last Thursday’s meeting of the full council Llais Gwynedd spent 45 minutes discussing unsuccessfully public toilets and a mere 10 minutes on the vital rates’ proposals.

MALDWYN LEWIS
Borth y Gest

My reply:
Dear Sir,
I would like to respond to Maldwyn Lewis' letter in the Herald (March 13th) and his totally unfounded criticism of Llais Gwynedd members on Gwynedd Council and in particular in Council Meetings.
Although meetings of the full Council, Council Board,Area Committees and Scrutiny Committees are open to the public, neither I or my fellow members have any recollection of seeing Mr Lewis sitting in the public gallery to listen to deliberations or indeed to witness the behaviour of any member of the Council from any party or group. How therefore can he sit in his ivory tower in Borth y Gest and write such a critical letter against members of one particular group who sit on the Council?
Mr Lewis then accuses Llais Gwynedd of poisoning the atmosphere in the Chamber by “making spiteful and personal remarks concerning members and officers", once again, given the fact that Mr Lewis has not graced the Council or its meetings with his presence since the May election, what evidence has he got to support his wild accusation? Following December's meeting of the full Council a member of the Plaid Cymru group was reprimanded for swearing at me during a debate where I was presenting a report that saved the ratepayers of Gwynedd £1.4m by re-structuring the senior management team of the Council. No member of Llais Gwynedd has spoken in such a vindictive and undignified way to another member or officer of the Council at any meeting and I would sincerely hope that no member of the group would ever do so neither!
His letter goes on to accuse Llais Gwynedd of making “unrealistic and naive proposals”...here are two examples of amendments that were proposed by Llais Gwynedd at the last Council meeting – A proposal to rise the home care fee by 25% rather than by 50% in order to lessen the effect on the vulnerable elderly people in the County and their carers (nothing naive about this, just a reasonable and fair compromise I would say?). A proposal to keep the Bryn Llywelyn Care Home open and to develop it for the future...once again, a proposal that respected the wishes of the residents, their families, the staff, local GP's and the wider community (nothing unreal about that, just responding positively and reasonably to the wishes of ratepayers).
To close,Mr Lewis arrogantly spouts that the Council (not Llais Gwynedd I add) discussed public toilets for 45 minutes and the rates for only ten. The answer to that is simple. The increase in the rates in Gwynedd for the coming year is one of the lowest in Wales and from what I could see there was more or less unanimous support for that increase. However, the threat to close the public toilets across the county has received widespread condemnation from the elderly, young mothers, community councils, tourist associations and those suffering from various bowl and urinary illnesses across the County due to the fact that such proposals pose a serious danger to public health. Thanks to Llais Gwynedd they will remain open for at least six months longer than intended so that a detailed assessment can be made as to what effect any proposed closures will have in each individual community.
Finally, I would like to invite Mr Lewis and any other reader of the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald living in Gwynedd to attend the meetings of the Council, Council Board or any of its Committees so that he and everyone else can see exactly how every member behaves and how they represent the people who elected them. Maybe he, more than anyone will be surprised and saddened by the members of his own party, Plaid Cymru...or maybe that is the real reason why he keeps away, because of the embarrassment and indignation?

Councillor Gwilym Euros Roberts
Llais Gwynedd - Blaenau Ffestiniog

Little Maldwyn's 2nd Letter in response to the above from me...Mind that dummy!!

I ventured to express my concern at the irreverent behaviour of most of the Llais Gwynedd councillors and their unrealistic proposals.
Gwilym Euros’s petulant and abusive reply and ridiculous boasts demonstrate how valid and accurate my criticisms were. I have the impression that I read much more thoroughly the council’s reports and minutes than him.
Gwynedd has always had a praiseworthy tradition of debating in a civilised and courteous manner. Every councillor I meet complains that it is no longer a pleasure to attend council meetings because a number of his group continually make demeaning remarks concerning fellow councillors and administrators.
Euros brags that Llais Gwynedd have opposed the closure of public toilets and of Bryn Llywelyn. Do his party believe that the ratepayers’ pocket is bottomless?.
The officers made a detailed analysis of the condition and use of the Authority’s 94 toilets. They recommended the closure of 23 of them and reopening another 14. This provided a net saving of £100,000.
The multi-party board recommended acceptance of the suggestions.
Euros rejoices that Llais Gwynedd managed to delay the implementation for six months but all this achieves is to pour about £50,000 of scarce revenue down the sewers.
Bryn Llewelyn is an old mansion which will cost at least £140,000 merely to repair and maintain. It costs £850 per head a week to maintain compared with £410 in Bryn Blodau in the same village. This is surely a ridiculous and unjustifiable expenditure in this austere period in local government finances. Gwynedd’s reserves have already been reduced by Llais Gwynedd’s procrastinations to a diminutive £5m.
A wise old councillor’s advice to new members was: "For the first few months open your eyes and ears and close your lips. When it is necessary to drown someone’s argument do so in a civilised manner and always in warm water."
All of us, including Euros and Llais Gwynedd, would be well advised to consider this suggestion. A courteous and constructive exchange of opinion is the very essence of democracy.

MALDWYN LEWIS
Borth-y-gest

Cymdeithas yn beirniadu Gwynedd a'r Cynulliad - Association criticises Gwynedd and Assembly

Mewn datganiad i'r Wasg mae'r Gymdeithas Cenedlaethol dros Ysgolion Bach yn feirniadol dros ben o'r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol a Chyngor Gwynedd ynglyn a'u hagwedd tuag at ysgolion bach. Mae'r datganiad hefyd yn beirniadu bwriad Cyngor Gwynedd i ail-ddechrau'r broses ddiffygiol fydd yn arwain tuag at gau ysgolion o fewn y Sir.
Bydd y mater yma yn cael ei drafod ger cyfarfod arbennig o Gyngor Gwynedd lle mae disgwyl i mwyafrif o aelodau bledleisio o blaid y bwriad all arwain tuag at gau oleiaf 25-30 o ysgolion ar draws y Sir.
Yn barod mae Llais Gwynedd wedi beirniadu y rhagdybiaeth sydd yn bodoli o blaid cau ysgolion yn y Sir ac yn gofyn am newidiadau yn y drefn.
Gweler y datganiad yn llawn isod.

In a press release, the National Association for Small Schools has slammed the National Assembly for Wales and Gwynedd Council for their attitude towards small schools. The press release is also critical of Gwynedd Council's defective plans as it prepares to re-start the process that will in no doubt lea to schools being closed across the County.
The matter will be discussed next week by a special meeting of the full Council where it is expected that a majority of members will vote in favour of the plan that could lead to at least 25-30 schools being closed across the County.
Already Llais Gwynedd has criticised the presumption connected to the proposals that favours the closure of schools within the County and has pressed for changes to the proposals.
A copy of the press release can be viewed below.

PRESS RELEASE: Assets NOT Liabilities

Having advised and supported small schools in Gwynedd facing closure in 2008 and noted the protest that brought electoral change, and having been invited to give evidence to the new Council, we are dismayed to see virtually the same agenda proposed again and using the stealth route of area piecemeal review masking the same level of intended destruction. Despite the new proposals almost entirely ignoring our hard data the facts have not changed. Moreover the Scottish Government, Nationalist-led and with cross-Party support, is promoting a Bill seriously protecting small schools, accepting its own data and that of the previous Lab-Lib coalition who began this process. Scotland roots policy in hard fact not the unproven glib assumptions of Councils supporting programmes such as Gwynedd again proposes.
Scottish data showed that children in its smallest schools had a 25% higher chance of entering higher education; children from impoverished, disadvantaged backgrounds in those schools made progress, unlike those elsewhere who remain a seriously under-achieving cadre of disaffection expensive to many public ser vice budgets; Gaelic-medium schools, most being small, obtained the best results of all, even in English, confirming our claim that the most effective education comes when parents and teachers are on the same wavelength. Nationalist conspiracy with Government priorities risks betraying Welsh-medium interests.
Estyn’s PR sheet covering its 2006 Small Schools Report stated that small schools did as well as any other and that they effectively engaged parents in the children’s education. The WAG Rural Development Report and Consultation document on school organisation ignore this, citing only the lesser complaint about some aspects of the heavily bureaucratic leadership role expected in schools these days. Where it matters, getting results, ESTYN has few complaints about small school Heads. English data conclusively affirms the same small school levels of success. Both countries show similar long-term, enduring achievement for children starting school in small and very small schools. Reliable analysis shows levels of derivation in smaller rural communities almost a high as in urban ones but with far higher levels of attainment. The urban poor deserve small buildings too, with similar quality home-school partnership.
WAG policy offers to selected groups a chance to help shape future organisation of education, except in one area, small schools, where it prescribes closure using a raft of wholly-unproven, mere opinions. With its Rural Development Committee it wants to close small schools and build larger area versions and so needs to justify fewer Heads and buildings. Gwynedd, Ynys Mon, Powys, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, all anticipate buildings moneys and do so despite WAG and the RDI Committee ignoring four major pieces of research showing that beyond minimum comfort levels the quality of buildings has little impact on performance. Gwynedd and the RDI deflect this hard evidence, the latter flatly stating that teaching quality is not more important than buildings.
The Scottish evidence was very telling on the costs, the real closure argument. Closure arguments are solely confined to simplistic comparison between individual school pupil-unit costs and a notional average but fail to show which of the “average” schools are the higher end that justifies the term. As Gwynedd’s budget statement shows, much more is spent per year on education than shows in school budgets. Birmingham is to spend £40m directly on reaching parents on just 50 schools with classroom discipline problems.
In 2007 Aberdeen spent £5000 per pupil overall on education. The average spend in wholly urban Councils was similar. Councils with a mix of urban/rural schools spent significantly less, the lowest being £3800. It has NEVER been true to say small schools are draining resources from the rest, and from the urban poor. The urban poor need small schools too. Much is spent in Gwynedd on education that does not reach small school pupils. US and other evidence show that small schools long-term deliver significant profit to the Exchequer by reducing the increasingly expensive costs of educational failure and achieving more enduring attainment giving better results, better jobs and more tax revenues. National Auditors report that even in the most rural Councils less is spent on rural citizens than urban citizens and for a higher tax take. The school can be the only return for taxpayers on moneys providing services largely in towns.
The average cost of heating, lighting, cleaning and maintaining Scottish small school buildings was between £15 000 and £25 000. The costs of the bus and driver to take the children to the likely alternative would be £35 000. Current estimates at the time showed £1000-£1500 per pupil per year per five-mile journey. Such facts are rarely exposed in closure proposals. Closure of rural schools has also threatened entitlement to other grants dependent on schools as part of defining rurality and community sustainability. Moreover new research in 2008 showed that most Victorian/Edwardian school buildings had a higher carbon footprint than the majority of buildings erected since the war.
National and local policy should derive from the more sophisticated economic arguments available. Instead it is fed by either wilful political and professional ideology or inexcusable ignorance of fact. Small schools are one of the most wholesome and effective models of education we have yet produced. If Wales erases this model it will damage children’s education and the rich rural fabric within national culture. The educational, community, social and financial arguments reveal small schools as assets, not liabilities, and that any policy ostensibly promoted in the name of standards needs to build on what exists not destroy it. Gwynedd plans for 2021 but no-one explains just how we shall provide education i in the name of a future, Gwynedd’s 2021, no-one explains, just how we shall provide education win a world changing so rapidly. NASS argues the two resources shown by research most children need, good parents and good teachers, will remain crucial. Small schools provide these almost free.
The Scottish Government has just kept four small secondary schools open because the Council used skewed, flawed and prejudicial arguments denying legally fair consultation and procedure. They also cited HMIe who said the four schools were effective and should not be closed. Currently Councils oppose Government. Sadly in Wales local and national government are aligned, perversely and wilfully dressing arguments with skewed and selective evidence. Gwynedd has financial problems as elsewhere in Wales but these are Government-created to put just such pressure on Councils. Across Wales 250-300 schools are at risk. Moreover they hide behind one of the most discredited pieces of so-called research, that by David Reynolds, a researcher openly endorsing particular political policy he has shaped through work described in a peer review by a leading expert in the field as unprofessional and wholly unreliable. Her final comment read: “If this is being used for policy, Heaven help us!”

Mervyn Benford Information Officer

Gwynedd Council's Economic Model explained with Cows?

Following on from yesterday's post, one of this blogs most avid readers e-mailed me and offered the following as the Gwynedd Economic Model explained with Cows...

Gwynedd council has 2 cows after 13 years of continualy milking both cows and squandering all their proceeds during their prime years, the number crunchers realise their yield is now dropping and to keep both cows is now becoming unsustainable.They immediately sell off one cow cheaply to a buisness man who promises to employ someone to look after the cow. The remaining cow is then given a new building suitable for purpose, given an assurance that it has full support toward its wellbeing, and told it will be moved to a different field within Gwynedd from time to time and all this will help it produce twice as much milk,and so very much like number 8 on the list!

...What are your thoughts?...Agree or Disagree?

Nefi Bliw!..Gordon Brown - Tory MEP Rips into Gordon Brown

Mae hwn werth ei weld...Dan Hannan, Aeloed Seneddol Ewropeaidd o Dde Lloegr yn rhoi chwip din geiriol i Gordon Brown yn Senedd Ewrop ddoe.
Ydi gyfeillion, mae'n talu siarad yn blaen withiau ac mae hyn yn engraifft dda o hynny!

This is worth seeing.....Dan Hannan, a Tory Euro MP, giving Gordon Brown "both barells" so to speak upon his visit to the European Parliament yesterday.
Yes, my friends, sometimes a little plain speaking does no harm at all and this is a good example of that!

Ydi...mae o yn ei ol heno - Yes....it's back tonight

Cyfres arall o The Apprentice, BBC1, 9 o'r gloch heno, gyda Syr Alan Sugar...un o'm hoff raglenni teledu bydd yn sicir o rhoi digon i pawb drafod dros yr wythnosau nesaf yn ogystal a tipyn o chwerthin.

Another series of The Apprentice, BBC1, 9pm tonight with Sir Alan Sugar...one of my favourite TV programmes, which I'm sure will give us plenty to talk about over the next few weeks as well as a few laughs.

18 Economic Models explained with Cows

This made me laugh.......
1. SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbor.
2. COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.
3. FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.
4. NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.
5. BUREAUCRATISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk
away...
6. TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.
7. SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons
8. AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.
9. ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of
credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a
debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four
cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a
Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells
the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one
more.
You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you
with nine cows.
No balance sheet provided with the release.
The public then buys your bull.
10. A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want
three cows.
11. A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and
produce twenty times the milk.
You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it
worldwide.
12. A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk
themselves.
13. AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.
14. A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 2 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.
15. A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.
16. A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.
17. A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.
18. AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the heck out of you and invade your
country.
You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of Democracy....

HT Catrin x

Sefyllfa Stici Arall - Another Sticky Situation

Heddiw, mae strydoedd 'Stiniog yn cael ei glanhau rag sgil effeithiau y canoedd o ddarnau o gwm cnoi sydd wedi cael ei daflu'n ddi-hid ar y palmentydd.
Rwan fel un o Gynghorwyr y dref, dwi'n croesawu hyn yn fawr iawn. Be sydd yn gwaredu fi fodd bynnag yw mai cwmni o Hampshire, De Lloegr sydd yn gwneud y gwaith.
Onid fyddai'n llawer ratach i'r Cyngor brynu'r offer dan sylw ac hyfforddi pobol leol i neud y gwaith? Mae hyn i gyd yn wrthyn ac mae'n rhaid gofyn o ddifri os mai geiriau gwag sydd yn dod o ennau y Cyngor ynglyn a gwarchod yr amgylchedd...Os fedr rhywun fy narbwyllo fod sefyllfa fel hon yn gynaliadwy yna mae nhw yn athrylith!?

Today the streets of Blaenau ar being cleaned from the effects of chewing gum that has been thrown mindlessly along the pavements.
Now as one of the local Councillors in the town, I welcome this very much. However what astonishes me is the fact that the company doing the work has travelled all the way from Hampshire in the South of England.
Surely it would be far cheaper and better for the environment if the Council invested in the relevant machinery and train local people to become "gumbusters"?
This is all sureal and begs the question if the Council's words regarding environmental sustainability are mere platitudes in the wind....If anybody can convince me that this situation is sustainable then they are a genius!?

Cyfarfod i drafod CCTV - Meeting to discuss CCTV

Nos yfory bydd panel o aelodau o'r Cyngor Tref yn cyfarfod i drafod sut i symud ymlaen gyda'r bwriad i gael system CCTV yma yn y Blaenau.
Mae £10,000 wedi ei neulltuo gan y Cyngor tuag at y cynllunac mae Heddlu Gogledd Cymru hefyd wedi cyfrannu £5,000 tuag at y cynllun.

Tommorow night a panel of members from the Town Council will be meeting to discuss the way forward regarding the installation of a CCTV system here in Blaenau.
The Town Council has earmarked £10,000 towards the scheme and North Wales Police have also contributed £5,000 towards it as well.

VAGABOND....a name to watch out for

Both Eurgain and I thoroughly enjoyed the James Morrison gig in Manchester on Friday night. Morrison was brilliant!
We were also impressed by the band who were his support act before he came on stage.
Their name is Vagabond and they have a single and album coming out soon and from what I saw and heard on Friday night, they are going to be around for quite some time.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling....

Llongyfarchiadau mawr i dim rygbi Iwerddon ar eu buddigoliaeth hanesyddol ddoe yn erbyn Cymru i enill y Gamp Lawn am y tro gyntaf ers 61 o flynyddoedd.
Gall rhywun ddim ond dychmygu sut barti oedd yng Nghaerdydd a Dulyn neithiwr!

Congratulations to te Irish Rugby Team on their historic victory yesterday against Wales to win the Grand Slam for the first time in 61 years.
One can only imagine what the party was like in Cardiff and Dublin last night!

Blwyddyn o flogio - A year of blogging

Mae'r blog yma yn un oed...diolch i chi am ei ddarllen a gobeithio byddwch yn dal i'w ddarllen am y flwyddyn nesa'.

This blog is a year old....thanks for reading it and I hope that you'll continue to read it over the next year too.

Cadw'r strydoedd yn daclus - Keeping the streets clean

Fel dwi eisioes wedi son ar y blog hwn, mae'r ffaith y bydd wardeniaid stryd Cyngor Gwynedd ynghyd a Plismyn Cymunedol rwan yn gallu rhoi dirwy i'r rhai sydd yn gwneud llanast ar y strydoedd a gadael eu cwn i wnued eu busnes yn y stryd heb glanhau ar eu holau i'w croesawu'n fawr.
Echdoe bu'r Cyng.Dafydd Lloyd Hughes a mi yn cwrdd a'r wardeiniad a'r heddwas Gareth Griffiths sydd yn gyfrifol am blismona cymunedol yma yn y Blaenau i drafod yr ardaloedd sydd angen eu targedu er mwyn sicrhau nad yw'r sefyllfa bresennol (sydd yn ddrwg iawn mewn rhan ardaloedd o'r dref) yn cael parhau.
O hyn ymlaen ni fydd unrhyw esgys a rydym wedi annog y wardeniaid a'r heddlu i fod yn llym efo drwg weithredwyr sydd yn creu'r llanast yn y Blaenau.

As I have previously mentioned on this blog, the fact that street wardens and the police community officers are now able to issue fixed penalty notices on those who make a mess on the streets of the town as well as those individuals who allow their dogs to foul in the street without clearing it up is to be warmly welcomed.
On Wednesday, Cllr.Dafydd Lloyd Hughes and I met with the street wardens and the Police Community Beat Manager, PC Gareth Griffiths to discuss which areas of the town should be targeted initially due to the fact that some parts are worse than others.
From now on, there is no excuse and we have encouraged the wardens and the police to be tough on those offenderds who make a mess in Blaenau.

Cyngerdd arall (C'mon dwi newydd ddathlu fy mhenblwydd!) - Another concert (C'mon I've just had my birthday!)

Fel bysus neu tacsis, pan da chi isio un, does dim yno....wel mae'r cyngherddau yr un fath.
Wedi i mi weld John Legend yn yr Apollo, Manceinion nos Wener diwethaf, dwi'n dychwelyd yno eto nos yfory - y tro hwn gyda fy merch, Eurgain i weld James Morrison mewn cyngerdd. Unwaith eto dylai hon fod yn noson arbennig.

Just like buses or taxis, when you need one, there arent any and then suddenly two or three pop up. Well its like that with me at the moment with concerts. Last week I saw John Legend, live at the Apollo, Manchester and its back there that I will return tomorrow night along with my daughter, Eurgain to see James Morrison in concert. Once again it should be a special night.

Cyngor yn gweithredu'n gyfrifol - Council takes responsible action

Fel rhywun sydd wedi gweld a chlywed y llanast mae pobol ifanc sydd yn yfed alcohol o dan oed yn gallu ei wneud dros y misoedd diwethaf, credaf bod yn rhaid llongyfarch Cyngor Gwynedd am gymeryd y camau wnaethant ym Mangor heddiw.
Dylai hyn fod yn rhybydd i landlordiaid ac hefyd siopau sydd yn bod yn gwbwl anghyfrifol pan maent yn gwerthu alcohol i pobol o dan 18 oed.

As someone who has seen and heard at first hand the mess that young people who are drunk on alchohol can make over the past few months, I think that Gwynedd Council should be congratulated in regards to the action that they have taken in Bangor today.
Let this be a warning to landlords and shop keepers who act without care and reason when they sell alchohol to young people under the age of 18.

Jac Codi Celwydd

Un o'r pethau rhyfedd hynny sy'n mynd efo bod yn ffigwr cyhoeddus boed hynny yn gynghorydd lleol, actor, pel-droediwr neu aelod cynulliad neu seneddol ydi pob yn hyn da chi'n darllen rhywbeth amdanoch eich hunain yn y Wasg sydd yn gwenud i chi chwerthin am ei fod yn gwbwl wirion neu yn anghywir.
Profiad tebyg i hynny ges i bore 'ma wrth ddarllen y rhacsyn wythnosol hwnnw, GOLWG. Yn y golofn Jac Codi Baw, mae Jac (Pwy bynnag ydi o neu hi-tydyn nhw ddim efo digon o asgwrn cefn i rhoi ei enw iawn wrth peth o'r rwtsh mae nhw'n sgwennu ) yn ceisio bychanu fy safaid diweddar ar fater y plymars o Abertawe yn trwsio boileri Ysgol y Moelwyn yma yn y Blaenau ac ymosod arnai o dan y pennawd "Llais Wolverhampton?".
I ddechrau cywchwyn mae Jac yn fy nisgrifio fel "Barack Obama, Blaenau Ffestiniog", diolch iddo/iddi am hynny gan fod gennyf edmygedd o'r mwyaf i'r dyn OND...mae fy nghyfaill a chyd aelod ar Gyngor Gwynedd o'r Blaenau, Y Cyng. Dafydd Lloyd Hughes efo llawer mwy yn gyffredin na'r Arlywydd ac yn wir yn ystod ymgyrch llwyddiannus Dafydd i fod yr aelod croen ddu gynta' ar Gyngor Gwynedd, bum yn tynnu ei goes drwy ei alw'n Barrack Oblaenau.
Mae Jac wedyn yn mynd ymlaen i ddweud fy mod i yn "ceryddu Cyngor Gwynedd(ie eto.). Pam ddyliwn i ddim? Dwi wedi cael fy ethol i gynrychioli pobol Blaenau (Dirion Deg-fel mae Jac yn gwamalu) ac mae sawl unigolyn wedi datgan siom a phryder sut mae'r Cyngor yn gosod amryw o gytundebau gyda chwmniau oddi allan i'r Sir gan wario pres y trethdalwr mewn siroedd eraill yn hytrach yma yng Ngwynedd.
Yma yng Ngwynedd mae rhaglen "Llwyddo'n Lleol" y Cyngor yn annog a chefnogi pobol ifanc o fewn y Sir i fentro (dwi'n cytuno a chefnogi hynny'n fawr)...ond os ydych yn blymar ifanc ac yn gweld y Cyngor yn comisiynu cwmni o ffwrdd i wneud gwaith, all rhywun ddeallt os byddent wedyn yn troi rownd a gofyn "be ydi'r pwynt?".
Lle mae'r darn mae Jac wedi 'sgwennu yn gwneud i mi chwerthin ydi'r honiad fy mod i raddau drwy godi'r mater yma yn rhagriddio gan yn ol Jac fy mod wedi gweithio fel ymgynghorydd cyn i mi gael fy ethol yn Wolverhampton a Stoke on Trent ac fy mod yn mynd a gwaith oddi wrth pobol Canolbarth Lloegr drwy wneud hynny!
Er mwyn helpu Jac gyda rhyfaint o ffeithiau rhag ofn iddo ef neu hi dyllu twll dwfn iddo ef/ei hun (Cofiwch does gennym ddim syniad pwy di Jac?).
1. Dwi ddim wedi gweithio i ry'n cwmni na chorff cyhoeddus yn Wolverhampton erioed - dwi wedi bod drwy'r dref dwy waith ar y ffordd i dy fy modryb yn Dudley a dyna'r unig gyswllt sydd genai gyda'r lle - so Jac cael dy ffeithiau yn gywir!
2. Mi ddaru mi weithio yn Stoke on Trent ar gynllun pennodol drwy wahoddiad gan gwmni rhyngwladol preifat am rhai misoedd yn ystod 2005/06 - noder doedd dim proses tendro, doedd dim honiad gan y cwmni eu bod am warchod yr economi ac amgylchedd lleol fel mae Cyngor Gwynedd yn ei wneud a doeddynt ddim yn gwario arian trethdalwyr lleol mewn siroedd eraill, felly mae gwahaniaeth sylfaenol iawn rhwng be dwi wedi gwneud ac be mae'r Cyngor yn ei wneud.

I gloi, unwaith eto credaf fod y fath yma o newyddiaduraeth yn dangos fod GOLWG yn gylchgrawn o safon isel iawn. Mae o yn cael miloedd o bynoedd mewn arain cyhoeddus ac yn aml iawn yn ffafrio ac adlewyrchu un safbwynt gwleidyddol - safbwynt Plaid Cymru.
Y gwahaniaeth sylfaenol rhwng fi a pwy bynnag ydi Jac ydi fy mod i yn barod iawn i rhoi fy enw i unrhywbeth dwi yn ei roi ar y blog yma, dwi ddim yn cuddio tu ol i ffug enw nac yn disgwyl i'r pwrs cyhoeddus dalu fy nghyflog am sgwennu fy marn.
Mae rhywun yn gorfod petryso o feddwl fod GOLWG wedi cael arian sylweddol gan y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i ddatblygu gwasnaeth newyddion ar lein, (pryd fydd hynny'n digwydd gyda llaw rhywun?)ac o weld beth ydi safon newyddiadyrol y cylchgrawn. Gall yr arian yma wedi mynd at bapur dyddiol Cymraeg, Y BYD, fyddai rhywun yn dychmygu efo barn llawer mwy wrthrychol o wleidyddiaeth lleol, cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol.
Ta waeth, gobeithio bod y ffeithaiu yma o help i Jac ac os ydi o neu hi neu hyd yn oed, Dylan Iorwerth isio sgwrs gyda mi am unrhywbeth yn y dyfodol er mwyn cael ei ffeithaiu'n gywir cyn ysgrifennu amdanaf, byddwn yn falch o wneud hynny....taswn i ddim iso gofyn iddynt ymddiheuro i mi yn ei cylchgrawn (fel maent yn gorfod gwneud i eraill)am gael ffeithiau yn anghywir, ond wedi dweud hynny, o be welai, mae nhw'n gwneud hynny'n aml iawn fodd bynnag felly pwy ydw i, i gwyno'n de?

Gwobr arall i Gyngor Gwynedd - Another Award for Gwynedd Council

Cwta dyddiau wedi enill gwobr Efydd am Safon Iechyd Corfferaethol mae Cyngor Gwynedd wedi ennill gowbr arall.
Y tro hwn mae Gwasnaeth Archifau Gwynedd wedi enill pedair seren aur gan yr Archif Wladol.
Llongyfarchiadau mawr i'r Gwasnaeth ac i'r gweithlu yno am ddangos y Cyngor ar ei orau unwaith eto.

Just a few days after being awarded a Bronze Award for Corporate Health Standard, Gwynedd Council have won yet another award.
This time, the Council's Archive Service has received 4 stars from the National Archive the excellent services that it provides.
My sincerest congratulations to the Archive Service and the staff that work there for once again showing the Council at its best.

39 not out!

Ydi mae'n benblwydd arnai heddiw...39. Pan oeddwn yn blentyn oedd hynny yn swnio'n hen! Ydwi'n teimlo'n hen? Nac ydw, dim o gwbwl...a dwi'n edrych ymlaen am y 39 nesa!

Yes its my birthday today...39. When I was a child, that sounded so old! Do I feel old? No, not at all...and I am looking forward to the next 39!

Rhagor o newyddion drwg o REHAU - More bad news from REHAU

P'nawn 'ma daeth y cyhoeddiad y bydd cwmni REHAU yn diswyddo 41 o weithwyr eto o'u ffatri yn Nhanygrisiau sydd yn dod a'r cyfanswm o ddiswyddiadau yno bellach ers Hydref diwethaf i 87.
Mae hyn yn ergyd arall i economi yr ardal hon ac dwi'n fawr obeithio y bydd Adran Adfywio ac Economaidd, Cyngor Gwynedd yn ogystal a Llywodraeth y Cynulliad yn gallu cynnig rhyw fath o gymorth i'r rhai sydd yn colli eu swyddi yn ogystal a'r cwmni er mwyn diogelu y 170 sydd yn dal i fodoli yno ar hyn o bryd.
Gyda'r newyddion fod y ffatri wedi cau am oleiaf wythnos oherwydd diffyg archebion, gall rhywun ddim ond gofidio be sydd gan y dyfodol tymor hir i'w gynnig.
Heno mae'n meddylai i yn sicir gyda'r rhai sydd yn gwynebu dyfodol ansicir iawn gan y byddent yn fuan, heb swydd.

This afternoon came the announcement that REHAU will be making another 41 workers at their factory in Tanygrisiau redundent, bringing the total of those who have lost their work at the factory since the Autumn to 87.
This is another severe blow to the local economy and I sincerely hope that the Economic Development Department at Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Assembly Government will do everything in its powers to provide support for those who are losing their work as well as supporting the company in order to try to save the 170 jobs that currently remain at the factory.
The news that the factory is also closed for the week at least due to the lack of orders, make's one fear for the long term future and prosperity of the company locally.
Tonight my thoughts go out to those who are facing an unsure future due to the fact that they are soon to be without a job.

Gwobr i Gyngor Gwynedd - Award for Gwynedd Council

Ddoe mi ddaru mi fynychu seremoni wobrwyo yn Stadiwm Swalec, Caerdydd er mwyn derbyn gwobr ar ran y Cyngor yn rhinwedd fy swydd fel deilydd Portfolio Adnoddau Dynol.
Mae Cyngor Gwynedd wedi derbyn Gwobr Efydd am Safon Iechyd Corfferaethol ac ar hyn o bryd mae swyddogion o fewn yr adran Adnoddau Dynol mewn cydweithrediad ac adrannau eraill yn gweithio tuag at wobr Arian.
Fy ngobaith mawr yw y bydd Gwynedd yn derbyn gwobr Aur o fewn y 2-3 blynedd nesaf gan fod gofalu am iechyd a lles holl staff yn flaenoriaeth yng Nghynllun Tair Blynedd y Cyngor.
Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch yn fawr iawn i'r criw bychan a dyfal yn yr Adran Adnoddau Dynol sydd wedi gweithio'n galed iawn i ddiogelu y wobr yma i'r Cyngor a'u llongyfarch nhw ar eu llwyddiant.
Hoffwn hefyd longyfarch Heddlu Gogledd Cymru oedd hefyd yn y seremoni wobrwyo ar enill Gwobr Aur am Safon Iechyd Corfferaethol.

Yesterday, I attended an awards ceremony at the Swalec Stadium, Cardiff in order to receive an award on behalf of Gwynedd Council in my role as Portfolio Holder for Human Resources.
Gwynedd Council has been awarded a Bronze Award for Corporate Health Standard and officers are currently working on developing ideas that will, I hope see the Council getting a Silver Award in the not to distant future.
My hope is that within 2-3 years, Gwynedd will indeed reach Gold Award standard due to the fact that caring for the health and wellbeing of all staff is a priority within the Council's Three Year Plan.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the small but committed team in the Human Resources Department who have work hard to secure this award for the Council as well as congratulating them on their success.
I would also like to congratulate North Wales Police who also were represented at the ceremony for winning a Gold Award for Corporate Health Standard.

Rhagrith? - Hypocrisy?

Tra mae Plaid Cymru'n beirniadu plaid arall yma'n Wynedd (Llais Gwynedd) oherwydd fod y Blaid honno'n anfodlon gyda elfennau pwysig o'r cynllun i adrefnu addysg gynradd o fewn y Sir.
Tybed be yw ei barn nhw am y Blaid yn Sir Gaerfyrddin sydd yn anfodlon gyda'r cynlluniau yn y fan hynny am adrefnu addysg uwchradd?

Whilst Plaid Cymru criticise's another party here in Gwynedd (the Voice of Gwynedd) due to the fact that that party has raised important objections to the plan regarding re-organisation of primary school education in the County.
I wonder what their opinion is regarding the Party in Carmarthenshire which is unappy with plans in that County to re-organise secondary school education?

Be 'di pwrpas gwrthblaid?- What's the purpose of an opposition party?

Dwi'n cofio adeg pan oedd gwleidyddion Plaid Cymru yn San Steffan, Bae Caerdydd, Cyngor Gwynedd ac yn wir Cyngor Tref Ffestiniog yn beirniadu ac herio'r Blaid Lafur a'r Ceidwadwyr byth a beunydd dros un peth neu'r llall?
Gwynfor Evans, Dafydd Wigley, Dafydd El, Elfyn Llwyd, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Adam Price, Hywel Williams, Alun Ffred,Elin Jones,Dafydd Iwan, Richard Parry Hughes...fi hyd yn oed yn ystod y 90au!
Yna mi ddaru'r Blaid werthu ei henaid er mwyn cael bod yn rhan o Lywodraeth Cymru'n Un a thrwy wneud hynny i pob pwrpas, rhoi'r gorau i herio'r Blaid Lafur bron yn gyfangwbwl a thaflu ambell i sneipan o bryd i'w gilydd at y Toriaid.
Ers hynny, ac yn dilyn y llanast cynllun gyntaf Cyngor Gwynedd ar gyfer adrefnu Addysg Gynradd o fewn y Sir, bwriad welodd ffurfio Llais Gwynedd ac yna yn yr etholiad rhai o fawrion y Blaid ar y Cyngor yn colli ei seddi, nid oes gan Blaid Cymru fwyfrif clir ar y Cyngor.
Er, teg yw adrodd mai'r Blaid yw y grwp mwyaf gyda 35 aelod ar y Cyngor ac mae'nt yn cael eu cefnogi, bron yn ddi-amod gan ddyrniad bach o aelodau annibynnol a'r pedwar aelod Llafur.
Ers yr etholiad, mae Plaid Cymru ar Gyngor Gwynedd wedi rhoi cynnigion ger bron i gau toiledau cyhoeddus, cartref i'r henoed, canolfan i rhai gydag anabledd dysgu, unedau addysg arbennig ac rwan mae'nt am ail gyflwyno cynllun fydd yn arwain tuag at diwedd amryw o ysgolion bach ar draws y Sir.
Rwan mewn byd delfrydol fe fyddai Cai Larsen yn licio petai neb yn nunlle yn dweud dim ac yn gadael i'r Blaid gael ffordd ei hun a chau bopeth gan chwrthin yn nawddoglyd fel nath un neu ddau ohnynt wrth gau Bryn Llywelyn.
Ond tydi byd y Blaid ddim yn ddelfrydol, mae gan y bobol bellach llais yw cynrychioli hwy yn Siambr Cyngor Gwynedd....Llais Gwynedd i fod yn fanwl gywir. Ac oherwydd Llais Gwynedd, mi rhoddwyd gorau i gynlluniau gwreiddiol Cyngor Gwynedd (gafwyd sel bendith mwyfarif y Blaid) i gau ysgolion bach y Sir. Oherwydd Llais Gwynedd, rhoddwyd gorau i'r bwriad i gau Unedau Addysg Arbennig mewn rhai ysgolion yn y Sir. Oherwydd Llais Gwynedd, mae £1.4m o arain y Cyngor wedi cael ei arbed drwy adrefnu uwch reolwyr y Cyngor. Oherwydd Llais Gwynedd bydd toiledau cyhoeddus o fewn y Sir sydd o dan fygythiad yn aros yn agored am 'chydig hirach...gan obeithio y gwneith swyddogion ac aelodau'r Blaid gweld y synwyr mewn ei cadw'n agored heb ddim bygythiad.
Ydi, mae Llais Gwynedd yn gweithredu fel gwrthblaid...nid er mwyn gwrthwynebu popeth, mae llawer o bethau lle mae cytundeb wedi bod ers mis Mai...OND pan fydd pobol Gwynedd yn mynnu fod eu llais yn cael ei glywed ac yn derbyn gwrandawiad teg, Llais Gwynedd ydi'r unig Blaid bellach sydd yn siarad ar eu rhan.
Mae llawer o'r arbedion a thoriadau yma yn cael ei wneud yn ol arewinyddiaeth y Blaid yng Ngwynedd gan nad yw Llywodraeth y Cynulliad yn rhoi digon o arian i'r Sir.
Cwestiwn...Pa Blaid sydd yn ffurfio un rhan o'r llywodraeth hwnnw? Plaid Cymru?...O dwi'n deallt rwan...am fod y Blaid yn rhan o'r Llywodraeth ym Mae Caerdydd tydi neb o Gyngor Gwynedd fod i ymosod ar y Llywodraeth hwnnw na ru'n plaid sydd yn ffurfio'r Glymblaid Cyfforddys!
Y gwir plaen ydi hyd y gwelai, tasa Llafur yn rhedeg y sioe ar pen eu hunain neu yn rhannu grym gyda unrhyw blaid arall, byddai Cai Larsen a phob Tom, Dic a Sion arall sydd yn aelod o Blaid Cymru yn poeri gwaed erbyn hyn am y sefyllfa yma yng Nghymru ac yn Wynedd ond gan fod Llais Gwynedd yn mynnu dangos methianau'r Blaid a chynnig gwellianau ar pob cyfle sydd yn ei dangos nhw i fynnu fel dim byd ond methiant, mae nhw yn ei chael hi'n anodd i ddeallt yntau wedi anghofio mae nhw mai dyna yw gwir bwrpas gwrthblaid gwerth ei halen!


I can remember a time when Plaid Cymru politicians at Westminister, Cardiff Bay, Gwynedd Council and indeed Ffestiniog Town Council would criticise and challenge the Labour Party or the Conservatives time and time again for one thing and another.
Gwynfor Evans, Dafydd Wigley, Dafydd El, Elfyn Llwyd, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Adam Price, Hywel Williams, Alun Ffred,Elin Jones,Dafydd Iwan, Richard Parry Hughes...even myself during the 90's!
Then Plaid sold their soul, so that it could become the back end of the pantomime horse that is more commonly known as the One Wales Government, and by doing so to all extent and purpose, stopped challenging the Labour Party and its record and just throw the odd snipe once and a while towards the Tories.
Since then and following the debarcle of the first attempt by Gwynedd Council to re-organise primary school education in the County, the propsal which ultimately led to the formation of Llais Gwynedd, who at the last council elections won 13 seats and sent some of the Plaid "big guns" spinning out of the Council, Plaid has lost its overall majority on the Council.
However, with 35 members, it is fair to say that Plaid is still the largest group on the Council by far, and they are to all extent and purposes propped up by a few "indepenents" and the four members of the Labour group.
Since the election the Plaid Cymru group on the Council have put forward proposals to close public toilets, a home for the elderly, a centre for peopel with learning disabilities, special education units and now they want to make another attempt at closing small schools across the County.
Now, in an ideal word,Plaid Cymru's Chearleader in Chief, Cai Larsen, would like nothing more than having nobody saying anything about this, not even challeging it and let Plaid go ahead with their draconian programme of cuts and close everything whilst laughing smuggly as some of their members did when they closed Bryn Llywelyn.
But Plaid's world is far from being ideal, the people have finally got a voice that is ready to speak on their behalf in the Chamber of Gwynedd Council...The Voice of Gwynedd to be exact. And because the Voice of Gwynedd, the Council's original plans to close small schools in the County (plans supported by many Plaid members)were stopped. Because of the Voice of Gwynedd, the proposed closure of Special Needs Education Units in some schools was stopped.Because of the Voice of Gwynedd, £1.4m of ratepayers money has been saved by re-organising the Council's Senior Management Team. Because of the Voice of Gwynedd, public toilets that were earmarked for closure will stay open for sometime longer while a full assessment is made into the impact that any proposed closure may have on local residents and vistors to the County alike...one can only hope that officers and Plaid members will see sense and keep them open indefinatly.
Yes,the Voice of Gwynedd operates like an opposition Party...not for the sake of opposing everything, there are a number of areas where we have agreed since May's election....HOWEVER, when the peopel of Gwynedd insist that their voices are heard, the Voice of Gwynedd is now the only party that listens and speaks on their behalf.
Many of these cuts and savings made by the Council are according to the Plaid leadership in Gwynedd due to the fact that the Welsh Assembly Government does not give the County enough money.
Question...Which Party forms one half of that Government that ey refer to?Plaid Cymru?...Oh!..I get it now...due to the fact that Plaid is now part of the Government at Cardiff Bay, no one from Gwynedd Council are allowed to challenge or criticise that Government or neither party which has formed the Cosy Coalition!
The simple truth is,as far as I can see, is that if Labour were governing alone or in coalition with any other party but Plaid then Cai Larsen and every Tom, Dick and Harry who are members of Plaid Cymru would be spitting blood at the situation here in Wales right now and here in Gwynedd.
But do to the fact that the Voice of Gwynedd consistantly show's up Plaid's failings and offers up valid alternatives which again shows them up for being short sighted and selling us short, they are finding it difficult to understand or maybe they have just forgotten that that is the real purpose of an effective opposition party that's worth its salt!

Bronson

After all the furore regarding this film and the fact that is was given Lottery Funding, I decided to go and see for myself what all the fuss was about.
Yes, Charles Bronson is a violent criminal and yes the film depicts a lot of that violence however it does not golrify it in anyway.
At times the film is brutal, at other times it is funny, but most of all its a sad depiction of a man who due to being incarserated for 30 years in solitary confinement is clearly suffering from severe mental health problems.
I thought that the film was clever and thought provoking and worth seeing.

Ymateb i lythyrau Maldwyn Lewis yn y Wasg - Response to Maldwyn Lewis' letters in the press

Dros yr wythnos diwethaf mae'r cyn Gynghorydd Plaid Cymru, Maldwyn Lewis wedi ysgrifennu llythyrau i GOLWG a'r Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald yn ymosod yn ddi-sail ar Lais Gwynedd.
Dyma fy llythyr yn llawn yn ymateb i'w lythyr ef yn GOLWG.

Annwyl Olygydd,

Hoffwn ymateb i lythyr Maldwyn Lewis yn Golwg (Mawrth 5ed) ac ei feirniadaeth di-sail o dactecau aelodau Llais Gwynedd ym mhwyllgorau a Siambr Cyngor Gwynedd.
Er fod cyfarfodydd y Cyngor Sir, Bwrdd y Cyngor,Pwyllgorau Ardal a'r Pwyllgorau Craffu yn agored i'r cyhoedd, does gen i na'n nghyd aelodau unrhyw gof o weld Mr Lewis yn eistedd yn yr oriel gyhoeddus i wrando ar drafodaethau nac ardystio i ymddygiad unrhyw aelod o'r Cyngor o pob plaid.Felly yn wir sut mae o yn gallu eistedd yn ei dwr eifori ym Morth y Gest a sgwennu fath lythyr o feirniadaeth yn erbyn aelodau o un carfan ar y Cyngor?
Mae ei lythyr yn mynd ymlaen i gyhuddo Llais Gwynedd o gynnig “gwellianau afreal”...dyma ddau engraifft o wellianau gynnigwyd yn y Cyngor diwethaf gan Llais Gwynedd – Cynnig i godi ffioedd gofal cartref 25% yn hytrach na 50% er mwyn lleihau yr effaith ar yr henoed bregys a'i gofalwyr yn y Sir (dim byd afreal yn hynny ond cyfrifol a chyfaddawd teg dybiwn i?). Cynnig i gadw Cartref Bryn Llywelyn ar agor er mwyn ei ddatblygu i'r dyfodol...unwaith eto, cynnig oedd yn cyd fynd a dymuniadau'r trigolion, staff, teuluoedd, meddygon a'r gymuned leol (dim byd yn afreal yn hynny ond ymateb i gais rhesymol gan drethdalwyr).
Mae Mr Lewis yna yn cyhuddo Llais Gwynedd o wenwyno'r awyrgylch yn y Siambr “drwy ddifrio swyddogion a chyd aelodau”, unwaith eto gan nad yw Mr Lewis wedi presenoli eu hunain yn y Siambr i mi gofio ers mis Mai, pa dystiolaeth sydd ganddo i ddweud hynny? Ganol Rhagfyr, mi adroddodd Golwg am aelod o Blaid Cymru yn fy ngalw i yn “f***ing idiot” wrth i mi gyflwyno cynnig arbedodd £1.4m i'r Cyngor wrth ail-strwythuro'r uwch reolaeth y Cyngor. Nid oes unrhyw aelod o Lais Gwynedd wedi siarad mewn modd mor ffiaidd a gwenwynig gyda swyddog na chyd aelod o'r Cyngor ac fyddwn i yn fawr obeithio na fyddai neb o fewn y grwp byth gwneud chwaith!
I orffen, mae Mr Lewis yn grwgnach fod y Cyngor (nid Llais Gwynedd) wedi trafod toiledau cyhoeddus am 45 munud a'r dreth am deg munud. Mae'r ateb i hynny yn syml. Mae cynydd Gwynedd yn y dreth yn un o'r isaf yng Nghymru ac hyd y gwelais roedd cytundeb bron yn unfrydol i'r cynydd hwnnw. Fodd bynnag, mae'r bygythiad i gau toiledau cyhoeddus wedi cael ei gondemnio gan yr henoed, mamau ifanc, cynghorau cymuned a rhai sydd yn dioddef anhwylder a'r draws y Sir gan ei fod yn fater o bryder a pherygl i iechyd cyhoeddus. Diolch i Lais Gwynedd byddent yn aros yn agored am oleiaf 6 mis yn fwy na gynllinwyd er mwyn gwerthuso unrhyw effaith o'u cau ymhellach.
I gloi felly, hoffwn wahodd Mr Lewis a unrhyw ddarllenwyr arall Golwg sydd yn byw yn Wynedd i ddod i gyfarfodydd y Cyngor, Bwrdd neu Bwyllgorau Gwynedd er mwyn iddo ef a phawb arall weld sut mae pob aelod yn ymddwyn ac sut mae'nt yn cynrychioli y pobol etholodd hwy.Efallai byddai ef yn fwy na neb yn cael ei synnu a'i siomi gan aelodau ei Blaid ei hyn, Plaid Cymru..yntau dyna'r gwir reswm pam mae o yn cadw draw, oherwydd y cywilydd?

Yn ddiffuant,

Cynghorydd Gwilym Euros Roberts
Llais Gwynedd - Blaenau Ffestiniog



Over the last week, former Plaid Cymru Councillor, Maldwyn Lewis has written letters to GOLWG and the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald making unsubstansiated attacks on Llais Gwynedd.
Here is a copy of my full response to his letter in the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald.

Dear Sir,
I would like to respond to Maldwyn Lewis' letter in the Herald (March 13th) and his totally unfounded criticism of Llais Gwynedd members on Gwynedd Council and in particular in Council Meetings.
Although meetings of the full Council, Council Board,Area Committees and Scrutiny Committees are open to the public, neither I or my fellow members have any recollection of seeing Mr Lewis sitting in the public gallery to listen to deliberations or indeed to witness the behaviour of any member of the Council from any party or group. How therefore can he sit in his ivory tower in Borth y Gest and write such a critical letter against members of one particular group who sit on the Council?
Mr Lewis then accuses Llais Gwynedd of poisoning the atmosphere in the Chamber by “making spiteful and personal remarks concerning members and officers", once again, given the fact that Mr Lewis has not graced the Council or its meetings with his presence since the May election, what evidence has he got to support his wild accusation? Following December's meeting of the full Council a member of the Plaid Cymru group was reprimanded for swearing at me during a debate where I was presenting a report that saved the ratepayers of Gwynedd £1.4m by re-structuring the senior management team of the Council. No member of Llais Gwynedd has spoken in such a vindictive and undignified way to another member or officer of the Council at any meeting and I would sincerely hope that no member of the group would ever do so neither!
His letter goes on to accuse Llais Gwynedd of making “unrealistic and naive proposals”...here are two examples of amendments that were proposed by Llais Gwynedd at the last Council meeting – A proposal to rise the home care fee by 25% rather than by 50% in order to lessen the effect on the vulnerable elderly people in the County and their carers (nothing naive about this, just a reasonable and fair compromise I would say?). A proposal to keep the Bryn Llywelyn Care Home open and to develop it for the future...once again, a proposal that respected the wishes of the residents, their families, the staff, local GP's and the wider community (nothing unreal about that, just responding positively and reasonably to the wishes of ratepayers).
To close,Mr Lewis arrogantly spouts that the Council (not Llais Gwynedd I add) discussed public toilets for 45 minutes and the rates for only ten. The answer to that is simple. The increase in the rates in Gwynedd for the coming year is one of the lowest in Wales and from what I could see there was more or less unanimous support for that increase. However, the threat to close the public toilets across the county has received widespread condemnation from the elderly, young mothers, community councils, tourist associations and those suffering from various bowl and urinary illnesses across the County due to the fact that such proposals pose a serious danger to public health. Thanks to Llais Gwynedd they will remain open for at least six months longer than intended so that a detailed assessment can be made as to what effect any proposed closures will have in each individual community.
Finally, I would like to invite Mr Lewis and any other reader of the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald living in Gwynedd to attend the meetings of the Council, Council Board or any of its Committees so that he and everyone else can see exactly how every member behaves and how they represent the people who elected them. Maybe he, more than anyone will be surprised and saddened by the members of his own party, Plaid Cymru...or maybe that is the real reason why he keeps away, because of the embarrassment and indignation?

Councillor Gwilym Euros Roberts
Llais Gwynedd - Blaenau Ffestiniog

Noson arbennig a diwrnod anhygoel! - A special night and amazing day!

Roedd y cyngerdd neithiwr yn wych gyda John Legend ar y llwyfan yn Manceinion am bron i ddwy awr yn mynd trwy caneuon o'i dair albym. Roedd hi'n bleser ac yn anrhydedd cael ei weld...mae Marvin Gaye yn dal yn fyw yn y dyn yma dwi'n credu'n gryf.
I aros yn Manceinion, son am fuddigoliaeth anhygoel i Lerpwl yn erbyn Man U! 4-1!!!
I fod yn gwbwl onest, dwi dal yn meddwl my Man U eith a'r gynghrair ond mae canlyniad heddiw yn sicr o roi sport i mi am yr wythnos nesaf yn tynu coes fy ffrindiau sy'n cefnogi hogia Fergie.
Llongyfarchiadau mawr hefyd i dim rygbi Cymru am eu buddigoliaeth yn Rhufain o 20-15 yn erbyn Yr Eidal. Gem fawr wythnos nesaf yng Nghaerdydd yn erbyn Iwerddon i weld pwy fydd yn enill Pencampwriaeth y 6 Gwlad.

Last night's John Legend concert at the Apollo in Manchester was simply brilliant as he sang a range of songs from his three albums in a performance that lasted nearly two hours.It was an honour and a pleasure to see him live....I strongly believe that Marvin Gaye is still alive in this talented man.
Staying in Manchester, what an amazing win for Liverpool against Man United today!.. 4-1!!
To be perfectly honest, I still think that United will win the league, however today's result will give me enough amunition to tease my mates who support United over the next week or so!
Congratulations as well to the Wales rugby team on beating Italy this afternoon in Rome by 20-15. Next week's match against Ireland in Cardiff will be massive and the result will decide who will be the 6 Nations Champions for this season.

Cyngerdd John Legend heno - John Legend in Concert tonight

Noson o fwynhad heno, dwi'n mynd i Manceinion i weld John Legend mewn cyngerdd yn yr Apollo...ac rhaid i mi ddweud dwi'n edrych ymlaen yn eiddgar!

Tonight, is a night to enjoy and relax, I'm off up to Manchester to see John Legend in concert at the Apollo....I'm a big fan of his and I just can't wait!

Cyfarfod ad-drefnu addysg - Primary Education re-organisation meeting

Roedd cyfarfod ddoe yn siom i mi yn bersonol ac i amryw helaeth o'r peneithiaid a chadeiryddion fynychodd dybiwn i.
Heb os ac onid bai, mae'n amlwg nad yw arweinyddiaeth y grwp mwyaf ar y Cyngor, Plaid Cymru na'r swyddogion o fewn y Cyngor wedi dysgu fawr ddim, nac wedi gwrando ar y negeseuon a roddwyd yn ystod y cyfnod ymgynghorol diwethaf ac yn ystod yr ymgyrch ar gyfer yr etholiadau lleol mis Mai diwethaf.
Gadewch i ni fod yn gwbwl glir yn y fan yma, o dan y cynlluniau presennol, mae yna rhagdybiaeth fydd yn golygu bydd tua 25 neu rhagor o ysgolion cynradd Gwynedd mewn peryg ac bwriad y Blaid a rhai cynghorwyr eraill a swyddogion y Cyngor ydi symud ymlaen i gau rhain, nid mewn un bloc mawr ond fesul dalgylch.
Roedd cyflwyniadau ddoe mor un ochrog ac un llygeidiog roedd o'n angrhedadwy ac yn wir, o be ddywedodd rhai peneithiaid a chadeiryddion wrthai cyn gadael eu bod nhw wedi siomi a'u digaloni gyda'r cyfan.
Rhaid hefyd cyfeirio at agwedd dau o aelodau'r panel adolygu, y Cynghorwyr Dyfrig Siencyn a'r Cynghorydd Sian Gwenllian. Mewn 'chydig dros 10 munud mi ddaru'r ddau yma elyniaethu penneithiaid a chadeiryddion gyda'u agwedd drahaus ac ansensetif, yn wir bron a fyddwn yn dweud eu bod wedi tanseilio a di-brisio'r holl broses cyn iddo hyd yn oed ddechrau gyda'i perfformiad y prynhawn ddoe.
Mae'r Cynghorydd Gwenllian yn amlwg o'i hagwedd ar grwsad i gau ysgolion bach yn y Sir (a'i hi felly yw Madam Guillotine y Blaid?....amser a ddengus).
Mae un peth yn sicir, dwi'n rhagweld gwrthwynebiad mawr unwaith eto ar lawr gwlad i gynlluniau y Cyngor ac i ymdrechion y Blaid i gau'r ysgolion arbennig yma ar hyd a lled y sir sydd yn cynnig profiadau addysgol a chymdeithasol gwych i blant y Sir.
Fentrai ddweud rwan mai Llais Gwynedd fydd yr unig Blaid fydd yn sefyll ysgwydd yn ysgwydd gyda'r rhieni, athrawon a llywodraethwyr i wrthwynebu'r cynlluniau yma mewn cymunedau lle bydd gwrthwynebiad.

Yesterday's meeting was dissapointing to me personaly and to the many headteachers and chair of governors who attended I imagine.
Without any shadow of doubt, the leaders of the largest group on the Council, Plaid Cymru and the officers within the education department have learnt anything from or listened to the views aired during the last consultation process and during the campaign for the local election last May.
Let us be totally clear about this, under the current proposals, the Council presupposes that at least 25 primary schools are in danger of closing across the County. And it is the intention of Plaid Cymru and some other members and the officers within the Council to move ahead and close these schools, not in one block but by going through each catchment area.
The presentations yesterday were so one sided and blinkered it beggered belief and from what some headteachers and chair of governors told me before I left was that they we're disappointed and felt dispondent by it all.
I must also refer to the attitude of two members of the School Improvement Working Group, Councillors Dyfrig Siencyn and Sian Gwenllian, who in a little over 10 minutes managed to alienate the headteachers and governors with their pompous and brow beating attitued towards the audience. I would go far as to say that their performance alone has only undermimed and devalued the whole process even before it has properly begun.
It is obvious from her attitude, that Councillor Gwenllian is on a crusade to close some of the County's smaller primary schools (is she therefore Plaid Cymru's Madame Guillotine?..time will tell).
One thing is certain, I forsee strong opposition once again to the Council's proposals across the County and to Plaid's efforts to close these schools which offer a fantstic educational and social experience for the children in the County.
I will venture to say now that Llais Gwynedd will be the only party that will stand shoulder to shoulder with parents, teachers and governors to oppose these proposals in communities where there will be objections.

Adroddiad Camarweiniol ar y BBC - Misleading Report on the BBC

Yn dilyn fy nodyn blaenorol, mae'r adroddiad yma gan y BBC yn ceisio rhoi'r argraff fod unfrydedd barn yn bodoli ar Fwrdd Cyngor Gwynedd dros y Cynlluniau i ad-drefnu addysg gynradd o fewn y Sir. Nid dyna yw'r gwir ac rhaid i mi bwysleisio, mi ddaru mi a'm cyd Aelod o Lais Gwynedd, y Cynghorydd Alwyn Gruffydd bledleisio yn erbyn argymhelliad y Cynghorydd Liz Saville Roberts a'i chyd aelodau ym Mhlaid Cymru.

Following on from my previous post, this report by the BBC is misleading due to the fact that it attempts to convey that their was unanimous support by the Council Board to the proposals regarding Primary School Re-organisation.
That is not true, and I must emphasise that I and my fellow Llais Gwynedd member, Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd voted against Cllr Liz Saville Roberts and her Plaid colleagues proposal.

Plaid a Swyddogion yn rhagdybio cau ysgolion - Plaid and Officer's presuppose school closures

Roedd cyfarfod Bwrdd Cyngor Gwynedd p'nawn ddoe yn un anodd ac yn ymylu ar adegau i fod yn ffars oherwydd y modd heurllyg roedd "arweinydd" y Cyngor,Y Cynghorydd Dyfed Edwards yn cadeirio'r trafodaethau.
Fel dwi eisioes wedi dwued ar y blog hwn, dwi'n meddwl fod y gwaith mae'r grwp aml bleidiol wedi ei wneud ar y mater o ddyfodol ysgolion bach yn dda iwan ar y cyfan OND MAE YNA UN GWENDID MAWR ynddo sydd ddim yn amlwg ar y dechrau a hynny yw y rhagdybiaeth sydd yn golygu y bydd rhai ysgolion yn gorfod cau.
Yng nghyfarfod y Bwrdd ddoe cafwyd trafodaeth hir a maith ynglyn a chynwys Cadeiryddion Llywodraethwyr a Phenaethiaid pob ysgol gynradd yn y Fforymau Adolygu Dalgylch...roedd rhai aelodau'r Blaid yn gyndyn iawn o gynnwys pawb yn y trafodaethau hyd nes cafwyd cyfaddawd digon llipa yn y bon.
Oherwydd y ffaith fod rhagdybiaeth o fewn yr adroddiad sydd o blaid cau ysgolion, mi ddaru'r Cynghorydd Alwyn Gruffydd a mi bleidleisio yn erbyn derbyn yr adroddiad fel yr oedd yn sefyll.
I mi, mae'n amlwg nad yw aelodau Plaid Cymru sydd ar Fwrdd y Cyngor wedi gwrando nac wedi dysgu o'r ymgynghoriad diwethaf nac o'r etholiad.
Os yw p'nawn ddoe yn rhywbeth i fynd arno, mae'r misoedd nesaf yn mynd i fod yn rhai anodd ac mae'n berffaith amlwg os yw rhieni, athrawon a chymunedau ar draws Wynedd am fynu chwarae teg i'w plant a'u ysgolion mai Llais Gwynedd fydd yr unig blaid y gallent bellach ymddiried ynddi.
Mae Seminar yn cael ei gynnal prynhawn yfory yng Nghricieth ac diddorol fydd cael clywed barn y penneithiad a chadeiryddion o'r hyn sydd gan swyddogion ac arweinwyr Plaid Cymru ar y Cyngor i'w ddweud.

Yesterday's Gwynedd Council Board meeting proved to be difficult at times due to the woeful way that the Council's "leader", Councillor Dyfed Edwards chaired the deliberations.
As I have previously stated on this blog, I think the work that the cross party group has done whilst looking at the issue of primary school education in the County on the whole is very good. HOWEVER THERE IS ONE MAJOR FLAW IN THEIR PROPOSAL that is not evident immediately and that is the fact that there is a presumption in favour of closing some schools.
At yestterday's Board meeting there was a long and laborious debate regarding whether or not every chair of governors and headteacher within the catchment area should be members of the catchment area review panel. An issue to me which was a "no brainer" as it is imperative that everyone is included within this process. Plaid members on the Board played about with the notion for a while before offering some flimsy worded compromise.
Due to the fact that the report presupposes closing schools, Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd and I voted against accepting it in its current form.
All of this got me thinking whether or not they as a Party, and in particular the seven members that they have on the Board have learned or listened to anything following their failed attempt last time to close the schools and the bad results they had at the last election due to that fact.
If yesterday afternoon is anything to go by, the next few months are going to be difficult and even at this early stage, it is clear to see that if parents, teachers and communities in Gwynedd are looking for fair play for their schools and communities then Llais Gwynedd is the only party that they can depend upon.
A Seminar will be held tomorrow in Cricieth and it will be very interesting to hear the views of Headteachers and Chair of Governors to what officers and leaders of Plaid Cymru on the Council will have to say.

Comic Relief - Doniol iawn!....Very Funny!

Dylai hwn ddod a rhai miloedd i mewn i goffrau Comic Relief sydd yn cael ei gynnal dydd Gwener yma.

This should bring a few thousand pounds into the Comic Relief coffers when it is held this Friday.

Codwch o neu talwch - Pick it up or pay up

Ers rhai misoedd pellach mae'n amlwg fod yr achosion o ble mae perchnogion cwn yn gadael iddynt "neud eu busnes" ar y strydoedd yn y Blaenau ar gynydd.
Does dim ond rhaid i chi gerdded o amgylch y dref ac mi welwch chi baw ci bron ar pob stryd ac nid yw'r sefyllfa yma yn dderbyniol o bell ffordd.
Dwi ddim am un funud yn dwedu fod pob perchennog ci yn anghyfrifol ond yn sicr mae rhai yn ein plith ni sydd yn malio dim am neb arall ac yn gadael i'w cwn ga**u yn unrhyw le y mynwn.
O mis nesaf ymlaen mi fydd gan Wardeiniaid Cwn y Cyngor, hawl i rhoi dirwy i berchnogion sydd yn gadael i'w cwn ga**u ar y stryd. Mae'r Cynghorydd Dafydd Hughes a mi yn cefnogi hyn ac fe fyddwn yn cyfarfod yn fuan gyda'r Warden am yr ardal hon er mwyn rhoi gwybodaeth iddo gan drigolion y dref am rhai perchnogion anghyfrifol. Fell mae'r neges yn syml i berchnogion cwn yn ardal y Blaenau...tro nesaf 'da chi'n mynd a'ch ci am dro ac mae o'n ca**u.. CODWCH O NEU TALWCH!...'Da chi wedi cael eich rhybuddio!

For several months now it has become apparent that there has been an increase in the number of incidents where irresponsible dog owners are letting their dogs "do their business" on the streets of the town without even bothering to clean up after them.
You only have to walk around the town and there is hardly a street I can think of where I haven't seen a dog turd and quite frankly I find this disgusting and totally unacceptable.
I am not for one minute saying that every dog owner is irresponsible, however there are a few in our midst who don't give a damn about anybody else and allow their dogs to sh*t anywhere they like and don't bother to clean it up after.
From next month onwards Gwynedd Council's Dog Wardens will be able to issue irresponsible dog owners with on the spot fines if they do not pick up the sh*t that their dog leaves in the street. Councillor Dafydd Hughes and I are fully supportive of this and we will be meeting the dog warden who will be covering this area within the next week or so to give him information that we have regarding some irresponsible dog owners that has already come to our attention.
So to dog owners in Blaenau now, the message is simple....If your dog has a sh*t when you take it for a walk...PICK IT UP, OR PAY UP!....You have been warned!

Ad-drefnu Addysg Gwynedd, diffygiol cyn dechrau? - Gwynedd Schools re-organisation, flawed before it begins?

Ers misoedd bellach, mae'r gweithgor traws bleidiol ar y Cyngor wedi bod wrthi yn llunio strategaeth newydd i fynd i ymrafael a'r angen yn ol rhai i ad-drefnu addysg gynradd o fewn y Sir.
Ar yr edrychiad cyntaf mae yna lawer yn y papur sydd yn ymddangos yn deg ac yn rhesymol.
Fodd bynnag credaf fod yr hyn sydd wedi ei amlinellu yn rhan 7 y papur yn wirion ac yn fater o bryder gan ei fod yn cau allan penneithiaid a chadeiryddion llywodraethwyr gan mai lle i dim ond un ohonynt fyddai ar y Panel Adolygu Dalgylch.
Credaf yn wirioneddol fod hyn yn annerbyniol ac yn peryglu gallu symud ymlaen i gael trafodaethau pwysig sydd angen eu cael.
Os am wneud hyn, gadewch i ni ei wneud yn iawn a cael pawb o amgylch y Bwrdd nid rhyw ddethol rai.
Mae angen ail edrych ar y mater yma sydd wedi ei lunio o dan rhan 7 yr adroddiad gan fod gan pawb ormod i'w golli o peidio bod yn agored a thrylow a chynhwysiedig o'r dechrau y tro hwn.

For months now, a cross party group has worked with officers in Gwynedd to bring together a new startegy to look at the issue of Primary Schools Re-organisation across the County.
On first reading the new strategy it looks to be fair and resonable.
However I have serious reservations about what is highlighted in part 7 of the paper regarding the Catchment Area Review Process, where only 1 headmaster and 1 chair of governors will be allowed to participate in the process. This will only lead to a breakdown in communication and trust. For such an important and difficult process to succeed and to be seen as being open and transparent, I strongly feel that all headmasters and all chair of governors should be part of the process right from the start.
It is imperative that we have the buy-in of all concerened with this process now and I feel that not including everybody will lead to the breakdown of the process.I genuinely hope that officers and members will see the wisdom of this and re-consider the current proposal before its too late.

Mae'r bwriad i gau Bryn Llywelyn yn ofer - The planned closure of Bryn Llywelyn is in vain

Dwi newydd gael cipolwg sydyn a'r rhai o bapuru Bwrdd y Cyngor ar gyfer dydd Mawrth cyn eu darllen yn fanylach dros y Sul.
Mae un papur yn arbennig wedi fy nharo sef y papur sydd yn son am Tal Safonol Cartrefi Preswyl y Cyngor 2009-10.
Yn gryno hyd yn oed ar ol cau Bryn Llywelyn (er mwyn gwneud arbedion ac i leihau costau yn ol y swyddogion ac arweinwyr Plaid Cymru), mae'nt yn argymhell codiad o £24.99 yr wythnos yn y tal safonol ar gyfer cartrefi preswyl y Sir!
Mae hyn yn gwbwl warthus ac does rhyfedd fod teuluoedd y trigolion, yr undebau a ni fel aelodau lleol yn benderfynol o gwffio'r penderfyniad i gau y cartref arbennig yma.

I've just had a quick look at the papers for Tuesday's Board Meeting at Gwynedd Council before reading them in greater detail over the weekend.
One paper in particular struck me, and it refers to the Standard Charge for the Council's Residential Homes for 2009-10.
In short, even after closing Bryn Llywelyn (to make savings and reduce costs according to officers and Plaid Cymru leaders), they recommend that an increase is made to the weekly Standard Charge for the Council's Residential Homes of £24.99 per week!
This is totally outrageous and no wonder that the residents families, the unions and we as local members are determined to fight the planned closure of this home.

O'r Mumbles i'r Moelwyn- From the Mumbles to the Moelwyn

Gyda pob cyfarfod bron o Gyngor Gwynedd rydym ni fel aelodau yn cael yr un bregeth drosodd a throsodd fod rhaid cynilo arian a gwneud torriadau di-ri er mwyn cadw'r ddesgil yn wastad. Byddai rhywun yn dychmygu mae un ffordd o wneud hynny fyddai prynu gwasanaethau a nwyddau yn lleol gan helpu yr economi leol yn yr un modd a gwarchod yr amgylchedd gan leihau oel troed carbon y Cyngor.
Be ddigwyddodd ym mis Rhagfyr pan fu problem gyda system gwresogi Ysgol y Moelwyn, Blaenau Ffestiniog?
Cafwyd problemau gyda un o boelri gwres yr ysgol ac fe ffoniodd yr ysgol yr uned eiddo o fewn Adran Addysg y Cyngor er mwyn trefnu i gael rhywun yno i drwsio'r boiler.
O fewn diwrnod neu ddau, daeth "plumber" yno i neud y gwaith....o ble? Blaenau, Port, Caernarfon, Bangor, Pwllheli, Dolgellau, Bala, Tywyn?.....nage....o Mumbles ger Abertawe!!
Mae hyn i mi yn gwbwl groes i werthoedd y Cyngor ac yn gwbwl anfoddhaol...sut mae hyn yn helpu economi y Sir a'r amgylchedd?..Be sydd hefyd yn hollol bananas an y sefyllfa ydi na wnaethpwyd y gwaith yn iawn wedyn!
Lle mae ymrwymiad y Cyngor i fusnesau lleol ac i'r amgylchedd....beth oedd oel troed carbon y joban hon!?

With every meeting that passes nearly within Gwynedd Council we are told by officers that we need to make savings and cut budgets and services in order to balance the books. One would imagine that a good way of doing this would be to buy as much goods and services as we can locally, thus helping the local economy and protecting the environment by reducing the Council's carbon footprint.
What happened in December when a problem occured with the heating system at Ysgol y Moelwyn, Blaenau Ffestiniog?
The school telephoned the property and maintainence unit within the Council's Education Department and informed them that one of the boiler's was not working properly so the Education Department arranged someone to fix the problem.
Within a day or so, a plumber arrived at the school to try to remedy the problem...he had travelled from....Blaenau, Porthmadog, Caernarfon, Bangor, Pwllheli,Dolgellau,Bala, Tywyn?.....no....from Mumbles near Swansea!!
Such a situation is obsurd and totally against the Council's values and far from being acceptable...how on earth does this contribute to the local economy or protect the environment?...What is also completely bananas is that the work undertaken had not been done properly!
Where is the Council's committment to local businesses and to the environment?....What was the carbon footprint of this job!?

U2 - No Line on the Horizon

Their first studio album for 4 years had Q Magazine declaring that it may be their best so far.
After listening it to it today for the first time, I must say it is very good although I'd have to listen to it a little more as well as playing some of their classics before deciding on that one.
Definately worth a listen and sets the standard for other artists and albums to follow in 2009.
A World Tour is due to be announced on Monday and after seeing them four years ago, I may go again if I'm lucky enough to snap up some tickets...Get On Your Boots!

Mwy o newyddion da - More good news

Yn dilyn y ddau neges diwethaf sydd yn newyddion da...efallai neith hyn godi calon hefyd?

Following on from the previous two posts which was good news.....maybe this will make you happy too?

Astudiaeth Dichonoldeb i uwchraddio rheilffordd Dyffryn Conwy i ddechrau yr wythnos hon - Work on Conwy Valley Railway line upgrade feasibility study

Yn dilyn y cyfarfod llwyddiannus cefais gyda Ieuan Wyn Jones AC, Gweinidog Economaidd a Thrafnidaeth y Cynulliad a Dirprwy Brif Weinidog Cymru yn ol yn mis Tachwedd, pleser o'r mwyaf ydi adrodd fod y Cynulliad a Chyngor Gwynedd wedi comisiynu Cwmni Atkins i gynnal astudiaeth dichonoldeb i'r bwriad o uwchraddio rheilffordd Dyffryn Conwy.
Bydd y gwaith yn cychwyn wythnos yma ac dwi yn cwrdd a chwmni Atkins ynghyd a Swyddogion o'r Cyngor a'r Cynulliad bore Iau yma yn y Blaenau i drafod y ffordd ymlaen gyda'r astudiaeth.
Os caiff y rheilffordd ei uwchraddio, amcangyfrifir y gall oddeutu 60 o swyddi gael eu creu yma yn lleol.
Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle yma i ddiolch i Ieuan Wyn Jones AC,Swyddogion Adran Trafnidaeth y Cynulliad a Swyddogion Adran Datblygu Economaidd Cyngor Gwynedd am sicrhau fod yr Astudiaeth pwysig hwn yn cael ei gomisiynu.

Following a very positive meeting that I had in November with Ieuan Wyn Jones AM,The Assembly Government's Economic Development and Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Wales, I am pleased to say that the Assembly Government and Gwynedd Council have commissioned Atkins Consultants to undertake a feasibility study on the potential upgrade of the Conwy Valey Railway Line.
The work will begin this week and I and other members and officers from Gwynedd and the Assembly Government will be meeting with Atkins in Blaenau on Thursday morning to discuss the work that they will be undertaking.
If the railway will be upgarded, it could potentialy create up to 60 jobs locally in the Blaenau area.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Officials from WAG and Officers from Gwynedd Council's Economic Development Department for ensuring that this important study has been commissioned.

Newyddion Da i drigolion Bethania a Hafod Ryffudd Residents get good news

O'r diwedd mae'r gwaith o ledeunu'r ffordd i Bethania a Hafod Ryffudd wedi dechrau ac mae'r rhybuddion cyfreithiol ar gyfer gosod cyfyngiadau parcio ar y ffordd yn barod i'w gael eu hysbysu.
Mae'r mater yma wedi cynnig her i mi a gyda chydweithrediad y gwasanaethau brys a gyda chefnogaeth Swyddogion yr Adran Cynllunio a Thrafnidaeth Cyngor Gwynedd dwi'n mawr obeithio bydd y trigolion yn cael mynediad diogel a di ffwdan i'w tai yn y rhan yma o'r Blaenau.

At last the work has began on widening the road to Bethania and Hafod Ryffudd and the statutory notices regarding parking restrictions will be lodged soon.
This matter has given me a challenge since the election, however thanks to the co-operation of the emergency services and the support of Gwynedd Council's Planning and Transportation Department I sincerely hope that residents of this part of Blaenau will soon be able to access their homes with little or no difficulties.

Ymweliad arbennig - A special visit

Bore 'ma mi fues i draw i ymweld a Thy Gobaith yn Nyffryn Conwy er mwyn gweld dros fi fy hun i ble yn union fydd y £5000 dwi yn ceisio ei godi fel rhan o'm ymgyrch 509 eleni yn mynd a'i wario.
Heb os ac onid bai mae Ty Gobaith yn lle hynod o arbennig sydd yn cynnig gofal o'r radd blaenaf ac ysbaid i blant sydd a salwch terfynol a'u teuluoedd.
Yn ymweld a 'r Hosbis ar yr ru'n adeg a mi oedd y Tenor dawnus, Rhys Meirion a'i gyfaill Huw Howatson gan eu bod hwythau yn ddygun yn trefnu Gwyl Gerddorol go arbennig er mwyn codi arian at Ty Gobaith hefyd.
Mi ddaru bore ma neud i mi sylweddoli pa mor fodus a lwcus ydw i ac dwi hyd yn oed mwy penderfynol nac erioed i golli'r 5 ston dwi'n anelu i'w wneud yn ogytsal a chodi £5,000 i'r hafan arbennig yma i blant a'u teuluoedd pan fo mor eu bywydau mor dymhestlog.
Diolch i Dduw am Ty Gobaith a phawb sydd yn gweithio yno.

This morning I visited Ty Gobaith in the Conwy Valley in order to see for myself where exactly the £5000 that I am trying to raise through 509 Campaign will be spent.
Without any shadow of doubt, Ty Gobaith is a very special place that offers the highest possible standards of care and respite to terminally ill children and their families.
Visiting the hospice at the same time as me were, the Tenor, Rhys Meirion and his friend Huw Howatson who are both organising a very special music festival later this year to raise fund for Ty Gobaith as well.
This morning made me realise how lucky I am and I am even more determined than ever to lose the 5 stonnes that I have set out to do whilst at the same time raising £5,000 to this special haven for children and their families during the stormy seas of their life.
Thank God for Ty Gobaith and all who work there.