Energy Matters is very proud to announce we have just reached a major milestone with our tree planting initiative - 20,000 trees!
The Energy Matters tree planting program, in partnership with Trees For The Future, assists communities in Africa, Asia, India, the Philippines and South America to revegetate degraded lands.
While we could have chosen one of many excellent tree planting projects in Australia, we all share the same planet. A dollar goes a lot further in developing nations and the projects provide employment and other benefits to local, often impoverished, communities.
This milestone would not have been possible without our newsletter subscribers as we sponsor a tree planting for each new confirmed subscriber who signs up for our newsletter via the Energy Matters site - so thank you everyone!
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From "Energy Matters"
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Acadians in Lousiana
Opelousas' 4th big public mural: Cajun culture
By WILLIAM JOHNSON The Daily World
Published: Monday, January 18, 2010 at 12:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 11:01 p.m.
( page of 3 )
OPELOUSAS, La. - A fourth large public mural in downtown Opelousas is dedicated to telling the story of the region's Acadian culture.
"I love it. I think this is one of the best compositions I've ever done," said Jerome Ford, a local art teacher who has been working on the mural for months.
It tells the story of the region's Cajun people, beginning in the upper left with the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in the mid-1700s, and then following around in a crescent through their arrival in Louisiana and on to the present day.
"It's a form of visual storytelling," Ford said. "Up front will be pictures of several well-known Cajun musicians from this area."
Opelousas Tourism Director Melanie Lee said the mural isn't costing local taxpayers anything: the money comes from the city's 2 percent hotel and motel tax, designed to support tourism-related projects.
Lee said the mural, directly across the street from Courthouse Square, should both promote tourism and beautify the city.
"Public art brings people downtown. It exposes both children and adults to the arts," Lee said. "It helps build community pride."
Ford, a New Orleans native who also did this year's Spice and Music Festival Poster for the city, is a visual arts instructor with the St. Landry Parish School System.
While he is based out of Southwest Elementary School, he teaches at 11 different schools throughout the parish.
Ford received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing with a minor in printmaking from LSU in 2003.
Since then, his work has been accepted in many local and national juried exhibitions where it has won numerous honors and awards.
After college, he taught in the visual arts program with the New Orleans Public School System until Hurricane Katrina forced him and his wife to move to St. Landry Parish, which he now calls home.
But as he is not originally from this area, he called his current project a learning experience.
Fortunately, the city assembled a group of local experts, including renowned Cajun fiddler Hadley Castille, to help with the project.
"They were really great. They provided me with a great deal of information, but they also granted me a lot input in terms of design," Ford said.
While best known for his paintings, Ford is no stranger to the mural process. He has previously painted a mural for his school, as well as about a half-dozen earlier murals on public buildings in the New Orleans area before moving here in 2005.
He said a mural requires a great deal more planning than a traditional painting, where the artists can adjust the work, even change direction, as the painting moves forward.
But with a mural, the initial design has to be scaled up 100 or more times from the original to fill the space available.
"It is more like painting by numbers," Ford said.
The mural is the fourth for the city, with the St. Landry Economic and Industrial Development District funding two murals on local history further down St. Landry Street a few years ago and the city dedicating a mural to the area's rich zydeco heritage on Main Street last year.
Lee said yet another mural is planned on the newly remodeled Delta Grand building a few hundred feet from the current mural in the coming year.
She said the city will also be offering local artists a unique opportunity for more public art in the coming year, when it will commission works based on the fiddle, which is so important to all local musical traditions.
"It will be like Pelicans on Parade that was done in Lafayette a few years ago but with huge fiberglass fiddles," Lee said.
---
On the Web:
Jerome Ford's artwork: http://colorsofculture.net
---
Information from: The Daily World, http://www.dailyworld.com
By WILLIAM JOHNSON The Daily World
Published: Monday, January 18, 2010 at 12:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 11:01 p.m.
( page of 3 )
OPELOUSAS, La. - A fourth large public mural in downtown Opelousas is dedicated to telling the story of the region's Acadian culture.
"I love it. I think this is one of the best compositions I've ever done," said Jerome Ford, a local art teacher who has been working on the mural for months.
It tells the story of the region's Cajun people, beginning in the upper left with the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in the mid-1700s, and then following around in a crescent through their arrival in Louisiana and on to the present day.
"It's a form of visual storytelling," Ford said. "Up front will be pictures of several well-known Cajun musicians from this area."
Opelousas Tourism Director Melanie Lee said the mural isn't costing local taxpayers anything: the money comes from the city's 2 percent hotel and motel tax, designed to support tourism-related projects.
Lee said the mural, directly across the street from Courthouse Square, should both promote tourism and beautify the city.
"Public art brings people downtown. It exposes both children and adults to the arts," Lee said. "It helps build community pride."
Ford, a New Orleans native who also did this year's Spice and Music Festival Poster for the city, is a visual arts instructor with the St. Landry Parish School System.
While he is based out of Southwest Elementary School, he teaches at 11 different schools throughout the parish.
Ford received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing with a minor in printmaking from LSU in 2003.
Since then, his work has been accepted in many local and national juried exhibitions where it has won numerous honors and awards.
After college, he taught in the visual arts program with the New Orleans Public School System until Hurricane Katrina forced him and his wife to move to St. Landry Parish, which he now calls home.
But as he is not originally from this area, he called his current project a learning experience.
Fortunately, the city assembled a group of local experts, including renowned Cajun fiddler Hadley Castille, to help with the project.
"They were really great. They provided me with a great deal of information, but they also granted me a lot input in terms of design," Ford said.
While best known for his paintings, Ford is no stranger to the mural process. He has previously painted a mural for his school, as well as about a half-dozen earlier murals on public buildings in the New Orleans area before moving here in 2005.
He said a mural requires a great deal more planning than a traditional painting, where the artists can adjust the work, even change direction, as the painting moves forward.
But with a mural, the initial design has to be scaled up 100 or more times from the original to fill the space available.
"It is more like painting by numbers," Ford said.
The mural is the fourth for the city, with the St. Landry Economic and Industrial Development District funding two murals on local history further down St. Landry Street a few years ago and the city dedicating a mural to the area's rich zydeco heritage on Main Street last year.
Lee said yet another mural is planned on the newly remodeled Delta Grand building a few hundred feet from the current mural in the coming year.
She said the city will also be offering local artists a unique opportunity for more public art in the coming year, when it will commission works based on the fiddle, which is so important to all local musical traditions.
"It will be like Pelicans on Parade that was done in Lafayette a few years ago but with huge fiberglass fiddles," Lee said.
---
On the Web:
Jerome Ford's artwork: http://colorsofculture.net
---
Information from: The Daily World, http://www.dailyworld.com
Labels:
Louisiana New Orleans Acadians
Lunenburg Scolds Party in Power
Ferry furor leads to CAT calls from local lawmakers
by Keith Corcoran
BRIDGEWATER - The Dexter government is getting a scolding from Lunenburg County lawmakers who think the province prematurely kiboshed a multi-million-dollar subsidy to run the Nova Scotia to Maine ferry service.
South Shore-St. Margarets Conservative MP Gerald Keddy called on Premier Darrell Dexter to get his priorities in order. Mr. Keddy said this is not the best method for Nova Scotia's NDP government to boost the economy and balance its books.
Bay Ferries terminated the CAT ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine after the province decided last month to stop paying the company annual subsidies, estimated to be well into the millions of dollars.
Perplexing to some politicians was the quick trigger finger of the NDP who didn't wait for the completion of a ferry services study. The document is expected to be released in the spring.
"We spent $250,000 through ACOA [Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency] to do a complete study on the Digby-Saint John ferry, the Yarmouth-Portland ferry, the transportation links in South West Nova," Mr. Keddy said. "This is not a part of the province we can afford to, nor should we, cut off."
Civic politicians in Bridgewater also weighed in, hoping this latest move is not indicative of what Nova Scotians can expect from the Dexter government.
"I think this was a very sudden announcement and it took the feet out from under the Town of Yarmouth and the counties surrounding it," suggested Mayor Carroll Publicover "and if this town were Yarmouth we'd be reeling right now."
Bridgewater passed a resolution communicating to the province its concerns the negative impact the loss of ferry service will have to the regional economy. The resolution also calls upon the province to talk with stakeholders in considering its options.
Mr. Keddy said he worries about local tourism.
"That 75,000 or 100,000 or 125,000 people who came here because of the ferry may not be coming here," he said.
Mayor Publicover indicated that he's been given assurances by the localNDP MLA that a solution will be forthcoming.
by Keith Corcoran
BRIDGEWATER - The Dexter government is getting a scolding from Lunenburg County lawmakers who think the province prematurely kiboshed a multi-million-dollar subsidy to run the Nova Scotia to Maine ferry service.
South Shore-St. Margarets Conservative MP Gerald Keddy called on Premier Darrell Dexter to get his priorities in order. Mr. Keddy said this is not the best method for Nova Scotia's NDP government to boost the economy and balance its books.
Bay Ferries terminated the CAT ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine after the province decided last month to stop paying the company annual subsidies, estimated to be well into the millions of dollars.
Perplexing to some politicians was the quick trigger finger of the NDP who didn't wait for the completion of a ferry services study. The document is expected to be released in the spring.
"We spent $250,000 through ACOA [Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency] to do a complete study on the Digby-Saint John ferry, the Yarmouth-Portland ferry, the transportation links in South West Nova," Mr. Keddy said. "This is not a part of the province we can afford to, nor should we, cut off."
Civic politicians in Bridgewater also weighed in, hoping this latest move is not indicative of what Nova Scotians can expect from the Dexter government.
"I think this was a very sudden announcement and it took the feet out from under the Town of Yarmouth and the counties surrounding it," suggested Mayor Carroll Publicover "and if this town were Yarmouth we'd be reeling right now."
Bridgewater passed a resolution communicating to the province its concerns the negative impact the loss of ferry service will have to the regional economy. The resolution also calls upon the province to talk with stakeholders in considering its options.
Mr. Keddy said he worries about local tourism.
"That 75,000 or 100,000 or 125,000 people who came here because of the ferry may not be coming here," he said.
Mayor Publicover indicated that he's been given assurances by the localNDP MLA that a solution will be forthcoming.
Caring More About PLACEMENT
...apart, of course, from the company need for suitable wind locations
Where might we place wind turbines in Vermont?
The question is likely to produce strong and highly varied reactions.
Some people find the new, large, commercial or community-scaled machines beautiful as they turn slowly in the wind -- and others see them as industrial encroachment into their communities or valued wild places.
A study by the Vermont Public Service Department (Vermont Energy Future Final Report, available through www.vermontsenergyfuture.info) suggests that a large majority of Vermonters favor wind development. I would guess many of those same people also might want to protect the outstanding scenic beauty with which our state is blessed (and preserved through the hard work of its citizens).
Can we have both? How do we decide? Are there rational ways to address aesthetics?
As a landscape designer, those questions form the basis of my job: I work regularly on the visual impacts of new structures -- and, hopefully, inspire more productive, civil discussions.
We humans experience our surroundings in large part with our eyes, so it is not surprising these large and highly visible machines elicit visceral reactions. We can't tuck them away behind pine-tree hedges in industrial parks. They need strong, steady wind. In Vermont, that usually means they must be sited on ridges or at least on high-elevation land.
No form of power generation is without impacts, and wind energy, though benign in a number of respects, still raises environmental concerns. Aesthetics is one of them. There are many excellent studies examining why people find some landscapes beautiful and others ugly. They show that while it might be difficult to predict individual reactions to development, we often agree about what we find to be scenic.
So, as we collectively try to figure out if wind turbines might fit in an area, we might begin by describing the overall visual characteristics of the area and its particular scenic resources.
Next we look at the visual attributes of the proposed project (the number of turbines, their visual proximity to important scenic features or viewing areas, the visibility of other project components such power lines or roads).
Finally we consider the extent to which these attributes could detract from our experience of the scenic resources in the surrounding landscape.
Below are six considerations for evaluating the visual impacts of a wind project. Any single issue is unlikely to mean a project is inappropriate, but the presence of numerous issues could raise red flags.
• Scenic quality: Landscapes with high scenic quality tend to be those with high natural diversity; for example, rugged topography, rich vegetation patterns, perhaps the presence of water features such as lakes or waterfalls, and naturally exposed rock ledges.
Highly scenic views often extend over a considerable distance. Usually particularly scenic landscapes are what we would call "intact," retaining natural or historic vegetative or settlement patterns. The most scenic landscapes often include a dramatic focal point, and especially a compelling and distinctive natural or cultural feature that draws the eye (and might be a subject for photographers or painters).
• Uniqueness of resource: Vermont has many scenic landscapes, including many lakes and ponds, and all are valued. But some stand out as unique and distinctive in shape, color or other physical attributes. Camels Hump is an obvious example, but other examples occur in every region of the state.
• Viewer expectations: An area that has been protected for the express purpose of enjoying a natural landscape might lead us to expect a certain experience in which nearby and prominent views of wind turbines could be inappropriate. For example, the Appalachian Trail is a national park and scenic trail that was established to provide an opportunity to experience a relatively unspoiled natural environment.
• Documented significance: When a scenic resource is identified in public documents (a town plan, for example), it indicates broad public consensus about value. It is especially persuasive if specific scenic characteristics and values are identified clearly.• Duration of view: If large portions of a wind project were visible from numerous and extended distances and areas around the region, it could be more prominent, especially if these extended viewing areas involve identified scenic resources or viewpoints.
• Proximity of view: Obviously the closer one is to a wind turbine, the larger it appears.
A word about scale here: Scale is a term used to discuss the relative or apparent size of an object in relation to its surroundings. Much is made about the great height of wind turbines, but their apparent size varies depending on the distance from which they are seen and the setting in which they appear. Often in relation to their mountain settings they appear relatively small.
Decisions about visual impacts are rarely clear-cut, but they can be informed and rational. Knowing what the scenic resources are within an area, their relative significance, and how they are viewed by the public provides a meaningful basis for evaluating visual impacts.
Fortunately, our complex Vermont landscape, with its numerous ridges and valleys, should be able to absorb a number of well-sited projects.
How big is big?
Wind turbines are sized depending on their use and power. Small wind turbines serve individual residences, businesses or institutions and tend to be 100-150 feet high. They usually are located in close proximity to the buildings they serve. Here we discuss larger-scale projects such as community wind projects, often initiated by local communities or community groups. These turbines can range in height from 250 feet up to 420 feet at the tip of the blades. In Vermont, projects being considered range in size from five to 55 turbines.
Where might we place wind turbines in Vermont?
The question is likely to produce strong and highly varied reactions.
Some people find the new, large, commercial or community-scaled machines beautiful as they turn slowly in the wind -- and others see them as industrial encroachment into their communities or valued wild places.
A study by the Vermont Public Service Department (Vermont Energy Future Final Report, available through www.vermontsenergyfuture.info) suggests that a large majority of Vermonters favor wind development. I would guess many of those same people also might want to protect the outstanding scenic beauty with which our state is blessed (and preserved through the hard work of its citizens).
Can we have both? How do we decide? Are there rational ways to address aesthetics?
As a landscape designer, those questions form the basis of my job: I work regularly on the visual impacts of new structures -- and, hopefully, inspire more productive, civil discussions.
We humans experience our surroundings in large part with our eyes, so it is not surprising these large and highly visible machines elicit visceral reactions. We can't tuck them away behind pine-tree hedges in industrial parks. They need strong, steady wind. In Vermont, that usually means they must be sited on ridges or at least on high-elevation land.
No form of power generation is without impacts, and wind energy, though benign in a number of respects, still raises environmental concerns. Aesthetics is one of them. There are many excellent studies examining why people find some landscapes beautiful and others ugly. They show that while it might be difficult to predict individual reactions to development, we often agree about what we find to be scenic.
So, as we collectively try to figure out if wind turbines might fit in an area, we might begin by describing the overall visual characteristics of the area and its particular scenic resources.
Next we look at the visual attributes of the proposed project (the number of turbines, their visual proximity to important scenic features or viewing areas, the visibility of other project components such power lines or roads).
Finally we consider the extent to which these attributes could detract from our experience of the scenic resources in the surrounding landscape.
Below are six considerations for evaluating the visual impacts of a wind project. Any single issue is unlikely to mean a project is inappropriate, but the presence of numerous issues could raise red flags.
• Scenic quality: Landscapes with high scenic quality tend to be those with high natural diversity; for example, rugged topography, rich vegetation patterns, perhaps the presence of water features such as lakes or waterfalls, and naturally exposed rock ledges.
Highly scenic views often extend over a considerable distance. Usually particularly scenic landscapes are what we would call "intact," retaining natural or historic vegetative or settlement patterns. The most scenic landscapes often include a dramatic focal point, and especially a compelling and distinctive natural or cultural feature that draws the eye (and might be a subject for photographers or painters).
• Uniqueness of resource: Vermont has many scenic landscapes, including many lakes and ponds, and all are valued. But some stand out as unique and distinctive in shape, color or other physical attributes. Camels Hump is an obvious example, but other examples occur in every region of the state.
• Viewer expectations: An area that has been protected for the express purpose of enjoying a natural landscape might lead us to expect a certain experience in which nearby and prominent views of wind turbines could be inappropriate. For example, the Appalachian Trail is a national park and scenic trail that was established to provide an opportunity to experience a relatively unspoiled natural environment.
• Documented significance: When a scenic resource is identified in public documents (a town plan, for example), it indicates broad public consensus about value. It is especially persuasive if specific scenic characteristics and values are identified clearly.• Duration of view: If large portions of a wind project were visible from numerous and extended distances and areas around the region, it could be more prominent, especially if these extended viewing areas involve identified scenic resources or viewpoints.
• Proximity of view: Obviously the closer one is to a wind turbine, the larger it appears.
A word about scale here: Scale is a term used to discuss the relative or apparent size of an object in relation to its surroundings. Much is made about the great height of wind turbines, but their apparent size varies depending on the distance from which they are seen and the setting in which they appear. Often in relation to their mountain settings they appear relatively small.
Decisions about visual impacts are rarely clear-cut, but they can be informed and rational. Knowing what the scenic resources are within an area, their relative significance, and how they are viewed by the public provides a meaningful basis for evaluating visual impacts.
Fortunately, our complex Vermont landscape, with its numerous ridges and valleys, should be able to absorb a number of well-sited projects.
How big is big?
Wind turbines are sized depending on their use and power. Small wind turbines serve individual residences, businesses or institutions and tend to be 100-150 feet high. They usually are located in close proximity to the buildings they serve. Here we discuss larger-scale projects such as community wind projects, often initiated by local communities or community groups. These turbines can range in height from 250 feet up to 420 feet at the tip of the blades. In Vermont, projects being considered range in size from five to 55 turbines.
Dan Mills to Council, Politicians
January 18, 2010
Re. The Draft On Wind By-Law for Upcoming Hearings on January 25,2010
To the Municipal Council of the District of Digby
Dear Members of Council:
Democracy, won and protected by blood out-spilled so many times in Canadian History , is not something with which we are free to toy and to manipulate like children’s molding clay into any shape or form we choose.
“For the people, by the people, in a democratic way”, my grade 5 teacher taught to my generation, while my immediate ancestors – just a few short years older, boys in fact, donned uniforms forfeiting their own education, careers, and lives even, so that me and those who came after would be free to live it!
You must be familiar with the extinct family Raphidae? We call them “do-do” birds. That seems to be the route contemporary politicians are becoming wont to take us on, in this new age and day, at each and every level. Perhaps I was too busy in my working years to see the slow but yet systematic erosion of all which has been good and decent in the political forum in my three score plus ten (and a few small more).
When politicians have come a knocking at my door to seek my troth in political wedlock,
they were very clear in stating, in words unequivocal, that henceforth unto death political, he or she would represent me and speak on my behalf. Some of you have been at my door! Lest I forget! And may you not either, for you’ll know not where to come again!
For months and months, the Planning Advisory Committee with communal input, had lead me to believe that democracy at least wasn’t dead yet! Had I known then what I know now, I could have reduced my carbon footprint by simply not driving back and forth to all those wasted meetings. Had we all done that, we may have saved our corner of the planet for another year or so.
And there we were: in support of what had been accomplished over so long a time. The Deputy in dual role as member of the PAC voiced : “Yes, the task at hand is won, and we shall present to Council Mothers and the Fathers for acceptance of our motion.”
Oh what a dolt I had become! I had fallen victim to the spell that democracy would prevail. We walked- naively now I confess- into the hallowed Chamber to which the same honored gentleman proposed the motion for acceptance to Council.
Good people and caring who pay taxes here for many years, stood up to defend our PAC. The same who attended and participated from the outset! And out of the blue, as by lightening strike, the proponents of exploitation and greed came from afar (not following a star this time, for sure) and sulked like babies. Effectively, they said, “If we don’t get our way, we won’t like you and shall not come to play with you anymore!” (I paraphrase of course, but that was the essence. And in the essence you’ll find truth!)
Well now, what happened next came straight out of Aesop! You must remember him! The same spokesman for the PAC who had presented their longtime work to Council for approval,- well, he fell like a house of cards, and bowed to the new god of Big Grasping Business, and cowering so, he spoke against his motion- and it was slain in its’ tracks! Yes, indeed, one of Aesop’s Ogres had inhabited the body of the PAC, and then and there it died!
To keep it dead, our Council must have decided then and there: “Enough is too much from that wild and wooly crowd. We won’t tolerate them again. We’ll just do what we wanted from the start!” In the words of the crooner, they intoned their callous song: “‘We’ll do it our way’”
Without foresight, I believe, Council chose 4-Site Group who had disagreed vociferously in the first place with the Development Agreement process,- again on the taxpayers tab- and they certainly were paid well for their input in to the first and failed bylaw, you can count on that! Unlike our volunteers who are not valued in the main, they are paid very well, you can be sure!
Dear Council members, I have the memory of an elephant. You’ll scan this likely, and in the words of your leader will repeat: “We know where this is coming from!” And probably pay no heed, and perhaps even delete. That’s fine if you want, but just remember what every politician knows: for every letter written there are dozens who agree.
I shall send this with an e-mail one of two attachments for you to read.
Daniel Mills
9396 Waterford
RR4, Digby NS
BOV 1AO
Copies:
Minister of the Evironment; Sterling Belliveau
Harold Theriault (Jr), MLA
Andrew Younger,MLA
Darrell Dexter, premier of Nova Scotia
Stephen MacNeil, Liberal Leader
Karen Casey, PC Leader
And to others at my discretion
Re. The Draft On Wind By-Law for Upcoming Hearings on January 25,2010
To the Municipal Council of the District of Digby
Dear Members of Council:
Democracy, won and protected by blood out-spilled so many times in Canadian History , is not something with which we are free to toy and to manipulate like children’s molding clay into any shape or form we choose.
“For the people, by the people, in a democratic way”, my grade 5 teacher taught to my generation, while my immediate ancestors – just a few short years older, boys in fact, donned uniforms forfeiting their own education, careers, and lives even, so that me and those who came after would be free to live it!
You must be familiar with the extinct family Raphidae? We call them “do-do” birds. That seems to be the route contemporary politicians are becoming wont to take us on, in this new age and day, at each and every level. Perhaps I was too busy in my working years to see the slow but yet systematic erosion of all which has been good and decent in the political forum in my three score plus ten (and a few small more).
When politicians have come a knocking at my door to seek my troth in political wedlock,
they were very clear in stating, in words unequivocal, that henceforth unto death political, he or she would represent me and speak on my behalf. Some of you have been at my door! Lest I forget! And may you not either, for you’ll know not where to come again!
For months and months, the Planning Advisory Committee with communal input, had lead me to believe that democracy at least wasn’t dead yet! Had I known then what I know now, I could have reduced my carbon footprint by simply not driving back and forth to all those wasted meetings. Had we all done that, we may have saved our corner of the planet for another year or so.
And there we were: in support of what had been accomplished over so long a time. The Deputy in dual role as member of the PAC voiced : “Yes, the task at hand is won, and we shall present to Council Mothers and the Fathers for acceptance of our motion.”
Oh what a dolt I had become! I had fallen victim to the spell that democracy would prevail. We walked- naively now I confess- into the hallowed Chamber to which the same honored gentleman proposed the motion for acceptance to Council.
Good people and caring who pay taxes here for many years, stood up to defend our PAC. The same who attended and participated from the outset! And out of the blue, as by lightening strike, the proponents of exploitation and greed came from afar (not following a star this time, for sure) and sulked like babies. Effectively, they said, “If we don’t get our way, we won’t like you and shall not come to play with you anymore!” (I paraphrase of course, but that was the essence. And in the essence you’ll find truth!)
Well now, what happened next came straight out of Aesop! You must remember him! The same spokesman for the PAC who had presented their longtime work to Council for approval,- well, he fell like a house of cards, and bowed to the new god of Big Grasping Business, and cowering so, he spoke against his motion- and it was slain in its’ tracks! Yes, indeed, one of Aesop’s Ogres had inhabited the body of the PAC, and then and there it died!
To keep it dead, our Council must have decided then and there: “Enough is too much from that wild and wooly crowd. We won’t tolerate them again. We’ll just do what we wanted from the start!” In the words of the crooner, they intoned their callous song: “‘We’ll do it our way’”
Without foresight, I believe, Council chose 4-Site Group who had disagreed vociferously in the first place with the Development Agreement process,- again on the taxpayers tab- and they certainly were paid well for their input in to the first and failed bylaw, you can count on that! Unlike our volunteers who are not valued in the main, they are paid very well, you can be sure!
Dear Council members, I have the memory of an elephant. You’ll scan this likely, and in the words of your leader will repeat: “We know where this is coming from!” And probably pay no heed, and perhaps even delete. That’s fine if you want, but just remember what every politician knows: for every letter written there are dozens who agree.
I shall send this with an e-mail one of two attachments for you to read.
Daniel Mills
9396 Waterford
RR4, Digby NS
BOV 1AO
Copies:
Minister of the Evironment; Sterling Belliveau
Harold Theriault (Jr), MLA
Andrew Younger,MLA
Darrell Dexter, premier of Nova Scotia
Stephen MacNeil, Liberal Leader
Karen Casey, PC Leader
And to others at my discretion
Labels:
Wind turbines and democracy
Yarmouth Ferry Help Requested
Your Help is needed!
Write a letter to the Premier in support of the CAT Ferry Service by this Wednesday, January 20th
Tourism industry partners in Yarmouth & Acadian Shores met with Mr. Greg Kerr, MP for West Nova, last week on the subject of the CAT Ferry service. Mr. Kerr indicated that the Premier, the Honourable Darrell Dexter, hears the message that is coming from the region, however, would like to hear from the rest of Nova Scotia how devastating it would be with the loss of the CAT sailing in the 2010 season.
In light of the fact that the House is sitting again this Thursday, it is important that industry submit their letters of support for the CAT ferry service to the Premier by this Wednesday, January 20th. Please feel free to use this draft letter as a template and contact information is here for your convenience.
If you have any questions please contact Ainsley Bartram at (902) 678-1728 or email abartram@dswna.com.
Write a letter to the Premier in support of the CAT Ferry Service by this Wednesday, January 20th
Tourism industry partners in Yarmouth & Acadian Shores met with Mr. Greg Kerr, MP for West Nova, last week on the subject of the CAT Ferry service. Mr. Kerr indicated that the Premier, the Honourable Darrell Dexter, hears the message that is coming from the region, however, would like to hear from the rest of Nova Scotia how devastating it would be with the loss of the CAT sailing in the 2010 season.
In light of the fact that the House is sitting again this Thursday, it is important that industry submit their letters of support for the CAT ferry service to the Premier by this Wednesday, January 20th. Please feel free to use this draft letter as a template and contact information is here for your convenience.
If you have any questions please contact Ainsley Bartram at (902) 678-1728 or email abartram@dswna.com.
From the Annapolis/Digby Economic Development Agency
DIGBY FERRY UPDATE
Bay Ferries is planning a service interruption for the month of March. Please note that these dates are tentative. We will post updates on our website as we receive them.
MAKE GOVERNMENT YOUR CUSTOMER
If you missed the event we held at ABCC last year, here’s your chance to get in on the action: Another Reverse Trade Show will be held in Wolfville on February 16. This is an opportunity to present your goods and services to representatives of all three levels of government, and other institutions such as schools and hospitals. Don’t miss it!
NSCAD OFFERS UNIQUE TEACHING WORKSHOP
Take advantage of this rare opportunity: NSCAD’s School of Extended Studies is offering a workshop to teachers and instructors who would like to enhance their current teaching practices. Artists who are interested in developing their teaching skills are also welcome to attend.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Opportunities await in Norway related to machinery, seafood and wood products. Want to learn more about entering the US marketplace, and in particular, the mid-west? Or perhaps you’re interested in exporting to the Caribbean.
HAITI: FINDING FRIENDS & FAMILY
Last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti has left many Canadians scrambling to find missing relatives and friends. CBC has set up an online gallery to help locate loved ones. If you would like to donate to the aid campaign, there are many ways to do so, including via Doctors Without Borders.
There are still some tickets available for the 5th Annual Robbie Burns Dinner on January 30. This lively celebration includes a scotch tasting, a four-course dinner, John DeMings in a kilt and, yes, haggis … well, you only live once, right? And remember, there are gold in them thar’ hills — join us for our Tech Social tomorrow night to learn more about the relationship between geomatics and economic development opportunities in our region.
DIGBY FERRY UPDATE
Bay Ferries is planning a service interruption for the month of March. Please note that these dates are tentative. We will post updates on our website as we receive them.
MAKE GOVERNMENT YOUR CUSTOMER
If you missed the event we held at ABCC last year, here’s your chance to get in on the action: Another Reverse Trade Show will be held in Wolfville on February 16. This is an opportunity to present your goods and services to representatives of all three levels of government, and other institutions such as schools and hospitals. Don’t miss it!
NSCAD OFFERS UNIQUE TEACHING WORKSHOP
Take advantage of this rare opportunity: NSCAD’s School of Extended Studies is offering a workshop to teachers and instructors who would like to enhance their current teaching practices. Artists who are interested in developing their teaching skills are also welcome to attend.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Opportunities await in Norway related to machinery, seafood and wood products. Want to learn more about entering the US marketplace, and in particular, the mid-west? Or perhaps you’re interested in exporting to the Caribbean.
HAITI: FINDING FRIENDS & FAMILY
Last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti has left many Canadians scrambling to find missing relatives and friends. CBC has set up an online gallery to help locate loved ones. If you would like to donate to the aid campaign, there are many ways to do so, including via Doctors Without Borders.
There are still some tickets available for the 5th Annual Robbie Burns Dinner on January 30. This lively celebration includes a scotch tasting, a four-course dinner, John DeMings in a kilt and, yes, haggis … well, you only live once, right? And remember, there are gold in them thar’ hills — join us for our Tech Social tomorrow night to learn more about the relationship between geomatics and economic development opportunities in our region.
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