In memory of Bety

Bety was our driver last winter on my trip to Guatemala to help build cook stoves. Man was she a good driver, she had a wonderful smile and laugh. The new President of Guatemala has promised an iron fist response to such crime and senseless brutality. Let's hope he's successful and gets the real criminals and Guatemala's beautiful flower is not wilted by the senseless murdering of courageous women like Bety.
Andre


From Tom Clarke - Guatemala stove project

I am very sorry to be telling this horrible story but feel you all should know.

When Jose picked me up at the airport today he let me know the terrible news that Bety has been killed.

On Tuesday morning at about 8 am, Bety, Daniel, and a friend were walking in front of COFA in Zona 3 (close to CEDEC's office)

when three armed robbers held them up and stole their money. As they were leaving Betty said I will recognize your face.

One of the men turned around and shot Betty twice in the head and she died within ten minutes. Her funeral was today in Cantel.

Betty who was 25 years old, leaves behind her two year old son, Alan David and her 5 month old daughter, Daniela Jazmin, her husband Daniel, her mother and her two brothers.

She has worked for CEDEC for the last five years, often as a driver. She was well known for her wonderful smile.

Jose is going to arrange that we have a police car escort us to and from San Francisco el Alto where we will be building stoves.

Jose says the volunteers should avoid using the bank machines in the Parque Central, we will take everyone to the ATM at Hyper Pais.

I think we should hold a memorial service in her memory once the volunteers are together in Xela. Tom.

NIMBY Wakefield Blues?

Ah yes, who can forget the main "platform" that got our local candlemaker in as our councillor. I bet he misses making candles, playing hacky sack and volleyball... I wish you good luck my friend, you're going to need it!

"I would like to applaud Councillor Louis' goals for the remainder of his tenure. While I am not from his ward, I appreciate his desire to do good work.


The boardwalk along the waterfront and making the river more accessible are greatly needed. My question is though, how feasible will this be if there is a sh!t factory only a few miles up stream?

The river is just as, if not more so, important to the livelihood of Wakefield as it is to Alcove and Farrellton. If the river becomes polluted people will be forced to stop using it. I think this would be a grave travesty on our parts to allow this to happen. I feel Wakefield businesses are really going to have to work at making Wakefield a tourist attraction. The name of Wakefield needs to be fought for. The town, its beautification, its businesses, need to become a high priority. We can get bogged down with the small picture items, or we can focus our energies on the BIG ones. The septic treatment lagoons proposed for Farrellton is a HUGE issue. We cannot forget this. Please get informed. Get involved. Savethegatineau.com"  (anonymous)

NIMBY Highway blues

Here's my pick of the day for a reasonable perspective that sees through the trees of the NIMBY equation...




I'm pretty sure that the 'Tree Huggers' are not trying to stop the


highway. We all want to arrive safely. I can guarantee that there

isn't a single 'Tree Hugger' who does not share this sentiment.

The people who are protesting the project are trying to delay the tree

cutting until it is absolutely necessary - government has delayed the

highway project before. Who knows what the future holds? So let's not

cut the trees until the project is a definitely going through... until

it's weeks not years away. Remember what happened in the Meech Creek

Valley when all the farmers were expropriated because they were going

to build a zoo? That was in the 1970's and there is still no 'zoo'

Additionally, from what I understand the 'Tree Huggers' were trying to

convince those in power that we don't necessarily need such a GIGANTIC

clover leaf just outside Wakefield. Those making the decisions stand

to make a great deal of money or gain influence through executing this

project. There is the issue of the mega dump and proposed sewage

treatment plant. Are these the REAL reasons why we need such a huge

cloverleaf - so more big trucks can move more quickly through our

beautiful hills? Please don't be naive enough to believe everything

the 'experts' tell you. Just coz they're are the ones making these

decisions doesn't mean they have OUR best interests at heart. It

doesn't even mean, in my opinion, that they are trying to save lives.

And they sure haven't got a track record of giving a rat's ass about

the environment.

Regardless, how about just slowing down and driving the actual speed

limit? How about practicing mindfulness while driving? How about

asking the experts and politicians that this be enforced? Anytime MY

life has been jeopardized on that highway it's been because someone is

following too close, passing in a stupid place and/or driving too

fast. Yes, I know the truckers are on a clock; people have to get to

work in the city; skiers have to make it to the hill by opening;

cottagers have to get home to Ottawa on Sunday night.....

At what cost?

NIMBY Low Down Blues

OK, here's my pick of the day. Many people out here have more courage than I - daring to speak out about things and decisions taken that are based on faulty thinking or information, and continue to be staunchly defended like a bone...

"Me too! I wanna know why these anonymous peoples are asking for a gym in the Community Centre, a space for their children to throw a ball around, a loaded full on Gymnasium where teenagers could throw some hoops. The nerve!


Hel-lo? where have YOU been during the last 7 years of P l a n n i n g

Who do they think they are anyways- casting such a sour note into a brand New Year.

As for the organizers of the Project- a tad defensive don't you think- didn't you know that along with every architectural erection comes architectural criticism???

Where were all these Complainers when Exhibits of 'The Alternative Plan' were being aired to the Public, the Design which put Children and Senior's as the most important Clients of a Community- the rest of us facilitating their needs?Hmmm????

Good Architecture lasts the test of time and re-appropriates itself to other uses. Too bad the way Buildings are built these days- they barely make it through to the giant mortgage 25 years from now.

Buildings of wood and plaster and fitness fads come and go but Mountains don't. The REAL ca-tas-trophe is waiting up top. A rethink for the design of the interchange and a re-route is a last chance to save the Brown's Lake Access and OUR Geography.

The recent statistics posted by the Surete are once again testament to Man's behaviour behind the wheel and more lanes will not end the black ice, liquored-up AH's and reckless youth- not to mention mistakes made by old men in Hats and women with cigarettes.

If you wish the new highway is some kind of emblem of progress and prosperity- you should have lived in Sherbrooke or Trois Rivieres in the 1950's in a pumped-up post war economy because THAT is the aesthetic. It is Wakefield 2012 and the Mountain in a Land of Zen cannot be re-assembled. As a wise sometime Wakefield Plumber once reminded me: "People don't like to admit when they're wrong".

This time they've really got it all wrong.

NIMBY Blues - IS possible to save lives AND trees?

IS possible to save lives AND trees. It is not an either OR situation.


It is possible to have safe roads AND protect majestic old growth for future generations. It IS doable. The call is to RETHINK a DECADES OLD plan. Would you want to have a medical procedure that was designed in the 80s?

The idea is simply to WAIT on the clear cut: use the time wisely... Wait till the Chelsea part is finished (8-12 months) before clear cutting the Wakefield section. Hopefully a solution can be found. Please consider the thinking and info at http://www.a5x.org This growing group is aimed at helping, AND there IS TIME. Hope is a good thing! Respectfully

-or shall i say 'reality'...some need to have a 'reality-bite'....-re.posted #18 about... 'jealousy on my part!...yikes....and TO... BILL R. POSTED #20-your 'plain ignorance is outstanding'----not proved to be 'man-made' are YOU OUT OF YOUR SKULL-OBVIOUSLY YOUR GOD MADE YOUR BOEINGS AND THE JET FUEL TO RUN THEM...-IF YOU'D JUST CHECK INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC -& 'DO THE MATH'-i'd think there is... no need for further scientific research for your part...sincerely

Today's winners and whiners...

Low Down Nimby Blues

I've decided that the real education - the real environmental story concerning Wakefield is what people have the courage to put up their two cents. So, for a while, I will profile a few of these stories that hopefully provide some insights into environmental issues of the day concerning Wakefield and the world...

Ilike this one, so honest and so clued out, this is what it's all about eh?


AIR-POLLUTION...-MY CONCERN...-it seems that ALL THE BLAME FOR AIR QUALITY IS GOING TO THE WRONG PLACES...LOOK UP!!!-our skies-the 'whole wide world' is at any given time-full of planes-60,000 - over NORTH AMERICA..IN 24 HRS.....149,854,347 TOTAL FLTS. IN DATABASE...thats 149 MILLION!!!---------REALLY! WE CERTAINLY HAVE OUR HEADS IN THE SAND...ARE LITERALLY HEADING FOR THIS...SAND-DESERTS-EVERYWHERE!!!...I have clear sights to the skies and the plumes of fuels are CLEARLY SEEN!!!-...I am in shocked how much of these deadly fumes are spewing into my atmosphere-OUR ATMOSPHERE !!!-AND FALLING ON US...every minute!!!!...I CAN CLEARLY SEE HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT OUR VERY EXISTENCE!!!-...does anybody else..cuz i do not hear any concern or REAL AWARENESS TO THIS DANGER THAT SEEMS TO BE INVISIBLE TO US...THE 'SMOKE SCREEN' IS WORKING!-...THE TALK OF 'CON-TRAILS' -ANOTHER 'REALITY' TOO SCARY FOR SOME-OVERWHELMING TO OTHERS-ANOTHER 'CONSPIRACY THEORY'-MET WITH SILENCE... THIS IS 'SECONDARY' PLIGHTS TO THE FLIGHTS- I BRING UP...THE MAIN ISSUE-TOO MUCH TOXIC FUELAGE EXHAUST...EVERY SECOND EVERY MINUTE EVERY HOUR EVERY DAY- ALL THE TIME!!!...AND WE STILL WONDER WHY WE ARE GOING TO 'ELL IN A HAND BASKET?!?...-----MY account is first hand observation..driving all over this continent for the last few years-i am whitness to the climate changes that are rapidly excelerating-beyond comprehension-changes beyond my imagination-from the same travels i have journeyed over the course my life time... sincerely