February 15, 2009, carnegie newsletter

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

0 401 Main Street, V6A 217

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carnnews@vcn.bc.ca www.carnnews.org (373 hits per day!) http://harvesters.sfu.ca/chodarr (INDEX)

Margaret Prevost officially retired from Carnegie Community Centre's Board of Directors during last week's meeting. Margaret has served on this board for twenty years, and she was the President for ten years. We celebrated her contribution in a modest fashion. A few people took turns using the microphone to thank Margaret, then everyone present was served a piece of cake. It was nice.

I would like to share with you some of the reasons I think Margaret is such a wonderful person. *Margaret is a passionate community activist. She does not hesitate to fight for justice on many issues affecting the DTES. For example, she was instrumenttal in stopping the sale of rice wine in our neighbourhood. *At a time when the media was portraying women from the DTES solely as victims, Margaret demonstrated that women in this community can be strong leaders. *She has been a marvelous spokesperson for the community and Carnegie. I would cheer every time I saw her on TV or in the newspaper. She is always ready with a sound bite that gets to the heart of the matter. *She mentors others in the community. She is gracious with her time, patiently explaining things to people who come to her for advice. She never makes you feel like you are asking a stupid question. *I was proud of Margaret when she was awarded the Queen' s Jubilee medal in recognition of her community service. *Margaret sticks by her family through all sorts of difficult situations. Her kind, generous nature has led her to include many non-relatives as family me mbers *Margaret observes things that many other people miss. She is a thoughtful, caring friend. *I like her gentle, teasing sense of humour.

Margaret is fun to be around. Sometimes she leaves funny phone messages that make both of us laugh. *Like many people in our community, Margaret has struggled with some serious challenges in her private life. I admire how she maintains her grace throughout those challenges.

Thank you, Margaret, for everything that you have done for us. The Downtown Eastside is lucky to have you. Enjoy your retirement!

By Lisa David

3 TUG OF WAR Olympian poverty, covetous, covert, clandestine, vacant VANOC, pontificating plutocrats spewing platitudes amidst double chaos, destruction without and within Downtown Eastside boundaries, bulldozed blown-up battered beyond recognition, corrupt officials with know-nothing conditions- Do unto others .. naw, not them, not a chance.

Press Conferences (what a sham) they're such fakes, same old tunes, song and dance. Don't give up, keep on marching in parade, picket signs No " Free" Trade.

It's our tum to make them pay, cut our losses and have your say: these 'upper crust' dudes aren't your bosses so stare them down, block their way, clear the track, make them frown, don't back off, watch them crack. Take the heat when it comes 'cause it's gonna happen. Do9 't get beat duck your head watch your back eyes wide open push and shove take the flack throw it back don't run in circles ... have you heard that the world's a commin'?

Don't despa~ stay upbeat, when the world gets here remember Y<J.l're the bosses; rolling 'n tumbling we won't accepllosses - that's the message but read on there's much more down the road with a year to go it's a tug of"ar back ' n forth there's no centre.

Oh yeah you're either right or left so take your pick even play the favourites 'cause we're universal, arm in arm staying the course take no prisoners it's gonna hurt maybe so but we don't care so why worry 'cause we're gonna win is our attitude- in any tug of war when one person gives up the other side is that much stronger- so we gotta keep the pedal to the metal 'n not crash 'n bum (it's not our style).

Focused dreams ! It's a slam dunk when you dish out the truth 'cause they can't take it; wear them down with the facts that's the ticket and even their lies die.

We get stronger with multitudes on our side success comes to pass, realised down the road, the near future so take all I've said to the bank it's a lead pipe cinch Truth will out in the end 'cause we won't give an inch - I'm done!

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Carnegie Jazz Band with Brad Muirhead 11 am - noon Beginner jazz class (all with willingness to learn welcome!)

NEW HOURS!

noon- 2 pm Stage band (for more advanced musicians)

EVERY FRIDAY in the Theatre

StandupHQ Creating better memories

Drug Free Service Days

Arts & Crafts Workshop 9th fl, Solheim Building, 251 Union (at Main)

Mondays, lOam - 4:00pm

Set up......... .................. 10:00-10:30am Greeting and check-in........ 10:30-ll:OOam Yoga/acupuncture/meditation .. 11:30-12:30pm Lunch........................ ... 12:30-1:;30pm Workshop................. .....

1:30-4:00pm Selection of crafts from painting to wood-carving, sewing. paper and card work. "trashformation" art and beadwork -your imagination rules!

Crafts made will be entered into an Exhibition/ fundraiser in June 2009.

Project 'Phoenix Lands in the neighbourhood Flapping its cameras & microphones Opinionated well-paid media people Call us names & say they're helping us They magnifY the scabs & scars And shrink the smiling face of a mother Project Phoenix is selling the Downtown Eastside as a freak show To the faint-hearted And reminding them to be afraid to walk our streets The Phoenix shrieking "ugly !"

At the humans it's turned into cartoons, Health statistics And welfare numbers Waiting for Woodwards to rise from the flames How else can you sell the destruction of a community Unless you turn it into a Sodom & Gomorrah?

Erasing people off the map like this Is called genocide in the history books Diane Wood

THE MIRACLE OF

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.......~---~SISTER ELIZABETH Last Sunday, at a small Catholic Church in the Downtown Eastside on Cordova Street, the organ music that fi lled the room for the congregation was being played by a very special woman.

Sister Elizabeth Kelliher, an 85 year old nun with the Franciscan S isters of the Atonement, was about to end her hunger strike calling for the re-establishment of a national housing program. She had j ust gone 7 days on a liquid d iet as part of the 20 I 0 Homelessness Hunger Strike Relay.

Sister Elizabeth is a pillar in the Downtown Eastside where she tirelessly gives of her time and continues to be a source of inspiration for many, many people.

She operates a soup kitchen that feeds between 300 and 500 of the city's most poverty stricken each day.

T he Franciscan Sisters of the Atonem ent have been living in and serving the people of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver for over 80 years. The sisters first arrived to serve the Japanese community, which was then living around Powell Street.

When the internment of the ir neighbours occurred, the sisters opened the ir convent for safe storage of goods and possessions belonging to those families being sent to the prison camps. Some of the sisters accompanied the internees to Greenwood, BC and stayed with them.

After the service on Sunday, Sister Elizabeth took time to eat and marched over to the 2nd Annual Poverty Olympics at the Japanese Language School where she was recognized by her community. Some of those in attendance included Itchy the Bedbug and Chewy the Rat. Asked privately how she felt during her fast, she said " I didn' t even get hungry."

In the Downtown Eastside, we are now calling this a miracle. We will hold off calling for the beatification of Sister Elizabeth and everyone else at the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement while she's still performing miracles right here in Bri tish Columbia.

I ask all members of the House to join me in recognizing Sister Elizabeth, an inspiri ng woman who continues to be a trailblazer in her eighties.

Jenny Kwan, MLA YanMtPleasant

ttJgether The City of Vancouver wa nts to hear from reside nts and business operators about options for the 2009 Operating Budget.

Have your say: 1. Attend a public meeting to be held: Saturd ay, February 21 10 am - 12:30 pm Vancouver Technical Secondary School Theatre, 2600 East Broadway 2 . Write: Budget Office 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC VSY 1V4 3 . Go online va ncouver.ca, complete a survey 4 . E- mail budget.consultation@vancouver.ca 5. Phone 604.829.2009 6 . Fax 604.873.7107

~YOF VANCOUVER

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. -~ ·.~·:: .~·s~:~ Police crackdown in DTES On December 8, 2008, Sean Condon-editor of Megaphone Magazine--wrote an article for The Tyee online news service (www.thetyee.ca) titled "Police crack down on Downtown Eastside street disorder" where in he stated: "Over the past two weeks, Vancouver police officers have been cracking down on street disorder in the Downtown Eastside [DTES] by handing out tickets for everything from illegal vending and riding a bicycle on the sidewalk to jaywalking and spitting."

On February I 0, 2009, in Metro newspaper, reporter Andrea Woo gave details on the relative mag nitude of the crackdown: "According to the Vancouver Police Department's 2008 annual business plan report-back, officers issued 467 tickets for violations of the Safe Streets Act last year, up from 202 in 2007.

They also issued 133 tickets for violatio ns of the Trespass Act, up from 95 in 2007. Officers ticketed 439 people for panhandling, loitering and unlicensed street vending last year, up from 247 in 2007."

Harsha Walia, project coordinator of the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre--said that poor people (by far, the predominant number of citizens in the Downtown Eastside) were being disproportionately targeted compared to other people in Vancouver. David Eby- acting executi ve director of the BC C ivil Liberties Association-said that whe n people who are ticketed appear in court, they are given a "no-go" order ensuring that they don't return to the place where the offence was committed. Said Eby, " It's an effort to move people out of the Downtown Eastside, in my opinion."

In a January 30, 2009 article in The Courier by reporter M ike Howell titled, "Cops crack down on infamous Pigeon Park," was this quote: " [Sgt. Doug

Bain of the Vancouver Police Department said] ....

'This is all part of the plan to try and control this kind of [illegal] activity in that whole neighbourhood, and you've got to start some place. But a lot of time it's like herding cattle, it's like pushing water in a bucket."'

Aside from the obvious poor-bashing in that statement, the VPD Sgt. reveals that this crackdown is part of a conscious effort, and not just some variation of regular police activity. ln reply to the fear that this was an Olympics initiative, Woo quoted: "'What we're doing is ... increasing our vis ibility in the Downtown Eastside,' said [VPD] spokeswoman Canst. Jana McGuinness.

'Everything we're doing now, we'll be doing well after the Olympics as well. There's no big movement to sweep the city.'"

As well, the VPD called fo r an overseer to uni fy all the services rendered in the Downtown Eastside. ("Umbrella agency urged fo r DTES support groups," Gerry Bellett, Vancouver Sun, February 5, 2009) "[VPD Chief] Chu acknowledged the police department has to accept its share of the blame for what has happened. He cited a 1994 decision to move most police services out of the area to new headquarters on Cambie Street as contributing to the area's dec line, wi th some businesses leaving as a result and residents feeling less safe."

Wendy Pedersen of the Carnegie Community Action Project wrote this letter to The Sun in response: "Excuse me, exactly how did moving police headqu- · arters out of the Downtown Eastside contribute to the problems in my neighbourhood today? How about the failure of the province and feds to build housing?

Replace the 5000 hotel rooms with community-based social housing with g reat management and watch the DTES transform. Sounds like someone is angl ing to increase their police budget to me." It wasn't published.

A day later, provincial Minister of Housing and Social Development Rich Coleman did exactly what the VDP recommended. ("Ric h Coleman promises a Downtown Eastside czar", Cheryl Chan, The Province, February 6, 2009) Call me suspicious by nature (or maybe even parano id) but for the police to deny that there is a motive for the crackdown in that it nicely precedes the leadup to the O lympics, and then to call fo r a DTES czar to unify services administration, and then to be g ran-

ted that by Rich Coleman just seems a little too convenient for my liking. It's starting to look like the Coleman appointee could arbitrarily decide to "unify" services, maybe eliminating some in the process ("Oh, these aren't needed, they' re already provided by so-and-so.") thus making life that much more difficult for the already stressed out citizens of the DTES, making them .decide to move elsewhere (thus saving the police the ¡trouble of throwing them in jail for unpaid tickets or some such during the Olympics). l guess we'll only start to become aware of the severity of this problem when the homeless are offered one-way bus tickets out of Vancouver, just like what happened during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Leave it to a government to find a cheaper way of dealing with the homeless than building enough social housing for them

Shattered It is lying all around me, Shattered into useless pieces of glass That could now rip my unprotected feet.

It was the glass castle in which I lived As fairy princess and heroine in shining armor, Ready and able to rescue all in need.

It was my fragile fantasy, Designed to protect me from the searing pain Of having never been rescued From my own unspeakable distress.

But an invited guest came And rammed my castle doors, besieged my walls And shattered my glass defense.

And so, what I once thought of as my castle grand Is now nothing more than unrecognizable jagged pieces, And here I stand, exposed and stunned.

It is mine now, not to gather, But to leave these shattered remains.

It is mine to find a way to live without this illusion.

It is mine to learn to be the peasant child that I am, Bereft of shining armour and magic wand.

But alii can see at this moment Are the broken pieces of my shattered castle walls, And alii can do is weep. author unknown

Reel Justice, a

Film Festival on Homelessness

Sunday April 19, SFU Harbour Centre, Vancouver Simon Fraser University and Pivot Legal Society are partnering to host Reel Justice, a day-long film festival on homelessness, to raise awareness of and inspire action around this prominent social issue in our city.

Accompanying the film festival will be a day-long social justice fair featuring a variety of community groups and individuals doing amazing work to bring about change. More info at: www.pivotlegal.org Simon Fraser University: Krishna Pendakur is a Professor of Economics at Simon Fraser University. ~e has done research on the economics of poverty, mequality and discrimination in Canada and around the world for the past 15 years. http://www.sfu.ca/-pendakur/ Pivot Legal Society: Pivot Legal Society is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization located in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Pivot's mandate is to take a strategic approach to social change, using the law to address the root causes that undermine the quality of life of those most on the margins. We believe that everyone, regardless of income, benefits from a healthy and inclusive community where values such as opportunity, respect and equality are strongly rooted in the law. www.pivotlegal.org

(www .worldpoetics.blogspot .com) News, events and links.

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News from the Library

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The heroes, the villains, the battles, the ships, the · technology, the droids, the weapons, the Senators, the · ., plots, and, of course, the Force are all beautifully ·• described and illustrated in Star Wars: The Clone ', ; Wars, The Visual Guide (79 1.43 ). ·.· ; The Unknown Soldier (355. 1) shows mo numents in ·"·..~ 15 different countries, and includes information and .·· . pictures about unknown soldiers all over the world . ; ~ Frances Moore Lappe, whose Diet for a Small Planet :\. ~--,~ sold 3 million copies, has written Getting a Grip: .• ' . ·:, Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone .· Mat! (36 1.2). In this passionate book, she encourages · us to get out of the "spiral of powerlessness" and to : examine our core assumptions about who we are and . : how the world works. . . In Soil not Oil (363.7), Vandana Shiva dares us to ~~~~~@~"'-'=-~-r imagine a world where people matter more than ~ • profits. She reveals what connects our most urgent . crises - food insecurity, peak oil, and climate change ._'!:-:t':~~~;;7;~---=- and why any attempt to solve one without addressing the others will get us nowhere.

The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan ·: After the Taliban, by Sarah Chayes (958.1) is a searing eyewitness account of Afghanistan's return to the violence and corruption of warlord ism. She reveals how US policies have undermined the effort to build democracy, allowed corrupt tribal warlords back into positions of power, and the Taliban torein filtrate the country.

Rock Tease: The Golden Years of Rock T-shirts ~ It ' s back !

(391) celebrates over 200 T-shirts created to pay tribute to rock and roll 's most famous and notorious Carnegie Theatre Workshop acts, including Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols and AC/DC

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ACTING BASICS

Beth, your librarian

How to...

Voice, Movement, Scene Study

Classical Music at Carnegie

3 Saturday afternoons for 3 hours Sat March 7, 14 and 21 1:30pm carnegie Theatre

Cliff'RidleY, baritone and 'Rita AttrOt, piano are pleased to present music by Alessandro Scarlatti, Ama-deus Mozart, Gabriel Faure and Roger Quilter.

Free Cliff is looking forwa rd to returning to Carnegie with o ~L '> hish~ew pianist Rita after a farewell and best wishes to IS long time accompanist Danielle Marcinek who ~ is now pursuing her career internationally. Come one, • •!• • • • •!•. .' .· • •!• • • • ·:·. ~-------------------~and all and ease into the day with the beauty of song.

Tuesday, February 24th, 11:00 AM in tbe Theatre

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Police increase tickets, street checks FRANCESBULA , If Doug Everitt lived anywhere besides the Downtown Eastside, he doubts he'd be getti ng the kinds of tickets fro m police he does.

The 50-year-old construction worker has had five in the past few months, some for riding his bike without a helmet, some for j aywalking on the streets near the residential hotel where he's been living.

"I just feel like I get targeted because it's something they can hold over my head so they can get me off the street when they need to, like the Olymp ics," said Mr. Everitt, who has had his struggles with drugs and is now on methadone. "And it's gotten a lot more aggressive lately."

What he's noticing is the effects of the Vancouver Police Department's new 2009 business plan, which set new targets fo r ticketing and street checks in the Downtown Eastside to maintain public order.

The neighbourhood, home to a high concentration of poor, mentally ill and drug-addicted residents, is inamous for its pockets of chaos, with crowds of people selling random articles on the sidewalk or gathering in alleys to buy and sell drugs.

The police plan, which was initiated in December but made public two weeks ago, is coming under fire from the B.C. C ivil Liberties Association and AIDS groups for the way it targets people li ke Mr. Everitt because they live in a particular neighbourhood.

They say the crackdown, which envisions banning people from the ne ighbourh ood if they accumulate enough tickets, actuall y endangers people's health, since it prevents the drug-addicted and marginalized from accessing the numerous services in the Downtown Eastside a imed specifically at the ir problems.

The groups sent a public letter to Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu objecti ng to the new plan, which set a goal of issuing 20 per cent more tickets for bylaw offences, 10 per cent more tickets under the provincial Safe Streets Act, and requiri ng any beat officers to do at least four random "street checks" per block every day.

"This doesn't solve any of the underlying issues," said David Eby, lawyer with the civil liberties association.

His association's letter, which was also s igned by six AIDS organizations, noted that "bylaw offences identified for targeting by the Vancouver police appear to be those most c losely assoc iated with d ire poverty, including sleeping outside and street ve nding."

The police crackdown is also prompting concern from other socia l-service agencies in the area.

Mark Townsend, who runs a non-profit that operates a number of residential hotels for people who have psychiatric or add iction problems, said many of their residents are getting ticketed. One resident, who is mentally ill , is now afraid to go outside fo r fear of being arrested .

Mr. Eby noted that a scientific study on the effects of a previous crackdown, called Operation Torpedo, showed that more aggressive policing succeeded mainly in spreading drug and public-disorder problems to Commercial Drive, Broadway and West End. Operation Torpedo started in 2003 and tapered off about a year later. It increased the numbers of beat police and even saw officers on horseback going through the neighbo urhood.

The police chief at the time, Jamie Graham, said the department was moving to more aggressive policing to create some order in the neighbourhood and make it more livable for residents intimidated by the level of drug-dealing and general mayhem. But critics say that approach doesn't really get rid of anything.

"Yes, the Downtown Eastside is chaotic but just because the chaos is spread out over a larger area doesn't solve the problem," Mr. Eby said.

Vancouver city Councillor George Chow said his Vision party, which dominates council, hasn't formalized a specific response to the police plan. But he did no te that he and his colleagues are pushing for other measures to try to contro l street disorder in the 路 Downtown Eastside, like finding indoor places for dumpster divers to refurbish or sell what they have collected.

Moved by Councillor Geoff Meggs and passed by Vancouver City Council A. THAT Council approve the proposed Vancouver Charter amendments generally in accordance with Appendix A, of the Administrative Report dated December 17, 2008, entitled "2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: Vancouver Charter Amendment Proposals" as set out below: 1.

Imposition of conditions in Permits and Licenses Allow for the imposition of conditions on permits and licenses.

Temporary classification of streets- section 317(f) 2.

Provide that the classification of streets may be for a temporary purpose.

3.

Classification of streets - section 317(f) Provide that streets which provide access routes to special events or between different venues for special events may constitute a class of street.

4.

Regulation of advertising on streets- section 319(d) Enhance the City's powers to regulate the exhibition of advertising material on vehicles and streets.

5.

Relaxation of regulation of advertising on streets- section 319(d) Amend Council's power to regulate advertising or signs on streets, to authorize relaxations by Council similar to the relaxations Cound may authorize under section 571 AA, and to allow Council to authorize the City Engineer to make such relaxations.

6.

Resolution of conflict between "regulation" and "prohibition" - section 319(e) The section provides for reg!Jiating the distribution of advertising-matter on any street, and for prohibiting persons from distributing if likely to be thrown or left on a street. Delete the prohibition because "regulation" includes prohibition.

Temporary street closures- section 319(f) 7.

Include the power to temporarily close streets for various uses under section 319.

Regulation of street performing and entertaining- section 319 8.

Provide in a new subsection for regulate the use of any street for street performing and entertaining.

Requirements in connection with regulation of use of streets- section 319 9.

Add the following concepts in connection with section 319: (a) regulations under section 319 may be different for different streets or different parts of streets, and for different parts of the city; (b) regulations under subsections (c), (d), (e), and (D. and under the new subsection for street performing and entertaining, may provide for the issuance of a limited number of permits as determined from time to time by Council; (c) regulations under subsections (c), (d), (e), and (D. and under the new subsection for street performing and entertaining, may provide for limitations as to location (for example, the southeast corner of Burrard and Robson) as determined by Council, and for a change in location to any place in the city as required from time to time by Council during the term of a permit; (d) regulations under subsections (c), (d), (e), and (D. and under the new subsection for street performing and entertaining, may provide for time limited permits as determined from time to time by Council; and (e) regulations under subsections (c), (d), (e), and (D. and under the new subsection for street performing and entertaining, may provide for the imposition of conditions as determined from time to time by Council.

10.

Relaxation of Noise Control By-law- section 323(b) Allow city officials designated by Council, in addition to the Mayor, to relax the requirements of the Noise Control By-law in exception a cases.

11.

Removal of graffiti from property- section 323(m) â&#x20AC;˘ Provide that the city, at its cost, may remove graffiti from real property without notice.

12.

Increase in maximum fine and maximum daily fine- section 333 Stipulate that the maximum fine for an offence is $10,000, and the maximum daily fine is $10,000.

13.

Relaxation of sign regulations- section 491 (c) Amend the Park Board's power to regulate advertising or signs, to authorize relaxations by the Park Board similar to the relaxations Council may authorize under section 571AA, and to allow Council to authorize the General Manager of the Park Board to make such relaxations.

14.

Relaxation of zoning and building requirements for special events- section 565A(e) Add special events to the list of permitted relaxations for zoning and building requirements.

15.

Authorization for relaxation of zoning and building requirements- section 565A(e) Empower Council to authorize city officials or a board to relax zoning and building requirements.

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16. - Removal of illegal signs from property- section 571 A(4) J Provide that, despite section 324A(1) and (2), the city may remove illegal signs from real property with limited notice, and may charge the owner for the cost of such removal.

B. THAT Council direct staff to include in the recommendations for by-law changes provisions on administrative steps that will be taken to ensure that these provisions are enforced in a manner that respects citizens' Charter rights, including appropriate briefing and direction to enforcement officers; and Notice periods. opportunities for appeal and other elements of due process.

CARRIED (Councillor Woodsworth opposed to A: Items 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16)

Angry Not Mad Yeah , you're a cat and you may be all that but I'm no mouse and you're in my house

My C hild Within

You say you put a cap in hi s ass because his due-date was past

I found my child within today, For many years so locked away, Loving, embracing, needing so much, If only I could reach in and touch .

I did not know this child of mine, We were never acquainted at three or nine, But today I felt the crying inside, I'm here I shouted, come reside.

We hugged each other ever so tight, As feelings emerged of hurt and fright.

It's okay, I sobbed, I love you so!

You are precious to me, I want you to know.

My child, my child , you are safe today, You will not be abandoned, I'm here to stay.

We laughed, we cried, it was a discovery, This warm, loving child is my recovery.

Shot 'n killed because he'd been billed for a five rock what a crock !

Like a man in a cage I'm in need of rage I won't pretend he was my friend now ti me to mend!

I dream of a life without the kife with child and wife Yeah that's rad you think you're that bad yo u must be mad I know it's wrong and yes, I go on but that deep in the ground yo u wo n't be found And yes I' m sad but angry, not madd!

Kathleen Algae

Stanton J and fri ends

What's happening with Canada's "social safety net'' as the economic crisis worsens?

I low arc the daily had news ~turil'S in the business reports of the nwinstro..:am pro..:ss afTc<.:ting poor p.:ople? Join Canadian Cc ntrt' fo r Policy Alternatives' St:til Kle in and Pov N.: t's P.:n ny (inld!-> rn itil at Rhit\lllJC Ca k I'm an infor111al gathering tn cxdwnge stories about what j, happo..:ning in o ur comm un ities and h> brain:-.torm about pmgrL''>:-.i\'l' altL'rnativo..:s.

WIII.N : Thursday, February 26, 7:30pm \VIIFI<L : Rhizome

Cafe, 317 E Broadway, Vancouver

Feel free to pass on this in vitat ion to unyone )OU thinJ.. might h..: int~r~~tcd Sponsored by the Carold Institute. Free. l.iJ:hl refreshment.\路 will he lll'Uilahle

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Why Culty Bozos Get Oh So Testy When You Call Them What They Are And 5 Ways to Make Those Bozos Hate Your Guts (A Fairytafe for adults) I was going down to my favourite coffee shop the other day to have a cup of, what else, Asparagus Rind Mocca Decaf Latte'? Comon' w ith this stuff already, and I ran into this guy who was announcing to the cafe' in the way you do when building up the courage to do something subconsciously scary that he was protesting just down the street there. Yeah, it seems the target of his ire and need to travel some distance to protest was this cult he was a former member of who have a storefront a block from the cafe'.

"Hmm", I tho ught, "not those bozos again", and I told the guy good luck and if it were a vote thingy well he had mine. We ended up havin' a smoke outside where others who were there to protest were showing up and soon I was hearing the snippets of conversations I'd heard before about other cults. The same complaints, the same techniques for recruitment, the same threats if you go all heretical on 'em, the same-old same-old people have been hearing and suffering from for the last 2000 years since about the time they nailed th is pacifist to a tree for saying "stop all yer nonsense and all that hi ttin' each other w ith o ld smelly flounders would ya! " Yeah they had to crucify him fer that one.

Cults are Iike that.

Then aga in, that guy with the distinct disli ke for people who liked due ling with slimy fis h cri tters that wern't made of metal or even breath air, well he ended up being the central icon of a cult. So I guess that just goes to show you; If you piss off the wrong people, (read psychopaths) they'll find a way to get back at you no matter what. Sort of li ke that character 'Thade' in the new Planet of the Apes movie.

Thadc, hmm ..... Call me pedantic but isn't 'Thade' an anagram for 'Death'? I digress.

I gotta ask though, with 'Thade' stalking everyone anyway, does anyone really need a group, or cult actually obsessing over your every action? I mean they're being stalked by their own mortality as much as yo u are rig ht? Are they trying to scare someone into telling them the secret? Are they just nuts?

O h dear, it's not that quest for the fountain of youth myth again is it? Well of course it is. Every cult I've ever heard of has that as at least a minor preoccupation within the symbolism of the culty cult stuff they do. I guess if you go around telling people "They don't have the answer either!" Well that must put you on thei r shit list.

Oh dear, my s ubconscious is registering alarm bells that sound suspiciously li ke the recess bell at Pius X Boys School. Telling me to go outside and kick the can of definition I suspect, 'cause there are as many defi ni tions of the word 'cult' as there are cults to tell people they are not a cult. I wonder if any of those culty bozos own dictionaries that are worth a pinch of the salt in the wound of self discovery they all seem to be expe1ts in avoiding admitting is their darkest secret; "They don 't know".

I g uess that's why they are all looking for the fountain of youth: They're afraid of dying before they discover what that is, oh and it might take a long time to discover that the secret of the meaning of life is "To Live", and by then I guess they figure they'll be too old to appreciate it.

Too bad about that.

Where was I? Oh yeah defin ing the word 'cult'. I checked out a few different dictionaries from different publishers, continents, and eras that led me to scratch a new furrow in my brow over how changeable that word is. Politics I guess, but the nearest amalgam definition I could arrive at requires that the person understand abstract concepts, so if you' re a culty person whom cannot think in abstract conceptual ways skip over the following definition: C ult: (n), def : a group or organization that worships, reveres or holds in high esteem a th ing, person, or idea.

T here yo u go. Quite painless actually. And for the benefit of culty people those somewhat arrogant atheists are also covered by that definition. Just think about it a bit. Sure; The cult of atheism. Works for me. The

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definition l mean.

It was so rt of funny watching the protest for the short while I did. T he protesters were good natured, relaxed, and seemed to be enjoying the mid-winter sun that had poked its head out for the first time in weeks. As if Demeter the earth mother was sending them a wink of approval. Meanwhile the culty people inside the storefront kept pulling one b lind down after anothe r till the only light from the star tha t gave us all li fe that filtered into that sadly stained building was when a venet ian blind cracked open and a camera lens took quick snapshots of protesters whom had come prepared fo r this type of treatment. They all wore masks that left the peek-a-boo nonsense where most nonsense ends up; Impotent in the face of laughter from the spirit of people in the process of waking up.

As for the 5 ways ..... Well, all ways lead away from Rome.

Mark (not as in Matthew,_, Luke,?)

Untitled

RHYTHM OF YOUR HEART

11/2/2K9

And I too have miles to go before I SLEEP .- ->' ' Tis pleasant here Green and ferny Violets hide close by a running brook Mi nnows dash about in the cool water Elder branches protect this small watering hole Spruce and fir hide the path from view but we know the way The people here are like people everywhere Secrets cling to their conversation Like the buzzies to my bobbysox Mysteries become partially unravelled I must make my escape The ineffable must remain j ust that.

Do not dismantle the Rubik' s Cube 'Twill not go back in place The puzzle is meant for testing only Never to be undone Never to be pinioned to the wall with drawing pins.

I felt the rhythm of your heart broken down and falling apart You cri ed for a final bid In wonderment of what you saicj I was a fool s - fool to Tell you baby may to Jump off a bridge yet You you you said I may The rhythm of your heart Sings a song that I cannot be art of Your song always si ngs to me with a start Sacred is your song- killer to my heart Rhythm of your heart may be s lack But Baby my heart says come back!

Come back! Come back!

Love, Bi lly William Arnold Com bes

JB Photography S itting on his knees click click click focus foc us, squint squint cl ick c lick click Swoosh, the motion passes But... still captured Jackie Humber

Wil helmina the Luddite

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Chris f'.<~mpl)(路ll

Vancouver's finest example of our civilization's insanity struck yet again last Monday morning.

Not surprisingly, Private Constable Clark (badge 2432) was "working' in an automobile, misusing another expensive and dangerous piece of technology provided by our tax dollars.

Here's the scene: me, riding a bike (my bad) north on Main Street, a minute away from reaching my client's office on time at 11 :30am. Suddenly, north of Pender, I hear a loud click, click, click sound behind me but after looking in my rear-view mirror, I can't see anything that would make such a weird sound. I then hear a voice over a loud speaker say, "you have enough room there, Chief?"

1won't bother debating the racist undertone of that comment.

1 will say that 1 was riding as far right as practicable, as written in the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), meaning that I was just far enough away from the line of parked cars so that I would not get "doored" if one opened suddenly (recent court cases in other jurisdictions confirm this serious threat to a cyclist's health/life). This put me into the right most lane of traffic, about where the right-hand side tires of cars and trucks travel.

1 stopped at the red light at Pender. Although I was on my pedals ready to ride when the light turned yellow for the traffic on Pender, 1 waited until the light turned green on Main before crossing the white line demarking the pedestrian right-of-way painted across Main Street.

1 then heard the loudspeaker voice say "move over into the bike lane." I stopped, looked around behind me, and asked

what the problem was. I tall, young, white male got out of the passenger side of the car and told me to get off of the road. I asked again what the problem was and he walked onto the sidewalk and told me to get my bike on the sidewalk. I refused and asked again what the problem was. This man then walked up into my face and told me I was obstructing a police officer. I replied that I was doing no such thing and, if he was indeed a police officer that I would like to see some identification. He then told me that he was a Vancouver Police officer and showed me his badge (PC Cia~~. [2432]).

PC Clark (2432) again told me to move off of the road, which I did immediately. He then lied to me and said that I had entered into an intersection on a red light at Pender. I told him I did not. He then asked for my 10. I told him that I was not carrying any and had no need to do so. I also told him clearly that I was on my way to work and that he could plainly see that I was carrying materials to do my work on my bike (I was carrying a large box of network cable on my rear rack) and that I would be late if I did not leave immediately.

He then asked for and wrote down my name, birthdate, and address. He also asked for my mother's maiden name, which I am not legally required to give (hell, I wasn't under arrest, so none of this was legally required of me!) but I gave it anyway.

His partner in crime (no wait, they're the good guys, right?!) then ran my information through their computer database in their unmarked car. When she couldn't find anything to hold me on, PC Clark (2432) then tried to find something else.

While he was hard at it in the idling car, filling up the neigh-

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bourrhood with lethal airborne chemicals, I told the woman ·:: :· What can be done? 1 suggest letting Vancouver's Mayor and cop that I find it despicable that people that are being paid a :..~ Council know; previous Council's have claimed that they are generous, if not hefty, salary with my tax dollars would tell :e; powerless but maybe this one will be different (there's that bold-faced lies (about going into the Pender intersection on a _: ::_ incredibly debilitating power of hope again). Going public, as I red light). She said that she would back her partner up comp- :'-: also am, will at least help future victims of police abuse know letely. Big surprise. :e~ what to expect.

PC Clark (2432) then came over to me and showed me the _:: :_ I have learned that asserting my right to be unharassed is two MVA fines that he was about to issue to me (not operating :'-: useless with these people. They are trained to believe that a vehicle properly: $109 + not riding a bicycle as far right as :. : everyone else is a threat and the best way to deal with differpracticable: $109 = $218). Then he explained that he not only ence is to pre-emptively strike (sound familiar, Mr. Bush?). has the power to write me tickets but that he also has the ·:: :· This cop proved it with almost every word he uttered, lying power of discretion to not write these tickets and he would :'-: about me going through a red light, lying about obstructing make that decision after asking me a couple of questions. :e: him, and giving me his incorrect understanding of riding as far Gee, how generous and kind abusers can be, no? Any further ::: to the right as practicable. Sure, I've received vindictive abuse directed at me now becomes "(llY fault," not his! :..~ tickets and gone to court to prove that cops not only make bad Psychopaths are wonderfully consistent this way. :e~ mistakes, but that they absolutely should not be granted the 1st question: why am I so hostile toward police officers. I _: : :_ powers of punishment in any way, shape, or form. didn't answer that he got what he gave, only because I didn't :'-: There's much work to be done, for sure. Removing most think of it at the time. I told him I didn't know he was a police :!~ laws and by-laws would be a good start, to take away the officer until he showed me his badge. He lied again and said discretionary tools that cops mis-use hourly (no, make that that he told me when he got out of his car. ·:::' minutely). Removing all lethal and most non-lethal weapons 2nd question: why was I riding in the middle of the road when :..~ from cops is another necessary step. And, of course, training there was a bike lane? The "bike lane" was full of parked cops to understand that other human beings are, well, human cars. He then clarified himself by dictating that I ride on the ·:::· beings, not potential criminals. Although far and few between, white dotted line, which means that one tonne killing machines :'-: there have been cops that use their words in a humane way to can pass me at 60 or more km/h within millimetres on one :e: understand a situation. Call me crazy, but this could be the side, while parked car doors can maim me on the other. Nice. _: ::_ standard way of interacting with others, instead of the current And thoughtful, too. :'-: way of either creating a confrontation from nothing or After "agreeing" to everything he said, PC Clark (2432) :e: escalating a minor issue into a major one. correctly pointed out that I could call the non-emergency line :. : Who's going to do this work? Apparently not the people that of the Vancouver Police Department anytime and ask for ·, ,,- need to do it (hello, cops!). And to date, not the politicians.

Internal, the department that notes complaints against their :·~ So, as always, we do it as best as we can. Of course, if we co-workers. What he didn't tell me, but know from personal look back at our past, we can see that every other culture that experience, is that the hour or more wait-time on the phone ·: ::· has ever existed on our planet (only a few hundred thousand results in your information falling into a black-hole, never to be :'-: different ones, to date) have never created a concept called looked at again. Funny how cops don't find fault with fellow :e ; work, nor put food or other essentials under lock and key, so cops, isn't it? _:: :_ there's more than one way out of this mess. I suggest reading I then waited for the cops to get into their idling car and start :'-: Ishmael, then My Ishmael, and then The Story of B as a start. driving. I then followed them to avoid having their gaze fall on :e: After that, the world will seem a much different place .. . me again. The very next block, he's back on his loudspeaker '·' harassing pedestrians crossing Cordova with the walk signal.

BY Dave Olsen His car was turning right onto Cordova on the RED light and the people walking were instructed to get a move on.

I have heard continually from virtually every "other• community May the stars carry your sadness away, that the training cops receive is far from adequate in terms of May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, dealing with their community. Add to the list of racism, May hope forever wipe away your tears, homophobia, ableism, ageism, and sexism a lack of underAnd, above all, may silence make you strong. standing of what it is like to ride a bike or even walk in the city.

For an unending list of police abuse and corruption, please visit Pivot.org or do an Internet search with the terms VPD and ._••••••••••C•h•i•ef•D•an•G• e•ollirgile• •. . abuse or corruption.

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LOOSE ENDS GET Like a sprinkling of snow on top 6f concentration camps makes it look that much better even human ovens & confectionaries I guess now we will need super spokes-models & secretarys; their speciality? giving out expiry dates minus the year JUST imagine the fear year to year as another one approacheth I could make you like me that' s how twisted this world has become you can't even trust who is next to you Hello Hello why it's Officer Down drumming up business in the worst sector of town now I can trust this man to hold my smoke while I tie my shoelace (&belt, always be prepared) I know said smoke is safe & sound Thank You Officer Down you do get around and looks around for his special spot things that fall into his pocket also fall in that spot-run-spot corruption right up to their nostri Is full of soot now caution is key please remind me I may not choose to believe it but I like to be prepared now listen & listen good kiddies as of next month out the door go visionaries & missionaries but at least Starpukes and the Royal Bank of Corruption are green lighted though discrepancies may occur here & there LOOSE ENDS GET HIT got your attention didn't I don't lie to me like a man being found guilty of destroying mankind.

Did you ever think you'd wish to've been born blind like a search party being scaled back more & more obstacles in front & behind your back Now leave all homes intact no 2 or 4 coffee shops per block (but make my coffee black!) you talk but won't walk well here this LOOSE ENDS GET HIT! Now eye-to-eye contact/conflict is a battle fought daily to not be a loose end I'd pass out my expertise (earlier in life l ' djust pass out) but I have none & the undoing is of my own accord besides it's all that I can afford; booze & bravado brings out that courage that isn' t there but go ahead leading with your head first di vi ng into the deep end of the abyss or is that an e mpty pool I see through the mist, there comes a time when even Earth cashes in & is (for an instant) in the black then & only then our safeguards break down & we all fall apart side by side back to back last part of all LOOSE ENDS GET HIT

By Robert McGillivray

Japantown Multicultural Neighbourhood Celebration

Saturday March 28, lOam to 8pm Procession, commemoration, perfonnances, walks, stories, forums to celebrate the past, present and future of the neighbourhood of Powe ll Street and Japantown. Further details in the next Newsletter.

Produced by Tonari Gumi, Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall, Vancouver Moving Theatre and the Powell Street Festival Society.

For information please contact Teresa at 604-2559401 or email: thirteenofhearts@hotmail.com

FEBRU RY 2009 Feb.21 The Crime of the Canadian Banking System. (50") Learn how we could be putting into circulation all the money our society needs without paying any interest to private banks fo r debt, and doing so legally.

Bilderbergs (50") explaining them and the ir power over our lives.

Winter Solders.(60"). Learn how US military personnel see their ro le in fighting overseas and how their government has thanked them.

Feb.28 Produced in partnership with DTES Heart of the City Festival and Vancouver's Great Beginnings Program .

The Road Taken (52") History of Black Canadian National and C anadi an Pacific Railways workers.

Seeking Salvation (9"). Four centuries of Black churches in Canada.

Hogan's Alley- (32") Vane's Black historical site.

THE

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On February 23rd, from 2 PM to 4 AM , tune in at 10 2.7 FM, Vancouver's co-op rad io and listen to a national rad io broadcast on homelessness and poverty in Canada

Call toll-free : (800) 694-7729

OR COME TO THE RADIO CAFE (COLUMBIA AND HASTIN GS) TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW AND/OR SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES ON AIR W HAT IS THE HOMELESSN ESS MARATHO N ?

The 7'-11 annual Homelessness Marathon will once again serve up 14 hours of people-powered radio broadcasting from outside of the Native Friendship Centre in Montreal beginning at 5pm EST. The Marathon will provide an opportunity for homeless people and their allies to take to the airwaves, and al low a nationwide discussion on homelessness issues and solutions. The Homelessness Marathon is annually carried by nearly 40 radio stations. Listeners are invited to call in with their questions or comments toll-free.

Call toll-free: (800) 694-7729 www.ckut.ca/homeless.html

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DOWNTOWN NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN·- .3 Rou.tesa ' ..

EASTSIDE fi04-fi8S-6561 ..

City- Sa4~pm- Uc4Spm YO()TH Overrdl!ht- l2:JOa~ ~ 'a30am 541 E. Broadway ACTIVITIES Downtown Eastside...; Sa30p~ - I :loa.

604-251-3310 SOCIETY CFRO 102 .-7FN CO-OP RADIO Next issue is March 1, 200~

SUBMISSION DEADLINE Thursday, February 26 · Free showers for homeless persons at 327 Carrall Wed 7·8:30am; Sat 7-lOam; Women Only Fri 6-8pm THISNEWSLETTERISAPUBLICATIONOFTHE · , - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , CA.RNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION We acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and Articles represent the views or individual I1 this Newsletter, are occurring on Coast Salish Territory. I Contributors and not or the Association.

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I co:r a-;; byG~t Thba';o.; Collation & distribution crew: Harold, Liu Lin, Bill. Mary Ann, Miriam, Rolf, Tina, Videha, Kelly, ~al •. ~ob~, Nick, Jackie Matthew, Lisa, Red, Pablo, Ida, Pnsc1lha. L1sa.

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WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter •

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TIM STEVENSON CITY COUNCILLOR 1.

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SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE

CITY HAlL 453 Wm 12111 AVE. V5V 1V4 Phone: 604.87l·7247

Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA

Working for You 1070-1641 Commercial Dr, V5L 3Y3 Phone:604-775-0790

oo you Have a Legal Problem?

Are you charged with a crlme7 Visit the UBC Law Clinic In the 3rd floor gallery of carnegie Centre for free advice & representation.

UBC Law Students Legal Advice Program (LSLAP) Drop-In, Tuesdays, 7- 9pm.

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Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry Cover art -Maximum size: 17cm(6-3/4j wide x 15cm(6j high.

Subject matter relevant to issues pertaining to the Downtown Eastside preferred, but all work will be considered; Black & White printing only Size restrictions must be considered (i.e. if your piece is too large, it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit; All artists will receive credit for their work; Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication; Remuneration: Carnegie volunteer tickets.

Please make submissions to: Paul Taylor, Editor.

2009 DONATIONS: Barry M.·$150, libby 0 .-$70 Rolf A.-$50, Margaret D.-$40, Jenny K.-$23, Sue K.-$30, Sandy C.-$25, Christopher R.-$180 Mel L.-$25, Greta P.-$25. Java 8.-$75, Alayne-$25 Anonymous ·$1500 Leslie S.-$25 The Edge -$200

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INTRODUCTION TO ACTING

What is acting about? How do you begin?

The Firehall Arts Centre is pleased to be offering introductory acting classes to the residents in the surrounding communities of Chinatown, Gastown, Strathcona and the Downtown Eastside. Starting in March, the Firehall will be running an 8-week PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN Introductorv Acting Class led by Theatre Professionals You'll be able to develop basic acting skills through dramatic exercises, tableaux and creative movement.

Learn to create characters and develop scenes through improvisation and teamwork. Join the fun of imagining, learning and performing together with new friends who love to act, just like you!

Who can apply?

Any individual residing in the communities surrounding The Firehall Arts Centre is eligible to participate.

Youth need to be attending school or a home school program.

• Youth program: 10- 14 years old • Adult program: 18 years old and older

When are the classes?

Youth program: Saturdays 9:30am- 11 :30am Limited to 12 participants First class Saturday March 7, 2009 Last class Saturday April 25, 2009 Adult program: Mondays 6:30pm - 8:30pm Limited to 12 participants First class Monday March 9, 2009 Last class Monday April 27, 2009

How can I apply?

The Firehall will conduct short interviews to select participants for the classes. You can drop by the Firehall on the interview day or book a time. This can simply be done by calling the Firehall Administration Line at 604689-0691. Interview dates: Saturday. February 28, I Oam - 6pm • Youth Intervie ws: Adult Interviews: Sunday, March I, lOam - 6pm •

What to prepare for the interview?

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Prepare a 1 - 2 minute presentation of a monologue or story. Your cho~c~. M_em?nzatiOn tsn t necessary, however, please read over your selected piece a number oftimes to be famthar wtth tt. If you are una~le to find something to present, you can select one of the 3 monologues the Fireball will make available at the ttme of the audition. Once again, memorization isn't necessary just familiarity.

A short conversation with the Instructor and Artistic Director will immediately follow.

The Firehall Arts Centre is at 280 East Cordova St. Vancouver BC V6A 1L3 www.firehallartscentre.ca Admin: 604 689-0691 Please contact us if you have any questions or wish to register for an audition.

I

.But it must Stop Cold steel, hot rush Now my brain feels like mush.

Feeling shiny, doing ninety.

Smokin' and chokin' wack in' 'n pokin' Now I am broken.

Sometimes the monster is not under my bed but deep inside my head.

But yes, the ups and downs and all arounds the ins and outs and all abouts.

I believe it's the glare before the tear, so for now I cry but soon I'll die.

Yes I truly take it to the top but it must stop.

Stanton J and friends

"Anyone putting a , needle in his or her arm isn't human!"

BEFORE

AFlE.R

Nottling 路~ (hangc:d. and nothing's \lo'Or~ed. E"''ety alil5npt to tr:msfotm Vanr::orJ.ver's boYmtuwn Eastside sl.wn has.failed. C~ It be d.ooc bflore the Ol~n"lpfci? What do t~e t~rts reromrnend now? WhJl woold you do?

Follow ow speci;:)l series ori VilllO)u'Jer's.PowtrtoWn. ~ 颅 c~路s. Shun: 11le Fbr. only in lhe Globe and MaiL

"Drastic measures are needed to wipe out this blight and make us look good for the Olympics."

"Of course they' 11 have to be arrested!

It's a crime not to live the good life."

"There's no such thing as totalitarian capitalism!"

The Battle for the Downtown Eastside 1. Operation Phoenix: This name was given to the declaration of war over our territory. The launchjng of it has the druly papers, crv & backroom strategy getting the same message out on all fronts while maintruning the charade of seeking public input. The media giant working with the provincial government and corporate real estate interests is the same one that owns The Vancouver Sun, The Province, CfV, TSN and CKNW, not to mention several weekly papers.

In The Province there were enlightened articles and

pictures showing how black and white the problems are while engaging all thinking people with deep insights like Which do you prefer: Good honest people or poor drug-crazed addicts; decent condo's or ratcockroach-bedbug infested welfare hotels; clean streets or the way it is now with poor people selling stuff on the sidewalks and homeless criminals fixing and pissing in alleys and hard-pressed business doorways; a sweeping change to make Vancouver a real world-class city (just in time for the Olympics oyea!) or going at a snail's pace trying to please/satisfy all

the bleeding hearts and all their special interests?????

The medium is the message! Our neighbours and ourselves are shown in the worst 路light while these armchair experts smugly tell all what has already been decided: they know what they want and all that remains is to blind public opinion with this barrage of how awful we are.

Nothing good has ever been done in the Downtown Eastside, period. All the money spent here on social programs has been wasted, period. The work of developing many award-winning buildings, co-ops, community housing, Insite saving hundreds of lives, projects like the Totem pole, community gardens & turning empty Jots into meaningful memorials and growing things, a Neighbourhood House, an Arts community vibrating with the rich talents of residents who, even if in Onsite or under/beyond psychiatric care can and do shine.

The real experts on homelessness are those who are; the best and wisest in matters of community housing and making dreams real are those living in the hardwon types of housing described above; to know what to do about drugs and substance abuse, ask those who are either still active in or past their addictions; to be clear on how spiritual strength is undying ask women Stop pretending to enlighten us, encouraging us to share individual stories and let that time only mean more backroom battering can proceed apace. How else is it that when the forces of greed and class bias want what they want when they want it the entire media, V ANOC, government & billionaire-bullshit just goes ahead as if we do not exist?!?

The outrage at how local people are unwillingly exploited, made to look and sound like 2"d-class wretches immediately after being asked to pose for the cameras, is leading to some strange and brilliant ideas. "We should do a column and campaign on

Kerrisdale & Rosedale -Canadian Ghettoes of Greed."

The Downtown Eastside, in a new series being launched in The Globe & Mail (again with the complicity of CTV), is now officially Canada 's slum. The brutally short statements in promotional stuff are the bones of every article, story, report and assessment of how the pioneering gentrification is proceeding, and it's just now getting into high gear.

For the next 12 months (actually I 0 or at most, 11) this one-sided attack will be a daily thing, just like the obligatory anti-NDP stuff of 10 years ago when every media source, article, story, assessment and

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report was daily unrepentant in saying how awful that government was. The gag law brought in by Gordon Campbell, effective Feb 12, makes it criminal to do the same to the Liberals. The legal challenge to wipe this garbage off the Jawbooks won't be heard until after the election.

Isn't it amazing how these twerps play the system and then lie smiling!? Don't despair and don't quit friends. We've never gotten anything without a struggle, and so far we've kept our gloves on.

By PAULR TAYLOR

Remember the Canadians first they see white picket fences and makeshift trenches They see poorly made crosses and the price it'll cost us The Canadians a strong row, The Canadians a strong soul.

When we fall, we know the call When we die we know they cry, Some of us are from small farms, just boys Some of us are city boys, no longer in need of toys.

So we can win this battle or die like cattle.

The 3rd Reich is on our left flanks Turn, take aim and fire all tanks The battle is long, our men are strong.

A letter from home, the men are on the roam I open the letter, I keep it together, it's from my love She says, "I can only ask how it is there, but I can tell you your love is here."

I can only sit here and stare, and yes I drop a tear For you my love my warmth, and all my fear.

They say you fight for Eden and you die for our freedom When this is over you come home.

There'll be no need to roam, you'll remember in all splendour On the world stages, they will come of all ages In the world stadiums, they will remember the Canadians.

Stanton J and friends

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HomeGround for the homeless & underhoused of the Downtown Eastside

Friday February 20th - Sunday February 22"d on Dunlevy Street at Oppenheimer Park

Mission Statement To facilitate a creative, secular, mutually supportive event for homeless and underhoused DTES residents for 3 days in February, by providing a community inspired space where residents can enjoy nutritious meals and Downtown Eastside entertainers/artists.

We'll install two 30 x 80 foot tents on Dunlevy Street at Oppenheimer Park, serving food in one and hosting DTES entertainers in the other. During HomeGround several partnering organizations across the neighbourhood will host workshops with artists and others will offer foot care and haircuts.

The finalized HorneGround programming schedule will be widely distributed across the community in the week of February 13 th.

Interested DTES Artists

Do you want to Volunteer?

Contact Brenda at the Potluck Cafe [opposite Army & Navy] Contact Stacey at the DTES Neighbourhood House [501 East Hastings] 778

Monday to Friday 778 I 628.2921

I 316.3805

Organized by Carnegie Community Centre & The DTES Neighbourhood House in partnership with sister organizations Funded by the City of Vancouver