June 1, 2009, carnegie newsletter

JUNE 1, 2009 carnnews@vcn.bc.ca www.carnnews.org (373 hits perctay!) http://harvesters.sfu.ca/chodarr (INDEX)

NEWSLETTER 401 Main Street, V6A 2TI

604-665-2289

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A. G. M.

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CCCA Annual General Meeting is coming!

Voting for candidates for the Carnegie Community Centre Association's Board of Directors will take place on June 4 at 5:30pm in the Theatre. Registration is from 5:00pm-5:30pm; meeting starts at 5:30pm. To vote, one must hold a 2009 membership purchased on or before May 21, 2009.

ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES The following 20 nominees are eligible candidates to run for the CCCA Board Member elections at the June 4, 2009 Annual General Meeting: ~

Adrienne Macallum Ben Rampre Clyde Wright Collen Carroll Craig Hathaway Gary Mah Gena Thompson James Pau Jason Fleury Lisa David Martin Mellado Marvin Dennis Matthew Matthew Norma Jean Baptiste Paul Campbell Phoenix Wisebone Priscillia T a it Rolf Auer Sand ra Pronteau

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Those who use the phrase "Don't insult my intelligence" Us uall y have little to p rotect Curious how a psychopath Is always I 00% right About everything All the time.

Question it and you may End up insulting their intelligence AI

Participate in the Hope in Shadows 3-day photography contest!

You could win: First prize (I winner): $500 cash Second prize (5 winners): $ 100 cash each Thi rd prize (I 0 winners): $50 cash each llonourable mention (24 winners): $25 cash each Wi nning photos wi ll be exhibited and may be used in the 2010 H o pe in Shadows calendar

Cost to enter?

Free!! Cameras and training provided!

1/ow to enter?

Pick up cameras at 10:30 a.m., Saturday June 6 Interurban Gallery (I East llastings) Contest ends 5 p.m., Tuesday June 9 Space is limited to 200 contestants- cameras are handed o ut on a first come, fi rst served basis so get there early!

This contest is open only to low-income residents (incl uding children) of the Downtown Eastside.

Each co ntestant receives a disposable camera. All pictures must be taken with an official contest camera. You enter your photos by returning your camera -we take care of the developing and printing! Contest cameras must be returned to the Interurban Gal lery on Tuesday June 9 between I p.m. and 5 p.m.

For more info rmationcall604.255.9701 Car oly n Won g

Projecr Coordinator I Hope in Shadows Pivot Legal Society 1678 llastings Street East Vancouver, BC V6A IRI tel: (60~) 255-9700ext 1361 fax: (604) 255-1552 W\\ w.ptvotlegal.org

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NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN·-3 Roule11 ~- • 6115-6561

IRONY AT ITS BEST:

City- Sa45pm -llc45pm

Overglgbl -12:30am- Br30am Downtown East1lcle- Sr30p1J! -I:JDa•

1900 people get the Swine Flu and everybody wants to wear a mask.

10 million people have AIDS and no one wants to wear a condom.

CFRO 102.7 FM CO-OP RADIO Next issue is June 15th SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Thursday, June 11 Free showers for homeless persons at 3X1 canal Wed 7-8:30am; Sat 7-10am; Women Only Fri 6-8pm

401 Main Street, V6A 217

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'I1IIS NEWSLE1TER IS A PUBLICADON OF THE O .RNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles npreseat the views of individual Contributors and oot ol the Association.

• Edito~ PauiR Taylor ·-Cover photoby taylo7"ste~artI CoDalion & distribution crew: Harold, Liu Lin, Bill, Mary

I Ann, Miriam. Rolr._1ina. Videha. Kelly, ~. ~ob~, Nick,

We acknowledge that Camegi' Community Centre, and lhis are Coast Salish Territory.

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WANTED Artwork for the CIUJiegil! NewsktUr

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Jackie. Matthew. Usa, Red. Pablo, Ida, Prisalha. L1sa. r

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TIM STEVENSON CITY COUNCILLOR

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SERVING THE COMMUNITY

WnHPRIDf

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QTYHAU

45l Wtsr 12111 AVf.. V5Y 1VII Phone:

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Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA

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Working for You 1070-1641 Commercial Dr. VSL JYJ Phone: 604-715~790

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SmaU illustrations to accompany articles and poetry Cover art -Maximum size: 17an(6-3/41 wide X 15cm(6") high.

Subject matter relevant to issues pertaining to the Downtown Eastside preferred, but aR work wil be considered; Black & White printing only Size restrictions must be considered w your piece is too large, it wiD be reduced and/or cropped to fit; All artisls will receive aedit for their w011<; Originals wil be returned to the artist after being copied for publication; Remuneration: Carnegie volunteer tickets.

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Please make submissions to: Paul Taylor, Editor.

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Law Students' Legal Assistance Program

LSLAP: Carnegie hours Tuesdays : 2pm-5pm and Gpm - 8pm Wed-Fri: 1 Oam-12pm and 1pm-4 pm

2009 DONATIONS: Bany M.-$150, libby D.-$70 Rolf A.-$50, Margaret D.-$40, Jenny K.-$23, Sue K.-$30, Sandy C.-$25, Christopher R.-$180 Uel L -$25, Greta P.-~. Java B.-$75, Alayne-$25 Anonymous -$1500 leslie 5.-$25 The Edge ·$200 Harvey 8.-$25 Wilhelmina M.-$20

pretty well hammed it up.

Next was lunch, the yoga had worked up ou r appetites for sure. Excellent sandw iches, wraps, salads and desserts. The lineup was well worth it- 1 piled o n the chow and stashed some g rub in my bag fo r later.

After lunch, we were told that we could each pick one activity for the afternoon. T here was painting, quilting, danc ing, storytelling, rug hooking, cedar bark weaving and on and on. I wanted to get out for

REPORT FROM THE LEARNING CENTRE I can't believe another year has sailed by! On Thurs111 day May I 5 a bunch of us got on a luxury bus at 9 am for our field trip to Squamish. We had just said goodbye to our dear Hal the day before and was this ever the best medicine. I couldn't help but think about how much Hal would have enjoyed this day.

Every year we seem to get out of the city for one day at least. This year we went to Squamish for an event hosted by the "Squamish Literacy Programs ofCapiIano University". The sun shone on the way up the Sea-to-Sky Highway, behind dark ominous clouds.

My friend and I chatted away and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Periodically, Lucy announced a site as though she were o ur tourist g uide.

Upon arrival at the Totem Hall in Squamish, piles of muffins and coffee and tea awaited us. The sun was shining and the wind was brisk. Across from the Hall stood "The Big C hief', a massive granite mountain world famous for rock climbing. 1 knew one thingyou'd never catch me attempting to scale that rock!!!

Two guys come in and tell us - get on your feet and do what we tell you. You are goi ng to do laughter yoga- like it or not. Me, being a regular yoga kind of gi rl - no, no not laughter yoga. 1 can't laugh for an ho ur! We ll, 1 got up and did what they told me and you know what - it wasn' t that bad . Everybody was happy for a while and ta lk about open and frie ndly people. Smiles overflowing. l think we all

a walk, so chose to go on the Estuary Tour with Ricky and Caroline and a bunch o f other delegates from other places. After a I 0 minute wait on the bus we were off to downtown Squamish. The people who were doing the downtown tour got off at the Iibrary and we proceeded to the Estuary. Our guide was a biology teacher.

I liking in the forest is something I hardly ever do.

The fresh green air and brisk co ld wind were the perfect antidote to stuffing myse lf at lu nch. We took a little bit too long on our hike and the bus was waiting for us when we got back. We saw a hawk. a cowbi rd, some ducks and just enj oyed the s ig hts and sounds o f nature.

Meanwhile, back at the Lodge, the crafts and act ivity people were still involved in their projects and there were even more muffins and fruit and chocolate sauce to devour.

Next were the Closing Ceremonies. Our Drum g roup, "Harmony of Nations" started out the proceedings with a great perfonnance of native origins.

Another g roup sang "The Rose" w hich was one of the songs they use to teach ESL students. Amanda from Sechelt led us in an uplifting cheer that she had learned at camp. Then we all formed a circle and did "The Wo rld", chang ing shapes by moving the circle around. Then everybody joined in with an up lifting version of"Imagine路' by the Beatles . We all felt warm and fuzzy as we sang along to John Lennon's inspirational lyrics.

Then we were back on the bus for the tri p back down the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Wondrous vistas of sea and mountains whi zzed by. Soon the Lions' Gate Bridge loo med on the horizon and we were back in the big bustling city. As the bus made its way up Hastings, l caught sight of all the familiar lan dm arks and there we were, back in our ' hood. Many thanks to all the people who hosted this event.

T he Learning Centre will be open throughout the

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summer with all our volunteers manning the fort; while Lucy. Betsy, Allan, Bonnie and Debbie take a much-deserved vacation. Drop by the Learning Centre and pick up our brochure and see how we can help you out with any of your educational needs.

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Submitted by, Adrienne, your Learning Centre Reporter

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Squamish Trip by Norma Mah Today is a beautiful day. I join the Carnegie Learning Centre for a one day tour. We go to Squamish, BC. Squamish is between Whistler and Horseshoe Bay. Th is is aboue 45 km from Vancouver, up north. Two big travel buses take us there. I take some pictures for remembering. I enjoy good food.

After lunch, we do some different programs- sing a song, dance, have fun. It is a very good day. We get back home at 6pm

Eastside Stories The People. The Voices.

Friday J une 19 - Sund ay J un e 21, 2009 Carnegie Community Centre, radha yoga and eatery.

DTES streets Free This three day community event is rooted in Downtown Eastside stories of identity/ home, displacement/ resistance. The weekend includt::s concert events, fi lms, social history walks; and oral history personal story sharing with Downtown Eastside residents - events that support the neighbourhood's struggle to survive as a community and take pride in its history. In honour of this event, VMT is remounting East End Blues and All that Jazz, a soul-stirring evening of gospel and blues, jazz and memories. Full program details will be available in early June at the Carnegie Centre, throughout the DTES, along the Drive and at www.heartofthecityfestival.com.

Produced by the DTES Heart of the City Festival with the support of the City of Vancouver Great Beginnings Program.

Including-

East End Blues and A ll Th at Jazz Saturday June 20, 7:30pm Carnegie Community Centre Theatre. 40 I Main Films, 6:00pm Free

Street Soccer Team - 2009 Vancouve r, BC

Contact : 604. 665. 2210

Come hear two of Vancouver's great gospel and blues singers in East End Blues and All That Jazz, a celebration of the life and times of the Downtown Eastside's historic black community. Singers Candus Churchill and Tom Pickett and musical director/ pianist Bill Costin are honoured to share the stage with Master of Ceremonies; the well known Downtown Eastside raised actor Austin Chic Gibson, and his sister and guest singer Thelma Towns-Gibson.

The concert will commemorate the Fountain Chapel, the Harlem Nocturne, fine eateries such as Vie's Chicken and Steak House and reflect on the elusive Hogan's Alley. The Saturday evening presentation at Carnegie is preceded by films on the historic black community in the Eastside, including among others: 'Hogan's Alley'.

A Vancouver Moving Theatre production.

7 FROM BUFFALO MEAT TO BALONEY Ca rn egie Cent re ex hibition June 1st to 30 1h opening reception Thu rsd ay, J une 4 a t 5

pm

The Art of Downtown Eastside Elder Bill Quinn The invasion ofNorth America in 1492 brought pain and suffering to the people who had lived here for thousands of years. This powerful series of art work is the result of a lifetime of experience on the underside of colonialism. The work reveals the different world views that animate indigenous and European cu ltures. With his art, Bill Quinn makes an unequivocal statement about the nature of imperialism and global capitalism and the impact these forces have had on the world's indigenous people.

Raised by his grandmother on Alberta's Saddle Lake reserve, Bill was forcibly taken away to residential school at the age of seven. A member of the Downtown Eastside community for forty years, Bill is fluent in his ancestral Cree and maintains a strong connection to the oral traditions of his people. Ten years ago he took an original approach to collage art and began transcribing his rich understanding of contemporary society into a visual discourse that layers tragedy and humor into thi s one-of-a-kind exploration of the journey from buffalo meat to baloney.

Time now for another lesson like Americans being taught Triggernomatry & how superior their ideas ....., are & have always been from waterfronts to the fronts of war taking full command of all this here 8 land that's how Selfishists bought their way into ~ this uncharted land it's all in their blood 'be a sport &give us a pint whi le you're sti ll al ive' we need said liquid to survive, don't miss out enjoying the empty night I've never been one to make things 1 right like floating reminders of 19 " century miners their coa l & their daughters w ith that glib gift of gab honour-bound & gagged civilizations piling up at the door Turncoats & Tophats look fine beneath thy floors tell me it's not the trigger fingers TELL ME IT'S NOT & Shoot shout shoot news at eleven -pictures at 12 maybe? Shout Get Down! Down on the ground after being tasered 4 or 5 extra times cardiac arrest beats them to the punch with cops now seething which I of the 4 ki llers could taste it most he says he had one day's training & was low on the totem pole but being a cop time for a thought to himself job well done nothing more than community cleansing. Go ahead and ask Mrs. Clean whose husband died just awh ile ago still she attends to the unattended the untaught the unmended unconscious unclear like a nuclear day washes all Earth's enemies away oceans apart wi ll now come together how many have been in our shoes & blamed the weather me the greasy pig an awfu l lot like me got my own burial s ite picked out that damned pendulum feeling reeling in my head misleading the misled into a su rvivor 'Khmer Rouge' being a huge hit with the undead and all you selfishistic, lunatistic, psychotic " normal people" equal the square root of evil wh ich is in your thoughts & minds; so many problems we need 2 infinitys just to make up for lost time but as was mentioned Turncoats & Tophats an awful like me sensed dread the second I get out of bed how was our sleepless night the superior idea you've got appears to radiate panic attacks. Don't worry my shadow has my back Turn to escape not today thanks to "our'' superior idea but wasn't it mine let's not whine about an idea that took much thought now the rest of kin maybe listening in Oh well nothing to hide again so I thought happiness can be as miserable as you want it to be I'm just a product of modern frustration * easy becomes difficult down to the new people; I'll never know time to turn in. Yes you may go Rv ROBERT McGILLIVRAY

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Annual Women's Housing March Saturday June 13th Starts at l :30 pm outside the Downtown Eastside Women 's Centre (302 Columbia, Vancouver) Everyone (including m en) welcome.

This annual march is held to highlight the ongoing necessity of social housing, childcare, and healthcare especially for women living in poverty and w ho suffer the threat of violence.

We are marching for:

- Social Housing, Child care, and Healthcare for all!

- No more Evictions and No more Condos in the DTES! - People Before Olympic Profits!

- Stop Criminalizing the Poor!

Although we are still suffering in shelters and on the streets, we are not yet defeated! We are making our voices heard, we are bringing empowerment into our lives, we are fighting for positive change, and we are expressing the humanity of our ne ighbourhood. We hope all of you will join us.

For more information contact project at dewc.ca or ca/1604-681-8480 x23.f. We are also seeking endorsements, please contact us ifyou would are interested in being added to a list ofsupporters.

{From the memorial table for a woman who died too young] Dear God: The lady reading this is beautiful. classy and strong and I love her Help her live her li fe to the fullest.

Please promote her and cause her to excel above her expectations.

Help her shine in the darkest places where it is impossible to love Protect her at all times, Lift her up when she needs you the most Let her know when she walks with you she will always be safe.

Love you Sis!!!! Now you're on the clock!

In 9 minutes something will make you happy But you have to tell 9 sisters you love them including me!!!

Submitted by W Miles

Federal Tories taking liberties again In the May 16, 2009 issue of The Globe and Mail was this article, "Ottawa's plan to fingerprint those not yet charged comes under fire," written by Steven Chase. The article told of the Federal Tories' attempt to enact legislation that would allow police to fingerprint and photograph people it had not yet charged.

The Province also covered the iss ue, after a press conference about it was held on May 20. An article, ''Criminal Code identification amendments raise alarms," by Frank Luba appeared on May 21. In The Province's online forum on the issue, partly reproduced in the newspaper on May 22, was this response by somebody identifying them self as "89": "People are very naYve ifthey think this wi ll not negatively affect them. Not everyone picked up by the police is a criminal. Our system is based on ' innocent until proven gui lty' and just because people are fed up with gang wars doesn't mean we should agree with stupid decisions from politicians."

I tried to talk about this with David Eby (Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association) but he was unavailable. So I talked with Robert Holmes, the President of the BCCLA. He said that passing such a law would contravene I ,000 years of civil liberties guaranteeing personal integrity and privacy. If the Federal Tories were serious about this, why wouldn't Federal Safety Minister Stockwell Day propose fingerprinting and taking DNA samples from every Canadian? The answer is that wou ld result in a revolution. I asked if this law could be a step toward that eventual goal. He said that he doubted it; that under the proper process of debate in Parliament or in whatever committee this was to be decided that the law would be shown to be flawed , a contravention of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

According to the article, the Tories claim that having such a law in place wou ld "streamline the process" and avoid unnecessary delays that prolong an individual's stay at a police station.

But as Robert Holmes asked, where does one draw the line [in detennining who this is going to affect]?

Like a letter to the editor in The Globe and Mail on May 18, 2009 by Don Weitz puts it: "Who would be at greatest risk from this legis lation? Virtually all vulnerable or marginalized people: immigrants, refugees, aboriginals, black youth, the homeless, psychia-

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tric survivors, social justice activists--especially when they try to asser1 their right to privacy, freedom and dissent."

Note the focus on dissenters: it's no accident that while post-911 I America has curtai led the rights of its citizens as a result, that Canada would somehow follow suit... especially as part of the Federal Tories' enhanced law-and-order platform.

The article quotes prominent Toronto defense law-

yer Clayton Ruby: "Providing fingerprints is selfincrimination and the Constitution protects us from this. The line is drawn when you are charged. And to allow police to compel you to incriminate yourself before that moment is open to abuse."

Also problematic, said Robert Holmes, is how does one go about having the information on them destroyed after one is released, uncharged, and that information has gone into some giant database? (The article states that there is no provision in the proposed law for doing this.)

The article s tates that BC Attorney-General Wally Oppal defended the proposed legis lation, saying it would speed up processes for both the individual detained and for the police. I am rather inclined to disbelieve anything Wally Oppal says in this regard, as he was the BC Liberal MLA responsible for instituting the infamous "gag law路路 restricting third-party spending for as much as five months leading up to an election. The federal limit on this law is one month.

He doesn't exactly sound to me like the type who would embrace the concept of freedom. (N.B.: aBC Supreme Court judge struck down the "gag law路'.)

As letter writer Don Weitz so eloquently concludes "This legislation should be widely and immediately denounced as a serious threat to what's left of democracy and human rights in Canada; it wou ld be auto matically approved and enforced in a police state."

By Ro lf Auer

Insite Versus The Government Of Canada Do people in Canada have a right to health care even if they are perceived to be breaking Federal law in doing so? Recently the matter came before the BC Court of Appeal. In a 3-day meeting involving up to a dozen lawyers this question was heard by 3 provincial court judges. ( I attended and took notes on the last two days of hearings). Most people here in the DTES know of the importance of Insite and how many deaths it has prevented. It may not be the answer to fighting the war on drugs but it is an improvement on the heaithcare of the drug addict. There have been several well-respected medical reports showing how INSITE has benefited the province of BC and the people of the DTES but the Federal Government doesn't see it that way. They say supervised injection is not medicine; it does not heal from the use of drugs. To them lnsite is breaking federal laws regarding the use of illegal substances. They say junkies should be in rehab or in jail and Health Minister Tony Clemente has no choice but to abide by the existing laws concerning heroin. Even though lnsite is now an innovative approach to harm reduction from heroin The Federal Government has ask the Province to close it so that they can come up with a better plan.

In contrast the province says the Federal Government has exceeded its jurisdiction when they impose on provincial health care. If they can't impose on health care then they can't prohibit it also.

The Province says that the existing law is part of the problem because it forces people into the underground economy where there is less protection from the dangerous elements of the drug. For instance when a drug overdose occurred on the street the friends of the victim would not call the paramedics because they in turn would involve the police who wou ld then create more problems for the users. Police now have backed away from this approach in the interest of emergency healthcare. The Province says people make the best decisions on the ground that is closest to the problem; the province has the freedom to experiment and to innovate. They maintain there is no increase in crime rate from Insite and that using needles safely there has decreased the spread ofH IV. This in turn will cut the future costs of treatment for this disease.

The Federal Government says though the science is mixed public policy is clear. The fcds say they have sole jurisdiction over the use or prohibition of controlled substances in Canada and that these laws over many years have been longstanding and well targeted. Only the Federal Health Minister has the power to grant exemptions and only under established j urisprudence. They say there is no provincial legislation requiring jurisdictional immunity for health care at Insitc. As it is lnsite is just an idea developed and operated by the health agency Vancouver Coastal Health. Until legislation is passed in Victoria it is to remain under Federal control. The Province is trying to oust this jurisdiction by claiming immunity yet there is no provincial statute governing the implementation of this type of health care. This is the strongest argument that the Federal Government has against Insite but it is clearly insignificant when compared to the facts of the case. The Province states that human rights concerning health care are paramount and state a legal principle that when there is a conflict between human rights laws and other laws the human rights law prevails. As stated earlier if the Federal Government cannot impose on health care, then neither can they prohibit it.

A decision by the BC Court of Appeal is expected in approximately two months.

By Stephen Kinnis.

Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP)

Newsletter Find us in the Carnegie Association office (604-839-0379)

June 1, 2009

Club W: Social Mix or Social Exclusion The city and others claim that the new Woodward ' s complex is a great example of "social mix" because it has condos (over 500 units) and social housing (about 200 units but only about 150 for low income people).

Check out this blurb on the Woodward's website.

It's a description of the common space for the condo owners on the top of the building. See if you think the new Woodward's will be about social mix or social exclusion: "Escape" "Club W" "Your parents' rumpus room never looked like this. Remarkably, the penthouse level Club W is all yours. Owners will have full access to an amazing array of rooftop views and amenities including a glass-flanked gym, sta~ked media room and glamorous lounge. Live large in the soaring double-height space. Read.

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Flirt. Meditate. Invite your friends to a movie or barbeque. Dine outside on the deck. Get steamy or wet. There's even a giant hot tub (yes-in the shape of a W)."

"Plus, Club W is rumoured to have the sexiest restrooms on the continent."

And hey, not to 路 worry that nearly 900 SRO residents in Gastown don't even have their own washroom and about 700 Downtown Eastsiders don't have a home. You' 11 need binoculars to see these folks from your elegant perch.- JS We can't show you pictures of Club W because we can't copy them from the website, but ifyou can get on a computer you can see what it looks like for yourself by clicking on the amenities at: www. woodwardsdistrict.com

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Hotel loophole could spell trouble during the Olympics This is a copy of Jean's speech from a recent city council meeting. At that meeting, council allowed the CN Backpackers to change its designation from a monthly hotel to a daily/weekly hotel without any penalties. Most of her speech is about the I vanhoe Hotel that is next door and operated by the same management.

Ivanhoe goes daily/weekly, that will be even worse. From what we can tell the Ivanhoe has 10 dorms 路with 4 to 6 people in each. They are supposed to have 94 rooms so 10% would be 9 rooms. But evidently some rooms are bigger than others. The desk clerk told me last month that he was expecting 65 people in on one weekend and that he had single people waiting in the dorms, paying $375 each, for single rooms to be vacant. If you google Vancouver Hostels, you get a website that advertises the Ivanhoe as "across the street from the future Olympic village .... " We are petrified that hotels will use the 10% rule to rent out rooms during the Olympics and evict longer term tenants. We have seen in the past, with the Columbia Hotel, for example, where hotels simply start renting daily weekly in violation of the bylaw and get away with it.

If you have to exempt the CN Backpackers, then do what you have to do, but: we urge you to amend the SRA bylaw to eliminate the 10% provision for other hotels in the area. If you don' t do that, at least eliminate it starting now until after the Olympics. And staff must be instructed to keep a very careful eye, at least monthly, and weekly by

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the dangers of daily weekly rentals and their potential for squeezing even more low income SRO residents onto the streets or into the shelters you've been creating. You probably know that the SRA bylaw allows hotels to rent 10% of their rooms on a daily/weekly basis. The problem is, we don't know how many are doing this so we don't know if hotels are exceeding their 10%.

I went into the CN backpackers last month as part ofCCAP's hotel survey.

The desk clerk told me he had several people renting monthly but that would stop in the summer. So I guess that ' s what this application is about.

The CN backpackers and the Ivanhoe across the street have a very close relationship. They are in the same pamphlet. We don路t like the CN Back packers being daily/weekly. Ifthe 2

December, we would say, on all hotels to ensure that they are not renting more than 10% oftheir rooms daily/weekly.

The hotels that we think need to be watched carefully include the Astoria, Balmoral, Cobalt, Creekside, Grand Trunk, Ivanhoe and New Columbia which are all renting daily/weekly now.

In addition, Danny' s Inn, has a sign outside saying Daily Weekly, $45 a day.

And there is a hostel website that lists the Pender Lodge, Shamrock Hotel, Grand Trunk and Ivanhoe.

At CCAP we believe it is urgent that council take action on this 10% rule before the Olympics if you don't want more homeless people.

(Below) Can you see bunks on every floor? The Ivanhoe may be renting more than 10% daily/ weekly which would be illegaL

Mayor comes to Carnegie to meet with CCAP volunteers Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) volunteers met with Mayor Gregor Robertson and Councilors Andrea Reimer and George Chow at Carnegie on May 22. The themes of the meeting were the need for more social housing and the need to end police brutality.

Sandra Pronteau told the city councilors that we need more social housing, not condos, and that "it's not acceptable for anyone to have to live in the poor conditions of the SROs." Rolf Auer asked the mayor explicitly if he would go on record that the Downtown Eastside (DTES) should be a low-income neighbourhood. He also asked him if the city could overturn the hundreds of bylaw tickets that had been handed out in December and January for minor offenses like jaywalking and vending.

Omar Barahona told the councilors, "We are here and we plan to stay." He called for more social programs and housing.

Phoenix Winter told the folks from City Hall, "This neighbourhood means a lot to me. We're all family here. We look out for each other." She asked if there was a way of dealing with police officers who take out their anger on people who are vulnerable.

Sarah Good said that she, 路had been homeless off and on for four years and told the sad and moving story of recent deaths in her family, mostly due to our society tolerating and creating poverty.

Aiysha Faruk said that she came from a "Third World" country to a rich country and sheh~ homeless and this was not right. l::.ee n At the end of the presentations, the Mayor and Councilors responded.

Robertson said that he and the rest of the Vision and COPE council would work to open up City Hall and make it more responsive to us. He said it was hard to build the social housing we need when the federal and provincial governments won't provide the money.

The Mayor didn't answer Rolfs question about going on record that the DTES should be a low-income neighbourhood. Instead he said, "More people want to live here and people want to build and sell stuff. It's hard to turn off the tap and say we're gonna stop." He also said that we had to ensure that our vision also worked with Chinatown and Gastown. At this point Jean Swanson interrupted him to point out that a majority of people in the whole DTES, including Gastown and (Continued on page 5) 4

(Continued from page 4) Chinatown are low income people, and that associations did not represent low income people.

The Mayor didn't answer the question about overturning the tickets either but Councilor Reimer said later that she would look into it.

The Mayor did say that the City's Height Review (the plan to put up to 16 15 to 30 story towers in the DTES) won' t be done until November or into winter.

On the issue of police brutality,

Robertson said the challenge was to respect the police and change the direction inside and try to get the culture to change.

Councilor Reimer then said she and Kerry Jang, another councilor, would be willing to meet with CCAP regularly.

Councilor Chow said, "We need a community for low income people and this is where it's gonna be. We are really in a third world situation here because there's not a low of cooperation from provincial and federal governments. ~JS

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5

CCAP sends 5 "Tuesday morning paragraphs" to mayor & council For the last 5 weeks, CCAP has sent a paragraph by email every Tuesday morning to City Hall. We hope they will support the DTES to be a lowincome neighbourhood in the future.

Here are the paragraphs we sent:

Reason #J: Social innovation

that work especially for us. We worked for 7 years to get the Carnegie Community Centre when some at city hall thought funding a community centre for a low income neighbourhood would be like npouring money down a rat-hole." We built award-winning social housing projects like the Four Sisters, and North America's first safe injection site. We stopped a freeway through our neighbourhood. We camped out for months to get CRAB Park.

Then we had to file a Human Rights complaint so people with disabilities could get access to it. The On to Ottawa Trek, which began the fight for an eight hour day and unemployment insurance, started in the Downtown Eastside. We're proud of these accomplishments and, given the right conditions, we could do much more.

Because we are the majority we can elect representatives to lobby for our unique needs. The DTES has had a hand in shaping cutting edge social policy for the region and country.

The Downtown Eastside has a lot to offer. Because low-income people have lived, worked and played together in the DTES for 100 years, we've learned a lot.

We are not marginalized here. We are the majority, about 75io of the population. Because there are so many of us, we have been able to create things

(This Tuesday morning paragraph brought to you by the Carnegie Community Action Project to help you understand why the DTES should continue to be a low income community and not be overwhelmed with condos).

(Continued on page 7)

Carnegie Community Action Project 401 Main Street, Vancouver, V6A 2T7 (604) 839-0379 Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Dear Mayor & Council Why should we preserve the Downtown as a low- income community?

6

(Continued from page 6) Reason 2 : Sharing Many DTES residents are very community-minded. Low-income people know how to share, which is the basis of community development. When you have less, you exchange more. In the DTES there is a highly developed sense of fr iendship , neighbourliness and community based on our practice of sharing resources. Some of our social hubs like Gallery Gachet, the DTES Women's Centre and housing projects run as collectives. We have street parties and festivals together. We bring food to our meetings, dr um together, get each other's groceries, and share the same back yard (Oppenheimer and CRAB

These are notes from a CCAP mapping session at a housing co-op in the DTES: " [This community] makes us feel human and that everyone is human. Someone on the street who is ill is not someone to be afraid of. When we walk to school and see someone ...we talk about the illness and not the person. It's done someth ing to [my children] as human beings that may not have happened if we lived somewhere else."

"I am proud of who I am and that I grew up here. I've been watching my kids come up and their level of bias is so much lower than other kids. They are much less judgmental than their peers. Two of my three kids grew up not worshipping the almighty dollar."

About the Carnegie cafeteria: "It's the glory of the cafeteria there. Everyone stands in line. Everyone sits down together. They look like the scum of the earth but someone is leaning over cutting up someone else's food. There are three guys in the corner and there are guitars and they have jams. Nobody is threatened by them. When my brothers come to town we go there to eat." ~ I'll tell you my worst experience (Continued on page 8)

--

Parks), and living rooms (like Carnegie Centre, the DTES Neighbourhood House) and much more. There is a lot of compassion here. W ith sharing in the DTES nothing is expected in return except a smile. A lot of smiling happens in the DTES.

Reason 3 : We care about each other.

7

"This area is like a stronghold. It's a place

(Continued from page 7) growing up here. When I was about 14 two cops stopped me one night. I was wearing a hooded jacket. They lectured me and said prostitution was illegal. I was thinking: I'm on the honour role. I'm thinking this and of people's judgment of the area. I decided I'm going to be proud of where I live and join all the other cool people here."

that even though you are backed in you are completely safe. It's like a last stand and you know who you are."

"Here you don't have to justify who you are."

"There's a lack of judg(ing) and a strong sense of loyalty."

"I don't feel stared at."

"I'm scared that classism wi ll come with

Reason #4: To stop "social exclusion" The city's plan for the DTES is to encourage market housing and maintain low income housing. Woodward's is a prime example. Here's an excerpt of the description of the amenity room for Woodward's condo owners: ~owners will have full access to an amazing array of rooftop views and amenities including a glass-flanked gym, stacked media room and glamorous lounge. Live large in the soaring double-height space. Read. Flirt.

Meditate. Invite your friends to a movie or barbeque. Dine outside on the deck.

Get steamy or wet. There's even a giant hot tub (yes-in the shape of a W)." ~Plus, Club W is rumoured to have the sexiest restrooms on the continent." Where do the social housing residents of Woodward's go for their amenities?

condos ."

"The people here are unpretentious. don't feel alienated here."

"I have 1000's of friends here."

"You can be wit-h~eople and not have to change." "

e're all .equal."

Van city

Reason #5. This area is like a

stronghold

Support for this project does not necessarily imply Vancity' s endorsement of the findings or contents of this report."

These direct quotes are taken from mapping and visioning sessions recorded in

2008-2009.

8

THE CRYING SPIRIT Delve no further for the crying spirits Angelic tears of peace searching for love's infinite cures Like a newborn babe their hearts are pure They'd cry for the spoils of Mother Earth's dwellers unpure The crying spirits' domain was taken away By devilish hounds from hell, them spirits of decay No mercy's shown for loss of babes' culture & spiritual beliefs Church-crazed upon them angels like a midnight thief The crying spirit is the grieving child An innocent babe whose struggles run wild Their stolen dignities were mercilessly torn apart From their native culture, language and families at heart Kidnapped angelic babes were nobody's fool Stolen from nature, imprisoned in Indian Residential Schools Caught in a web of noxious physical and sexual abuse Many run 'way -captured 'n buried- what's the use?

The Crying Spirits' troubles weren't a blind fable They were shackled, tortured and lived a life unstable Like a wild animal in a cage they'd cry For their mother's milk and love .. or die.

The crying Spirits perils unveil Pleading eyes thunderous wail Need you wonder why they cry Trying to escape grips of the evil ones .. or die.

Thousands lie in unmarked graves Tears inundated hearts of baby braves Heaven and Hell shall wash away IRS's religion's a fable 'n bullshit anyway Pollution of their twisted mind-frame stands no more Lost baby souls will knock at their door Of perpetrators Indian Residential Schools They were savagely abusive and morbidly cruel

COLLEEN'S CORNER VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday June lOth @ lpm in Clas sroom II ALL VOLUNTEERS WELCOME! Your voice is needed and appreciated.

Volunteers of the Month: Marvin Dennis, Pool Room Leueen Walsh, Learning Centre

Grin Reaper And how did you celebrate August 8th this year? Yo u didn't? You ignored' Admit You're Happy' Day, proclaimed by 16 governors? Well, that's ..... sad.

Not that it bothers happiness mi li tant, Pam Jo hnson, head of the 800 member Secret Society of Happy People, who lobbied all those governors to recogni ze her big day.

"There's a group for every wound you have", says Johnson, "but no group because you're Happy. We're advocates for the right to express happiness". That means talking about life'S joys -loudly proclaiming them, in fact ... even at work, where happy people, s he says, are viewed as maladjusted. If you say, "I really like my j ob o r boss", it's not cons idered cool. When did be ing happy become politically incorrect? Yo u have a right to be happy and to share that with others .

Naturally there are navsayers. "You happy people just need to keep your happness to yourself,"' one grouchy dissenter wrote her. Johnson was unfazed, "If they're happy being miserable. s he says, "we're 1appy for them."

The aftermath - dreams of a nightmare Blinded eyes can only look and stare People may hear our horrid stories one day Many will listen - others will turn away.

The aftermath of Indian Residential Schools So Cruel II So Cruel // So Cruel Oh church oh foe: Bring forth mine 1'1 sisters n brothers Who you buried in unmarked graves on Earth Mother I can hear them cry but you're closed off to their Crying Spirit Babes need proper burials- they are the Crying Spirits All my relations search and cry for the Crying Spirits All my relations, William Arnold Combes

Little ironies There are those who don't deserve to die And those who don't deserve to live Those for whom life was never good eno ug h And those who didn't deserve the life they had Some who died too soon Some for whom death was too good

Megaphone Wins Two International Awards On Thursday, May 14th, Megaphone Magazine was the proud winner of two international awards at the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) conference in Bergen, Norway.

Megaphone contributing photographer Ahmad Kavousian won 'Best Photograph - Evoking deeper perspectives on poverty and injustice' for his photo, 'Functionality', appearing in Megaphone Issue #2.

"A beautifully shot image of a hammock rigged up on a beach debris- as Vancouver's lack of affordable housing pushes more and more people onto the streets, the photo expresses the lengths to which some are driven just to find a place to sleep."

And Megaphone Editor-in-Chief Sean Condon won the 'Special Award for External Press- Advocating for the needs and rights of homeless people' for his story, 'Falling Through the Cracks,' which was published in The Tvee and then republished in Megaphone Issue # 15: "Paul 'Duncan' Geisbrecht, a Vancouver homeless man, suffered from schizophrenia and crack cocaine addiction. When he died last year, he was just one week away from entering supportive housing. Tracing Paul's life story, this piece illustrates how faults in Canada's social system can have tragic consequences for society's most vulnerable."

"On behalf of all our vendors and volunteers, I would like to express what a great honour it is for Megaphone to win these awards," said Condon, who attended the ceremony in Bergen with Megaphone editor Darren Atwater. "The International Network of Street Papers is a powerful movement that is reshaping the debate about poverty around the world while helping provide thousands of low-threshold jobs to homeless and low-income people. We here at Megaphone are very privileged to be a part of this movement and thank the judging panel for recognizing our

hard work."

The prestigious international judging panel included Martin Wanjala Ocholi, a media consultant from Kenya; Sanjay Suri, editor for Inter Press Service (IPS), Europe-Mediterranean (IPS); Silja J.A. Talvi, an award-winning investigative journalist and author from the United States; and Oddleiv Apneseth, an award-winning photographer from Norway. The awards were chaired by David Schlesinger, Editor-inChief of Reuters News & INSP's Honorary President.

"As a member of the official judging panel for two years running, I can attest to the continuing quality and depth of these entries, across the board-a fact most certainly due to rather than in spite of the diverse contexts, languages and geographies from which they have come," said Schlesinger.

Megaphone would like to congratulate Ahmad, Sean and The Tyee for their dedication to raising awareness about poverty and ending homelessness.

Victoria Day The holidays are always hard, the usual refuges shut nailed down abandoned, you walk from closed door to locked entrance to empty courtyard I remember what I' d really rather forget and forget what I'd really want to remember How Ali was barely 5 on the greyhound heading\.\(;. almost lost him, terrified I groped in the dark found him sprawled spread-eagled up the aisle he never worried for a second - he was totally safe travelling with his daddy to the house in Vancouver the years have tom a strip off of me, left me a g rey goatee and out-of-date shades, the spirit is stronger but the flesh is weakening as the sun disappears too soon on dwindling days now it's Ali's turn to take the boys in hand live up to his own idea of what a father can be I dance the dance of delirium in the freak show See more clowns than Ringling in my wanders Left with empty pockets, a hunger than won't cease And memories on morning when all the world has gone elsewhere, someplace I'm not welcome and so it is with holidays that time stretches a silk stocking with holes where life once filled all places now sagging and forlorn an old man grey except for the fire still burning in hopeful eyes R Loewen

Another Grey Day 'roo early come stumbling down the hall, no nicotine since last night, nerves in my legs tight and raw I make it down the stairs and out the door. Wedn~sday The sky is pregnant and depressed. The puffY clouds' grey and morose are ready to bust loose with torrents.

Tears? I slap my moccas ins on concrete, avoiding the one-eyed monster who jokes about something or other being JX its price. I struggle up Hastings towards a cigarette, my daily methadone cup of coffee. A long the way I see this waif of a girl barely out of teenagehood, wrapped in too-big sweaters and skinny pants that make her look like something out of Dickens. I wonder how she could get anything for her skinny malnourished body. Who buys these emaciated women? She's followed by a Back cap on top of the atypical dirtbag. I wonder where the pride is when he's passed out on the benches at Oppenheimer. He's fo llowed by a skull 'n bones hat -another refugee. Only thing 1 ain' t seen is a NYYankees hat; more NY hats in Vancouver than in Manhattan. Idiotically no one knows shit from shinola about baseball. .. blind allegiance to Trademark* I guess.

I fall through the pharmacy door. I come away with coffee & smoke pissed I can't sit quiet and gather my stores fo r the day.

Further down the Strip the boys at the bustop are looking mealy mouthful and filthy as they stand in !heir head-frozen-body-frozen goggle eyed to see if the Man ain't closing in. I'm not amused as I stare at this weird shade of red and oddly shaped _ _ under a blanket. After I focus I reali ze it's a hooker catching a nap under a coat. I'd been staring at her red-painted toes in her stiltshoes under the wrap ...

This hobbit woman all of 3 feet tall bounces down the sidewalk, a circus freak but I know she's got a job here. She just looks bizarre but isn' t. other than being so ti ny.

Paul, bless his soul, g ives me a ticket for my porridge The pretty orange fir! behind the counter serves me with a smile, a ray of sunlight in a grey down. She 's alone handling business this orning serving the masses at the Carnegie. Little does she know how many morn ings she's saved me with her ready smile.

Over porridge I hear two g uys comparing heroin addiction to alcohol addiction- app les and oranges but they persist in their analysis of human weakness. So I tell myself it ain ' t them that's ugly. lt'sjust a dowdy Wednesday with its threat of rain. It's iust a blue

day, not the fault of the people I meet. it 's easy to blame other people for the mood you have when there ain't no shine on your shoes ... you just got the Wednesday morning blues.

So I leave the two to argue the merits of this or that poison. Ready myse lf for the street, for whatever madness or sadness this grey day might bring.

I tell myself it ain't the people that's ugly. It's the ~rey fi.lm of ~y nightnares clouding my s ight. No use m get1mg ywtsted outta s hape. Another grey day is all. And after all beauty, or its opposite, is in the eye o!' th e beholder. After I fin ish th is missive I' ll get a ctgarene and take my leisure on the patio once again ' the king of the world.

m.L and tl f eiNED . . .

AI / I have heard from voices past, from close ~ some, some from long ago - how far back it does not seem to matter, for all time is bri ef both before and aftermostly to be left unknown, forever forgotten. What does it mean, why does this matter: to leave a mass ive part of yourself behind is a kind of chilling comfort ing thought/feeling; never then again alone nor solitary, easy to go. to fade away. So be it. Not really wan ting back ... what then I wonder? A II good or so I"ve heard, unseen although I've understood, to comprehend immense dreams finally untangled, limitless everlasting sunlight, clarity in this fantastic fantasy of unreality but not make-believe -of this I' m certain.

Not fak ir deception; all meant to deceive makes sense - has to- even when way beyond my reason, wherever that begins or ends. I have no doubts, secondguessing bei ng natural, nevertheless after all what have I lost what have I gained, what has been g iven, taken, stolen? I think I see but what I don't know, then I ponder harder, thinking twice then thrice. Can do, gets better. fall down, get up; I am always feeling heat yet stay balanced, fine-tuned withi n rarely timed, confusing constricting rules. T hough repetition is a safe zone (rut to sameness) nowhere amounts to next to nothing much, no more showi ng o ff -that just ain't my style .. flies in the face .. humbling .. w ishes 50150 for me; taking chances w ithin my lim its, ris ing, falling, possibilities. endgames profound not necessary, contrary thoughts pressing in but not to be deterred with straining loyalties -"to my own self be true"./ To be beaten, never, won't happen, rising above all, gathering storms, to respect s upremely the unforg iving force of Mother Nature; a universal truth as alROBYN LIVINGSTONE ways staying true to form .

A Poem to Last That killing must end, Especially of our animal friends All life is truly sacred Now be careful where you tread Who are you anyway To decide anyone's fate?

Why should you, say, be out To destroy or even take?

Is what I' d once heard Only in 'self-defense' Every other death is Unnecessary and absurd.

Too Much May K Too much to begin, too much to end

â&#x20AC;˘

First life and death's a real trend History shackles the victims, bleeding hearts of genocide Where diabolical lies 'n pleading truths collide Britain's leaders created an irreconcilable path When Canada's churches left mega-trails of blood baths Chronic inane words are best left unsaid For they speak lies 'n deny angelic babies dead (murdered).

To be sure 'tis sad to be not all there Many suffer, some silently, some not so quiet Some play it for all it's worth The drunk who likes to push people around Only when they're older and not as big and fa Gets drunk and cries to The Almighty How he's been stricken so He lost an eye but to hear him tell it The whole world is pitted against him And always has been, since birth and before I see the truly brave shuffling along Their canes a beacon to the jackals Who see it as opportunity knocking There are some people here I know God Wouldn't mind that much If they were dispatched a little early Just to stop the incessant whining Sometimes I wish I was young enough To give them a real reason to belly ache

Legacies of Indian Residential Schools? Lies! Lies! 'tis not past shares lest accountabilities are held for thousands of Indians' demise These heinous perpetrators still mock the stage of genocide Their atrocious demeanor was known by many, even those on the other side Comrnunica tion?

Mad men, crazed abusers, liars, murderers Abductors ... what can I say - life goes on This seems too much to be the end!

Too much and again, too much more Sacrifice of children still goes on today Keeping them ignorant, making them poor Enslaved to falsehoods, the earth in decay.

Warlords continue to bleed civilians en masse execution Babies lives murdered even by ev'ry and any abortion, So-called 'modern medicine' a plan to exterminate?

Their drugs and treatments add yet another plague Homelessness, savage weather conditions bring not n cold death Young birds and animals struggle for each single breath Choking trees 'n plants dying faster than ever before Machines spew deadly chemicals, fish now cover the ocean floor.

Television, Hollywood propaganda, media control brings more trauma No Age of Reason -too much fictional drama Our Seasons changing and certainly then "too much' will be the end.

All our relations, William Arnold Combes & May K

Jim Lee

Language a blunt instrument.

Rendering partial meaning Often not even Often misinterpretation Tragedies and travesties occur due to words.

And in the beginning was The Word.

Who said that?

It ain't necessarily so.

The things that you're apt to read in the Bible.

So- go figure Pilgrim - this language thing not the word not the grammar not the assumption not the gesture A clean SLATE- tabula rasa.

Unleam - learn anew Member ole Ezra P., one of those clever fasci~ - 'Make it New.".

Rethink Plato and Khayyam Even Shakespeare & Cervantes There is more than Will Power & Windmills Maybe- sometimes.

Let the New Sun Dance Begin Wilhelmina

Five Latin American Presidents Bring Hope To A Battered World On January 29, 2009, five Latin American Presidents spoke at the World Social Forum, held in Befern, Brazil -Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Evo Morales of Bolivia, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Luiada Si lva of Brazil, and Fernando Lugo of Paraguay. (I) The World Social Forum is a gathering of progressive social movements. It is held every two years, and the one in January, 2009, attracted 133,000 participants from ISO countries. We didn't read about it in our corporate media because those with power and wealth don't want us to learn about the millions of people who are fighting for justice on our suffering earth .

The five Latin American Presidents had a common vision for a democratic soc iety that was different from the economic system we have now that results in enormous wealth for a few people, and enormous poverty for many people. The Presidents called thei r new vision democratic socialism. They said that this vision wasn't the socialism of the past. It was a new social ism for the 21st century, and it was shaped by the ancestral val ues of the aboriginal peoples who make up a majority of the citizens in Latin American countri es.

President Chavez ta lked of "an Indo-American socialism." President Correa said, "We, the progress ive ... presidents are comm itted tv the social movements which are the ones that are providing the leadership throughout all of this Lati n America that is indigenous, mestiza (mixed), and of colo ur. .. we witness the birth of21 st century socialism w hich speaks to us of the need to act in community to address cor.~:non issues ... Twenty-first century socialism ... is

inspired by ancestral knowledge ... it is grounded on ancestral values and principles .. .This new development model s tates that human beings must live in harmony with nature, and not agai nst this Pachamama (Mother Earth) of our ancestral peoples."

President Morales said. "there is nothing more important than to govern side by side with the social movements, w ith the common people, with those who have always struggled ... If we, the peoples ofthe w?rld, are not able to bury capitalism, then cap italism will bury our planet. And that is why, sisters and brothers, it is our great respons ibility to stand up and defend humanity itself." _Yes, there's hope for a better world, and this hope n ses up through the suffering of Latin Ameri can people over five hund red years of European and American exploitati on. And this hope exists in North America as we ll, although we have much to learn from our Latin American brothers and sisters. Here's an example of ancestral wisdom, taken from a Navajo Prayer Of The Night Chant: "House made of dawn.

House of evening light.

Happily may I walk.

May it be beautiful before me.

May it be beautiful behind me."

If we can learn to walk in beauty, we will li ve in harmony with nature, and then we can build that 2 1st century democratic socialism of which the Latin American Pres idents speak.

By Sandy Cameron (I) "Latin American Presidents address the World Social Forum," by Asad lsmi; The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Monitor, April, 2009.

Carnegie Theatre Workshop ACTING BASICS Next Classes June 27, July 4, 11 and 18 Watch here for more details

God R~t Ye Merrie Summer in No Man's Land's End Game (a wee tale about me neighbours And it's nae hearsay .. ) Six long years have I abided in this here place This Britis Colombia Or peut-etre Nameless, placeless, spaceless Definitely less in many ways I hears about the lass who chose to die in the snow She had b@en offered accommodation some said I lowever, the end result was her choice S he chose to di e, Silme said Some said too proud or too something, some said

â&#x20AC;˘

Next door the Lopes family is arguing " I don wanna stay here!" she say He say to me- She harassing me!

They All know that word An' I ain' t talkin ' tweed, baby No tweed atall Next door is an "L" Lady Drinks a wee bit Used to be my friendl y neighbor I comforted her in times of trouble But she spread a rum our of me killing her cat Cat was a prisoner as far as I could tell Never allowed out to sniff the grass This black beauty with whiskers Peeked out from her door Put down for scratching mistress and ' friend ' Wilhelmina

ArtiStS~ Artisans!

O n four Saturdays in July. you will have the opportunity to showcase and demonstrate your creative skills at the 91h Annual Chinatown Arts & C ultura l Festi val in the Dr. Sun Vat-Sen Chinese Classical Gardens Courtyard . Tables are avai lable for free for display. demonstration and sales while multicultural performers entertain on the stage.

For information, please contact Terence Pun at the Chinese Cultural Centre by calling (604) 658-8872 or e-mailing "hq@cccvan.com".

News From the LibrarY- June 1 Hi everyone. By the ti me you read this, Beth will be back from her vacati on, and I'll be back at the Central Library. I had a great time bei ng your li brarian for the three weeks I was here.

New books!

Che Guevara is everywhere these days. The iconic image of the Argentine revol ut ionary appears on Tshirts, banners. album covers, people's bodies and even cola bottles. Michael Casey's Che's Afterlife [980.03] tells the sto ry of the image, from the moment photographer Alberto Korda snapped it at a funeral in C uba, through its gradual transformation into an ico:1 of rebellion and eventually an advertising image guaranteed to shift units.

Everybody loves Bob. Bob Dylan that is. After a ro~ patch in the 80s and early 90s- time spent as a born-again Christian, a string of lacklustre albums, and a seemingly epic case of writers block- Bob's last decade or so has been hailed as a creative rebirth and the return of one of the greatest of Rock stars, at a time when such stars seem in short supply. So w hat better time than now to crack open Lee Marshall's Bob Dylan: The Neverending Star [78 1.5 7]. Marshall, a sociologist, looks at Dylan in terms of his star status. How he began as a Folk Star, became a Rock Star, then a Fading Star, and now a Neverending Star.

Alice Cooper: paragon of Rock 'n' Roll depravity for 40 years and counting. And in th ose 40 years he's released an ava lanche of highly collectable material.

The Illustrated Collector's Guide to Alice Cooper [789.9 13] catal ogues and describes it all, from Vincent Fumier's (how many of you knew that was his real name?) first s ingle as a member of Phoenix, Arizona garage band The Spiders, to Alice's most recent album Along Came a Spider, with bootlegs, fi lm ap pearances and tours thrown in for good measure.

To wrap up this colum n, I'd like to let everyone know about the library's new collection of self-help books. In response to several requests, we've added a good selection of popular self-help titles for use in the library. These can be found in the reference section, behind the check-out desk. Look for examples of some of these books in the display case, along with the books in this column. Happy reading, everyone!

Randy, your librarian while Beth was away

Calling All Aboriginal YoU1:h

ChecK This Qut:

FeaSt, FreeStYle, Fun ~Freebies June q.th, 2009, u-q. p.m.

HighlightS Include: Performances bY Local Indigenous Hip Hop ArtiSts, Food, o/ 'Prizes Inspiration, Fun and a cnance ro snare reFleCtions about: Aboriginal mentOrs @The Justice Institute of British Columbia, 715 McBride Boulevard Centre for Aborigi nal Programs & Services, New Westminster Campus http://www.jibc.ca/aboriqinal

My Dad today my brother Brionne, my CL husband Wendall , and I went to my Dad's house to clean it out of all his belongings. It is the weirdest thing to do I did not feel like I was invading Dad's space. I did however feel overwhelmed with all that surrounded me. I mean this is my Dad's life right here in this room this is all that he had all that he had owned all within these walls. You never really know a person ... my Dad and I were quite Distant in the past few years, but I have always loved my father he was my hero he was everything to me I was so very happy to see him the last time he came here in the beginning of April, My Daci came to invite me to a concert at the Carnegie his brother Clarence was going to play a concert there ... my Dad had organized it was awesome all who went surely enjoyed it. As you can probably tell I did not attend the concert not to my Father's disappointment but to my own .... as my father is now past it is something I can never take back. There is something I can do! it is to remember what was important to my Dad ... the Carnegie was so very important to my Dad! The people that were there were the people that he chose to be around you see my Dad wasn't lonely when he passed he was surrounded by love all of which I have been informed of these past few days! it was all around him love from all the people, people who loved all that my dad gave and all that he was! he helped so many people it is hard for me sometimes... but to know it was not as hard to my dad as I thought it was! he was truly loved and Respected in the community. A community known all around the World my Dad was a part of that he gave to all those who had nothing and he gave his heart & soul he gave everything! He had nothing of monetary value but what he gave was so much more than anything of monetary value could measure up to! Dad gave his heart and soul to all, he contributed he gave because he could and he did! My Father is my HERO he gave all he could till he chose to go home to his ancestors.

I love you Dad I miss you and I hope that I will be half of who you are you are an inspiration ... oh yeah when I picked up my Dad's wallet and keys from the police station there were some volunteer food tickets in the wallet and I know my Dad always wanted us to come and share a meal with him so i am going to come use his tickets so you will see me around the Carnegie having a meal with my dad in my heart and thoughts............. Please don't wait to tell someone

you love them. Why is it we only love when it is too . late or give when the giving is gone we can be the change we look for just dig deep to find it! We all have it! Dad had it and gave it for years for not more than a meal, he gave all he could for a meal and your company ....... Have a good Day - Crystal Asham ( hal's Daughter) -

Just Letting Me Know It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon and 1 am out visiting a cou~le of friends David, Dawn, and Yogi ... so 1 am at the1r place nestled in south Vancouver on the west side of the tracks- a little place called Musqueam. I am so trying to sound like a writer right now bahahahha well I am but you know ..... i am feeling a little phony bologna! Hey it rhymes just looks like it doesn't ok ok on with the story ... so i am at David and Dawn's picking up a little wisdom and telling them about the past few weeks and all the stuff we have done to honor my fathers life & wishes.

One of Dad's wishes when he passed was for us to have a native ceremony and for all of us his family to

be together. So I te ll David, Dawn, and Yog i about th e ceremonies that we had, three ceremonies a sweat, a burning, and a pipe ceremony to honor our Dad and to help us w ho he left behind. We started with the sweat ceremony I don't know how long it was but it was quite sometime maybe 2 hours or so.

My daughter Raven came into the sweat and she lasted three songs in the first round I thought that was pretty brave of her cons idering she had never been to a ceremony in her life and it can be quite ... i don't know i don't want to say scary or intimidating but its different for everyone every individual will look at it differently ... but i still thought it was pretty brave of her to do it! and so did Tree one of the people that was hosting the ceremonies for us in the second round of the sweat the woman's round she Tree sang a Raven song to honor Raven my daughter for being such a brave little girl for coming in to the sweat. So after the sweat was over. .. wow can you say exhausting.... but good for the soul. ... we started with the burning they had all of us line up behind the fire there were 12 dad's family and 4 other people who were hosting the ceremony for us. So there we were Rob the fellow who was i guess you would say reading i dunno the ceremony for us although you do know he wasn't reading it is the only word i can use to describe what he was doing for us. So Rob told us they were going to call Dad's spirit here and that he would come and eat the food offering they had set there for him. this is how it went for me after they lit the fire ...there are two piles of wood arranged one that is built like a hmmm log cabin pieces of wood stacked on top of each other and kindling on the ins ide. They placed the food offering on top of the pile of wood and started the fire. after a few minutes the fire had reached the food it only burned the food a little bit while this is happening i am getting flashes of Dad eating and then gone for a few minutes the fire slowed and seemed not to be burning the food. I cou ld see the look of concern on Rob's face because he turned and looked in my direction. A few moments after that i could hear footsteps coming from behind me walking around us tow~rd s th e fire although there was no one phys ically there. Then you really seen the food burn fast it was Dad eating with frie nds and a little girl who i do not know but i got a flash of her running off after she ate quickly after the food was done they asked the family stand ing near the other fire to move over so they could start the fire

for the clothes offering. T his pile of wood is set up differently than the food offering fire it was set up like yo u wou ld a camp fire leaning the wood against each other in a tee pee shape and there is two pieces of wood set up like a lean two over the other wood above where the fire would burn this is where they put the clothes to offer... this is what happened for me when they lit the fire ... once they lit that fire it was fast i got a flash of my Dad talking he said "What now I got to eat clothes" ha ha ha I chuckled a little bit and I thoug ht oh maybe I shouldn't be laughing.

Those clothes burnt really really fast and once they were done burning they told us what happened. They told us what I have told you except w hen it was happening I didn't know I was experiencing what I was until they said it then I got a really great feel ing cause I saw it all in fl ashes I saw my Dad again and I was fill ed with joy. I was lucky enough to get some of Dad's sence of humor Dad would say being cheeky even from the other s ide I am grateful for that and to see my Dad healthy and happy again. So I told David, Dawn, and Yogi this story and I also told them that Dad was with me so much in the days after I found out he had passed away in fl ashes and his voice telling me he was proud of me telling me he knew I loved him and that he loved me one word I heard over and over again was that he was proud and Love of course Love . I to ld David Dawn and Yogi that I didn't want to miss that because it would be harder for Dad on the other side. But in my heart I knew I did miss it I did not dare say it out loud though! after all them sto ries I told it was time for me to get back ho me especially since my brother Brian (my mothers son) was waiting for me outside in his truck! ahahaha well I said good bye and I wou ld see them soon gave each one a hug and a thank-you for li stening! I go to the truck we Drive away and we get about 5 minutes away and Brian says is that a Ferrari up there I said yeah I think it is ... they are 2 cars in front of us the car directly in front of us turns off the road the lig ht turns red and we catch up to the Ferrari I look at the license plate and what do I see but... ..... .

HAL in the license plate man did I ever smi le from ear to ear and in a flash I heard my Dad say where I am we all drive these things! ahahhahaa I guess it was my Dad's way of Just letting me know ...... he is always here with me ..... driving in a Ferrari !

Have a good Day Crystal Asham (hal's daughter)

off \HE SIR~~7' Arts & Crafts Fair Saturday,June 20th, 2009 .Victory Square •

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