Monday, June 29, 2009

Elks' Donation To Neighbourhood Place


Arnold Kaiser and Gerd Nanninga donated a cheque for $1000 to the Caroline Neighbourhood Place Society represented by Maxine Blowers. Neighbourhood Place is the Caroline District's primary center for community services with a focus on children and families.

Pen Meets Paper June 29, 2009

Opinion by Helge Nome
By now, a lot of people are asking questions about the idea of “global warming”. Even the bulk of those who profess to be spokespersons for “Science” seem to be less vocal on that subject at present. “Climate change” is still a generally accepted term because it doesn't specify whether we are about to get fried, or freeze to death.
There are many confusing reports out there: People who have been traveling in the arctic regions of Canada for many years report on melting ice sheets and satellite images appear to confirm those observations.
Here in West-Central Alberta personal observations indicate, if anything, a cooling trend. I have a root cellar that has been in continuous use since 1992 and the potatoes, carrots and beets stored there respond to the longer term temperature variations in the soil. In the past it was common to see 6 inch new shoots on the potatoes in mid summer. At the present time there are hardly any shoots at all.

I have come across reports on the Internet of unusually low levels of sunspot activity so far this year and the NASA website confirms this with photos of the Sun's surface shown there. The Sun apparently is just as temperamental as most other creatures in the Universe and goes through periods of depression and elation along with the rest of us. The difference between us and the Sun is that of slave and absolute Master: If the Sun takes a snooze or coughs, we either freeze or are fried. There are no arguments.
The idea that our greenhouse gases should determine the climate on the earth is to elevate ourselves to a level of importance that we do not deserve. It comes about as a result of ego inflation, a common human trait.
The Egyptians got it right: Ra, the Sun God, was their master.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Caroline Dance West Recital: "PASSION"

The following photos were taken at the Red Deer College Stage performance on June 5, 2009. You can download copies for free from the website or order high quality prints from:
Helge Nome, P.O.Box 354, Caroline, Alberta, TOM OMO.
Phone: 403 722 2836. Email: helgenome@hotmail.com

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Pen Meets Paper June 16, 2009

Opinion By Helge Nome
I have a problem with the introduction of nuclear power to Alberta. The technology itself has been around for a long time, with mixed results in the countries in which it has been used. Some nations, like Japan, have not had a lot of choice when adopting an energy source for a modern energy intensive economy, because of the lack of fossil energy sources. I believe Germany has turned away from nuclear plants towards green technologies based on popular demand. Canada used to be on the cutting edge of nuclear technology in the past, but has since slipped back with the latest debacle being the failing reactor at Chalk River that can no longer supply isotopes for medical use. Old nuclear plants have been turned over to private interests who are trying to turn a profit from their new investments.
The group that is planning on building a plant some 25 km north of the Town of Peace River is called Bruce Power which is a partnership among Cameco Corporation, Transcanada Corporation and BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust, a trust established by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, the Power Workers' Union and The Society of Energy Professionals.
The main problem that I have with this idea is the ultimate cost to society when this proposed puppy gets to the end of its useful life. The cleanup costs of the contaminated site, based on experiences in England, would likely be many times the cost of building the plant. And who would be on the hook? Would the complex partnership of absentee landlords foot the bill? It would likely be non-existent at the end of the useful life of the plant leaving the taxpayer responsible for cleaning up the mess. That's the trouble with privatizing everything: You privatize the profits and socialize the costs. Another scoop for Big Energy.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Pakistan general: US interfering in Iran affairs

As reported by PRESS TV
Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:10:24 GMT

Former Pakistani Army General Mirza Aslam Beig claims the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has distributed 400 million dollars inside Iran to evoke a revolution.

In a phone interview with the Pashto Radio on Monday, General Beig said that there is undisputed intelligence proving the US interference in Iran.

"The documents prove that the CIA spent 400 million dollars inside Iran to prop up a colorful-hollow revolution following the election," he added.

Pakistan's former army chief of joint staff went on to say that the US wanted to disturb the situation in Iran and bring to power a pro-US government.

He congratulated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his re-election for the second term in office, noting that Pakistan relationship with Iran has improved during his 4-year presidency.

"Ahmadinejad's re-election is a decisive point in regional policy and if Pakistan and Afghanistan unite with Iran, the US has to leave the area, especially the occupied Afghanistan," Beig added.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Democracy Now News


Iran in Turmoil After Disputed Presidential Election; Anti-Ahmadinejad Street Protests Continue
Iran-triple-web

Iran remains in a state of turmoil after Friday’s much-anticipated elections ended in a result strongly disputed by opposition candidates and many thousands of their supporters.
Today, Iranian officials refused to allow the leading opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters to hold a major rally protesting the re-election of President Ahmadinejad. Demonstrators began calling for the election to be canceled after the Interior Ministry announced that President Ahmadinejad had won over 62 percent of the vote. The official results gave Mousavi less than 34 percent of the vote. Heavily armed riot police have been cracking down on street protests that continued through the weekend. Early Monday morning, security forces raided a dormitory at Tehran University, injuring fifteen. Opposition websites report that over a hundred prominent opposition members were detained and then released over the weekend. We speak to Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council and David Makovsky, co-author with Dennis Ross of a new book called Myths, Illusions, and Peace.

Pen Meets Paper June 15, 2009

Opinion by Helge Nome
In view of the recent controversy over election results in Iran, an overview may be in order, based on a CBC news article:

“For most of history, the tract of land now called Iran was known as Persia. It wasn't until 1935 that it adopted its present name.
Quick facts
Official title: Islamic Republic of Iran
Area: 1.648 million square kilometres
Terrain: Mostly a central desert basin surrounded by mountainous rims
Government: Theocratic republic
Capital: Tehran
Head of state: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-Khamenei
Head of government: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Population: 66 million (July 2009 estimate)
(Sources: CIA World Fact Book )
Early Persia was a formidable empire, whose vast plateau rimmed by mountain ranges, was variously invaded by Arabs, Turks and Mongols.
The discovery of oil in the early 20th century generated international interest in the nation, particularly Great Britain and Russia. A 1907 Anglo-Russian agreement divvied up Iran into spheres of influence, though it was later annulled after the First World War.
The United States became increasingly interested in Iran following the Second World War, particularly its oil reserves.
In 1953, the U.S. and Britain helped orchestrate a coup d'etat to oust Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq, bringing the pro-Western monarchy, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, back to power.
In the years that followed, Iran forged closer ties with Washington, receiving large amounts of military and economic aid from America until the late 1960s. Iran began ramping up its defence budget, and with the help of American and British defence programs, it became one of the region's strongest military powers.”
The article goes on to describe the Islamist revolution that took place in Iran and turned it into what is described above as a “Theocratic Republic”.
The reason why Iran is of interest to us here in Cold Canada is its strategic importance on the world power chessboard, and for that reason, its political instability. Its vast energy reserves makes it a coveted prize for the world's power players, including the Western Empire (the United States, Britain, Canada,
Australia, Israel, etc), Russia, China and others.
The supporters and descendants of the ill fated Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi have been working diligently, along with the CIA, to mount a challenge against the present Islamist regime in Tehran, culminating in the recent election.
The question now is: What happens next? Will the West sponsored “Green Revolution” have a similar outcome to the likewise West sponsored “Orange Revolution” in the Ukraine? Will there be a change in leadership, and if so, will a new regime carry out the bidding of the West as did the Shah? Or, is there a plan to create an excuse for an invasion of Iran?
There is only one thing we can be sure of. The struggle for effective control of the government in Tehran will be ongoing and the outcomes are uncertain. The Persians are very independent people and they have had a gut full of the West under the Shah and the CIA sponsored war carried out by Saddam Hussein on behalf of the Western Empire.
My sentiments about the present situation in Iran were expressed by a young Vietnamese man I talked to some time ago, in relation to American and other colonial adventurers in his homeland in the 1960ies. “I come from a 5000 year old culture” he said with a smile. “Did you believe we would allow them to take our country away from us?”.

Caroline Dance West Senior Hip Hop Class


Back: Janice McIvor, Tane Stange, Vickie Wesolowsky, Tristyn Browning, Shaina Wilson. Middle: Alyx Stange, Stefanie Denham. Front: Callie Cech, Danika Foesier, Miss Randi (Larway) and Meghann Michalsky. Missing: Birch Gano.

Caroline Dance West Had Successful Year

The Caroline Dance West club's Senior Hip Hop class, under the exceptional choreography and teaching skills of Miss Randi, had an extremely successful year.
They won two Golds and a High Gold at competitions in Calgary, Airdrie and Sherwood Park, and in Airdrie they qualified to dance in the Dance-Off, placing second and receiving a trophy and scholarship money. With only a little over two hours notice that they were to perform in the Dance-Off, they managed to round up the whole group, minus one. They now have the opportunity to go to the championships in July in Kelowna, BC.

Meghann Michalsky, who danced her first solo this year, after 14 years of dance won the top Lyrical solo and was also awarded a scholarship. Caroline Dance West boasts dancers all the way from Rocky Mountain House to Sundre, and is now completing their 24th season. The grand Finale for the year will be at Red Deer College on Friday, June 5. For details contact Kari Stange at 403 722 2076.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Democracy Now News


Shell to Pay Out $15.5 Million to Settle Landmark Lawsuit over Death of Nigerian Activist Ken Saro-Wiwa
Shell-web

The oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay a $15.5 million settlement to avoid a trial over its alleged involvement in human rights violations in the Niger Delta. The case was brought on behalf of ten plaintiffs who accused Shell of complicity in the 1995 executions of Nigerian writer and environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others. We speak to Ken Wiwa, the son of Ken Saro-Wiwa, and attorney Judith Brown Chomsky. [includes rush transcript]

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Pen Meets Paper June 8, 2009

Opinion by Helge Nome
For those of us who take an interest in politics in Alberta, a troubling trend is developing: The government in Edmonton is concentrating more and more power in its own hands by having bills passed that marginalize other groups such as the judicial system (Bill 19) and municipal government bodies (Bill 36).
And we already know that the Stelmach Government has a very dependent relationship to Big Energy with blurred demarcation lines between the government bureaucracy and the bureaucracy of the large energy corporations operating in Alberta. So, in effect, those corporations do what they please on the land that legally belongs to the people of Alberta.
The evidence for this is found in Bill19 (Land Assembly Project Area Act), Bill 36 (Alberta Land Stewardship Act) and the latest, Bill 50, that seeks to give Cabinet unfettered power to grab land they consider to be needed for power transmission lines so that their corporate energy friends can export their product to consumers in the U.S.
And just to add insult to injury, we, the energy consumers in Alberta, have to pay for these lines through increased charges on our electricity bills so as to improve the bottom lines of the balance sheets of Stelmach's sponsors. We are also being forced, by our own government, to give $2 Billion to these corporations to help them develop a carbon dioxide capture technology, so that they can fit in with environmental regulations. The reason? Improved bottom line again. Alberta is becoming a corporate welfare state.
We are now reaching the sorry end of a road that started with Ernest Manning and the government of his day when he befriended the Pew family in the U.S. who were the owners of Sun Oil which has since evolved into SUNCOR of tar sands “fame”. When it was realized that Alberta was full of oil and gas the big vultures moved in and took control by using the governments of Manning, Lougheed, Getty, Klein, and now Stelmach, to perforate Alberta with holes in the ground and leaving behind a spider web of rusting pipelines and toxic tar sands ponds.
Rather than taking charge of our natural resources, successive governments have allowed them to be grabbed by outside interests at bargain basement prices and we have finally arrived at a point where these folks are forcing us off our land to make way for them and also pay them for doing it! It's pathetic.

Spotlight on Grads and Youth Showcase Coming Up

This event will take place at the Legion Hall on Sunday June 14 from 3pm-5pm.
Featuring: Vicky's dancers and Mr. Funk's Musicians. Fashion Show. Feature Speaker is Danielle (Bolduc) Steenbergen. Door prizes, silent auction, finger foods.

CAROLINE NEIGHBORHOOD PLACE TEAM FOR 2009/10


Front: Maxine Blowers, Val Staben, Millie Nanninga, Laura Cudmore. Back: Carrie Bergevin, Helge Nome, Leslie Detta, Wilf Tricker.
Neighbourhood Place is a Community Services Outpost in Caroline.

ANNUAL CRAMMOND YARD SALE


It happened inside and outside the Crammond hall on Saturday, May 30. A good way to meet neighbours.

THE CAROLINE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2009

Class of 2009 Graduation Ceremonies Held At Caroline School

Seventeen young people from the Caroline area are about to leave the nest and try out the world. Their rite of passage was celebrated in the Caroline School Gym on Friday, May 29, with family members, friends, school staff and school division representatives present, along with local community representatives.
The graduands were piped in by Michael Rodriques and O'Canada was sung by Cassidy Piesse. Following the speeches delivered by local dignitaries, Melissa Keim and Harrison Berg, on behalf of their graduating class, presented a cheque for $2,000 to Caroline Mayor Laura Cudmore. The money is to be used to construct two water fountains, one in the Edna Topp Memorial Park on 52nd Street and one in Little Green Park. These are to be a permanent legacy to the Class of 2009.

Following the Valedictory address by Harrison Berg, the class song and picture montage and the Principal`s Address by Nathan Moore, the graduands were individually presented to the audience and given their diplomas and other items by dignitaries present. Their academic caps were thrown into the air prior to their departure from the gym. This was in keeping with the motto printed on the ceremony program: “ I'd rather live my whole life with a sense of abandon, squeeze every drop out, no matter what happens. And not wonder what I've missed” as quoted from Paul Brandt.


Front: Breanna Houghton, Vicky Wesowlowsky, Kelsey Schrader, Brandi Styner, Laura Lo, Tia Ferris. Middle: Corey Ennis, T.J. Wolf, Melissa Keim, Harrison Berg, Joe Miller. Back: Gary Cruickshank, Derrick Foesier, Landyn Shewkenek, Taylor Harder, Killian Newby. Not present in photo: Robert Campbell.

VALEDICTORIAN ADDRESS


Harrison Berg addressed his class mates and a large audience at the Caroline School Graduation Ceremony on Friday, May 29, in the school gymnasium.

BIG MONEY


Caroline Mayor received a legacy cheque from the Graduating Class of 2009. The money will be used to construct water fountains in the Edna Topp Memorial Park on 52nd Street and in Little Green Park as well. Class members wanted to create a positive legacy in the Village of Caroline and raised funds to that end for the water fountains.

PRESERVING THE PAST


Local World War II veteran Bob Dial is interviewed by Allan Cameron of the Memories Recovered Project at the Caroline Legion Hall on Thursday, May 28. He was one of several veterans inteviewed that day to preserve the personal memories of those that participated in that earth shaking event.
Allan Cameron stated:
"My vision for this project started in 2000, when Perley Cameron of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and I talked about his time overseas and landing on Juno Beach in 1944. He agreed with me that documentation of veterans' stories is something that had to be done. To put it in his words, 'Let the young people of today know what happened so it won’t be forgotten.' Unfortunately, he passed away several months afterwards and I was unable to record his experiences. From then on, I decided to put forth an effort and ensure that as many veterans are documented as want to be"
Allan Cameron works closely with Canadian Legion representatives to realize his dream. He also does freelance video work and can be reached at alcammy@hotmail.com.

SPORTS DAY RELAY


High School students at Caroline School enjoyed a day of outdoor sports activities on Thursday, May 28

STUDENTS ARE REALLY SUPER (STARS) AWARD WINNERS


Grade 2: Feather Abraham, Grade 3: Jayden Ogilvie, Ryan Bergevin, Ryan Groves and Mathew MacAhonic

MORE STARS AWARD WINNERS


Grade 3/4: Amelia Ahlstrom and Brylee Peacock, Grade 4: Andrew Roper, Andy Larsen, Calvin Fauville, Erin Houton, Ethan Bystrom, Nicole Kyncl, Grade 5: Donavin Nichols, Easton harder, Keltie Cummins, Shyla Schmalzbauer, Tessa Smith

OUTSTANDING STUDENTS OF THE MONTH


Grade 1: McKenna Foesier, Breanne Kerik, Grade 2: Courtney Alstott, Grade 3: Wyatt Black, Grade 3/4: Destiny Faithful, Grade 4: Rachel Pengelly, Grade 5; Shandell Hoefsloot, Grade 5/6: Sierra Mascaro, Grade 6: Megan Little

HARDEST WORKING STUDENTS AWARDS


In receipt of these awards were, Grade 1: Abigail Anderson and Tanner Labreque, Grade 2: Jenna Pengelly, Grade 3: Morningstar Twoyoungmen, Grade 3/4: Carly Graham, Grade 4: Katy Johnson, Grade 5: Mackenna Westling and Taylor Burns. Grade 6: Cole Crossman

ACCELERATED READER REWARDS


Katy Johnson, Zack Oliver and Dori Waters received tee shirts for their reading efforts

NEW WALKWAY FOR ELKS YOUTH CENTRE


Andy and Mike carried out the work on Thursday, May 28

CAROLINE DANCE WEST SENIOR HIP HOP CLASS

Caroline Dance West Had Successful Year

The Caroline Dance West club's Senior Hip Hop class, under the exceptional choreography and teaching skills of Miss Randi, had an extremely successful year.
They won two Golds and a High Gold at competitions in Calgary, Airdrie and Sherwood Park, and in Airdrie they qualified to dance in the Dance-Off, placing second and receiving a trophy and scholarship money. With only a little over two hours notice that they were to perform in the Dance-Off, they managed to round up the whole group, minus one. They now have the opportunity to go to the championships in July in Kelowna, BC.
Meghann Michalsky, who danced her first solo this year, after 14 years of dance won the top Lyrical solo and was also awarded a scholarship. Caroline Dance West boasts dancers all the way from Rocky Mountain House to Sundre, and is now completing their 24th season. The grand Finale for the year will be at Red Deer College on Friday, June 5. For details contact Kari Stange at 403 722 2076


Back: Janice McIvor, Tane Stange, Vickie Wesolowsky, Tristyn Browning, Shaina Wilson. Middle: Alyx Stange, Stefanie Denham. Front: Callie Cech, Danika Foesier, Miss Randi (Larway) and Meghann Michalsky. Missing: Birch Gano.

CAROLINE FALL FRENZY-- FIRST ANNUAL SCHOOL/COMMUNITY FUND-RAISER!

The two students pictured below were the winners of the contest that ran in the grade 8,9,10 and 11 homerooms to decide the name for a new idea that Caroline staff and students are going to run for the first time in September 2009.
Braedan Jameson came up with the name “Fall Frenzy” as the name of our new endeavor. Nicole Fortin came up with the “Harvest Ball” for the dance that will celebrate the success of the fund-raiser. The crowning of the “Lord” and “Lady” (idea submitted by Bayleigh Lyons)are the male and female coordinators of the grade that raise the most money(it is a competition between the grades) and are honored for all their hard work at the dance.
Caroline School has a group of staff members who have modeled this fund-raiser after “May Queen” that has been operating for the last 30 odd years just 30 minutes south, in Sundre. We are hoping to raise enough money in the 4 days the students are working so that this one fund-raiser can support all of the educational ideas teachers try to manage over the course of the year such as field trips, drama presentations, science demonstrations, etc.
In September, there will be lots of advertising throughout the community. If your company or farm or yard needs a job tended to such as picking rocks, cutting lawn, loading firewood, cleaning up garbage, digging potatoes, painting, just about any type of menial labor that you can think of, contracts can be sent by a student to the school and organized such that a group or two students can come out to your location and perform the job at a pre-determined contract price or per hour basis. Contracts can come from any community member or student in the school. Just remember the money total goes toward the grade of students that you hire. An elementary student(parents) are welcome to submit contracts but whichever grade completes the work gets credit for the job. There will be the annual community barbeque to kick off this event in the middle of September to provide contracts and ask questions for those of you who may consider this idea. The Caroline Fall Frenzy will be from Wednesday, September 23—Saturday, September 26th. Please mark these dates on your calendar and start thinking of all those jobs you just never seem to have time to get to! More details will be coming out in the next few months. You are welcome to call the school and get more information if we have piqued your interest.

FUNDRAISER BRAINSTORMERS


Nicole Fortin and Braedan Jameson came up with some good ideas for Caroline School's first ever Fall Frenzy Fundraising event planned for this fall

Monday, June 1, 2009

Pen Meets Paper June 1, 2009

Opinion by Helge Nome
What happens if there is no money or credit available to a lot of people? What would happen if the government of the day were to refuse to dole out unemployment or welfare payments to those that had no income?
There would obviously be riots with unpredictable consequences. So as long as there is a government of sorts, money would be made available, in one form or another, to prevent anarchy.
Somalia is a case in point. Without a functional government, a good number of former fishermen have turned themselves into pirates on the high seas and are effectively ruling parts of that country by using the wealth they have acquired by their daring off shore behavior.
How does a government get its hands on money when it is needed? Especially when the stuff has suddenly become scarce, as is the case today. The universally accepted method is to go to somebody, like a big bank, and borrow the stuff at interest. The assumption being that this bank has vaults full of money that is available for lending. That is what the common man generally believes, and has been subtly made to believe all his life. So if we were to march into the vaults of the Bank of Canada we would expect to see a lot of money, maybe even gold?
It wouldn't be worth the trip. The only money in the Bank of Canada is to be found in the petty cash tin, used to buy coffee for the staff, etc.
How about the International Monetary Fund. Surely they would be loaded? How else would they be able to prop up a bankrupt state like Iceland? And save third world economies? Just the Petty Cash tin again. This is very disappointing. Whatever happened to Uncle Scrooge McDuck? He used to have a whole barn full of money.
Hey, that may be where our misconceptions come from. Walt Disney, YOU Are In Trouble! All this time we have believed that banks have vaults full of money. And it is a bunch of baloney!
So how does the Government of Canada get its hands on money to keep people from starvation and rebellion? If nobody has any money in their coffers, how is it possible to get a hold of the stuff and give it to people that are in need?
That's were magicians come in handy. Abra Cadabra, and there you are, pigeons or money, it is all the same to a magician. All that is required to make it work is that we believe in the magic.
Therefore, when everybody finally go running to the International Monetary Fund folks for money, all they have to do is to hire a good magician and he will produce all the money anyone could ask for, at a good rate of interest, of course.
The question is, why couldn't the Bank of Canada hire its own magician?