A lovely day in the neigbourhood, a lovely day in the neighbourhood....won't....you be my neighbour?

Good neighbours

 

Businesses and individuals were recognized for their community involvement by the social planning committee.

 

BY MARIA RANTANEN, THE TIMES FEBRUARY 1, 2011

 

 

Two businesses and three individuals were recognized for contributing to the health and well being of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

The joint Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows social planning and advisory committee gave four Spirit of Community awards at Tuesday’s Maple Ridge council meeting.

Deddy Gees of Hagen’s Travel and Brian Bekar of Mark’s Work Wearhouse received good business awards.

Claus and Debbie Andrup were nominated in the family category for the good neighbour awards, and Gail Clarke, a Yennadon resident, received the individual good neighbour awards.

The good business award was in recognition of contributions made to community events or initiatives, for example, donations of goods and services, promotions that contribute to community building, or helping to make a positive change in the community.

Ineke Boekhorst, executive director of the Downtown Business Improvement Association, gave the awards at Tuesday’s Maple Ridge council meeting. She pointed out that Gees was one of the founders of the Caribbean Festival, an annual free festival that has been running in Maple Ridge for 10 years. He also organized a free event for the staff of Ridge Meadows Hospital to show the community’s appreciation for their local hospital.

Brian Bekar was given the award because his business fundraises for the Friends in Need Food Bank twice a year by running a barbecue. They have also held events to support breast and prostate cancer, and they help to support the Junior B hockey team the Ridge Meadows Flames.

In the family category, Claus and Debbie Andrup were nominated by their neighbours. Claus Andrup was president of the Historical Society, supports several health and social causes, for example, getting assistance for people who are homeless.

Claus and Debbie were also recognized for helping prepare the Haney Wharf for the reception of Andrew Ladd who came home to Maple Ridge last year with the Stanley Cup.

Gail Clarke was nominated by a neighbour she is well known in her Yennadon neighbourhood for making sure the environs stay clean, which has resulted in a sense of pride in the neighbourhood.

The awards are given out annually to citizens of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. This year, it just happened that all those recognized were from Maple Ridge, said Boekhorst.

© Copyright (c) Maple Ridge Times

Read more:http://www.mrtimes.com/Good+neighbours/4203947/story.html#ixzz1Cv7FtSUV

Mubarak may have resigned by the time you read this - or may not

URGENT MESSAGE FROM EGYPT: (re-post if you can)

by
Jerrod Dunn on Friday, 28 January 2011 at 02:11

To all the people of world

The people in Egypt are under governmental siege. Mubarak regime is banning Facebook, Twitter, and all other popular internet sites Now, the internet are completely blocked in Egypt. Tomorrow the government will block the 3 mobile phone network will be completely blocked. And there is news that even the phone landlines will be cut tomorrow, to prevent any news agency from following what will happen.

Suez city is already under siege now. The government cut the water supply and electricity, people, including, children and elderly are suffering there now. The patients in hospitals cannot get urgent medical care. The injured protesters are lying in the streets and the riot police are preventing people from helping them. The families of the killed protesters cannot get the bodies of their sons to bury them. This picture is the same in north Saini (El-Sheikh zoyad city) and in western Egypt (Al-salom). The riot police is cracking down on protesters in Ismailia, Alexandria, Fayoum, Shbin Elkoum, and Cairo, the capital, in many neighborhoods across the city.

The government is preparing to crackdown on the protesters in all Egyptian cities. They are using tear gas bombs, rubber and plastic pullets, chemicals like dilutes mustard gas against protesters. Several protesters today have been killed when the armored vehicles of the riot police hit them. Officials in plain clothes carrying blades and knives used to intimidate protesters. Thugs deployed by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior are roaming the streets of Cairo, setting fire on car-wheels as means of black propaganda to demonize protesters and justify police beatings and state torture

All this has been taken place over the past three days during the peaceful demonstrations in Cairo and other cities. Now, with the suspicious silence of the local media and the lack of coverage from the international media, Mubarak and his gang are blocking all the channels that can tell the world about what is happening.

People who call for their freedom need your support and help. Will you give them a hand?

The activists are flooding the net (youtube and other sites) with thousands of pictures and videos showing the riot police firing on armless people. The police started to use ammunition against protesters. 15-year old girl has been injured and another 25 year old man has been shot in the mouth. While nothing of these has appeared in the media, there is more to happen tomorrow. Will you keep silent? Will you keep your mouth shut while seeing all these cruelty and inhumane actions?

We don’t ask for much, just broadcast what is happening

Written by: Mariam Hussien