Brandon Folk Festival

Wonderful time at the Brandon Folk Festival this weekend. Beautiful weather: day in the low thirties, sunny, cooler in the evening. After the sun goes down, a nearly full moon rises. Friday evening had a great ending with Brandon's "The Errant" then "NuPhunk Orchestra," and finally a demonstration of the "Prairie Pyros Fire Dancers." The setting is the quaint grassy treed area of the Keystone Centre - an oasis in the middle of the city. Seeing many old friends is the icing on the cake.

What's Up at the Wheat City Journal?

Over the years when I worked at Westman Recycling, I always enjoyed being interviewed by Kyla Henderson at the Wheat City Journal. She was very interested in the environment, and wrote a number of positive articles. She also wrote a very sympathetic A Sad Day for Westman Recycling when our facility closed in February, 2006.

She had been recently promoted, but then seemed to mysteriously disappear. I sent the paper the following "Letter to the Editor." (The newspaper has not acknowledged my letter to them.)

Where's Kyla?

What happened to Kyla Henderson?

For five years, readers of the Wheat City Journal have been treated to the writing of Kyla Henderson. Whenever I was interviewed by her, I was always impressed by her friendliness, enthusiasm, and professionalism. I'm sure readers enjoyed Kyla's column where we learned of her personal life, including her marriage, change of name, new house, garden, the dogs, and more.

I'm also sure many congratulated her on her promotion to "News Editor." We read Kyla's first column in the new role, of her taking a "deep breath" as she faced the challenge of filling the big shoes of her former boss, Bruce Penton.

Then, with the July 12th issue of the paper, Kyla Henderson simply vanished. Her picture had been erased from the masthead showing those who put out the publication. A new editor's picture was there now, with a new name and face on the Editor's page four column. But to have someone as central as Kyla just disappear with no explanation shows disrespect to readers who get to know the people of a community newspaper.

Ironically, the new Editor's column was titled "Same Face - New Day." It may be a "New Day" at the Journal, but it is not the "Same Face," is it?

Wherever Kyla Henderson is now, I'm sure that Wheat City Journal readers would join me in thanking her for her past work and wishing her well in the future.

Community Shared Agriculture

Yesterday we picked up our week’s produce from the Community Shared Agriculture program, or CSA. We had participated last year, and I wrote a column about this in June. In our share this week were carrots, radishes, summer squash, potatoes, lettuce, and -most delightfully - berries: raspberries, strawberries, and saskatoons. Delicious!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Resource Conservation Manitoba and people of Winnipeg for doing so well in the 2007 "Commuter Challenge" in June. Read more.

More Malathion Spraying in Brandon

Officials were quoted in yesterday's Brandon Sun responding to criticism reported earlier. "I truly do have the utmost faith in the advice that I'm getting from our public health officials," said Manitoba Health Minister Theresa Oswald.
I think that this points out that the average person is caught between competing scientific claims. One thing could be more discussion of science and policy issues in schools - get the arguments out and prepare kids for the debates that they will experience in their futures. And there will be more debates in the future.

Conrad Black Trial Over

One of the interesting points made during this trial is that it is one of the first to be so influenced by emails, Blackberries, and blogs. A lawyer in the trial could make their presentation, then sit down to read an analysis of their performance in a blog about the trial, filed by a reporter sitting a few feet away.
This isn't the last we'll hear of this, either, as there will be a flood of electronic and print reports to follow.

Malathion Spraying in Brandon

In a front page story in the Brandon Sun today, there were strong words at a rally yesterday to protest the spraying of malathion in residential areas of Brandon. The provincial government, on the recommendation of public health officials, ordered the spraying to combat mosquitoes that could be carrying West Nile virus.

"The public health officials in Manitoba are incompetent. I know them well," Dr. Bill Paton, botany professor at Brandon University, was quoted as saying.

Added Errol Black, City of Brandon councillor, the public health officials who are advising the government "should be fired."

There were no comments from officials in the story, and the Sun only provides online access to the paper to its paid subscribers.

After reading that, I don't think I'll be the only one not sleeping as soundly when there will be spraying tonight in my area of town.

Live Earth

Here is the pledge from last weekend’s Live Earth concerts, “The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis.”:

I PLEDGE:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next two years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral;"

3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.


I know that concerts have raised awareness in the past, and galvanized people to action, but I think that the first pledge item (reduce pollution by 90%) looks undefined and unrealistic.
Anyway, all the best to them.

Gossip in the Graveyard

This is a time for local history, as Brandon celebrates 125 years of being a city. Last Friday evening, Meg and I attended the presentation of “Gossip in the Graveyard.” Sponsored by Brockie Donovan Funeral Home and the Brandon 125 Committee, it was preformed by the Brandon theatre group Seven Ages Productions.

This event was a terrific way to bring community history to life. Actors portrayed colourful local figures from the past, at their actual grave sites in the Brandon Cemetery. Led by an actor dressed as Brandon's first mayor, the group stopped by about one dozen places throughout the cemetery. The weather was great, and those attending seemed to really enjoy themselves. Ending with refreshments, it was a wonderful evening.