
The Waterfront Calendar March 20, 2010 at 3pm Windsor As part of the Broken City Lab: Save the City project, and to better understand the city and its rich and failed history, Broken City Lab researchers will invite the community to learn the Francophone history of Windsor through a collective performance and storytelling of traditional French Folk Songs native to the Detroit River region on Saturday, March 20th at 3pm.The details: Saturday, March 20th at 3pm, meet at the corner of University and Pelissier. Led by Dr Marcel Beneteau, a professor in the Department of Folklore and Ethnology at the University of Sudbury, participants will meet at University Avenue and Pelissier Street to take part in a walking oral history tour and performance, which will stop at the streets along Riverside Drive named after Windsor’s French settlers such as Goyeau, Langlois, Marentette, Louis, Parent and Pierre. The retelling of the brief oral history at each street will be followed by a collective open performance of the French Folk song led by the local Francophone musician. Video and audio documentation of the performances will subsequently be made available on the Broken City Lab / Save the City website. March 23, 2010 Good Day everybody. There is going to be another Charity Night March 23, 2010 at 8pm. MCC-Windsor has an opportuntiy to win $600 but we need your help. The more people who show up to this session of Bingo and are recognized as supporting MCC-Windsor, the better the chances. It will be held at the NEW Breakaway Gaming Centre (the old Classic V Bingo) on Crawford and Wyandotte West. Come out and try the NEW way of Bingo and support LGBT community church. Hope to see lots of you out that night. April 15, 2010 Buy your tickets today to see President Bill Clinton live in Windsor at Caesars Windsor April 15th at 7pm. Proceeds to benefit the Essex Region Conservation Foundation with a donation made the Rotary Shelter Box program for Haiti. Our goal is to give 50 shelter boxes to house 500 homeless Haitians at this event. President Bill Clinton is the UN special Envoy to Haiti. Tickets start at $68. When will there ever be an opportunity to see an American President live in our city? Lets make history together for more information go to www.enviro-expo.org Site Index 1.AboutUs 5.Hotlines 10.The Ozone 11.FEMA 16.NASA info 17.Politico 19.Marriage 21.U.N. Info 23.Pet Gallery 24.Natural PortraitsNew Photos 26.Health News 27.Home Page 28.Other News 30.Help 32.Advertising 36.Travel Photos by Diane Knaus 37.Diane is Available for Speaking Engagements
Rainbow Scholarship an Investment in Community The Windsor Pride Committee announced Thursday that its fundraising efforts exceeded the original target, and the Salvagio Vonatti Rainbow Awardan annual scholarship for outstanding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students at the University of Windsorhas attracted a total of $17,000 for its endowment.~ The award was established five years ago by former computer science student Salvagio Vonatti, and operated on the basis of individual annual donations. After Vonatti was shot January 10 outside a club in Detroit in what police called a hate crime motivated by homophobia, the Windsor Pride Committee set out to endow the scholarship to ensure its permanence. Its important for us to invest in the future of our community. There is no better way then to help a gay student get a great education right here in Windsor, then-chair Dani Bobb said this summer. Vonatti is in hospital, continuing his recovery from the shooting. Metropolitan Community church is collecting donations. Click Here to donate If you are a Christian and want to be in a place where all are accepted equally, you might want to visit. Every Sunday afternoon Christian church service at 1:30 p.m. at 1680 Dougall Avenue Windsor,Ontario in the Westminster United Church for Metropolitan Community Church. We accept everyone who wants a relationship with God. It does not matter if you are gay, or Asian, or Thai, or Jewish, or black only that you want to be accepted and loved as a child of God. If you are not an Metropolitan Community Church member, but would like to get our e-mailings, see http:// www.mccwindsor.ca. Thank you and have a great and blessed day. We really are all Gods children when we spread our spiritual love to everyone male and female. Working together we can accomplish much more than we ever dared to dream. If you have questions, check out our web site or call the church office. We perform same sex marriages according to the laws of Ontario, Canada. 519-977-6897 Come and pray for what is important in your life or what is missing. We will help you get over. We are also taking donations for the Sal Venotti fund. see http://www.mccwindsor.ca Serving Windsor Spiritually and Continuously for 20 years |
In the News Today 3-9-2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joannie Rochette Canadian Joannie Rochette shows her skills and character by winning the 3rd place Womens Figure Skating competition after her mother died of a heart attack before the competition in Vancouver, Canada. Joannie made a stellar performance under a huge amount of emotional stress due to her mothers' passing away at the games. She showed her courage by continuing the event instead of quitting. Joannie was born in Montreal, Quebec and raised in Île Dupas. She is the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2009 World silver medalist, the 2008 and 2009 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2004 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and a six-time (2005-2010) Canadian national champion. As of January 2010, she was ranked 5th in the world (according to WIKI). Trillium Foundation Great Grants The Ontario Trillium Foundation today announced the 19 finalists for its prestigious 2009 Great Grants Awards. The awards recognize charitable and not-for-profit organizations that have had an exceptional and lasting impact on the communities they serve. These organizations exemplify excellence, innovation and leadership in building healthy communities across the province. Among those nominated are: Devereaux House Preservation – The Friends of Devereaux House and the Georgetown Soccer Club preserved and renovated this historic farmhouse, rescuing it from demolition and turning it into a new soccer clubhouse and an affordable space for local arts and cultural groups. Walpole Island Land Trust – Working acre-by-acre to return the area’s ecosystem to its natural state and provide a protected space for at-risk species of plants and animals. Community Living Thunder Bay –Launched a pet bakery business that trains and employs adults with developmental disabilities, pro viding them with work experience and the skills to actively run a small business. Ontario Association of Food Banks – Development of a hub-and-spoke food transport system capable of moving 3.6 million kilograms pounds of shelf-stable food around Ontario each year. The 2009 Ontario Trillium Foundation Great Grants Awards recipients will be recognized by Ontario Culture Minister Aileen Carroll at a ceremony in Toronto November 5. Make a Gift to Help People Facing Hunger Across Ontario Every dollar counts! The Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) directs 96.7 per cent of annual revenue to food, distribution and programs and 3.3 per cent to administration, finances and fundraising. Our most recent audited financial statements are available on our website. For every dollar donated, the OAFB can acquire and distribute over eight dollars worth of food to Ontario’s food banks. If you have questions about donating to the Ontario Association of Food Banks or to make a gift by phone call 647-261-0312 or 1-866-220-4022. Habitat Windsor-Essex If you want to help us build this Fall, please email us at build@habitatwindsor.org We look forward to working with you! What is a Rain Barrel According to the city, A rain barrel is a specialized stormwater storage container connected to an eavestrough downspout from a house or building. The use of rain barrels for rainwater collection is an effective way to reduce the demand for water during the peak summer season. It is estimated that lawn and garden watering make up nearly 40 percent of total household water use during the summer months. A half gallon of water per square foot of roof area can be collected during a 1-inch rainfall. A 2,000-square-foot roof can collect about 1,000 gallons of water (accounting for about 20 percent loss from evaporation, runoff and splash). Rain Barrel Pilot Program Windsor - Approximately 250
homes located west of Kildare and south of Ypres will soon have the
opportunity to receive a free rain barrel as part of a pilot program
being launched by the City of Windsor in partnership with the Windsor
Utilities Commission (WUC) and the Essex Region Conservation Authority
(ERCA). Funding assistance for this pilot project has been generously
provided by the Detroit River Cleanup Committee and the Province of
Ontario. As a suggestion provided by
residents Doug Alley and Mike Finn, Windsor City Councillors Alan Halberstadt
and Jo-Anne Gignac launched the idea as a means of combating basement
flooding problems and to promote water conservation. Disconnecting roof
leaders from the storm sewers in this south Walkerville neighbourhood
while providing rain barrels will result in a number of benefits to
the Detroit River and to area homes. The Woodlawn/Ypres/Memorial
Storm Relief Study recommended disconnection of at least 50% of roof
leaders connected to the storm sewer in the area to combat basement
flooding, but we have not yet achieved this result. Disconnection in
this area will reduce the strain on the neighbourhood sewer capacity
and the Ypres Pump Station, thereby reducing occurrences of basement
flooding, explained Councillor Alan Halberstadt and co-chair of
the Windsor-Essex County Environment Committee. ''A major pollutant of the
Detroit River is the release of untreated sewage into the river during
storm events. Disconnection will reduce the volumes flowing through
the system at these critical times, ensuring that more sewage is properly
treated at our Pollution Control plants, explained Councillor
Jo-Anne Gignac. Providing free rain barrels
to the residents in the pilot area will also help with household water
conservation efforts. Water conservation is
an important issue and the use of rain barrels for rain water collection
is an effective way to reduce the demand for water during the peak summer
season, explains Councillor Ken Lewenza Jr., WUC Chair. It
is estimated that lawn and garden watering make up nearly 40% of total
household water use during the summer months. Research on rain barrels and
rainwater storage has identified a number of benefits, including decreased
water bills, energy consumption and problems associated with storm water
runoff. As well, many gardeners prefer the soft, chlorine-free water
available to produce greener lawns and gardens. The rain barrels feature
a spigot and hose connection for easy use, and the cover has a fine-meshed
screen that prevents mosquito growth and captures debris. Rainwater runoff can
pick up pollutants on the way to the storm water drainage system,
explains Councillor Dave Brister, ERCA Chair. Preventing the excess
run-off by capturing this water in rain barrels can help stop water
pollution at the source.'' Over the next few weeks, homeowners in the pilot area will receive correspondence inviting them to call 311 in order to receive their free rain barrel. City of Windsor staff, as they disconnect downspouts from the storm sewers within the neighborhood, will then install up to one rain barrel per household. During a smog advisory,
there are a number of actions that you can Travel tips - all year round: Child Poverty -Food Banks-
What Time is Dinner in Windsor,Ontario? When was the last time you invited your neighbors into your home for a meal? How are they really doing these days? Are their jobs adequate, can they afford to feed their families? Do your neigbours have clothes that are warm enough and not full of holes? Can they get the medications that they need on a regular basis? When was the last time you had a heart to heart talk with your neighbor? 330,491 Hungry People in Ontario
Last Year 2008 According to the Ontario Hunger
Report, 330,491 people have been served as of last year in Ontario from
the food banks. A number of food banks closed or were at risk of closing
in 2006, including agencies in communities such as Wasaga Beach, Pars,
and Minden. 40 per cent are Ontarios
children The real face of hunger
is not what we might expect, said Adam Spence, Executive Director
of the OAFB. It transcends definitions of geography. The problem
cuts through our towns, cities, and neighbourhoods. No matter where
you live, hunger can be found next door. More people turn to food
banks in Ontario than any other province. There are over 330,000 Ontarians
served by food banks each month. Since 2001, the number of Ontarians
served by food banks has increased by 18.6 per cent. What is most striking
is who is hardest hit by hunger: over 40 per cent are Ontarios
children, almost 20 per cent are Ontarians with disabilities, and 17
per cent are working Ontarians. This translates to over a hundred thousand
children being hungry in Ontario every month. How Much Money has the Federal
Government Spent on Alleviating this Problem Over 2.9 million meals
a month are being served by the Canadian Association of Food Banks with
no monies from the Federal government received. People who need food assistance
can go to their local churches for additional information on the local
food banks locations and their hours of operation. Referrals can also
be received from the Social and Health Services Department, legal and
community organizations such as the Kiwanis club etc. With job layoffs in the car manufacturing plants so prevalent in Windsor area, and the ripple effect on jobs from that, we should expect to see more food banks struggling to meet peoples needs. A January headline said that Ford Motor Company lost US $5.8 billion dolars in the last quarter of the year. Many people are on layoff status from their employers in the Windsor area due to this alone. What Time is Dinner What type of dinner is your neighbors favorite, can you remember? When are you going to invite them over? Do you ever go grocery shopping together? Buy them something that you know they like once in a while? Do they have children, what do they like to eat? You know it is just like anything else, we all need to refocus on what is really important to us and our social contacts. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to have a potluck, invite many neighbors so you can enjoy all of them and get caught up on their lives. Not everyone has to bring a dish, only those who can, or want to. Neighbors helping each other is a great way to break the ice and alleviate some stresses.. You could always tailor the get together to help in other ways, maybe a clothing exchange as well, or job tips, contacts of people who can help. According to the Ontario Association of Food Banks When compared to the worlds richest countries, Canada falls in the bottom quarter for child poverty, ranking 19 of 26 nations. The organization is a network
of over 100 communities across Ontario, and has been in service to the
communities since 1992. The low income rate means that a family who spends more than 63 % of their income on food, shelter, clothing and other necessities would be living below the poverty level. Jumpstart Community Nourishment Program Nourishment Program:
The main goal of this organization is to create universal access to
nutritious food for all children in Windsor and Essex County. Nutrition
is a fundamental determinant of healthy child development and good nutrition
enhances a childs ability to learn. Jumpstart is a coalition of
several community organizations consisting of five main partners, The
Greater Essex County District School Board, Windsor-Essex District Catholic
School Board, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and the United Way/Centraide
of Windsor-Essex County. Youth & Family Resource
Network of Essex County Community Food Co-op Program:
This would be a continuation of a program in the towns of Kingsville,
Leamington and Harrow to provide healthy, essential food to an estimated
200 low-income families and their children up to age 17 at a low cost
by utilizing purchase agreements with local suppliers and community
partnerships. Seniors and other individuals on a low or fixed income
will be able to participate if they meet the means test.
Food might be delivered at no cost to increase accessibility. Windsor Community Children's Fund Birth to Six Parental Support
Coalition (Windsor) a.k.a. Ready-Set-Go! Windsor Goodfellows Club Shoe & Boot Program:
This initiative will provide up to 1150 requests for shoes and/or boots
for children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 who are from low-income
families. Jumpstart Community Nourishment
Program County Schools Nourishment Program: This program will run during the school year, September 2005 to June 2006 and September 2006 to December 2006 and in partnership with all School Boards. The principal of universal access to food is fundamental to the program, and Jumpstart would ensure that all children have access to nutritious food regardless of the ability to pay. The target population is families of low income Unemployed Help Centre/Housing
Information Services Keep The Heat Energy Assistance
Program: This program will provide financial assistance to prevent
the turn-off of utilities and provide coats for children in the Windsor and
Essex County area for an estimated 250 low-income families. The
public and affected families are educated about energy conservation
and provided with tools such as window insulation kits. East Windsor Community Service
Centre (Drouillard Place) Food Co-op Program:
This is a continuation of a food co-op that services low-income families/residents
in Windsor East. It works in partnership with Co-ops servicing the west
end and county. It plans to increase participation by 25 percent through
extended community outreach/promotion, and the funds include an impact
assessment by the University of Windsor. If you would like to donate
canned food, you may do so at the Unemployed Help Centre or call them
519-944-4900 for additional information. Updated editions of Arts Council - Windsor & Region's Arts Notes are always available here: Arts Council - Windsor & Region 1942 Wyandotte Street East Photography by Diane Knaus See Wedding Photography by Diane Knaus Other Community Events Every Sunday morning hykes for dykes womens walking group with pets/kids 10:30 a.m. Every Sunday Metropolitan Community Church Services in Windsor 1:30 p.m. at Tecumseh and Dougall inside the Westminster United Church Every third Monday eveinigs
6:30 pm Pride Committee Meetings Every third Tuesday Mixed dinner
club 6:30 pm Dinner
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Commercial Advertisements Are Being Accepted for this page, click here for details e-mail Dianes' Windsor Blog Rain Barrels are Finally Catching on in the U.S. Home Depot has finally rolled out their major environmental alliances with new products for residents in the states. Featuring rian barrels in the stores, solar panels, individual home windmills approximately 28 feet high are available online they are catching up with the publics important issues. Food Bank Use Up: Ontario Hunger Report 2009 Released in December 2009, the annual Ontario Hunger Report provides an overview of hunger in the province and details background causes of hunger and poverty in Ontario. Key findings on food bank usage include: Over 375,000 Ontarians turn to food banks every month Number of Ontarians turning to food banks has increased by 19% in the past year alone 72% of households turning to food banks do not consume required servings of fresh fruit and vegetables. Sounds of the Season Heard Across GTA. CBC Radio's Sounds of the Season fundraiser and food drive raised $275,000 and 3675 kg of food for food banks in the Greater Toronto Area. Rickard's Raised $17,500 The second annual Raise a Pint of Rickard's campaign generated $17,500 for Ontario's food banks. Thank you to the Firkin Group of Pubs and Molson-Coors Canada. Metro Helps Fight Hunger This Winter During the important holiday period, the Metro Winter Food Drive helped generate over 125,000 lbs of much needed food items across Ontario. Thanks to Metro Ontario Inc. and their customers for their support. Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) 555 Bloor Street West, 2nd Floor Toronto, ON M5S 1Y6 CN Engineers Now on Strike MONTREAL, Nov. 27, 2009 — Negotiations between CN (TSX: CNR)(NYSE: CNI) and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) ended this evening with no agreement on a new labour contract. CN and the TCRC had resumed negotiations earlier in the day with the assistance of federal mediators in an attempt to reach a settlement. CN now expects the TCRC to strike the company's Canadian operations.Canadian National Railway Conductors work 16 days a month. According to the Windsor Star 11-28-2009 “The railway had been seeking to raise the engineer's 6,115-kilometre monthly cap to bring it in line with its conductors, who are not allowed to travel more than 6,920 kilometres per month on the job. According to the Canadian National: CN said a TCRC strike is particularly unfortunate because CN has repeatedly offered, and the union has refused, to submit the contract disagreements to binding arbitration in order to avoid a labour disruption. CN said a labour strike at this time is in no one's interest, as it will hurt CN's customers, its employees and the Canadian economy. CN will implement its labour contingency plan, under which qualified management personnel will work as locomotive engineers. CN is committed to provide the best possible service to its customers in the circumstances and will do so until it can reach a new agreement with the TCRC. Locomotive engineers will remain on the job in the following CN territories because of separate collective agreements: northern Alberta, parts of northern and eastern Ontario, northern Quebec, and parts of eastern Quebec and New Brunswick. Managers will take on additional responsibilties as the strike continues in order to provide continuous coverage for shipping. Seems like $90,000.00 is an awful lot of money to pay anyone for 18 or so days a month in my opinion. I do understand that their jobs are stressful hauling so much business cargo and maintaining the train is a chore. But, that is still a lot of money. I do hope that the engineers don't haggle much over the wage cap and day a month for too long. CN – Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America.
Annapolis, Maryland Streetscaping
Palms lining street in Puerto Rico Beautify Ouelette Street Use Plants and Natural Color 10-10-2009 In many business districts in towns across countries, organizations get owners to pay for maintenance and procurement of plants during their natural season. Fall colors of mums are gorgeous. Wooden Whiskey barrels cut in half can be used to house the plants lending a charm to the streets. Some towns organize garden clubs to take care of the plants, while others pay for garden centers to keep up the maintenance. Plantscaping can be welcoming and warming to visitors and residents alike. Plants are known to make people feel more comfortable and relaxed. JOBS are What is Important in Windsor at The Moment? Build the $1.6-billion Windsor-Essex Parkway / Begins This Fall and Soon What beautiful sounds a few words and punding hammers, saws, and jackhammers can make. Hopefully through all of the haggling city leaders have been through, a deal has almost been struck to access a better option for travelers through the city and provide jobs for residents as well. That certainly is a win win situation for all concerned. Although the Mayor says he looks forward to challenging the other political leaders involved to get more green access for all involved, I hope he remembers his recent actions of sending politicians to a rally. That certainly was not a smart thing to do. I know he wants what is best for the city and that he will definitely speak his mind, but honey gets more bees to the hive in any language and in most situations. Citing the Greenlink border route, the Mayor is adamant about using green as an encouragement to ward off more pollution that could come Windsor's' way.“ According to an article in the Windsor Star today, "We have reached a point where both cabinet ministers can be engaged in meaningful and productive discussions,” said Mayor Eddie Francis. “That will be the city’s focus for the next several weeks."” Save the TV Station Seems like the firing of TV station employees would be number one. Although I am not in the TV media community , I hate it when people get fired in wholesale numbers. Why can't the TV station big guys realize what that type of thing does to the entire community. I truly believe they will regret their decision. TV personalities have a lot of impact on the viewing public and it affects their bottom line as well, because people like the personalities. They become like family to many viewers. Why can't station executves or owners change the programming times, offer up some public access programs,and punt the rest. Posibly free movies once in a while, or free history programs. The City of Windsor Windsor community outreach and support teams can be reached at 519-973-4408. If you are a family member or a concerned citizen you may call to get your neighbor or famiy member some help when needed. More than 40% of people jailed suffer from a mental illness in Ontario. 400 City Hall Square East, Windsor (Ontario
Works, Housing & Children's Services) The Executive Director of Housing & Children's
Services is Keith Lucas AIDS Committee of Windsor 1052 Drouillard Rd., Windsor, Ontario, N8Y 2P8 Phone: 519-973-0222 or in the 519 area
code 1-800-265-4858
Youth hotline 1-800-268-9688 Open Monday 9am-6pm Tuesday 9am-8pm Wednesday 9am-6pm Thursday 9am-8pm Friday 9am-5pm New phone line initiated 11-24-2007 211 Windsor-Essex was officially launched to the public on November 22, 2007 at the Ciociaro Club in Oldcastle. The 211 phone system allows residents to obtain information about a wide range of community topics, including children's services, language classes, family counselling, legal assistance, home support and more ~ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with service in over 150 languages. 211 Triangle Foundation provides free and confidential assistance to crime and discriminations victims through its victim services office at 313-537-3323 To support the work of Triangle Foundation, Visit http://www.tri.org today. The World Health Organization in Geneva Switzerland, reports that more than one billion people-one sixth of the world's population-live in extreme poverty, lacking safe water,proper nutrition, basic health care and social services to survive.
Photo by Diane Knaus 50's Diner at the Canadian Transportation Museum If you would like to have your community, country and hotline telephone numbers listed on this web site, e-mail us. click here Email us PFLAG Windsor PFLAG Windsor is a chapter of PFLAG Canada. We provide support and information to all people with questions or concerns about sexual orientation and gender identity. Our services are free of charge and there are more than 77 chapters throughout Canada. Please consider making a donation to PFLAG Canada. All donations are tax-deductible and monthly billing can be arranged online at www.pflagcanada.ca, or through Canada Post. We receive calls from people struggling with sexual orientation and/or gender identity issues, parents, youth, family members, teachers, counsellors, healthcare workers, employers, co-workers and clergy. Compassion alone cannot change attitudes. Communities need appropriate resources to encourage greater understanding of sexual and gender diversity. Website - http://ca.geocities.com/pflagwindsor/ Location - Windsor, ON |
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