Members e-news for year end

[Kathie Brosemer <kathie@cleannorth.org>]

Greetings!

1.  I didn't get the year end letter out.
2.  Tree Chipping is Jan 8
3.  Andre's got a good rant going.

_____________________

1.  I didn't get the year end letter out.

What with an election, a death in the family, and work stressors piled onto 
the usual year end stuff, I did not get a Clean North year end donations 
solicitation letter out.  This is to let you know that if you want to 
donate we still could use your help.

If it's important that you get a charitable donation receipt for the 2005 
tax year, you still can.  Please date your cheque by 31 December at the 
latest, and either get it postmarked today or tomorrow, or drop it off next 
week at the CN office through the mail slot (no postmark means it was en 
route in time).

Many many many thanks.

_________________________

2.  Tree Chipping is Jan 8

If you want your tree on the pile, drop offs until the end of the day Jan 
7th.  If you want mulch, come and get it on the morning of the 8th, after 
about 10 am.  If you want to watch, it's morning of the 8th.  Bring your 
travel mug full of hot something and enjoy the lovely scent and fascinating 
scene.  We'd love to see you there.

Youth wanting volunteer hours next week, email volunteer@cleannorth.org. 
Same with CN members who love this event and don't want to miss tramping 
around the snowy piles of trees (yes, me included!).

___________________________

3.  Andre's got a good rant going.

Pasted in below is an excellent letter to our city hall about the festive 
season silliness.  I thought you'd enjoy this.


Dear member of council and mayor Rowswell:

The summer of 2005 in SSM will be remembered as the hottest summer 
recorded.  It's now December 30 and we hardly have any snow on the ground 
and our public ski hill is in trouble.  It's fairly obvious that what the 
experts are telling us about global warming is true and has become the most 
pressing urgency facing the world today.  There are many causes of global 
warming but it's an undisputed fact that human activity is a major 
contributor especially the burning of fossil fuels.

Here is Sault Ste Marie, our civic leaders seem to miss the connection.  We 
have a contest to promote wasting energy for the sake of vanity so our 
homes look "pretty" with fancy lights at a time of year where energy 
demands soar.  Now, to add insult to injury, we allow residents to put as 
much "garbage" at they want by the curbside for "free" disposal for two 
weeks.  The problem here is that garbage disposal is not "free".  Our 
landfill site is filling up quickly and it's all taxpayers who face the 
cost of "garbage" management.  This gesture rewards those who produce the 
most insults those citizens who are globally conscious and minimize their 
waste.  My sense is that if you can afford to buy all the "garbage" then 
surely you can afford to get rid of it.  There is no such thing as "two 
free bags".  We pay for every bag that goes to the landfill site.  Like 
water, gasoline and electricity, those who produce garbage need to bear the 
cost of disposing it.

The party is over and it's time to get serious about the environment.  We 
must look closely at everything we do and ask ourselves how can we 
encourage people to minimize their footprint on the environment. Otherwise, 
our world as we know it will collapse much sooner and faster.  Having a 
contest to burn electricity and having "free" garbage weeks is not the way 
to do it and we need to be a bit more environmentally conscious at city 
hall.

Andre Riopel

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Happy New Year, and the best of all wishes to you and yours for 2006.  Be 
well.

Kathie

--

Nothing is too wonderful to be true.     - Michael Faraday