HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-09-13, Page 34PAGE 34. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2012.
Continued from 12
they host the match. If there is
additional traffic or additional
infrastructure that would have to be
built, would there be funds available
to the hosts?
Falconer said he didn’t know for
sure, but directed Knight as to
whom he could call for that kind of
information.
Aid for IPM changes
to be sought by
Huron East
Continued from page 9
to tables and chairs, corbels
recovered from Goderich and old
doors which were turned into tables.
The storefront was redesigned to
move the entrance from the middle
of the shop to the side which
allowed for a wheelchair accessible
ramp. Anne said the plan always
included making the shop
completely accessible, so this move
was important.
“We moved the door which
allowed for the wheelchair
accessible ramps so that everyone
can be here,” she said, adding that
the ramp makes the location
accessible for people with walkers
or with strollers, stating that there
are also wheelchair accessible
washrooms on site.
The grand opening date has yet to
be determined. Anne said that until
the shop opened up, the focus was
really on getting the building ready
and nothing much beyond that.
“We were really just hoping to
pass all our inspections. From there,
we were just going with the flow,”
she said.
The store features merchandise as
well including retail coffee and
(when it’s available, tea), Queens
Bakery shirts and aprons and
French coffee presses.
The shop will serve as a place for
local entertainers to show what they
can do, according to Anne. She said
that, through coffee houses and
intimate concerts, people will be
able to see what local talent can
offer.
“We’ll also having some
dancing,” Les said. Anne added that
dancing, and the pair’s performance
in Dancing with the Stars, was how
the partnership between the two
couples started.
The history of the building was
also of interest to Les who pointed
out where black marks still existed
from the fire of 1929. He also said
that local historian Brock Vodden
had a lot of information about the
building not only because he is a
local historian but because his
father owned a bakery in the same
location 60 years ago.
Blyth bakery sits on
site of old bakery
Bicycles for Humanity returns for third collectionBicycles for Humanity Huron-
Perth is returning for a third time
after its second time out garnered
double the support organizers were
expecting.
Blyth-area native Mark Nonkes
originally created the program after
spending some time in the African
country of Namibia. After living
there for a period of time, Nonkes
realized that something as simple as
a bicycle could change the lives of
many in third world countries.
The program was launched in
2008 with a very successful
collection and in 2010 organizers set
a goal of 400 bikes and collected
800.
“It was spectacular,” Nonkes said
in an interview with The Citizen.
“We had to double our fundraising
efforts, but that’s alright. I was just
so impressed with how the
community responded and the
support they gave us.”
Nonkes said that the goal of 400
bicycles was based on the size of the
container that was to be shipped to
Namibia, so the collection of 800
bikes resulted in a second container
having to be shipped, which
obviously added to costs.
The concept behind the program,
Nonkes says, is that bicycles will
help people travel, reach places of
employment and assist with
travelling healthcare. Namibia is a
country that is home to
many suffering with HIV and
AIDS.
During the last collection, there
were many different drop-off points
throughout Huron and Perth
Counties. This time around,
however, to simplify things, there
will only be two drop-off points andcollection will take place on just oneday.Bikes will be welcomed on Sept.
29 at Blyth United Church. The
second location will be in Stratford,
which Nonkes said was a popular
collection location during the
program’s last go-round.The recipients of the bicycles thistime around will change, however,as the bicycles will go to a group of
disabled Namibians who have
dedicated their lives to fixing up
bicycles.
Nonkes says the group fixes the
bicycles and adapts them to handlethe rugged Namibian landscape andthen distributes them.“They’re remarkable. They’re
doing remarkable things,” Nonkes
said.
Nonkes said he had known of the
group’s existence for years, but it
wasn’t until he paid them a visit thathe was certain he wanted to help them out as much as he could.
For more information on the
program contact Nonkes at 519-523-
9456 or visit the initiative’s website
at b4hhuronperth.org
This is a letter written by a 29-year-
old Namibian woman Lavina
Friedrich discussing the Bicycles for
Humanity program.
Dear friend,
My name is Lavinia Friedrich and
I am a 29-year-old Namibian
woman. My life has not been easy. I
was born into a family that didn’t
have very much money. I grew up in
a village and went to school like all
the rest of the children. But when I
was 14 years old, I was playing
soccer with friends at primary
school and fell down. I dislocated
my left leg and the injury caused me
to have a lifelong disability.
I struggled. Having a disability in
Namibia is hard. I continued to go to
school but my classmates started to
discriminate against me. When I
finished Grade 12, my parents
couldn’t afford to send me to
university or any other higher
institution. But I couldn’t get a job
either. I looked for work for seven
years. People did not want to hire
me because of my disability and
because I am a woman. Although
we have a law against
discrimination in Namibia, it is only
on paper. Many disabled people are
jobless. I worried that I would be
unemployed forever.
Then, the Disability Economic
Empowerment Project (DEEP) came
into my life. DEEP is a bicycle shop
run by people with disabilities. The
project started in 2007 with the help
of Bicycles for Humanity. At DEEP,
we receive donated bicycles, fix
them and then sell them for a small
price. If a bike breaks down, we fix
those too. With the income, my four
colleagues and I are able to support
ourselves.
I have to admit, at first I did not
know if I could be a bicycle
mechanic. It’s not normally a job
done by women. But I decided to try.
I now know how to repair a bike. I
know all kinds of bicycle spare
parts. Bicycles became my daily life.
I love working with them. Being a
bicycle mechanic empowered me
emotionally too. I now have a strong
feeling that even though you are
disabled, you can do anything. I
learned that disabled people can
work at any type of job. For me, I
was able to further my studies
because of the income I earned. I
now have an Office Administration
Diploma and am both the secretary
and a mechanic at DEEP. My family
and friends can count on me because
I have employment. The
opportunities at DEEP also helped
the most important person in my
life, my son, Johannes. He is nine
years old and in Grade 3. I am
sending him to a good school, better
than the one I went to in the village.
I want to make sure he has good
schooling for his future.
I have to tell you, sending bicycles
to Namibia is very important. It
changed my life, and has changed
many others too. We hope that good
Samaritans who donated bicycles
will not give up. We hope that those
who have not donated before will be
willing to donate.
It means a lot to the Namibian
people, especially to people like
me.
Thank you very much!
Lavinia Friedrich
Oshakati, Namibia
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
Bicycle program changed woman’s life
The CitizenBlyth
519-523-4792
Brussels
519-887-9114
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Through
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Blyth historian Janis
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Continued from page 27
Goderich hospital on Saturday.
Keeping Marie in your prayers in
the weeks ahead will surely help her
deal with that loss.
On a lighter note. I wasn’t quite
sure that I was happy to realize a
few years ago that I was now a great
aunt. An aunt, yes, but a great aunt?
Or as my sister says it,’ un grahnde
ahunt’. However, when my newest
great nephew of seven weeks, called
to say he wanted to drop by for a
visit, I was thrilled to entertain him
and his parents - my ‘roses’ for this
week.
Village loses Krauter
BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED