August 1, 1987, carnegie newsletter

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Circulation since inception: 12100

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Ths Park is Your Pa& -

CHORUS: THIS FARM IS YOUR PARK, This Park is my park From the railway tracks, Down to the water, From the Main Street overpass Down to Carrall Street, This park was made for you and me (* last chorus, replace this1 with CRAB) As I went strollint on down to Crab Park I heard somewhere a happy meadowlark, He seemed to sing directly to me "Hey, this park was made for you and me." * The air is fresh here; the grass is so green, And sometimes even wild geese can be seen. And you won't seem rude if you seek solitude, This park was made for you and me. * We strolled and ambled; we romped and gambolled, We pitched our tents down by the sea, We stayed there all night to prove we were right, This park * - was made for you and me. And now wesve got it, so letssenjoy it, Let's work together; let no one spoil it, 'Cause we know this is how it should be, CRAB Park was made for you and me. * Lyrics by Gerry Bee I

PRISON JUSTICE DAY OLD-TIMERS KNOW STRIKE IT RICH THE WALLS OF JERICHO C.R.A.B. CCMWNITY OPENING - 1,000 EAT OFFICIAL CALLS FOR CO-OPERATION, THEN NAMES IT PORTSIDE PARK!


2FROM YHE EDIIXIW'S DESK

The Downtown Eastside is a real community. .unique in the talent and ability bf members to survive. The rights to have good food, adequate shelter, proper clothing, educational opportunities and medical aid are common to all humanity, yet each of these basic necessities are limited or rendered unacceptable by bureaucratic red tape or non~existence. The minimum standards of those in authority are so far above the daily reality of those at the bottom of the economic slag heap -the cod?tions of minimum income existence t h i s r e a l i t y is locked +n a steel box when it comes to decisions to spend $4.7 (or was it $47 million on the Popebsvisit; losing $159 million on highway construction; to put $4,000 million out for nuclear submarines or. . . The morality of this dichotomy escapes me. PAUL TAYZOR

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DIVINE RIGHT - momtal humans could impose their will on others because of who their parents were, In ancient times, blood royal was the kindling flame to impart faith by-the-sword, tc e x x t ~ b e d i m c ec=. s~bsey?.~iexe

to bloodlines stretching back into the mists of antiquity. The Pope of the Catholic Church, for centuries, claimed Papal Infallibility. Richard Nixon got a BornAgain Minister to preach that Nixon ruled by the Grace of God. In today's world, this power must be acquired through what is called democracy, on paper. But the origin of governmental authority is ostensJoseph Stalin, after causing the ibly based on the morality of the deaths of 62 million ~ e o ~ l e . i 'better human", and it is to this "One death is a tragedy;'a million I spiritual ideal that actions of leadeaths is a statistic." ders are measured. P There are eleven senses enjoyed by humans: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell; balance, loss, prescience, humour, intuition and common sense. The last two strengthen and evolve in the face of struggle and oppressDear Readers, ion. Like when election by a larger A few folks have indicated that number of votes dictates leadership they don't feel I have the proper ability. This system belies the qualifications to be Pope. question of who votes and ivbt mindI have to state that I obviously numbing techniques are used to foshave stellar Papal qualifications. ter negative choices. The continu've never been married, I've never I ' ous result is positions of power had an abortion and I never read held by avaricious, dishonest, selfbooks. So what's the problem? idealized individuals to whom moralYrs, Truly, ity is somebody's religious hangup; to whom the term amoral is right on. Sam Slanders

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THE TURGID MIASMA OF EXISTENCE

So, he said amidst his fog (and everyone knew at this particular time in his years everything was too much) Can I unload my heartache on someone else? he quietly asked, and amidst a wall of paranoia and fear arose a strange stench; as the good people listening quickly ducked away from themselves and from him. Was he the bearer of a harsh life?, the people thought, as they shuffled away as quickly as possible, if not sooner! Well, who needs a friend with a broken heart, the people thought. He's of no use to us, they pointed A broken heart mends, all the people did say, but, the people obviously weren't in the mending business.

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How quickly the people forget their own broken hearts! but the good(?) people collectively and individually understood their own fragile condition, and really couldn't risk helping too much, or helping at all... Later, the young man's fog did lift, the heartache did mend, but he got better on his own - but The learning about people and knowledge of peoples' ways was also his alone. How could he share his knowledge, when all the people had gone away again. Perhaps, he thought, the people are in the business , of being long gone away: and he, feeling like Sherlock in a novel he never wrote, never read, never been a past of, and never would. Dave McConnell


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To the Mayor and Aldermen: I t i s the charge and duty of the Carnegie Community Centre Ass'n t o bring t o your attention the following: t h a t the policy adopted by City Council i n regard t o access t o CRAB Park is not helping t o solve the r e a l problem - the dilemma presented by the overpass route a t Main and Alexander s t r e e t s . Since the City, i n i t s i n f i n i t e wisdom, has decided t h a t taxiing disabled persons i s best a s a (temporary?) solution...this ignores the many elderly and families with very young children who must s t i l l make t h e i r arduous t r e k up Mount Crab. What common sense should d i c t a t e i s the creation of a more : available access a t a secondary location aimed STRICTLY t o serve pedestrians and disabled people. The f i r s t p r i o r i t y f o r residents i s siripk zii6 4 i i - e ~ access, t best with the reopening of the old underpass a t the foot of Columbia Street. The present route is primarily for vehicular t r a f f i c and only t h i s segment of users can do so easily. Further, the t a x i service f o r people i n v~heelchairsw i l l stop a t the end of the summer and a l l local residents w i l l be back a t square on We fervently hope t h a t yourself and Council members w i l l see the logic of reopening the underpass, J u l ien- Joseph Levesque , Corresponding Secretary.

CRAB Park is going t o the dogs I f e e l rather disappointed i n the Parks Board concerning C.R.A.B. as I helped a l l the way t o get t h i s park. Now, I f e e l the marsh f o r the birds 3s not protected and may be just a l o s s , There i s no security and people with dogs are r e a l l y taking advantage of t h i s . Everyday, when I take a walk there, I see dogs messing and urinating around the benches and on the beach. These dog owners think i t s great sport t o watch t h e i r pets chase the geese away. I am an animal lover and have a strong feeling f o r dogs, but t h i s is a peoplest park and should be posted "No Dogs." I have talked t o other people down there and they agree with me. Downtown i n a c i t y is hard on a dog as it is, but i t ' s much harder PDAD "-2 VLU-VJ.~. uluw u LULL VIA should be f o r people. I f i t , s not posted, they should change the 'BE i n the name t o a ' P I , but everybody would say t h a t ' s crap , David W. Todd nn

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The trees leaning over the circular fountain, Leaves silvered in 1iquid 1ight , That bubbled, danced, glittered Thru the rising water, Reflected - the wire benches where i n quiet repose, Lay a derelict s t i l l as death. The lovers came from Theatres and restaurants, Laughing past the s t i l l as death man To s i t by the tumbling water. Words of love muted Eyes shining with promises of tomorrows that follow tonight. I 1 A A ~ G LUVGLJ

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Shimmering upstream thru dawn light Enters a man, To stand a t the cold water.. washing the sleeve and front of his coat - over and over i n madly graceful r i t u a l

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Satisfied with his ablutions, Retires t o the trees. Ringing the benches, where, with closed f i s t , He begins t o beat on a maple.. (which offers no resistance) The cop i n the Parked Cruiser : obviously not The Vigilante of Vegetation.. continues writing reports As I t r y t o sew These Events together, with a thread of words, The water f a l l s f l a t and s t i l l , The light f l i e s even faster.. The derelict on the bench, In a s i n ~ ~ l a r hrFrl ly comment, Proves his v i t a l i t y with an abrupt Explosion of gas. , He and I both know that there is Always Someone somewhere, who turns off the lights. Tom Lewis

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Dear Mr. Slanders, I was happy to Rear of your running for the Pope of the Downtown Eastside. That is just what we need down here, as we have everyone else, including Ralph Caravetta and Tony Seavers. Should you need any help in any way, please don't hesitate to ask. Myself and family will be there at your beck and call.

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Yours, The Godfather of Skid Row

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Let Me Bring You b v e I can f e e l your thoughts wash over me, l i k e waves upon the sand, Each one drawing my thoughts nearer, reaching f o r my hand. And then I f e e l you p u l l away, tugging as you go, Taking what you gave t o me, afrakd t o l e t it show, Has l i f e been t h a t hard on you? Not give^ any good? Cantt you take a chance again? I wish I understood, Let us find the good things in Ikfe, the knowing smile, the friendly ear, , Let's f e e l again the sweetest touch, of having someone near. Someone who r e a l l y cares f o r you, how you f e e l , what you do, Life can be a lonely place, f u l l of pain and empty space. Let he come and be t h e r a h , '; J t h a t washes you anew, 21 J I And brings you love and happiness, J the kind you never knew. 'J

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Written by Sheila Bell lj friend.

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Number One By Claudias Ivan Planidin In the morning the sun a r i s e s A world champ doesn't shy away, In the morning I awake he stands and takes h i s bow J u s t t o hear the sounds of the c i t y when he knows i t ' s time J u s t t o smell the pollution of bhe c i t y t o stand and take a bow, Watching children go t o school Those i n the community Watching the elders go t o Carnegie of the most successful Tedious as it is some think c o m i t y centre i n the world Not quite so t o me I think can stand and take a bow, Plume they needn' t wait nor shy away. When you"e the world champ you stand and take your bow when it t s time to stand and take your bow, you know some days it doesntt pay t o shy away when you're Number One. TIE FREE PERSON The Free Woman She knows the meaning of Trust, She knows the meaning of Work, She knows the meaning of Failure, Chn.

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of Success, She bows the Honour of Motherhood, She b o w the Value of Companionship. and she is s t i l l learning. Betty Jacqueline Robertson

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CHILD OF THE LAST RIMEMBERING The child of the l a s t remembering has a f r a g i l e mind. Earth-saddened eyes look out pii;st wonder onto a closed horizon.. The slow, slow t h e crawls over growth l i k e the glaciers too, ' b e child s t i l l plays, oh yes! - with i n e r t i a f o r a toy, A t night - in sleep the child fires Into the. sky afraid. No sweet dreams l e f t f a r a, child who ~ Q the sky is closer than it was before and the sun was Steven Belkin not always cold.

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The Decision Makers By Claudius Ivan Planidin "This is all too easy, much too easy," remark the Chosen Few from oaken seats overseeing the cemetery vast of earth cracked, of foilage charred, bleaching under sky white hot, The sun white hangs high. 'We've been laughing in their faces, we've been getting away with murder red, white and blue so easily, to easily, there's something wrong. Who smells a trap? Why d"esii '

National 'Prison Justice Day origin ted in 1976 on the anniversary of t8e death of pr&son.kr Mdie Nalon. Eddie Nalori .died in 1974 while in solitary confinement in Millhaven Maximum secutiry Penitentiary. This was followed by the death of Bobby Landers in 1975, who was also in solitary in Millhaven. The day originated to conmemorate all those who have died unnatural deaths in prison, including murder and suicide. It is a day on which to express and strengthen solidarity

soners participate by going on a 24-hour work and hunger strike. Those on the outside show their support through demonstrations, vigils and sometimes by fasting in solidari with prisoners. This year in B.C., there will be a cavalcade to several lower mainland prisons. For more information on this and other Prison Justice Day activities call the August 10th committee at 873'-3070 ,:>x *,Ia7.

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The sun white hangs high. The Chosen Few look round looking for .ii invisible ropes, confidence supreme so long deserting like noon fog and they look at each other closely, the Decision Makers do. The sun white hangs high. IrWho' s judging us, we want to know, whovs the judge?" echo wails . off walls and ceiling grey, ,echoface to face.' : The sun white hangs high. 'Who's the Judge, who "s the Hangman?" The sun fiite hangs high. e cemetery vast of earth cracked, of foilage charred, bleaches under sky white hot, the sun white hangs high. ,

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LETTER '

1911Sorrv, We Don? Fix hat,..

Remember l q s t sunpner? Yeah? 1~e11, some people don't seem t o , Lasf. summer, without consulting Carnegie members, the s t a f f took the f r e e weights from the weight room and placed them i n Oppenheimer Park. And the users of the weight room stayed away i n droves; they avoided t h e f a c i l i t y i n hordes. Sometimes days went by when not a soul went t o use the weights i n the Park. But not too many days went by t h a t someone, o r often seve r a l people, d i d n ' t come i n t o Carnegie looking t o use these weights and ended up leaving; complaining, disgruntled, bound f o r yet another wasted day a t some bar o r in Pigeon Square - amassing black eyes and knife wounds and lethargy. Young people with potential and goals, s l i d i n g i n t o the muck. For many of them, working out is a p r i vate and personal attempt a t s e l f improvement. They shun doing it out i n public - amidst the tumult and fumes of passing t r a f f i c , dodging foul b a l l s , missed frisbees, o r fzii6ia.g of: wise-cracks and i n t e r rupt ions from drunken hecklers. So now the summer is here again and the s t a f f has learned a lesson from l a s t year - t h a t an idea t h a t was t r i e d and f a i l e d should be d i s carded, r i g h t ? Yeah, sure. This year they have removed even more of the equipment t o gather r u s t i n the park. I f t h i s trend continues, then we can look forward t o next summer when -. a l l of the s t u f f is removed and deposited. .where . the North Shore? Mount Seymour? Remember l a s t summer? Come on you guys, what does it take t o wake you up? Let's put a well-advertised

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p e t i t i o n a t t h e desk on the 2nd f l o o r fWeights a t Oppenheimer" yes o r no. Have t h e members show t h e i r I.D. cards t o ensure an accurate and untampered with poll, and c a s t votes. Then l e t ' s do something about it. want

t h e desk be moved i n t o the weight room (a distance of 1 0 f e e t ? ) This would do away with having t o sign out t h e equipment a s well a s provide supervision - nullifying the need t o h i r e a paid attendant. The unfortunate incident t h a t necessitated locking up the f r e e weights could have been avoided by a quick phone c a l l t o s e c u r i t y and t h e removal of the offending party. If c ~ l ythe desk zzrson ha2 k e i i i n viewing range, inside the room. . Let's get goin'! Pumping i n the dark

PS: Otherwise the Carnegie weight room is the best!


'79e N e w Seen An~fhingLike It.

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qlI1vebeen a Carnegie Board member," she s a i d , "For many and many a year." The pearly gate swung open wide, Saint Peter touched t h e b e l l 'What have you done," St. Peter s a i d , "Come i n and choose your harp ,11 s a i d he, "To gain admission here?" "You've had your share of h e l l . " Irene Schmidt

the heavenly gate, Her face was scarred and old, She stood before the nlan of f a t e For admission t o the fold.


The whole com&ity came together Monday afternoon to open CRAB Park. Over 1000 people, by actual count, came to have dinner, listen to the music and take part in the cutting of a huge cake bearing the emblem of a crab. The cake was cut by David Todd, Irene Schmidt and Sam snobelen, three of the original campers in the CRAB campaign five years ago. CRAB was at its best during the opening, with blue skies, green grass and playful ocean breezes off the water. Kids were everywhere, and community people, performers and the media walked about under banners announcing the opening of CRAB Park and asking for reasonable access for handicapped people. Musicians from Carnegie were there at the opening, and played at the cake cutting ceremony. Spirit Rising, a Native Indian group from Vancouver, sang traditional and fancy songs. They played a huge moose-hide pow-wow drum made of a single section of a red cedar tree. -v ~ m m y b w y ~ . ~iE , tra&txzpal &-zss with fringed capes, beadwork and mink pelts danced to the drumning. From Mexico City there was a group called Mez-Me, who played music from Latin America on a whole collection of traditional instruments. For one song they used Bolivian 'tarquas1, which are square wooden flutes played two at a time by each musician. Nearby, weavers from Carnegie worked at their looms. The mountains of food eaten were served at two tables under a canopy tied to a dumpster of driftwood logs. A separate table was set up just for ~

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for the coffee. The CRAB cake was on display under a banner made by Willy -and-Lorraine Munro, showing the CRAB logo. Separate tables were needed so that the huge line-ups could be kept as short as possible. Though invitations said five o'clock, the line-up was over two hundred long by four thirty, so volunteers started serving early. 500 pevpie l i d been served by five o'clock, a reminder that it had been five weeks since the last welfare cheque day! Volunteers from all over the community helped dish out the food, give information and clean up at the celebration. DERA donated $200 towards the food, CRS Workers ' Co-op donated the beans and flour, and the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre made 10 buckets of fruit salad and donated $25 worth of ice cream for the kids' table, along with six watermelons. Nicole delivered the ice cream by motorcycle!


A t CRAB Park, Pacific breezes playf u l l y come ashore. Sparkling waters s t r e t c h across t o the slumbering forests and s i l e n t mountains t o the north. Sunlight and warmth from the d e e ~blue slw flow down onto the

~ppenheimerPark s t a f f s e t up the tables and canopy and donated the juice for the dinner. F i r s t United Church provided the green salad and some of the cooking f a c i l i t i e s , and people from the Four S i s t e r s ' Co-op donated money and displayed a gigantic banner made by TORA, asking f o r disabled access t o the park. Fred Arrance of Four S i s t e r s made bannock f o r 500 people. Our own Carnegie s t a f f provided excel1ent support during the preparations, i n the 101 ways needed with an event of t h i s s i z e . They made the Carnegie kitchen available and donated some of the food. The nucleus of Carnegie volunteers cooked c [ S i f o r four days before the opening, made potato salad and baked cookies f o r the kids. Carnegie's Al Wilson made a banner announcing the community opening of the park. The neighbourhood's opening of CRAB Park was a b r i l l i a n t success. Organisations from a l l over the community showed they care by pitchi n g i n with people, money and l o t s

inviting carpet of grass. Adventuring sea birds come quietly t o earth i n the CRAB s a l t marsh. Our l i f e is the e a r t h and the e a r t h is a t CRAB Park. By BILL DEACON

of heart. Dozens more people gladly agreed t o help with specific jobs as the time f o r the event drew near. Then an unprecedented 1000 people showed up f o r the celebration! The message is simple. We have the people who'd l i k e t o use the park. We love CRAB - i t ' s beautiful! But we need more sensible access so our seniors, handicapped people, expectant mothers and l i t t l e t o t s can make it over t o the park!

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One r e a l l y dangerous oversight is the lack of a b a r r i e r or warnfng signs for huge trucks coming past the children's play area. Our kids could be k i l l e d instantly by a speeding semi and a l l we'd g-et i s a promise t o find out who was responsible for t h i s . SHEILA B.

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The fabulous opening of CRAB Park by 1000 people of the Downtown Eastside on Mnday will have an echo on Wednesday at noon. That is when the Port Corporation and Parks Board have scheduled a ceremony for The officials to declare the park open. They will have a chance to make speeches and pose for the cameras. By accident or design, Wednesday happens to be the first welfare cheque day in five weeks. Most of the people in the neighbourhood will be lining up for their cheques at that time, or be busy shopping for those bare cupboards. This means they will not be able to get to the officials' ceremony. . Perhaps the officials will remind the people who can make it to their ceremony that CRAB Park was originally slated for 1.8 million square feet of luxury development, with public use of the waterfront limited to a possible ramp along the shore. That was five years ago, when a grassroots group created CRAB, Create a Real Available Beach. All that summer people from the cornunity camped at the CRAB site, explaining their point of view to the public, the police and the 1; a -

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widespread support. After a few dozen delegations to City Hal% and the Port Corporation, CRAB achieved the near impossible: a park for the people right on the waterfront with a view of the inlet, the mountains and one of Canadaqslargest'ports, But the story is not over. Right now the only way to get to CRAB is on an overpass that was built 2.5 times too steep for wheelchairs. Seniors, parents pushing strollers, expectant mothers and people with canes a d crutches struggle with access that was designed for transpost trucks with big diesel enpines .

13 The B.C. Coalition of the Disabled, DERA, CRAB and the Downtown Disabled group from First Church have been working for a whole year to make the Port Corp. correct this mistake. The City has acknowledged the problem and agreed to pay Taxi fare for anyone in a wheelchair. At best though, this arrangement strands the people in wheelchairs at CRAB until they can flag down a Port Police car to radio for a taxi to get them out of the park!

This makeshift solution is inadequate. We need safe, convenient and open access to CRAB just like any other park. Many downtown eastside groups are proposing that the old underpass at Columbia be reopened and that the immediate answer is to take the fences down for an at-grade (level) crossing at Columbia. When this is underway, we can begLi ill earrlesi io iook at the spraying of herbicides and the trucking of toxic and explosive chemicals between CRAB and the Downtown Eastside.


REPORT ON PROJECT "CRAB PAM T-SHIRT" As a preliminary t o t h i s ' o f f i c i a l ' opening, City Council heard twenty delegations from the Downtown Eastside on Tuesday night. I t was a powerful, moving sequence as physi ca1;Ly ' challenged people wheeled or staggered t o the microphone and called f o r an accounting of responsi b i l i t y . In the T e a r of Rick Hansen" it is shameful t h a t h i s 'home town1 would have such a glaring disregard f o r the special needs of disabled and elderly and parents with kids. Council placed the blame squarely on the Port of Vancouver. As MP iviar-garei ivii i c i ~ e i is a d , "This C R R Looking a t our CRAB flags on TuesMountain violates the Charter of day's front page of the Vancouver Rights under the Canadian ConstituSun, I r e a l i z e t h a t another Downtown tion and the Federal agencies respEastside community f e a t was accomonsible must be brought t o account. plished. Diane, Val, Lorraine, Shelly The f i r s t step i s t o reopen the (from Melbourne, Australia), Tora, level crossing a t the foot of ColumGlen, Bob and Claude put i n time, This was i n operation bia Street. money and e f f o r t t o design, buy, f o r decades with more tracks than p r i n t and s e l l new ("seconds") and are used now and was only closed i n used T-shirts, flags and buttons 1986. The longer term solutions M a y and t o paint the banner. Buttons and t o be studied a r e t o reopen the old the not-so-fortunate choice of underpass a t Columbia. The proposed T-shirts were sold on Monday1s overpass a t Carrall i s not suited Opening Day h t "Best Offer" prices ; t o the needs of local residents and the flags were given away t o the would be b u i l t with the property children. owners and merchants footing the We spent $387.00 on materials f o r majority of costs. screen printing material, paint, The Mayor has instructions from T-shirts, Budget printing, e t c . Council t o actively pressure the After we sold our T-shirts and buttons Port and CTC t o pay f o r t h e i r mistake. i n the community and a t the La Quena Fiesta, we were l e f t with a $67.00 net profit!

Considering our inexperience i n the world of business, t h i s project was a success : not only was money earned, but Tora1s CRAB, the Guardian of the Harbour, w i l l be linked with our Park f o r years t o come! Willemien


Her f l e s h beneath burnt bruises, on billboards stacked up on treasure icecream domes; off work her hiding i n empty r e f r i g e r a t o r boxes - beneath t r e e s - i n o i l stoves, hard wooden f l o o r s , hard broken glass bottles..ferns with -fury edges Sword without sound s l i d i n g t o the pavement i n the hay of downtown - through t h e roof of her house, the roof of her mouth, t h e l a s t sound of the season:

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"Give up your rockers, you l i t t l e f .ks! The outhouse d i e generation beyond any l i f e l i n e , l e f t out here t o dry. GO on crazy windt.rops, you panic sack weeble knobs with your g u t t e r emporial slyshitstone furium. You airheads! You best get your cheap (inexpensive) h e d s e t s r i g h t by the t a b l e , by m). l i f e , by my bed!" And an a i r t i g h t denim casket, covering her body. Smiling, bloodgut romance pays respects from inside h i s transam tomato.

CRAB PARK Cameras and high p r o f i l e speakers made up the " o f f i c i a l opening" on Wednesday afternoon. The plan t o have only "invited guests" near the microphones l e f t control i n the hands of the City and Port. Local residents had on t h e i r logos and c a r r i e d f l a g s m d banners, and two enterprising women stood d i r e c t l y behind t h e speakers with a huge sign: DISABLED-ACCESS TOO STEEP: EH! Pleased with themselves and a l l

the money they'd spent, Parks p o l i t i c o s and t h e Chairman of the Port rambled on about a l l t h e companies they'd employed. "Aren't we grand!" Malcolm Ashford had an ominous s l i p of the tongue when he s a i d t h a t t h i s Park " w i l l be enjoyed by t h e many new people i n t h i s soon t o be bustling commercial area. That's the euphemism f o r urban renewal..afford it o r move. CRAB Park is the name i n our hearts, but the s i g n in-e park says,

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PORTSIDE PARK

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a t l e a s t a day.


Shared Silence Our cells chant the silence of eternity. me self-scream they sustain is gratuitous. ' The scream is echoed noises that drown the silence, blemories are what are salvaged - us the presumption. When the self-scream becomes a whisper, The words we catch are true. In. ~.+I?LS;~~Zbeczzzs a szik..

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The silence within us is as old as the chaos the universe came from. (from formlessness comes all that has form). The silence within us is time. To give the time we live on earth its form, we first must reach Anarchy. from formlessness comes all that has form. 3

Anarchy is trust writ large. Those who trust each other share. 'fiat which is shared is common to all: If we start from the silence within us, how can we go wrong? Steven Belkin

On Remembering the Depression: "Those who can't remember the past are condemned to live it again."

I feel dizzy and rushed Constant movemeilt kkes me feel like a Turtle.

I have to get my Head in Place and it slows me down.

playing all the Social Games Trying to interact with inhuman Humans So locked into games.

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The Bone is the Man L He wants to protect himself; The woman is taking it all in, Man's fight against woman. He won in all his Glory! What he has created Is a Paranoic Society.. Homosexual Men and Women A seperation from Woman . is a seperation from God. 1 The poor Hookers still 1 Trying to relate to Man And the Housewife with 1 Children trying to figure I a out which way to go. g Man sits on his self-made pedestal And admires Himself. :\lomanstill under His Power. Young boys willing to serve Him. Young woman..content To be a Bitch. Betty Jacqueline Robertson


''Could you get another pot of coffee? This one is empty." tlCould you s e t up the chairs so people can discuss the finances?" Helping out and doing your part ; what some people r e f e r t o a s volunteering (and sometimes, unfortunately, not i n such a kind way) A t the Folk Festival, there was an energetic, older woman..who sang the song, "For God's sake, Willie, don't say you're a cowboy - just a longhaired hippie singing pretty country songs She publicly praised the volunteers who had l i t e r a l l y made the " 'Fest" happen and t o damn near the loudest applause of the e n t i r e show. Volunteers - the ones who cook the soup a t different places a t s i x i n the morning! Yeah, those people. The ones who s e t up tables and chairs and get equipment so people can have c.. a good time, the same ones who t e a r down tables and chairs and equipment - ir?j zitert,& nnnri + i m p &jd &----.-those folks! T h e o n e s who do the '. planning long before an event happens, l i k e organizing musical gigs - whatever is necessary, getting others t o help, and on and on. .unpaid workers. Now the hard part. I and others have seen people make a mockery of helping out. They see t h a t some things have t o be done, but the are not going t o do it. F i n a n c i ~ p o i n tt o be paid - f o r anything. .maybe volunteers should hold out f o r good pay, but I think the vast majority of services rendered would stop,, the e f f o r t s put i n now by so many

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good people would be stopped. In societyvs high terms, an unpaid job is no job a t a l l . In a way they ' are right, , r e a l i s t i c a l l y there isn' t enough money t o pay f o r everything.." but we know d i f f e r e n t , What with union scales and wage games, there's a problem i n how t o pay volunteers and s t i l l keep them out of MHRVs "rules" - t h a t you a r e allowed t o better yourself by f i f t y dollars a month max . The general. idea is f o r everyone t o l i v e a l i t t l e better, a l i t t l e easier l i f e . What the people running the country need t o do i s figure a way t o get a volunteer wage without clashing with unions or businesses. We already have two different working systems - one f o r people who get paid a regular amount, and one where people d o n f t get paid a t a l l but a r e always helping out, The good side of t h i s i s t h a t a l l work would get done (and probably mn-r-0 fic +h- v n -,1*- r r , h*~;l---cidp ..."A - P- f---i s the amount of organizing it needs, and while being effectually implemented, some people would be angry. My questions t o these individuals who and why and what a r e you afraid of? Everyone knows t h i s is a new age, thirteen years t o the year 2000, and a (the) new way i s beginning now. This might be distant future s t u f f but the idea must come tnto being why not now? A psychological revolution begins with us and leads t o something l i k e graceful change. By DAyE McCONNELL 'icl,

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Many laugh at us old timers And maybe they have cause, For when your hqir turns gray Then you ddntt,em&t applause. Perhaps youse not so handsome youse not so spry, Perhaps niii- wnen t ' n n ~ r nnt 25 $ 6 25 -2s , L , , , ; , " .,1 -2 - .+ ---u y 2 LGL c a u l g ~ u u p pcurl .spa I b"' ple. My Mom and I were trapped in 18 Then they wonft wonder why, the middle when we tried to get on .+ For we have fought the battles the bus. People who act in such :$ And we have led the way, an uncivilized way should be barred .+ And made this life an easier road .+ from future picnics. What a bad .+ For many a young man. example to set for children. One .+ young woman who was many months :$ And he will do tomorrow pregnant hfid f p wait for almost the :$ A lot of things that pay, last place because it was dangerous..+ Because old timers thought them out Despite the terrible beginning :$ And tried them yesterday. the rest of the day was fantastic. .+ The food happened to be great and :$ We know the world is changing I spent most of the day in the wat- .+ The ways of trade are new, er with friends. The weather was :$ Men put new labels on their goods And roofs on houses too. perfect for outdoor swimming. *+ 4 The picnic took place at Buntzen .+ But still the old foundations Lake. Two musicians entertained .+ That the same old timers laid, us on the way home. I did not have Remain the cornerstone of all any problem ietting to sleep that The progress men have made. night. -? By WAYNE SCHMIDT Subqitted by Joe Boucher The CANADA DAY PICNIC STAMPEDE! % On June the thirtieth there was 9 the annual Canada Day Picnic. Just -.+ getting on the buses happened to .+ be a great ordeal. I never saw so much pushing and '+ a+

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7 TEE CHIEF OF CHIEFS For once the government did the h t thing. On July 1 3 , 1987, an e a l Court of the Canadian Immip-ation Service granted refugee Status t o Robert Satiacum, an h e r ican born Native, on the grounds that h i s return t o the U.S. of A. would almost certainly r e s u l t i n attempts on h i s l i f e . He would be jailed by o f f i c i a l s there on charges that a r e not very solid. Robert Satiacum. the Chief of Chiefs, i s t h e f i r s t m a n t o b e h e l d as such since Chief S i t t i n g Bull.. He has also dined with the President of the U~zitedStates. As an a c t i v i s t f o r native r i g h t s , he has put himself a t odds with the government on more than one occasion, but the whole of h i s e f f o r t s were aimed a t improving the living * conditions of h i s fellow natives. Land claims made through the years by members of North American native t r i b e s have met with some degree of success. i\on-natives i n

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19 opposition t o returning what was stolen would rather have t h i s man out of the way - he is a strong leader who can and does speak f o r many too weak o r afraid t o speak f o r themselves. He waited f o r three long years i n Okalla prison f o r hearings, appeals and rulings t o f i n a l l y have h i s plea heard and a decision i n h i s favour. U.S. agencies w i l l be f i l i n g a t once f o r Chief Satiacum's deportation, but a s f a r as I know, YOU CAN NOTHAVEAPERSONIaIOHASBEEN GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS DEPORTED BACK TO THE COUNTRY FRm WHICH S/IE SEEKS REFUGE FRm ... take t h a t , Uncle Sam.. Wherever you a r e Robert Satiacum, Chief of Chiefs, I sincerely hope t h a t a good wind is blowing; and maybe you and I w i l l meet I f e e l a deep respect toward you. Feel f r e e and be free..such is the undominat ed s p i r i t of the inany natives I've known through the years. WELCOME TO FREEDOM - J. Levesque

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CARNCUI E COMMIJNI T Y ZEN W t ASSOC I A T ION A r t i c l e s rty)rcs@tlt t h e v i e u s of i r ~ c l i v l d u a l c c m t r l b u t o r s and @ l o t o f t l t a A r . r . o r l a t i o 1 1 .

ART BY TORA

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City info s t a f f &'t accept Newsletter donations, as t h i s paper is a hot l i t t l e item of discussion x i t h the Carnegie Review Panel. I f you can help with spare change(! ) 'find Paul Taylor, and h e ' l l give you a receipt*

Thanks everybody.


Many believe that Marx, Engels 6 other political theorists actually invented socialist philosophy, but -proves this is not so. . In most ancient, highly evolved societies, an equal sharing of the necessities of life is evident. The ancient Egyptians, for example, set up a syqtem in which every tenth field in their agricultural areas was designated as a "Field of Offerings." All of the farm produce in excess of what was needed by the farmers themselves, was brought to these fields G equally distributed among those whose work produced no food. During the rise of Christianity in Europe, the remnant of this many thousand-year old system was corrupted into the "tithe" system; of giving one tenth of your earnings to the Church. By this method,

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Rome and particularly the Vatican, became the most powerful centre of imperialist agression at that time, If pre-Christian societies, such as the Egyptian, are considered as political examples in history, one of the lessons to be learned from them is that all politics should s p i r i t ~ a l l ymt b r a t p d .

As an example of ancient "socialist philosophy", consider the following statement from the Prisse papyrus, composed sometime before the fifth dynasty (possibly 4000 B.C. ) : "if, having been of no account, you have become great, and if, having been poor, you have become rich... when you are governor of the city.. . 7 be not hard-hearted on account of your advancement, because you have become 'the Guardian of the Provisions of God TORA

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is doing a greak-service on the 3rd floor of Carnegie on Tuesdays. Ms. Isabelle Marchand cuts hair - VISION for free! The number of people Dreams are for people thinking of things, grows every week, so try to get there early. TUESDAYS at 11:OO a.m. Dreams are for people who think a lot.. Dream can be anything - such as a boat floating down a river of candy floss. Dreams could be the end of War..and Pontius' Puddle r Peace - that would be a great dream. DONvT DRINK AND DRIVE! Dreams are for people thinking of things. You might hit a bun and Jennifer Wishart spill your dsin .

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ON OUR PmIER

Wm. Vander Z a h came from a small village near where I lived in b11and. They were so ultra-religious i n h i s v i l l a g e t h a t each Saturday evening they would remove the roost e r s from the hen houses, This was done so t h a t t h e i r early Sunday morning religious observances would not be disturbed by the crowing of the cocks. Hendrickus N j o o r

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Scabs have been called many things by many people during the course of labour history but Jack %ondongsdesc r i p t i o n of the scab, k i t t e n with barbed wire on sandpaper", e a s i l y dwarfs a l l others. M t e r God had finished the r a t t l e snakes, the toad and the vampire, He had some awful substance l e f t from which He made a scab. A scab is a two-legged animal wien a cork-screw soul, a-Gates-logged brain, a d o m b i m t i o n o f j e l l y m d g l u e for a backbone. .while others have hearts, he c a r r i e s a tunour of r o t t e n principles. When a scab comes down the s t r e e t , men t u n t h e i r backs and angels weep i n Heaven, and the Devil shuts the Gates of Hell t o keep him out. No man has a r i g h t t o scab a s long as there is a pool t o drown h i s carcass in, o r a rope long enough t o hang h i s body with. Judas Iscariot

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was a gentleman compared t o a scab. For betraying the Master, he had character enough t o hang himself - a scab hasn ' t. Esau sold h i s birthright f o r a mess of Fottage. Judas Iscariot sold h i s Saviour f o r t h i r t y pieces of silver. Benedict Arnold sold h i s country f o r a promise of a commission in the B r i t i s h Army. The modem strikebreaker s e l l s h i s birthright, h i s country, h i s wife and children and h i s fellow men f o r an unfulfilled promise from h i s enployer, trust o r corporation. Esau was a t r a i t o r t o himself; Juda s was a t r a i t o r t o h i s God; Benedict Arnold was a t r a i t o r t o h i s country; a strikebreaker is a t r a i t o r t o h i s God, h i s country', h i s wife, h i s famil y and h i s class. a

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Jay Gould (Railroad magnate of the 19th century): "I can h i r e one-half of the working c l a s s t o k i l l the other half. (Remark made i n reference t o the Knights of Labour s t r i k e against Gould Railroads - 1886) Haywood Brom (Famous newspaper columnist and founder of American Newspaper Guild) writes about strikebreakers: "The non-union man is a man who reaps where he has not sown. He comes a t the eleventh hour rind receives h i s penny. He is willing t o prof i t by the aggressive e f f o r t s of othe r s t o whom he has given ncj support. Worse than t h a t , he stands ready t o stab in the back the very people who have made it possible f o r him t o comrn~and a competence. Irene Schmidt


This year's Festival at Jericho Beach was dedicated to Elizabeth Cotton, who passed away this year at the age of 95, and to Kate Wolf, a singer and songwriter also, who sufferred from leukemia and died young last fall. My kids and I went down on Saturday in order to enjoy the social and political flavour of the workshops and songs. I was not looking to be merely entertained but also to be inspired and educated. There was indeed much fashionable enthusiasm in the crowds against South African apartheid, Central American repression, etc., but as a resident of the Downtown Eastside, I moved like a stranger behind the Walls of Jericho - hardly a brown face among the white, The occasional familiar person I did run into would invariably be the one with the rare free ticket. The ehtrdce to the Festival was priced at $25.00 per day, an impossible amount to pay for a welfare recipient - never mind one's priorities, even if one could fork up $25.00

(plus additional cost for expensive food). I donf\tsuppose the Festival authorities w e r heard of the term PAY-AS-YOU-QINfor people on Welfare! The kid's area was great. Our Diane Wood and others painted faces for two days and danced with the crowd. Kate Clinton, humouristsinger-peace activirst, interpreted this contradictory world in the funniest way. Bfll Bragg, songwriter-singer-.. political activist from Britain, and creator of "Between the WarsfJ,when asked what he was doing at the Eestival, replied, '%en HirppTes deserve sane good music n,cw and then." He was jolly good, actually. Among the remainder of the general entertainment, I thought Lillian Allen was superb 7 and so was her band. Lillian" work is a response to oppression as a black person, a woman, an immigrant, a worker and a mother, Her ndub' poetry and the rhythms of rengae of the Saturday ark on my taprcalled "~eyolutiorlary' Tea Partyff. Bring along a tape and 1'11 be glad to duplicate.it for you. Willemien



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Reconstruction is what we all need, a new mind leaving nroblems behind. HOW to change get your mind in Range, Whatever YOU can see has effects, so don't neglect. muly WmNESDAY - with A smile for a stranger.. .BONANZAS, T ~ C W M A Y S See, you've become a Ranger. WEPNESOAYS Smile along, the Road's not long,, PICK- YOUR-OWNS . , , , . - ,. i Don't miss the scenery, There's more to Trip along with I

CARNEGIE

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HELP

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EXERA can help you with:

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any welfare problems r i r n I-ll-t-8

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getting begal assitance unsafe living conditions in hotels or apartments disputes with l a n d l o r d s income tax

DXRA is located at 9 East Hastings o r phone 682-0931.

D E R A HAS BEEN SERVING THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE FOR 1 3 YEARS


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