Abby Pulse

A Clean Computer Is A Happy Computer

2006-08-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

"Is your computer annoyingly slow?

Got stuff popping up on your screen all the time?

Well I can help you solve that problem in 20 minutes."

With over 10 years experience......now serving Abbotsford and surrounding area

CALL Jim 604-302-9971

My Online Yard Sale

2006-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

I have items to sell and will be posting them at my yard sale online. If you are interested in anything please e-mail me at abbysales@gmail.com

or call 604-302-9971

Check out the items here http://jimsonlineyardsale.blogspot.com/

Clearbrook Brewing Company

2006-08-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Clearbrook Brewing Company

Clearbrook Brewing is a brew on-premise operation offering its customers a state-of-the-art facility to assist them in producing beers, wines, coolers and ciders for personal consumption. Commencing in January 1993, Clearbrook Brewing has grown and now occupies a 5000 sq ft facility at Unit #2 2043 Abbotsford Way, (click here to view map). Our aim is to provide quality ingredients, friendly staff, good advice and assistance, along with production equipment to ensure a commercial-quality finished product you can serve with pride.

Clearbrook Brewing operates under provincial U-brew license 201726 and as such we are compliant with the British Columbia Liquor Controls Act. In a nutshell, you, the customer, must take an active part in starting the batch. We can oversee fermentation and filtration. You, the customer, must package (bottle or can) the batch and remove it from the U-Brew. Through this endeavor the customer must also sign a contract of bailment: i.e. sign that the batch is yours. Remember a U-Brew replicates what your would do at home, you just get to do it in a shop with equipment. Please don't ask for samples, trades, extra batches, or phone orders. We have a strong industry and wish to keep it that way.

Visit Their website here for more info

Craigslist Vancouver

2006-08-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

If you haven't experienced Craigslist Vancouver it is time to take a look.

Craigslist is a centralized network of online urban communities, featuring free classified advertisements (with jobs, housing, personals, for sale/barter/wanted, services, community, gigs and resumes categories) and forums sorted by various topics.

It was founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark for the San Francisco Bay area. After incorporation in 1999, Craigslist expanded into 9 more cities in 2000 (all in the US) four each in 2001 and 2002, and 14 in 2003. As of June 2006, Craigslist had established itself in approx. 310 cities all over the world.

The Vancouver site has many adverts from Abbotsford and area.

Visit Craigslist Vancouver and see what all the fuss is about.

"Somethin Xtra"

"New Hemp Heart Product"

Visit Site For More Info

109-2669 Langdon Avenue

Abbotsford BC

Somethin' A Little Extra In Abbotsford

2006-08-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

There’s Somethin’ Xtra in Abbotsford

Tucked back in a small little strip mall just off of South Fraser Way you will find a unique one of a kind bakery in the Fraser Valley called “Somethin Xtra.”

Owner, Rita Hemmerly, tells us that the reason they are so unique is that all of their products are “egg free and use NO ADDED SUGAR in any of their products,” which are perfect for those with type 2 diabetes.

The CANADIAN Diabetes Association Says:
To limit sugars and sweets like sugar, pops, desserts, candies, jam and honey because if you have Type 2 diabetes the more sugar you eat the higher your blood glucose will be.To Limit sugars and sweets like sugar, regular pop, desserts, candy, jam and honey.
Thankfully there is a store like “Somethin Xtra” that offers jams and other products with no extra sugar added.

NEW PRODUCT ALERT

“Somethin Xtra" has also added a new product called “Hemp Hearts” which is one of the most nutritionally complete food sources on the planet.

Some of the benefits of “Hemp Hearts” are

1) Increased Energy
2) Great For Weight Management
3) Reduces Food Cravings
4) Improves Digestion
5) Non-Allergenic
6) Problems With Constipation Reduced or Eliminated
7) Benefits Pregnant or Lactating Women
8) Promotes Cellular Development and Health

To read more on this product please visit http://www.storesonline.com/site/1609006/page/45029

UPCOMING FUNDRAISER

On August 26th from 10 am to 4 pm Somethin Xtra will be holding a fundraiser to benefit the School Lunchbox Program as well as the Local Food Bank. There will be live music and coffee as well as healthy food samples.

Please take the time to call Rita, who is very knowledgeable in her products at 604-850-1848
Or visit her at 109-2669 Langdon Avenue in Abbotsford.

Letter From James Breckenridge

2006-08-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is a letter I received from Mr. James Breckenridge (homelessinabbotsford.com) regarding the state of the homeless after the closing of Compassion Park. It makes for an interesting read.

Hi Mr. JW heehee

Actually I have had air conditioning as my application for one of the Supported Independent Living Units was accepted so I am at the Salvation Army upstairs in their "PODs". Have access to my own computer but unfortunately not the internet. I work part time in the Emergency Shelter and while it is not something I would or could do as a career (in fact I have worked more hours than I should for health reasons) it is something that needs be done. I would very much like to find an interesting and challenging job - while I am on a positive roll.

They pretty much went back to chasing the homeless as soon as compassion park closed. The emergency shelter is full most nights and we are turning away a lot of people because of no room, about a dozen each night over the long weekend. As far as I know only two people from the Park have a place to live and that has more to do with people going out of their way than anything that was done "officially". As I have written I think the mayor et al thought it was going to be far easier than reality turned out to be. Actually you should read "need for follow - up" on the website as it addresses this point.

I have been plugging away networking, lobbying and whatever opportunity presents itself for trying to get things moving. Very frustrating as I find my sense of urgency to get moving tends to be much more immediate than that of the "homed" people one needs deal with on homeless issues. Still, it needs be done so I just need to remember the Serenity Prayer

Youthworks

2006-08-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Did you know that almost a third of Canada's homeless population are 16-24 year-olds?
That's about 65,000 young people without a place to call home.

It's a serious situation - one that needs to be addressed.

In January 2006, Raising the Roof launched Youthworks, a Canada-wide initiative aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness among young people.

The logic behind Youthworks is that the best way to deal with homelessness is to solve it at the beginning, not treat it at the end.

Read more about this national effort to end youth homelessness.

Bans On Feeding Homeless.......

2006-08-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

Please don't let this sort of thing happen here in Abbotsford.

Bans on Feeding Homeless Spread, Face Challenges
by Catherine Komp

Aug. 4 – Anti-poverty activists and civil rights advocates filed a lawsuit against the city of Las Vegas this week challenging an ordinance that makes it illegal to feed homeless people in public places.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada filed the suit Wednesday on behalf of activists with Food Not Bombs, a grassroots anti-poverty group that provides free, vegetarian meals in hundreds of city parks across the country. Plaintiffs claim the new law, passed July 19 , violates constitutional rights to free speech, free exercise of religion, free assembly, due process of law and equal protection under the law.

Las Vegas joins a growing number of cities passing laws and ordinances that target the homeless and their advocates. City councilors in Orlando, Florida also recently voted 5–2 in favor of a measure making it illegal to feed homeless people in public parks and other downtown areas.
The Orlando ordinance bans dispensing food to large groups within a two-mile radius of City Hall without a permit, and limits permits to “two per user per park in a 12 month period.” The ordinance states that feeding groups in public parks creates “hazards to the health and welfare of citizens, birds and animals, and is detrimental to the aesthetic atmosphere of parks.”

As previously reported by The NewStandard, a growing number of cities are passing laws and ordinances intended to push homeless people out of public places. In addition to anti-panhandling, anti-camping and anti-loitering ordinances, feeding programs in public parks are the latest targets. Homeless-rights advocate Michael Stoops described this trend as "a big battle in downtown American between the interests of low-income people and the interests of the business community."

Food Not Bombs has faced pressure in other cities, including Richmond, Virginia and Venice, California. Likewise, faith-based groups offering meals in parks have been pressured by city leaders and businesses to move their programs to less visible – and often less accessible – places.

The ACLU announced it may also bring a lawsuit against the city of Orlando on religious grounds. "The city is not going to be able to interfere with church groups and religious groups who are fulfilling their mission of feeding the homeless," Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida ACLU, told Reuters.

In a letter to Mayor Buddy Dyer outlining his dissent to the new law, Commissioner Robert Stuart said, “This ordinance appears to criminalize the good-hearted behavior of thousands in our community who have supported those that our city has either ignored or disregarded.”

© 2006 The NewStandard. All rights reserved. The NewStandard is a non-profit publisher that encourages noncommercial reproduction of its content. Reprints must prominently attribute the author and The NewStandard, hyperlink to http://newstandardnews.net (online) or display newstandardnews.net (print), and carry this notice. For more information or commercial reprint rights, please see the TNS reprint policy.

Please Sign Our Guestbook

2006-08-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Please take a few minutes to sign our guestbook and tell us where you are from, what brought you to our site and what you would like to see.

Your opinions are important to us.

The link is in the right side panel.

Thank You

Jim

Don't Forget The Abbotsford Airshow

2006-08-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

Click On Picture Above or this link For The AirShow Information

Putting a Human Face On The Homeless Issue

2006-08-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

By Robert Freeman Black PressJul 27 2006

Putting a human face on the homeless is likely the first step the Fraser Valley regional government will take in treating the problem, says Chilliwack Mayor Clint Hames.

But finding a cure to the growing number of homeless is going to take the elimination of the main causes like poverty, mental health and drug addiction, he says.

"We need to create a face for homelessness," he says. "We need to understand who these folks are."

Hames and Hope Mayor Wilfried Vicktor, a leading voice for a regional approach to homelessness, travelled to Calgary this week to see how that city deals with the problem.
Despite Alberta's economic health, there's an estimated 4,500 homeless who literally line up every night at Calgary's two shelters - and the numbers are reportedly increasing.
"They have the hottest economy, the most jobs, what the hell is going on?" Hames says.
Officials at the Calgary Urban Projects Society (CUPS) were unavailable for comment.
The society, funded mostly by the Alberta government, operates shelters and a health centre where the homeless can get medical, dental and even chiropractic services.

But Hames suggests that housing is not all the homeless need - that they need to feel they are a part of a community.

"I think homeless people are the new lepers of our society," he says.

People with mental and physical disabilities were once shunned like lepers, he points out, and placed in jail-like institutions where they became an "isolated" and "devalued" segment of society.
"We've created this new leper and our response appears to be - find shelters for these folks ... "but it's not enough to say they need to be sheltered away," he says. "Society has an obligation to give them societal roles."

"We've created an image in peoples' minds that these folks are much different than the rest of us," he adds. "We need to break down the barriers we've created between them and us."
The mayor believes homelessness is "entirely preventable" and that "knowing who these folks are is going to give us a much better clue as to how to get there."

"I think what you'll see us do (at the Fraser Valley Regional District) is try to put a face to the people who are labelled homeless," he says.

Right To Sleep Protester continues Hunger Strike

2006-08-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

Right-to-sleep protester continues hunger strike

CanWest News Service; Victoria Times Colonist

Friday, August 04, 2006

VICTORIA - A Victoria homeless man who has been repeatedly arrested and jailed since 2003 for sleeping in public places has taken his fight to the next level.

David Johnston, Victoria's right-to-sleep protester, has been on a hunger strike at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Institution for 31 days.

His battle, which sparked the establishment of tent cities in the city last fall by other homeless people, has frustrated courts to the point where Johnston is now serving two consecutive sentences of 120 and 90 days.

Johnston has gone on a hunger strike every time he's been jailed. This most recent sentence, however, is putting his life in danger, and authorities are powerless to stop him from starving to death.

The homeless man has signed an order which prevents prison or medical officials from force feeding him or hooking him up to an intravenous drip if he passes out an event he believes will happen in six to 10 days.

B.C. Corrections officials would not comment on Johnston's case, but confirmed that if an inmate goes on a hunger strike, prison staff can't force the inmate to eat.

''I feel like an old man,'' said Johnston, who has dropped from 170 pounds to 143. ''If someone punched me in the mouth right now, all my teeth would fall out. My gums have receded an inch.''

Johnston, who spends his day in solitary confinement where officials can keep close tabs on his declining health, said the reasons for his hunger strike are simple: he believes the Crown is corrupt and he thinks no one should eat in jail.

Victoria Times-Colonist

Back Where I left Off!!!!

2006-08-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what happened to the homeless situation after Compassion Park? I will be making some inquiries and trying to help you put a face to the homeless situation in Abbotsford.

There are many people and organizations trying to make a difference and I will be, over the next few weeks , bringing you stories from them and the people that they work with.

I will be taking the next week off to gather info and start to work where I work best which is in trying to make a difference in social causes.

If yo are homeless or have a story that I need to explore which is in the Fraser Valley then please get in touch with me at abbypulse@gmail.com

CUPE 774, City of Abbotsford reach agreement to end job action

2006-07-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

ABBOTSFORD, BC, July 29 /CNW/

Abbotsford City Council has approved a
Memorandum of Agreement reached on Thursday and ratified yesterday by members
of CUPE 774, bringing to an end a 24-day job action. Employees will return to
work tomorrow (July 30).

The five-year agreement, which is retroactive to January 1, 2005 and ends
on December 31, 2009, includes general wage increases of 3% per year from 2005
through 2008 and a wage increase of 3.5% in 2009. The City will also match the
average of wage settlements negotiated for 2009 in the local governments of
Chilliwack, Mission and Langley Township if they are greater than 3.5%.

Other highlights of the settlement include:
- $70,000 for market adjustments for positions below market in 2006;
- $70,000 for market adjustments for positions below market in 2008;
- Improvements to the benefit package.

"We are pleased that the dispute between the parties has been settled,"
said CUPE 774 president Joe Rodrigue. "The Memorandum of Agreement reached
redresses to some extent the wage disparity for the union. We want to thank
the citizens of Abbotsford for the support they have shown us during this
dispute."

The tentative agreement follows a difficult set of negotiations that
began in April 2005. The collective agreement expired on December 31, 2004.
The Local's 463 members voted 82 percent in favour of strike action in May,
and went on strike on June 26. Wage parity with other municipalities and term
of agreement were major issues in negotiations.

On July 13, CUPE 774 members rejected an agreement reached with the City.
This time, the ratification vote passed with more than 80 percent of members
supporting the package.

From http://www.topix.net/ca/abbotsford-bc

What A Crock!!!!

2006-07-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today while driving down South Fraser Way going west, at the corner of Clearbrook, I saw a young man sitting in the median with a sign saying "Hungry, Broke can you help me out?"

Those of you that know me know that my hear is filled with compassion for the homeless and the down and out but I didn't get an opportunity to stop.

I stopped at the Valu Village mall and what do I see? This same young man heading into the liquor store.

I say shame on you. If you want to party get a job. If you sincerly are hungry go buy a meal with any funds you get.

Sorry For No Updates

2006-07-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

Just back from a well needed vacation in Oliver BC. The campground was great as usual and we even visited a few wineries.

Look for more updates as I am rested and ready to go.

Where are the issues? Let me look and see what kind of trouble I can stir up now.

Jubilee Park Music

2006-07-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Jubilee Park, Abbotsford, BC, hosts ‘Jammin’ in Jubilee’. Several groups will perform weekly from July 20th to August 24th.

Grab your lawn chair and groove to the ADBA's summer concerts in Jubilee Park showcasing a diverse and highly talented pool of local performers

Featuring:

• July 13 – Bassic Sax Jazz Ensemble (5 piece)
• July 20 – Nikki Werner (local country artist)
• July 27 - Dixon Road (retro-rock & new country)
• Aug 3 - Emily Adams (country vocalist)
• Aug 10 - Evans Palmer (Canadian Balladeer & Piper)
• Aug 17 - The Bottom Line (4 piece Blues & Rock Band)
• Aug 24 - Jane Perrett-Murray (Opera singer)

Abbotsford Freecycle!!!!

2006-07-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

Freecycle is a way to give away things you might have around the house to people that need it and to receive things that you may need. The local group boasts 1544 members and is growing quickly.

Things we have received include a 27 inch TV, a stereo system, a ghetto blaster, video's, books and much more.

Click the pic above or the link to become a member and start giving and receiving. Let's keep stuff out of the landfill

Garbage Strike!!!

2006-07-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

Ok my rant for today....

I loaded up my car with our household garbage and headed out to the dump to get rid of the car full of waste and recycleable things that have been storing up over the past few weeks.

I spent 10 minutes getting through construction on the Mission highway and then another 45 min. in a lineup waiting to get into the waste removal station. It was packed and it was hot.

As of today the City of Abbotsford website states:

Garbage Service: Residents on the east side of Abbotsford will have their garbage picked up as usual by the contract company, Waste Services Incorporated. Garbage pick-up on the west side of Abbotsford has been disrupted. Residents on the west side of Abbotsford are encouraged to take their garbage to the Matsqui Transfer Station on Valley Road. There is a fee for this service, but west side residents will receive a credit to their property tax account of $3.00 for each week that the garbage is not picked up.

My question is why is garbage being picked up on the east side but not the west?

Garbage should be deemed as essential service for health reasons and this part of the city's workforce should be ordered back to work in my humble opinion.

Regional coordinator proposed to match homeless with houses

2006-07-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

from the The Chilliwack Progress

By Robert FreemanThe Jul 04 2006

A regional housing coordinator to match individual needs to community resources in the Fraser Valley is one of the many ideas to ease homelessness in the region that surfaced at a stakeholders’ forum Thursday in Chilliwack.

Another is the “credit card” system in Mission that homeless people can use to get a meal, a shower, clothing and transportation. A proposed gold card slated to start in September will match volunteer mentors with registered users looking to access professional services like dentistry.

“There’s buckets of resources out there,” Chilliwack Mayor Clint Hames said after the day-long forum attended by about 110 community stakeholders, service groups and government agencies. “The real challenge seems to be getting everybody pulling in the right direction.”
Hope Mayor Wilfried Vicktor, who chaired the forum held at the UCFV theatre, said there was a commitment made at the meeting to deal with the problem as a region rather than as individual communities.

“There was a recognition that what has been done (so far) has produced mixed results,” he said. “Perhaps exploring non-traditional solutions might be one way to go.”

But what those solutions might look like is “the real head-scratcher,” admitted Vicktor, who will also chair a task force of Fraser Valley mayors reviewing recommendations made at the forum.
Regional politicians were initially reluctant to take on the homelessness issue, arguing that housing is the responsibility of the federal and provincial governments. Representatives from BC Housing, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the B.C. employment ministry and the Fraser Health Authority also attended the forum.

Abbotsford Mayor George Ferguson complained that the FVRD does not get senior government funding made available to the Greater Vancouver Regional District for low-income housing.
“We’re the fifth largest city in the province, and that funding isn’t available to us,” he said. “People who are homeless are in every community, it’s not just a big city issue. All of us ... have people who need help.”

A recent report on housing and homelessness in the Fraser Valley by the Mennonite Central Committee called upon all levels of government for sweeping changes, including an increase in the BC Shelter Allowance. The report also recommended community partnerships to build more low-income housing and residential addiction recovery houses.

During the meeting, Hames noted that whole communities will rally around a child in need, but when it comes to homeless people with the “stigma” of drug addiction and mental illness, “we run the other way and we turn to the professionals.”

“(But) we can’t do this simply as professionals,” he added. “We have to do this as a community. We have to begin to look in our hearts and ... and bring (the homeless) into our community, not push them away.”

Joy Cox, Mission’s executive director of community services, said more than one solution will be needed to solve the homelessness problem over the long term.

“You can put people up, you can feed them, but if you don’t collectively look at all their needs (like basic life skills or addiction counselling) it’s going to be a bit of a band-aid situation.”

rfreeman@theprogress.com

Art From The Inmates

2006-06-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

An innovative idea has come to Mountain Institution in the Fraser Valley.

Basically inmate owners will produce quality works of art while incarcerated. This art will then be marketed and sold which in turn generates funds for more works of artand business growth.

This will help to take the inmates of institution pay and jobs and they will pay income tax on this revenue. This will be the first time a proposal like this has seen it's way to inception or inmates have paid tax in Canada.

From Their Website

InsideArt is a ground-breaking organization that not only brings you wondrous works of fine art, but also brings hope, skills, and opportunities for individuals who are making a concerted effort to change their path in life.This registered cooperative markets the fine works of two groups of artists - current and former federal prison inmates, and their "outmates," professional community based artists and mentors who share their creative talents and business skills.

The production of art has long been known for its power to heal. Through their art, offenders gain new perspectives on their past and find new hope for their future as lawful, self-sufficient, and contributing members of society. Their journey continues as they learn how to establish and operate a legitimate business enterprise. The revenue they generate is used to pay room and board, and is subject to income tax, even while they are still in prison.

They pay for their own business expenses from sales of their artwork.

These artists also begin to give back to the community by donating their art to non-profit organizations including Ronald McDonald House, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Big Brothers / Big Sisters and the Breast Cancer Foundation. The donated items include elaborate carved chests, furniture, and paintings, enabling these community charitable organizations to raise much needed funding.

Community members who want to get involved are asked to contact Stacey Corriveau at Community Futures of South Fraser in Abbotsford. Please express interest by providing a statement of qualifications, experience and interest (or any questions) to Stacey Corriveau, Inside Art Manager, at stacey.corriveau@southfraser.com or fax 604-864-5769.

Pending Teacher's Strike

2006-06-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

Go back to work after summer break! Period.

The parents certainly are not with you on this one. On an informal poll of 30 parents today not one supported the pending strike.

I say teachers should get a mandatory pay raise each year to rise with cost of living - no more/no less. They should also get extended health benefits. BUT NOT AT THE COST OF OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

You know you will be mandated back to work and I hope this time the government sticks to their guns and makes you pay for every day of your illegal strike.

If I break the law I have to suffer the consequenses, so should you.

Welcome Back

2006-06-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

A few people asked me why I quit publishing Abby Pulse and the reason was that I was having a hard time to find the time to write the stories. I also didn't think anyone was actually reading it until I received the numerous e-mails asking me to bring it back so here we are.

I will be giving my opinion of how I see things that are happening in the area, without apology. Unless of course you can show me where I am wrong.

So here we go.......