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Petition Tag - local
1. Help keep the ONLY pawn shop in Abingdon going! 
We need your support! As most of you know, Kevin owns THE ONLY pawn shop in Abingdon, VA & now the TOWN is trying to take that away.
The town of Abingdon is holding a public hearing at 7:30pm on Monday, February 4th in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall, 133 West Main St., Abingdon, VA about pawnbrokers of ordinances of the town of Abingdon. What we need is our customers, supporters, anybody, to just come to the meeting and speak up for this small business.
If you can't make the meeting, try to stop by the shop, K & R Pawn and Gun at 1024 West Main St. Abingdon, VA to sign our petition to keep us here - or sign this one online.
We have a lot of customers that depend on the pawn shop, we can't let it go. Thanks for all your help!
2. 50% LOCAL CONTENT IN RADIO & TV IN T&T
At present the Creative & Cultural Sector of Trinidad & Tobago earns about $1.9 billion for the local economy. The Artists' Coalition of Trinidad & Tobago (ACTT) believes that this sector can earn over $6 billion annually within 4 years if certain programmes are implemented. One of the most important of these interventions is the passing of 50% local content quotas on all Broadcast media in this our 50th year of Independence. 50/50- or 50 for 50!
In March 2001 the Recording Industry Association of Trinidad and Tobago (RIATT)- an organisation representing the interests of individuals and entities involved in the recording of all genres of local music, organised a march in downtown Port of Spain, to protest the lack of airplay for locally produced music. In 2003 and 2004 marches followed led by the Entertainment Industry Coalition- the original name for ACTT. Since the 1970s strong articulate lobbies existed for local content in television led by advocates such as Christopher Laird of Banyan and Fred Thornhill of Advance Dynamics. To date, various cultural activists and Interest groups have consistently pleaded for 50% local content- to no avail.
These protests articulated the need to pass local content quotas- just as countries such as Canada, Brazil, France and Northern Ireland have done to protect their cultural identity and products. Most countries in the world now are passing local content legislation and making it the foundation of the building of their Creative Industries- the 2nd largest industries in the world, worth trillions. We are certain when local content legislation is passed in Trinidad and Tobago, it will foster an economic and creative Renaissance- as well as strengthen our cultural sovereignty and national pride.
One of the principal misconceptions faced by the cultural fraternity is what constitutes 'local content'. Many believe we are asking to have legislation passed for radio stations to play ‘wine and jam’ music all day long. On the contrary, local content is not limited to only indigenous musical forms such as soca, chutney, parang, rapso, calypso and so on; but includes other genres of locally produced music such as hip hop, rock ,r n b, pop, jazz and gospel to name a few. There is more than enough quality music recorded in all these genres to fulfill any radio playlist...
Local content legislation will also provide the opportunity for increased revenue collected by Local Copyright Management Organisations (CMO’s). The greater part of this revenue collected from broadcasters will remain within the local economic system rather than be exported to owners and creators of foreign content. This will subsequently lead to an Increase in royalty distribution to local artistes.
Increased paid content in local TV and film will also result in downstream expansions in local theatre, fashion, visual arts, and other forms and be the arrowhead of exporting our Creative Industries to the world. The local Oil and Gas sector has local content quotas and the architectural and consulting sectors are also battling for local content in their sectors as well.
3. Stop Interrupting Regular Programs to Broadcast Cricket
ABC Local Radio has a community of listeners spanning the whole of Australia. The transmission of the 'Overnights' program, hosted by Trevor Chappell and Rod Quinn and also the 'Nightlife' program, hosted by Tony Delroy, are often interrupted by sporting events, such as cricket, with regular listeners being forced to listen to regular shows online or on digital radio. This is not possible for many people and is inconvenient.
Please make a separate channel for sport, or have the minority who want to listen to sport, listen online or via digital radio, and leave the majority of regular listeners to their normal programming.
4. Bring The old Myspace back!
Remember the old Myspace? Searching local bands? No horrible lag? Friends lists that worked? Working IM's? Actually making your own layouts with no silly modules and lagging, forceful layout options?
We do, too! Myspace was the forefront for social and musical expansion. Corporate interference has taken that all away. It was the ONLY place musicians had and could have again to branch out.
Myspace, get rid of the new, silly design and bring back the good ol' days. Simple layout, basic HTML editable design. We miss it.
Facebook is a HORRIBLE alternative to what Myspace used to be. Give our social site back!
5. York University Students in Support of CUPE 3903
Do you want to prevent a strike? Do you think that tutorial sizes are too large? Are more TAs needed in our labs? Do you support fair wages, working conditions, and benefits for your TA's, instructors, and invigilators?
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3903 -- representing teaching assistants, contract professors, graduate assistants, lab assistants, exam invigilators, and writing ...instructors -- are currently in collective bargaining with the University administration. Their demands include:
• smaller tutorial and lab sizes to improve the quality of undergraduate education
• maintaining financial support for underfunded graduate students
• job security for academic workers
• affordable education
As undergraduate students, we understand that the quality of education we receive in our classrooms depends on the working conditions of those instructing us. Our tutorials are too large, our labs are understaffed, and poverty-line wages keep our instructors from being able to fully commit to our education. We also understand that these conditions are the same ones that will be experienced by many current undergraduate students who, in the near future, will be applying to graduate school. As fellow students, we need to support members of CUPE 3903 in their efforts to make the York University a better place for all of us to study and work at.
Our TAs, instructors, lab assistants, exam invigilators, and writing instructors continue to ask for a reasonable and equitable contract. They continue to bargain in good faith, with every effort being made to prevent a strike. Unfortunately, the University administration has been unwilling to agree to a fair contract, and its disregard has led members of the union to vote 66% in favour of a strike mandate.
The employer is forcing a strike to occur by refusing to bargain with academic workers, and offer semi-decent wages and job security. This move has placed the entire University community in a precarious position.
Clearly, the University administration can no longer claim to have the best interests of students in mind.
Join this group and help towards preventing a strike by forcing the York University administration to give a fair contract for our teaching assistants, instructors, contract professors and other academic workers. The admin is forcing the current strike.
This Facebook group, built by the "Students in Support of CUPE 3903" campaign, will serve two purposes in the coming weeks:
- We will be giving immediate bargaining and strike updates on the state of negotiations. These updates will additionally serve to update members of the University community about class cancellations, about how to deal with specific issues pertaining to a potential strike (such as procedures for assignments), and about potential avenues for acquiring tuition rebates from the University in the case that a strike should occur.
- We will be organizing student support campaigns for members of CUPE 3903 who continue to strive to reach a fair deal with the York University administration, despite the latter's decision to walk away from negotiations and refuse to give workers a fair deal.
E-mail: students.solidarity.cupe3903@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/YorkUniversityStrikeInformationGroup
Support the undergraduate campaign to stop the York admin from causing another strike!
Organizations/Student Groups that have signed on:
New Democrats of York University
Fightback
Afghan-Iranian Youth Network
Health as a Bridge to Peace at YorkU
Sociology Undergraduate Students Association
York University Free Press (YUFP)
Sexuality Studies Association at YorkU
6. Save Purple Mountain Cafe & Bike Centre at Dalby
Purple Mountain have run an outdoor friendly cafe and bike centre at Dalby Forest for the last 6 years, serving bikers and other forest visitors.
We provide great locally sourced produce, bake on the premises, know the farmers who supply us, use fairtrade, organic and free range products, and make the best Biker Bar in the country.
In the Bike Centre we offer high quality bike hire and bike events for all levels of rider.
We are a local business, using local products, employing local people.
We believe the Forestry Commission have decided to award the new tenders as follows
- Cafe to Eurest, part of the Compass Group, the largest global food service provider in the world
- Bike Centre to CTC & Pace Cycles
So its 'Goodbye to Biker Bar and Hello Big Business'.
This petition, supported by the undersigned, is directed to the Mayor, Borough Council and Park Officials of Boyertown, Pennsylvania. Its goal is to support the construction of an enclosed, off-leash dog park in a centralized, convenient location within the Boyertown Area School District. A full proposal is currently being developed that will be presented to the Borough along with this petition.
This park would be a designated area where residents and their well-behaved canine citizens can exercise and have fun in a clean, safe environment. We want to create a beautiful, well-maintained space open to all dog lovers and friends who will be willing to uphold the park’s rules and restrictions. This park will be designed to satisfy the needs of dog-owners and non-dog owners alike. We aim for this park to be a community project, supported in large part by volunteer dog advocates and maintained in partnership with the Borough of Boyertown.
In many cities, dog parks are very common. You can view the list of dog parks in each city and state by visiting this website: www.doggoes.com . However, there are no public dog parks anywhere within a 20 minute drive of Boyertown! The large number and success of dog parks all over the country demonstrate that when a group of concerned and responsible dog owners work together for a leash-free dog park, not only can this concept work but it can thrive and enrich the community.
Research shows that property values near dog parks increases, sometimes significantly. For example, in one San Francisco neighborhood, property values rose approximately 900% within five years of the construction of a dog park (and that’s not a type-o!) Consider this: parks increase the livability of a city and provide for a better sense of community. The more parks a city has, and the more variety of parks a city has, the higher its property values tend to be. Moreover, research shows a great reduction in crime in neighborhoods with dog parks. Who would want to commit a crime with fifteen dogs and their owners watching? (source: www.clevelanddogparks.com )
Therefore, we are asking the Borough of Boyertown to allow the construction of a dog park for the following reasons:
- There is not a current public dog park in our area to accommodate safe, off-leash dog activities.
- Such a park would allow families with dogs to spend more quality time with their pets.
-Having such a park located in the rear wooded currently unused portion of the Boyertown Community Park would promote better use of this land area and deter crime through higher foot-traffic and video surveillance.
- Such a park would reduce angst between dog owners, non-owners, police and park authorities regarding dog access to other city parks.
- This park would increase opportunities for residents to interact with their neighbors and help create a sense of community.
- Many dogs need exercise above and beyond human limitations; furthermore, many dog owners do not have a yard where their dogs can spend time outside, and leashes greatly limit the dog’s space and pace.
- Socializing dogs is very beneficial to the community, since it makes them less skittish and can mitigate aggressive behavior when meeting other dogs and people.
- Regular exercise is great for any dog's longevity and weight control, and the overall effect of regular exercise makes most dogs calmer and better behaved.
Please help us create a dedicated space that allows our residents to exercise their canine family members and themselves as well as benefit the community as a whole!
If you would like to be involved in our efforts, you can email info@barco-pa.com or visit www.barco-pa.com . We can update you on our next steps and see how you may be able to help out.
8. Ban Industrial Extraction of Natural Gas in Vestal
Neither the federal Environmental Protection Agency, nor the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has stepped forward to protect the people from the plundering of our resources, poisoning our water, crowding and damaging our roads, ruining our beautiful landscapes, threatening our agriculture and tourism caused by industrialized gas extraction.
Can our local government step in and fill the gap? Yes! It is quite clear, (Black Letter Law), that a Town Board has the ability to prohibit land use it does not feel is compatible with the wishes, safety, and economic well-being of its constituents.
Many communities across the state have now banned gas drilling.We propose that the Town Board of Vestal, New York enact a total ban on industrialized natural gas extraction (hydrofracking).
Please sign if you are a Town of Vestal Resident and over 18 years old!
9. Campaign for Better Safer Roads in the Vale of Glamorgan
Roads in the Vale area are a disgrace, uneven road surfaces, multitude of potholes, poor road surfacing and poor road markings. Shoddy repairs make our roads look like patchwork quilts.
The cost to local residents in extra repairs of their cars that are affected by poor roads is ever increaseing. Recently councillors wasted a huge amount of £'s on Thompson Street in Barry, a road that was already in fairly good condition. The money could have been better spent on roads such as Princess Street which has been in a dreadful state for a long time.
We pay enough local and national taxes to use the roads but get little in return, money needs to be spent to bring our roads up to a acceptable standard. It‘s time our elected officials took action to resolve this issue to the satisfaction of those who elected them, afterall they are there to serve us aren’t they?
10. Change the way in which Penalty Charge Notices are issued across the UK
Perhaps it is about time we changed how "parking enforcement" works. A completely new, friendly approach, not incentivised by money.
Each Council Ward can appoint its own group of "wardens", they may even be local volunteers, with the necessary powers to issue PCN's. Everyone in the ward will know who they are, and have their number to call if they have a problem. The point is however, that they will be welcoming, friendly sort of person, rather than the authoritarian set up we have now.
They will only issue tickets in the most extreme cases and will only issue a ticket as a last resort. The vast majority of PCN's issued currently are completely unnecessary and are purely issued to generate revenue - these would never get issued under this new arrangement.
I realise it may take some time to make these changes but they will be worth it if it encourages a more friendly local community.
In the UK at the moment you can steal and be fined less (or not at all), than the motorist who parks on the wrong line, displays the wrong permit, or just overstays his parking ticket. It is plainly very wrong and unfair.
Please sign the petition if you would like this to change.
11. Support Second Saturday Hanalei
If you have ever attended a Second Saturday Hanalei (SSH) event and enjoyed yourself, please sign our petition to ensure its survival. It has been running successfully for over two years, having grown, evolved and adjusted accordingly to take into account any concerns by retail tenants of Hanalei.
Second Saturday Hanalei is a volunteer-run, art-focused community event. It’s purpose is to build a healthy community, in part by strengthening the connection to traditional Hawaiian values and implementing them wherever possible in contemporary life.
SSH provides a dedicated space and time for the community to gather together, watch movies, listen to local musicians and view local artists and their work. The event has become a dependable gathering for the north shore’s residents and visitors; our fun night to meet and socialize and for the art community to showcase, share and promote their work in a family-oriented environment.
Apparently now Second Saturday Hanalei cannot be held in the Hanalei Center, the grassy are where SSH erects the movie screen and we gather to view and mix amongst ourselves. This location is the best infrastructure for the event. It is a safe and centralized spot that is safe for pedestrians and children and can be seen from all around Hanalei. The coordinators are committed to handling and addressing any problems or issues the Center has faced as a result of SSH.
12. Campaign for additional reception class for St. Werburghs by Sept 2011
Hello, my name is Rob Tinkler and I have set up Facebook page ‘Local schools for local kids’ as a support group for parents unhappy with the places and schools that they have been offered in the local school admissions allocations.
On Friday 6th May 2011 we held a public meeting to discuss the matter and push for a solution by September’s entrance date.
In attendance were local councillors Jon Rogers, Gus Hoyt, Clare Campion- Smith and the council officer responsible for school admissions Mick Brannigan ( Service Manager; Capital, Assets and Access) as well as approximately 25 parents.
A lot of issues and possible solutions were discussed (I enclose a copy of the minutes from the meeting) the general consensus was that St. Werburghs and the local area needed another school in order to provide local schooling for local children.
In Aug 2009 I was approached by the council to discuss the possibility of me moving from the studio I have worked in for 10 years, at this point they suggested they would offer help with the move.
In March 2010 with no further discussion the council served me an eviction notice as if i was an illegal squatter. When I contested it they set a court date and are now trying to charge me over £1000 for their legal fees.
I have lived and worked in Haringey for over 30 years, building up a reputation as an international artist. I welcome youngsters to gain experience and have completed several community projects in the local area, leading to large scale public sculptures.
I believe I have been treated unfairly and undervalued as a creative force within the community. Surely the school would benefit from having a local artist nearby?
I believe I have been treated unfairly and undervalued as a creative force within the community and ask for support.
14. In support of a Regional Air Service
As most of you are no doubt aware the previous Airline operator ceased its services to the region due to low feasibility and demand with high operating costs.
SCAN TV (Seattle Community Access Network Television) offer Seattle and King County residents and organizations affordable production resources and access to various kinds of distribution technologies to become the Producers and the Content Providers of SCAN TV, allowing SCAN TV to showcase diverse expressions of thought, art and entertainment. SCAN airs on Comcast channel 77 and Broadstripe 23 in Seattle.
FUNDING: Public access channels come from Section 611 of the Communications Act. They are dedicated channel space on cable systems specifically for “use by the general public.” The cable channels pay for public access through franchise fees paid by subscribers; since 2006, those franchise fees are paid by Comcast to the City of Seattle, Department of Information Technology, and are held in the Cable Television Franchise Subfund. The Department of Information Technology contracts with SCAN as the “designated public access manager for the City of Seattle.” In 2010, SCAN received $650,000 from the City for this purpose.
Anyone can sign! Our first preference is for Seattle residents, then King County residents.
16. Exemption from Local School Tax
The Local School Tax represents a large percentage, often more than half, of the property tax for all New Jersey home owners. This presents a particular hardship on those with limited sources of income who are now faced with severe budgeting problems.
Provide an exemption from Local School Tax for those few who suffer most. The possibilities are shown below for your consideration.
Single, Age 65 & Over, Income Less than $40K, 100% Exemption for Veterans and Disabled
Maried, Age 65 & Over, Income Less than $55K, 100%
Exemption for Veterans and Disabled
Single, Age 65 & Over, Income Less than $30K, 100%
Exemption for Veterans or Disabled
Married, Age 65 & Over, Income Less than $45K, 100%
Exemption for Veterans or Disabled
Single, Age 64 & Under, Income More than $55K, Zero
Exemption
Married, Age 64 & Under, Income More than $65K, Zero
Exemption
17. Allow Long Hair for males in Itasca ISD
Itasca Middle school Handbook
Dress code and Grooming
Rule D: Students' hair will be neat, clean, well groomed and will not obstruct vision or view of the face. Male students, hair length shall not be below the top of the shoulders. Hairstyles that are extreme enough to create a disturbance or disrupt the normal routine shall be deemed inappropriate. Distracting or extreme color ( pink, purple,blue etc.) design or styles will not be allowed.
Rule E: Male students will NOT wear ponytails, or have carved numbers, symbols,names etc. in their hair.
Discrimination policy pg 38
"Discrimination is defined as any conduct directed at a student on the basis of race, color, GENDER, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law, that negatively affects the student."
Among UK government plans there is a proposal to shut local Magistrate courts. Locally we have two: Epping and Harlow. Both are well used. Shutting them would put much more pressure on Chelmsford.
Justice should be local, and thus seem to be done in the nearby community. Cutting courts to save money is not on.
19. End the 'Stop within 10 metres of an intersection without traffic lights' Law
Nobody likes getting parking fines and we definitely hate paying for them. What makes it worse is when your fine is not only due to a ridiculously outdated reason but the price of the penalty that goes with it is equally ludicrous.
Many local residents in Sydney’s suburbs have experienced the shock of finding a $197 (the current penalty in 2010) on their windscreens or in their mailboxes for parking, according to the brilliance, too close to the intersection. 10 meters is apparently sufficient space needed for a driver to prepare to turn into an adjacent street. 10 meters is also, unfortunately, the length of two cars or who are desperate to get a spot close to their homes and not have to walk half a street after a hard days work. It’s time to stop this unfounded parking law and the revenue raising scams of local councils!
20. Boycott Casinos - Support Local Businesses & Green Jobs
Dear Friend,
The leadership on Beacon Hill is attempting to open the door to predatory gambling in Massachusetts. They have refused to conduct a proper study of the pros and cons of their proposals. The House passed its casino bill without holding public hearings.
They claim casinos will create jobs. But the facts show that casinos are jobs killers and community-busters. They drain so much money from the local economy that they kill 1.5 jobs for every one they create. And they saddle us with social problems that cost taxpayers $3 dollars for every $1 dollar in tax revenue.
Casinos are not part of the solution. We can create more jobs by investing in the energy-efficient green economy of the future. Casino jobs create addictions. Green jobs give us reliable energy, clean up the air, improve nutrition, reduce chronic disease, health costs, and avert the threat of climate change.
Sign our petition to ask the Massachusetts legislature to say NO to casino gambling.
21. Save our Early Years Day Care Provision
Recent developments within the college have indicated that the future of the Full Day Care Provision based at Longford Street is under threat of closure.
The setting operates primarily for the children of parents who attend classes in the college. The setting is registered for children 2 yrs to under 5 years. Currently practically the children attending have E.A.L. English as an Additional Language) and are from a diverse racial and cultural background and so of course the same goes for our parents and the children’ families. The staff mirror the diversity of our local community and in total have 15 different languages spoken between them.
This Full Day Care setting is on a highly regarded Quality Assurance programme with Camden Early Years Development. Camden Early Years is keen to propose the WKC Full Day Care setting as an example of Good Practice and Excellence on a new Quality Provision Register due to be launched. As part of the college’s duty to promote Every Child Matters and Every Parent Matters outcomes, providing such high quality care for the children of students is contributing to enhancing the parent and child’s life opportunities and Lifelong Learning.
22. Do NOT Delay Hillingdon's Building Schools for the Future Programme
In 2008 the Government announced that Hillingdon secondary and special schools would be included in a £150 million programme of modernising and improving our schools and making their facilities fit for the 21st century.
A year ago the council sent out to local schools a brochure setting out their plans on how this money would be invested in improving our schools. The Council said at that time that “We will experience exciting new changes in Hillingdon schools, making them suitable for 21st century learning.” The Council told us that the plan was to start in the south of the borough and include the north of the borough as soon as possible.
The Council should have agreed its plans with the Government by now so that we can secure the funds and start the work. However, on Thursday 18th March 2010, the leader of the council informed secondary head teachers that the Council is delaying agreeing the improvement programme plans until after the election and is laying off the bulk of the staff working on the programme. In addition the national Conservative education spokesperson has said that if the local programme has not reached “financial close” by the election “then it won’t be guaranteed.”
In effect this means that the £150 million programme for our schools is now at serious risk.
23. Barn aside Bottom Farm, Beacon Hill, Penn
If you care about our AONB, please sign this petition by March 30, 2010.
The Barn aside Bottom Farm (at the bottom of Beacon Hill) is owned by a Ferrier with horses located in a field (owned by Sita Waste Management Company) behind his residence in Denham. The official application for this barn on Beacon Hill is to store farming vehicles and hay for his farm in Denham!
The barn is larger than in the submitted drawings, and is almost complete, even though planning permission has not been granted yet.
No doubt you have seen the lorries up and down the lane. Local residents have witnessed waste materials delivered and burnt on site.
If this barn is really for storage of large farming vehicles and for hay both required by horses in Denham, then there will be frequent haulage of large vehicles on Beacon Hill.
There may be an ulterior motive with this building.
In 2006 the owner had a plan rejected by the Denham Council for a similar styled barn to be used as a Sand School and hay store. Sand School/Dressage training may be a possible connection with this construction.
Nevertheless, it certainly is an eye sore in an AONB for the many walkers who pass by.
If you are resident of Penn/Tylers Green, you can sign this petition to have your say. It must be done by March 30, 2010.
24. Opposition to Genesis/Acre Lane - proposed development
We, the local community, would wish that any further developments on Acre Lane (in particular the proposed development of the existing Fulham Timber Site - Acre Lane 176-184) would heed the views of residents and instead of seeking to cram more social/affordable housing into this area, develop the area so as to provide additional amenities and services to the local community.
We have already succeeded in stopping BYS building yet more (and unused) storage facilities and seek to stop Genesis from building housing when there is already a surplus of vacant accommodation in the area and a lack of decent facilities/amenities for the exisiting local community (ie shops, green spaces, community spaces, schools).
For info on the Genesis plans please visit: http://www.ghg.org.uk/Building+new+homes/Acre+Lane+consultation/
25. Let Fairlawn Local Schools have Football
For an example Sidny Schools were falling through so we got some of there athletes... An I think they should still have a chance to play. We don't have to buy a new stadium all we need is some lines and a couple of field goal posts and we can use the new soccer field.. All we need is your help..
26. Re-naming of Perry High's Baseball Field
The Perry Bullpen is seeking support in attempting to re-name our High School Baseball Field in the name of Head Coach Frank Gamble. Coach Gamble has coached in Ohio for 37 years and 20 years at Perry. He is in the Top 10 in the state in total wins as a coach (537), belongs to 4 Ohio High School baseball Halls of Fame, has a .614 winning percentage while at Perry, has the Top 12 most winning seasons in Perry History and 15 of the top 20 seasons.
Additionally Coach Gamble has led the charge in raising of $500,000 in financial support for our baseball program. This includes (New lights, New dugouts, Fencing, Batting Cages, Score Board, Grass Seed, Replacement dirt, Brick Dust, New Concession Stand and much more) We would like to petition the Perry School Board for approval in renaming our field in Coach Gambles honor.
27. Please Help Give Nia A Home In Cardiff
I am a local Brown Belt Nia teacher, who would like to use a derelict building to offer Nia - health, fitness and well-being classes for all ages.
The building we propose to use has been empty for the last few years and starting to fall into disrepair. It is the old sales building on Windsor Quay, Cardiff and was only granted a temporary planning permission and now a demolition order has been served on it.
The plan is to destroy the building and replace it with landscaped gardens. In other words a piece of grass or flower bed.
We believe that repairing the building and making good use of it by offering small community classes that will improve the health and well-being of local people is more valuable than their plans. Tearing it down would be absurd. It would be a poor environmental and social decision to do this.
Nia is a barefoot practice and over the last 6 years our group has been desperately looking for a safe, clean space where we would be able to dance. We would create a place where everyone would be welcome - providing classes for all ages and all backgrounds. We would dance, share, get fit, heal, inspire and be inspired.
The exciting news is that the building's owners would even donate it to us as they see us offering value to the community and they don't want to tear it down.
The only thing stopping us is the Cardiff Council Planning Department.
Please support us, tell all your friends, help us find Nia a home in Cardiff. Sign our petition to show how important it is that we save this building and use it for a good cause - improving the health and well-being of the whole community.
28. Stop Rutland CC closing successful business
Six months ago Emma Cannings started what is now a successful and popular skin care therapy business at the Stamford Garden Centre. Old wooden sheds were pulled down and a new wooden building put up in its place. The Garden Centre now has a cafe, farm shop, gift shop, butchers, florists and vets. The salon is a welcome addition and is a significant improvement on the old sheds.
The parking at the garden centre means that the salon is popular since the centre of Stamford is become increasingly difficult to access by car during the day as more and more residential estates are developed on the outskirts of the town. A large number of people are also able to walk to the garden centre. The salon has also been made fully accessible for the disabled.
The planning application (originally misplaced and un-actioned by the council) had no objections from any members of the public or the local parish council. However, in a shock decision, they have recommended that the building be pulled down. Their reasons seem confusing and inconsistent at best. The large new offices recently built on the outskirts of Uppingham and developments at the Ashwell garden centre make the decision even more confusing.
Their decision will put six people out of work, plunge the owners into financial crisis and damage the other businesses at the garden centre who benefit from the cross trading opportunities. It seems no wonder that the country is one of the last in Europe to pull itself out of economic difficulties if this is how the government treats its entrepreneurs. Rather than spending time promoting and marketing the business we are having to invest all our time into fighting our own local government who want us to spend money tearing down a building that is offending no one (other than local planners and councilors) and benefiting many.
As someone who has lived in Rutland their whole life I feel very passionately about protecting the countryside. Of course we must have strong regulations against buildings that could damage our beautiful county. However, this business was not built on an area of outstanding beauty. It is a one storey, attractive wooden building that was constructed on the site of some older wooden buildings of the same size. It has significantly enhanced the garden centre for the other businesses and for the people that use it.
At no point did we ever envisage that the greatest threat to the business, at a time when we are struggling to get this country out of a bad recession, would come from our own government.
Please help us overturn this decision and show Rutland County Council that, whilst we appreciate their desire to protect our beautiful county, they have got it badly wrong this time.
29. No Tribal Water Industry on Fox Island
Currently, the Nisqually Tribe of Indians is seeking acquisition of the former site of the U.S. Navy research facility on Fox Island through a fed to federal agency transfer process. The Tribe has proposed to relocate its $2.9 Million per year commercial water industry business, Nisqually Aquatic Technologies (NAT), to Fox Island.
The Tribe intends to return the Navy's barge to the site, and conduct industrial operations from the waters surrounding Fox Island. NAT conducts commercial and industrial operations including geoduck harvesting training, commercial scuba diving, salvage, pipeline repair, and other water industrial operations.
Pierce County land use ordinances strictly prohibit water industry in a "Shoreline Conservancy" and “Rural 10” zoning. If allowed to be transferred, the Tribe has the option to have the Bureau of Indian Affairs place the property into trust status. This would allow the use of the property to be unaffected by state and local land use ordinances designed to protect our environment, community goals, lifestyle, and property values.
In 2005, Congressman Norm Dicks acquired $17 Million in federal funding to remove the Navy's operation from Fox Island. He did this because of the incompatible and inappropriate nature of an industrial operation in a residential neighborhood and because of the negative environmental effects the offshore structures had on our shoreline. The U.S. Government must not allow the return of another incompatible, inappropriate, and environmentally damaging industrial activity to Fox Island's residentially zoned community.
30. Petition Against Floodlighting at St Aloysius School
Developers Balfour Beatty have applied for planning permission to erect eight 23 foot (eight metre) high floodlight columns on the sports and games areas at St Aloysius School in Hornsey Lane. The pitches are next to a woodland conservation area and the floodlights will be clearly visible to homes on all sides of the school. This contrary to policy.
The facilities can accommodate 3 football games, the users of a large sports hall and associated spectators. The planning application requests permission to use floodlights until 9pm weekdays and until 7pm weekends and Bank Holidays.