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At just 25 years old, Camila Chindoy is seen by many in her community as a possible future governor of the Inga Indigenous reserve of Yunguillo in the Colombian Amazon. If elected, she would also become one of the youngest Indigenous matriarchs in the country.

But Chindoy is a simple woman who doesnt like to talk about the opportunity of occupying the most powerful political position in her community. Shed be in charge of the lives of 1,600 people who reside in Yunguillo. Many of the community leaders, and those who have closely followed her environmental and social work, are convinced that its only a matter of time before this happens.

They point mainly to Chindoys work as a facilitator of the team in charge of implementing the first territorial environmental management plan (POAT) of their community, which started nearly five years ago. Chindoy got involved at the beginning of 2019.

The POAT runs more than a hundred pages, prepared by everyone in this reserve 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Mocoa, the capital of the department of Putumayo in southwestern Colombia. The POAT lists the rules for sustainable growth for the community, whose residents are aware as never before of the enormous responsibility they have in protecting the Amazon. Their location in the Amazon foothills, where the thick jungle merges with the Andes mountain range, is a particularly important pressure point in the regions ecosystem.

After the painstaking three-decade struggle to expand the reserve, in 2015 the area was increased from 4,320 hectares to 26,716 hectares (10,675 acres to 66,017 acres).

Today, as a facilitator, Chindoy has worked hard to meet the POAT objectives, including promoting the protection of the Amazons biodiversity and advocating for the responsible administration of natural resources.

And Chindoys election as the leader of the implementation team occurred at a moment when the community had been hit by one of the worst natural disasters in Putumayos history: the Mocoa mudslide, which occurred in the early hours of April 1, 2017, and left 336 people dead and 70 missing.

That night, an overflow of the Mocoa, Mulato and Sangoyaco rivers destroyed several neighborhoods in Mocoa. Though not as deadly as earlier natural disasters a 1985 volcanic eruption triggered landslides that killed more than 20,000 in the town of Armero in Tolima department, and an earthquake in 1999 killed more than 1,900 in Armenia, in Quindo department the incident was an eye-opener. It raised alarms about the vulnerability of human settlements near rivers, and the need to protect these natural ecosystems from the impacts of overpopulation, illegal mining, and the clearing of forests for new settlements and livestock grazing.

For Chindoy, the social and environmental consequences of that event were the trigger that launched her as one of the most important Indigenous leaders in Putumayo.

Bisney Camila Chindoy Mutumbajoy was born in 1994 in the Yunguillo Indigenous Reserve, which is home to 400 families and falls under the jurisdiction of the four nearby municipal councils of Yunguillo, Osococha, Tandarido and San Carlos.

Daughter of Simn Chindoy, a farmer, and Mara Elvira Mutumbajoy, a school teacher and the first female governor of her community, Chindoy grew up in the reserve with four brothers and three sisters. When she was in the 10th grade, she traveled to Mocoa to finish high school at the Po XII school, the largest in the city.

In 2011, she began studying environmental engineering at the Putumayo Technological Institute. In her seventh semester there, she became pregnant with her daughter, Valery Sofa. In June 2017, she graduated with a project that consisted of the development of a solid-waste management system for Yunguillo, marking the first step in her environmental work with her community.

Just months later, the Mocoa mudslide struck. Chindoy remembers how that day she and her daughter were at her house they shared with Chindoys sisters Paola and Ingrid. As the disaster unfolded, they were reunited with other relatives, including her brother Daniel.

When it all started, my biggest concern was my daughter, who was 2 years old, Chindoy says in a recent phone interview. Water ran down the streets like a river as people tried to escape. I will never forget the loud noise of the water.

Then, as they huddled on a high floor in the dark with dying cellphones, a neighbor came and told them that the San Miguel neighborhood, where her brother Daniel lived, had disappeared under the mud.

Paola and Ingrid went out to look for him in the dark, Chindoy recalls.

When the sisters arrived in San Miguel, they found Daniels apartment gone, and in its place was a pile of rubble. They went to the Mocoa hospital, but didnt find him among the crowd of injured people. At around 9 in the morning they found him about 300 meters, or three blocks, from his house, where he had been dragged by the mudslide. Although badly injured, Daniel was miraculously alive.

The pain that many families suffered is unimaginable and will be felt for a lifetime. Although no one in my family died, many acquaintances did, while others lost everything they had, Chindoy says.

Many had to seek psychological help after the avalanche. Now, every time it rains, we fear the worst.

Chindoy and her family received some aid from the government, such as food and money to pay the rent. But it wasnt much, and we had to get on with our lives and keep working, she says.

Prior to 2017, there had been an alarm about a possible mudslide. And while people had prepared for the worst, it didnt come to pass, which may have explained many peoples complacency when disaster did strike, Chindoy says.

People were confident and that is why many stayed at home when the rivers did overflow, she says. This realization made her understand the urgency of starting to work with her community on prevention and awareness of disasters, using an approach that accounts for the relationship between people and the environment.

A few days after the mudslide, Chindoy began working with the Mocoa mayors office, assisting affected families, providing aid to Indigenous communities, and collaborating in prior consultation processes. By law, Indigenous peoples in Colombia must be consulted by the national government about projects or works proposed in their territories, in order to protect their integrity and traditions.

She says she wasnt aware initially of the latest organizational and community activities of the reserve, having been away during her years of study. But she became increasingly involved in them while supporting the risk management and disaster attention unit in Mocoa.

In December 2017, Chindoy left for Yunguillo. An election would be held later that month to choose a new Indigenous authority for the reserve, who would serve for 2018. The winner was William Chindoy (he is not related to Camila), whose responsibilities included implementing the POAT, the road map to establish the distribution and use of the territory of the reserve following the 2015 expansion.

The challenge now was to put our Pacha Mama to good use, Camila Chindoy says, referring to the deity revered by Indigenous peoples across much of the Andes.

Camila doesnt seem physically strong, but every time she speaks her whole character comes out, says Mara Fernanda Franco, a Putumayo-based member of the Amazon Conservation Team, a nonprofit that works with Indigenous communities. In one of the first meetings she went to with Governor William Chindoy, very few knew her, but she got up and, there, in front of everyone, mostly men, she told her story, Franco says. She said that she had left the reserve to study at the university and prepare, and that she was now returning to help. She asked to be recognized for that effort and be given a job to contribute to her people.

In 2019, the reserve chose a new governor, Juan Carlos Mutumbajoy, who proposed to Chindoy that she work on the POAT. She accepted and was hired on the POAT facilitation team, made up of the leaders of each of the four councils representing the reserve. From that position, Chindoy was to lead the groups activities.

The POAT contemplated the reformulation of the economic activities of the reserve, such as cattle ranching, which, although it generates income for families, also contributes to the imbalance of ecosystems from deforestation and the deterioration of water basins, Chindoy says. We had to understand how to conserve and live in harmony with all the wealth that the Lord has given us. Chindoy, as many Indigenous people in Colombia, shares her communitys traditional beliefs with Catholic faith.

She says that when they were working on the POAT, they remembered that when the mudslide occurred, one of the rivers that overflowed split into two, one part of which passed through an area that had been deforested and destroyed all the houses that had been built there. But the other part passed through a small forest reserve that functioned as a retaining wall, preventing the tragedy from being greater.

That made us reflect on the need to protect river basins, because, just as we have our places where we do our daily activities, rivers also have their home where they must travel freely, Chindoy says. If we go in there they will recover their house, thats why what happened, because the ravine had nowhere else to move its course, but was enclosed within the four walls.

These days, Chindoy approaches conservation of the natural world in terms of partnership.

Nature itself is wise to reflect and realizes that, even though it has provided us with a service, we have always been selfish and think only of ourselves. The avalanche made us ponder how we humans cannot control nature, and we have to adapt to it, not it to us, she adds.

Under Chindoys leadership, the facilitating team also conducted censuses of fauna populations, water resources, and ritual and conservation areas. Among their results, they delivered a complete fish inventory prepared with the help of scientists from universities in the capital, Bogot.

Chindoy also participated in the construction of a checkpoint on the road that leads from Mocoa to Yunguillo, to supervise who enters or leaves the territory. It is mostly foreigners and tourists interested in meeting the taitas, or shamans, and learning about the ayahuasca ritual.

In this way, the team sought to protect the Indigenous people and their rituals, and thus guarantee the security of this community that has been buffeted by violence for decades first by the FARC guerrillas and, more recently, by armed groups involved in drug trafficking and deforestation to grow coca and mine illegally.

In its final pages, the POAT establishes simple rules on how economic practices should be transformed in such a way that they protect natural resources, and dictates the total area that should be dedicated to conservation.

Chindoy sees responsibility for carrying out the POAT as resting with every community member.

Now we are in the implementation stage and, for this year, we will start work in the brooks, which are affected by bad practices in agriculture and livestock, because we know that water is one of the most vulnerable resources in the world, Chindoy says.

One of the episodes for which Chindoys work gained widespread recognition in her community came in October 2018, when she supported authorities in efforts to denounce and demand justice for the murder by unknown assailants of three young men from the council of Osococha.

She took the initiative to organize a commission with traditional authorities of the Yunguillo reserve, which traveled to Bogot to demand justice from national authorities such as the Attorney Generals Office, the Ombudsmans Office, the National Protection Unit, and the Ministry of the Interior. They managed to obtain security guarantees for community members leading social processes and for the community leadership due to come into office in 2019, including then-governor Mutumbajoy.

When we arrived in Bogot we realized that the prosecutors office had no reports of what had happened. That caused us outrage, because it is a sign of the abandonment of Indigenous communities, and a proof that we are only visible to the government during times of political campaign and elections. Its very painful for us, Chindoy says.

On one occasion during that period, she says, she was walking along a road with her mother when they were intimidated and threatened by a group of men. These situations led us to wonder if we should continue with the processes, because we were afraid that something would happen to us, Chindoy says, adding that, in the end, they decided that the best thing for their safety was to leave the cases in the hands of the authorities.

For all this, many within Yunguillo believe that Chindoy can follow in her mothers footsteps and become governor of the reserve. If successful, she would become one of the youngest Indigenous leaders in her department and in Colombia. Nidia Becerra, who was governor during three consecutive periods, from 2014 to 2016, was first elected when she was just 26 years old.

Even though it might seem strange that a community can have such young leaders, age does not play an important role for the Inga people when choosing a governor. Instead, it is more taken into consideration the fact of belonging to a family taitas, political leaders or educators, which is Camilas case, whose mother is a school teacher and Principal. Not to mention that she was the first female governor of the reserve.

The main qualities that anyone who wants to lead the community are the will and desire to work, because the governors do not earn any salary, says Richard Macas, the current governor of Yunguillo. I think Camila can become the governor because she has shown the will and because all that professional knowledge she has can be channeled for the success of the community.

In this reservation, elections for governor take place during the last months of the year. The candidates for this position are postulated by the community and the elders, and there are two ways in which a candidate can be elected: by an unanimous decision or via elections. Who gets elected will rule for the next year, starting in January.

Former governor Juan Carlos Mutumbajoy says there are several challenges that whoever assumes this position must face.

The biggest is that one must leave his family aside and give himself 100% to the community. One is the father, the judge and the administrator. So the commitment is very great and one has to find solutions and manage resources for the development of the community he says.

Mara Elvira Mutumbajoy, Chindoys mother, says her daughters commitment to her people has been such that she has rejected job offers with important companies to stay and work for the community in the reserve.

She is a humble, simple and responsible woman, and she has been very tolerant, since she has never had problems with the community, Mara Elvira says. She has carried out the processes that she has proposed, always thinking of the benefit of all. She has us in her heart and values the cultural identity linked to her territory very much.

Her arrival at the governorship would be important because although traditionally Indigenous communities have had matriarchal systems, in recent years we have seen how machismo has increased, mainly since the evangelization processes began by religious congregations and as a copy of the Western societies, she adds. I think it is very important to rescue those ancestral values in which women, as the ancestors say, directed most of our decisions.

In recent months, Chindoy has continued to work on the application of the POAT road map and raising awareness about the importance of caring for nature and taking care of the Amazon, including addressing global issues such as climate change.

We cannot be oblivious to what happens in the rest of the world, because it affects us in many ways, for example by altering our sowing and harvest calendars, Chindoy says. Before, the grandparents had identified the dry and rainy seasons, but now that has changed and we do not know when they will occur, and this is because of the global issue of climate change.

We, as Indigenous people, have a mission to protect resources, Chindoy adds. In the future, the conflicts will be over water, one of our most important resources here in the Amazon so we will continue working to take care of it.

Banner image: Camila Chindoy (r) during one of the final meetings for the validation and socialization of the TEMP document. Photo courtesy of the Amazon Conservation Team.

Read more:
Camila Chindoy, the Indigenous daughter poised to lead her Amazon community - Mongabay.com

Added on October 22, 2020Jen Ezpeletanewsletter , Redondo Beach

Missing the Computer Guy

Dear ER:

Tom Serafin was our go-to computer guy over the last 20-plus years. He would come by to fix, back up, add or delete a program on our computers, laptop tablets and iPads, and even fix our printers (The Computer Guy, ER Oct. 15, 2020). What a personal loss. Along with his computer genius we enjoyed his friendship and great conversations. We will truly miss this Gentle Giant!.

Jackey Flaherty

Hermosa Beach

Dear ER:

Tom was one of my breakfast buds when the Mermaid was still a thing . We had a bet every year if the Vikings had a better year I paid for breakfast. If the Giants came out on top he would pony up. He was a kind fellow, always asking questions. Sorry to hear this news.

Lance Keller

ERNews post

Tom came to my aid many times over many years. He was always happy and friendly and had an interesting take on what was in the news or the latest in sports. I shall miss him terribly.Put at end of letters

Kathy

This is a hell of a loss. One of the most unique, generous, friendly and sociable guys I have ever met. He has been my familys go to guy on every computer issue for well over a decade, and we enjoyed every time we saw him or spoke to him.

George Kaufman

Clarification: Chaz Flemmings

In response to an October 8 Easy Reader profile on Manhattan Beach City Council candidate Chaz Flemmings, Flemmings, has issued the following clarification of issues addressed in the article:

I never met with Black Lives Matter protesters/organizers in May or June.

Im not a member of Black Lives Matter. I connected on social media, Twitter, with multiple Mira Costa High School students after the June 2 Peaceful Protest. Joe Franklin and other candidates were in attendance at this event. I had no participation nor did I organize the event on June 2. I did attend the event as a resident. This event caused several businesses to be boarded up in which I offered my services to help facilitate a helping hand for our local businesses prior to the event. ER

Harbor the homeless,but not in the harbor

Dear ER:

I would like to voice my opposition to building temporary homeless shelters in King Harbor at Seaside Lagoon or Moonstone Park (Mole B). As a lifelong resident of the South Bay and business owner with multiple locations throughout the South Bay, I have seen first hand the homeless crisis that has plagued our city. We should all step up to help people in need. That is why I have partnered with PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), which takes a different approach to this crisis by building affordable housing, and also focusing on mental health, job training and ending the cycle of homlessnes. That being said: Redondo Beach is not equipped to handle the in-depth, additional services needed to truly help. I fear the city will approve funding, build temporary housing, then leave it to the police (who have zero power due to State legislation) to handle the issues that will arise. At one of my business locations in the marina, we have had numerous homelessness issues, including: 1.Individuals made a make-shift shelter on our roof, with drugs inside the shelter. 2. An individual was found in our back storage area. When asked to leave the man became physically aggressive towards one of our employees. No one should have to go to work and fear for their safety. 3. A local charity decided (with good intentions) to feed the homeless in our parking lot. This turned into an unmitigated disaster, with public urination, trash, and individuals taking over our tables.

A homeless shelter in Seaside Lagoon opens up the possibility of dangerous substances (needles, etc.) being dropped in the sand, putting residents, especially children in danger when the Lagoon opens in the spring. Plan on doubling the cost of the Seaside Lagoon location, because the city will be forced to remove the shelter in just a few months due to either the Beach Life Festival (based on Covid-19) or public use of Seaside Lagoon in spring.

A homeless shelter in the area probably does not serve the citys goal of improving the harbor area.

A temporary, makeshift pallet shelter run by the city is going to be a disaster. The city should rather partner with an accredited organization to handle this crisis. In addition, the report from City Attorney Michael Webb clearly focuses on only the financials of the project. It seems to read, We can get this money, lets do it and figure out how its going to work later. Again, a recipe for disaster.

Chris Bredesen

Redondo Beach

Deconstructing desal

Dear ER:

I would like to respond to my West Basin Municipal Water District 3 opponent Doug Solomons comment about why I supported conducting an EIR for the proposed desalination plant in El Segundo, but voted against it because of politics. First, the EIR provided information we needed to make a decision. Second, I represent the people in my district, I hear their voices, I listen to their opinions. Desalination makes sense for certain places, but at this time I dont feel this is the correct path for West Basin to explore. We have other options to look at like the brackish water project in the South Bay that is much more environmentally friendly and I believe will be less expensive. It is also what the people I represent want.

Carol Kwan

West Basin Water

District 3 trustee

Manhattan Beach

Challengers challenged

Dear ER:

In the Beach Cities Health District election, its disappointing to see little emphasis is placed on the proposed, massive Healthy Living Campus. Questions about it went unanswered during the candidates forum, even by the two challengers. Neighbors are outraged by the three incumbents supporting the proposed $500 million Prospect Ave. construction project. Its partially funded by investors. When investors get their return, there isnt much left for the taxpayer. Meanwhile, the project can be scrapped, and funding can be obtained to retrofit existing buildings. The two challengers in this campaign must step up and tell us what theyre going to do to change the course of this project. Will they support remodeling existing buildings? If they dont have more to say, they will not get the support they need to win an election.

Dean Francois

Hermosa Beach

A stand up Joe

Dear ER:

People know I stand up for what I believe is right. We need Joe Franklin on the Manhattan Beach City Council. I have known Joe for over 20 years. When I was principal of Pacific School 1986-2007, he was the one dad I could count on Monday through Friday for any job, large or small to help run my expanding school. From President of the School Site Council to Chief Morning Greeter in the drop-off zone, he was there, with a smile on his face, handling any situation, from the stressed parent to crying child. And he never lost his cool. Joe is honest, smart, hard-working, a logical thinker. He will work tirelessly to make Manhattan Beach the kind of town you will continue to be proud of. With a strong, fully funded police department, local control of our fire department, strong schools with a firm partnership, and great support for COVID recovery of residents and small businesses. You have trusted me with your children and on MBUSD committees. Trust me now and vote for Joe.

Christine A. Norvell

Manhattan Beach

Basement dwellers

Dear ER:

Can we please fire Congressional Representative Ted Lieu and State Assemblyman Al Maratuchi this November. What has Lieu ever done except vote for higher taxes and against veterans, even though he claims to be one. He should be given a dishonorable discharge. Both are cowards for not coming out of the basement for a real debate with their opponents. Give us some hope and change this year. Vote for James Bradley for Congress and Arthur Schaper for State Assembly.

Gary Mlynek

Redondo Beach

Age equality

Dear ER:

The Manhattan Beach City Council has seven candidates for three open seats. If all seven candidates were equal in all other ways, representation by the five current council members all being between 55 and 66 should be addressed. One in five Manhattan Beach residents is between 18 and 35. But its fairly obvious the seven candidates are definitely not equal in other ways. Phoebe Lyons has greatly elevated this campaign discussion at every opportunity in her topical campaign videos, in her weekly Virtual Chats. and particularly in the candidates forums where she consistently displays clear focused thinking and straightforward effortless communication.

Lyons youthful energy, her studied yet open-minded approach to fact-based problem solving, her focus on listening to voices historically unrepresented, and her deep commitment to brightening the long term future of her hometown clearly make Phoebe a uniquely qualified candidate. By giving just one of three available votes to Phoebe Lyons, voters will be effecting a significant positive change to our public decision making process while at the same time broadening the makeup of our City Council. (You may even consider voting only for Phoebe in this race to greatly diminish chances that mere incumbency and/or simple name recognition will again rule our election.)

Lisa Scalia

Manhattan Beach

Peer Lyon-ized

Dear ER:

I wholeheartedly support Phoebe Lyons for Manhattan Beach City Council. So much, in fact, that Ill cast only one vote, in support of her, though there are three open seats. Lyons and I grew up here together. We were raised to be civically minded, informed women. I never thought our childhood friendship would transform into a team on the (virtual) campaign trail, but Im glad it did. In recent months, Manhattan Beach youth have been vocal about their wants for our community. Theyve been listened to by Council, but have they been heard? Ive watched leaders in our community fumble in attempts to get the young people involved for years. Well, here we are. Fifty-plus-year-olds cannot and will not properly represent the younger demographics of our town one in six of us.)

Lyons knows what its like to grow up here. She is not a transplant who decided to spend her adult life here. She is a product of our MBUSD schools, a point of pride for our city. As a recent college grad, Phoebe is still in the mode of studying and researching, a skill shell bring to Council. Phoebe will not use emotion as a metric, but rather analyze data to reach meaningful conclusions. Diversity of experience is key on Council. Its time to look to the future, Manhattan Beach. Lets vote for a fresh voice. Vote Phoebe Lyons on November 3.

Mageline Taylor

Manhattan Beach

Inside support

Dear ER:

As a current councilmember who has worked closely with Steve Napolitano and Richard Montgomery, I wholeheartedly support both candidates. I also support Grettel Fournell to take my seat on the Council. Napolitano and Montgomery have shown incredible leadership in our current crisis and their experience has been invaluable. This is the time to embrace consistency on our Council. As much as this pandemic has been difficult for our residents, it is hard to explain how difficult it has been to run a city through this time. The competing interests of businesses and residents, public health and the economy, has created division in our community. We need to keep a steady hand in the running of the City. Richard and Steve know how to do this. They will keep us safe, healthy, and economically as prosperous as we can possibly be. They know our budget inside and out, they understand the difficult position City staff is in providing the needed services to our community, and they know how to keep our businesses running. I also encourage a vote for Grettel Fournell. I have known Grettel for many years and she is smart, thoughtful and a consensus builder. When I was first elected in 2017, we were a smooth-running Council getting things done by listening to all of our residents not just those who voted for us. We did this with consensus, honesty and integrity. We need to elect someone who will help with the consensus and compromise that is vitally needed in a good councilmember. Grettel is that person.

Nancy Hersman

Manhattan Beach

Bring back Burton

Dear ER:

As a Manhattan Beach resident for almost 40 years, I treasure the family oriented character and small town feel of our community. I recently retired, after 20-plus years, as an environmental engineer with the Metropolitan Water District. Thus, I have knowledge of both environmental and drinking water issues. Both these parts of my background are why I support Mark Burton for Manhattan Beach City Council. He supports the needs and interests of residents over those of special interests (or his own interests) and he is concerned about the environment.

Burton walks the walk, he doesnt just talk the talk. During his prior term as City Council member (and before and since) he has actively championed residents issues, such as banning short-term rentals, supporting our first responders, and supporting our schools. He has always conducted himself in a transparent, fiscally prudent manner. Environmentally, he has opposed the West Basin MWD desalination plant (an environmentally hazardous and fiscally wasteful project), supported stormwater capture measures and helped enact ordinances banning smoking and plastic bags. In addition to his term as City Council member, Burton has had an exemplary record of public service as an LA City Attorney and of supporting our community through participation in the Rotary Club, Roundhouse Aquarium, Historical Society, El Camino College Foundation and many other local organizations. Burton is a good listener and a problem solver. He is kind, patient, thoughtful, conscious of residents needs and respecting opposing views. We need Burton back on Council.

Paul Beswick

Manhattan Beach

Trust the trustee

Dear ER:

Karen Komatinsky and Bill Fournell have served as Manhattan Beach Unified School District trustees for many years and they are the reason that MBUSD has received so many accolades. Komatinsky is running for Beach Cities Health District Member Board of Directors. IHe is termed out on the Manhattan School Board). Komatinsky stated that being a board trustee was like leading a corporation with an $83 million budget and 800 employees. The difference is her shareholders are her neighbors. Komatinsky has previous professional experience as VP for an Executive Search firm, HR Business Leader for Pfizer and is currently running 1 firm focusing on strategic planning and human resources. Komatinsky is the most qualified for the Beach Cities Health District Member Board of Directors, because of her experience on the MBUSD Board of Trustees, professional experience in the business world and her dedication to schools. I have loved Manhattan Beach ever since I came to California in 1960 to pursue my career as an aeronautical engineer. I love the beach, The Strand, ocean, climate, people and especially the school system. MBUSD has received many accolades that we should all be proud of because of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Trustees. The residents honor the First Responders (Police, Firefighters and Healthcare Professionals), but how do we honor the dedicated trustees who are professionals (MBAs, attorneys and business leaders) who donate their time to lead MBUSD?

Robert Bush

Manhattan Bush

Fresh perspectives

Dear ER:

The recent BCHD candidate debate, hosted by Easy Reader and HermosaOne.com, gave Beach Cities residents a clear view of the similarities and differences between the candidates. All candidates agree that BCHD is an asset to the community. All candidates support BCHDs wide ranging volunteer program and the programs and services donated to the school districts. Challengers Karen Komatinsky and Martha Koo differentiate themselves from the three incumbents by offering a fresh perspective on BCHDs potential. They believe BCHD has not done an adequate job in reaching out to the communities and would like to see robust efforts towards community engagement. In addition, both expressed commitment to ensuring the prudent use of tax dollars, detailed evaluation of programs and services to show cost effectiveness and clear health impact to the community. They echo residents concerts about whether a Healthy Living Campus is appropriate for the community at this time. This fresh perspective is how I would like to see BCHD proceed into the future. In light of this, I give my full support to Karen Komatinsky and Martha Koo.

Sheila W. Lamb

Redondo Beach

Balance board

Dear ER:

Bring balance to the Beach Cities Head District Board of directors. Vote for Karen Komatinsky and Dr. Martha Koo. For far too long we have had a BCHD board that is out of touch with the needs of the community and we saw this clearly in the candidate forum last week. One incumbent has served 25 years and doesnt know if the 40 programs they pay for are even cost effective. Another claims the immune systems of volunteers are improved with these programs, without any proof. The third claims vast business experience, but hasnt been effective in even getting cost control mechanisms in place or even a line item budget. Its time for change and to bring back balance to BCHD. Vote for Karen Komatinsky and Dr. Martha Koo.

Wayne Craig

Redondo Beach

Powell to the people

Dear ER:

There are a number of well qualified candidates for Manhattan Beach City Council. You should vote for candidates who have the utmost integrity and character, a proven record of community volunteer service, and diverse life experience with fresh ideas to improve our community. I dont endorse or vote for candidates simply because they are an incumbent, or for those who have numerous campaign signs illegally on city property and vacant lots, or candidates beholden to big-money special interests or endorsed by old school power brokers, or who run numerous slick ads with the usual rhetoric and empty promises. As a former two-term Manhattan Beach Mayor, I urge everyone to do their due diligence and research the candidates and ballot propositions. After careful consideration, Ive endorsed Mark Burton, Grettel Fournell and Steve Napolitano (alphabetical order). Also, lifelong resident and political newcomer Phoebe Lyons merits your consideration.

Wayne Powell

Manhattan Beach

Dear ER:

Here are my three pledges to the residents of Manhattan Beach. First, if elected to Council, I pledge the City will not be paying reparations in the Bruces Beach matter. As a former City Attorney, I know our State Constitution, statutes and government code prohibit the deeding of taxpayer owned land and the paying of taxpayer money in this matter. Its illegal. Yes, what a prior Council did over a 100 years ago was shameful but that does not reflect who we are today as a community. However, we should change the plaque at Bruces Beach to accurately reflect the full history of the Bruce family. Second, if elected, I pledge the City will protect and preserve the residential character of our community by continuing our ban on short term rentals and asserting appropriate local control. Local control of zoning and land use is rightfully the purview of our Council, not the State legislature or the Coastal Commission. Third, if elected to Council, I pledge that the City will oppose and stop the billion dollar boondoggle desalination project. It is our South Bay bullet train. Its a waste of money and it will only increase our water rates significantly.

The next Council needs strong leadership with common sense judgment. Thats what I did on Council and thats what I will do if elected. As a former Councilmember and City Attorney, I believe that I am the best qualified to face the challenges ahead. Experience matters, now more than ever.

Mark Burton

Visit link:
Letters to the Editor 10-22-2020 - Easy Reader

Bench says it is the responsibility of the State to protect the weak during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Allahabad High Court has restrained the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) from carrying out demolition in a slum area in Ghaziabad, noting that the State should have offered a place to rehabilitate the residents before their eviction and demolition of their houses.

It would also be appropriate to state that when the entire globe is facing a pandemic, it is the responsibility of the State to protect everyone, more specifically the population of weaker sections from any hardship that may aggravate their plight adversely, the court stated.

It was hearing a petition seeking directions to the GDA to not undertake any further demolition and or eviction of residents of Bhovapur Basti behind Radisson Blue Hotel, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

In an order dated October 21, a Bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Siddhartha Varma, while granting time to the GDA to file a counter affidavit, directed it not to proceed with the demolition till further orders.

The court also issued directions to provide temporary shelter to the residents of Bhovapur Basti whose houses have already been demolished and see to the viability of providing houses under the Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojna. All necessary arrangements should also be made as a temporary measure by the GDA to provide essential amenities, including light and water, to the residents.

The residents should also be extended all necessary medical facilities, the court said, and listed the next date for November 18 when the GDA would have to propose a complete plan for rehabilitation of the residents.

As per the petition, the basti came into existence in 1990 and labourers from different parts of the country live there. Some are involved in rag-picking.

The counsel for the petitioners had argued that the residents could not be evicted without providing them an alternative place of residence as prescribed under the Proviso to Section 26-A of the Uttar Pradesh Planning and Development Act, 1973.

Since the residents hailed from the lower section of society and looking to the need for rehabilitation of such persons, the State Legislature under the Act of 1973 protected their right of residence under the Proviso to Section 26-A, the petitioners had said.

The petitioners also prayed that the court direct the GDA and the State to undertake the complete rehabilitation of all the residents and pay 20,000 to each of them as compensation for unlawful demolition undertaken on September 30 and October 9.

As per the petitioner, the District Administration, Ghaziabad, at the instance of Ghaziabad Development Authority was continuously making efforts to remove the residents without providing them any alternative land for their rehabilitation.

The petitioners asserted that on October 9, some of the houses were damaged as an effort was made to evict the residents.

Apprehending complete demolition of houses, the writ was filed.

A.Q. Zaidi, counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners, said that about 150 houses had already been demolished by the GDA. According to the counsel, the residents whose houses have been demolished have no roof to protect themselves and they are living in the open.

While opposing the writ, the lawyer appearing on behalf of the GDA stated that whatever action taken by the Authority was in compliance of the directions given by the High Court on September 22, 2015 in PIL 2014 of 2015. It was also further by the administration stated that the residents of Bhovapur Basti were trespassers and, therefore, the encroachment made by them should be removed.

More:
Allahabad HC restrains Ghaziabad Development Authority from demolition in slum area - The Hindu

Ships recycling has taken a turn in favor of ship owners, as scarce tonnage has forced yards to compete for tonnage, leading to higher prices. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Clarkson Platou Hellas said that a new week but unfortunately this did not relate to a fresh deluge of tonnage for Buyers to ingrain themselves into and instead has meant that those vessels that have been circulated, have received positive competition resulting in each sale raising eyebrows to the benefit of Owners as price levels continue to remain firm and bubble just below the USD 400/per ldt mark in India and Pakistan. This is another situation to watch closely as the respective recycling destinations tussle for the market tonnage and increase their prices accordingly, often if Indian Buyers like a specific type of vessel they will pay whatever is needed to obtain it, but certainly indications from the Indian recyclers have narrowed towards the rates from Pakistan.

Source: Clarkson PLC

According to Clarkson Platou Hellas, interestingly, the Bangladesh Cartel has lasted yet another week as it tries to control the sharp price increases in the market and create a level playing field. Although with India and Pakistan being more attractive at present, they will soon need to increase their threshold to remain competitive and refrain from losing too much tonnage to its neighbouring counterparts. In Turkey, prices continue to maintain some common ground as they too are starting to see the number of available units for them diminish in the market, creating an ultra-competitive market place for any Owner with tonnage in the Mediterranean or North Continent. However those yards that have obtained EU approval are continuously bogged down with approaches and are now finding themselves fully booked for even Q1 of 2021, unless yards are given approval by the end of the year to ease capacity in the region, the shipbroker concluded.

Source: Clarkson PLC

In a separate report this week, GMS (http://www.gmsinc.net/), GMS said that the worlds leading cash buyer of ships, said thatAfter weeks of uncertainty following the formation of a cartel in Bangladesh and the ongoing volatility in competing markets (i.e. India & Pakistan), subcontinent prices finally appear to have somewhat settled this week. As the troublesome winter months approach and Covid-19 cases continue to rise across the globe, the focus has once again fallen on Europe where second spikes are being witnessed. In many areas, more cases and hospitalizations are being reported than before the lockdowns began in March April time, in further concerning developments over the recent past. Markets therefore remain somewhat on edge, as the seemingly unending search for a vaccine goes on and the economic fallout from the first round of lockdowns continues to be felt worldwide, the shipbroker said.

GMS added that there is also the uncertainty regarding the upcoming U.S. election (to be determined in November) and how long it may take to announce a winner with absentee voting, now likely to be required to register votes with Covid-19 still surging in the U.S. Supply into subcontinent markets for recycling has slowed over this last month or so, as charter markets particularly in the container and dry bulk sectors pick up again after a largely woeful first half of the year. At the far end, the Turkish market seems to have finally stabilized this week, with scrap steel imports firming up marginally and the Lira though weaker, has also been stable this week. In other news this week, GMS successfully concluded their fourth webinar in their Leadership series on the Hong Kong Convention and the role of Japan & Norway in making the first progressive steps in encouraging developments in the subcontinent and we would like to thank all those who tuned in once again, GMS concluded.

Source: GMS Leadership

Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Read more from the original source:
Ship Demolition Activity Finding It Hard To Recover - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Demolition work has started to tear down the eyesore multi-storey car park in West Bromwich town centre

The 1970s-built Queen Square Car Park, in Bull Street, is being demolished to make way for a mixture of homes, leisure and retail facilities.

Despite the Covid-19 crisis causing havoc on town centres, the investment programme agreed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Sandwell Council is pressing ahead, kick starting plans to revitalise the centre of West Bromwich.

The heavy demolition machinery has already begun to tear down the multi-storey car park.

The WMCA has helped to make the regeneration scheme possible by providing funding to cover the demolition costs.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said Even before coronavirus struck, high streets were struggling to keep up with changing shopping habits and the fast rise of online retailers. The pandemic and subsequent lockdown and restrictions has only served to exasperate that, and it is clear a major rethink is needed.

I still firmly believe that town centres and high streets can be the beating heart of communities once again, but they need to move away from being so retail-focused and look to diversify their offering.

"That means more homes, public services, offices, and start-up spaces, combined with better transport links and safety measures.

Here at the WMCA we are trying to help facilitate that change through our town centre taskforce, and the demolition of Bull Street car park to make way for a mix of new homes, leisure and retail is a prime example of what we are trying to achieve.

Work such as this also helps to create and protect local jobs at what is a very challenging time economically due to coronavirus.

Sandwell Council's deputy leader, Councillor Maria Crompton, added: Here in Sandwell, as all over the country, Covid-19 has disrupted so much and put so many demands on our resources that authorities have had to put important work on hold.

But we are still pressing ahead with our key projects despite that we still have to look to the future, especially for our young people.

Creating better economic prospects is vital and this regeneration and development will be home to a thriving new residential and business community in the heart of town, with more greenery and safe open spaces.

It will bring local jobs and opportunities and I look forward to working together on many more projects across the borough.

See the original post here:
WATCH: Demolition work starts to tear down eyesore West Bromwich car park - expressandstar.com

Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) on Wednesday carried out a demolition drive in Sector 57 to clear out 30 plots on a piece of land, which have been encroached upon by private individuals over the last few years. The land, which was acquired by HSVP from local villagers, has been stuck in litigation for the last one-and-a-half decade. Last month, the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave the order in HSVPs favour. This has now enabled the authority to hand over the possession of these plots to the allottees who are the rightful owners, said HSVP officials.

On Wednesday morning, a team of HSVP officials demolished 22 temporary residential structures, 50 tenements and two shops amid strong resistance and protest by residents and locals. Vivek Kalia, estate officer, HSVP, Gurugram, said that these plots had been encroached upon. However, after the high courts verdict, the plots will now be handed over to the rightful owners. The enforcement team started the work to remove the encroachments in the morning, said Kalia, adding that due to the HC verdict in its favour, the authority would be able to hand over more than 800 plots, which were earlier stuck due to litigation.

The enforcement team was led by SK Rana, sub-divisional engineer, survey, and Kartar Singh, naib tehsildar, who was the duty magistrate, while a large police team supported the authority officials during the drive.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kalia said encroachments were also removed from sectors 27 and sector 43 dividing roads. A number of complaints had been made by residents regarding the encroachments on main roads. Action was taken against the violators and they would not be allowed on these roads again, said Kalia.

Here is the original post:
HSVP carries out demolition drive in Sector 57 - Hindustan Times

Dozens of residents in the village of Bubq in Fush-Kruj clashed with police on Thursday after opposing the demolition of several buildings.

Police have gone to the scene to help the National Inspectorate of TerritorialDefensecontinue its work.They accompanied some of the residents to the police station.

One of the families that opposes the demolition of their building is the Xhaferri family, which explained that their house was not damaged by the earthquake and is not a part of the reconstruction project.

The Xhaferri family own a large multi-floored building and as well as living there, they rent space to the local health centre, a kindergarten, an NGO and other businesses. They said they dont know why it is being demolished as its not damaged and that they have not received any compensation for it.

The family also asked for time for the matter to be taken to court but this was ignored.

Fjal kye: Albania, demolition, earthquake

See the original post:
Residents Clash With Police in Bubq Over Home Demolition - Exit - Explain Albania

PUBLISHED: 11:30 23 October 2020

Will Jefford

Geest House, opposite Chantry Park, which is due to be knocked down for a new housing development. Picture: GOOGLE MAPS

Archant

An eyesore office building which has been left empty since 2014 is still yet to be demolished, a year after planners gave designs for a new housing estate the green light.

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The building, which used to house Geest Line, a shipping company based in Suffolk, has stood unused on Hadleigh Road in Ipswich for the past six years.

The derelict building has been an eye-sore for years, however, locals were buoyed when Babergh District Council accepted plans to demolish the building and replace it with seven homes.

The new estate, together with parking and landscaping, will stand on a 0.21 hectare area of land which will be accessible from the main road.

However, before the building can be demolished, applicants Eyton Developments Limited need to satisfy a number of conditions set out by planners.

Despite tackling a number of the outstanding issues, the development company is still to provide details about contamination and surface water discharge, as well as some ecology matters, according to the council.

These details are often complicated and can take years to complete. Eyton Developments have until July 2022 to start work on the new estate.

Permission had previously been granted for the building to be converted to 13 flats in March 2018 however, in a change of plans, it will now be brought to the ground.

Eyton Developments Limited say it will deliver an attractive enduring place which is related well to its built and natural context and location.

The company says that it will achieve its objective by using good quality facing materials to build well-proportioned buildings and spaces.

It is proposed that the estate will be made up of six, three bed houses which will all be semi-detached and a single five bed home which will stand alone.

The larger home will be accessed by Elton Park access road to the west of the site while the others will use Hadleigh Road.

The new seven properties will be added to an existing eight homes which have already been built on land to the rear of the former office block.

At the time of the application, district councillor for Sproughton and Pinewood Zac Norman, said: This development is something we are quite positive about.

That building has been empty for God knows how long.

Its an eyesore and its a good thing that it will be replaced by something that will be in keeping with the area.

The main thing that people want is for that area to be used.

If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the East Anglian Daily Times. Click the link in the orange box above for details.

See the article here:
Demolition of 'eyesore' in Ipswich dealyed - East Anglian Daily Times

At the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate meeting on October 11, students met to discuss plans for an SGA restructure. A restructure has been discussed for several years, but recent events such as the pandemic and cabinet member resignations have made it apparent to a group of senators that now would be the best time to initiate a restructure.

The SGA was first founded in the late 1990s as a replacement for the previous governing body, the Student Council. Discussions about restructuring the SGA have been ongoing for years, but never met with significant progress. Instead, various minor changes have been made to the general structure of the SGA, such as including the VPAA as a part of the cabinet, and a change to the constitution.

Concerns about the current system stem from a variety of issues. Initially, concerns were focused primarily on the method of student representation. As is, the SGA has representatives elected by class year; an alternative system has been proposed which includes representation based on major or department in order to better represent all students. More recently, senators have raised concerns about the lack of representation on the basis of identity, experience, and other areas.

In addition to this, the current system places advocacy for 3,700+ students on the backs of only 6 students, the cabinet members. While the SGA was not intended to have cabinet members as its only point of contact between administrators and students, it serves as an easy one size fits all solution for admins that need to work with a student in relation to student organizations.

According to E.J. Hannah, who recently acceded to the position of SGA president, By presenting six students as the main points of contact for both student and admin concerns, there is so much room for error With that, it becomes much harder for senators to work with the Cabinet, and for either parties to work with administration, despite everyone having the same goal of providing the best experience at Stevens possible.

In the wake of the recent resignations, it has become increasingly clear to some senators that there is an element of risk associated with putting so much responsibility and power on such a small set of students.

Previous concerns also included rebranding the SGA in order to make it more accessible to more students. These stemmed from a desire to increase student involvement in the SGA and ensure that it was representing the student body as best as possible. However, previous attempts to restructure the SGA were met with logistical difficulties. In order to pass a constitutional change, of the undergraduate student body has to vote on the change, and of those voting have to approve of the change. Regardless of each students opinion on the validity of the changes, this constitutes polling around 1200 students, with at least 800 votes in favor of the change. It is difficult to get feedback from so many students during a normal semester; this has been compounded by the pandemic as outreach and involvement is even more difficult.

After having a series of meetings, senators decided on a short list of qualities that a restructured SGA should have. These include:

As of October 22, the restructure is still in the planning phase. Several different structures have been proposed so far, including a Three Pillars model, which involves having multiple committees, each with their own President elected by the student body, and a parliamentary-style system where power is more widely distributed among the senate. The oldest of these is a proposal by former Senator Mark Krupinski20 from the spring of 2019, which involves having one president and multiple vice presidents in control of various committees.

Moving forward, senators involved in the process will be working on the restructure outside of meetings. While progress is being made, there are still certain challenges that need to be overcome before a restructuring can be finalized. In order to be successful, a restructuring needs to be official, which requires a large amount of student involvement to occur. In addition, the restructure needs to have the support of the administration in order to be effective in the upcoming semesters. Early signs seem to indicate that the administration will be supportive, but it is still too early to tell whether it will find widespread support or not. The new system will also need to consolidate its paradoxical role as both student advocator and rule-enforcer.

At the meetings, senators also decided that in order to ensure that the rest of the community stays involved in the process, the results of the restructure meetings will be provided during the discussion section of the standard SGA meetings. These sections will also be longer, in order to allow for a more detailed discussion on the topic. Plans to survey the student body for feedback were discussed, but it is unclear when a survey would be created or distributed.

Read more from the original source:
Student Government Association begins planning restructure - The Stute

Southern Cross Health Insurance paid out nearly $1 billion in claims in the year to June and New Zealanders hips and knees were responsible for the biggest part of the bill.

Health insurance coverage has been increasing in recent years, from 1.35 million lives covered in December 2016 to 1.41 million in December 2019.

Southern Cross said it funded more than 1800 knee replacement surgeries in its most recent financial year, at a cost of $47.9 million and more than 1900 hip replacement surgeries, worth a combined $45m.

Hip replacements were the most expensive category of claim for both genders but colonoscopies ranked second for men and knee replacements second for women.

READ MORE:* Health insurer Southern Cross charts course for clearing surgery backlog* NZ's most expensive health insurance claims: Knee, hip replacements top the list* Sunburn and fishing hooks in the mouth are summer dangers for dogs

Women also claimed $21.8m for hysterectomies and $14.1m for endometriosis treatment while men claimed $12.5m for spinal fusion surgery and $18.8m for skin lesion excisions.

Children claimed a combined $5.2m for surgical removal of teeth and $4.8m for tonsillectomies.

Southern Cross Health Insurance chief medical officer Stephen Child said it showed insurance playing a role in helping New Zealanders access the treatment they required.

HUSH NAIDOO/UNSPLASH

Health insurance coverage has been increasing in recent years.

While the public health system does a fantastic job looking after acute urgent medical issues, health insurance gives Kiwis access to elective surgical procedures and specialist consultations when they need it and choice about where they receive it, he said.

Health insurance allows people swift access to quality treatment when its most needed, he said. Southern Cross Health Insurance funds close to half a million specialist consultations and a quarter of a million surgical procedures in the past year which helps to reduce the burden on the public health system.

Southern Cross Health Insurance has more than 879,000 members.

More:
Hip replacements add to health insurer's bill - Stuff.co.nz