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PHOTO BORIS PROULXThe minister of aboriginal Affairs and Northern development dr. Carolyn Bennett reiterated his full confidence as to the result of the investigation in the Ottawa Parliament on Tuesday.

Boris Proulx

Tuesday, 11 July, 2017 13:58

UPDATETuesday, 11 July, 2017 21:50

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OTTAWA | The wide survey on violence against aboriginal women would be too colonial for the commissioner who resigned Tuesday.

The Saskatchewanaise Marilyn Poitras announced on Tuesday that it resigns its role as a commissioner in the national Survey of women and girls missing and murdered aboriginal (ENFFADA), dissatisfied with the organization, created by the Trudeau government at a cost of nearly$54 Million.

It was the structure [of the Investigation] too colonialist, includes the commissioner of the Quebec Michle Audette, who ensures that the work will continue as planned.

It is a federal law that creates the commission of inquiry, we knew that this was not a large gathering where indigenous laws take precedence, says Ms. Audette.

The ex-president of aboriginal Women of Canada understands, however, his colleague, having left his duties given the intense and politicized, which is to meet with families of victims across Canada.

Theres a lot of pressure. It is normal that people prefer to leave the boat , she explains.

In his letter of resignation, Ms. Poitras has written to the prime minister that she is not able to perform [its] tasks in this structure , suggesting that the problems plaguing the organization.

This year, five other employees have left the investigation, including the director-general Michle Moreau for personal reasons in July.

Anxiety

There are reasons to worry when you see [the number of] commissioners to melt in the sun , reacts Mlissa Mollen-Dupuis, co-founder of the indigenous movement Idle No More Qubec.

The militant indigenous indicates, however, that it does not doubt the ability of the Inquiry to do its work on the ground.

You dont want to lose the commission on the details, added Mrs. Mollen-Dupuis.

The minister of aboriginal Affairs and Northern development dr. Carolyn Bennett has also reiterated its confidence to the four commissioners remaining on Tuesday, and insisted on the fact that he is an independent organization of the government.

I think that the concerns [in the face of these resignations] will improve [the Investigation], I hope, for a better communication with the victims, summed up the minister.

She has no intention for now to change its calendar, and is still awaiting a preliminary report for November. The investigation must always spend a week in Quebec from November 27, Maliotenam, near Sept-les

Tight deadlines

The Investigation officially took shape last September to find out why so many aboriginal women are murdered or are missing in Canada.

Managers find it difficult to carry out this mission by the deadline, scheduled for the fall of 2018.

Get a local took almost six months, so that controlling a simple computer can take up to four months.

The system is so heavy, says Michle Audette, who states that the government has offered a beautiful collaboration during the process.

The commissioners remaining could request additional time for the government to carry out their mandate.

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Another tile to the survey found to be colonialist - The Sherbrooke Times

Why: Because it's wet and it's not a mirage. In the middle of Death Valley, that's enough.

What: From the 1920s until recently, this place was known as the Inn at Furnace Creek and its pool (fed by underwater springs) was the most glamorous body of water for miles around. It was the fanciest lodging in Death Valley National Park, but it would close down in summer because the valleygets so beastly hot. In June,however, managementannounced a $50-million facelift and name change: The Furnace Creek Resort area (which includes the 66-room inn and a more casual224-room "ranch") is getting a big upgradeand a new set of names.

Beginning this summer, the area will collectively be called the Oasis at Death Valley.The inn with this fancy pool (formerlythe Inn at Furnace Creek) is nowThe Inn at Death Valley. It'sclosed for the summer and will reopen Nov. 2 as a year-round lodging.The moreaffordableFurnace Creek Ranch (which also has a pool) is nowthe Ranch at Death Valley. It remains open through the summer, though parts will close as renovations go on.

Thisdoesn't necessarily mean you should go now. It means you should know now. Go when you will be comfortable -- and when the hoteliers can promise you won't be bothered by renovation work.

Where: The Oasis at Death Valley (a.k.a Furnace CreekResort) is 289 miles northeast of downtown L.A.

How much: Checking the first weekend inApril 2018, I found prices (before taxes and resort fees) starting at $409to $528a night at the inn and $239 to $259 at the ranch.

Info: The Oasis at Death Valley

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Dip into the grandest swimming pool in Death Valley - Los Angeles Times

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Why take down a fence? Because, as farmers and ranchers understand better than most, economies are fluid: much of the barbed wire that once served to keep out livestock grows obsolete in an era when cash crops, not cattle, rule. Fences may feel permanent, but economies and cultures exist in perpetual flux. And in a volatile global economy ruled by volatile leaders, the fences we erect today to protect our assets are sometimes those that limit our potential tomorrow.

I grew up on a seventh-generation farm where Robert Frosts line good fences make good neighbors enjoyed the weight of papal decree. And yet, even for dont-fence-me-in types like me, Trumps $1.6 million budget for a brick-and-mortar wall along Americas southern border demands a common-sense reply.

In over 20 years of fence-building from Iowa to New Mexico, Ive learned that fences come with a built-in paradox. While they make it difficult to get in, they make it proportionally difficult to get out. On Western ranches, Ive put up hundreds of feet of fence in ruggedly beautiful country. And with each post sunk, Ive experienced a sinking feeling at the logic of willingly sacrificing the long view for the myopic and often mythic protections of a wall.

Consider, too, this inconvenient truth: fences require perpetual maintenance. Like the fraught decision to apply a first coat of paint to a home, the building of a fence commits the fencer, or in this case the fencing nation, to years of upkeep. Shouldnt risk-adverse, dont-tread-on-me types like me those of us predisposed to the fencers mentality in the first place be naturally wary of the no-horizon clause and no easy out commitment of a national wall? Even the urbanite putting up store-bought fence panel from a big box store knows the frustration at having to go around where once they exited freely at their own convenience. Its a straight-up paradox: in fencing others out, we often unwittingly box ourselves in.

Dont get me wrong, years of fence-building and mending have shown me that walls do serve a purpose, though they are far from the cure-all our current fencer-in-chief would have us believe. Used strategically and with care, they sometimes solve persistent problems between neighbors locked in territorial disputes or culture wars.

In the end, however, we should be cautious where our impulse to cordon off is concerned. We should weigh carefully our own motives, the alleged benefits and, most urgently, the literal and figurative cost of building walls the angels of our better natures might soon tear down.

Zachary Michael Jack is the author of many books on rural and agrarian culture, most recently Wish You Were Here: Love and Longing in an American Heartland (2017).

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Fences may keep others out, but they keep us in, too - Albuquerque Journal

Corey Dillon breaks loose on a 37-yard gain in the third quarter, leaving Denver safety Billy Jenkins in the truf behind him. Dillon set an NFL single-game rushing record with 278 yards.(Photo: Patrick Reddy/The Enquirer)

Corey Dillon made a career of leaving wreckage in his wake.

He left the Denver Broncos bruised and embarrassed during his 22-carry, 278-yard, then-NFL record rushing day in 2000. A string of opponents suffered his tenacious running style racking up six consecutive 1,100-yard seasons for the Bengals from 1997-2002.

Yet, Dillons notorious claim hed rather flip burgers than return to the team in 2000 and stating he wanted out in 2003 left scars on Bengals management before eventually being dealt to New England.

Hed win a Super Bowl during his greatest season with the Patriots in 2004 and career numbers should place him in more Hall of Fame conversations.

Still, the path to his ultimate moment in the league was tattered thanks to a rocky means to his Cincinnati end.

Dillon, 42, can see that now. Hes never made contact with the Bengals nor vice versa about a return to Paul Brown Stadium or opportunity to mend fences.

Until now.

As one of the top 50 players in Bengals history the team reached out to invite him back to be honored during a game, as is the case with 49 others. For him, the opportunity presents an ideal opportunity to repair the most significant carnage left behind during his career.

I am a grown man, I can admit when Im wrong, Dillon said. I did some stuff that was not cool, OK? Not cool at all. But, hey, at the end of the day I got the end result that I wanted. That was to play on a stage and actually winning a Super Bowl. Do I wish it would have been with them? Absolutely. Absolutely. It didnt work out that way. I dont have no ill will toward nobody there.

For anyone expecting a grudge, you wont find one at Dillons home in Los Angeles. All youll find is a man content in his anonymity and only concerned with finally breaking 80 on the golf course he plays nearly every day.

Hes been retired from the NFL for 10 years now. As in-your-face as Dillon was as a player, he took the opposite approach after football.

Dillon hasnt talked about his polarizing career in Cincinnati. In fact, outside of being tracked down by a tenacious TMZ reporter, even a Google search yields few signs of his whereabouts the last decade. But in speaking with The Enquirer last week for the Bengals Beat Podcast, he felt ready to be heard yet again. Only this time, the mature Dillon played the role of peacemaker rather than bully.

They say time heals wounds, Dillon said. I played seven years hard for the Bengals. Im a part of their history. They are a part of mine. I dont dwell on the past. What happened in the past is done. If I had a magic wand to go undo some stuff I would, but I cant. But that doesnt mean we cant move forward and have a better relationship. Thats how I look at it. I appreciate it for them giving me a call and inviting me back. That means a lot.

Bengals' running back Coey Dillon, 28, waves to the fans as he leaves Cinergy Field for the last time following the Bengals' win over the Cleveland Browns. Cincinnati Enquirer photo by Gary Landers.(Photo: Gary Landers/The Enquirer)

Dillons more than part of their history, hes at the forefront of their record books. His 246 rushing yards as a rookie against the Tenessee Oilers then set the NFL mark for most rushing yards in a game by a rookie. Four players topped the mark since led by Adrian Peterson in 2007, but Dillon still holds the top three individual rushing games in team history. His 278 against Denver tops the chart followed by 246 against Houston and 216 against Arizona in 2000.

He also owns the club record for career attempts (1,865), yards (8,061) and 100-yard games (28). He ranks 20th all-time in rushing yards (11,241), between Hall of Famers John Riggins and O.J. Simpson.

What makes Dillons records more impressive was during the six-year run in which he carried the load prior to Rudi Johnson taking over in 2003, heres a list of quarterbacks handing him the ball: Boomer Esiason (his final season in the NFL), Neil ODonnell, Scott Mitchell, Akili Smith, Gus Frerotte, Jon Kitna, Paul Justin.

On the day of Dillons greatest game and against one of the best defenses in football at the time, Smith and Mitchell combined to go 2 for 14 for 34 yards through the air.

Two. Fourteen. Thirty-four.

Dillons effort now ranks fourth all-time behind Peterson (30-296), Jamal Lewis (30-295) and Jerome Harrison (34-286). None of those three can boast the 12.6 yards per rush of that miraculous day at PBS.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Corey Dillon (28) holds up the ball after scoring on a two-yard run in 1999.(Photo: David Kohl/The Enquirer)

I take my record the way I broke it over theirs any day, Dillon said. Thats 22 carries. They took more carries, played worse defenses than I did and I stack my day up against theirs any day. They can have the record. Thats fine. The way I did it, Ill take that over all of them.

Dillons cleats, jersey and pants from the game went to the Hall of Fame and the Bengals gave him a plaque recognizing his effort.

Thats where a telling revelation in this tale emerges 17 years later. Dillon rolled up a career-high 1,635 yards and 12 touchdowns en route to powering the Patriots to the Super Bowl XXXIX title. By far his most dominant season. He says his championship ring has only been taken out two or three times since and lives in the darkness of a safe somewhere.

The plaque from the Bengals, however, hangs prominently in his Los Angeles home.

I clean that thing off every other day, Dillon said. Thats one of my favorite items that I have. It never gets old to me. Every time I go into my man cave and I look at it, it brings back that memory.

Thats why the invitation to return as part of the Bengals 50 best players program means so much to Dillon. He looks back understanding the error in the ways of his youth and preferring to remember what went right in Cincinnati rather than what went wrong.

Perhaps time does heal all wounds. And for Dillon, its time.

Whether you like me or not, the fact is Im one of their top 50 players, Dillon said. I would love to come back and have everything smooth, nice and peachy. Absolutely. Thats a dream. Come back and everybody is understanding and we let bygones be bygones. Ive been done with it. Im over it. Its been too long. I havent played in 10 years. Worrying about something that happened in 2003 is not on my list to deal with. Trust me.

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Corey Dillon wishes to mend fences with Bengals - USA TODAY

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Snow fences along a Lower Valley highway are not going to be replaced any time soon.

State Department of Transportation officials were hoping to replace the State Route 241 fences that were destroyed in a range fire last year in time for this winter. But the work is being delayed so engineers can examine the area and determine the best way to proceed, said WSDOT spokeswoman Summer Derrey.

The fences were used to reduce the amount of snow blowing on to the road, a popular connector route for Lower Valley residents heading to the Hanford nuclear reservation and other points in eastern Washington.

This winter, the road was closed for the equivalent of nine days from mid-December to early February as a result of blowing snow.

Derrey said among the concerns are finding a cost-effective material that could survive wildfires like the one that destroyed the original fencing.

"Creating a wooden structure would be pointless, because it would burn," Derrey said.

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WSDOT: Need more time to replace snow fences along State Route 241 - Yakima Herald-Republic

PERRYSBURG The division of planning and zoning gave several recommendations for renovations and additions during a series of meetings on Monday.

During the Architectural Review Committee meeting, the board reviewed a signage package for Fort Meigs Family Chiropractic. Mark Easterling, zoning inspector, remarked that he found the requested signage to be within requirements. The board unanimously approved the recommendations and a motion for the package was moved forward.

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Fences, maidens, barns brought before Perrysburg planning and zoning - Sentinel-Tribune

Dear Carolyn: My fiancs sister and I have a strained relationship. I see her only at Thanksgiving, Christmas and occasional family events. She does not acknowledge me upon entering a room, her home, or my home. She heads straight to one of her family members without a word even when I acknowledge her. As the event progresses, she may engage me in a conversation, but only about her job, her vacation, her husband, etc. Never a question about me.

I believe this stems from her jealousy of my son and his accomplishments, as her son had the same opportunities, but did not put in the same effort as mine did.

I am not sure how to handle this and every time I see her she infuriates me.

Carolyn says: So your best explanation is your own awesomeness, basically.

Its rare that my sympathies change so abruptly over the course of a short letter. Paragraph 1, Im feeling your pain; seven words into Paragraph 2 Im on Team Sister and googling whiplash symptoms.

To each his own, of course, but if I had to pick one common denominator to human likability, Id choose this: humility, manifest as willingness to look inward for fault when something goes awry.

The alternative is to be the finger-pointer, the one who finds someone or something else to blame for her misfortune, thereby asserting by implication her own purity or righteousness. Those are the off-putting ways of a know-it-all.

This is not to say your fiancs sister is blameless; her ignoring you is bush-league stuff. She doesnt have to like you, but civility demands that she at least throw a hi-how-are-you your way. This lapse could hint at other failings, as well (though mere awkwardness seems possible, too).

But you cant fix what she does. You can only fix what you do and for that you have to be open to the possibility that some of your choices are flawed enough to need fixing. Which means admitting fault.

You give yourself a great place to start in your letter: Admit you are smug about your son and his accomplishments.

Then, admit your smugness could have at least some part in alienating your fiancs sister.

Then use this insight to approach her from now on not as a rude familial appendage, but as your equal in the struggle to be understood and appreciated.

Thats a fine place to start any do-over regardless: shared humanity.

Specifically, make the effort to see her, to see how you might legitimately annoy her instead of focusing only on how she annoys you and to see how you can be the one to disarm.

Im not offering this as some miracle path to friendship. You might just not like each other, and for good reasons.

But your marrying her brother means shes not going away, so doing the hard work to soften your opinion of her will be worthwhile no matter how it plays out; compassion mends what contempt tears apart.

Plus, this is not the last difficult relationship you will ever have to navigate. If you can go into these situations from now on with full awareness that sometimes you are the bad guy, then youll have taken the most important step toward not becoming just that.

E-mail Carolyn Hax at tellme@washpost.com.

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Hax: To mend fences, improve yourself - StarTribune.com - Minneapolis Star Tribune

The office of the U.S. Trade Representative recently held a marathon three-day hearing to discuss the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the Trump era. This effectively began the process of renegotiating one of our most important and controversial trade pacts.

To say NAFTA has been a political lightning rod would be an understatement. On the campaign trail, Trump wasted no opportunity to trash the pact, at one point saying, NAFTA is the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere, but certainly ever signed in this country.

Unfortunately, President Trump does not appear to be following the same pattern as his predecessor. In addition to taking steps to renegotiate NAFTA, the administration has engaged in several smaller, yet still troubling trade spats that have strained economic relationships in North America.

For instance, frustrations over access to Canadian dairy markets led to the administration retaliating with a hefty 20-percent tariff on Canadian softwood lumber, a key product for home building. This could significantly increase the price of new homes, asthe cost of lumber accounts for about 17 percent of the construction cost of the average house, according to data from the National Association of Home Builders.

Tensions have increased further due to a recent spat between U.S.-based Boeing and the Canadian company Bombardier. Boeing has alleged it is being harmed because Bombardier is dumping its aircraft in the United States. This is a peculiar claim because the dispute centers around a Bombardier airplane in a class where Boeing manufactures no competing products.

Nonetheless, the U.S. Commerce Department is currently reviewing Boeings request for duties and is expected to issue a ruling in September. This could raise the price of aircraft and, subsequently, result in higher prices for airline passengers.

Things are escalating even further now that the Trump White House is reportedly considering hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. The exact size and scope of these tariffs which almost comically are being suggested in the interest of national security remains unclear. Yet, Canada, which is our largest source for imported steel, is far from pleased with the threat and currently pursuing an exemption.

The economic implications of these tariffs are enormous, as steel and aluminum are essential for the manufacturing of everything from automobiles to beer cans. Consumer prices could skyrocket if the administration puts these taxes into effect.

These are troubling times when it comes to free trade, broadly, and our critical relationship with our North American neighbors, specifically. The worsening climate will only make NAFTA renegotiation more difficult. Still, if done properly, this process could be beneficial to all three nations. That would require the Trump administration to approach the process with several key priorities in mind.

First, NAFTA renegotiation must not result in any new tariffs on imports or exports. One of NAFTAs crowning achievements was phasing out virtually all tariffs between the three countries. Moving in the opposite direction would be harmful to American businesses, consumers and taxpayers. Particularly problematic is the fact that import tariffs are almost always regressive in nature, meaning that lower-income Americans would be hit the hardest.

Second, the Trump administration should push to reduce non-tariff barriers to trade. This means working to open up Canadas highly protected dairy market and liberalize Mexicos protectionist sugar and energy policies. These will not be easy tasks and will arguably be more difficult in a trilateral arrangement than they were in the multilateral Trans-Pacific Partnership process.

Finally, its imperative for the administration to recognize the vital importance of a strong relationship between the three nations. In an economic sense, Canada and Mexico are our largest trading partners and 14 million U.S. jobs are directly dependent on these relationships.

Outside the economic realm, Canada and Mexico are important allies in geopolitical affairs. NAFTA renegotiation is about far more than economic growth and job creation. The stakes are extremely high, and its essential that this enormous undertaking leads to a stronger, more prosperous integrated relationship with our neighbors to the north and south.

Brandon Arnold is the executive vice president of theNational Taxpayers Union, which supports lower taxes and smaller government at all levels, and theNational Taxpayers Union Foundation. He has testified on fiscal policy before Congress and numerous state legislative committees, and has appeared on several television and radio networks, including C-SPAN, Fox News, Fox Business, BNN, and Russia Today.Previously, he was director of government affairs at the Cato Institute and a research analyst at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Follow him on Twitter@BrandonNTU.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

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KNOXVILLE (WATE) A handyman business has left yet another customer completely dissatisfied. Money was collected and some of the work was started, but it was never finished.

EPM Handyman Services is operated by two brothers. WATE 6 On Your Side has been following them for two years. The name of Jonathan and Warren Presleys business has changed since then, but the people who have hired them tell the same stories and are not happy.

They were supposed to paint the ceiling a pale blue and the trim while, said Peggy Ogle.

Ogle hired contractors who never did the job they were hired to do. They didnt paint the ceiling of her carport, nor did they paint the supports to the structure. They didnt fix her front porch steps and didnt repair and paint the front door, nor did they replace an old wooden door.

Ogle paid the handymen $3,000 on March 29.

They tell me theyre going to be out Monday. Monday comes, theyre not here. You call them on Friday. Oh, well be there, Ive been sick. They dont show up, she said.

Ogle discovered EPM Services on Angies List.

Previous story: Handymen leave work unfinished on Tellico Village widows house

I was on the computer looking for handyman services because I needed help around here. I wasnt even finished looking through the ads when they called me on the phone, she said.

The Presleys hired Mikael Moses to paint inside Ogles home.

I painted this bathroom, that bedroom and the other bedroom, said Moses.

Moses said she first scraped the rooms walls to remove old paint and fill in holes. The work she did for the EPM Handyman Services took several days and the job is very professional. However, Moses said the Presleys never paid her.

WATE 6 On Your Side tried to reach Jonathan Presley but never got a response. Attempts to reach his brother Warren also failed. When you look for the Presley brothers contractors license on the Department of Commerce and Insurance website, no file is found. Theyre not licensed.

Olge is about to take legal action against the Presleys. Shes looking into filing felony charges with Knoxvilles district attorney, which she can do. The law says if work is unfinished after 90 days of signing a contract and a certified letter is sent to the contractor requesting completion but nothing is done, charges can be filed.

Three thousand dollars is a lot of money to me. Id hate to see another little old lady get taken, said Ogle. Dont hire them. Please dont. You are going to get taken.

Previous story: Kingston couple pays 75 percent up front for garage remodel in April; work still isnt done

Earlier this year, Amey Elias hired EPM Services to do extensive handyman work inside her home in Tellico Village, but the laminate flooring they were paid to replace was never removed. Paint was slopped on the floor throughout her home but never cleaned up. In the garage, kitchen cabinet doors and shelves were stacked up by workmen to dry after being painted. However, once dried, the cabinet doors were never returned. Many that had been painted had unprofessional work.

Last November, Carolyn Whited explained that for years, she and her late husband had planned some renovations to their West Knoxville home. Work started a year ago, but then abruptly stopped not long after she had paid Jonathan and Warren Presley more than 90 percent of the bill upfront. The Presleys then operated a company called RFG Construction of Knoxville.

In October of 2015, Barbara Croft was frustrated about the 6 month delay in finishing the garage at their home in Kingston. Material like windows and doors were delivered but the job stalled and excuses piled up. The work was contracted then with RFG Flooring different name, but Jonathan and Warren Presley were the operators of the business. The Crofts had paid the brothers more than 75 percent of the total bill up front.

Each time, the people who contracted with the Presleys were forced to hire a second contractor to finish the work. Some of the online sites that provide information about contractors have dropped EPM Handyman Services from their list of recommended contractors.

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Knoxville woman is latest with unfinished work by handyman brothers - WATE 6 On Your Side

Charles Winokoor Taunton Gazette Staff Reporter @cwinokoor

TAUNTON Congressman Joe Kennedy stopped off Friday at Community Counseling of Bristol County to get feedback from officials representing the non-profit group about their concerns over possible cuts to Medicaid funding.

But it was a subsequent, informal roundtable meeting with people who have received treatment at the community-based CCBC that seemed to leave the greatest impression on the 4th District congressman.

Its extraordinarily powerful for me to hear your stories, Kennedy told a group that included three men and two women some of whom had just provided harrowing details of their personal lives, and all of whom praised the Taunton-based non-profit for keeping their lives from completely spinning out of control.

Before Kennedy sat down to listen to those personal stories, he met in a different conference room with CCBC president and CEO Philip Shea and some of Sheas staffers, who provided numbers outlining the impact Medicaid funding has on their various treatment services.

Besides CCBC in Taunton, Kennedy was also scheduled Friday to visit both Horace Mann Educational Associates in Bellingham and Seven Hills Pediatric Center in Hopedale.

The purpose of the visits was to stress Kennedys opposition to the latest version of President Donald Trumps proposed replacement of the Affordable Care Act which Kennedy says would directly slash Medicaid funding by more than $800 billion over 10 years and would collectively reduce all Medicaid-related funding by $1.4 trillion over the same period.

We lost money in 2017 and will probably lose more next year, and Im not absolutely confident well be here in three years doing the same sorts of things the same way, Shea said.

Shea told Kennedy that the federal Medicaid program provides funding for 58 percent of CCBCs programs and services. He said the mental-health and addiction treatment non-profit currently has close to 12,000 clients or patients.

Fall River native Ted Lopes told Kennedy that Community Counseling of Bristol County has been providing him with temporary lodging at one of its houses and is helping him find a new health insurance carrier after he was dropped by the states MassHealth program.

Lopes recounted how he drifted into opioid addiction first oxycodone and then heroin after contracting cement poisoning in a knee from working as a union bricklayer and mason.

I was in Rhode Island Hospital 30 days. They almost cut my leg off, Lopes, 54, said.

He said he blames himself for a stint in jail It was all self-induced and ended up homeless on the streets of Fall River, at one point crashing in an abandoned mill in 2015 that caught fire.

But Lopes, who described himself as Irish Catholic, said his faith in God kept him from becoming just one more statistic: I didnt want to go out (die) as a junkie on the street, he said.

After rehab and detox stints in other towns and cities, he said he landed a solid job driving a truck but blew out two discs in his back by simply opening a door.

I was paralyzed, he said, until receiving injections at Morton Hospitals pain clinic. But by then, Lopes said, he had lost his medical coverage.

We try to help them with insurance, said Ellen Bruder-Moore Abramowitz, vice president of housing and community initiatives at CCBC.

Lopes said during his treatment at Morton a doctor discovered a cancerous spot on his liver, for which he will be operated on at Bostons St. Elizabeths Medical Center.

I take one step at a time, he said. Im scared, but Im doing what I can do.

Demitri Marovelli, 44, told Kennedy he considers CCBC to be a truly angelic network and truly a blessing for their professional counseling services.

With his service dog Opie, a chihuahua mix, at his feet, Marovelli described how the non-profit has helped him deal with long-term anxiety after his release from prison where he served time for drug-related charges.

CCBC, he said, convinced him that recidivism is curable.

After collecting government assistance, Marovelli says he was encouraged to start his own business. He said he now employs six workers and has three trucks as part of his T&K Handyman Services.

A woman named Mary said CCBC kept my son alive until he could be accepted into a psychiatric program at Bradley Hospital.

She said her son, who is now almost 21, was molested as a boy by her cousin in her own house while he was visiting from Minnesota.

He was brazen, she said of the cousin, who eventually was arrested and charged.

But her son, said Mary, 52, developed full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder and was most recently treated at McLean Hospital in Belmont.

She asked Kennedy why the government cant provide funding for a treatment center for children who have been sexually molested by sexual predators and years later suffer the psychological, emotional and behavioral scars of those assaults.

I cant tell you there is (such a childrens services program), but I will tell you that I can try, Kennedy said.

She said at one point she and her second husband sold their home to continue paying for her sons treatments.

Mary also said she knows firsthand how devastating drug addiction is, having lost a brother and two cousins to fatal overdoses.

Its inspiring, the soft-spoken Kennedy told the group. I promise that well keep trying. Im really honored that youve shared your stories with me. hang in there.

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Kennedy in Taunton to learn firsthand impact of Trumpcare on ... - Taunton Daily Gazette