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Bulletin of cooperation posted

New bulletin board in Nakusp achieved through cooperative effort more than bureaucra(z)iness says local man.

Editor,

I’ve been so grateful for Warren Jones, Ken Marshall, Larry Ferguson, Sharon Trout, Mike & Marie Wrede, Cheryl White and Janet Royko. Thank you! They made funding the new bulletin board on Nakusp’s main street so easy.

I’d originally approached the CBT for the $900 in materials (all labour was free) whence I was informed that I would need to be a non-profit organization.

Since I’ve moved here two years ago I’ve observed two things amongst project initiators of low-to-zero-revenue-generating community projects. One, they’re busy running around spending 30 hours on bureaucra(z)y for one hour of actual project work.

Second, is that many of these projects are repeatedly spearheaded by initiators who, bless them, enhance our community while being strapped for time and money in their own life. This, for making sure the institutions of ‘life,’ that is, the insurance, banking, mortgaging, government, etc., unfailingly get their share first, leaving our initiators with the dribs and drabs of leftover time and money to invest.

I was not going to add another bunch of hours onto our already stretched villager-force.

So a huge sentiment of gratitude for these eight villagers for making it as easy as walking in and talking about such a little project.

By mentioning this instance of refusing to give in to a dysfunction in our locale (and society) please know my aim is to bring it into awareness so it can be part of a re-jigging towards us making policies that serve us villagers over and above these institutions that aren’t even in our one-to-one affairs.

These project initiators aren’t the only ones faced with this by the way. Our very own mayor Hamling and council and administration could probably do 100 times more governing of our affairs otherwise.

And note this is not a dismissal of CBT. Columbia Basin Trust has helped many who have reached to them and there is indeed a place for them especially on larger dollar projects in my opinion. I suggest the time is right for CBT to consider accommodating this demographic, moreso now in light of the local economic climate. The gain would entirely be for Nakusp and area villagers if not all that come under CBT representation.

Lastly, community member generosity allowed “doers” to just get another welcomed project over and done with, reassuring us that simple projects can leave us with left-over energy to keep conceiving of new ideas for making our community continue to rock.

I’m ever so grateful also to Caelen Larocque, Gillian Redwood, Brenda Lee Morgan, Micky Warjarnowski, Andrew Holden, Sondra Krajewski, Lynda Lafleur, Keith Merkley, Debbie Guest, Tyson Bartel, Tammy & Ralph Dachwitz, Rick Offermann, Tony Martin.

Extra special mention goes to Mike Schellenberg who shared so freely his labour and his jovial spirit, especially for a guy who’s lived here mere months and is under-employed.

See you at the new red bulletin board in making life easier for one another in Nakusp. It is happening!

 

 

 

Marc Heroux

Nakusp