Latest news with #Local
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Local Community Food Centre to host Community Farm to Table BBQ
For anyone in Stratford, St. Marys and the surrounding communities who has ever wondered where their food comes from, the Local Community Food Centre (LCFC) is hosting a Community Farm to Table BBQ featuring a tour of the Local's urban farm in Stratford and a free barbecue lunch at the centre afterwards. Set for Sunday, July 6 with the farm portion of the day beginning at 11 a.m. at the Local's urban farm at Dufferin Park (off Oak Street beside the Dufferin Arena), the event will feature a guided tour by the Local's Urban Farmers group and garden educator Lucas Tingle. 'People don't know that we have a farm in the middle of Stratford,' said LCFC community connector Julie Docker Johnson. 'So, (this event) is to introduce people to the farm. From 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. out at the Oak Street farm, we are going to do tours of the farm, we're going to have the Urban Farmers, our volunteer team, out there to explain the different things we do and the different techniques that are done. There's going to be games and things for the kids, and there's possibly going to be something for everyone to plant so, throughout the summer, they will be able to go and see something growing.' From there, the event will move from farm to table with a free barbecue lunch back at the LCFC from noon until 1:30 p.m. Hotdogs and hamburgers are being donated by Delmar Foods and Egg Farmers of Ontario is donating devilled eggs. Added to that, the LCFC will prepare an array of salads with greens fresh from the urban farm. 'Come have a barbecue, watermelon and see the Local because if people haven't seen the Local, it will give them that opportunity as well,' Docker Johnson said. 'We just want to introduce the farm so people know what's going on and that the whole farm-to-table concept is real.' As part of this event, Stratford Transit is providing a bus to shuttle eventgoers from the LCFC to the farm at 11 a.m., then back to the Local for the barbecue lunch at noon. For those who live near the Oak Street farm, the bus will also be available to take them back there after lunch so they are free to walk straight to the farm at the beginning of the event without worrying about how they will get to and from the Local after the farm tour. 'Everybody's welcome. There will be a donation box; it's not necessary, but it's there,' Docker Johnson said. 'The farm is really important and the Urban Farmers and Lucas have worked so hard on it. So, we want people to come see it and understand that whole process. We want people to see that some of the produce they buy at the Access Market in Stratford and the Nourish Market in St. Marys is coming from our own backyard.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TEAMSTERS LAUNCH NATIONWIDE AIRGAS STRIKE
Ohio and New Jersey Workers Extend Picket Lines Across Five States WASHINGTON, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters at Airgas are on strike in response to the company's unfair labor practices and refusal to negotiate fair contracts. The tankhaul workers, represented by Teamsters Local 507 in Cleveland and Local 701 in New Brunswick, N.J., have extended picket lines to eight locations across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. "The greedy people who run this company are breaking the law and interfering with our members' rights. They have disrespected the workers who built this business, and now they are facing the consequences," said Juan Campos, Director of the Teamsters Tankhaul Division and Teamsters International Vice President At-Large. Airgas is a subsidiary of the French multinational corporation Air Liquide, and is the largest distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases in the U.S. Last year, the company reported a record $3.8 billion in net profits, yet it continues to break the law and refuses to bargain agreements that meet industry standards. "Management has forced us to strike," said Adam Hayes, an Airgas Teamster and steward with Local 507. "Teamsters are united nationwide, and we'll do whatever it takes to win a fair contract." The Teamsters represent hundreds of Airgas workers across the country and are prepared to extend picket lines to even more locations if necessary. "This company talks a big game about safety and respect. But when it comes down to it, they won't even sit across the table and negotiate a real contract," said Shawn Diaz, an Airgas Teamster and steward with Local 701. "We'll stay out as long as it takes for Airgas to treat us with the dignity and respect we've earned." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Contact:Colin McCullough, (856) 625-6856cmccullough@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Dharmendra Pradhan chairs meeting with Union Ministers on expansion of Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 25 (ANI): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday co-chaired a meeting with Minister of Steel HD Kumaraswamy and Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram to resolve issues pertaining to the expansion of Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha. In a post on X, Dharmendra Pradhan posted, 'Together with Union Ministers HD Kumaraswamy and Jual Oram, co-chaired a meeting to resolve issues on the expansion of Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha. Expansion of RSP is strategically important for India's steel sector as well as for the industrial and socio-economic development of Odisha and the eastern region.' 'The expansion will boost our steel production capacity, strengthen India's position in the global steel market, reduce imports, cater to the needs of key industrial sectors, catalyse Odisha's economy, drive growth and create large-scale jobs in steel and allied sectors in line with PM Narendra Modi's vision of Purvodaya,' said Pradhan's post. 'Thankful to Steel Minister for agreeing to my suggestion to form a High-powered Committee for addressing hurdles hindering the expansion, removing bottlenecks and resolving all unresolved issues. Also, appreciate his commitment to a vibrant steel sector in Odisha,' his post added. Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy also took to his handle on X and posted, 'Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram met me to discuss the proposed expansion of Rourkela Steel Plant and to raise important concerns related to the welfare of local communities in the region.' 'We had a constructive and solution-focused discussion. I have assured them that all issues raised will be examined with utmost seriousness, and appropriate steps will be taken in coordination with all stakeholders. Development must be inclusive, and we are committed to ensuring that the growth of our steel sector brings prosperity to the people it touches,' he said. Union Minister Jual Oram also posted on X, 'Co-chaired a meeting with Union Ministers HD Kumaraswamy and Dharmendra Pradhan to discuss and address key issues related to the expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant and the upgradation of Rourkela Airport.' 'During the meeting, we held an in-depth discussion on the expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant, focusing on its strategic importance to the region's industrial growth, employment generation, and economic development. We also deliberated on the expansion and upgradation of Rourkela Airport, which will significantly improve regional connectivity and boost trade, tourism, and investment in Odisha,' he posted. Earlier on Monday, Dharmendra Pradhan met Housing and Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to seek his intervention on the timely release of 15th Finance Commission grants to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Sambalpur and Deogarh for the year 2024-25. According to an official release from Dharmendra Pradhan's office, 'Union Education Minister and Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Sambalpur Dharmendra Pradhan met Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Power Manohar Lal Khattar to seek his intervention towards ensuring timely release of 15th Finance Commission grants to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Sambalpur and Deogarh for the Financial Year 2024-25.' 'These funds are critical for carrying out essential developmental initiatives and completing a wide range of civic and infrastructure works, including improvement of roads, sanitation, urban beautification, health and wellness, among others in the region,' it said. It added that Pradhan also sought his cooperation for affordable housing projects, PM-SVANidhi, e-bus services, and effective regional waste management mechanisms. (ANI)
Scoop
5 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Hoarder's Home Drew 19 Complaints Before Fire
Article – Linda Hall – Local Democracy Reporter In the early hours of Saturday morning the 'materials', which included piles of scrap wood, ignited and quickly spread. Nineteen complaints were made in one year to Hastings District Council about a home surrounded by hoarded goods before it caught fire over the weekend. But firefighters as recently as eight months ago did not deem the pile a fire hazard, because of a lack of ignition source – meaning there was no enforcement option available to authorities. In the early hours of Saturday morning the 'materials', which included piles of scrap wood, ignited and quickly spread to the Frederick Street home, near the Mahora shops. Firefighters were called from Hastings, Napier and Taradale. One person was treated by ambulance staff at the scene. Police said on Monday the fire was now being treated as suspicious, and they were investigating. Neighbours and locals who have watched the pile in the yard grow over the past few years say they have been stunned at the lack of council action at what they claim was an obvious fire risk. A council spokesperson said it had received the complaints, but after exploring the Health Act, Building Act and the Resource Management Act it found 'no enforcement tools available' to allow it to remove goods from the private property. The council spokesperson said staff were exploring whether there were any other options for enforcement before the fire broke out. The council has now employed contractors for an urgent clean-up of the charred debris at the house, the cost of which is yet to be determined. A close neighbour, who declined to be named, said the house was set up like a 'fortress' and said the last four and a half years living beside an 'obvious' fire risk had been 'hell' for her family. She said she was lucky in the early hours of Saturday morning she was lying awake when 'all of a sudden the room was light'. By the time her husband went outside to have a look and came back in, the blaze had spread from the stuff piled in the front yard to the neighbours' house. 'We woke up our three children and my mother-in-law and took them over the road, then grabbed our dog and birds. 'I also grabbed my go bag, which has our birth certificates in it, because I just knew that one day this would happen. 'Things were exploding. It was scary as hell. Just nuts man.' Among the debris was a charred gas bottle, which was placed on the footpath near the home at Frederick Street on Saturday. Firefighters remained onsite most of the day with parts of Frederick Street closed to traffic. The neighbour said she had made numerous complaints to the council about the piles of goods around the property. 'I've been sent from the council to the police to fire and back to the council. 'People have said to me 'why don't you just move?' 'It's not that simple. We bought in the boom, so paid top dollar and the fortress wasn't there then – you could see the front door.' Fire Emergency New Zealand Hawke's Bay advisor for risk reduction Clayton Locke said the house was assessed roughly eight months ago and no fire hazard was found. A fire risk was different from a fire hazard, he said. '[Even] your car parked on the side of the road can be a fire risk. 'A fire hazard has an ignition source such as an incinerator in your backyard, with grass up to the window sills,' Locke said. He said if a property was found to have a fire hazard, firefighters' first approach would be education, before then issuing a notice of remedy. Rochelle Sudfelt from ClearHoarding NZ – a task force dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma and providing support for homeowners who hoard – said she also made a complaint about the house last year. 'Someone from the council had assessed the property and didn't deem it a risk to the environment until it spilled on the berm,' she said she was told. She said one in 20 homes in New Zealand was considered at risk of becoming a 'hoarding house'. 'Fire is the greatest risk to people inside these homes as well as fire and emergency staff who put themselves at risk getting inside to help people. ' Another nearby resident said the council was receiving ongoing complaints about the Frederick Street property. 'I live just down the road, the footpath always had items being dropped on council land outside. 'I asked the council if they could advise the occupant to remove it and if it could do something about the risk it was creating. 'The items were then moved into the property until the room inside was running out quickly. 'I found the council's reply hard to believe. It said 'sorry, we understand your concern, but there is unfortunately nothing we can do, we are aware of the property, however, we can refer your complaint to the fire services to look into'. 'Nothing happened. This property has been a fire and safety concern for years.' Police urged anyone with information to contact Police on 105 and quote 250621/9027.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City: An exclusive excerpt
BOMBAY by Akhil Katyal (b. 1985) . Look at the VT in the mornings for the rush of Bombay, look at the black ocean at night for the hush of Bombay. If you haven't been on the Evening Local from Bandra to Virar, then you haven't yet felt the crush of Bombay. You carry back the sea-gulls, the breakers, the waves, you wear the sea like skin, feeling the brush of Bombay. There was once 'a tower whose top was in the heavens' like Antilia, off Peddar Road: Bible warns The Plush of Bombay. When his eyes met mine, the Local slowed down at Dadar, the whole world halted, turned red in that blush of Bombay. You would never, Akhil, like your kind before you, 'leave the streets of Delhi,' then why like a lover, do you gush, of Bombay. . MARINE DRIVE by Ranjit Hoskote (b. 1969) There's a colour whose name I've lost to the ash fleece of cloud, the grackled light of a monsoon sky seesawing in the gaze, unframed, a trap for the sailboat wheeling in the bay: this colour that hovers between tenses, some call it violet, others squeeze their eyes shut when it surges through slate-grey folds of water, either not-yet or too-late, never tame at your heel. But look, the rocks are coming into view, dazed seals resurrected from the waves. The tide's worked itself loose of the shore and drifted out. There are no explanatory notes. What's left behind is not the remainder. There's a colour whose name I cannot speak. . MINI INDIA by Thangjam Ibopishak (b. 1948) (Translated from the Manipuri by Robin S Ngangom) Have you heard a parrot speak Urdu? I have, in my friend Zahiruddin's house. A mynah talking in Hindi? Even that, in my friend Nimai Singh's house. What about an ass reciting Sanskrit slokas? Yes, very often in Agya Gokul Shashtri's garden. A cat speaking Bangla, meow meow, ki bolo ki bolo A dog mouthing English A goat conversing in Meiteilon? Yes, inside Tomaal Chatterjee's house In Professor Haokip's drawing room In Chaoba Meitei's cowshed. They all live in neighbouring houses They can comprehend each other They exchange cuisines They don't lynch people for cuisine; They befriend each other, lovingly like a garland; This neighbourhood is a tiny Bharat, a mini India. . THE FLUTE by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) (Translated from the Bengali by Subhoranjan Dasgupta) Kinugoala Lane: A two-storeyed house: An iron-grilled room on the ground floor Facing the street. Crumbling wall, Peeling mortar, Rain-stained patches, A picture—removed from a cloth-piece— Of the Success-Bestowing Ganesh Stuck on the door. Another being shares my room Covered by the same rent— A lizard. The only difference: He doesn't lack food. Pay: Twenty-four rupees, A junior clerk in a mercantile office. I'm fed by the Duttas For coaching their son. I spend the evening In Sealdah Station To save on electricity. The hoot of the whistle, The bustle of passengers, The roar of the engine, Shouts for coolies— It is half-past ten, I return to my room, to solitary, silent darkness. My aunt's village is on the banks of the Dhaleswari river. The girl, her brother-in-law's daughter, Was engaged to poor me. The hour for our wedding Was definitely auspicious. And sure proof of that— It became the hour of my flight . . . Well, the girl was saved, So was I. She who never came to my home For ever comes and goes in my mind, Dressed in a Dacca sari, In her hair's parting, the bridal vermilion. Dark, dense rain, Train fares go up, Wages go down. The lane is littered With rotting mango peels, jackfruit kernels, Scraps of fish bones, Dead kittens— All kinds of rubbish. My umbrella is full of holes. Like my pay, after they've cut the fines. My office dress? Rain-drenched Like the heart of Gopikanta Gosai wet with elegant wit. Dark shadows of rain Enter my damp room. Like a beast, trapped in a machine, Fallen in a faint, Day and night, I feel I am Chained hand and foot to a half-dead world. Kanta-babu lives at the end of the lane, Long hair carefully combed, Large eyes— A bit of a dandy. His hobby is playing on the cornet. Occasionally a raga rises In the fearful air of this lane— Sometimes in the depths of night, Sometimes in the half-light of dawn, Sometimes in the glittering twilight chiaroscuro. Suddenly in the evening The Sindhu-Baroan raga is heard. The sky rings. With the eternal sorrow of lovers parted, And that moment reveals The futility of this lane, Like a drunkard's ravings It suddenly flashes on me— The essential oneness Of the clerk Haripada and the emperor Akbar. The mournful flute unites In the same paradise The royal parasol and my torn umbrella, When the raga is heard, And the sunset hour of wedding seems unending. The Dhaleswari flows, Between the tamal trees, throwing deep shadows. And in the courtyard, She is waiting Draped in a Dacca sari, The bridal vermilion On her brow. (Excerpted with permission from The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City, compiled by Bilal Moin, published by Penguin Random House; 2025)
