View from a Broad

Oh what a week. I had a training opportunity, and missed our February BPW meeting, held Tuesday Feb 20, and the Keep West Monroe Beautiful board meeting also held Februray 20. I had a great training trip to Atlanta this week. I was fortunate to have been sent to the NeighborWorks Training Institute. This institute provides intensive education in Affordable Housing Asset Management Community Building and Organizing Community Economic Development Commmunity and Neighborhood Revitalization Construction and Production Management Homeownership and Community Lending Management and Leadership Rural Development I took a two day training on Community Building Principles and Applications, and a one day training on How to Raise Money. I had the extraordinary luck to have had three super instructors who imparted their wisdom with wit and compassion. People who work in neighborhood development and community building benefit from broadening their vision and finding new solutions to old problems. I b...

This is the week that was. Incredible. I met deadlines for two grant applications today. That is yooge for me, as I have never completely written a grant myself. Rewritten, yes. I had help and support from some great proof readers, three pairs of critical eyes who made the challenge more doable. Both applications have something to do with work, and supporting the mission of Keep West Monroe Beautiful. I am hoping to hear something good in two weeks or so. Keep your fingers crossed. The Great American Cleanup is March 3. Sign up your team soon so we can be prepared for your group. There has been a lot of talk about how trashy our region looks. It's because people litter. Yes I'm looking at you, guy with a truck bed full of Styrofoam cups, fast food wrappers, and crap. You ever wonder why it isn't there by the time you drive all the way home? It's because when you drive down the road that stuff blows out and litters our roadways! How dare you! It makes us all look bad ...

This is bordering, no wait a minute, today has become the most surreal day. First I saw the report of the auntie who objected to the title of a play "The Vagina Monologues", and the marquee now reads "The Hoohaa Monologues". She complained that she didn't like having to explain to her niece what a vagina is. An eleven year old girl does not know what a vagina is. I weep. They are clearly missing the point. Do we need to discuss this further? The following just showed up on the online edition of "Pine Bluff Commercial," www.pbcommercial.com ERA ratification resolution stalls in House committee By ANDREW DeMILLO LITTLE ROCK - A resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment stalled in a House committee Wednesday, despite a plea from former Arkansas Gov. David Pryor who urged legislators to approve the measure. Pryor, also a former U.S. senator, spoke in favor of the measure before the Arkansas House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affa...

February Program Meeting Topic: Healthy Heart and Healthy Finances- Our presenters are LaTonya Williams, Jerold Munson and Edna Haden. We will meet at the Atrium, 2001 Louisville Avenue, Monroe (Madison Room) on February 20 at 6:00 p.m. Attendees will be able to order from the menu at their own expense. Please RSVP by February 13 so that we can get a headcount for seating. And, if you need 3-5 minutes on the meeting agenda, please RSVP no later than February 14. RSVP your meeting intention to: Peggy Wells Monroe/West Monroe BPW Vice-President mmwells@dow.com peggywells@jam.rr.com (t) 318-665-5516 (work) (t) 318-651-8934 (home) Happy Anniversary Armenda Sims Thank you for saying “Yes” to BPW Take some time today to share with another woman what BPW can do for them – Each One Recruit One. Membership is up to 22. Upcoming event: SW Central District Meeting March 24 in Alexandria Watch for more details via email Community Outreach: Send One Suit Week Mark your calendars! March 1...

Born August 30, 1944 Monterey, California Died January 31, 2007 Austin, Texas Writer, syndicated columnist, and political commentator. Molly Ivins died. I just heard on the 10 o'clock news. I always looked forward to her column, and thank goodness for the internet, I could find her somewhere almost everytime I looked. Just one quote from her last column, January 11, 2007: "We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous. Make our troops know we're for them and trying to get them out of there."

What do the citizens of northeast Louisiana deserve? A clean community which will attract businesses that thrive and grow. A clean community where people want to buy homes and raise their families. A clean community that is safe and nurtures families in neighborhoods where everyone belongs. Can we have all these qualities in Ouachita Parish? Most of our heartiest boosters would say Ouachita Parish is all that and more. However, as many recent letters to the editor have pointed out, we fall short in a few ways. I’m talking about the clean community part. Come walk with me down one of our city streets and look around. Quality of Life Means Clean On a recent Saturday walk down a high traffic street I found broken beer bottles, fast food restaurant wrappers, foam packing peanuts, remnants of foam cups, and a bazillion cigarette butts. Yuk. And I was picking stuff up as I went. Two hours later I drove down this street and it was full of litter again. Can you imagine my disappointment and ...

Oh my. Looks like a fight is a brewing. Well, maybe a couple. But today let's talk about our esteemed Congressional activity. Go ahead and grab a cup of tea, I'll wait. In the Senate today , the minimum wage increase has been waylayed by Rebublicans who want to attach business tax breaks. Democrats from the House want this $2.10 raise to the back-breaking un-livable wage to go through with no attachments from the Senate. But it looks like a minumum wage increase just won't make it through the Senate without a tax break for business attached. The 54-43 vote fell short of the 60 it needed to advance without changes. Democratic leaders in the Senate are moving to pin those tax breaks on, for the sake of passing the wage hike. ...raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over 26 months and provide $8.3 billion in tax benefits to businesses over 10 years. CNN I am thinking that we in this country are struggling, and just really need this. It's been 10 years since the minimum w...