| No policy on jobs for the disabled, says Yee
Kota Kinabalu: Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai on Wednesday said there is no policy that says the physically and mentally handicapped have the privilege over other folk in securing employment. He was asked to comment on Women, Family and Community Development Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun's statement earlier this month. Chew had said that the number of disabled people in the public sector throughout Malaysia is only 0.2 per cent compared to the quota of one per cent stated in the Government's Circular No. 10 in 1988. She stressed that the Government must do something to achieve the quota. Dr Yee, however, said the Government is mindful of providing training to the disabled and help them gain employment.
Campground rehab planned; Public input sought
Plans are on the drawing board to rehabilitate Horseshoe Bend, including upgrades to infrastructure and amenities. Some campsites may be enlarged and access for travel trailers and recreational vehicles improved. Also under consideration is the addition of shade shelters, wind protection and restoration and protection of natural vegetation. Existing comfort stations will be repaired and improved to meet Americans With Disabilities standards.
According to a press release from Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, public input is requested concerning the need and scope of the upgrades. Comments will be reviewed, and depending on funding available, ideas will be considered for incorporation into the proposal.
A tool has been developed to help the public make suggestions.
Shiites and Sunnis - the view from the street
Outside my window in Baghdad there's a man selling balloons from a cart. In the cold gray light of this city where people now try to blend in to stay out of trouble, the balloons stand out like a particularly garish rainbow. It's just a one-man wooden stall, but it's a reminder of the resilience here -- not just of the balloon seller but also of the man who imports the balloons, the drivers who bring them to the markets and the parents still willing to walk down the street to buy them for their children. That's always been one of the disconnects here -- the signs of normal life that persist in the midst of widespread violence between Sunnis and Shiites. Long standing ties despite strife
Take, for instance, the offhand comment of an Iraqi friend telling me about her nephew's wedding this spring.
Close-knit group comes together
Those looking to stay warm in the frosty winter weather might appreciate a free class offered at the Morgan County Public Library every Tuesday. At 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, a group of crochet, needlework and other hobby enthusiasts gathers at the main branch of the Morgan County Public Library to teach each other crafts and to socialize. The class was the brainchild of patron Bambi Petrillo, said Krista Quigley, assistant library director. She had the idea of meeting other craft enthusiasts, regardless of their passion, on a weekly basis to learn from each other, teach each other and just form a little community of needlework enthusiasts, Quigley wrote in an e-mail. Bambi is teaching beginning crochet first, and we hope there will be other members who want to demonstrate or teach their craft.
|
