• Estes Drive is a major east-west local and regional connector that is presently operating beyond capacity;
• Residents, library users, church goers, commuters, neighbors, students, and teachers depend on Estes Drive mobility;
• These high residential densities contribute to the traffic and the number of cars at a major busy intersection;
• Using Bus Rapid Transit along MLK Jr Blvd., one of Town's goals, is undermined by proposing 650 new parking spots;
• Proposing 3% retail/commercial component won't enhance a walkable and vibrant destination or bring community benefits;
• The tree canopy so necessary to air quality and prized by Chapel Hill residents will disappear.;
• Permitting 60% of the lot to be impervious will cause flooding to neighboring properties.

Looking to build on forward momentum, the City plans to rehabilitate the aging, 1,800 square foot playground area (installed in the early 2000’s) by increasing the size to 5,000 square feet and making the site more safe, modern, and interactive, accessible. Proposed improvements include: installing a perimeter fence around the playground; replacing the existing drinking fountain with an ADA, year-round drinking fountain; adding informal picnic areas; and including a separate play structure for children aged 2-5.

This is a petition to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to reconsider the recall notice sent to the Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc His Excellency the High Commissioner (HC) for Sri Lanka in Australia. We submit that the premature recalling is a win for the LTTE lobby.

Recitals
1. We agree and support efforts of the Government to establish the principles of good governance and the efforts to cleanse Foreign Service.
2. This request is made considering the HC’s achievements in Australia and yeoman services to protect the good name and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
3. This request is made considering the need to continue such services.
4. This request is made considering the rare characteristics and abilities that the HC has displayed and due to our experiences of others in the Foreign Service who has miserably failed us.
5. When the High Commissioner assumed office in 2011 he had to face a formidable opposition from the LTTE lobby who not only denigrated the services of the armed forces, the good name of Sri Lanka but also was a threat to territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.
6. In 2011 the Australia Australian Parliament, the Australian Media had a very biased opinion about Sri Lanka and of its armed forces.
7. A small group of people with extremist’s views and with links to LTTE was so powerful and was in a position to influence the Australian Parliament, the media and had garnished support of the Australian public against Sri Lanka.
8. The voice of the moderate majority with a Sri Lankan heritage that was against the LTTE and stood for territorial integrity of Sri Lanka was dismissed, not given a hearing and not given any prominence.
9. We recall that certain past representatives could not face media or give a proper media briefing to protect Sri Lankan interest and had a very lethargic attitude.
10. He was able to turn the tide within a short period and has substantially dispelled the myths and restored respectability to Sri Lanka’s image in Australia.
11. We submit that his defence background and experience is ideally suited to support the joint Sri Lankan - Australian operations against bogus boat people who have brought much discredit to Sri Lanka.
12. We submit that due to his back ground, several lobbyists against Sri Lanka who were so powerful and were able to organise closed door conferences in the Australian Parliament and with its members, were able to be identified as LTTE stooges with credible documentary proof of their connections to LTTE and brought to the attention of the Australian authorities. (where other diplomats failed)
13. He engaged moderate people with a Sri Lankan heritage in Australia belonging to all ethnic and religious groups and got them involved in reconciliations activities.
14. We submit that in contrasts to other bureaucrats and diplomats he was readily available and was approachable any time of the day to the Sri Lankan community in Australia, he took an active interest and participated in Sri Lankan events throughout Australia and at times we are aware using his own finances.
15. We submit that such qualities and patriotism is rare.
16. Under his stewardship Sri Lanka won over the goodwill of Australia which enthusiastically supported Sri Lanka on critical issues
17. Due to his efforts, Australia became the only Western Country to support Sri Lanka and was against the LTTE activities.

For a positive future for individuals, their children and the whole community.

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt is calling on the community to show its support for the introduction of the Cashless Debit Card in our region.

An opportunity to improve the lives of Hinkler welfare recipients, their children and the entire community is on the table following the Federal Budget announcement of two additional communities for the Cashless Debit Card (CDC).

Without the support of the community it won’t get off the ground and Mr Pitt believes this region needs a drastic change to break the cycle of welfare dependence and get people into work.

To find out more head to Keith’s website:
http://keithpitt.com.au/news/cashless-debit-card-could-be-catalyst-change
http://keithpitt.com.au/news/misconceptions-around-cashless-debit-card-quashed

We have many hard working and caring Councillors from Skelmersdale that form part of West Lancs Borough Council - we feel that our town would be better served if they were based in Skelmersdale - where they were elected to represent our community.
The people of Skelmersdale have long felt that their voice is not being heard and we call on WLBC to help change this.

We understand that to trigger a Community Governance Review we must present the Council with a petition signed by at least 7.5% of the electorate of Skelmersdale, this equates to 1867 people that make up the 7 wards - Ashurst, Birch Green, Digmoor, Moorside, Skelmersdale North, Skelmersdale South and Tanhouse

Skelmersdale Independence Movement and it's supporters will actively promote the signing of this petition on Social media and in the local press.

On reaching the required number of signatories, we call on West Lancs. Borough Council to carry out the Community Governance Review in a timely manner and to grant Skelmersdale the right to have it's own Town Council, based in Skelmersdale for the good of the people of Skelmersdale.

"There's a name for [the racist attacks]: 'curry bashing' ... [as in] 'lets go curry bashing'..."

Whereas the Town Council is considering a Code of standards that will apply to this area;

Whereas, the Code standards together with the new zones would replace Council approval and citizen participation for all future development proposals;

Whereas, thousands of people in the surrounding neighborhoods patronize the popular businesses that we value;

Whereas, citizens need to know the answers to how additional traffic will be handled before zoning approvals are made;

Whereas, citizens must know the specifics and cost for how stormwater will be managed to prevent downstream flooding and ensure maximum infiltration for water quality;

Whereas, the public wants to know that Code standards will set measurable goals to ensure a vital, green and lively urban space;

Whereas, the Council needs a cost benefit analysis that demonstrates that the plan will yield net positive revenue for the Town;

And Whereas, over 1000 residences will require additional school capacity, affecting all tax payers in the school district, therefore be it resolved:

On 23rd June 2016, the People of Britain had another vote, demanding that Britain withdraw from all subjugation and dominion by EU Court of Justice (except, perhaps, in certain discrete and essential areas), Members of the House of Commons, who are Representatives on other issues, are become Delegates in the matter of Brexit.

The People of Britain insist that there must be no barriers, or monitoring, or surveillance at the geographic border betwixt Northern Ireland and the Republic, So why are the EU using the border issue as an obstacle to trade negotiations. Travel and trade and the paraphernalia of tariff differences and product qualities and standards, across a border that is nothing but an imagined line on a map, CAN be adequately managed..

The EU27, who set the agenda, requiring compensation to be decided first, and trade negotiated last, have made the Irish border an instrument for thwarting Brexit. If there is no negotiated trade and customs agreement by October 2018, Parliament is left with two choices, either to withdraw from the EU without a pre-arranged trade and customs agreement, or to cancel Brexit.

Now, the Lords, supposedly free from political machinations, conspire with the EU27 to remove the first of these two choices, thereby forcing Britain to remain subject and subservient to the EU legislative system.

If Parliament will not, then Britons must stand firm and declare together that Britain will leave the EU, with an equitable trade deal or with none. If Britons stop squabbling and stand fast, as we have done in the past, then the EU27 will start negotiating seriously.

Parliament has Power, in Britain, but not Authority, save that to which the conceits of its Members pretend. Authority lies with the People only; and the People have vested that Authority not in Parliament but in the Sovereign, the servant and embodiment of the People. So long as Lords and Commons do not act contrarily to the Will of the People, or the Laws of God, the Crown is ever pleased to Assent and Seal to Law, the Bills presented by their Parliaments. However, should a rebellious Parliament seek to act against the declared Will of the People, then the duty of the Monarch is to use their Reserve Powers to delay Assent, and deny the Nation’s Seal, either recommending Parliament to think upon their behaviour, or, despite previous Parliaments’ attempts to frustrate the Sovereignty of the People, standing fast for the Dissolution of Parliament, and a General Election to reaffirm the People’s Will.

Nonetheless, I don’t understand why my peers and I, the future of this country shouldn’t be deciding on said future. I don’t believe it’s fair and I am absolutely shocked at the turnout this referendum has received. The people who have voted clearly hold a grudge against the government, something that we, as the young representatives of the country, aren’t exposed to. In fact, the 18-24 age group voted at 64% supporting remain, and so would have the rest of us, if we were allowed to share our belief. And by the way the average number of years that the 18-24 age group would have to live in this non EU UK is 69 compared to the 16 years the 65+ age group, that voted at 58% in favour of leave, would have to stick around for.

At schools we are educated in a way that let’s us determine and decide on our own political views. From the age of 13 we are able to make decisions, as we select GCSEs that define our future as members of the community, yet we cannot decide on the future of the country we will continue living in. At 16 we make an even bigger decision as our A level choices are determined, yet still, we cannot vote. And at 17 when we choose our degree and apply for university, still, you guessed it, we cannot vote. Each person votes for their own belief so who’s voting in terms of education and young peoples rights? We should be, as it is our concern. The vote was split by just a little over a million, but there are over 6 million of us who didn’t get to choose, and out of the entire population we will be the most affected by this change. We are the future university goers and we are the future workforce, how are we different to any adult, when most don’t even have A level qualifications. We are an ambitious and passionate generation and we will not stand for the changes made against our will.

My peers and I are strongly remain and as we watched the turnout, the night of the 23rd of June, we were saddened by the result and angry to see how little influence we had over the decision.

So I blame the government, I don’t blame the EU or the people, because the government is there to do its job, and that is to convince the general public to decide on what is better for them and that goal hasn’t been achieved, in fact the remain campaign seemed so confident in its victory that it was much weaker than that of leave. It must have been anticipated that the community supporting leave would do so, with much more enthusiasm and much more spirit. Change is more exciting and people supporting it are more excited than those who simply want things as they are. So I believe the remain campaign should have been much stronger, especially since we have the higher ground.

I have no idea how, in this day of technology, travel and constant import and export as well as a generally volatile economy in this part of the world, Britain will survive without the EU or how in fact the EU will survive without Britain. The elderly who are supporting the way Britain was previous to 1974 aren’t reflecting on how the world has changed since then. The pound has fallen lower than it’s been ever since 1985, so even the financial crash of 2008 didn’t affect our currency this significantly.

The United Kingdom has just regained confidence in Scotland’s loyalty to Britain after the Scottish Independence referendum in 2014. And now Scotland is once again questioning their position within the UK that has been in place since 1707. So the government is not doing such a great job keeping the nation together, which at this tough moment, I believe must be the priority.

I am writing on behalf of my generation and we need for our young voices to be heard, now!