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Amsterdam Arena
Arena Boulevard 1
1101 AX Amsterdam Zuidoost (Netherlands)
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Abhijeet Ahluwalia

There are prog rockers, there are producers. And then there’s Todd Rundgren. In any given year of his 40 year career, few artists would have been as active both in front of the microphone and behind the mixing desk as Runt. I could keeping waxing lyrical all night long and still not cover all he’s done, or the impact he’s had. Little wonder then, that British fans are foaming at the mouth at the prospect of seeing Todd perform A Wizard, A True Star in its entirety.

A theatrical show replete with costume changes and props, the extravaganza was initially conceived on tour in England in support of the  2008 Arena record. “Last year’s English promoter came up with the idea,” Todd explains to me over the phone from Hawaii. “Younger acts and electronic artists had been name checking it in interviews and citing it as an influence, and we thought this was a better vehicle to attract a better audience. Word eventually got back to the US and some fans didn’t want to wait until 2010 to see it live, so they got together and did the promotion themselves! We didn’t go to a promoter, it was someone who runs an online station that only plays my music.”

What started with one show in Ohio quickly ballooned into several as crowds took to the idea in the way only a dedicated fan-base can. It is an overused cliché in the music industry to describe an artist’s fans as ‘the most hardcore’ or ‘rabid’, but Todd Rundgren fans are the rare set to whom such definitions can actually be applied. But, even amongst them, there was some unease over the choice of the record to perform.

To understand the significance of A Wizard, A True Star (AWATS), you have to place it in the context of Rundgren’s previous work, the popular Something/Anything? The album remains his best-selling work and got him one of his biggest hits – Hello, It’s Me, which went to No.5 on the Billboard charts. Which is why fans were forgiven for being completely flummoxed by his follow-up, AWATS. It was a complete change of sound and parked very firmly in progressive rock territory. The recording sounded muddled and cacophonic at first, because there was so much going on. Yet, the faithful persevered – slowly picking it apart, layer by layer, to uncover what was arguably the defining prog rock record of the decade.

“A lot of people gave up after Something/Anything? because AWATS was so different from anything I had been doing up till then, and other records at the time,” reflects Todd, then laughs as he says, “The rest of my fans have been with me the whole time and survived the change, and lots of other bizarre excursions and hip-hop experimentations!!”

In fact, the complexity of AWATS became a bit of a stumbling block for Todd himself: “I went back to deconstruct the original master tapes because people couldn’t figure out what to play! I had to do remixes of just certain parts like guitars or bass so we could accurately reproduce the music part of it.”

Did that also force his hand slightly when choosing which musicians would back him up? “Yes,” is the straightforward reply. “It would be tempting to call up people I know who had no direct connection with the project, but I didn’t know if I was on solid ground myself, so I wanted familiar faces. For e.g. I had to fill in the keyboard slots so I first asked Greg Hawkes if he would join, and he was important because he has a lot of the original keyboards that were on the record. He actually has them and remembers how to play the stuff!!” says Todd, laughing heartily like he often does.

“Then I got Roger Powell because he had played some parts before. Unfortunately he is gainfully employed!!! He has a real job he has to go back to, so I went back further and got in touch with Ralph Schukett, so he’ll be pianist in London and Amsterdam.”

Credit: Jean Lannen

Of course, what makes this tour so special is the fact that there is a theatrical element added to the music, giving fans a visual element to the emotive music. This, in itself, presented some unique problems. Not all venues can accommodate this show, so immediately the touring scope was a limited one. And, as Todd points out, people already have a ‘mental movie’ that goes with the record, so he had to create something that, while fresh and interesting, didn’t completely clash with what fans had visualised. Imagine taking the best book in the world and making it into a movie. Then chuck out the script, and replace readers with ridiculously dedicated fans, and you being to get a glimpse of the effort that went into creating this tour.

“We concentrated on reproducing the fashion sense, based it on weird costumes back in the 70s and then that expanded to 12 costume changes. Which means there are music passages where I’m back stage going through a frantic costume change! We have modern day production gimmicks but …a lot of the essence of the song comes from the costume.”

What makes the European shows a fascinating prospect is what the opening act of this opus will be. In the US there were Utopia songs played, amongst others, but Todd remains tight-lipped on what European audiences will get to see. “There will be an opening act but I’m not going to elaborate,” is all he’s willing to divulge.

He’s a lot more forthcoming when confronted with a trickier subject. Cynics would see this entire idea as a way for an old musician to make a quick buck. Certainly, if this was true, Todd wouldn’t be the first musician to try doing it. Is this whole tour just a ruse then, Mr. Rundgren?

“I’m not making any money!!” Todd manages to splutter out after laughing. “I was lucky to break even at the end of the American leg because we have a larger band, crew and production. We’re coming over to Europe and only doing 2 dates with so many people. There is no big payday, at least not yet. As for my age I don’t feel any shame because I’m in my 60s and still have an audience. People did better than me (in the 70s) yet I’m the one who’s still around. My heroes are BB King and Tony Bennett, people who play till they collapse. That’s what a musician is. I could start lying about my age and getting cosmetic surgery but the whole pop-star thing doesn’t last long.”

In fact, Todd has been able to experience the joy that is reserved for very few musicians – seeing fans grow up and bring their children to his shows, thus exposing a whole new generation to his music. “Most tours have been a cross section of age groups. Part of it is the natural evolution of fans becoming parents and forcing their kids along, and some kids come on their own!”

He even credits some of this to the ubiquity of music on the internet, a topic that can and has generated miles of column inches. For Todd though, it’s quite simple: “The internet works!! Yes, it’s having an effect!! It is the domain of a young audience and they’re using it do discover stuff radio isn’t giving them. I’m meeting fans that have discovered me last year and they’re 25. When fans are young they don’t have compartmentalised attitudes towards music. They’re open to different styles and music. With so much stuff I’ve recorded over the years, they’re bound to find something they like!”

All this talk of new generations of fans and 70s prog rock does beg the question – how long can Todd Rundgren go on touring? It is a lifestyle that can take its toll on the youngest of bodies, let alone one that has been slaving out on the road for 3 decades, winning fans the old fashioned way – through the sheer brilliance of a live performance, night after night. Todd himself is realistic about his physical condition and where that leaves him.

Credit: Mark Mawston

“My back is weak. About 2 years ago, I did a tour of Japan and there you play smaller venues where they charge a lot for tickets; these are really tough gigs. In between 2 shows, I wrenched my back really bad, and had to complete the tour on painkillers. I would do the show but the rest of the day was complete fucking misery. Sometimes, the day began by crawling from my bed to the bathroom. Literally crawling. Then I’d somehow get my shoes on and walk around until everything loosened up for me to move, for the 2 hours I’m on stage.

“At 20 you don’t think about it. As you get older and your performance becomes more refined, your day revolves around those 2 hours on stage and the rest is a regime getting ready for that. That’s how it will be for me, the only question is will I crawl or walk!! It’s more and more a mental game; there’s nothing you can do about the atrophy attacking your body but hey, this is way better than a coal mine.”

All through this conversation the one thing strikes me is how amazingly light hearted Todd manages to be at all times. Even a graphic description of the aforementioned day of ‘complete fucking misery’ is said with a chuckle, and I can just imagine him grinning away as he patiently answers my questions over the phone. And that’s what makes Todd Rundgren such a great musician. There are lots of creative geniuses in the music industry. Many have attempted grandiose live shows, some have even succeeded. But it is rare to find a talented, critically lauded musician, who is also popular with the fans, but still manages to keep his sense of humour through the darkest of times. I didn’t ask him if the title was auto-biographical, but I realise I never needed to. Here’s to Todd Rundgren – A wizard, a true star.

Todd Rundgren performs the British Premiere of “A Wizard, A True Star” at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6th February 2010.  Box Office: 08700 603 777.  Book Online: www.seetickets.com

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Kseniya Simonova es una artista Ucraniana que cuenta historias dibujando con arena. Es la ganadora de “Ukraine´s got talent”.
Me parece que la podemos adoptar como una nueva manera ecológica de dibujar ya que se está reutilizando arena y, no lápices de colores que tienen un gran impacto negativo en el medio ambiente por la madera que utilizan de los árboles.
En este video, ella cuenta cuando Alemania conquistó Ucrania en la 2da guerra mundial.
Se ha visto por más 2 millones de personas en You Tube. La sucesora de Susan Boyle?

Regresar a casa en Buenos Aires con los deseos enormes de reproducir las imágenes visuales, auditivas y olfativas de las playas, paisajes y gastronomía de Los Cabos no ha sido facil.   Por supuesto que aprendí la forma de hacer ceviche porque ya mi vida es otra después de esas vacaciones, pero encontrar el pescado ideal para hacerlo no es tarea facil.  Si googleás la palabra “ceviche” (www.google.com) te aparecen más de 400,000 páginas con recetas y tips de todo tipo y además todas las formas de prepararlo en Latinoamerica, ya que es un platillo comun a varios países.  para no errarle, le consulté a mi amiga Silvia, que es experta, y me recomendó el gatuzo que es como el cazón mexicano, que tiene una carne durita que no se deshace como la merluza, o en su defecto, si da el presupuesto, salmón blanco.  Cada vez que preparamos ceviche, conseguimos unas tostadas de maíz, abrimos la terraza, ponemos nuestros CD de Luna Itzel, y nos dejamos llevar por la brisa del verano, imaginando que tal vez estamos en Los Cabos,pisando esa arena suave, a la orilla del mar, con el sol brillando..entonces alzamos la copa  y decimos Viva México!

Arena Antonio Alexe va găzdui în perioada 27 – 29 noiembrie Top Events 2009.

Orădenii care nu ştiu unde să-şi petreacă Revelionul 2010 sau ce cadouri să le facă celor dragi, unde să-şi celebreze căsătoriile sau alte evenimente, cum să-şi împodobească bradul sau casa de sărbători, ce se mai poartă la evenimentele mondene, vor avea de unde să aleagă.

În perioada 27 – 29 noiembrie 2009, holurile Arenei Antonio Alexe vor găzdui Top Events 2009, manifestare produsă de Top Press media, pr & events.

Ofertă variată

Organizatorii propun orădenilor participarea la prima expoziţie HoReCa, unde îşi vor expune oferta restaurante, cafenele, cluburi, pizzerii, săli de nunţi şi evenimente din Oradea, dar şi agenţii de turism şi agenţi economici cu decoraţiuni de Crăciun. „Pregătim o expoziţie interactivă care să stârnească interesul tuturor orădenilor care vor să organizeze un eveniment deosebit – fie că e vorba de o nuntă, un botez sau o zi de naştere. Având în vedere apropierea sărbătorilor de iarna, Top Events 2009 – ediţia I – cuprinde un târg de Craciun şi cele mai bune oferte de Revelion”, a precizat Mihai Dacin, administratorul Top Press. Acesta a adăugat că în cadrul expoziţiei vor avea loc evenimente speciale ca: prezentări de modă, concursuri şi tombole, dar şi degustări de produse, având în vedere că vor fi prezente cele mai renumite restaurante din oraş.

Intrarea la acest eveniment se face pe bază de bilet care va costa 3 lei. Potrivit organizatorilor, la eveniment şi-au anunţat participarea circa 30 de firme. Expoziţia se deschide oficial vineri, 27 noiembrie, la ora 9:00 şi se închide duminică, 29 noiembrie, la ora 17:00.

Programul de vizitare propus este următorul: vineri, 27 noiembrie – orar 09:00 – 20:00, sâmbătă, 28 noiembrie – orar 09:00 – 20:00 duminică, 29 noiembrie – orar 09:00 – 17:00

Por Carlos Molina.

Observador Juvenil/Kaos en la Red.

Un problema grande para el nuevo gobierno es diferenciarse de lo que pregonó el presidente previo a su candidatura y lo que hace ahora frente al ejecutivo. Encarnizado y asiduo para interpelar a los gobiernos de ARENA, que siempre hicieron sus anchas.

Ahora que hay un nuevo gobierno, lo mínimo que habría que esperar a 6 meses de iniciado el “Gobierno del Cambio”, son precisamente eso, cambios. La realidad es muy distinta, cuesta encontrar cambios en este gobierno.
Si había algo que Mauricio Funes sabía hacer era aprovechar esos momentos de debilidad en las gestiones areneras, frente a estos temas de la vulnerabilidad, para evidenciar que esas gestiones gubernamentales eran nefastas y que no hacían nada para disminuir las desgracias en el país, y que en todas las ocasiones sirvió para intereses particulares.

Pero el “Gobierno del Cambio”, es el gobierno del continuismo. La tragedia de 5 horas de lluvias continuas dejó claro, que no hay cambios y que aquella blasfemia de decir que se gobernaría para los pobres inspirados en Monseñor Romero, es una autentica falacia. No se puede creer que la inspiración del salvadoreño más digno se desdibuje tanto, con un gobierno que trabaja rápidamente para el gran capital y que en esa medida afecta a las grandes mayorías

Después de esta tragedia las cosas en el gobierno no cambian, hasta la capacidad de gestión internacional en torno a la crisis ha sido paupérrima, se debió de endeudar por enésima vez para poder salir adelante. ARENA dejó al gobierno en banca rota y aquí no hay responsables, la corrupción de esos funcionarios más parece el premio de consuelo por haber perdido el ejecutivo, no hay nadie tras las rejas, como un día lo planteara nuestro ahora presidente. La pregunta es ¿dónde está el cambio?. Presidente no vemos la diferencia.

Esperemos que al menos hayan aprendido la lección, y veamos cambios en el gobierno, que al fin de todo se deberá de diferenciar en cuestiones más sustanciales de las administraciones anteriores, no pensará vender como cambio que colocan información de los gastos en los sitios web de los ministerios, como algo trascendental, o el haber abierto relaciones con Cuba, que son importantes, pero eran parte de la normalidad con las que se debe abordar a ese país tan desarrollado científicamente.

Si ya estamos claros de que este gobierno es de continuidad de las políticas neoliberales, es necesario quitarse las mascaras. Porque en los temas trascendentales como las represas, sabemos de qué lado está, así también estamos claros de que seremos los pobres los que pagaremos más impuestos con la nueva reforma.

Puestas así las cosas, esta tormenta que produjo tanta tragedia para El Salvador y que demostró que no hay cambios en el nuevo gobierno, es un preámbulo de una tormenta mucho más larga que será lidiar otros 5 años más con el neoliberalismo a flor de piel.

Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons.

LG Arena KM 900

Das KM900 ist nicht nur vollgepackt mit anspruchsvollen Multimedia-Features, sondern überzeugt auch mit einer vollkommen neuen 3D-Benutzeroberfläche. Ergonomische und intuitive 3D-Touch-Menüs ermöglichen die unkomplizierte Suche in Kontakten und Multimedia-Inhalten. Reel Scrolling, also die Auswahl über rotierende Touchoberflächen, ordnet die Menüs wie auf einer Filmrolle an. Alle Audio-, Video- und Fotodateien des KM900 können dank 3G HSDPA und WLAN problemlos mit Freunden in Sozialen Netzwerken ausgetauscht werden.

http://miriadas.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/insomne/

Musica: O2 di Londra diventa prima arena concerti al mondo – l’Unità.it

Musica: O2 di Londra diventa prima arena concerti al mondo

(ANSA) – LONDRA, 22 NOV – La O2 Arena di Londra e’ diventata

la prima arena mondiale per la musica: il mese scorso ha

venduto il quadruplo del Madison Square Garden.

Il record, scrive l’Observer, arriva poco dopo il debutto

della O2 nel mondo dello sport: questa settimana circa

270.000 persone assisteranno alle performance dei migliori

otto tennisti al mondo impegnati nella ATP World Tour Finals

proprio sotto alla ‘cupola’ di Greenwich, nel sudest di

Fonte:
http://www.unita.it/notizie_flash/65765/musica_o_di_londra_diventa_prima_arena_concerti_al_mondo

Las olas vienen bramando

a derramarse en la arena

decorando con su encaje

de espuma toda la escena.

Las pulgas en su escondite

Respiran entrecortado

Y su agujero hacia el cielo

Se reabre apresurado.

Los cangrejos corretean

Con su andar inesperado,

adelante, marcha atrás,

O también de medio lado

Las gaviotas se sumergen

Para merendar pescado

Quebrando la superficie

Del mar, espejo plateado.

Un pelícano grisáceo

Se pierde en el horizonte

Y los lenguados deslizan

sobre la arena del fondo

su vientre blanco y galante

que al pescador ha embrujado.

¡Al agua!  corren  los niños

grabando sus piececillos

por dos segundos exactos,

hasta que el próximo oleaje

deje el pizarrón flamante.

Ya cuando cae la tarde

Y se nos  aleja el sol

Yo quisiera un alfajor

Y mi hermana una palmera

Y la tía teje y teje

Soñando con la tetera.

¡Qué rica sabe una taza

sentada sobre la arena

si los niños corren lejos

y  así no me  la estropean! 

Sports and Music. Both packed with vibe, aggression, anticipation, excitement, noise, energy, and soul. As an athlete, hearing a song that boils your blood and widens your eyes is just one small characteristic in which music   can transcend physically into your own actions and thoughts. Eclectic restaurants and lounges are effective with paralleling their visual atmosphere to the aura it emits. Sport venues are no different. Rarely, unless you are at a   cricket match, will the arena blair ‘Mozart’s 21st concerto   in C major’ at the height of battle. 4th and 2 and one play to win or lose the game, here are the top 10 (due to change with time).

10. Eat the Rich – Aerosmith

9. Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC

8. Beautiful People – Marilyn Manson

7. Breakdown – Tantric

6. Desire – Ozzy Osbourne

5. Take the Power Back – Rage Against the Machine

4. Let it Rock – Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil’ Wayne

3. Man in the Box – Alice in Chains

2. Animal – Pearl Jam

1. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses

Blog de Wianey Carlet – ClicRBS

Sexta-feira, 20 de novembro de 2009 

Gremistas discutem a Arena da discórdia

…

A direção gremista entende que o contrato é positivo para o clube. Mas, conselheiros, sócios e torcedores têm outra interpretação. Tanto que tentarão, na Justiça, anular o contrato feito entre o Grêmio e a OAS, construtora. O Movimento Grêmio Acima de Tudo anuncia que o processo ingressará na Justiça nos próximos dias. A discussão, longe de merecer reprovação, deve ser saudada e aplaudida. Ela revela que a direção do Grêmio está agindo com a máxima transparência e que existem gremistas preocupados e interessados no futuro do clube.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Frente a essa notícia veiculada na imprensa nos últimos dias, o Blog GRÊMIO ACIMA DE TUDO apresenta a versão oficial do Movimento Grêmio Acima de Tudo, conforme foi possível ouvir, de forma objetiva e contundente pelo conselheiro Gabriel Fadel, presidente do MGAT na última quinta-feira, durante o jantar de comemoração de aniversário do GRÊMIO SEMPRE IMORTAL.

Conforme o Conselheiro tricolor Gabriel Pauli Fadel afirmou, ao contrário do veiculado pela imprensa, o MGAT não irá propor qualquer ação judicial referente ao contrato celebrado pelo Grêmio com a OAS e que tem por objeto a construção da Arena, ainda que tenha séria restrições em relação ao pactuado. Esclareceu que a posição do Movimento é de que esta questão deve ser debatida internamente visando o devido esclarecimento dos associados quanto ao futuro do  Clube.

Ou seja, a versão que está sendo divulgada de que uma possivel ação judicial teria o patrocínio do Grêmio Acima de Tudo não corresponde a realidade.

I had a blast at Cobo! I actually did not see an awful lot of teenagers there, in fact I looked around my section (A21) at one point and felt like I was the youngest person there (I’m 31). I did see several kids (as in age 11, 4, and about 6 months) and was relived to see that they all had earphones on. Security was definitely stopping people from smoking cigarettes. But otherwise they were very laid back & respectful. We stood right next to one who told us they’d had a preshow meeting where they were told that “a lot of folks will be smoking pot…” and just wanted to dance, and they were specifically told “not to raise any flags” toward those people who were doing either. That dude was pretty cool — he handed us a free bottle of water from the supply that was being handed out to the staff.

The outro of 46 Days had some great exploration and fanTAStic lights playing on the back of the arena (Cobo, in contrast to many other arenas, was not “in the round” — it had a definite back). Check out these photos from Miner’s post today to see what I mean.

Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan was better than any of the summer versions to be sure, but part of me feels that it was merely hinting at the amazingly dark jams that will surely come from the song this Fall.

DwD also had some amazing exploratory improvisation. Between DwD and Free, Mike was owning that portion of the show.

“Were they tight?” You bet they were. The Foam was about the tightest thing I’ve ever heard from this band. Including Hampton. Now, there were a few rough patches throughout the night (more on that in a moment) and you could kind of tell that they were a bit rusty… Not that they sounded bad at all, but you could tell that there were some moments that did not click. One of my friends likened it to training for competitive sports (bike racing, in particular). If you take even just one week off, you’re not as sharp and you can notice the difference. Of course you can still ride a bike, and you can still race pretty well, but everything is just not “clicking.” It’s Ice (and Horn, and the ending of Taste) had a little sour part, and you could see it in Trey’s face. In fact, a buddy of mine was backstage helping with the LivePhish.com uploads (on a one-off basis, not as a general occurrence) and said that Trey walked back and said, “hey, can you do me a favor and remove all the bad parts for me before you upload those?” It’s so odd to hear that comment, because we all KNOW that Trey’s had some nights in the past that were FAR worse than that. I could count the (very minor) flubs from this tour opener on one hand. I guess that’s just the new Trey: sober, clear-headed, and hearing and thinking about every single thing. I like that Trey is critical of himself, but I’m not 100% sure that all that is a good thing…

After a pretty big lull in the middle of the second set, the “Motor City Mike’s Groove” was a double-shot of adrenaline that immediately got the place up and dancing. Either they were channeling the residual energy from one of KISS’ many shows in the room, or it was the general heightened sensation of being in an enclosed space, but this Mike’s was dark and infused with more metal than usual.

And Cavern after the Weekapaug? Now that’s just pure “bonus Phish.”

Was the song choice amazing? Certainly not. Was the playing stellar? Absolutely. During Sample I commented that they really don’t waste any songs now. They give 110% every single song, every single time now. It wasn’t always like that! When I think about it, that is why I fell in love with the band so long ago. Listening to them float among so many varying styles effortlessly on Picture of Nectar, tearing open Rift when I first got it and listening to the raging solo in Maze then the beautiful playing on Horn…I was completely hooked from that point forward. It was that love & dedication that made me follow the band (although it was from more of a distance) during the “Oxy Years” when things weren’t all that consistently good, and I am so overjoyed to have things back to the way they used to be.

Wishing I was in Cincy tonight…

Second in my series of people photography!!  Now, I know I said that the Mexico series was done with, but, surprise!  More Puerto Morelos pics!  Were these strategically saved for this series or did I just forget to put them with the other series?  You’ll never know.  Anyhoo, its fun to photograph kids doing their kid-ly things.  They always seem so completely absorbed in what they are doing and bring such a fun, carefree-because-they-don’t-have-bills-to-pay  feeling to the photo.  I find that looking at pictures like this always makes me remember how much I liked to do (blank) when I was (blank) years old, long before medical school sort of owned my soul.   

So, this boy and girl were playing in the sand on the shore by the Puerto Morelos pier in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.  They are in front of the original lighthouse that was transformed into the Leaning Lighthouse of Puerto by Hurricane Wilma.  Since it’s more or less non-functional now, there is a new lighthouse a bit further back from the shore.  It is much taller and, personally, if I were a sailor, I’d be glad Wilma killed the old short lighthouse so that I could guide myself home with the more modern upgraded model.

The photo was taken with the Canon Powershot G7.  I used Adobe Photoshop CS3 to adjust the contrast a bit and to bring out the slightly sepia tones in the picture to help create a more nostalgic feel and to highlight the angle of the sun.

photo JFG

Station d’épuration et ARENA, le fossé se creuse !

Au cours de sa séance de jeudi dernier, l’assemblée communautaire de l’agglomération d’Orléans avait mis à l’ordre du jour, une nouvelle délibération concernant la station d’épuration de l’île Arrault.

Décision : L’Agglo a provisionné 5 millions d’euros pour les travaux 

Complémentaires nécessaires pour la dalle au-dessus des fonties !

Donc, cette somme pour tout dire exorbitante, pour combler un trou et renforcer une dalle !

Comment qualifier cela ?

Gouffre financier ? Gâchis ? Scandale ? Mauvaise gestion ?

Aux remarques qui lui ont été faites, le président de l’agglomération a répondu : « on ne savait pas et on ne pouvait pas voir sous la dalle, les fonties de 7 mètres… »

Quand je pense à tout ce qu’on pourrait faire d’utile pour les gens avec cette somme considérable !

Combler des trous, en voilà une action innovante !

Et sur un site dont on nous affirmait qu’il était le meilleur ! D’ailleurs, savons-nous vraiment avec certitudes, si, sur le long terme, ce comblement sera suffisant et quels effets secondaire cela aura sur le sous-sol !

C’est quand même dur à avaler !

Nous étions un certain nombre à avoir demandé un autre choix sur un autre site…. Mais nous n’avons pas été ni écoutés ni entenduds !

Autre sujet… Même histoire !

En effet, il en va de même pour le choix du terrain voisin de l’hippodrome, comme site « provisoirement » retenu pour la construction de l’ARENA !

Un bon sens élémentaire me dit que là aussi, le sous-sol doit présenter des caractéristiques semblables à celui de la station d’épuration !

La décision de l’agglo, avec ce montant « formidable », ne marque t’elle pas la fin de l’épisode île Arrault comme site de l’ARENA ?

Reste t’il encore des élus, des décideurs, des financeurs publics ou privés qui ignoreraient que ce terrain est à coup sûr, miné !?

Peut-on et doit-on continuer à envisager de construire un équipement dont tout nous dit que le chois du lieu va générer des surcoûts ? La situation financière des collectivités et de l’économie plus généralement nous indique tout le contraire !

Plus que jamais, nos choix doivent tenir compte des impératifs financiers, nous le devons aux citoyens contribuables, de notre ville, de notre département et de notre région !

Si, un projet d’ARENA doit voir le jour car répondant à différents enjeux et besoins, confions à l’assistant à maîtrise d’ouvrage choisi par la municipalité d’Orléans, la recherche et la sélection de sites répondant à des critères d’efficacité et de coût !

photo JFG

Por Iván Escobar.

Julio César Herrera.

Merlin Veliz.

Observador Juvenil/Kaos en la Red.

Los megaproyectos diseñados por las pasadas administraciones gubernamentales, tienen o deben ser ejecutados por el “gobierno del cambio”. Al menos esa es la percepción que se tiene hasta ahora.

La construcción de la carretera Longitudinal, en el norte del país; represas hidroeléctricas como El Chaparral, en el oriente del país y la represa El Cimarrón, al norte, son algunos de los proyectos que suenan por estos días.

Los proyectos consideran ambientalistas de organismos como la Unidad Ecológica Salvadoreña (UNES) o el Centro Salvadoreño de Tecnología Apropiada (CESTA), “constituyen riesgos en las comunidades cercanas a los mismos”.

Ricardo Navarro, presidente del Centro Salvadoreño de Tecnología Apropiada (CESTA), considera que “ahorita no esta (caminando el proyecto), pero nadie lo descarta. Imagínense ustedes, el Presidente dijo que El Chaparral va a continuar porque ya lo había iniciado el anterior gobierno. Ahora dice con El Cimarrón que ha pedido opinión al ministro de economía haber que dice, pero que va a decir, dirá que sí”, advertió al ser consultado con respecto al tema.

Al tiempo que estimó que el Presidente Funes, no da mayores garantías para frenar el proyecto, “lo que hace es pasarle la pelota al gobierno anterior en el caso de El Chaparral, y pasarle la pelota en este caso a Economía…porque si no quisiera diría: No. Él quiere hacerlas, lo que pasa es que no quiere correr con el costo político, sino otros”, enfatizó.

Con relación a las consecuencias de este tipo de proyecto Navarro afirmó que “los impactos son diversos, primero se va a desviar el río Lempa como 80 kilómetros para tirarlo sobre las aguas del río Metayate, en ese tramo específicamente los primeros 30 kilómetros será peor. Segundo al tirar el río por otro cause desestabilizará la zona, además esa zona es considerada como prehistórica, eso no se ha evaluado”.

Y en cuando a las familias que residen en esas zonas, aseguró que el impacto lo sufrirán en sus viviendas y áreas de cultivo. “La gente se ve afectada también por las inundaciones, todos estos son los impactos que vamos a tener en El Cimarrón”, precisó.

Mauricio Sermeño, de la UNES al ser consultado sobre este tipo de proyectos responde sin mayor preámbulo que técnicamente “es de mucho riesgo por la altura del tubo de descarga que da una elevada presión hidráulica y la desviación del caudal del río Lempa provoca un cambio muy significativo en la zona afectada”.

En términos económicos “es demasiado caro (más de $1000 millones de dólares) y no rentable” y ecológicamente “insustentable por la modificación del ecosistema, de un agua que fluye a un embalse de agua estancada, provocando serios problemas para la biodiversidad actual y para la salud de los habitantes del incrementando la concentración de la contaminación y enfermedades como el dengue, la esquistosomiasis”, valoró.

Al tiempo que enfatizó en que “la pérdida de vegetación en la zona del embalse es una pérdida irrecuperable y de gran dimensión afectando también al cambio climático y el incremento de la temperatura local por el espejo de agua que será incrementado sustancialmente”.

Pero Sermeño además destaca problemas de carácter socioeconómicos, específicamente porque el proyecto constituye una violación a los derechos humanos de los residentes del lugar, “porque se eliminan sus tierras productivas provocando cambio total de su tejido social y escasez de granos básicos y productos lácteos, las tierras productivas son irrecuperables, esto significa la vida de los habitantes y eso es inviolable”, señaló Sermeño.

Para la UNES las contradicciones en el comportamiento de las autoridades o interesados encontrados de algunos actores, “son evidentes”, y añade Sermeño que esto se refleja con el caso del Ministerio del Ambiente “no quisiera verse forzado a otorgar un permiso ambiental injustificable”.

“La CEL, léase Salume, insiste en realizar la obra a toda costa sin importarle a quien se lleva de encuentro. La SIGET no está de acuerdo con estos proyectos con argumentos muy bien fundamentados. Y Mauricio Funes toma una actitud equilibrista e imitadora de las decisiones tomadas por Brasil, con quien no podemos compararnos por nuestra posibilidad económica, densidad demográfica y extremada estrechez territorial”, precisó este ambientalista.

La mala percepción se incrementa cada día, y más ahora cuando el país y en particular la zona paracentral ha sufrido la fuerza de la naturaleza, con el paso del Huracán Ida, en el Atlántico y una depresión tropical en las costas del Pacífico que han dejado casi 200 muertos, muchos desaparecidos y miles de damnificados. Un poco más de tres horas de lluvia, acumuló más de 300 mililitros de agua en la zona San Vicente, causando una tragedia de muerte y destrucción en poblados aledaños al volcán Chicontepec. Muchos consideran que esta situación una vez más deja al descubierto que El Salvador es vulnerable.

De ahí que los ambientalistas opinan que la realización de megaproyectos, vinculados al desarrollo del país en una medida pueden ser un riesgo a futuro en particular entre las familias de escasos recursos.

Las represas, han venido asegurando ex y actuales funcionarios, son “de urgencia” para El Salvador para garantizar energías más baratas. Las comunidades se resisten a este discurso y piden señales claras del Ejecutivo para evitar la ejecución de los mismos, esta Resistencia se ha visto mayormente entre las comunidades aledañas al proyecto El Chaparral.

Sin embargo, en los últimos días no ha quedado claro si el proyecto Cimarron, en el norteño departamento de Chalatenango, será vetado en su totalidad o podría quedar latente la amenaza de que el mismo se ejecute en una administración de gobierno con visión diferente a la actual.
Recientemente ha dicho el Presidente de la República, Mauricio Funes, –primera vez abordando el punto como mandatario, por cierto- que “el Presidente de la República es el que toma las decisiones en materia de conducción del Ejecutivo y sobre todo en proyectos de gran envergadura, como es la Presa El Cimarrón. En ningún momento ha dado declaraciones de que la construcción de la presa está descartada”.

Aspecto que en una medida llama la atención a los ambientalistas, quienes consideran como un aspecto contradictorio el hecho de que con este tipo de posiciones el mandatario, del primer gobierno del FMLN, contradice la posición de Germán Rosa Chávez, ministro de Medio Ambiente, las cuales dejó en claro la suspensión del proyecto, esto durante su intervención en el foro del Tribunal Latinoamericano.

Funes añadió en esa ocasión ante la prensa que está a la espera de lo que diga el Consejo Nacional de Energía “quien me haga una propuesta de sí necesitamos o no la presa”.

Esta represa según datos oficiales tendría un costo de mil millones de dólares, generando una producción energética de aproximadamente 250 megawatts.

Nicolás Salume, presidente de la Comisión Ejecutiva Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa (CEL), ha dicho últimamente que la cantidad de dinero para echarlo andar sobrepasaría los mil millones, asegurando que la no ejecución del proyecto obedece a falta de recursos y no de armonía con las comunidades o el Medio Ambiente en su defecto.

Algo que las comunidades y los ambientalistas ven con preocupación, y que puede a futuro dar marcha al proyecto, cuando se tengan los recursos necesarios.

Salume, un prominente empresario y ex funcionario de gobiernos areneros, ha dicho en repetidas ocasiones que los proyectos no deben detenerse más que con la mano de Dios. Las comunidades que se sienten amenazadas por los proyectos han exigido la destitución de funcionarios que piensan más en el desarrollo sobrepasando los derechos de cientos de familias que serían desplazadas, afectadas directas o indirectas de las zonas.

Las contradicciones en la medida que pasa el tiempo afloran, el gobierno “sigue tratando el tema de forma tímida”, sostiene el Padre Antonio Confesor, párroco de San Antonio del Mosco, una de las comunidades afectadas por la construcción de la presa El Chaparral.

Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons.