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LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR5TuesdayJune112013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms18Cand7CNorms21Cand8C9Low8Low16High18High11Low13High6Low10Low10Low16High23High13Low19High9Low20High24HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms17Cand6CNorms18Cand8C6Low6Low10Low4Low12Low12Low19High20High14Low21High12Low23High16High20High13High22HighEditorIfeelthatImustrespondtoFriedaMartselossfullpageNorthernJournalJune42013ofnonsensethatwaspaidforwithSaltRiverFirstNationmembersdollars.Friedasaidthatshehadnothingtodowiththere-movalofmyselfandtwoothercouncillorswhichwasfornogoodreasonandwithnoap-pealprocess.Nottrue...allthemotionsthatwerepresentedattheApril29meetingweredonebyFriedaMartselos.Themembershipdidnotpresentthosemotions.ThemotionsthatwerepresentedatthesocalledMay13membershipmeetingwerepresentedtocouncilbythemembershipasitshouldbe.Yestherewasamotiontohaveaforensicauditdonefrom2008topresentallbandaccountsincludingtheeco-nomicdevelopmentandgasbaraccountsbecausethatiswhatthemembershipwants.Theywanttoknowwhereallthemoneywent...butnotFriedaMartselos.WHYThemembershipalsowantsanewlawrmthatwontgougeourmoney.WhydoesFriedawanttokeepthisrmthatcoststheSRFNbigbucksandonlydealswithhernotthecouncilTheselawyersdidsaythattherewouldbecourtactionifthethreeSRFNmembersdidnotremovethecommentsoffofFacebookinregardstoFriedasdictatorship...theyhavefree-domofspeechrights.ThemembersofSRFNarenothappy.Friedatookthepowerawayfromthemem-bersandthecouncilbytakingawaytheirvoices.Councilhasnoknowledgeofwhatshedoes.SheleadswithanironstandtheSRFNemployeesareafraidtospeakoutforfearoflosingtheirjobs.BecauseIspeakoutIwastakenofftheDEAboard.AsFriedaMartselosisinaconictofinterestoftheApril22013by-electionappealitwasleftuptothecouncilDonMat-thewsGeorgeCummingandRonnySchaeferwhichdoesnotmakeaquorum.Themember-shipatthesocalledMay13meetingsaidtoadvertiseforonemorereviewcommitteemembertositwiththeothertwoandgoforwardwiththeappeal.WhydragitonandwhyhaveanotherelectionwhenthatappealhasnotevenbeendealtwithOMGshamefulJuststatingFACTS.ConnieBenwellSRFNMemberEditorAfterreadingyourlatesteditionIfeelastatementneedstobemadeandthisopinionwasformedafterread-ingthelastpageNorthernJournalJune42013.WhathappenedtoanindividualsrightforfreedomofspeechwithoutfearoframicationsThisisjustmyhumbleopin-ionafterreadingthelatestedi-tionoftheNorthernJournalnewspaperbasedoutofFortSmithandwasappalledtoreadthelastpageofthepaperwhereitmadementionthatcer-tainmembersarenotallowedtovoicetheiropinionsonsocialmediawithoutfearoframica-tionsorbeingpubliclysingledoutbythechief.Againthisisanotherformofbullyingintim-idationanddictatorshipTheadstatesthatthedulyelectedchiefandcouncilaretrans-parentandscallyresponsibleandareworkingforthebestinterestsofallSRFNSaltRiverFirstNationmemberswhetherinSmithornot...butifyouvoiceopinionagainsttheleadershipyouareostracizedandchastised.MerlynMcKay-BarbeauSRFNMemberASeniorMomentOPINIONNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKIceusergroupshavecometoacceptthathockeyandskatingwillbedoneonanon-traditionalicesurfacethisseasonfollowingtheclosureofthearena.FortSmithdiscussesoptionsafterlossofcomingiceseasonReneMercrediTheycouldeasilybuildasyntheticicesurfaceabitsmallerthanregulationsizeandhoarditinwithsomelightsforwaylessthan250000KaiMcNeillYayforpeoplesteppinguptogetthearenarepairedandopenToobadthemayordismissedthisbeforeexploringoptions.Isittoomuchworkforhimtosup-portrecreationinFortSmithAveryspecialgreetingtoallseniorsintheNorthwestTer-ritoriesfromtheFortSmithseniorsontheoccasionoftheAnnualNWTSeniorWeekcomingupthismonth.AtourmonthlygeneralmeetingusuallyontherstTuesdayofamonthwewerebusylayingoutprogramsforthesummerandactivitiesforthenexthalfof2013.ThisistheplacetoremindeveryonethatourAnnualGen-eralMeetingthisyearwillstartonTuesdayJune18at130attheSeniorCentre.Allmembersandprospectivemembersareencouragedtoattend.Thecof-feewillbeon.Readonaboutsomeofourmanyactivitiesplannedforthefuture.TheannualNWTSeniorWeekJune9-15willhavestartedwhenyoureadthiscol-umn.WearelookingforwardtoenjoythetraditionalTownofFortSmith-sponsoredBBQ.ThiseventistopaytributetoboththeTownsSeniorSoci-etyaswellastheFortSmithSocietyforPersonswithDis-abilitiesanditwillbeheldattheSlaveRiverLookoutonFridayJune14atnoon.TuesdayandWednesdayJune11and12wehaveplannedagettogetherattheSeniorCen-tre.Wehavereservedtimeatthepoolbetween200-300p.m.bothdaysforadip.Youmayjustdropinatthecen-treenjoyingfellowshipoverrefreshmentsagameorwhathaveyou.Seeyoutherebe-tween130and330.OurmonthlyLunchwiththeBunchusuallyheldonthethirdFridayofthemonthhasbeenchangedtoThursdayJune13.AllareinvitedtopartakeattheSeniorCentreatnoon.Thelunchrefreshmentsanddes-sertare5.SaturdayJune15theNWTSeniorsarepleasedtoannouncetheeighthannualWorldElderAbuseAwarenessDay-whichhasbeendeclaredinternation-allyandhereinNWTaswellasinotherjurisdictionsacrossCanadaandthroughouttheworld.Thepurposeofthisspecialdayofrecognitionistoshedlightonthisfamilyvio-lenceissuethathasremainedintheclosetforfartoolong.AllcitizensareaskedtowearpurpleonJune15torecognizeandbringattentiontothisissue.EventhoughwehaveafullagendaforthemonthofJuneweareplanningtoparticipateinthetownsJuly1parade.WatchforourwinningentryAstootheractivitiesfur-therdowntheroadoureightpassengervanisreadyfortake-offandouraimistohelpoutanyofourmemberswhoneedaspeciallifttomeetanappointment.AlsoweareplanningvisitstoHayRiverinSeptemberformeetingupwiththeseniorsthereaswellasaspecialshfry.AtriptoFortResolutionisalsointheplanningandwhentheroadallowsafollowuptriptoFortChipewyantorepeatthesuc-cessfulvisittherelastwinter.Othermorelocaltripsareintheoffering.Keeppostedontheseopportunities.OurannualmembershipdrivewillbeinfullswingonJune2627and28ortillallofyouhavesignedupOurnextgeneralmeetingisscheduledforAugust6130attheSeniorCentre.Haveagreatsummer.SeniorsareFoun-dationsintheCommunities.SeniorsServingSeniorsIbKristensenSRFNmembersnothappyStopbullyingatSRFN