today eagle-beach boy posted what i consider one of the most important threads we have ever had on this board. at the bottom of this post there is a copy of what he posted so it can be combined with this thread also.

what i would like to do immediately is create a poll that is actually a petition. i hope that the other boards will not start one also and will send people here to vote so that we can keep this petition a joint effort to help stimaruba and at the same time help aruba and all of us tourists.

this poll will be basic. it will ask you to reply yes or no. your names will be listed which will be considered a signature on a petition.

please take the moment or two to vote on this. it is the island we all love.

thank you!!

Stimaruba is up in arms against hotel construction
Stimaruba says that the unspoiled nature of Aruba is going to be endangered by the construction plans for a hotel near Arashi.

ORANJESTAD -- Stimaruba, the organization that devotes herself to nature conservation and nature protection, reacted very concerned on the reports about the plans for the build of a hotel near Arashi. The organization points out a publication in February 2006 of Coastal Zone Management, in which is clearly indicated that the area is reserved for recreation. Stimaruba is of the opinion that there are too many hotels in Aruba already.
From the plans it appears that there is no end to the build of hotels and condominiums and that is according to Stimaruba, a disappointment for the tourists that come to Aruba to rest and expect good service. That’s what they pay for. “They are our guests and they have to feel welcome here.” Olinda Rasmijn van Stimaruba says that guests of the low-rice hotels keep returning every year, while those of the high-rise hotels are just objects to be stripped bare as much as possible. Many tourists come to Aruba especially for the environment, water sport, for the clean blue sea, for exotic food, and clean rooms. They do not come for an island that continues to get busier, with heavy traffic, with a lot of CO2 emission, and where more and more roads need maintenance and repairs.
Rasmijn continues pointing out the unique characteristic of the scenery at Arashi, where there is still the ruin of an old pig farm, and where a few water birds can be found that actually disappeared from the rest of the island. Inhabitants of the island and tourists love to go to Arashi for the surrounding area, the coarse sand, and the vegetation. Also body surfers love to go to Arashi to show what they can do on the waves. On this part of the island with the beautiful beach and blue sea, people like to snorkel, and scouts and other groups like to enjoy their activities. Stimaruba that demonstrated against the build of a hotel at Fisherman’s Huts earlier is now pleading again for a controlled usage of the beaches, according to the recommendations of Coastal Zone Management.

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

Great poll, Sherry.

SHERRY, I posted the below a while ago and have had about 15 personal phone calls from locals on it. everyone is concerned and this is the time to unite the varios BB's in their poll taking and go to ownership and ask them to calculate how many persons sign into their or browse through their sites daily, weekly, monthly etc. You and beach boy are in the positions to do it as Aruba Vacationers and not locals with posible "agendas" If you feel that the below is not appropriate, please feel very free to erase it.
===================================
First of all,

Beach Boy - Allow me to thank you for your vigilance on these kinds of things and for keeping us aware of what is at stake.

I am going to get on my soap box and promise to take it away when I am done.

If a Garden Of Eden does exist - and I think it does - then I hope no-one finds it. It is in our nature to spread the word about all things good and (with the very best intentions) invite all that will listen to go to our respective wonder Gardens. It is also in our nature to invite people that are like us to these Gardens and (as sure as I write this) those invitees will inturn also invite others.

Is it possible that the huge allegiance that so many people have to this pebble in the Caribbean is causing its' own demise? Maybe it is and if that is the case, then is the logical solution for us to not love comming here but instead to hate vacationing on Aruba - year after loyal year? NAAHHH. Don't think so. And as long as loving this little Garden in the Caribbean exists, then more space will be needed for those that arrive all "wide-eyed" to see if what they were told is true - and if it is - to enjoy it and .... go home and tell others.

I have vacationed in other places that enjoyed immense popularity as well. How they react to this popularity seems to fall into categories - but mostly tied into geography and not development laws. Where and when there is plenty of space to grow sideways and spread out, they do - Miami and Orlando come to mind. Yet, where space (geography) does not allow for spreading out sideways, (and here Key West comes to mind) the construction stops and the quality of service as well as other client oriented issues is the focus. I used to go to Cherokee North Carolina to Trout fish in a place called "Big Cove. Lovely mountains, streams, fish and peacefullness. Then along came gambling and tax-free cigarettes and land was cleared (sideways) and significant portions of reservation land mountains have been flattened to accomodate what?? Cigarette sales? Casinos? Wrong - To accomodate newly found money. Large and wonderous sections of land have been ruined for the sake of - money. Think about it and ask if we (all of us) are any different.

The major challenge will not be environmental - nope - it will be humanity. The environment will do the suffering but the problem will be humanity. You see, for every one of the rooms that is constructed, there is a certain amount of humanity that his needed to take care of it. I used to know the ratio but no longer recall it. That said, every guest room needs to have XXX persons working in varios aspects of the resort to give the service expected. If service becomes the standard to measure with - and it should be - then the obvios, but not always correct assumption will be, we need more people NOW!! And if we follow that need then...

RESULT =
More rooms
More staffing needed
More residential units needed
More transportation needed
More infrastructure needed
More guests needed
More airlines to bring them needed
More taxis needed
More rental cars needed
More food
More consumption at all levels and I mean all.

Less what? Something gets sacrificed. What is it?
Less personal privacy for those living here
Less care given to the environment (what will be left of it)
Less history taught and kept because history is being made (that is not a play on words)

That is my take on all of this new construction on the beaches or elsewhere. That said, there are some responsible projects being built but these are mostly for long term housing.
I am not foolish enough to think that this is one of those situations where single voices or one or two politicos or conservation groups will be heard. NOPE! The single voice is lost in the wind and the politic is seen as self serving - unless there are politicos that serve the community and ... if there are, send them here when you have used them up. You see - dear reader and I presume Aruba fanatic - lover - and he who has a huge allegiance to our island, the voice that will be heard is that of the masses.

As an example and i hope this is not misunderstood:
Americans are tremendous when it comes to getting things done.
One child is lost (this is a horrid thing)
All networks are mobilized
Shows dedicated to the topic
Books written
and then
Aruba lovers come to the rescue and
Write supportive letters
Make their voices heard
The Aruba lovers support, support, support and then support some more. Afterall, this is their favorite island, or is it Eden?

So why - I ask myself - would this not be one of those occasions where the tourists, visitors and Aruba lover should and would not come to the rescue? - Why I wonder. You could you know.

Simply think about the following:

YOU OUT-NUMBER US (by many many millions) AND YOUR VOICE IS THUNDEROUS

Especially - when you are saving Eden.

While it is so very easy to find fault and danger, sometimes it is even easier to find the good and use it as an example. Here I speak of BUCUTI and the management phylosophies that motivate all that happens there. No high rises needed to give tremendous accomodations and impecable service. No "White Suited" bellman at the entrance to make sure that everyone and I mean EVERYONE says "Hello - how are you? More importantly, you can sit in the natural breeze - as opposed to that of a massive and monsterous airconditioned areas. Prices aren't cheap and the people love paying for what they get. No bare bones services but instead a dedication to pampering the guest. Maybe that is the way we should look at things.

OK OK OK --Can someone give me a hand with moving this soap-box? It's heavy.

be well
charles

Sherry, I don't have time to get to this board very often, but saw the link from Eagle Beach Boy elsewhere and feel this is too important not to come over and say hello. Thanks for setting up the poll. My vote has been registered.

hi and you are welcome. is this the dolphin i think it is? if so, email me.

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

I think I'm already starting to see a trend in the voting. My vote did not upset the trend.

Now time for me to get on my soap box. There has to be a balance. Once upon a time (probably in the late 1960's) Aruba might have struck the perfect balance. The oil refinery was still the island's largest employer, taxpayer, and the mainstay of the local economy. Tourism existed almost as a bonus. There were fewer than 1,000 hotel rooms providing employment for a few hundred Arubans. And there were miles of empty beaches between some of the hotels. Refinery workers had enough disposable income to justify world class restaurants, shopping, entertainment, etc. and the tourist was the unintentional benificiary of the island's prosperity. Oh, and the population of Aruba was somewhere around 60,000.

Obviously, one cash cow has given way to another. The oil refinery is a mere shell of its former self, with fewer than 1,000 employees. The anchor of the economy obviously is now tourism. And the island's population has swelled to over 100,000.

Aruba's only real natural resource is itself; the beaches, the climate, and the people. The island needs the jobs and it needs the money that the tourists that fill those hotels spend while on the island. So the rhetorical question (I say rhetorical because I sure don't know the answer) is, when does the law of diminishing returns begin to set in?

In my opinion, we're getting real close. Aruba will never go back to the way it was during the early years of tourism (which is not all bad). But there is a finite limit to the amount of people and new development that a 70 square mile island can physically accomodate.

I like the idea of new projects on the Eastern end of the island but I was shocked at the notion of building a hotel into the side of Colorado Point and putting a golf course on top.

Palm Beach and Eagle/Druif Beaches are just about maxed out. Leave Eagle Beach and the beaches North of Palm Beach alone. Remember, all the money is not coming from the tourists in the hotels. A lot of it is coming from ex-patriot property owners that live in the area. Folks in Tierra del Sol subdivisions will lose access to the beaches that they used to enjoy if the very tip of the island gets developed any further.

I guess you can tell, I'm opposed to any hotels on Arashi Beach.

Okay, Charles, you can have your soap box back now. I don't know if I had a point with all that but it is something I have wanted to say for a while.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

charlie, your love of aruba is the major reason i wanted you as a moderator. the thing we all have in common is our love for aruba.

your soap box was my soap box. thank you charlie and charles for saying it all.

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

Thanks, Sherry. All the new development has me more perplexed than mad. As a kid, I wanted to see as much progress as possible. The more the better. My attitude has certainly changed over the years.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

What will happen when after the poll is taken and the numbers are substantial (I am sure they will be) and we now have this electronic piece of opinion? Will it be sent to .... Who? or is that Whom?

I voted "no" in the poll, but I'm offended by the following comment:
"Olinda Rasmijn van Stimaruba says that guests of the low-rice hotels keep returning every year, while those of the high-rise hotels are just objects to be stripped bare as much as possible." Judging by the varied membership of this bb, a lot of us are either time-share owners in the high rises or repeat visitors who stay in the high-rise hotels. Nothing like insulting half of your potential supporters from the start (open mouth, insert foot).

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Lynda (aka Weed)

charles, i have already notified someone i think it can help. i await his response.(impatient person that i am, i just wrote to him 3 hours ago, lol.) if he can't do it, i am going to be in need of a delivery person. i am sure i can volunteer caribmedia to do it because i don't think this can wait until august when i return to my 'home'.

what we need now is to get the word out to every board and every aruba tourist we can think of. the numbers must be substantial. if a large percentage of members respond the government might realize that they are damaging their returning visitors desire to continute to be returning visitors. that is an impact on the wallets they can't afford. so please people...contact everyone you can think of and get them voting.

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

I would like to hear that there is a TRUE moratorium on building hotels and time shares and malls!.......wish I could vote more times....so that my NO would be louder!! How wonderfully serene Aruba was when the Aruba Caribbean Hotel was opened (I was there)....we all knew that we had discovered Paradise and that more hotels would be built......but to be like NYC, building on every scrap of land.....where has our Eden disappeared?. and the politicians...they vote for a moratorium and when someone offers a pot of gold how quickly the vote becomes null & void!
LEAVE ARASHI ALONE!!!

Charles ~ I've read over and over what you've written on this thread and allow me to say BRAVO! You've nailed everything!! I won't take each individual paragraph, but humanity and the environment, yesssssssssssss indeed, you're right on!!

I love going to MY Garden of Eden to get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life. I'm one of those crazy people who finds the slow paced life, be it service or something else, a respid from real life! Before I know it, I even get slower, and it's okay..... It gives me a chance to "smell the flowers along the way."

They say there's strength in numbers.... let's do it!!!

I, for one, would be happy to write to, get in touch with, or help form a group to get to the right people who will listen to those of us who don't want to ever stop going to or loving Aruba.

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!

I am American and I care deeply about Aruba. I was one of those people who "found" the Island some twenty years ago and return at least once if not more than that each year. I have watched the Island evolve and I don't like what I see. Please do something to stop the senseless overbuilding that is taking place. The Island never needed the "Americanization" that has taken place and surely does not need to over develop what is left of Paradise.

you know people... what i am seeing is wonderful. the response is great. mark, daphne and i agree that we will not just make sure that the right people see this poll but also all comments that are made. so keep them coming. i am hoping that thru the next few weeks there will be enough votes to get some changes.

but, and don't laugh, remember that we need the vote too. your vote isn't tallied unless you select and vote.

thanks to all of you!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

You put it perfectly!

__________________

What we also have to remember is that there is strength in numbers. The more votes we can get, the louder our voice becomes and the more people will hear what we are saying.

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We call this place paradise, the place to be.

We watch the hazy sun, sinking in the sea!

I agree with what you are saying Elaine and I would be willing to help in any way that I can. Just let me know what, where and when!

Charles - well said!

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We call this place paradise, the place to be.

We watch the hazy sun, sinking in the sea!

What a great poll. And Charles wonderful post pointed out clearly what is truly at stake here.
Before voting 'no' I actually contemplated to myself. What business is it of mine? It is none of my business after all. But then I realized that to a small degree that my business is exactly what has resulted in this proposed plan against nature and by extention...humanity.
I hope our voices will be heard, because the dollar has already been heard... loud and clear. And dollars aren't necessarily followed by sense.

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Why is there 5 syllables in Monosyllabic?

well said drinkie!! it is our business for many reasons. the arubans have catered to us and treated us like royalty for many years. now their island and its way of life is at stake because of us.

please people, don't stop voting and don't stop posting. contact your tourist friends and remind those on other boards. this isn't a competition between boards. it is a time for banding together for the people and island we love.

if we can get 50 or more votes every day for the month of june we will have 1500 people signed up on the poll. of course i am greedy because aruba is so important to me so i would like to see 3000, lol. in less than 12 hours we got 38 votes. what do you think we could do if we really tried?

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

I agree with all that have posted against this additional building going on. I just don't get it. Isn't enough ..enough..Anyway, I have to say that back in 1996 when we bought our timeshare part of the BIG SELLING PITCH was that there was a moratorium (sp) on what was allowed to be built..This was at LaCabana BRC. This was why we purchaced our ocean front suite (top floor) . Told they are going fast and this was close to the last allowed of building any hotels/ resorts etc. SO WE BOUGHT IT. So thankful to be on the last of the bandwagon allowed this ocean front paradise. NOT MANY LEFT. Time is now...They said.
Did anyone else get this speel back when...What happened.????
Anyway this is why we purchased . Loved the rustic peace and quiet . Only the main roads were paved . Back roads had hand painted signs. You got directions like...down this road a mile and you get to a yellow house with an orange garbage can with the number 3 on it...take a left... Just loved that and miss it. The folks of the island are so friendly and welcoming to all. You just had to slow down and enjoy. That is what most..(I believe) Love about this treasure of an island along with that predictable weather and awesome sea. Your just forced to relax because of it atmosphere and its people. Please Don't Change The Reasons 'Why" we all have to keep going back.

Just went to Arashi beach 2 weeks ago today and did some (mild) surfing on our noodles..enjoyed watching all the local kids having a ball on their styrofoam surf boards...Such a great place. Said to Hubby that day..at least we will still have this beach to not be near resorts and the crowds...What about the coral reefs..what will happen to those with all these extra people touching and trampeling all over them... Think of the people that live there..This is their home and all their best beaches are getting swormed by tourists. ALL YEAR ROUND...I live in Ma , and know that the Cape Cod residents (hate ) the summer crowds and they can't even get a spot sometimes at their own beaches..and thats only in the summer.
Deb in Ma..

Living in the keys, if I travel for vacation I am leaving the place described in the first sentence. And for what - all that traffic and construction etc in the place described in the second sentence? Maybe, but then again maybe not. What was for years a no-brainer has become a brainer.

My feelings have been articulated very well by our two Chucks here on our BB. Thanks boys.

Make sure you don't just post comments - Aruba needs your vote

__________________

It's a close vote so far but exit polls tell me that we have a projected winner already.

Seriously, I thought when they lifted the moratorium on new hotel construction, that permits had been granted to bring the total number of hotel rooms up to 10,000. That seemed like a reasonable number to me.

Now I hear that, if all the new projects are realized, there will be over 12,000 rooms on the island. And some of the new proposed projects are encroaching into areas of the island that were more or less considered to be off limits for new resorts. The only comfort I take in all this is the fact that all of these projects will occur (if at all) on Aruba time. There is still plenty of time to change the gung-ho mindset that seems to be sweeping the tourist industry with regards to Aruba right now.

There's one other little side note I'd like to make. I said this once before and I'll certainly say it again. The rush to develop Aruba anew does not all fall back on the almighty dollar; some of it is being driven by the almighty Euro-dollar.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Our first trip to Aruba was back in 1987 & we found paradise. We couldn't stop talking about the beautiful island & it's wonderful people. We bought our timeshare weeks at Harbourtown (now Renaissance) & it is our second home. We have brought dozens of friends & all of our family to the island and have recommeded Aruba to countless others over the last 20 years. I truly hope that the Aruban people join us in protesting the planned Arashi project (and some other proposed development). I believe if the development continues the island that we love will be gone. The changes we have seen are immense and in recent years they are not welcome changes. Bigger is not better. The government needs to pay attention to the environment; don't destroy anymore of the beautiful beaches that brought many tourists to your island to begin with! Think about the increased demand on the infrastructure, the increase of emissions from vehicles transporting people & trucks delivering shipments from all the freighters coming into port. Consider the safety of your citizens & your visitors; crime has risen with the need to bring others to do the jobs created by development.
Please, please, please keep Aruba a beautiful paradise. Do it for your citizens & the visitors who love your island.

Last week I read the amigoe which stated that the government has given approval for building of three new hotels. Two at the area of Baby beach and one more at Boca Grandi (in front of the prison). I sure do hope they don't intend to go through with that.

You know the day the Lago refinery left Aruba was truly a very sad day and I don't think that anyone could have ever foreseen that it would result in over building the island with hotels.

That being said, it is still my island and as soon as I can, I am back there. That is why I am not selling my house! Oh, I can't wait until I can go back, even if it's for just a little while, in July.

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"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." - Sam Levenson -

Although we love the personal touch provided by this form of petition, we have done a lot of soul searching over the last 30 hours or so since I started it. We love getting new members and we love seeing activity increase on our board but the major goal of this petition is to get signatures not members. So we have decided to close this poll although all information on it is still going to be available. In order to track and validate our efforts, we have opted to use a petition website, so we can ultimately submit this to the authorities that be.

We will also keep this thread alive because we would love to have some conversations going that keep the ideas going but you can give a brief comment when you vote on the link provided. This thread will also go with the petition to those we know can use them.

They will send you a confirmation of your vote. It is a one time email. It can be forwarded to anyone that you think would be interested in signing the petition. I encourage you to send it to anyone and everyone that has been or is planning to go to aruba.

You can also keep your name anonymous to all but our webmasters who are running the poll. We in return will do with your email and names exactly what we do with your email and names now. We will never invade your privacy or give out either to others.

Here is the link:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/No_to_Overbuilding_in_Aruba/index.html

Please keep this alive. Let’s make it work.

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

we already have our first 8 names. let's get them all!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

in less than 4 hours we have 30 signatures. if each of the 30 send to 5 or 10 aruba lovers just think how fast those signatures can be counted up.

you can all see the comments. there are some great ones there.

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

What they want to do sounds like a song...."Pave paradise and put up a parking lot." No! Keep spreading the word!

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In memory...Virginia Tech...4/16/2007

For those that didn't know ... Here's the "other" project planned for Baby Beach: http://www.sunriserockdg.com/

Here are some of the signatures so far ...
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...ignatures.html

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VisitAruba.com Webmaster

someone mentioned to me that there has been a question about donations. let me say it only one time. no donations are needed. as i volunteer my time and energy for projects so do all of the rest of us in any project developed by caribmedia. our website is for profit. what we do for others such as this bulletin board and the petition, isn't. in fact, i am the one who asks 'are you a paid solicitor' when i get a charity call at home, lol. a loud slamming of the phone is the next thing heard.

for those of you who are members of multiple boards, please make those other boards aware of these facts for us. it is signatures we need not money (well, ok, if you want to send checks to the queen, maybe i can get an extra trip to aruba this year to hand deliver the petition???? just kidding.)

give everyone a link to the petition. then urge them to email their friends. the petition site does send only one mailing to each signer. it thanks you and is something you can mail to others to encourge them to sign too. if we all send that email on we can have thousands of signatures in a short time. i sent the link to 40 people last night. i already see a few of those names.

let's keep it going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks!!!!

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

Sherry,

Seems that the ipetitions site, once you sign the petition, does kindly suggest a donation for their service. Of course this is not mandatory and is definitely not expected. I suppose that since it is a free service, they try to see if people want to "support" their efforts.

So no, it is not part of this particular petition, but rather part of the petition website itself (if that makes any sense!)

D.

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VisitAruba.com Webmaster

Yes, it does, Daphne! I read that on the page that asks for a donation!

__________________

85 votes already! come on guys... we need more than 100 before the day is done. can we do it?????

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

Almost to 100 folks....at 98 when I checked. Go vote if you haven't already!!

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In memory...Virginia Tech...4/16/2007

For some reason I thought it was manditory. As a result, I thought I did something wrong tried it again and now my name appears twice. Oh well.

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Why is there 5 syllables in Monosyllabic?

were you in the 1st 50? if so, we already deleted your duplicate. if not, we will. the good thing is that they do allow us to delete doubles. it is one of the few things we can change since other changes would alter the outcome.

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

I'm pretty sure I was. If I wasn't deleted please delete me. I've never been deleted before. But you may delete me if you wish. After I've been deleted i'll let you know how it feels to have been deleted. What were we talking about?

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Why is there 5 syllables in Monosyllabic?

uhm, i think we were talking about aruba and how it's only 70 days until i get there. oops, that's another thread.

actually daphne does the deleting. i don't have that power on the petition. the less hands that can touch a petition the safer and more honest it remains. but i can see you were deleted so if you don't feel any difference the deletion didn't injure you.

tell your mrs drinkie to take up the slack and vote. spouses are entitled.

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

I WAS deleted. All of a sudden I need a cocktail. But that's not much of a difference. My wifes name has however been added. I think i'll make her a cocktail too. In fact, I recommend everyone has a cocktail to toast the preservation of our home away from home. Cheers! *clink*izza:

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Why is there 5 syllables in Monosyllabic?

Hooray! Time for a cocktail and a toast to Aruba and it's natural beauty!!

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In memory...Virginia Tech...4/16/2007

i awoke this morning to see 121 signatures. we are doing it but we need more. there are nearly 5000 members of this board and so many other aruba boards out there with other members. there are thousands of visitors every year. we need to touch as many as we can.

i know you all think i am nagging and pressing hard on this but apathy is what has gotten a lot of countries in trouble (i won't mention which ones because i am trying to be an apolitical moderator). if each of you that has signed this petition emails 5-10 friends who have been there or are planning vacations and they do the same, in a few weeks we can have thousands of signatures. get your spouses to sign too.

this isn't a petition that is earthshattering in its possible results but it's a start to help the island we all love. i don't want to give daily pep rallies but if it helps to get us to do something that matters i will.

if you believe in it, sign it.

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

yesterday we reached 136 votes. but more important than that are the comments that are posted with the petition. we need to read those comments and if that doesn't increase the vote nothing will. some are appeals by arubans.

so, let me suggest that you link to it via the link in my signature and read. then vote! apathy is what got all of us in all the countries that read these threads in the situations we are in. maybe we can start small and help save a little piece of the world.

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

time for my soap box of the day. it is a short soapbox because i am afraid of heights but it is an important one.

we have now gone over 250 signatures. our aruban friends have found the petition and are responding as we should be. the problem is that although they are the ones most affected by the overbuilding they need us backing them up to get the message across. this issue involves every one of us.

murray and i love to go to arashi and malmok along with baby beach to get away from the crowds and enjoy a little time to ourselves snorkeling or swimming. i keep picturing big hotels in these spots. beach chairs we can't use and pristine beaches covered in tourist litter. crowds in the water moving the creatures away and many stepping on and damaging sea life. i picture going into the water to snorkel and seeing legs instead of fish.

we may love the excesses of fancy restaurants and hotels but what are we doing to our island?

now, either you sign the petition or you will be stuck reading another of these in a few days, lol. please everyone, tell your friends, tell your neighbors, wake your adult kids and send them the link. get them all to sign. anyone with a love of aruba needs to help.

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

ok all, i have really behaved and controlled my queenly right to this soap box. but the signatures slow when people aren't reminded. it's sort of like the 300 ads per day that are around for 6 months before an election in the states. without them we would get 10% of the votes and with them we get 20-30%, lol. somehow, no one ever seems to reach the other 70% no matter how hard they try.

so i am reaching out to the 20-30%. that would give us 1,000-1,500 votes just from our board. if we can get enough we can make the impression we need and go on to bigger projects.

remember, the aruban people have been more than good to us. they offer their island to us unconditionally. it may financially benefit them but it also takes away many of the cultural aspects and much of the space that was once theirs. this is our time to return the kindnesses.

please vote on the petition. the link is in my signature.

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help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

We have 5000+ members - let's go people! It really only takes a moment, and there's nothing to sign up for or pay for. Please join us in this fight!

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It's not OUR fight. It's Aruba's fight. I say let them dig. they might discover natalee's body!!

of course you are entitled to your thoughts jim and i respect them but totally disagree. it is because of us they are building. they are doing it to accomodate the tourists. if we are not happy with it they won't build it. that will make a lot of arubans very happy.

as to the other part of your statement, that is something we no longer discuss on this board for the obvious reason that it has been rehashed ad nauseum.

__________________
help us help aruba's kittens and cats

http://www.arubakitten.org/






vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

That was wrong in so many ways.

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Why is there 5 syllables in Monosyllabic?

Sitting on hands... refraining!

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The countdown's begun!
January 30th to February 27th!