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As TAPE turns 8 years old, it is fair to say that there is much going on and as such, we would like to take a breath and acknowledge some of the projects and developments, which have been part of a fantastic year for us all.
I’ve asked folks involved in developing, delivering and taking part in workshops and projects to share some of their highlights and memories which, along with some of mine, are set out in this blog. This is by no means a full list of what we’ve been up to but it does give a nice overview of the diversity of work, opportunities and achievements from the last 12 months.
in production, a feature film that will premiere in year this year.
The programming of the festival took place with widespread, community involvement throughout. Local film clubs and societies and community organisations were actively encouraged to get involved, with the overall aim of the festival being to deliver a wide range of films, with mainstream favourites programmed alongside films not often seen on the big screen. Supporting features played alongside feature presentations, comprising work from local filmmakers and archive film.
The festival offers a number of commercial opportunities for both TAPE and local business. Through involvement, partnership or sponsorship, the festival has the capacity to become an annual event in the cultural calendar, which is recognised as creative and commercial opportunity for people, organisations and businesses in North Wales and around the UK.
I know I support and engage more on a ‘digital’ level at TAPE, but I do love the role. I have enjoyed seeing the growth of the TAPE ‘brand’ and it find its feet firmly in the online world and on social media. I enjoy documenting all of the wonderful things that happen here at TAPE and sharing them for the world to see. The website is quickly becoming the hub for all things TAPE – and I am proud to say it is working well. People are engaging with us, and the centre is now accessible from the comfort of home.
I am also really enjoying being involved with the planning and running of the Sofa Cinema – the audience is getting bigger by the day, and it is awesome experiencing all different types of people enjoying cinema – even perhaps people who wouldn’t usually go to or have access to a cinema. It is great to see all the initial planning come to fruition on the day, and see everyone having an amazing time. Seeing the cinema fill up with people, all here for the same reason – the love of film – is a wonderful experience, and knowing you have been part of making it happen, is brilliant.
Being a project worker for the Coastline Film Festival has been great fun. I’ve really enjoyed the planning process and meeting many new people and making new contacts. I love how ideas bounce so well between us all, and being able to watch that simple suggestion slowly grow into an amazing event for the public to enjoy. I can’t wait to see Coastline 2016 come to life!
I genuinely love being involved at TAPE. I love how every day and every thought encourages creativity, and the support here is second to none. Being part of the TAPE team has allowed me to expand my skills and experience into areas I’d never have even considered previously, and thanks to such a wonderful network of integral staff, I am able to do my job well, whilst also being a parent to my two children. Long live TAPE!
– Zara Whelan, Social Media and Coastline Film Festival Officer.
Backstage Youth Club , delivered in partnership with Afasic Cymru and funded through Children in Need has gone from strength to strength, with a growing cohort of young people eagerly coming along to TAPE each week to take part in a timetable of activities designed by them, covering a huge range of creative activities and life skills. Recently, six of the group became qualified sports leaders and two of the original club members have secured places at University. It is a wonderful project, the success of which has seen similar projects created in Rhyl, Mid and South Wales.
I’ve been with Tape just over a year now and have loved being involved with something so special! I really enjoy the Animation Club (even if it does mean giving up my Saturday mornings! It’s worth it!). Seeing the growth and development of the members of the club, I’m so proud of them and to be a small part of this and their success. It’s amazing seeing their award each time I come in and a reminder of how talented they all are and how hard they have worked.
I am also enjoying my more recent work with you guys as part of the youth club, what an amazing bunch of young people! There’s never a dull moment and they are all truly inspiring with their individual talents and skills, which I have no doubt have been encouraged and embraced as part of the youth club.
I have also been involved with other bits and bobs on the way and am never ceased to be amazed at how many innovative and inspiring projects are going on. I’m honoured and proud to be part of TAPE and hope to be part of it for as long as possible.
The TAPE Animation Club is funded through families first and has embarked on its second full year of activity with a full cohort twice over and a shiny award!
The Conwy Community Podcast has transformed in the last 12 months from its previous incarnation as an information and events platform into a more traditional podcast, featuring an interview with a prominent member of the local community. The podcast can be found on iTunes and Podbean and has had almost 3000 plays, all around the globe, during its first four episodes. The podcast has enabled a core group of people to learn and deliver every aspect of the project, from arranging interviews through to editing and uploading the final piece. Have a listen, subscribe to the podcast and help spread the word about this fantastic show.
Ghostbuskers can be traced back to the first year of TAPE and is still a key activity in the TAPE timetable. Over 30 people come along every week to play, sing, socialise and enjoy the amazing atmosphere of this wonderful community music project for people of all ages.
The Structured Day Program, delivered in partnership with CAIS, has been in the TAPE timetable since the program was established five years ago. The last year of creative activity has seen a number of animation and film projects developed and delivered by participants on the program, all of which have received public premiers and screenings and supported a number of ongoing volunteering opportunities for people following their completion of the Day Program. The latest film, ‘Bendixed’ can be found on TAPE TV and is well worth a watch!
‘Bendixed’, was a brilliant film project with the Day Program. From scriptwriting, to filming, and through to the editing process the ideas, energy and commitment from all involved was inventive, inspiring and always good fun. One of the best moments came at the premiere when the head of CAIS asked if all the layers of nuance and depth was intentional and we could say ‘Yes’!
– Jenni Steele – filmmaker and volunteer.
Watching films continues to be a vital resource at TAPE and in the last 12 months we have been able to upgrade our cinema facilities to a very high standard. The Coastline Sofa Cinema is a fantastic screening facility boasting professional HD projection 5m wide electric screen, JBL Control 7.1 surround sound, 15 two seater leather sofas, electric blackout blinds and Blu-Ray playback via a PlayStation 4.
Poke the Muse is a new but already flourishing drop-in project. The project has established a new kind of resource for creative folks, every Monday afternoon at the TAPE Community Arts Centre and another opportunity to engage with people in a person-led way.
During the last 12 months, thanks to TAPE’s creative partnership I have been involved in an Arts Council backed project which has given me a rare chance to develop my own skills alongside providing a moment of unexpected accolade for Bruce Douglas, octogenarian artist and poet-philosopher. Our collaborative film-portrait and exhibition was a great success and confidence boost to both of us.
Currently TAPE is enabling me to grow a community art project that is providing a unique open studio setting, allowing visitors of any skill or experience to develop their creative potential without the pressure to perform or produce specific outcomes. It is proving an oasis for people whose health, wealth or life experiences have stifled their belief in themselves and their creative ability.
– Dee Rivaz, workshop leader.
TAPE continues to deliver workshops and projects across North Wales and the UK more widely. The growing team of expert practitioners is able to support creative activities and provide memorable experiences across most creative mediums, always with a person-centered and inclusive approach.
Making films and the many opportunities this medium provides, has become a cornerstone in the work of TAPE. From commissioned work through to the provision of support and facilities for both aspirant and professional filmmakers, TAPE has become recognized as a filmmaking resource for businesses, communities, groups and individuals alike.
Some of our current, ongoing film projects include time-lapse filming for Cartrefi Conwy and Wilmot Dixon, a film about friendship in the lives of people with learning disabilities, being devised and delivered via a partnership-focused Production Team initiative. A heritage film is in production on the subject of the Sychnant Pass above Penmaenmawr and a wonderful wildlife film, focusing on the nesting season of Terns on the Skerries.
The increasing number of referrals, enquiries and interest in becoming involved at TAPE is forcing the team to look at facilitating more long-form projects, which offer the space and time and options for involvement for a larger group of people, whilst maintaining a bespoke and person centered approach to delivery.
Currently, TAPE has a number of these projects underway and it has become clear that this method of delivery is increasingly suited to the interests of the vast number of people and organisations looking to involve themselves with the charity.
I had just arrived from Spain. I moved to North Wales because my girlfriend got a good position here and I didn’t want to be far away from her. I continued working at home, writing films reviews, reading scripts or planning some shootings in Spain. But at the same time, I was looking to take part in the local way of life. I was interested in developing my career here. My English lessons had started but I still didn’t feel confident in applying for jobs.
One day I opened the newspaper and I found that a film festival was going to be organized in the area: The Coastline Film Festival. Tape Community Music and Film were organizing it and they were looking for volunteers. I thought that it was an excellent opportunity to meet people of my profession and I was brave enough to get in touch with them.
The first day I visited the TAPE, Steve Swindon, the CEO, very kindly show me the facilities. He was very patient because I couldn’t understand half the things he was saying. He repeated the same things one after another. It was amazing: they had very good technical equipment, a small amount but very effective and fully functional. But the most surprising thing was the amount of people involved, of all different ages, coming in and out, always very busy. There were teenagers editing a video, children taking part in animation workshops, and an old man asking how he could the tracks of his mother singing from a vinyl record to a digital system.
I went home very excited.
Four months have passed since that day and I collaborated with them on small projects. I volunteered in The Coastline Film Festival and I was part of the technical team of the feature film British Winters.
The Coastline Film Festival seemed a very good opportunity to get to know new people. As well as being a volunteer, I went to watch Retreat, where Wales Screen explained to us where the film was shot, very close to where we were. We also watched The night of the living dead in the Chapel of Horror.
The shooting of British Winters was an amazing experience. We worked hard for five weeks to complete the feature film written and directed by Andrew Turner.
I have already worked on a few feature films but this one was my first experience in English. Those intense five weeks were very useful for learning English, especially technical words. I also got to know how a shooting in the United Kingdom works. Within the technical team we felt free to experiment and learn different ways of shooting: with two cameras, during the nights, in small rooms…All these things are not usually allowed by the production companies. I also had the opportunity to know the authentic North Wales and its own culture, different than mine. This would be very difficult any another way and I feel very lucky and privileged because I know that a lot of foreigners cannot get to know it.
TAPE’s first full-length feature film, British Winters will premiere at the 2016 Coastline Film Festival. The film is a directorial debut for its writer and has been developed and delivered as a community project which has involved a large number of local people and businesses during the production and filming. It has clearly evidenced the need for an alternate route into the film industry for graduates or those interested in this field and looking to develop their filmmaking slate, CVs and portfolio. With the resources available to us, it is becoming increasingly clear that TAPE is very well placed to deliver this alternate route to creating and screening new film works.
I have been volunteering and freelancing at TAPE since 2012. My background is in filmmaking and I had graduated from Glyndwr University with a BA Moving Image. After leaving university I was frustrated by the lack of opportunity for filmmakers in North Wales but I managed to secure a role as a IT mentor for a Denbighshire County Council initiative, New Work Connections which appealed to my other passion, community work. It was while working at New Work Connections I met one of TAPE’s regular participants; he explained what TAPE was all about. Eager to get involved as TAPE seemed the ideal environment for me as it’s creative, collaborative and a community centre., I contacted TAPE and sent them a reel of my work and asked about volunteering.
Initially, I started as a volunteer editor working three days a week and then moved on to help with workshops. It was mind blowing to see how TAPE operated, having worked with other community projects prior I had heard the term “fully inclusive” before but only when working with TAPE has it been used aptly. Working with all ages, background and abilities TAPE never highlights these differences just embraces anyone who comes through the door (including myself). Eventually, I left my job to freelance and volunteer full-time with TAPE. This was an easy decision. TAPE perfectly embodied the sort of organisation I was happy to devote time to. It has the ties to the community, which gives me the satisfaction of knowing that I am doing something meaningful while also providing a creative outlet in which to hone my filmmaking skills. As my project resume increased so did my confidence and I started to work on my own script, British Winters, based on a book I wrote. The intention was to complete the script, and look at acquiring the appropriate funding to make it into an independent film.
It was some after this time, in 2014, I learned that TAPE had acquired the funds to make a feature film which was extremely exciting news for both TAPE and myself. Having worked on various short films since joining TAPE, I was eager to get involved in something more ambitious. Not knowing the details of the project I was eager to assist in the production, in any capacity, regardless of the project. It was a few months later that TAPE, knowing I had a completed script came to me and offered me the opportunity to not only direct the feature film but also approached me about having British Winters be the project. Needless to say I was elated. Having left school at 15 and suffering from dyslexia I never thought an opportunity like this would be given to me.
We began filming British Winters in January 2016 after several months of pre-production and planning. Saying that British Winters is a collaborative project is putting it mildly. While the words and vision were constructed by myself, through TAPE we were able to bring together a synergetic team to make my vision into a reality. The filming drew heavily upon the TAPE ‘family’, a family made up of staff, colleagues and volunteers. I was keen to try and get as many TAPE regulars into the film and hopefully use the project to bring new people into TAPE.
The production was intensive we filmed for five weeks only having Monday’s off. We used all North Wales locations and were humbled by the generosity of local businesses and people who volunteered their time and resources to assist. From donating free props to allowing us to take over their premises for a full week it was inspiring to come into contact with so many people who were willing to help out a community project.
While the production was intensive, the post-production is going to be just as challenging. The editing process has just commenced for me and it’s time to take the raw footage and make my film a reality. The film is going to be premiered at the Coastline Film Festival in 2016 and it’s thrilling to think that at the end of this process my film will be shown on the big screen. What’s equally rewarding is to see the effect British Winters has had on the crew and actors. It really has had a knock-on affect and it’s gratifying to see people pursuing acting, filmmaking and music production after being spurred on by this project.
Having worked at TAPE for several years now and British Winters being the culmination of my time with TAPE, it is easy to see why it has such a strong and fervent links to the community. It provides a creative outlet for people from all backgrounds. Rarely do you meet someone who drops by TAPE who then does not become a repeat visitor. The variety of the activities, the range of the facilities, the inclusiveness of the staff and willingness to help make it a truly innovative and welcoming place.
On personal note TAPE has given me something I’d be looking for my whole life; a welcoming and collaborative network of people, who’s trust in me has given me the confidence to strive for my dreams. It’s their honest and constructive feedback, which is helping me cultivate my skills making me better at my craft.
‘In the Shadow of the Ferris Wheel’, is a long-form documentary project, which TAPE has been commissioned to develop in partnership with the North Wales Coastal Link of the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline and Denbighshire Youth Service. To deliver the work, TAPE is supporting a group of primary school children and a young man undertaking his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to work on the film and produce all aspects of it, from script to screen. It also saw myself and Andy Pearson travel to Ukraine and Belarus to film and experience first-hand, the immense difficulties faced by many thousands of people in these two countries and get some understanding of the ever-present impact of the Chernobyl Disaster, which took place 30 years ago. The film project has already been shortlisted for a National Excellence in Youth Work Award and we are very excited that the film will also premiere at the 2016 Coastline Film Festival.
TAPE has a number of high-end resources, which allow for both event delivery and event support. From our Blow-Up Cinema event screens through to staging, sound systems, event activities, performances and event film and photography. TAPE is increasingly approached to support community events of all sizes, to add value, expertise and atmosphere.
TAPE’s Blow Up Cinema uses incredible, inflatable, outdoor screens, professional HD projection and high quality sound systems to create unique cinema screening events both indoors and out. Blow Up Cinema also offers supported employment opportunities as part of TAPE’s Pathway of Support program, which engages, trains and supports people through experiences and project delivery.
The recording studio at the TAPE Community Arts Centre is a well-used resource for local bands, musicians and groups for both rehearsal and recording. The studio is run with TAPE’s trademark ethos of support, with professional engineers and equipment on hand to ensure artists come away with the sound and recording they’d hoped for, and having had a great experience at the same time. This year, TAPE’s studio has been ungraded and revamped, thanks to the efforts of two volunteers who approached TAPE looking to further their knowledge and experience. Lukasz is a highly experienced sound engineer with a wealth of technical knowledge, which he has used to support the work of TAPE. He has worked alongside another volunteer, Chay, who was newly qualified when he came to TAPE and was able to learn a great deal from Lukasz and take part in projects, supporting others.
For over two years, TAPE has been a core member of the Conwy County Borough Council Social Enterprise Business Solutions Group. Formed by CCBC and key local third sector agencies, the group meets on a monthly basis in support of the growing links between the work of the third sector and the local authority. One outcome of this group working has been the awarding of Social Enterprise Place status to the county of Conwy. TAPE is one of the 10 groups recognised in this award and in the county’s economic regeneration strategy.
TAPE’s Ignite Scheme has been developed to provide a creative first response to individuals looking to engage or explore creative ideas. TAPE will match a person to a creative professional who will support this participant over a short programme of 1 to 1 sessions whilst looking to develop continuation through existing provision at TAPE or in the community. This scheme has proven to be of significant benefit for an increasing number of young people and adults in the area, for whom engaging with projects or activities can be a difficult experience. We have seen people move into significant and ongoing activities following extended periods of isolation, social and economic inactivity.
This programme supports opportunities for training, education and employment for people referred into TAPE from across many partner agencies and organisations. The Pathway of Support has been specifically developed to engage with an individual at a point appropriate to their current situation, level of experience and ambitions for their ideas and interests.
TAPE presents all its work with inclusion at heart. This practice is clearly visible through all aspects of our delivery and in the generation of involvement and opportunity for people at every possible stage. TAPE has engaged with and supported participants from across communities to be part of projects on their own terms and with a clear focus on each person getting the most out of their involvement with us.
Increasingly, TAPE is being sought out by film and media graduates as a destination where they can find opportunities to develop experience and work for their portfolios. For many, moving to an urban centre to further careers, is not an option or desirable. We recognise the role we can play in this area and are increasingly responding to requests for support and involvement in our work. TAPE can offer real world experience on live briefs, working to deadlines and dealing with customer feedback and requests.
It has become increasingly clear that TAPE plays a unique role in the provision of inclusive, creative support in North Wales and has positioned itself as ready to upscale both its infrastructure and thereby generate a significantly greater range of resources and real world opportunities for people of all ages. Amongst this work, is the exciting addition of an HTC Vive VR headset with Leap Motion and powered by a high-end specification gaming computer supplied by Utopia Computers. Our work with VR will create opportunities through both use of this exciting technology and learning around the creation of bespoke software and VR experiences. We look forward to sharing more about this very soon.
It is amazing to consider that 8 years has gone by and it feels like a huge privilege to stop and think about what we have been able to offer people in that time, the friends we’ve made and the experiences we’ve shared.
Sincere thanks to everyone who has been a part of TAPE this year and helped to make so many important things happen for people across the community.
Lastly, I would like to dedicate this post in memory of the wonderful, Keith Forecast, without whom none of this would have happened.
Thank you and here’s to the next exciting 12 months.

lowercased:
as tape turns 8 years old, it is fair to say that there is much going on and as such, we would like to take a breath and acknowledge some of the projects and developments, which have been part of a fantastic year for us all.
i’ve asked folks involved in developing, delivering and taking part in workshops and projects to share some of their highlights and memories which, along with some of mine, are set out in this blog. this is by no means a full list of what we’ve been up to but it does give a nice overview of the diversity of work, opportunities and achievements from the last 12 months.
in production, a feature film that will premiere in year this year.
the programming of the festival took place with widespread, community involvement throughout. local film clubs and societies and community organisations were actively encouraged to get involved, with the overall aim of the festival being to deliver a wide range of films, with mainstream favourites programmed alongside films not often seen on the big screen. supporting features played alongside feature presentations, comprising work from local filmmakers and archive film.
the festival offers a number of commercial opportunities for both tape and local business. through involvement, partnership or sponsorship, the festival has the capacity to become an annual event in the cultural calendar, which is recognised as creative and commercial opportunity for people, organisations and businesses in north wales and around the uk.
i know i support and engage more on a ‘digital’ level at tape, but i do love the role. i have enjoyed seeing the growth of the tape ‘brand’ and it find its feet firmly in the online world and on social media. i enjoy documenting all of the wonderful things that happen here at tape and sharing them for the world to see. the website is quickly becoming the hub for all things tape – and i am proud to say it is working well. people are engaging with us, and the centre is now accessible from the comfort of home.
i am also really enjoying being involved with the planning and running of the sofa cinema – the audience is getting bigger by the day, and it is awesome experiencing all different types of people enjoying cinema – even perhaps people who wouldn’t usually go to or have access to a cinema. it is great to see all the initial planning come to fruition on the day, and see everyone having an amazing time. seeing the cinema fill up with people, all here for the same reason – the love of film – is a wonderful experience, and knowing you have been part of making it happen, is brilliant.
being a project worker for the coastline film festival has been great fun. i’ve really enjoyed the planning process and meeting many new people and making new contacts. i love how ideas bounce so well between us all, and being able to watch that simple suggestion slowly grow into an amazing event for the public to enjoy. i can’t wait to see coastline 2016 come to life!
i genuinely love being involved at tape. i love how every day and every thought encourages creativity, and the support here is second to none. being part of the tape team has allowed me to expand my skills and experience into areas i’d never have even considered previously, and thanks to such a wonderful network of integral staff, i am able to do my job well, whilst also being a parent to my two children. long live tape!
– zara whelan, social media and coastline film festival officer.
backstage youth club , delivered in partnership with afasic cymru and funded through children in need has gone from strength to strength, with a growing cohort of young people eagerly coming along to tape each week to take part in a timetable of activities designed by them, covering a huge range of creative activities and life skills. recently, six of the group became qualified sports leaders and two of the original club members have secured places at university. it is a wonderful project, the success of which has seen similar projects created in rhyl, mid and south wales.
i’ve been with tape just over a year now and have loved being involved with something so special! i really enjoy the animation club (even if it does mean giving up my saturday mornings! it’s worth it!). seeing the growth and development of the members of the club, i’m so proud of them and to be a small part of this and their success. it’s amazing seeing their award each time i come in and a reminder of how talented they all are and how hard they have worked.
i am also enjoying my more recent work with you guys as part of the youth club, what an amazing bunch of young people! there’s never a dull moment and they are all truly inspiring with their individual talents and skills, which i have no doubt have been encouraged and embraced as part of the youth club.
i have also been involved with other bits and bobs on the way and am never ceased to be amazed at how many innovative and inspiring projects are going on. i’m honoured and proud to be part of tape and hope to be part of it for as long as possible.
the tape animation club is funded through families first and has embarked on its second full year of activity with a full cohort twice over and a shiny award!
the conwy community podcast has transformed in the last 12 months from its previous incarnation as an information and events platform into a more traditional podcast, featuring an interview with a prominent member of the local community. the podcast can be found on itunes and podbean and has had almost 3000 plays, all around the globe, during its first four episodes. the podcast has enabled a core group of people to learn and deliver every aspect of the project, from arranging interviews through to editing and uploading the final piece. have a listen, subscribe to the podcast and help spread the word about this fantastic show.
ghostbuskers can be traced back to the first year of tape and is still a key activity in the tape timetable. over 30 people come along every week to play, sing, socialise and enjoy the amazing atmosphere of this wonderful community music project for people of all ages.
the structured day program, delivered in partnership with cais, has been in the tape timetable since the program was established five years ago. the last year of creative activity has seen a number of animation and film projects developed and delivered by participants on the program, all of which have received public premiers and screenings and supported a number of ongoing volunteering opportunities for people following their completion of the day program. the latest film, ‘bendixed’ can be found on tape tv and is well worth a watch!
‘bendixed’, was a brilliant film project with the day program. from scriptwriting, to filming, and through to the editing process the ideas, energy and commitment from all involved was inventive, inspiring and always good fun. one of the best moments came at the premiere when the head of cais asked if all the layers of nuance and depth was intentional and we could say ‘yes’!
– jenni steele – filmmaker and volunteer.
watching films continues to be a vital resource at tape and in the last 12 months we have been able to upgrade our cinema facilities to a very high standard. the coastline sofa cinema is a fantastic screening facility boasting professional hd projection 5m wide electric screen, jbl control 7.1 surround sound, 15 two seater leather sofas, electric blackout blinds and blu-ray playback via a playstation 4.
poke the muse is a new but already flourishing drop-in project. the project has established a new kind of resource for creative folks, every monday afternoon at the tape community arts centre and another opportunity to engage with people in a person-led way.
during the last 12 months, thanks to tape’s creative partnership i have been involved in an arts council backed project which has given me a rare chance to develop my own skills alongside providing a moment of unexpected accolade for bruce douglas, octogenarian artist and poet-philosopher. our collaborative film-portrait and exhibition was a great success and confidence boost to both of us.
currently tape is enabling me to grow a community art project that is providing a unique open studio setting, allowing visitors of any skill or experience to develop their creative potential without the pressure to perform or produce specific outcomes. it is proving an oasis for people whose health, wealth or life experiences have stifled their belief in themselves and their creative ability.
– dee rivaz, workshop leader.
tape continues to deliver workshops and projects across north wales and the uk more widely. the growing team of expert practitioners is able to support creative activities and provide memorable experiences across most creative mediums, always with a person-centered and inclusive approach.
making films and the many opportunities this medium provides, has become a cornerstone in the work of tape. from commissioned work through to the provision of support and facilities for both aspirant and professional filmmakers, tape has become recognized as a filmmaking resource for businesses, communities, groups and individuals alike.
some of our current, ongoing film projects include time-lapse filming for cartrefi conwy and wilmot dixon, a film about friendship in the lives of people with learning disabilities, being devised and delivered via a partnership-focused production team initiative. a heritage film is in production on the subject of the sychnant pass above penmaenmawr and a wonderful wildlife film, focusing on the nesting season of terns on the skerries.
the increasing number of referrals, enquiries and interest in becoming involved at tape is forcing the team to look at facilitating more long-form projects, which offer the space and time and options for involvement for a larger group of people, whilst maintaining a bespoke and person centered approach to delivery.
currently, tape has a number of these projects underway and it has become clear that this method of delivery is increasingly suited to the interests of the vast number of people and organisations looking to involve themselves with the charity.
i had just arrived from spain. i moved to north wales because my girlfriend got a good position here and i didn’t want to be far away from her. i continued working at home, writing films reviews, reading scripts or planning some shootings in spain. but at the same time, i was looking to take part in the local way of life. i was interested in developing my career here. my english lessons had started but i still didn’t feel confident in applying for jobs.
one day i opened the newspaper and i found that a film festival was going to be organized in the area: the coastline film festival. tape community music and film were organizing it and they were looking for volunteers. i thought that it was an excellent opportunity to meet people of my profession and i was brave enough to get in touch with them.
the first day i visited the tape, steve swindon, the ceo, very kindly show me the facilities. he was very patient because i couldn’t understand half the things he was saying. he repeated the same things one after another. it was amazing: they had very good technical equipment, a small amount but very effective and fully functional. but the most surprising thing was the amount of people involved, of all different ages, coming in and out, always very busy. there were teenagers editing a video, children taking part in animation workshops, and an old man asking how he could the tracks of his mother singing from a vinyl record to a digital system.
i went home very excited.
four months have passed since that day and i collaborated with them on small projects. i volunteered in the coastline film festival and i was part of the technical team of the feature film british winters.
the coastline film festival seemed a very good opportunity to get to know new people. as well as being a volunteer, i went to watch retreat, where wales screen explained to us where the film was shot, very close to where we were. we also watched the night of the living dead in the chapel of horror.
the shooting of british winters was an amazing experience. we worked hard for five weeks to complete the feature film written and directed by andrew turner.
i have already worked on a few feature films but this one was my first experience in english. those intense five weeks were very useful for learning english, especially technical words. i also got to know how a shooting in the united kingdom works. within the technical team we felt free to experiment and learn different ways of shooting: with two cameras, during the nights, in small rooms…all these things are not usually allowed by the production companies. i also had the opportunity to know the authentic north wales and its own culture, different than mine. this would be very difficult any another way and i feel very lucky and privileged because i know that a lot of foreigners cannot get to know it.
tape’s first full-length feature film, british winters will premiere at the 2016 coastline film festival. the film is a directorial debut for its writer and has been developed and delivered as a community project which has involved a large number of local people and businesses during the production and filming. it has clearly evidenced the need for an alternate route into the film industry for graduates or those interested in this field and looking to develop their filmmaking slate, cvs and portfolio. with the resources available to us, it is becoming increasingly clear that tape is very well placed to deliver this alternate route to creating and screening new film works.
i have been volunteering and freelancing at tape since 2012. my background is in filmmaking and i had graduated from glyndwr university with a ba moving image. after leaving university i was frustrated by the lack of opportunity for filmmakers in north wales but i managed to secure a role as a it mentor for a denbighshire county council initiative, new work connections which appealed to my other passion, community work. it was while working at new work connections i met one of tape’s regular participants; he explained what tape was all about. eager to get involved as tape seemed the ideal environment for me as it’s creative, collaborative and a community centre., i contacted tape and sent them a reel of my work and asked about volunteering.
initially, i started as a volunteer editor working three days a week and then moved on to help with workshops. it was mind blowing to see how tape operated, having worked with other community projects prior i had heard the term “fully inclusive” before but only when working with tape has it been used aptly. working with all ages, background and abilities tape never highlights these differences just embraces anyone who comes through the door (including myself). eventually, i left my job to freelance and volunteer full-time with tape. this was an easy decision. tape perfectly embodied the sort of organisation i was happy to devote time to. it has the ties to the community, which gives me the satisfaction of knowing that i am doing something meaningful while also providing a creative outlet in which to hone my filmmaking skills. as my project resume increased so did my confidence and i started to work on my own script, british winters, based on a book i wrote. the intention was to complete the script, and look at acquiring the appropriate funding to make it into an independent film.
it was some after this time, in 2014, i learned that tape had acquired the funds to make a feature film which was extremely exciting news for both tape and myself. having worked on various short films since joining tape, i was eager to get involved in something more ambitious. not knowing the details of the project i was eager to assist in the production, in any capacity, regardless of the project. it was a few months later that tape, knowing i had a completed script came to me and offered me the opportunity to not only direct the feature film but also approached me about having british winters be the project. needless to say i was elated. having left school at 15 and suffering from dyslexia i never thought an opportunity like this would be given to me.
we began filming british winters in january 2016 after several months of pre-production and planning. saying that british winters is a collaborative project is putting it mildly. while the words and vision were constructed by myself, through tape we were able to bring together a synergetic team to make my vision into a reality. the filming drew heavily upon the tape ‘family’, a family made up of staff, colleagues and volunteers. i was keen to try and get as many tape regulars into the film and hopefully use the project to bring new people into tape.
the production was intensive we filmed for five weeks only having monday’s off. we used all north wales locations and were humbled by the generosity of local businesses and people who volunteered their time and resources to assist. from donating free props to allowing us to take over their premises for a full week it was inspiring to come into contact with so many people who were willing to help out a community project.
while the production was intensive, the post-production is going to be just as challenging. the editing process has just commenced for me and it’s time to take the raw footage and make my film a reality. the film is going to be premiered at the coastline film festival in 2016 and it’s thrilling to think that at the end of this process my film will be shown on the big screen. what’s equally rewarding is to see the effect british winters has had on the crew and actors. it really has had a knock-on affect and it’s gratifying to see people pursuing acting, filmmaking and music production after being spurred on by this project.
having worked at tape for several years now and british winters being the culmination of my time with tape, it is easy to see why it has such a strong and fervent links to the community. it provides a creative outlet for people from all backgrounds. rarely do you meet someone who drops by tape who then does not become a repeat visitor. the variety of the activities, the range of the facilities, the inclusiveness of the staff and willingness to help make it a truly innovative and welcoming place.
on personal note tape has given me something i’d be looking for my whole life; a welcoming and collaborative network of people, who’s trust in me has given me the confidence to strive for my dreams. it’s their honest and constructive feedback, which is helping me cultivate my skills making me better at my craft.
‘in the shadow of the ferris wheel’, is a long-form documentary project, which tape has been commissioned to develop in partnership with the north wales coastal link of the chernobyl children’s lifeline and denbighshire youth service. to deliver the work, tape is supporting a group of primary school children and a young man undertaking his duke of edinburgh’s award to work on the film and produce all aspects of it, from script to screen. it also saw myself and andy pearson travel to ukraine and belarus to film and experience first-hand, the immense difficulties faced by many thousands of people in these two countries and get some understanding of the ever-present impact of the chernobyl disaster, which took place 30 years ago. the film project has already been shortlisted for a national excellence in youth work award and we are very excited that the film will also premiere at the 2016 coastline film festival.
tape has a number of high-end resources, which allow for both event delivery and event support. from our blow-up cinema event screens through to staging, sound systems, event activities, performances and event film and photography. tape is increasingly approached to support community events of all sizes, to add value, expertise and atmosphere.
tape’s blow up cinema uses incredible, inflatable, outdoor screens, professional hd projection and high quality sound systems to create unique cinema screening events both indoors and out. blow up cinema also offers supported employment opportunities as part of tape’s pathway of support program, which engages, trains and supports people through experiences and project delivery.
the recording studio at the tape community arts centre is a well-used resource for local bands, musicians and groups for both rehearsal and recording. the studio is run with tape’s trademark ethos of support, with professional engineers and equipment on hand to ensure artists come away with the sound and recording they’d hoped for, and having had a great experience at the same time. this year, tape’s studio has been ungraded and revamped, thanks to the efforts of two volunteers who approached tape looking to further their knowledge and experience. lukasz is a highly experienced sound engineer with a wealth of technical knowledge, which he has used to support the work of tape. he has worked alongside another volunteer, chay, who was newly qualified when he came to tape and was able to learn a great deal from lukasz and take part in projects, supporting others.
for over two years, tape has been a core member of the conwy county borough council social enterprise business solutions group. formed by ccbc and key local third sector agencies, the group meets on a monthly basis in support of the growing links between the work of the third sector and the local authority. one outcome of this group working has been the awarding of social enterprise place status to the county of conwy. tape is one of the 10 groups recognised in this award and in the county’s economic regeneration strategy.
tape’s ignite scheme has been developed to provide a creative first response to individuals looking to engage or explore creative ideas. tape will match a person to a creative professional who will support this participant over a short programme of 1 to 1 sessions whilst looking to develop continuation through existing provision at tape or in the community. this scheme has proven to be of significant benefit for an increasing number of young people and adults in the area, for whom engaging with projects or activities can be a difficult experience. we have seen people move into significant and ongoing activities following extended periods of isolation, social and economic inactivity.
this programme supports opportunities for training, education and employment for people referred into tape from across many partner agencies and organisations. the pathway of support has been specifically developed to engage with an individual at a point appropriate to their current situation, level of experience and ambitions for their ideas and interests.
tape presents all its work with inclusion at heart. this practice is clearly visible through all aspects of our delivery and in the generation of involvement and opportunity for people at every possible stage. tape has engaged with and supported participants from across communities to be part of projects on their own terms and with a clear focus on each person getting the most out of their involvement with us.
increasingly, tape is being sought out by film and media graduates as a destination where they can find opportunities to develop experience and work for their portfolios. for many, moving to an urban centre to further careers, is not an option or desirable. we recognise the role we can play in this area and are increasingly responding to requests for support and involvement in our work. tape can offer real world experience on live briefs, working to deadlines and dealing with customer feedback and requests.
it has become increasingly clear that tape plays a unique role in the provision of inclusive, creative support in north wales and has positioned itself as ready to upscale both its infrastructure and thereby generate a significantly greater range of resources and real world opportunities for people of all ages. amongst this work, is the exciting addition of an htc vive vr headset with leap motion and powered by a high-end specification gaming computer supplied by utopia computers. our work with vr will create opportunities through both use of this exciting technology and learning around the creation of bespoke software and vr experiences. we look forward to sharing more about this very soon.
it is amazing to consider that 8 years has gone by and it feels like a huge privilege to stop and think about what we have been able to offer people in that time, the friends we’ve made and the experiences we’ve shared.
sincere thanks to everyone who has been a part of tape this year and helped to make so many important things happen for people across the community.
lastly, i would like to dedicate this post in memory of the wonderful, keith forecast, without whom none of this would have happened.
thank you and here’s to the next exciting 12 months.


text:
And this is just what we got to experience on Sunday. While Suzette was ministering, the anointing started to heal people in the room but also via livestream. One person wrote that she was healed at home in front of her screen after Suzette shared some words of knowledge.
This weekend was very special for me. We were at TOS Church Tübingen which has received the call of God to fight antisemitism and stand up for Israel. They have been doing this in a very practical way since 2007 through their ‘March of Life’. Worship with Jewish elements, Hebrew texts and traditional Jewish dancing moved me into a new dimension of worship and praise. And I could not help being struck by the thought that I was experiencing a piece of heaven at that moment.
The day of prayer entitled “Bold” started off with an input from Suzette. She said over and over again, “We need to change the atmosphere”. She used 1 Samuel 19:20-24 as an example which describes how Saul walked along prophesying to Naioth close to Ramah. But this place was about 6 miles from where Saul came from. This means that the anointing was not just close by but spread over 6 miles. What a revelation! We as Christians are called to change the atmosphere through our prayers so that the people around us can experience this anointing and be changed by it.
And this is just what we got to experience on Sunday. While Suzette was ministering, the anointing started to heal people in the room but also via livestream. One person wrote that she was healed at home in front of her screen after Suzette shared some words of knowledge. More than 15 people came forward to testify how God had healed them during worship, me included. I had a very sore throat and my nose was blocked and during worship suddenly all was gone and I was healed. Praise the Lord. God moved strongly during the service and right up until today we still receive testimonies from people describing how God touched them and changed their lives.
Thank you TOS Church and to everyone who was part of this weekend.

lowercased:
and this is just what we got to experience on sunday. while suzette was ministering, the anointing started to heal people in the room but also via livestream. one person wrote that she was healed at home in front of her screen after suzette shared some words of knowledge.
this weekend was very special for me. we were at tos church tübingen which has received the call of god to fight antisemitism and stand up for israel. they have been doing this in a very practical way since 2007 through their ‘march of life’. worship with jewish elements, hebrew texts and traditional jewish dancing moved me into a new dimension of worship and praise. and i could not help being struck by the thought that i was experiencing a piece of heaven at that moment.
the day of prayer entitled “bold” started off with an input from suzette. she said over and over again, “we need to change the atmosphere”. she used 1 samuel 19:20-24 as an example which describes how saul walked along prophesying to naioth close to ramah. but this place was about 6 miles from where saul came from. this means that the anointing was not just close by but spread over 6 miles. what a revelation! we as christians are called to change the atmosphere through our prayers so that the people around us can experience this anointing and be changed by it.
and this is just what we got to experience on sunday. while suzette was ministering, the anointing started to heal people in the room but also via livestream. one person wrote that she was healed at home in front of her screen after suzette shared some words of knowledge. more than 15 people came forward to testify how god had healed them during worship, me included. i had a very sore throat and my nose was blocked and during worship suddenly all was gone and i was healed. praise the lord. god moved strongly during the service and right up until today we still receive testimonies from people describing how god touched them and changed their lives.
thank you tos church and to everyone who was part of this weekend.


text: Pregnancy is natural, healthy and fun, right? Sure it is, if you’re lucky. But instead of a natural glow and orgasmic birth, Monica Dux experienced pregnancy as a medium-level catastrophe. In Things I Didn’t Expect (When I Was Expecting), she uncovers the awful truth about it all, delivering the news with a blend of frightening, funny and refreshingly frank anecdotes, from the birthing suite and beyond.

lowercased: pregnancy is natural, healthy and fun, right? sure it is, if you’re lucky. but instead of a natural glow and orgasmic birth, monica dux experienced pregnancy as a medium-level catastrophe. in things i didn’t expect (when i was expecting), she uncovers the awful truth about it all, delivering the news with a blend of frightening, funny and refreshingly frank anecdotes, from the birthing suite and beyond.


text:
Everyone knows how important it is to have a home. It’s no surprise that being homeless is bad for a person’s health: it can even kill.
Labour will attempt to amend legislation currently going through the Scottish Parliament. Labour is demanding the Scottish Government be more ambitious in its efforts to tackle fuel poverty by pledging to eradicate the problem entirely by 2032.
From 1 April, the levels of the default tariff price cap will increase by 10% - while the pre-payment meter cap will rise by £106 to reflect higher costs.
A new section on the NIA website has been created to showcase projects carried out by NIA Members.
The National Insulation Association (NIA) has launched a new website for consumers, specifiers, advice agencies, media and its members.
There are still millions of households and commercial and public buildings that are yet to be properly insulated and yet insulation is still the single most effective method of saving energy and money.

lowercased:
everyone knows how important it is to have a home. it’s no surprise that being homeless is bad for a person’s health: it can even kill.
labour will attempt to amend legislation currently going through the scottish parliament. labour is demanding the scottish government be more ambitious in its efforts to tackle fuel poverty by pledging to eradicate the problem entirely by 2032.
from 1 april, the levels of the default tariff price cap will increase by 10% - while the pre-payment meter cap will rise by £106 to reflect higher costs.
a new section on the nia website has been created to showcase projects carried out by nia members.
the national insulation association (nia) has launched a new website for consumers, specifiers, advice agencies, media and its members.
there are still millions of households and commercial and public buildings that are yet to be properly insulated and yet insulation is still the single most effective method of saving energy and money.


text: Free Shipping Included! Nike Golf Flat Front Short Dark Grey 38 by NIKE at Norwalk Foundation. SKU: 639798_021-38. MPN: 639798-021. 38. Hurry! Limited time offer. Offer valid only while supplies last.

lowercased: free shipping included! nike golf flat front short dark grey 38 by nike at norwalk foundation. sku: 639798_021-38. mpn: 639798-021. 38. hurry! limited time offer. offer valid only while supplies last.


text:
A trickle from the rocks at Mile 109 draws people who like its taste and like the fact that it's not treated city tap water. But is it safe?
A 3-inch hole in a rock wall at Mile 109 of the Seward Highway quenches many thirsts.
Tourists pull over for a cup of refreshing liquid Alaska, wild and cold. Locals, suspicious of treated city water, make the drive regularly to resupply their homes, even though there's less known about this source of water than the water from their sinks. Others simply prefer the taste of the water that trickles there, supplemental hydration they take away one Nalgene bottle at a time.
This drainage hole in the rock between Beluga Point and Windy Corner on Turnagain Arm draws visitors all day long. Anyone who has driven the highway with any regularity has seen them, perhaps wondered why, and maybe had to brake for them as they dart across the road.
One March afternoon, Ian Choi popped his trunk to grab a sleeve of Styrofoam cups for his passengers. Choi gives tours in Alaska, often to Korean visitors. People in Anchorage love this water, he told them. Three women climbed out of his car and crossed the highway and took a sip.
"Need a cup?" Choi offered to a stranger who also had pulled over.
Mica Sexton pulled up next. He said he has lived in 14 communities in Alaska since he first came here in 1997. Before that, he had been living out of a backpack and traveling the world.
Sexton filled six large jugs for himself and his 180-pound Irish wolfhound to consume back home. Together, they go through about a gallon a day, he said. People are too trusting of the government and media, he said. Fluoride is one reason, he said, that he "won't touch" tap water.
"I think most people, when you tell them that somebody that they trust to look out for their good is putting something bad in their water, most people just look at you and tell you you need a tinfoil hat," Sexton said.
Sexton said he also suspects city water treatment removes healthy minerals he believes he's getting from this large drinking straw poked into the Chugach Mountains.
"Last time I drank tap water was, I don't know, eight years ago, so I don't know what the tap water tastes like," he said. "But from what I'm told, this tastes a lot better."
Maurice Mitchell was next in line. Like Sexton, he carries a length of pipe in his vehicle to insert in the rock, just in case the makeshift tap turns up missing. It often does, they said. The pipe has been removed and replaced many times over the years.
Mitchell lined jugs in the bed of his pickup neatly as classic rock spilled from the cab. He collected about 50 gallons, a 10-day supply for his three-person household in Anchorage. He parked on the mountain side of the road, angled on the embankment just feet from the traffic lane in a 55-mph zone. It seemed safer than crossing the road several times, he said.
"We use this for everything. For plants, household water, cooking, everything," he said.
Mitchell believes the water is cleaner and healthier than what comes out of the tap.
"I haven't had it tested myself, but I've talked to a few people that have come out here and had it tested," he said.
Several others filed through in a steady procession that afternoon, filling containers in myriad shapes and sizes. A car swerved into the pullout from the northbound lane, crossing the southbound lane while traffic was in clear view. Another man posed for a picture while taking a sip, his friend capturing the moment with a phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Later, an older man strained to carry his jugs, then paused with his companion to watch the ice drift by in Turnagain Arm.
And in the rare quiet moments, two sounds could be heard — the thin stream of the water splashing on the stones below, and the sound of pebbles and rocks occasionally dropping from the cliffs above onto the pavement and into the ditch.
The water pipe is located within Chugach State Park, like much of the mountainous landscape along Turnagain Arm, and superintendent Tom Harrison said he gets occasional questions. But the pipe is in the Department of Transportation right of way, he said.
"We don't do anything related it to it. We certainly don't sample it and test it like we do our wells in the campground kind of a thing," Harrison said.
Harrison chalks up its popularity to folklore, and said he has no reason to believe it's different from water cascading from the hills at any other point along the scenic highway.
"I'm not a hydrologist, but that's just draining the water that kind of filters through cracks in the rock."
Similarly, DOT claims no ownership of the pipe.
"Our maintenance section does not maintain this. We don't put pipes in it, and in the past they have removed some of the pipes or hardware," said Scott Thomas, an Anchorage-based DOT traffic engineer.
"Basically, it's popular enough that something always appears."
For DOT, the Mile 109 pipe is a concern. The highway along Turnagain Arm is the focus of ongoing safety improvements through education, law enforcement and redesign. The water pipe is a place where cars often park hazardously and pedestrians have inadequate separation from vehicles. But it's hardly the only spot.
Hikers, Dall sheep watchers, ice climbers, hooligan dipnetters, water collectors — they're all user groups that can lead to unsafe parking situations on a busy highway, Thomas said.
"That's really the dilemma we face, is that the Seward Highway is a recreational corridor, a scenic corridor. And when it comes down to safety issues, do we pick and choose the uses that people have?" Thomas said.
"Generally, what we've tried to do, I think when you look down the Seward Highway, is have pullouts for people."
While there is a pullout across the highway from the pipe, Thomas said that stretch of road was not built to modern standards, which would call for the road to be built further from the rock face. It's just a few steps now.
Last year, DOT took comments from Girdwood 2020, a community group formed to provide comment on development in the resort town, Thomas said. Residents who drive the Seward Highway between Girdwood and Anchorage regularly pinpointed the water pipe at Mile 109 as a particularly hazardous spot because pedestrians venture close to the highway. Those comments raised the profile of the water pipe as a problem in need of a solution to DOT, Thomas said.
On April 14, Thomas and a representative from Alaska State Troopers drove along Turnagain Arm to make observations as part of its annual review of safety concerns.
"We are intending to do something, make changes," Thomas said. "We are exploring options."
As winter continued into spring a few weeks ago, Tom Parmer worked to fill 15 6-gallon jugs and load them into his camper for himself and his brother. He says he's careful not to run out of water at home, a backup plan that is essential disaster preparedness, whether for an earthquake or the collapse of the dollar.
"I'd have water at home, no matter what, unless you're insane," Parmer said.
As a regular user, Parmer said the biggest safety concern at the pipe is when people park on the mountain side of the highway, instead of in the pullout where he was.
"I keep bitching about that when people show up. I said, 'Get your arse over here, man. You're going to screw it all up.' "
But for Craig Boeckman, a DOT geologist who has analyzed the site, the danger isn't only coming from the north and south, but potentially from above.
Boeckman said photographs indicate that stretch of road was improved, and a parking turnout constructed, in the early 1980s. Geology reports from that project recorded plans to drill 30-foot-deep drainage holes in the rock to alleviate pressure and reduce rockfall.
"I don't think that people were stopping there to get water before that," Boeckman said.
Several holes were drilled at the time and are plainly visible today. Three others are just above and to the left of the piped hole. Water runs from them also, though not as consistently.
While some users said they believe the water comes up from the ground below, Boeckman said that's not the case. He pointed to a long vertical crack in the face of the rock. Water feeds the joints and fractures from somewhere uphill, he said, and it's very likely a 30-foot hole would intercept it.
"I don't think it's a spring, where the water's coming up from below. I think the water's coming down from above," Boeckman said.
But it's not the falling water that concerns Boeckman the most. It's falling rocks. For the last few years, DOT has kept an internal database of rockfall trouble spots along state-maintained highways. Mile 109 of the Seward Highway ranks in the top 10, and is the highest-ranked spot along Turnagain Arm.
Boeckman, who evaluates rockfall hazards for traffic engineers, keeps pictures of the site. One shows large rocks in a narrow ditch next to the highway. Another shows long, black skid marks in the northbound lane. Though he knew of no injuries that resulted from falling rocks there, he said a rock as big as a vehicle fell a couple hundred feet away in 2012.
Any redesign, when it comes, could affect the water source, he said.
"At Mile 109, any improvements to that slope is going to change the configuration of the ditch and would ultimately change those drain holes and the access to them," he said.
DOT spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy said the department is considering changes to the design of the highway at Mile 109 to address safety concerns, but no plans have been finalized.
As an unsanctioned water source, the quality is not regularly monitored by DOT or Chugach State Park. On March 24, Alaska Dispatch News collected a sample and delivered it to ARS Aleut Analytical, a company that tests public and private wells for water contamination. The company provided an analysis of the water for arsenic, manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, E. Coli and other coliform bacteria, nitrates, acidity and alkalinity, corrosivity and fluoride.
In short, all categories fell within the maximum contaminant limits set for drinking water by Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation. At least they did that day. ARS Aleut Analytical lab manager Ian Schacht said that a water quality test is just a snapshot of one point in time, which can't replace regular monitoring. Results could fluctuate for many reasons.
But Schacht said the results were noteworthy in a couple of ways.
"One of the more interesting things that we saw (is) that there was a hit for arsenic," Schacht said.
While the level in the highway water, 3.2 parts per billion, falls below the DEC's limit of 10, Schacht notes that it's greater than what is reported for Anchorage city water sources on the state's Drinking Water Watch website. Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, which gets its water from Eklutna Lake, the Ship Creek watershed and some wells, said that on average, arsenic was not detected in its 2016 water quality report. Its highest reading was 0.7 parts per billion.
"It's something that is not of immediate concern right now, because it is under that 10," Schacht said of the highway water pipe sample. "But it is detectable. It is there."
The lab report noted that the human body was slow to rid itself of arsenic, so it is considered a poison that can accumulate in a person.
The results also indicated presence of some nitrates, possibly the result of decaying plant matter. Though it, too, was measured in levels deemed acceptable for drinking water by the DEC, Schacht said nitrate and arsenic concentrations would be areas he'd pay special attention to if the water were regularly monitored.
Schacht also noted that levels of calcium and magnesium indicate hard water. That's unlikely to be a health concern, but it could account for the unique taste of the water that many users described at the pipe. Schacht said hard water can taste "minerally" and leave a residue when it evaporates.
Whichever tastes are present or absent from the water at Mile 109, it's one that keeps some people coming back again and again, year after year.
On a clear mid-April day, thirsty Anchorage residents pooled at the pullout until the sun set after 9 p.m., a chore with a pretty nice view. Only a little ice disturbed the reflection of glowing peaks in the flat, calm water of Turnagain Arm.
Paypay Oloi and Amelia Reed come here nearly every day, they said. Oloi sometimes buys water and drinks from the tap at home, but said none of it compares to what he brings backs from the highway pipe. The young married couple huddled in close, each filling a 1-gallon jug as water splashed on their socks and sandals, enthusiastic about the option the Chugach rock was giving them.
"This is so much fresher," Reed said. "Like it's from Mother Earth."

lowercased:
a trickle from the rocks at mile 109 draws people who like its taste and like the fact that it's not treated city tap water. but is it safe?
a 3-inch hole in a rock wall at mile 109 of the seward highway quenches many thirsts.
tourists pull over for a cup of refreshing liquid alaska, wild and cold. locals, suspicious of treated city water, make the drive regularly to resupply their homes, even though there's less known about this source of water than the water from their sinks. others simply prefer the taste of the water that trickles there, supplemental hydration they take away one nalgene bottle at a time.
this drainage hole in the rock between beluga point and windy corner on turnagain arm draws visitors all day long. anyone who has driven the highway with any regularity has seen them, perhaps wondered why, and maybe had to brake for them as they dart across the road.
one march afternoon, ian choi popped his trunk to grab a sleeve of styrofoam cups for his passengers. choi gives tours in alaska, often to korean visitors. people in anchorage love this water, he told them. three women climbed out of his car and crossed the highway and took a sip.
"need a cup?" choi offered to a stranger who also had pulled over.
mica sexton pulled up next. he said he has lived in 14 communities in alaska since he first came here in 1997. before that, he had been living out of a backpack and traveling the world.
sexton filled six large jugs for himself and his 180-pound irish wolfhound to consume back home. together, they go through about a gallon a day, he said. people are too trusting of the government and media, he said. fluoride is one reason, he said, that he "won't touch" tap water.
"i think most people, when you tell them that somebody that they trust to look out for their good is putting something bad in their water, most people just look at you and tell you you need a tinfoil hat," sexton said.
sexton said he also suspects city water treatment removes healthy minerals he believes he's getting from this large drinking straw poked into the chugach mountains.
"last time i drank tap water was, i don't know, eight years ago, so i don't know what the tap water tastes like," he said. "but from what i'm told, this tastes a lot better."
maurice mitchell was next in line. like sexton, he carries a length of pipe in his vehicle to insert in the rock, just in case the makeshift tap turns up missing. it often does, they said. the pipe has been removed and replaced many times over the years.
mitchell lined jugs in the bed of his pickup neatly as classic rock spilled from the cab. he collected about 50 gallons, a 10-day supply for his three-person household in anchorage. he parked on the mountain side of the road, angled on the embankment just feet from the traffic lane in a 55-mph zone. it seemed safer than crossing the road several times, he said.
"we use this for everything. for plants, household water, cooking, everything," he said.
mitchell believes the water is cleaner and healthier than what comes out of the tap.
"i haven't had it tested myself, but i've talked to a few people that have come out here and had it tested," he said.
several others filed through in a steady procession that afternoon, filling containers in myriad shapes and sizes. a car swerved into the pullout from the northbound lane, crossing the southbound lane while traffic was in clear view. another man posed for a picture while taking a sip, his friend capturing the moment with a phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. later, an older man strained to carry his jugs, then paused with his companion to watch the ice drift by in turnagain arm.
and in the rare quiet moments, two sounds could be heard — the thin stream of the water splashing on the stones below, and the sound of pebbles and rocks occasionally dropping from the cliffs above onto the pavement and into the ditch.
the water pipe is located within chugach state park, like much of the mountainous landscape along turnagain arm, and superintendent tom harrison said he gets occasional questions. but the pipe is in the department of transportation right of way, he said.
"we don't do anything related it to it. we certainly don't sample it and test it like we do our wells in the campground kind of a thing," harrison said.
harrison chalks up its popularity to folklore, and said he has no reason to believe it's different from water cascading from the hills at any other point along the scenic highway.
"i'm not a hydrologist, but that's just draining the water that kind of filters through cracks in the rock."
similarly, dot claims no ownership of the pipe.
"our maintenance section does not maintain this. we don't put pipes in it, and in the past they have removed some of the pipes or hardware," said scott thomas, an anchorage-based dot traffic engineer.
"basically, it's popular enough that something always appears."
for dot, the mile 109 pipe is a concern. the highway along turnagain arm is the focus of ongoing safety improvements through education, law enforcement and redesign. the water pipe is a place where cars often park hazardously and pedestrians have inadequate separation from vehicles. but it's hardly the only spot.
hikers, dall sheep watchers, ice climbers, hooligan dipnetters, water collectors — they're all user groups that can lead to unsafe parking situations on a busy highway, thomas said.
"that's really the dilemma we face, is that the seward highway is a recreational corridor, a scenic corridor. and when it comes down to safety issues, do we pick and choose the uses that people have?" thomas said.
"generally, what we've tried to do, i think when you look down the seward highway, is have pullouts for people."
while there is a pullout across the highway from the pipe, thomas said that stretch of road was not built to modern standards, which would call for the road to be built further from the rock face. it's just a few steps now.
last year, dot took comments from girdwood 2020, a community group formed to provide comment on development in the resort town, thomas said. residents who drive the seward highway between girdwood and anchorage regularly pinpointed the water pipe at mile 109 as a particularly hazardous spot because pedestrians venture close to the highway. those comments raised the profile of the water pipe as a problem in need of a solution to dot, thomas said.
on april 14, thomas and a representative from alaska state troopers drove along turnagain arm to make observations as part of its annual review of safety concerns.
"we are intending to do something, make changes," thomas said. "we are exploring options."
as winter continued into spring a few weeks ago, tom parmer worked to fill 15 6-gallon jugs and load them into his camper for himself and his brother. he says he's careful not to run out of water at home, a backup plan that is essential disaster preparedness, whether for an earthquake or the collapse of the dollar.
"i'd have water at home, no matter what, unless you're insane," parmer said.
as a regular user, parmer said the biggest safety concern at the pipe is when people park on the mountain side of the highway, instead of in the pullout where he was.
"i keep bitching about that when people show up. i said, 'get your arse over here, man. you're going to screw it all up.' "
but for craig boeckman, a dot geologist who has analyzed the site, the danger isn't only coming from the north and south, but potentially from above.
boeckman said photographs indicate that stretch of road was improved, and a parking turnout constructed, in the early 1980s. geology reports from that project recorded plans to drill 30-foot-deep drainage holes in the rock to alleviate pressure and reduce rockfall.
"i don't think that people were stopping there to get water before that," boeckman said.
several holes were drilled at the time and are plainly visible today. three others are just above and to the left of the piped hole. water runs from them also, though not as consistently.
while some users said they believe the water comes up from the ground below, boeckman said that's not the case. he pointed to a long vertical crack in the face of the rock. water feeds the joints and fractures from somewhere uphill, he said, and it's very likely a 30-foot hole would intercept it.
"i don't think it's a spring, where the water's coming up from below. i think the water's coming down from above," boeckman said.
but it's not the falling water that concerns boeckman the most. it's falling rocks. for the last few years, dot has kept an internal database of rockfall trouble spots along state-maintained highways. mile 109 of the seward highway ranks in the top 10, and is the highest-ranked spot along turnagain arm.
boeckman, who evaluates rockfall hazards for traffic engineers, keeps pictures of the site. one shows large rocks in a narrow ditch next to the highway. another shows long, black skid marks in the northbound lane. though he knew of no injuries that resulted from falling rocks there, he said a rock as big as a vehicle fell a couple hundred feet away in 2012.
any redesign, when it comes, could affect the water source, he said.
"at mile 109, any improvements to that slope is going to change the configuration of the ditch and would ultimately change those drain holes and the access to them," he said.
dot spokeswoman shannon mccarthy said the department is considering changes to the design of the highway at mile 109 to address safety concerns, but no plans have been finalized.
as an unsanctioned water source, the quality is not regularly monitored by dot or chugach state park. on march 24, alaska dispatch news collected a sample and delivered it to ars aleut analytical, a company that tests public and private wells for water contamination. the company provided an analysis of the water for arsenic, manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, e. coli and other coliform bacteria, nitrates, acidity and alkalinity, corrosivity and fluoride.
in short, all categories fell within the maximum contaminant limits set for drinking water by alaska's department of environmental conservation. at least they did that day. ars aleut analytical lab manager ian schacht said that a water quality test is just a snapshot of one point in time, which can't replace regular monitoring. results could fluctuate for many reasons.
but schacht said the results were noteworthy in a couple of ways.
"one of the more interesting things that we saw (is) that there was a hit for arsenic," schacht said.
while the level in the highway water, 3.2 parts per billion, falls below the dec's limit of 10, schacht notes that it's greater than what is reported for anchorage city water sources on the state's drinking water watch website. anchorage water and wastewater utility, which gets its water from eklutna lake, the ship creek watershed and some wells, said that on average, arsenic was not detected in its 2016 water quality report. its highest reading was 0.7 parts per billion.
"it's something that is not of immediate concern right now, because it is under that 10," schacht said of the highway water pipe sample. "but it is detectable. it is there."
the lab report noted that the human body was slow to rid itself of arsenic, so it is considered a poison that can accumulate in a person.
the results also indicated presence of some nitrates, possibly the result of decaying plant matter. though it, too, was measured in levels deemed acceptable for drinking water by the dec, schacht said nitrate and arsenic concentrations would be areas he'd pay special attention to if the water were regularly monitored.
schacht also noted that levels of calcium and magnesium indicate hard water. that's unlikely to be a health concern, but it could account for the unique taste of the water that many users described at the pipe. schacht said hard water can taste "minerally" and leave a residue when it evaporates.
whichever tastes are present or absent from the water at mile 109, it's one that keeps some people coming back again and again, year after year.
on a clear mid-april day, thirsty anchorage residents pooled at the pullout until the sun set after 9 p.m., a chore with a pretty nice view. only a little ice disturbed the reflection of glowing peaks in the flat, calm water of turnagain arm.
paypay oloi and amelia reed come here nearly every day, they said. oloi sometimes buys water and drinks from the tap at home, but said none of it compares to what he brings backs from the highway pipe. the young married couple huddled in close, each filling a 1-gallon jug as water splashed on their socks and sandals, enthusiastic about the option the chugach rock was giving them.
"this is so much fresher," reed said. "like it's from mother earth."


text:
For courses exceeding 4 weeks, students will enter into a Standard Student Contract (SSC) with the school. Overseas students studying longer than 4 weeks are required to study full-time (25 or 35 hours per week) and apply for a Student Pass. Fee Protection Scheme (FPS) Premium will be advised during the application process and payable by the students together with the course fees.
Non student pass International Students e.g. DP holders, Long Term Visit Pass holders, Work Holiday pass holders must seek the permission of ICA to study full-time. It is a condition of entry that students hold a valid letter of consent issued by ICA which covers the duration of the 12 week course. inlingua School of Languages will not be held responsible if a student fails to secure a valid letter of consent. Local students e.g. Singaporeans and PRs do not require such permission.
Non student pass International Students e.g. DP holders, Long Term Visit Pass holders, Employment Pass holders, Work Holiday pass holders do not need the permission of ICA to study a short course.
Students who are entering Singapore must obtain a valid social visa from ICA which covers the four weeks of their course before being allowed to enter the course. It is a condition of entry that student have a valid visa which covers the duration of the course. inlingua School Of Languages will not be held responsible for any student failing to secure a 4 week social visa.
Overseas students are advised to come to Singapore the weekend before their short course commences.

lowercased:
for courses exceeding 4 weeks, students will enter into a standard student contract (ssc) with the school. overseas students studying longer than 4 weeks are required to study full-time (25 or 35 hours per week) and apply for a student pass. fee protection scheme (fps) premium will be advised during the application process and payable by the students together with the course fees.
non student pass international students e.g. dp holders, long term visit pass holders, work holiday pass holders must seek the permission of ica to study full-time. it is a condition of entry that students hold a valid letter of consent issued by ica which covers the duration of the 12 week course. inlingua school of languages will not be held responsible if a student fails to secure a valid letter of consent. local students e.g. singaporeans and prs do not require such permission.
non student pass international students e.g. dp holders, long term visit pass holders, employment pass holders, work holiday pass holders do not need the permission of ica to study a short course.
students who are entering singapore must obtain a valid social visa from ica which covers the four weeks of their course before being allowed to enter the course. it is a condition of entry that student have a valid visa which covers the duration of the course. inlingua school of languages will not be held responsible for any student failing to secure a 4 week social visa.
overseas students are advised to come to singapore the weekend before their short course commences.


text:
Dr. Jesse Daystar is Cotton Incorporated Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. Prior to joining the Company, Dr. Daystar was the Assistant Director at the Center for Sustainability at Duke University, where he collaborated with the Company on a wide range of research projects spanning many of the Company’s divisions.
Dr. Daystar holds a Ph.D. in Forest Biomaterials from N.C. State University and has established himself as a leader in cellulosic fiber sustainability. He has led research and consulting in aspects of product sustainability, biomaterials, biochemicals, and bioenergy. His research has produced numerous publications, sustainability and chemical and engineering tools; and certifications for clients including the USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy.

lowercased:
dr. jesse daystar is cotton incorporated vice president and chief sustainability officer. prior to joining the company, dr. daystar was the assistant director at the center for sustainability at duke university, where he collaborated with the company on a wide range of research projects spanning many of the company’s divisions.
dr. daystar holds a ph.d. in forest biomaterials from n.c. state university and has established himself as a leader in cellulosic fiber sustainability. he has led research and consulting in aspects of product sustainability, biomaterials, biochemicals, and bioenergy. his research has produced numerous publications, sustainability and chemical and engineering tools; and certifications for clients including the usda and the u.s. department of energy.


text:
If the release of the Air Jordan 5 and Air Jordan 1 wasn’t enough, Jordan Brand will also be releasing the Air Jordan XXX1 Low Camo. As far as patterns are concerned, camo seems to be the most popular go to design for the past couple of years in the footwear industry.
The Air Jordan XXX1 Low Camo is a subtle, yet tasteful new comer to the game with its metallic copper heel accent, traditional olive green, upper, and gum outsole. Furthermore, it sports Grey tones along its FlyWeave upper, as well as 3M reflective synthetic camouflage heels. Let’s not forget the iconic White Jumpman logos that rest at home on the heel and tongues. We’ll also be getting some red lights on the Flywire cables.
The Air Jordan XXX1 Low “Camo” will be released on August 18th at select Jordan Brand retailers and will retail for $160 USD. What do you think of this newest release?

lowercased:
if the release of the air jordan 5 and air jordan 1 wasn’t enough, jordan brand will also be releasing the air jordan xxx1 low camo. as far as patterns are concerned, camo seems to be the most popular go to design for the past couple of years in the footwear industry.
the air jordan xxx1 low camo is a subtle, yet tasteful new comer to the game with its metallic copper heel accent, traditional olive green, upper, and gum outsole. furthermore, it sports grey tones along its flyweave upper, as well as 3m reflective synthetic camouflage heels. let’s not forget the iconic white jumpman logos that rest at home on the heel and tongues. we’ll also be getting some red lights on the flywire cables.
the air jordan xxx1 low “camo” will be released on august 18th at select jordan brand retailers and will retail for $160 usd. what do you think of this newest release?


text:
Democracy in Nigeria is fast deteriorating to a level where we, as a people, have become a laughing stock among the comity of nations. It is only in Nigeria that a court of competent jurisdiction would make a pronouncement and the government of the day would deliberately refuse to obey it.
The executive arm has succeeded in arrogating to itself the powers to make and adjudicate laws, a function constitutionally reserved for the legislative and judicial arms of government respectively. The situation playing out in our country is clearly making a mockery of the principle of separation of powers, as propounded by Lord Baron de Montesquieu. Separation of powers is a constitutional principle introduced to ensure that the three arms of government mentioned above are not concentrated in any single body, be it in functions, personnel or powers.
For the avoidance of doubt, the legislative arm is the lawmaking body, the executive implements the law, while the judiciary is saddled with the responsibility of interpreting the law and settling of disputes whenever they arise. It is intended to prevent the concentration of unchecked powers by providing “checks” and “balances” to avoid “autocracy” in a democratic setting like ours.
However, it is generally believed that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man, but when law officers are subjected to the law itself without any recourse to fair hearing and obvious interference from the executive arm, the common man may then have no choice, than to look up to God or resort to self-self for redress. Indeed, no man is above the law of the land, which is the grundnorm. No matter how highly placed an individual may be, they must subject themselves to the dictates and principles of the law.
Recent events in our polity particularly in the judicial arm of government have, however, left a sour taste in the mouth of many citizens who approach the courts on a daily basis to seek one redress or the other. The invasion of the private residence of some judges, by security operatives in the middle of the night, some time ago, to the arrest and arraignment of some senior lawyers on corruption charges and very recently, the allegation and subsequent arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, for alleged non-declaration of assets, clearly show the whole plot is designed to bring the judiciary as an institution to disrepute, which in my opinion is ill-conceived and highly despicable and should be condemned by every right-thinking Nigerian.
The consistent interference in the affairs of other arms of government by the executive must stop, if truly we want to practise democracy as a country. I must say this act is impinging seriously on the principle of separation of powers which is a key element in any flourishing democratic society. That is not to say the CJN cannot be prosecuted if indeed he has erred. The law remains the law and no man is above it.
Fighting corruption is good, but it becomes bad when it is laden with political coloration, which tends to rubbish the whole anti-corruption framework. The fight against corruption should be holistic and systematic in nature. We must begin to build strong institutions as against building strong and powerful individuals, who end up running them as emperors of some sorts, that approach is no longer acceptable and will take us nowhere.
A constitutional democracy should be about the rule of law. Unfortunately, the political class in the country has so much fouled the political spaces such that no meaningful development can take place. The rule of law must be adhered to in order for us to build a sane society.
There seems to be a well-orchestrated plan by some powerful political actors within the executive arm of government, who are bent on strangulating other arms of government into submission, by doing their bidding at all cost. A dangerous precedent is being set in our temple of justice system, if this ugly trend is not quickly checked; it might come back some day to haunt us as a nation. For me, this is politics taken too far!

lowercased:
democracy in nigeria is fast deteriorating to a level where we, as a people, have become a laughing stock among the comity of nations. it is only in nigeria that a court of competent jurisdiction would make a pronouncement and the government of the day would deliberately refuse to obey it.
the executive arm has succeeded in arrogating to itself the powers to make and adjudicate laws, a function constitutionally reserved for the legislative and judicial arms of government respectively. the situation playing out in our country is clearly making a mockery of the principle of separation of powers, as propounded by lord baron de montesquieu. separation of powers is a constitutional principle introduced to ensure that the three arms of government mentioned above are not concentrated in any single body, be it in functions, personnel or powers.
for the avoidance of doubt, the legislative arm is the lawmaking body, the executive implements the law, while the judiciary is saddled with the responsibility of interpreting the law and settling of disputes whenever they arise. it is intended to prevent the concentration of unchecked powers by providing “checks” and “balances” to avoid “autocracy” in a democratic setting like ours.
however, it is generally believed that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man, but when law officers are subjected to the law itself without any recourse to fair hearing and obvious interference from the executive arm, the common man may then have no choice, than to look up to god or resort to self-self for redress. indeed, no man is above the law of the land, which is the grundnorm. no matter how highly placed an individual may be, they must subject themselves to the dictates and principles of the law.
recent events in our polity particularly in the judicial arm of government have, however, left a sour taste in the mouth of many citizens who approach the courts on a daily basis to seek one redress or the other. the invasion of the private residence of some judges, by security operatives in the middle of the night, some time ago, to the arrest and arraignment of some senior lawyers on corruption charges and very recently, the allegation and subsequent arraignment of the chief justice of nigeria, justice walter onnoghen, for alleged non-declaration of assets, clearly show the whole plot is designed to bring the judiciary as an institution to disrepute, which in my opinion is ill-conceived and highly despicable and should be condemned by every right-thinking nigerian.
the consistent interference in the affairs of other arms of government by the executive must stop, if truly we want to practise democracy as a country. i must say this act is impinging seriously on the principle of separation of powers which is a key element in any flourishing democratic society. that is not to say the cjn cannot be prosecuted if indeed he has erred. the law remains the law and no man is above it.
fighting corruption is good, but it becomes bad when it is laden with political coloration, which tends to rubbish the whole anti-corruption framework. the fight against corruption should be holistic and systematic in nature. we must begin to build strong institutions as against building strong and powerful individuals, who end up running them as emperors of some sorts, that approach is no longer acceptable and will take us nowhere.
a constitutional democracy should be about the rule of law. unfortunately, the political class in the country has so much fouled the political spaces such that no meaningful development can take place. the rule of law must be adhered to in order for us to build a sane society.
there seems to be a well-orchestrated plan by some powerful political actors within the executive arm of government, who are bent on strangulating other arms of government into submission, by doing their bidding at all cost. a dangerous precedent is being set in our temple of justice system, if this ugly trend is not quickly checked; it might come back some day to haunt us as a nation. for me, this is politics taken too far!


text:
Amazon has launched P2P, a brand new service that lets you sell locally in your city (Amazon will handle the doorstep pickup and delivery).
Essentially, it’s a classified service that enables you to post your ad (along with item description/images) and once the sale is closed, Amazon will take care of the pickup and delivery (Link).
Meet BHIM : Bharat Interface for Money; The Official UPI App From Govt.

lowercased:
amazon has launched p2p, a brand new service that lets you sell locally in your city (amazon will handle the doorstep pickup and delivery).
essentially, it’s a classified service that enables you to post your ad (along with item description/images) and once the sale is closed, amazon will take care of the pickup and delivery (link).
meet bhim : bharat interface for money; the official upi app from govt.