XIV Annual Sports Festival of Stelpe Pagasts

It was not quite like the Olympic Games even though there were lots of similarities. The high standard set in earlier years by Aiga Saldabola (read more about the last year's games) was to be kept this time by my wife Sandra Neliusa since she is in a way Aiga's follower.

The festival is not only for athletes to compete, it is also for everyone to come together and enjoy some air of celebration. Stelpians value this tradition, and many of them plan their day to stay in Stelpe and join the celebration. Teams start coming together to practice volley and soccer months before the Sports Day. So this day has also an indirect positive influence on the lifestyle of the young.

For the Sports Day to be more colorful, Sandra had invited even Mr. Universe 2009 Aivars Visockis and a group of cheerleaders from Kurmene Pagasts.

The activity was quite well attended, and the importance of the tradition was emphasized by the presence of the Chair of the Board (Not to call him Mayor?) of District Vecumnieki Rihards Melgailis and executive director Guntis Kalnins who stayed on the site all day long and participated in the competitions.

Also the governor of Stelpe Pagasts Elmars Jukonis had made himself available all day long, and helped both with advice and practical solutions. He did not take part in the competitions though.

Picture 1: Ladies' shooting competition.
Picture 2: Valentina Rutina, who took the 2nd place, was shooting the first time in her life. Having heard just brief instructions before the start from a neighbor, she did not hesitate to put the newly acquired knowledge to work and surprised with that everyone on the site. (Valentina in the background, Elmars Jukonis charging her gun)
Picture 3: Edvins Buiko and Davis Jankovskis compete on a relay race
Picture 4: Ineta Klavina, one of the strong women of Stelpe. She competed with Aiga Saldabola and Dace Polika in kettle-bell lifting, which was not initially planned as an event but added on the request of the participants. Each of the three ladies lifted the 16 kg weight more than 2o times.

Picture 5: Lauris Duna climbing the so called Umurkumurs pole for prizesPicture 6: Ineta Klavina had taken her private trampoline to the site, and the children were allowed to use it free of charge.
Picture 7: Inflatable castle "The Python" served well both for relay races and children's entertainment.
Picture 8: Everyone could have a picture taken together with Mr. Universe 2009 Aivars Visockis. Children - Dag Nelius (left), Valdis Berlynskis.

Rock Festival Nightmare Over Stelpe

 
It is 4.15 A.M. but I am sitting and writing. You may guess why. Right! It is not possible to sleep. Terrible noise even with the windows shut. We are about 1 km from the stage but the ground is trembling here under our feet.

All those not attending the festival are in fact now held hostages, and they suffer only because one of their neighbors has lost every sense of proportion and organizes things like this in the middle of an inhabited area. Worst of all, with the blessing of the local government of Vecumnieki.

More to that, the next night promises to be alike if not worse.

I am determined, when the day breaks, to do a research whether there is a legal leverage to restrict these sick ambitions of a disregarding man even though the government institutions have granted the permissions.

I would appreciate if you dropped me a line of comment as to what you would have done if you were exposed to such a torture with noise.

I remember once in Oslo, there was an AC/DC concert. We got into a traffic block and spent there more than an hour. But I do not remember that anyone would complain about noise. Obviously the premises there were adjusted properly to host such a big music event. Yet here they are not.

Update: Susanne in Sweden commented this:

- My friend and I went once to a similar festival by our free choice. Using the earplugs, we slept relatively well in the night. But that site was far away from any inhabited area.

 

Sports Festival In Stelpe With Mr. Universe

 
Hurry to order the air tickets. Take your children with you and come to Stelpe. Our festival will be worth seeing and taking part in it. And it's completely free of charge!

On August 21, we will have a Sports Festival with the Mr. Universe 2009 Aivar Visockis giving a bodybuilding show.

There will be both individual and team competitions in Volley, Soccer, Kettle-bell carrying, Pneumatic shooting, Climbing a pole for prizes, and a few more.

For children, there will be an inflatable Python, games and competitions.

It will be possible to purchase refreshments on the site.

The Mr. Universe show is scheduled to 10 A.M. The registration of the teams begins at 9.30 A.M.

See you soon in Stelpe!

 

Rock Festival "Piladzis" Smashes The Eardrums Of Stelpians

 
Stelpe has come to the brink of its first rock festival "Piladzis" with many famous artists taking part. Yet I have quite dubious feeling about this by all means outstanding event for Stelpe community.

When I went past the Erik Piladzis property yesterday afternoon, I saw a metal fence put up all around the area. Workers were cutting grass, attaching gadgets and the air or preparation was there. A solid scope of investment, huge expectancy.

Erik Piladzis, the host of the festival, is the owner of, obviously, the biggest and most advanced private house in Stelpe. Around it, he has planted a beautiful garden that gives joy to passers-by, and now there is also a motor-cross track which is gradually becoming known all over the country. Erik owns also a few shops but they all are located outside Stelpe.

Once he had a shop also in Stelpe but that did not survive. The reason might be too few customers, of course, mainly local people, no one coming from outside. But that shop was also connected with rumor of products being of somewhat questionable quality and most of them unreasonably expensive. So, for an average Stelpian, it looked more like the shop did not survive the competition against the two other shops owned by someone else.

But that's quite a distant past when seen from today. Yet this fact helps to explain in a way as to why I don't feel just happy about the rock festival. And there is a little more background information.

Erik has been applying on a regular basis for the local government elections yet it was long since people voted for him. Being a bright and smart man, he actually never gets elected. Why? Isn't that a clear sign of him having poor support from the local people of Stelpe? Feeling that, Erik has obviously chosen a hard line against those 'envious Stelpians'. And here he goes.

He has made a huge investment into the motor-cross track and put it right in the center of one of the most inhabited areas of Stelpe. What once was a quiet place now needs to endure the harsh noise of the engines. When it comes closer to a competition, the training races may last all day long. I have never heard any questions asked by Erik to Stelpe society how they feel about that, and by what figure has the market price of their houses plunged because of the noise and dust. One might wonder also whether those people have any legal leverage to restrict the endeavors of their neighbor.

Yesterday evening, we heard the festival loudspeakers turned on in the trial mode sounding some gentle melody. It was heard near and far, and the bass line made our windows tremble even though we do not live in an immediate closeness to the site. I often ask this question to myself what those living closer feel.

And that was only with a few lines of some unobtrusive pattern of music. What is this to be like when the real rough rocking guys come? Hold on, Stelpe!

During the festival, there will be also some entertainment for children and adults. But again, with the decent entrance fees, there is little for the local people to do.

Let it be a celebration once there is one. But is it really a celebration for Stelpe or rather against Stelpe? The present course makes me think that even stepping over dead bodies of Stelpians would not prevent this festival from taking place.

More information about the festival:

http://www.last.fm/festival/1596034+Rock+Festival+P%C4%ABl%C4%81dzis+2010%27

The official site of the festival :

www.piladzis.lv

 

It's Electricity That Keeps Us Slaves

Not really out of a very blue but out of somewhat calm windless dome, there came a fork of lightning. It did not really have any other effects than that of leaving us without electricity for 15 hours.

It struck around 8 P.M. yesterday night. After a few moments of confusion, we decided that this was the chance for us to have some rest. And so we took focus on getting the kids to beds and also for ourselves to retire.

Indeed all of us were in beds at 9 P.M. relaxed and listening to the even pace of raindrops on the sill. The kids were furious at the start but calmed down too and were quite happy to spend such a meditative while by the open window breathing freshness and cradling to sleep, the drizzle rustling in the foliage.

There were a few comments on the way from our sons. Power station fell short of fuel, said Dag (6). The fuses need to be checked, Karlis Elmer (7) had his version to explain the status.

I woke after 12 hours having paid back to myself the far-gone debt of sleep. My wife Sandra was up a little earlier but still quite revitalized. The boys slept their full, and all of us had a nice day today.

When the electricity came back at 11 A.M. today, we felt rested and accustomed to a degree to the state of not having it. I had already managed to take home a few bucketfuls of water from the neighbor's well. The good old gas range was dusted and set ready for operation.

With a breathing space like this, we conclude that all the electrical gadgets have enslaved us to the degree where we do not understand how much we lose being this type of slaves.

And how does, after all, the power supplier dare to allow us such a longer than usual space of freethinking?