Stelpes Pagasts - The Most Active Community In District Vecumnieki

On September 25, the owners of the most well cared for farms were honored in the renovated clubhouse of Bārbele (Bārbeles Tautas nams). Many individuals having added to the overall beauty of District Vecumnieki by keeping their farms tidy and beautiful were honored and awarded on this event. Believe me or not, Stelpe won the most prestigious nomination - the Most Active Community.Picture: The respected flower selectionists of Stelpe Visvaldis Viņķelis (gladioli) and his wife Ilga Viņķele (irises) being awarded prizes. The girls' vocal group singing for them.

Picture: The head of Stelpe Pagasts Elmārs Jukonis expressing his gratitude for the recognition of Stelpe as the most active community of District Vecumnieki.

Picture: A humorous sketch by "two chickens" from Kurmene.

Picture: Our most respected biological farmer Andris Kalniņš receiving the well deserved award not only for the well looking vicinity of his farm but also for his active participation in legislation initiatives against genetically modified agriculture and for his encyclopedic knowledge about farming, which he readily shares with everyone.

Picture: A funny sketch set up by Stelpe Theater. (From left) Gypsy man - Jānis Klāviņš, baron - Valdis Rusiņš, baroness - Agita Šķiliņa.

Picture: My wife Sandra (with microphone) leading the program.

Picture: Stelpe dancers are welcome to the neighboring communities. Now there is seldom an activity without them being invited. The vigorous and spicy performance sets them apart from other groups.

A few pictures about Barbele:

Center of Barbele. The Barbele Lutheran Church.

Memory stone for those exiled to Siberia. From this spot next to the club house, the road of suffering began for many people of Bārbele who where exiled to Siberia by the communist regime in 1941 and 1949.

The renovated club house (Bārbeles tautas nams)

Notice board in the Barbele clubhouse.


Sign post in the center of Barbele

Earlier - Latvia Made Of Apples

In the middle of September, days of Poetry are marked in Latvia. As a special decoration, there was a map of Latvia laid out of apples in which this fall was especially rich.

Picture: Poetess Maija Laukmane, our special Poetry Days guest, together with some of the students having worked on the "apple map".

Earlier - The First School Day 2011

Picture: Head teacher Dagmāra Venclova holding speech on September 1, the first school day in Latvia. Seated in front - this year's 1st graders and those who begin school in the 5 year olds' group together with their teachers. 1st grade teacher is Lāsma Skābuliņa (leftmost), and Iveta Grantiņa will be teaching 5 and 6 year olds.

In her speech, the head teacher Dagmāra Venclova expressed hope that the school will survive despite the threat still looming over the small countryside schools.

Despite the statistics that the quality of education obtained in the schools like ours is much superior to that from the large city schools, the number of children keeps reducing every year or even half year. I remember in 1989 when Sandra and me came to live and work to Stelpe, there were 170 schoolchildren here. By now that number has dropped to 76.

Picture: Sandra Neliusa (2nd from right, white jacket) with her class 8.

Picture: Our sons Dāgs Neliuss and Kārlis Elmers Apsītis. Dag is starting class 1, Elmer - 3.