[fsf60k] water almost everywhere

***This is a message from a member of Friends of Students for 60,000***

Dear Friends,
At last night's meeting, progress was reported on the perennially
problematic Nuevo Amanecer water project. Mike Cipoletti called earlier
Thursday to say that 8,000 meters of pipe have been bought along with sand
for the to-be-dug trenches and water meters for homes. Today, Mike indicated
that Andrew Longley, the professional hydrologist overseeing the project,
expects to have a specific proposal by the end of this month and for work to
begin next month. Once Andrew's report is digested, Friends' funds can be
used to help make the project happen. The arsenic level in the Nuevo well
has been determined to be 40 parts per billion; the allowable level is 10.
In phase 1, water from the well will be used for bathing, watering gardens
and possibly for animals to consume. Water also would be filtered to lower
arsenic levels for human consumption. Phase 2 involves piping arsenic-free
water from a mountainside spring. The well's pump could be powered by an
electrical line or by solar panels. Residents will dig the trenches as part
of their contribution.
Shari Kornblatt will be leading a trip to Nicaragua soon. Her aim is to
revive the literacy program at Nuevo, which had suffered because of a change
in personnel,  and to establish scholarships so that Nuevo students can
attend secondary school---only one has so far. Shari also wants Leon
University students to help with tutoring.
Mary McNamara and Amelie Alford, graduate students in library science at
C.W. Post, disseminated a four-page document on their proposed media center
for Chacraseca. More experts are interested in the project, they said, as
they seek recognition of their group as a formal campus organization. The
estimated startup cost is $35,000 with an annual cost of $2,000 to keep the
library running. Grants are being applied for, especially to obtain
computers.
Pete White reported that the holiday postcard fundraiser made a profit of
about $4,200, some of which is earmarked by the donors for specific projects
such as buying farm animals.
Getting money to Nicaragua in a safe and accountable way continues to elude
us, Pete reported. Setting up an account at the Citibank office in Leon to
allow transfers from the United States is a possibility.
Suni Solar, a company in Managua that set up the solar installation for the
community center in Nuevo, is proposing to build units for individual homes
for about $43 each. Mike has met with Suni engineer Douglas Gonzalez and
will see him again soon. They would like to install units in two homes to
see how folks like them. A solar array might mean not having to buy solar
light bulbs, a second generation of which will be field tested this month in
Nicaragua.
A waiver form prepared by a lawyer has been approved. The form may be
emailed as an attachment to anyone who has a connection with Friends in an
effort to protect the group from lawsuits that could drain our coffers.




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