Sunday, September 28, 2014

Upcoming events for the week of September 28, 2014

  "It may seem impossible to imagine that a technologically advanced society could choose, in essence, to destroy itself, but that is what we are now in the process of doing."  -- Elizabeth Kolbert, Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature and Climate Change, 2006

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UPCOMING EVENTS
     
09/29/14 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC PRESENTATION
“Faith, Climate Science, & Our Moral Obligation Presentation” – 7-8:30 p.m. – The Parish of St. Eugene, North Asheville – Dr. Deke Arndt, parishioner and climate scientist at the National Climatic Data Center, will speak. For the last several years, Dr. Arndt has been co-editor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and was instrumental in drafting the federal government’s recent climate report. He will share his personal revelation of our moral obligation to address climate change. This program is open to the public and the church is located on Culvern St, North Asheville behind the Merrimon Avenue Ingles. For more information, email Connie Mitchell at cmitchell28@charter.net.

09/30/14 PUBLIC FORUM ON VOTING RIGHTS IN BREVARD
Time is 7 PM, and the location is Transylvania County Library. Guest speaker is Adam Sotak of Democracy NC. For more information, contact jumpstartthevote@gmail.com or adamsotak@democracy-nc.org.

10/01/14 GREEN DRINKS AND SIERRA CLUB MEETING
Sierra Club of Western North Carolina, Asheville Green Drinks & WNC Alliance will present “Protecting NC Water from Fracking & Coal Ash” on Wed, October 1, 2014 at 7 PM. Sally Morgan with Clean Water for NC and Julie Mayfield, co-director with WNC Alliance will present. Free & open to the public. Socializing at 7 PM and the panel discussion begins at 7:15 PM on Oct. 1st. Location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Edwin and Charlotte Street in Asheville. Contact Judy for more information at judymattox@sbcglobal.net or 828-683-2176.

10/3/14 LECTURE AT UNCA
Free public lecture at UNCA: "Islam and the Modern World: From the Ottoman Empire to the rise of the Republic of Turkey” Time is 11:25 AM and location is Lipinsky Hall. Lecture Presented By: Dr. Payne, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Religious Studies - For over 500 years, the Ottoman Empire was the lens through which Europe and the Islamic world viewed one another. In this lecture, we will explore the self-understanding of the Ottoman Empire as an Islamic political state; the changing relationship between the values of the Ottoman world and those of “western” culture; and the legacies of the Ottoman Empire, especially in the creation of modern Turkey.

10/3/14 A B FOOD POLICY COUNCIL FALL MEETING OF THE WHOLE
Our next Meeting of the Whole has officially been set for October 3rd at the Pisgah View Community Pisgah View Peace Gardens. Join us as we celebrate the hard work and progress made across the community over the past year in working toward policies that support a "healthy food friendly" Asheville and Buncombe County! Learn more about our work and just come out for some good food, potluck style. We'll start at 4:30 so folks can mingle and play a bit before dinner will start at 5:30. **Important: To keep this as simple as possible, and green, please bring your own plates and utensils to eat from. This will hopefully minimize waste. Also bring a dish to share. Last Names A-F - Please bring Fruit; Last Names G-L - Please bring Veggies; Last Names M-R - Please bring Desserts or Bread; Last Names S-Z - Please bring Salad. Contact us with any questions at info@abfoodpolicy.com.

10/05/14 WNC ALLIANCE ‘DEMOCRACY TRIVIA NIGHT’
Join us from 4-6 PM on Oct. 5 at The Mothlight at 701 West Haywood Road in west Asheville. and play election-related trivia — with prizes for best team name and winning team! You can also register to vote and get information about the voting process and rules to be ready for this election season. This is a nonpartisan free event open to the public. Bring your friends! WNCA is co-sponsoring this event with the Campaign for Southern Equality and the League of Women Voters.

10/05/14 RALLY TO EXPAND MEDICAID
WNC Health Advocates presents a Rally to Expand Medicaid at 3 PM in Pritchard Park. Learn why access to health care is important and why it saves money, how much money North Carolina is losing because of its refusal to accept Medicaid expansion, and what the price of non-expansion is in human terms. Voter registration will be held, so come on out and bring your friends. Contact Leslie at leslie@wnchealthadvocates.org for more information. 

10/6/14 PISGAH LEGAL POVERTY FORUM
4th Annual Poverty Forum will be held at Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville. Don't miss social justice advocate, attorney and author Sister Simone Campbell, SSS when she and NETWORK's other “Nuns on the Bus” roll into Asheville. 5:30 PM for cocktail reception; 7:00 PM for Forum. Tickets: $50/person Cocktail Reception and Forum; $15/person Forum Only. Reception Catered by Chestnut/Corner Kitchen Catering. For more details and to purchase tickets or contact Betsy Fedder at 210-3444 or betsy@pisgahlegal.org. 

10/6/14 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
Time is 7 PM and location is North Asheville Library. This will be a planning meeting for the David Cobb event. Call Ruth at 232-2883 or email ruthachristie@gmail.com for more information.

10/06/14 DINNER WITH PROGRESSIVES
Dinner with Progressives is a social outlet for thoughtful people in Asheville NC. The gathering includes time to eat together and then enjoy presentations which focus on solutions for a brighter future. This happens on the first Monday of the month. Dinner is at 6 PM and the speaker/program  is at 7 PM. Contact Cheryl at ctorengo@gmail.com for more information.

10/06/14 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC POTLUCK
Please RSVP to join the Creation Care Alliance of WNC for a "Local Food, Faith, and Creation Care" potluck dinner and celebration! Time is 6 PM and location is the Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church's beautiful community garden, 789 Merrimon Avenue, in Asheville. We'll share a homegrown meal together, reflect on the connection between food, faith, and creation care, and discuss ideas for CCAWNC's Fall 2014 + Spring 2015 programming and next steps. A yummy, local dish to share is welcome but all that is required is a smile and interest in caring for this beautiful planet! For questions or more information please email Anna Jane at creationcare@wnca.org.

10/07/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE BOOK CLUB AT MALAPROPS
We will meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7 PM at Malaprops, for a 1 1/2 hour discussion on a book related to a current political topic. The chosen book for October is ‘On Western Terrorism: From Hiroshima to Drone Warfare’ by Noam Chomsky and Andre Vitchek. You may purchase the book at Malaprops (10% off list for all book clubs), or order on line as you wish, or check it out from the public library. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Bruce at bruceroth@charter.net.

10/07/14 ASHEVILLE TRANSIT COMMITTEE MEETING
 The October 7, 2014 meeting will be from 3:30-5pm in the First Floor Conference Room at City Hall.  

10/08/14 WNC CLIMATE LISTENING PROJECT
Dayna Reggero will present the “WNC Climate Listening Project” on Wed, October 8, 2014 at 6 pm. This is a visual and social storytelling project connecting conversations about climate science, disruption, adaptation and resilience in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Time is 6 PM and location is Green Sage Cafe in downtown Asheville. This is hosted by Green Drinks.

10/8/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church.

10/09/14 NC STATE CANDIDATE FORUM
A public information forum to which candidates for NC State Senate (Districts 48 and 49), NC House of Representatives (Districts 115 and 116), NC Supreme Court Chief Justice, NC Supreme Court Associate Justice, and State Court of Appeals are invited. This moderated forum is co-sponsored with the Asheville YWCA, Asheville American Association of University Women (AAUW), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Children First/Communities in Schools.
Doors open at 5:30 PM, event starts at 6 PM. Location is the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center at 285 Livingston Street in Asheville.

10/09/14 WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FILM SHOWING
Western N C Physicians for Social Responsibility will present the film, “PAX AMERICANA and the Weaponization of Space”, in commemoration of 2014 Keep Space for Peace Week. This  will be at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road, at 6:30 PM, Thursday, October 9. This film deals with the issue of space weapons and their politics, including interviews with several key United States military personnel and other prominent persons. It is vital that we citizens be alerted to dangers facing our survival and action needed in light of a growing arms race speeding the proliferation of these weapons.This event is already being supported by Veterans for Peace, Move to Amend of Buncombe County and The Earth and Social Justice Ministry of the Unitarian Universal Congregation of Asheville. We are seeking other cosponsors to help publicize this event and be listed as such on our program. Contact Lew at 299-1242 for more information or to be a sponsor. 

10/10/14 LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN NC
There is no ‘one-stop’ voting or registration at the polls in our state anymore. New voters may register until Friday, Oct. 10th, at the Board of Elections, 35 Woodfin Street, in downtown Asheville across from the YMCA. Phone: (828) 250-4200

10/10/14 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UU CONGREGATION
On Friday, October 10th, we are screening the very timely documentary, "Disruption", about climate change activism. ‘When it comes to climate change, why do we do so little when we know so much?’     Through a relentless investigation to find the answer, Disruption takes an unflinching look at the devastating consequences of our inaction. The film is at 7 PM. Location is the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville One Edwin Place, Asheville. Call Charles at 612-860-6628 for more information. There is no charge for viewing the film - Donations are welcome.

10/10/14 LECTURE AT UNCA
“Imperialism: Japan and the United States of America” will be at 11:25 AM at Lipinsky Hall. Free and open to the public. Lecture Presented By: Dr. McClain, Lecturer, Humanities Program and HUM 324 Coordinator - The pursuit of empire in the Pacific by the United States of America helps create, simultaneously, a modern and imperial adversary, Japan.

10/10/14 PUBLIC LECTURE AT UNCA
Time is 11:25 AM to 12:35 PM, and location is Carmichael Humanities Lecture Hall at UNCA. Free & Open to the Public. Lecture presented by Dr. Walters, Professor, Department of Drama. This lecture will examine the reasons that the past 30 years have seen the number of inmates in federal custody grow by 800 percent, the majority for drug-related crimes, and more than 60 percent are racial and ethnic minorities. Title is “Incarceration Nation”.

10/13/14 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE’S FIFTH BIRTHDAY
Transition Asheville invites you to a celebration, one that draws on people's imaginations and that fans the flames of optimism! We'll be asking people to think about and share their individual and most positive and hopeful vision of  “Asheville 2044”, our community 30 years from now. The story includes how we got there, and what milestones happened along the way. This is a technique that Transition groups elsewhere have used to inspire hope, articulate steps forward, develop plans, and see what other people dream about! It is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours, bathing in your vision of future good times for Asheville, thirty years from now! We will be holding this event: "Harnessing the Power of a Positive Vision: Your Picture of Asheville 30 Years from Now" on Monday, October 13th at St. Mary's Church parish hall, on Charlotte Street. Snacks and drinks will be provided, just bring your imagination and hopes! Please extend this invitation to others in your organization who might find this fun! Hope to see you there.” Time is 6:30 PM.

10/14/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. 

10/15/14 GREEN DRINKS
Join us Wednesday October 15th at 5:45 PM at the Green Sage for a screening of a current, globally impactful, film on climate change: Disruption. This week we will start socialization at 5:30 p.m. as normal, but note that we will begin the program early at 5:45 p.m. to ensure the completion of the film. Location is the Green Sage in downtown Asheville.

10/16/14 LECTURE AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY
Lecture by Oralene Simmons, former Rosenwald School student, Great-great-granddaughter of the slave named Joseph Anderson, and the first African American admitted to Mars Hill College, and Susi Anderson, resident of Hawaii and Great-great-granddaughter of the slave-master of Joseph Anderson. Time TBA. This is part of the Rural Heritage Museum exhibition: “Our Story–This Place, The History of African American Education in Madison County, North Carolina: The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School”. Location is Montague Hall on the campus of Mars Hill University. Admission is free, and the exhibit will run until February 2015. For more information please call (828) 689-1400.

10/17/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST This meeting will be at 3:15 PM at Brooks-Howell Home in the media room. 

10/18/14 WE ARE THE VILLAGE PARENTING EXPO
Parenting is complicated. Our hope is to have happy, healthy, successful children – but how do we get there? Whose help do we need? Where do we start? It takes a village to raise a child. Join us for a day when we learn how we are and how we can be that village. 
We are the Village: A conference and expo that includes: • Sessions for parents and families that range from addressing challenging behavior to dealing with picky eaters, from supporting children in sports to The Sex Talk – and everything in between. • Community Expo with local resources for families. • Free child care and activities for children ages birth through fifth grade. • Opportunities to connect with affinity groups - folks facing similar challenges, joys, and experiences. For more information, please contact Megan at wearethevillageavl@gmail.com.   Time is 9:30 AM to 2 PM, and location is the First Baptist Church of Asheville. Please contact Megan to find out how to register so they have the correct number of free lunches.

10/21/14 ACTIVIST DAVID COBB TO SPEAK IN ASHEVILLE
Move to Amend of Buncombe County is bringing activist David Cobb (national leader of Move to Amend) to speak at Jubilee! at 46 Wall Street in Asheville, NC from 7 to 9 PM on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. Move To Amend is a coalition of hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of individuals who believe that constitutional rights belong only to human beings, not to corporations, and that money is not a form of free speech and can be regulated during elections. David Cobb is National Projects Director of Democracy Unlimited. He is a lawyer and political activist. David has sued corporate polluters, lobbied elected officials,  run for political office himself, and has been arrested for non-violent civil disobedience.  He truly believes we must use ALL the tools in the toolbox to effect the systemic social change we so desperately need. For questions and information, contact Diana at 828-275-0680 or email dianakrukmta@gmail.com. Free and open to the public.

10/23/14 EARLY VOTING STARTS

10/23/14 BOOK READING AT MALAPROPS
SNCC Veteran Charles Cobb will discuss and read from his book “That Nonviolent Stuff Will Get You Killed” and discuss the forgotten lessons from the civil rights movement. Time TBA. 

10/25/14 - 10/26/14 CHANGE THE COURSE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Change the Course is an invitation to the climate movement to dig deep and think hard about what it would actually take to stabilized the climate and turn our collective ship around. Please join us at the upcoming Climate Leadership Summits to kick this project off. These two day events will bring communities together for an innovative visioning, strategic development and skills summit. This is sponsored by the Rainforest Action Network. Time is 1 to 6 PM both days and location is Lenoir-Rhyne University at 36 Montford Avenue in Asheville. For more information go to ran.org/changethecourse.

11/01/14 BEYOND EXTREME ENERGY WEEK
Actions will take place in Washington, DC. From local activist Steve Norris: To my friends: I am working with a coalition of activists and organizations from around the country preparing for a week of nonviolent direct actions in Washington DC in early November. We are calling our campaign Beyond Extreme Energy. Please consider joining us. We will also be asking for donations to support this work. Feel free to call or email me with questions. Steve Norris, 828-777-7816, or earthsun2@gmail.com.  

11/04/14 ELECTION DAY

11/04/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE BOOK CLUB AT MALAPROPS
We will meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7 PM at Malaprops, for a 1 1/2 hour discussion on a book related to a current political topic. The chosen book for November is ‘The Battle for Justice in Palestine’ by Ali Abunimah. You may purchase the book at Malaprops (10% off list for all book clubs), or order on line as you wish, or check it out from the public library. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Bruce at bruceroth@charter.net.

11/05/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church.
11/06/14 FORUM ON FAMILY HOMELESSNESS
Families experience homelessness for the same kinds of reasons that anyone else does - losing a job, going through a divorce, an illness or having hours cut back. Families living in poverty are always at the edge of a crisis. In 2014, the annual Point In Time Count - a one day event where organizations attempt to count the number of people who are homeless at shelters and camps - found 20 families in Buncombe County and 12 in Henderson County who are homeless. Homeward Bound is looking carefully at this problem because we know that getting people out of homelessness and into housing as rapidly as possible, is critical, especially for families with children. Join us at our first ever Forum on Family Homelessness on November 6th.  Your $20 ticket includes a meal, keynote speaker Kelly King Horne from Homeward Virginia, and an insightful panel discussion of experts facilitated by our Executive Director, Brian Alexander. This event is sponsored by attorneys Chitwood and Fairbairn. Email Beth at beth@homewardboundwnc.org for more information on how to purchase tickets.

11/10/14 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
Time is 7 PM and location is North Asheville Library. Call Ruth at 232-2883 or email ruthachristie@gmail.com for more information.

11/13/14 PANEL PRESENTATION AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY
Panel Presentation: Personal Recollections of the Rosenwald School. This is part of the exhibition “Our Story–This Place, The History of African American Education in Madison County, North Carolina: The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School” at the Rural Heritage Museum at Mars Hill University that runs until February 2015.This exhibition traces the history of African American education in Western North Carolina, with a particular emphasis on Madison County, from Reconstruction through the period of Civil Rights legislation and the integration in the 1960s. The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School played a large role in African American heritage and history in Madison County and Western North Carolina for a good part of the 20th century. Moderated by Kevin Barnette (Assist. football coach at MHU) to include Anderson Rosenwald school alumni Oralene Simmons, Charity Ray, Dorothy Coone, Omar   Lewis McClain, Fatimah Rashida Shabazz, Gene Jones.Time TBA. Admission is free, and the exhibit will run until February 2015. For more information please call (828) 689-1400.

11/21/14 PROTEST THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS IN GEORGIA

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ONGOING EVENTS
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TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument

WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville

THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 1 PM at A-Hope on North Ann Street in Asheville.  
Youth Outright Poetry Night at United Church of Christ in Asheville at 5 PM

FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville
Women in Black have a monthly vigil at 5 PM at Vance Monument in Asheville (first Friday only)

SATURDAY
Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard
Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Vance Monument at 5 PM.

SUNDAY
Youth OUTright meeting from 4 to 6 PM at First Congregational United Church of Christ at 20 Oak Street in Asheville. Ages 14 - 23 only.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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OCCUPY SURVEY:  If you were involved in the Occupy movement, you may want to take this international survey about what it meant to you and how it still impacts our world. I took the survey, seems very legit. 

http://civilsc.net/OccupySurvey


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Public Comment Period on Fracking Rules til Sept. 30th!

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is now accepting written comments on the 120 rules proposed to regulate fracking. The public comment period is open until September 30.

Send written comments to the Mining & Energy Commission:
ATTN: Oil and Gas Program
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612


or email to Oil&Gas@ncdenr.gov.

Talking Points: Pick a few and personalize.
1) The mountains of western NC are different from the rest of the state & would require different rules:  narrow & one lane mountain roads are dangerous for big trucks with fracking chemicals,
2) spills along mountain roads would endanger streams,
3) Steep slopes & landslide areas are dangerous,
4) request full disclosure of chemicals used in the fracking process,
5) request adequate rules for fracking wastewater disposal, open pits with secret chemicals are unacceptable; stop all fracking permits until wastewater disposal is safe.
6) request baseline and follow up testing for baseline water quality data to be required for all water wells within 1 mile of the gas well head, and along the horizontal leg of the gas well. Follow up testing should be required for at least 10 years after production ends.
7) request setback distances to be at least 1000 feet from private water wells & 1500 feet from public water supply


For more information, contact: Sally Morgan, Clean Water for NC, sally@cwfnc.org, 828-251-1291.

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