Sunday, March 24, 2013

Upcoming events in the Asheville area this week



UPCOMING EVENTS

03/25/13 EARTH SABBATH
March Asheville Earth Sabbath is from 7 to 7:45 PM at St. Mary's Church (in new hall) on Charlotte Street. Byron Ballard will lead us in a Celebration of the Spring Equinox. For more information, contact Jean at larson_jean@hotmail.com.

03/25/13 UNCA: RISKS & REALITIES OF COAL AND NUCLEAR POWER
“The Dirty Energy Roadshow: Risks & Realities of Coal and Nuclear Power” Eric Blevins and Johanna Anderson will present on the parallels between coal, nuclear and other forms of dirty energy, and their risks and consequences for local communities and the world. Sponsored by Asheville Students for a Healthy Environment (ASHE) and Katuah Earth First! Information will be shared about upcoming events. Time is 7 PM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium. Contact Johanna at boneflower@riseup.net for more information.

03/25/13 INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY TALK
“Designing Healthy Communities” will be the topic at this talk. It will be on Monday, March 25th from 6 PM to 9 PM at UNCA Sherrill Center. Dr. Richard Jackson of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Urban Planning, UCLA School of Public Health, connects bad community design with growing health costs and analyzes and illustrates what architects, planners and citizens are doing about this urgent crisis. Open to the public, free. For more information, contact Terri at 828-250-4047.

03/26/13 MOVIE AT UNCA
"On Coal River" takes viewers on a gripping emotional journey into the Coal River Valley of West Virginia—a community surrounded by lush mountains and a looming toxic threat. The film follows a former coal miner and his neighbors in a David-and-Goliath struggle for the future of their valley, their children, and life as they know it. Local filmmakers Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood will be available for a Q&A after the screening. See the trailer at oncoalriver.com. Time is 7 PM and location is Highsmith Union Grotto.

03/26/13 UNITED FOR MARRIAGE VIGIL
Join us for an Asheville vigil to call for full LGBT equality. Vigils will be taking place across the country as the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the Prop 8 and DOMA cases on March 26 and 27. Time is 7 PM at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville. Hosted by Campaign for Southern Equality and cosponsored by Youth OutRight, Western NC Citizens to End Institutional Bigotry, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, and Land of the Sky UCC. Childcare provided.

03/27/13 MOUNTAIN HERO: JUNIOR WALK
From living with contaminated water in his own home as a child, to being kicked out of the house for speaking out against the coal company, Junior Walk's path to activism was not an easy one. His courage and clear voice calling for change has been widely recognized. Today Walk works with Coal River Mountain Watch, Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, and RAMPS (Radical Action for Mountain People's Survival) to end mountaintop removal mining. He travels the country with the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation educating people about the long-term environmental, health and community degradation caused by coal mining. He was a recipient of the prestigious Brower Youth Awards in 2011. The late renowned environmentalist David Brower famously said, “Tough mountains build bold leaders.”  Junior Walk is one of the many courageous and bold leaders whom the Appalachian Mountains have built. Time is 7 PM and location is Highsmith Union, Alumni Hall.

03/27/13 ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS
Join Asheville Green Drinks, Wednesday March 27th as we welcome Our VOICE in celebration of International Women’s Day.  International Women’s Day is March 8th.  Our VOICE, Inc. is a non-profit crisis intervention and prevention agency which serves victims of sexual violence, age 13 through adult, in Buncombe County. Socializing begins at 5:30 Pm and program begins at 6 PM. Location is Olive or Twist Restaurant at 81 Broadway Street in Asheville.

03/29/13 MOVIE SHOWN BY COMMON LIGHT MEETING HOUSE
The movie is “Five Broken Cameras” and it is about Palestinian non-violent resistance.  Time is 7 PM at Common Light Meeting House at 137 Center Avenue in Black Mountain, NC. This is sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. For more information, contact Susan at 828-669-2073.

03/30/13 REALLY, REALLY FREE MARKET
This will be at Aston Park in Asheville. Time is 11 AM to 5 PM.

03/30/13 FIRST ANNUAL HOMESTEADING FAIR
Want to transform your piece of Asheville into a thriving homestead? French Broad Food Coop is throwing a fair and has invited everyone you need to meet. This event is free and open to all. Over 30 vendors and educators will present a plethora of ideas and products, including: bee keeping, mushroom growing, poultry raising, mead making, permaculture, alternative energy sources, bread oven building, hops growing, alternative education, herbal medicine making, and fermentation…. And more! Time is 11 AM to 8 PM.

04/01/13 SPEAKERS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AT WARREN WILSON COLLEGE
The Academia and Activism Speaker Series will have a presentation by Alan Jenkins at 7 PM in Jensen Lecture Hall. For more information call 771-2083.

04/01/13 GREEN PARTY MEETING
The Buncombe County GREEN Party's business meeting is open to the public. It is held on the first Monday of the month. Time is 6 PM and location is the Fortune Building (upstairs), at 729 Haywood Rd., West Asheville. Parking in back and on the street. Contact Ronald @ 828-LUCK-180 or Larry @ 828-225-4347 for more information.

04/02/13 MOVIE ON FRACKING FROM CLEAN WATER NC
This evening there will be a potluck snack and a presentation on fracking in North Carolina.  It is called “Message from Marcellus” and sponsored by Clean Water NC. Location is Asheville Friends Meeting at 227 Edgewood Road, Asheville. Time is 7 PM. Free, donations accepted.

04/03/13 SIERRA CLUB MEETING
“Climate Change and Home Energy Efficiency” with data from the NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, speaker Jake Crouch; along with Amy Musser of Vandermusser Design, local home energy expert. Time is 7 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.

04/04/13 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. VFP Chapter 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/

04/04/13 WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL
The Western North Carolina Alliance invites the community to the 2013 Wild & Scenic Film Festival, featuring a selection of 14 short films that put our work–and yours–into the broader environmental and social context and serves to remind us that we’re participants in a global movement for a more wild and scenic world. Free raffle ticket with entry. Time is 7 to 10 PM. Location is Fine Arts Theatre. For ticket prices and raffle information, go to http://www.fineartstheatre.com/. For more information contact Rachel at Rachel@wnca.org or call (828) 258-8737 x201.

04/04/13 to 04/07/13 CARING FOR GOD’S CREATION
Dr. James Hansen, head of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, will be joining Caring for Creation 2013 via SKYPE. Over 20 environmental experts will provide leadership at the 2013 event. Join us at Lake Junaluska to discover your residential and faith communities' role in environmental care. Visit www.lakejunaluska.com/caring-for-creation for more information or to register.

04/04/13 ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT FILM SERIES
This will be at the Fine Arts Theatre, and “The Gatekeepers” will be shown at 7 PM. Film will be followed by a discussion, and regular ticket prices will apply. Go to http://www.fineartstheatre.com/ for more information. This is sponsored by UNCA Hillel, Belk Distinguished Professorship in the Humanities, Jewish Community Center, and Beth HaTephila.

04/04/13 FIFTH ANNUAL FREEDOM BALL
This will be held at the Gray Eagle in Asheville. Time is 7 PM, and tickets are $20 (includes food). This is a celebration of Glen Edward Chapman’s exoneration and freedom. Hosted by David Lamotte and to benefit Asheville Green Opportunities.

04/04/13 EVENT AT MALAPROPS
Political Economist Gar Alperovitz will lecture and have a book signing at Malaprops in Asheville. He is a Professor of Political Economy at the University of Maryland, is co-founder of The Democracy Collaborative. He is a former fellow of the Institute of Politics at Harvard and of King's College at Cambridge University. In “What Then Must We Do?” Alperovitz proposes an evolution, not a revolution, out of the old, now-crumbling US economic system, and into one that is "entirely American" - democratic, community-oriented, yet sophisticated enough to manage a large-scale, powerful economy - and he offers a way for citizens to move from anger to strategy. Time is 7 PM.

04/05/13 WNC ALLIANCE: TAKING ACTIVISM TO THE NEXT LEVEL
WNCA offers a free workshop at Lenoir-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies, 36 Montford Ave, Asheville. Topic is ‘Leadership Development: Taking Passion and Activism to Next Level in Local Communities’. Organized by WNCA and the North Carolina Conservation Network.  We’ll hear from leaders like Asheville City Councilmen Marc Hunt and Gordon Smith, who share our commitment to a healthy environment. They’ll tell us about their experiences and the opportunities they’ve had to make a difference through their positions. When: 10 AM to Noon Pre-registration is required, but there is no cost. http://action.ncconservationnetwork.org/site/Calendar?id=100802&view=Detail  

04/05/13 EVENT AT MALAPROPS
Philosopher A.C. Grayling, acclaimed author of “The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and For Humanism” is one of the world's leading public intellectuals, a professor of philosophy and master of the  New College of Humanities in London. He "has the sharp analytical mind of fellow naysayer Richard Dawkins, though he is gentler about saying no to God or god or gods."- Kirkus Reviews Time is 7 PM and location is Malaprops in Asheville.

04/06/13 OCCUPY ASHEVILLE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Occupy Asheville will hold a General Assembly at 2 PM at Pritchard Park. All are welcome to come and plan our future.

04/06/13 APRIL ACTION AT THE Y12 NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMPLEX
Saturday April 6 -- Gather at 12:30 at the Friendship Bell in Bissell Park in Oak Ridge; walk together to the gates of the Y-12 bomb plant where we will hear speakers, join our voices in song, enjoy skits, & learn about the UPF; and engage in nonviolent protest against the expansion and expense of this militaristic government program. You will not be arrested for civil disobedience merely by participating in this event.  http://orepa.org/say-no-to-the-upf/

04/06/13 FUNDRAISER FOR START FROM SEED
Start From Seed, our volunteer doula program, presents an evening with Ina May Gaskin and the screening of ‘Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives’, at Ferguson Auditorium on the campus of AB Tech. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with exhibits, film starts at 6:30 and will be followed at about 8 p.m. by a 90-minute panel discussion that will include Ina May Gaskin and Stephen Gaskin, midwives, doctors, and other local birth professionals. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds go to Start From Seed. To buy tickets, visit birthstoryasheville.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Cheryl at 828-776-3327.

04/06/13 WNC ALLIANCE SPRING GATHERING
We look forward to seeing our friends and supporters at our annual Spring Gathering, scheduled for Saturday, April 6 in Sylva. The fun daylong event will feature two morning hikes (your choice) and will be followed by an evening program from 6-9 p.m. featuring a barbecue dinner, square dancing and musical guests. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://wnca.org/save-the-date-wncas-spring-gathering-is-april-6/

04/08/13 to 04/10/13 APRIL DAYS OF ACTION IN DC FOR THE SOA WATCH

04/09/13 HEARTSPEAK CLASS
Tuesday, April 9, 7-9 pm: West Asheville Presbyterian Church, 690 Haywood Rd.  HeartSpeak free class with Cathy Holt.  Build your listening skills, learn heart coherence and empathic connection. Class size limited. For more information or to register: 828-545-9681, www.heartspeakpeace.com.

04/09/13 TALK:  MORAL LUCK
Dr Jonathan Shay, psychiatrist at the Boston VA hospital and author of many books on veterans' experiences with PTSD will be visiting UNC Asheville to give three talks from April 9th-11th. This one will be at 7:30 PM in the Mountain View Room at the Sherrill Center at UNCA. For more information, contact Sophie Mills, Professor, UNCA at 828-251-6296.

04/10/13 TALK: THEATRE OF WAR: COMMUNALIZATION OF TRAUMA THROUGH ARTS
Dr Jonathan Shay, psychiatrist at the Boston VA hospital and author of many books on veterans' experiences with PTSD will be visiting UNC Asheville to give three talks from April 9th-11th. This one will be at 7:30 PM in the Alumni Hall in the Highsmith Center at UNCA. For more information, contact Sophie Mills, Professor, UNCA at 828-251-6296.

04/11/13 TALK:  OPEN DISCUSSION ON SLEEP, COMMUNITY, OTHER HOBBY HORSES
Dr Jonathan Shay, psychiatrist at the Boston VA hospital and author of many books on veterans' experiences with PTSD will be visiting UNC Asheville to give three talks from April 9th-11th. This one will be at 7:30 PM in the Mountain View Room at the Sherrill Center at UNCA. For more information, contact Sophie Mills, Professor, UNCA at 828-251-6296.

04/12/13 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
The film shown tonight will be “Crossing Arizona”. This film covers the crisis of immigration in the US from all sides through the eyes of those directly affected. Time is 7 PM and location is the UU at Charlotte and Edwin Streets in Asheville. Donations accepted.

04/15/13 SPEAKERS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AT WARREN WILSON COLLEGE
The Academia and Activism Speaker Series will have a presentation by Nithya Raman at 7 PM in Jensen Lecture Hall. For more information call 771-2083.

04/15/13 GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST MILITARY SPENDING

04/18/13 ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT FILM SERIES
This will be at the Alumni Hall at UNCA. Time is 7 PM. The movie is “5 Broken Cameras” and will be followed by a discussion. Free. For more information email hillel@unca.edu. This is sponsored by UNCA Hillel, Belk Distinguished Professorship in the Humanities, Jewish Community Center, and Beth HaTephila.

04/18/13 DANCE LIKE THERE’S NOBODY WATCHING
This is a fundraiser for the WNC Health Alliance. Our third annual dance party with live music, raffle items and more. Starts at 6 PM and the location is Altamont Brewing Company at 1042 Haywood Road in Asheville. Suggested minimum donation of $12

04/20/13 GREEN GRANNIES ‘SING FOR THE CLIMATE’
Join the Green Grannies to "SING FOR THE CLIMATE". This is every third Saturday at 5 PM, Vance Monument.  See the video, singfortheclimate.com.

04/26/13 SISTER PREJEAN SPEAKING – AND AN OPERA: DEAD MAN WALKING
Sister Prejean will be speaking about abolishing the death penalty. Time is 2:30 to 3:30 PM at Lipinski Auditorium, UNCA. The movie “Dead Man Walking” was based on her life. Her talk will be called “Dead Man Walking – The Journey Continues”. Free. At 8 PM, there will be a presentation of an opera called “Dead Man Walking” (based on the book) at Lipinski Auditorium. Ticket prices for the general public start at $25. For more information, go to http://cesap.unca.edu/events/dead-man-walking-opera.

04/26/13 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
The film shown tonight will be “Brother Outsider, the Life of Bayard Rustin” in conjunction with the YMCA’s Stand Against Racism events. This film covers the life of a master strategist and tireless activist. He brought Gandhi’s protest techniques to the American civil rights movement, and was fired from important leadership positions because he was openly gay. 7 PM and location is the UU at Charlotte and Edwin Streets in Asheville. Donations accepted.

06/01/13 RALLY FOR BRADLEY MANNING AT FORT MEADE

*******************************************
ONGOING EVENTS
*******************************************
MONDAY

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 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe.

FRIDAY
Women in Black have a vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square (Asheville) on the first Friday of the month.
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville

SATURDAY
Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard.

*******************************************
ACTIONS AND READINGS
*******************************************

To mark the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Iraqis and U.S. military veterans came together to hold the U.S. government accountable for the lasting effects of war and the rights of veterans and civilians to heal. They requested a hearing on these issues with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a body of the Organization of American States.

I just added my name to a letter of support for their request, and I urge you to do the same. Use this link:



******************

Sign the Petition to Declare June as 'Solar Month' in North Carolina and Help Move Our State One Step Closer to Being First in Solar!


******************
FrackFree NC goes live!  The alliance of NC organizations working against fracking in NC has launched a website:  

Go to http://www.frackfreenc.org/  to learn more and sign the petition.


******************

Also check out the calendar at http://organizenorthcarolina.org/code/calendar.html  for social justice event in other parts of North Carolina.


******************

No comments: