Sunday, February 09, 2014

Upcoming events for the Asheville area this week



UPCOMING EVENTS

02/10/14 ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL MEETING
Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council Meeting of the Whole will be held at Sherrill Center (Mountain View Suite) at UNCA. Join us in celebrating the hard work and progress made over the past year in supporting a “healthy food friendly” Asheville and Buncombe County. Learn more about our work and help us set our priorities for the next year. We want YOUR input. Time is 4 to 6:30 PM.  New member orientation at 4 PM. Email us with questions and to find out how to register at info@abfoodpolicy.com.

02/10/14 PANEL DISCUSSION AT WARREN WILSON COLLEGE
A panel discussion and book signing featuring five contributors to “Small Stories, Big Changes,” a book about community sustainability change-makers, will be held Feb. 10 at 6:30 PM in Canon Lounge at Warren Wilson College. Subtitled “An Evening of Personal Empowerment and Community Inspiration,” the free public event will be moderated by WWC Associate Dean Gary Hawkins. The panel provides a mix of people who have inspiring stories to tell about experiences in leading sustainable change in their communities. They include Gary Phillips, writer, preacher and auctioneer who held the line against real estate developers in Chatham County, N.C.; Anne Tazewell, coordinator of statewide efforts to increase the use of more sustainable transportation technologies; Eric Henry, the force behind Cotton of the Carolinas, which grows, makes and sells 100 percent Carolina cotton T-shirts; Elaine Chiosso, Haw River keeper and executive director of the Haw River Assembly; and Lyle Estill, entrepreneur, blogger and editor of “Small Stories, Big Changes.” For more information about the event, contact Ellen at querin@warren-wilson.edu or 828-771-3006.

02/10/14 LECTURES AT UNCA
A lecture “China” will be presented by Jinhua Li, a UNCA lecturer in Chinese studies. Time is 11:25 AM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium. Free and open to the public.

02/10/14 AFFORDABLE CARE ACT INFORMATION SERIES
The Council on Aging of Buncombe County is hosting free nonpolitical information session on the Affordable Care Act for those interested in learning how to purchase health insurance through the marketplace. Each session will explain parts of the ACA and how to apply for coverage. Time is 4 PM to 5:30 PM and location is Enka-Candler Library at 14014 Sand Hill Road, Chander.

02/10/14 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
Meeting is at 7 PM at the North Asheville Library.

02/11/14 GREAT DECISIONS LECTURE SERIES AT UNCA
“Defense and the rise of new technologies.” From robotic planes to cyber-weapons to 3D printing and human enhancement, new "game-changing" technologies are moving from science fiction to battlefield reality - all during an age of fiscal austerity. But in wrestling with the new, we can actually learn a great deal from the past. What are the "killer applications" of the 21st century battlefield, and in turn, what are the issues that the U.S. must navigate in adapting to them? Speaker is Maj. Gen. Rick Devereaux, Ret. USAF, and current consultant. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each.  Full time students admitted free of charge. Time is 7:30 PM and location is the Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center at UNCA.

02/11/14 BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM AT UNCA
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” Episode Two: The Age of Slavery (1800 - 1860). Time is 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - Highsmith University Union 114 - Intercultural Center. The Age of Slavery illustrates how black lives changed dramatically in the aftermath of the American Revolution. For free black people in places like Philadelphia, these years were a time of tremendous opportunity. But for most African Americans, this era represented a new nadir. King Cotton fueled the rapid expansion of slavery into new territories, and a Second Middle Passage forcibly relocated African Americans from the Upper South into the Deep South. Yet as slavery intensified, so did resistance. From individual acts to mass rebellions, African Americans demonstrated their determination to undermine and ultimately eradicate slavery in every state in the nation. Courageous individuals, such as Harriet Tubman, Richard Allen and Frederick Douglass, played a crucial role in forcing the issue of slavery to the forefront of national politics, helping to create the momentum that would eventually bring the country to war. Free and open to the public.

02/11/14 PUBLIC HEARING ON REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION
The NCDOT PUBLIC HEARING ON REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES will be from 4 to 7 PM. Location is Haynes Building at AB Tech in Enka on Sand Hill Road. During the 2013 legislative session, the General Assembly passed a bill overhauling how the state prioritizes and funds transportation projects. There are now three pots of funding – state, regional, and local – each with a different set of criteria for determining how projects will be prioritized and funded. Early this year, NC DOT will be prioritizing those projects in the state funding pot and, as part of that process, is holding hearings around the state to hear from citizens what projects they believe are most important. Included in this statewide category are interstate projects of statewide significance, including the I-26 Connector. Please attend the hearing and tell the DOT what you think about transportation generally, where state dollars ought to be invested, and what you want to see in the I-26 Connector Project specifically. If you cannot attend, you can still comment here: http://www.ncdot.gov/strategictransportationinvestments/PublicMeetings.html (Scroll down to Division 13).

02/11/14 WOMEN’S GROUP AT FIRESTORM CAFÉ & BOOKS
This will be a four week series, starting at 6:30 PM on February 4 and going until February 25. Come explore the spiritual and creative gifts we have as individuals and as a group to empower ourselves and one another. Sponsored by the Asheville Lesbian Brunch & Social Club. February 11th – Lori will lead a discussion on the challenges and rewards of emotional intimacy in relationships, including friendship, family and partnerships. Why do lesbian relationships seem so difficult to maintain? What can we as a community do to nurture healthy partnerships? February 18th – Amy will lead a group on gender expectations, expression and identification, exploring manifestations from childhood through development of our sexuality. How does patriarchy affect lesbian/bisexual and trans identity and relationships? How can we help ourselves and one another navigate gender? February 25th – TBA

02/11/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. VFP Chapter 099: http://vfpchapter099wnc.blogspot.com/.

02/11/14 PRESENTATION AT UNCA
A ‘lunch n learn’ will feature a presentation titled “Ain’t I a Woman: Women of Color and Reality TV” at 12:30 PM at the Intercultural Center at Highsmith University Union. Free and open to the public.

02/11/14 AFFORDABLE CARE ACT INFORMATION SERIES
The Council on Aging of Buncombe County is hosting free nonpolitical information session on the Affordable Care Act for those interested in learning how to purchase health insurance through the marketplace. Each session will explain parts of the ACA and how to apply for coverage. Time is 6 PM to 7:30 PM and location is Weaverville Library at 41 North Main Street in Weaverville.  

02/11/14 ASHEVILLE REGIONAL TRAININGS FROM JUMPSTART THE VOTE
Democracy North Carolina, Asheville AAUW and the Asheville YWCA are organizing a regional training on February 11 for local volunteers involved in Operation Jumpstart the Vote, a coordinated, statewide campaign to counter the wave of new voting restrictions with hundreds of local nonpartisan projects. The training will take place at the Asheville YWCA (185 S. French Broad Street, Asheville), and you have two opportunities to attend, one at 2 PM and one at 6 PM. Trainings last 2 ½ hours. We do not charge for the trainings. You are welcome to attend if you are currently, or you want to be, part of a local voter registration, voter education or voter protection project. For any questions, please contact Anne Sayers at anne299@earthlink.net.

02/12/14 GREEN DRINKS
Join us Wednesday February 12th at 6 PM at the Posada Cafe for a Duke Energy Roundtable discussion on Net Metering and Duke Energy’s New Solar Initiative with presenters Jason Walls, Duke Energy’s District Manager and President and CEO of Sundance Power, Dave Hollister. Net metering allows users who produce more energy than they need per day to store the extra energy on the grid in exchange for banked energy credits. There will be a discussion about net metering and possible changes to come. One possible change is the amount paid by Duke per kilowatt-hour to solar customers. Duke’s reasoning on this change is that they are still tasked with the upkeep of wires, substations, etc. Critics, including Greenpeace organizer Monica Embrey, suggest that duke is trying to “block the sun” and instead should “join its customers and the 20th century and stop blocking the sun.” On Wednesday night, learn about possible changes in net metering and its effects on customers and solar energy efforts and what Duke plans to do with its new Solar Initiatve. After the presentation there will be time for Q&A from the audience. (Maybe someone could ask him who he thinks should be arrested for poisoning the Dan River. - dancewater)

02/12/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Time is 9:30 AM and location is Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com for more information.

02/12/14 HEART SPEAK
HeartSpeak: Listening & Speaking from the Heart, Wednesdays 2/12 – 3/19, from 7-9 PM. Are you feeling concerned about difficult interactions at home or work? Do you find yourself exchanging angry words, or withdrawing, even though you long for more harmony and connection? Close relationships and friendships thrive when we learn to communicate from the heart. Join me in a warm and intimate setting for six evenings of awareness and skill building through experiential, small group exercises, one to one interactions, poetry and music, and group games. You'll receive a HeartSpeak minibook. Cost: $80, or let's discuss barter. Two people enrolling together each receive a 10% discount. Please pre-register, as class size will be limited. Early bird discount: $70 if registered by February 5. Email: cathyfholt@gmail.com or call 828-545-9681 for more information.

02/13/14 BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM AT UNCA
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” Episode Three: Into the Fire (1861-1896). Time is 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - Highsmith University Union 114 - Intercultural Center. Into the Fire examines the most tumultuous and consequential period in African-American history: the Civil War and the end of slavery, and Reconstruction’s thrilling but tragically brief “moment in the sun.” From the beginning, African Americans were agents of their own liberation - forcing the Union to confront the issue of slavery by fleeing the plantations, and taking up arms to serve with honor in the United States Colored Troops. After Emancipation, African Americans sought to realize the promise of freedom - rebuilding families shattered by slavery; demanding economic, political and civil rights; even winning elected office. Just a few years later, however, an intransigent South mounted a swift and vicious campaign of terror to restore white supremacy and roll back African-American rights. Yet the achievements of Reconstruction would remain very much alive in the collective memory of the African-American community. Free and open to the public.

02/13/14 A CALL TO ACTION AGAINST CORPORATE RULE
We will present a video of David Cobb, National Spokesperson for the national grassroots organization, Move to Amend. He will speak on “A Call to Action Against Corporate Rule”. Sponsored by Move to Amend, Buncombe County and The Unitarian Universalist Congregation Swannanoa Valley, Social Action Committee. This will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Doors open at 6:30PM, event starts at 7 PM, questions and answers at 8 PM. Learn about the nationwide campaign to amend the Constitution to return corporations to their earlier state when they were not given the rights of citizens, when money wasn’t speech and Congress could regulate money in politics. For more information call: Geoffrey at (828) 669-0619  or Susan at (828) 669-1785. Free and open to the public.

02/14/14 UU SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM
On Friday, February 14th, we are screening the thought-provoking documentary, "Speciesism: The Movie". Modern farms are struggling to keep a secret. Most of the animals used for food in the United States are raised in giant, bizarre factories, hidden deep in remote areas of the countryside. The documentary takes viewers on a sometimes funny, sometimes frightening adventure, crawling through the bushes that hide these factories, flying in airplanes above their toxic “manure lagoons,” and coming face-to-face with their owners. The film is at 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist in Asheville. No charge for the film, donations are welcome. Open to the public.

02/14/14 LECTURES AT UNCA
A lecture “The Contagion of Freedom: Anti-Slavery, Women’s Rights and Economic Justice” will be presented by Sarah Judson, a UNCA associate professor of history. Time is 11:25 AM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium. Free and open to the public. A lecture “Incarceration Nation” will be presented by Scott Walters, a UNCA professor of drama. Time is 11:25 AM and location is Humanities Lecture Hall. Free and open to the public.

02/15/14 ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY THE WORLD SAID NO TO WAR
The February 15, 2003 anti-war protest was a coordinated day of protests across the world in which more than 10 million people in more than 600 cities expressing opposition to the imminent Iraq War.  In remembrance of this important date, we can reflect on the purpose of protest, and how we can make our voices heard in the upcoming year.

02/15/14 VAGINA MONOLOGUES AT UNCA
Time is 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and location is Carmichael Humanities Lecture Hall. Come see VDay UNC Asheville's annual performance of The Vagina Monologues! The award-winning play is based on V-Day Founder/playwright Eve Ensler's interviews with more than 200 women. With humor and grace the piece celebrates women's sexuality and strength. Through this play and the liberation of this one word, countless women throughout the world have taken control of their bodies and their lives. For more than twelve years, The Vagina Monologues has given voice to experiences and feelings not previously exposed in public. Tickets are $5 for students with ID and $7 for community members. All proceeds will benefit VDay campaigns and SPEAK Up!!! on campus.

02/15/14 GREEN GRANNIES SING FOR THE CLIMATE
Green Grannies Sing for the Climate at Vance Monument at 5 PM. Google "Singfortheclimate" and come out and sing with us! This happens on the third Saturday of every month.

02/15/14 TEDx AT UNCA
From 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM there will be a TEDx UNCA Conference at Lipinsky Hall Auditorium. TEDx UNC-Asheville is an annual conference independently organized by students at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. This year's event will feature 17 presenters speaking across the disciplines to bring you innovative ideas and impassioned personal stories. Tickets are $5 for students and UNC Asheville affiliated faculty/staff and $10 for anyone else.

02/15/14 ONE BILLION RISING FOR JUSTICE!

02/15/14 GREEN GRANNIES SING FOR THE CLIMATE
Green Grannies Sing for the Climate at Vance Monument at 5 PM. Google "Singfortheclimate" and come out and sing with us! This happens on the third Saturday of every month.

02/18/14 GREAT DECISIONS LECTURE SERIES AT UNCA
“Food security and climate change.” Even as a sixth of the world's population suffers from chronic hunger, a changing climate threatens to wreak havoc on already insecure and vulnerable populations. As food and water become scarce and once fertile land becomes barren, the U.S. finds itself faced with new challenges in securing the globe. The U.S. is getting ready, but can it lead the way to climate reform? Speaker is Dr. Amy Knisley of Warren Wilson College. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each.  Full time students admitted free of charge. Time is 7:30 PM and location is the Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center at UNCA.

02/18/14 BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM AT UNCA
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” Episode Four: Making a Way out of No Way (1897-1940). Time is 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - Highsmith University Union 114 - Intercultural Center. Making a Way Out of No Way portrays the Jim Crow era, when African Americans struggled to build their own worlds within the harsh, narrow confines of segregation. At the turn of the 20th century, a steady stream of African Americans left the South, fleeing the threat of racial violence, and searching for better opportunities in the North and the West. Leaders like Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey organized, offering vastly different strategies to further black empowerment and equality. Yet successful black institutions and individuals were always at risk. At the same time, the ascendance of black arts and culture showed that a community with a strong identity and sense of pride was taking hold in spite of Jim Crow. “The Harlem Renaissance” would not only redefine how America saw African Americans, but how African Americans saw themselves. Free and open to the public.

02/18/14 VOTING RIGHTS UPDATE
A voting rights update will be held by the League of Women Voters in Asheville and Buncombe County from 6 PM to 8 PM. Location is Pack Memorial Library in downtown Asheville. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact jumpstartthevote@gmail.com.

02/18/14 WNC ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS MEETING
The Western North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Kenilworth Presbyterian Fellowship Hall at 123 Kenilworth Rd in Asheville. Time is 10 AM. The ARA is a statewide organization of retired union members and their friends and families. We are non-partisan and open to everyone who is concerned about the need for jobs which pay a living wage, as well as those issues which affect all of us. FMI contact dick@dickandnorma.com.

02/18/14 PRESENTATION AT UNCA
A ‘lunch n learn’ will feature a presentation titled “My Brother’s Keeper: Understanding the voice of UNCA’s Black Males”. Time is 12:30 PM and location is the Intercultural Center at Highsmith University Union.

02/19/14 GREEN DRINKS
Join us Wednesday February 19th at 6 PM at the Green Sage Coffeehouse and Cafe for a presentation by automotive engineer Dave Erb on “Powering Forward:  Four Commandments, Four Heresies, Three Comments,” a talk first delivered to the American Solar Energy Society’s 2013 annual convention. Dave’s presentation is structured to provide a framework within which to consider sustainable transportation (“Four Commandments”), to dispel some widely-held myths (“Four Heresies”), and to call environmentalists to practical, effective action (“Three Comments). The Green Sage Coffeehouse and Cafe is transitioning into their winter hours. They will close to the public at 5 PM but will still offer Green Drinks attendees food service until 5:30 PM. Please plan accordingly if you would like to purchase dinner. Thank you. Presentation is at 6 PM.

02/20/14 BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM AT UNCA
“Watch n Learn: Four Little Girls”. Time is 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Highsmith University Union 143 – Grotto. This fascinating documentary tells the story of the notorious racial terrorist bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a historic African American church in Birmingham, Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement. Directed by Spike Lee. Free and open to the public.

02/20/14 BUNCOMBE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN EVENT
At the Buncombe County Democratic Women event, Christopher Brook (Legal Director, NC ACLU) will be speaking on the ACLU of NC’s marriage lawsuit as well as their challenge to the voter suppression bill passed by the NC legislature last year. The event goes from 6 PM-7 PM and will be held at Democratic Headquarters, located at 920 Old Fairview Road in Asheville. There is a $12 fee if folks want dinner but no charge if you just want to attend. Open to the public.

02/21/14 WESTERN SWING DANCE BENEFIT FOR PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES
Kick up your heels for a good cause! For your listening and dancing pleasure, the Western Wildcats will perform Honky Tonk & Western Swing music at the Altamont Theatre on Church Street in Asheville. Dance lessons at 6:30 pm; Music and Dancing 7-10 pm. $10/person. Y'all come! RSVP to Betsy at betsy@pisgahlegal.org or 210-3444.   

02/21/14 WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEETING
The next WNC PSR monthly meeting will be at a private home near the VA Hospital. Brown Bag lunch at noon with meeting from 12:30 to 2 PM. Everyone is welcome. Please go to www.wncpsr.org  for more information, which includes how to get there and other details.

02/25/14 BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM AT UNCA
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” Episode Five: Rise! (1940 – 1968). Time is 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - Highsmith University Union 114 - Intercultural Center. Rise! examines the long road to civil rights, when the deep contradictions in American society finally became unsustainable. Beginning in World War II, African Americans who helped fight fascism abroad came home to face the same old racial violence. But this time, mass media - from print to radio and TV - broadcast that injustice to the world, planting seeds of resistance. And the success of black entrepreneurs and entertainers fueled African-American hopes and dreams. In December 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, heralding the dawn of a new movement of quiet resistance, with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as its public face. Before long, masses of African Americans practiced this nonviolent approach at great personal risk to integrate public schools, lunch counters and more. As the civil rights movement scored one historic victory after another, non-violence was still all too often met with violence - until finally, enough was enough. By 1968, Dr. King, the apostle of non-violence, would be assassinated, unleashing a new call for “Black Power” across the country. Free and open to the public.

02/25/14 GREAT DECISIONS LECTURE SERIES AT UNCA
“China's foreign policy.” China has gone to great lengths to emphasize the ‘peaceful’ nature of its meteoric rise. Yet few dispute that China is the dominant regional power in Asia - and in recent years Beijing began to flex its muscles regionally in order to advance its strategic interests. What does the rapid rise of this new superpower mean for other countries in the region, and are there potential points of conflict with the U.S. as it "pivots" to Asia? Speaker is Dr. Jim Lenburg of Mars Hill University (emeritus) and OLLI board chair. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each.  Full time students admitted free of charge. Time is 7:30 PM and location is the Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center at UNCA.

02/25/14 START UP PROJECT ASHEVILLE
On February 26th from 5 to 7 PM, what are you doing? In honor of collaboration we've started a new event, Startup Product Asheville. This hopes to bring together different organizations and networks in the name of building out our support for entrepreneurs, cultural creatives, geeks and the creative class in general. Thank you to Asheville Music Hall for hosting us! We have 4 wonderful speakers lined up and I'm happy to share them here as many of them have just been confirming today. We will have one hour of networking and one hour or a little more of program. Robin Cape - will present the Collider, a collaborative space that will change the entrepreneurial landscape (like an RTP in the making move); Bradley Waldrop - will talk about what an Lean Startup Circle is about; Craig McAnsh - signed on today and hopefully will in part give an update about Mojo, 3d printing and whats next for Asheville; and David Miller - will give us an update on the Story Worlding revolution and hopefully we will have some immersive technology at the event. RSVP here:  http://www.meetup.com/StartupProductAsheville/.

02/26/14 GREEN DRINKS AND LENOIR-RHYNE
Back by popular demand, Lenoir-Rhyne Asheville, teaming up with Asheville Greendrinks, will host a night of funny, touching, and inspiring stories from Peace Corps and AmeriCorps Volunteers.  The stories last year were amazing and we can’t wait to welcome you back. We are particularly interested in stories about volunteers experiencing culture shock (always lots of humor in those stories). Call Sara Landry at 828.407.4263 with questions. Time is 5:30 PM to 7 PM. Please call the above number to find out location.

02/27/14 BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM AT UNCA
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” Episode Six: A More Perfect Union (1968 – 2013). Time is 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - Highsmith University Union 114 - Intercultural Center. After 1968, African Americans set out to build a bright new future on the foundation of the civil rights movement’s victories, but a growing class disparity threatened to split the black community in two. As hundreds of African Americans won political office across the country and the black middle class made unprecedented progress, larger economic and political forces isolated the black urban poor in the inner cities, vulnerable to new social ills and an epidemic of incarceration. Yet African Americans of all backgrounds came together to support Illinois’ Senator Barack Obama in his historic campaign for the presidency of the United States. When he won in 2008, many hoped that America had finally transcended race and racism. By the time of his second victory, it was clear that many issues, including true racial equality, remain to be resolved. Now we ask: How will African Americans help redefine the United States in the years to come? Free and open to the public.

02/27/14 SINGER/SONGWRITER AT UNCA
Time is 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Lipinsky Hall 125 – Auditorium. Pakistani Soul Singer-Songwriter - Arooj Aftab’s dynamic voice transcends borders that imprison bodies, minds and spirits. Originally from Pakistan, she created Rebuild Pakistan to promote a vision of peace and healing. Aftab skillfully re-imagines indigenous soul with signature cool by paying homage to classical Pakistani, Sufi, neo-soul and jazz and contemporary world music. UNC Asheville students $5; Area students $7; Campus community $12, General $20 more info: aroojaftabmusic.com. ~ Also, there will be a master class from 12:30-1:30 PM at the Humanities Lecture Hall at UNCA. Join Arooj Aftab as she performs original music, discusses her work with Rebuild Pakistan and shares her experience as assistant editor and music supervisor for the MTV series, Rebel Music. Free and open to the public.

02/27/14 MOVIE SHOWING AT FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The movie, “The 11th Hour” will be shown at 7:00 PM at the First Congregational Church, 20 Oak Street, in Asheville. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the environment, blah, blah, blah, melting ice caps. To judge from all the gas-guzzlers still fouling the air and the plastic bottles clogging the dumps, it appears that the news that we are killing ourselves and the world with our greed and garbage hasn’t sunk in. That’s one reason “The 11th Hour” an unnerving, surprisingly affecting documentary about our environmental calamity, is such essential viewing. The problem looks overwhelming, literally, as demonstrated by the images of overflowing landfills and sickeningly polluted bodies of water that flicker through the movie like damning evidence. “The 11th Hour” attempts to stave off helplessness, and the nihilism that often follows it, mostly by appealing to our reason. It is our astonishing capacity for hope that distinguishes “The 11th Hour” and that speaks so powerfully, in part because it is this all-too-human quality that may finally force us to fight the good fight against the damage we have done and continue to do.

02/27/14 BILL MOYERS DOCUMENTARY FILM
This film by Bill Moyers is “State of Conflict: North Carolina”. This film will start at 6:30 PM (doors open at 6 PM) and the location is Lord Auditorium in the lower level of Pack Library in downtown Asheville. Panel discussion to follow. Sponsored by Common Cause/North Carolina, American Association of University Women, Asheville PARC, Buncombe County People’s Assembly, Democracy-NC, Mountain Voices Alliance, and Move to Amend of Buncombe County. For more information, contact Lewis at patrie.wncpsr@main.nc.us.

02/28/14 LECTURES AT UNCA
A lecture “Sexuality, Gender and Identity: Contemporary Discourses” will be presented by Lorena Russell, UNCA associate professor of literature. Time is 11:25 AM and location is Humanities Lecture Hall. A lecture “Islam and the Modern World” will be presented by Rodger Payne, chair and associate professor of religious studies. Time is 11:25 AM and location is Lipinsky Auditorium. Both are free and open to the public.

03/01/14 READING AT MALAPROPS
Local author Katherine Stanley presents her book, “A Book of Bullies”. A self-proclaimed expert on bullies, Stanley was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome and has been the target of a great deal of bullying. “A Book of Bullies” is a humorous and uplifting look at bullies and the hurt and harm they can do. Join us to hear Katherine tell her story and read from this remarkably insightful book. This will be at 1 PM.

03/04/14 STEM LECTURE AT UNCA
The STEM Lecture Series is interdisciplinary with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This series of lectures is designed to highlight STEM concepts and connect them to issues of personal behavior and public policy. Dr. Kevin Moorhead will present “The Science of Gardening.”  These lectures are held in the Reuter Center, Room 206, from 4:30-6 p.m. and are free and open to the public.   

03/04/14 GREAT DECISIONS LECTURE SERIES AT UNCA
“Turkey.” A nation at a crossroads, a bridge over an ever-growing chasm between the East and West. Turkey's first Prime Minister Kemal Ataturk envisioned a modern, democratic nation-state built on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire with strong ties to Europe, not the Middle East. But as the clashes between secular and religious groups and the recent protests in Taksim Square show, the soul of Turkey is still very much up for grabs. Speaker is Dr. Samer Traboulsi of UNC-Asheville. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each.  Full time students admitted free of charge. Time is 7:30 PM and location is the Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center at UNCA.

03/05/14 FIGHT FOR SOCIALISM
Capitalism is the exploitation of the masses, with only the top 1% benefiting. Come listen and discuss why and how socialism works. We need revolution from below and working class self-emancipation with the 99% taking control of society to serve its own interest. The economic crisis of 2008 has been weathered by the capitalist class, and profits are at record highs. This has only been possible on the backs for the working class, through austerity. Furthermore, the capitalist class relies on oppression to keep us divided, as Frederick Douglas said, "they divide each, to conquer both". Therefore we must stop the war on women, end the new Jim Crow, and fight against all oppressions. Meet on the bottom floor in the community room at Pack library.  Time is 6 to 8 PM.

03/06/14 and 03/06/14 SOUL REPAIR WORKSHOP FOR VETERANS
This is hosted by Quaker House and will be held in Raleigh. The website for more information and to register is at http://www.quakerhouse.org/event.php.

03/11/14 GREAT DECISIONS LECTURE SERIES AT UNCA
"Israel." Modern Israel's struggles with the Palestinians have turned what was meant as a safe haven for Jews into the center of a decades-long conflict. The U.S. has stepped in as Israel's ally due to the two countries' shared values, providing years of unparalleled military and diplomatic support. But now those ties are being tested. The Arab Spring, Iran's nuclear ambitions, failed peace talks, and Israel's own decision to give Washington the cold shoulder have put new strains on the 65-year-old "special relationship." Speaker is Dr. Heather Hawn of Mars Hill University. The Great Decisions Program's goal is to discuss, debate, and learn about International Affairs, National Security, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Individual lectures are $10 each.  Full time students admitted free of charge. Time is 7:30 PM and location is the Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center at UNCA.

03/15/14 READING AT MALAPROPS
Local author (and staff favorite) Denise Kiernan joins us to celebrate the paperback release of her bestselling book, “Girls of Atomic City”. Kiernan took the story of Oak Ridge, Tennessee's women workers all over the country, garnering praise from places like The Boston Globe, The Omaha World-Herald, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The Daily Beast said, “Denise Kiernan recreates, with cinematic vividness and clarity, the surreal Orwell-meets-Margaret Atwood environment of Oak Ridge.” Time is 5 PM.

03/27/14 TO 3/30/14 LAKE JUNALUSKA PEACE CONFERENCE
More information at http://www.lakejunaluska.com/peace/. Early registration is $95. The theme and goals for this year are "Faith, Health, and Peace: Seeking the Basic Right to Good Health for All God's Children." The 2014 Peace Conference seeks to affirm the basic right to good health from the perspective of faith traditions, lift up "the leading causes of life," and explore ways faith communities can combat the causes of poor health, such as disease, violence, and poverty.

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ONGOING EVENTS
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TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 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
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.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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Do you want to leave a comment about the Keystone XL pipeline?

go here:  http://www.regulations.gov/index.jsp#!documentDetail;D=DOS-2014-0003-0001

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FROM NC CONSERVATION NETWORK:

“Duke’s coal ash pollution is threatening rivers, lakes and drinking water in every part of North Carolina,”

Tell our state leaders that it's time to get serious about cleaning up these dangerous and unsafe coal ash ponds! TAKE ACTION and SHARE this with your friends: http://bit.ly/toxicspillsNC

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