Sunday, May 11, 2014

Upcoming events in the Asheville area this week


Yemeni artists protest drone strikes in this photo taken by Michael Shank during his recent trip to Yemen. Picture came from email from FCNL.


UPCOMING EVENTS

05/12/14 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
Ginny Lentz will talk about her experience going door-to-door for the MTA “We the People Listen” campaign. All are welcome. Time is 7 PM and location is North Asheville Library.  Contact Ruth Christie at ruthachristie@gmail.com.

05/12/14 FOOD POLICY COUNCIL WATER CLUSTER MEETING
The newly formed Water Cluster of the Food Policy Council will hold its second official meeting to select our priority actions out of the ideas brainstormed in the forming meeting and the first meeting.  We have identified 25 actions and consolidated them into six categories: education of the public, investigation, working with the City, working with other clusters, working with the general public, and events.  Come join our group and help us choose what to work on first to identify policy and propose innovative solutions to improve local water systems as they relate to food. Time is 11:30 AM to 1 PM and location is Earthfare at Westgate in the back room.

05/13/14 SPEAK YOUR PEACE LUNCHEON
The Mediation Center invites you to our Speak Your Peace luncheon on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. The luncheon features Brad Heckman, Chief Executive Officer of the New York Peace Institute one of the nation’s largest conflict resolution services.  Brad will discuss how his work establishing the first community mediation centers in the post-Soviet region has influenced the vision and work of New York Peace Institute.  A Peacemaker of the Year Award will be announced, and we will acknowledge winners of our Draw Your Peace art contest for youth. Tickets are $50. For more information, contact Valerie Collins at 251-6089 x 212 or email valeriec@mediatewnc.org.

05/13/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. 

05/13/14 CHILD WATCH TOUR
On Tuesday, May 13, the 2014 Child Watch Tour participants will better understand the transportation challenges faced by many low-wage working parents as they try to meet their families' basic needs. We will explore the individual stories and the policy decisions that define our public transportation systems in Buncombe County. During the morning, participants will ride a city bus. At lunch we will hear reports from the morning, learn about transportation policy, and have a panel discussion with City and County staff, community volunteers, and advocates. Full day tour from 8 AM to 1 PM costs $15. Lunch-only option is $10. For information or to find out how to register online, please contact Jodi at JodiF@childrenfirstbc.org or Greg at GregB@childrenfirstbc.org or call 828-259-9717.

05/13/14 EAST WEST ASHEVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE
Updates on neighborhood crime and arrests, short-term rental zoning changes, ongoing projects and new art. Come meet your neighbors, get connected to events and get active! RSVP or questions to eastwestneighborhood@gmail.com. EWANA is the East West Asheville Neighborhood Association in Asheville, North Carolina. It is a neighborhood within West Asheville defined as the area between I-240 and the French Broad River. Neighbors come together as EWANA to meet each other, help each other and take collective action for a better quality of life in our historic, diverse, and unique part of town. Time is 7 to 9 PM and location is Hall Fletcher Auditorium.

05/14/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST MEETING
Time is 9:30 AM and location is Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. We will be discussing “Zionism Unsettled” (available from Presbyterian Books online at $10), chapters 1-5. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com for more information.

05/14/14 GREEN DRINKS MEETING
Join us Wednesday May 14th at 6 PM at the Green Sage Coffeehouse and Cafe for a presentation about The Built Environment and Nature. Richard Louv coined the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” in his bestselling book, Last Child in the Woods. In our technological age, children and adults alike are connecting online, not outdoors. According to the research, “direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. What can we do to reconnect our built environment with Nature?  Many opportunities exist to design our homes and landscapes to provide spaces to reconnect.  Our panelists include, Kevin Ward (Southeast Ecological Design), Chuck Marsh (Useful Plants) and Victoria Schomer (Green Built Environments) each will provide an overview based on their disciplines as builder/designer, landscape/permaculture and interior design.

05/15/14 RADIATION TODAY LECTURE AT UNCA
Dr. Perry Sprawls will offer an interesting talk on radiation in our lives today. There are different types of radiation, and with the exception of light, it is invisible. That often gives it a mystic characteristic and a cause for concern because of our natural “fear of the darkness” and things we cannot see. When we become more familiar with the radiation in our lives today, knowing its characteristics, where it comes from, how it is used in modern society, and its effects on the human body, we can make intelligent decisions and live in harmony with this part of our environment. In this program we review the different types and sources of radiation, their benefits to individuals and society, and the actions to minimize risks. Perry Sprawls is Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Emory University, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, with over 50 years of experience in the use of radiation for medical purposes. Free and open to the public, this talk is offered in collaboration with the WNC IEEE. Time is 7 to 8 PM and location is the Reuter Center at UNCA, Room 102A. Contact Perry at olli@unca.edu for more information.

05/16/14 ENVIRONMENTAL LECTURE AT RIVERLINK
Dr. Frank Kalinowski will address “Environmental Legacies: Politics, Policy and American National Character” from 3 to 5 PM. He is a retired professor from Warren Wilson College and an author. Location is Riverlink offices at 170 Lyman Street in the River Arts District in Asheville.

05/17/14 RALLY FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN HENDERSONVILLE
Can you join us for a Three County Rally For Public Education? The NC Legislature keeps passing laws that hurt our local public education. They've cut our teachers' salaries, removed their tenure, reduced the number of aides and teachers, and increased class size. We expect lots of folks to come from all three counties -- Henderson, Buncombe, and Transylvania -- to resist this terrible legislation. We're meeting at 11AM on Saturday, May 17th, at the Henderson County Courthouse at 200 North Grove Street. Then we'll march to the Henderson Historic Courthouse, at 1 Historic Courthouse Square. Bring a friend! Bring your kids! Bring a sign! Bring two signs! (Speakers include Meredith Licht, Melissa Mauer, Dot Marlow, Robyn Pass, Don Bryant, George Six, and Frank Gerrard.)

05/17/14 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.

05/17/14 CLEAN UP THE FRENCH BROAD
Come out on May 17 to help WNCA and our friends at Headwaters Outfitters at the 23rd annual spring French Broad River cleanup. We’ll provide breakfast, lunch and good music! This event is free, but spaces are limited and a reservation is required. Call Headwaters Outfitters at (828) 877-3106 for more information and to reserve your spot.

05/18/14 MALCOLM X FESTIVAL IN GREENVILLE SC
Hours are 2 PM to 8 PM and location is Cleveland Park (East Washington Street & Cleveland Park Drive) in Greenville SC.

05/19/14 FIRST MORAL MONDAY FOR 2014 IN RALEIGH
No information on buses from Asheville at this time. Join us for the 1st Moral Monday of the 2014 NC Legislative Session! Come to Raleigh and let legislators know we have not gone away - and we will continue to pay close attention to every decision they make. Cost is sliding scale - $20-40 with some scholarships available. We will meet at 11:30 AM and the bus will depart by noon, returning about 11 PM. Reservations must be made by 5 PM on Thurs., May 15. For information, email info@mountainmoralmonday.org.

05/20/14 AUDUBON SOCIETY MEETING
The mission of the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society (EMAS) is to promote an awareness and appreciation of nature, to preserve and protect wildlife and natural ecosystems, and to encourage responsible environmental stewardship. EMAS hold meetings at the Reuter Center (Room 102) on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 PM. The meeting is free and open to the public.  Contact Lew at olli@unca.edu for more information.

05/20/14 FUNDRAISER FOR HOMINY CREEK GREENWAY
Join Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway for a gathering at Unity Church (130 Shelburne Road, Asheville) to support YOUR greenway! Food, beer, raffle, slackline, cornhole, scavenger hunt! Come celebrate, find out what improvement projects we're working on and help us to raise money for those projects! We look forward to seeing you there! Time is 5 to 8 PM.

05/20/14 THE ICARUS PROJECT
Please join co-founders of The Icarus Project and the Asheville Radical Mental Health Collective for an open community workshop and skill-share on practices, projects, and perspectives that empower individual and collective healing in a crazy world. Come explore alternatives to the traditional language and worldviews of biological psychiatry and learn about The Icarus Project, a radical mental health support network, online community, and alternative media project by and for people struggling with extreme states that often get labeled as mental illness. Time is 4 to 6:30 PM and location is Eagle Street Coffee Emporium at 39 South Market Street in Asheville. Contact radmadasheville@theicarusproject.net for more information.

05/20/14 HEART SPEAK & EMPATHY PRACTICE GROUP
HeartSpeak & Empathy Practice Group with Cathy Holt. Share giving and receiving empathy, and practice communicating feelings & needs in a supportive space. Every third Tuesday from 7:30-9 PM. Drop in; love offering appreciated. Location is 386 Kenilworth Road at Digges. For more information, call 828-545-9681.

05/23/14 GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO
This is the first anniversary of the second time President Obama promised to close Guantanamo prison camp. A few individuals have been released in the past year, but more than 150 prisoners remain - none of whom have been convicted of a crime in a court of law.

05/23/14 STRIVE NOT TO DRIVE TRANSPORTATION STORY SLAM
This is at Clingman Café at 242 Clingman Avenue in Asheville. It begins at 7 PM and goes until 8:30 PM. No further information.

05/24/14 BENEFIT FOR ASHEVILLE HOMELESS NETWORK
Location is Adam Dalton Distillery at 251 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. Time is 7 to 8 PM. Peace Jones and The Klmberley White Project will be playing.

05/29/14 MORAL MOVIE FILM SERIES
The NC NAACP in partnership with Working Films and The Mountain People's Assembly presents: The Moral Movies Film Series.  From April through July, film screenings will occur once a month in at least 8 cities across the state including Asheville. The series will help build the energy and maintain the momentum of the Moral Monday/Forward Together movement. On Thursday, May 29th, we are screening the documentary, “American Winter” - the second of the four films in the series. Please join us and representatives of the NC AFL-CIO for the screening and discussion. “American Winter” is a documentary feature film that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Years after the recession began, millions of families are struggling to meet their basic needs and many formerly middle class families are finding themselves in financial crisis, and needing assistance for the first time in their lives. Meanwhile, the social safety net that was created to help people in difficult times has been weakened by massive budget cuts, creating a perfect storm of greater need and fewer resources to help vulnerable families. The film is at 7 PM. Location is the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at Edwin Place and Charlotte Street.

05/30/14 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST MEEING
Time is 3:15 PM and location is Brooks Howell House on Merrimon in Asheville. We will discuss the rest of the “Zionism Unsettled” book. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com for more information. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com for more information.

05/29/14 FILM SCREENING AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH IN ASHEVILLE
The “Moral Movies” series will continue with “American Winter”. This is sponsored by the Mountain People’s Assembly in collaboration with the NAACP and Working Films. The intent of the series is to ‘jumpstart community dialogue on social, economic and environmental issues relevant to the state of North Carolina. There are seven other NC cities also screening films. Donations accepted.

05/31/14 ASHEVILLE SHARE FEST
Please join us for a day filled with stuff swaps, skill shares, entertainment, workshops, repair cafe, Seed Exchange, Collaborative Art Projects, Pay it Forward Healers and much more. REAL Cooperative and Share Asheville are teaming up with local organizations and projects with support from Sharable and Center for a New American Dream to host Asheville's first ShareFest to celebrate and support local sharing initiatives, collaborative consumption and the preservation of the commons! This event will be completely sourced from the community and we welcome you to participate in shaping it from start to finish. We are looking for: Partners, coordinators, volunteers, workshop presenters, activity facilitators, and more! Got questions? Contact tom@realcooperative.org. Time is 11 AM to 5 PM and location is 76 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville.

06/02/14 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. This will be at the Green Sage Coffeehouse and Cafe in south Asheville. Contact Cheryl at ctorengo@gmail.com for more information.

06/10/14 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/.

06/14/14 TRIP TO THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM IN GREENSBORO
This trip departs from the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville Central Office, 165 South French Broad Avenue, in the rear parking lot. Boarding the bus will happen at 6:30 AM, leaving at 7 AM. We will return to Asheville at 6PM. There will be one stop for breakfast on the road and lunch at Williams Cafeteria on A&T’s campus for the afternoon meal. $60 Per Person – transportation and admission only, meals at your expense. May 30, 2014 is the full payment deadline. This is sponsored by The A&T University Alumni Association of Asheville. Send Check or Money Order to: A&T Asheville Alumni Chapter, PO Box 2272, Asheville, NC 28802. For more information contact: William Edward Young, Jr., Chapter President at 828.251.2964.

07/24/14 TO 07/27/14 VETERANS FOR PEACE ANNUAL CONVENTION
This will be held at UNCA. More information to follow.

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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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From Veterans for Peace, Chapter 099:
The 2014 International Veterans For Peace Annual Convention will be in Asheville, NC hosted by VFP Western North Carolina Chapter 99 from July 23-27, 2014. Volunteers are welcome to participate. For info contact Gerry Werhan at gwerhan@gmail.com.

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CONCERNED ABOUT THE FCC AND NET NEUTRALITY?
The FCC is getting so many calls about net neutrality they are urging people to write instead of call. Of course, to us that means - call again, call often and keep calling! Call at 202-418-1000 or 888-225-5322.

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