dancewater: Upcoming events for the week of June 3, 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR BY DANCEWATER

06/03/18 JOURNEY AWAY FROM RACISM CLASS SERIES

"The Journey Away from Racism” begins on Sunday, June 3. St. Marks Lutheran is offering a four-week class, Sunday mornings, beginning at 9:45 am in their Fellowship Hall. The first week will be a history of racism in WNC, conducted by Father Jim Abbott of Christians for a United Community. Week Two will show the documentary “Traces of the Trade; A Story from the Deep North”, as a New England filmmaker uncovers her ancestors' role in supporting the slave trade and traces the steps of the slave trade industry, all the while stumbling towards greater awareness of racism. Week Three will be a discussion of the week two documentary, and week 4 will prepare us for a “Hood Huggers” tour of Asheville. This is not a strictly Christian curriculum, and they welcome friends from all faiths to join them on this journey. If you have questions, please call Barbara Bassler at (908) 338-0648, or email her at bjbassler@outlook.com. [I got this information this week, and while today’s event is over, there are several more events coming up later this month.]

06/04/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

Asheville SURJ weekly evening meeting: Monday, 6:30-8:30pm at Asheville Unitarian Universalist Congregation (downstairs main building). Accountability group for folks seeking to focus on anti-racism work. Meetings include opportunities such as discussion, educational opportunities, or role-playing difficult conversations, and building connections. For more info email avlsurj@gmail.com.

06/04/18 NEIGHBORHOOD ENERGY SAVER PROGRAM

Please RSVP for Neighborhood Energy Saver Program. Times are Mon, June 4, from 5-7pm and Wed, June 6, from 5-7pm. Location is Green Built Alliance at 378 Haywood Road in Asheville. Will you help Asheville’s homes save energy and avoid the construction of a fossil fuel-burning peaker plant in Asheville? We have short canvassing shifts in Deaverview, a neighborhood in West Asheville, open for the next three weeks, and we can't make this happen without your support. You can attend either of the two shifts we signed up for above with other CCLers or find a shift that fits your schedule. Contact Citizens Climate Lobby - Asheville Chapter at asheville@citizensclimatelobby.org for more information.

06/04/18 DINNER WITH PROGRESSIVES

Next Dinner with Progressives is this Monday, June 4, 2018 from 5:30-7pm at Green Sage Cafe, Westgate, next to Earth Fare. We hope you will join fellow progressives at the Green Sage Cafe this Monday because now more than ever we need to be together, learn together and work together. All are invited who wish to move forward. There is no membership fee but we ask that attendees purchase dinner, a beverage and/or dessert and RSVP so we can give our gracious friends at Green Sage a headcount. Invite your friends and neighbors to join us. Our speaker for Monday is former Asheville Mayor Leni Sitnick. Leni served on the Asheville City Council from 1993 to 1995. She became the city’s first woman mayor in 1997, serving through 2001. Please let us know if you plan to attend. Anyone is invited to give an announcement or ask for signatures on a petition. Please give Cheryl a quick email to let us know how much time you will need. For more information, contact Cheryl Orengo at ctorengo@gmail.com.

06/05/18 CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY EVENT

Perspectives on Climate over a Pint on Tuesday, June 5 from 6-8PM. Location: New Belgium Brewing. Address: 21 Craven Street, Asheville. A conversation the week before a group of us from Asheville head to Washington DC to talk to our members of Congress and their staff about climate and energy policy. Stop by to talk with people promoting a meaningful dialogue on climate change. No agenda. Just shared perspectives on climate over a pint (or two). Stop by and say hi. Contact Citizens Climate Lobby - Asheville Chapter at asheville@citizensclimatelobby.org for more information.

06/05/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

Every Tuesday, Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 holds a vigil at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. Time is 4:30 PM. This has been happening since 2002. No matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace.

06/05/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ DO!SCUSSION

ASURJ Do!scussion: Tuesdays, 10:30 AM to 12 PM in the backroom of Firestorm at 610 Haywood Road in Asheville. A safe space to come together and talk about issues relating to dismantling white supremacy and confronting racism with a focus on what we can do to make a change, in ourselves, our communities, and beyond. All are welcome. Led by Matilda Bliss. ASURJ Do-Session: Tuesdays, noon-2pm, at a member’s residence. Meet us at 12:30 PM at Kairos West (right below Firestorm) and walk with us down there. This is a weekly space to do something to support accountability partners in their work. Letter-writing, list-making, social media work are just a few examples of what we will do to show up for racial justice Tuesday at the Do-Session. Bring your laptop and phone and help us out. For more details on any and all ASURJ meetings, email avlsurj@gmail.com.

06/05/18 CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB

Join host Bruce Roth for a lively discussion on topics of current interest including war and peace, the economy, the environment, and other hot political topics. Time is 7 PM and location is Malaprops in downtown Asheville. We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 7pm at Malaprops in downtown Asheville. Contact Bruce at brucerothchess@gmail.com for more information.

06/05/18 PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZED WOMEN EVENT IN HENDERSONVILLE

“Medicare for All” outdoor public rally cosponsored by People For Healthcare For Everyone. Free. Held at 1 Historic Courthouse Square in Hendersonville. Time is 5 to 5:30 PM. Go to powhendersonville dot com for more information.

06/05/18 SUMMER BOOK STUDY BY CREATION CARE ALLIANCE

Summer Book Study on Tuesdays, May 29-July 3, 6-7:15 pm. Location: First Baptist Church Room CB221. “Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in Without Going Crazy” written by Chris Johnstone and Joanna Macy. Sign up by emailing Holly at cunnhe16@wfu.edu. “Active Hope” shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face the current ecological and social crises so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. People can enter the church through the Atrium doors, from the Charlotte Street parking lot, beside the playground. One in the church, take the hallway to the left until it ends. The room is to the left. This is promoted by Creation Care Alliance.

06/05/18 CANDIDATE EVENT IN ASHEVILLE

AARP & DayStay Adult Day Services Candidate Event. Location is OLLI in the Reuter Center Manheimer room at UNCA in Asheville. Time is 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Featuring candidates for state and local races in Buncombe County and additional support provided by the Buncombe County Aging Coordinators Consortium Public Policy Committee and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNCA. Organizer: Voter Engagement Coalition Events. This came from League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County website. Contact alanapie@gmail.com for more information.

06/06/18 VOLUNTEER TRAINING FOR SANCTUARY

Supporting our Immigrant Neighbors: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville (UUCA) is one of three faith communities that has agreed to be a sanctuary for someone making such a request. If anyone is interested in helping out, mark your calendars and sign up for a Volunteer Training Session on June 6 at 6:00 pm at UUCA (1 Edwin Place). This training will cover specific volunteer roles and needs, and go over the volunteer instruction manual they have created. You'll be able to ask questions AND sign up for volunteer shifts. They will also discuss the need for background checks. Contact UUCA for more information.

06/06/18 CITIZENS - POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING IN ASHEVILLE

Meeting is free, and held in the first floor conference room at the Public Works Building at 161 South Charlotte Street in Asheville. Time is 5 PM and this is on the first Wednesday of the month.

06/06/18 INDIVISIBLE COMMON GROUND MEETING IN SYLVA

General meeting, free to attend. Held at St. David’s Episcopal Church at 286 Forest Hills Road in Sylva. Time is 6 PM. This happens on the first Wednesdays of the month. For more information, go to indivisible-sylva dot com.

06/06/18 NEIGHBORHOOD ENERGY SAVER PROGRAM

06/07/18 SIERRA CLUB MEETING

Sierra Club June 7: Energy Innovation Task Force -- Pathway to Clean Energy for Western North Carolina. Come hear City Councilwoman Julie Mayfield, County Commission Chair Brownie Newman, and Duke Energy District Manager Jason Walls talk about how the new Blue Horizons Project will lead us to a cleaner energy future. Learn how you can help. Date: June 7 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, in north Asheville. In 2016, the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and Duke Energy came together in a unique partnership to lead Western North Carolina to a cleaner, affordable, and smarter energy future. A specific goal of the partnership is to delay or avoid construction of a third natural gas plant on Lake Julian – a “peaker unit” -- that would only run on the coldest and hottest days of the year. For more information, contact Judy Mattox, judymattox@sbcglobal.net, (828) 683-2176.

06/09/18 HARD TO RECYCLE EVENT

North Buncombe Hard-2-Recycle Event is on Saturday, June 9 from 10am - 2pm. Location is Arvato Digital Services at 108 Monticello Road in Weaverville. No contact information available.

06/09/18 TIMESHARE EVENT IN ASHEVILLE

We are having a cookout and get-together. Please come and bring your family and friends for a day of fun. When: Saturday, June 9th at noon to 2 PM. Where: Haw Creek Park, 40 Avon Road in east Asheville. We will have both traditional and non-competitive games. The timebank will provide charcoal and condiments. We would like you to bring whatever you would like to grill, a side dish to share and your own plates and utensils. The park offers: Gazebo • Loop Walk • Nature Trail • Fountains • Picnic Area • Playground • Picnic Tables • Restrooms • Shelter • Benches. Anyone up for doing some music? If so, bring instruments. Please join us! A timebank is an organized exchange system through which members can earn hours in the timebank from helping other members and can use those hours to have another member help them. Everyone’s time and service is valued equally. An hour of computer skills equals an hour of cooking or of transportation. It is based on time spent, not the value put on the service in the marketplace. We all have skills and talents that we can share with others. Timebanking is about social justice because inequality is dangerous premise of our capitalist system. As long as someone’s time is vastly more valuable than another person’s we will continue to have this system which destroys the environment while benefiting some and holding others back. People can contact Kathryn at kliss@igc.org for further information.

06/10/19 ACLU NC - WESTERN CHAPTER ANNUAL MEETING

Sunday, June 10, at 3 p.m. Location is Ambrose West at 312 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Join our Western NC Chapter on Sunday, June 10, in Asheville for their annual meeting and award ceremony featuring the Evan Mahaney Champion of Civil Liberties Award. Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective Managing Artistic Director, Stephanie Hickling Beckman, will be the night's honoree and keynote speaker. This is a free event and open to everyone. A full cash bar will be available. We hope to see you there. RSVP via their website. No contact information.

06/11/18 ERA NC ALLIANCE FILM SCREENING

The Equal Rights Amendment is making a resurgence with the recent ratification of Nevada, and votes in Virginia and Illinois happening now. Learn the legal and economic argument for why completing ERA ratification is more critical today than ever. This updated short film is excerpted from the award-winning documentary, “Equal Means Equal,” with new footage and commentary. Heroica Foundation and Equal Means Equal present a short film by Kamala Lopez called “Legalize Equality.” Runtime is 30 minutes. Written, directed and produced by Kamala Lopez, executive producer was Patricia Arquette. Hosted by ERA NC Alliance and Ratify ERA NC. “Legalize Equality” screening will be on Monday, June 11 at The Block Off Biltmore at the corner of South Market Street and Eagle Street in downtown Asheville. Find out why women are not full citizens under the US Constitution and what you can do about it. Time is 8:30 PM. Contact The Block Off Biltmore for more information.

06/11/18 PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS MEETING

Progressive Democrats Monthly Meeting is on Monday June 11th, from 6:15 pm - 8:00 pm. Location is the Buncombe County Democratic Party headquarters at 951 Old Fairview Road in Asheville. Description: Doors open by 6:15 for sign in and conversation. Meeting begins promptly at 6:30. We encourage candidates and motivate voters while promoting the most progressive parts of the DNC platform: campaign finance reform, clean energy policy, universal healthcare, and much more. Come join us and help to turn NC Blue. Contact pdobPRESIDENT@gmail.com for more information.

06/11/18 to 06/15/18 FOOD JUSTICE PROGRAM

Food Justice, Faith, and the Ecological Imagination-with Wake Forest University School of Divinity is from June 11-15, 2018 at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa. How does a renewed attunement to food justice movements reframe ministry leadership? In this time of social upheaval and ecological crisis, what does it mean to be the church? And how can religious leaders help others join in God’s restorative work in the world? The Food, Health, and Ecological Well-being Program of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity would like to invite you to join us in June to explore these important questions at our annual summer institute. This year's theme is Food Justice, Faith, and the Ecological Imagination, and we have some fantastic speakers and workshop leaders coming for the week. For more information, contact Scott Hardin-Nieri at scott@creationcarealliance.org.

06/11/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

06/11/18 VOTER ENGAGEMENT COALITION MEETING

Voter Engagement Coalition meeting will be on Monday, June 11 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm.

Location is 50 S French Broad Avenue in Asheville. This came from League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County website. Contact alanapie@gmail.com for more information.

06/12/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

06/12/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ DO!SCUSSION

06/13/18 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING

This meeting will be at 10 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church at 117 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com or 828-707-4271 for more information.

06/14/18 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE MEETING

Thursday, June 14, from 6-7:30 PM. Location is St. Eugene Catholic Church at 72 Culvern Street in Asheville. Coming together to share compassion and ideas. We will learn about the creation care work of our host congregation through a conversation and tour, hear about CCA and community events and work, as well as hear ideas. If you are connected to a faith community, a green team or creation care team member, clergy, or are interested in learning more about St. Eugene, Audubon Society, the Friendship Garden or the Creation Care Alliance this meeting is for you. For more information, contact Scott Hardin-Nieri at Scott@creationcarealliance.org.

06/14/18 CENTER FOR DIVERSITY EDUCATION CELEBRATION AT UNCA

UNC Asheville invites you to a celebration of the Center for Diversity Education and 24 years of community engagement. Center for Diversity Education Celebration & Retrospective is on Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. for the reception and 7:00 p.m. for the program. Location is the Wilma M. Sherrill Center, Ingles Mountain View Room (Room 417) at UNCA. Celebrate the work of community members including K-12 teachers, students, participants, volunteers, donors, board members, CDE interns & employees, faculty, staff, and Deborah Miles, Director of the Center for Diversity Education (1995 - 2018). RSVP by June 7 to rsvp@unca.edu.

06/14/18 WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT FORUM IN HAYWOOD COUNTY

Join Democracy NC and our partners as we break down what's on the ballot during the 2018 “justice” elections! Take home information to help you remember what's at stake, spread the word in your networks, and prepare for the General Election in November 2018. Haywood County "What's on the Ballot" 2018 Forum will be on Thursday, June 14, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Location is Down Home NC Headquarters at 3 Newfound Street in Canton. Please RSVP with Darlene Azarmi at (828) 216-3430 or darlene@democracync.org. Contact her with questions also.

06/15/18 TRIGGER WARNING RECEPTION

Pink Dog Creative is pleased to announce the exhibition, Trigger Warning, which addresses the issue of and consequences of gun violence in the United States and specifically in Asheville and Buncombe County. Sadly, Asheville had 7 homicides in 2017, and 9 in 2016, most occurring in Asheville’s poorer neighborhoods. Asheville’s homicide total for 2018 has already eclipsed the total for all of 2017. We each respond in our own particular way to the gun violence issue but 21 artists from Pink Dog Creative are tackling the issue in their specific creative ways with the exhibition Trigger Warning opening at the YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market Street in Asheville, NC 28801 on Friday, June 15, 2018 from 5-8 PM with a reception, open to the public following at The Block, 39 S. Market St. on the corner of Market and Eagle Streets. This exhibit will be up until July 15. Trigger Warning will travel to multiple venues including, Habitat Brewing, 174 Broadway St. Asheville, NC 28801 with an opening reception August 3, First Presbyterian Church, 40 Church St., Asheville in September and October and at Pink Dog Creative Gallery, 348 Depot St. Asheville, NC 28801, in January through March, 2019. In addition to the exhibitions at the various venues, several of the Pink Dog Creative artists will lead a workshop for children at the Edington Center, 133 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801 this summer during their summer enrichment program., enabling them to address the issue of gun violence in a creative way. Their art work will then be displayed at the Edington Center during the summer months. No contact information.

06/16/18 DOCUMENTARY FILM AT UNCA

Documentary Film: “Dr. Dennis Branch: An African American Physician in the Jim Crow South, 1914-1964” will be shown on 06/16/18 from 2:00 pm-3:30 pm. Location is the Reuter Center. This event is presented by the WNC Historical Association (WNCHA) in partnership with OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville. A $5 donation to the WNCHA is requested at the door. Description from the WNCHA: Join historian Marc McClure Ph.D. as he presents his documentary film (60 minutes) on the life of Dr. Dennis Branch who practiced medicine in Newport, Tennessee from 1914-1964. Over the course of his life, Dr. Branch became a beloved leader of the community, both for his quality of care as a physician and for his public contributions to the town. Dr. Branch's story is unique because the vast majority of his patients were white during the time when segregation laws prevailed, forbidding inter-racial intimacy. Dr. Branch came to national attention when James and Wilma (Dykeman) Stokely included him in their 1957 award winning book Neither White Nor Black. McClure's film will include interviews with Dr. Branch's former patients, town folks and graduates of the historically black Tanner School for whom Dr. Branch was a trailblazer. As a Rosenwald School, the Tanner School provided an education for rural African American children from the 1920s until schools were later integrated. The film will be introduced by Jim Stokely of Asheville (son of Wilma Dykeman and James Stokely) who grew up in Newport and is currently president of The Wilma Dykeman Legacy. Contact for this event is OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville at olli@unca.edu or 828.251.6140.

06/17/18 ASHEVILLE PRISON BOOKS VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION

Sunday, Jun 17th @ 1:00pm. Asheville Prison Books (APB) is a volunteer-run collective which has distributed free reading material to people incarcerated in North and South Carolina since 1999. APB's monthly (3rd Sundays of the month) volunteer orientation is an opportunity for new folks to learn who we are, what we do, and how to plug in. They will go over some info about the project, find out how you want to get involved, and package up some books to send out. APB has a variety of roles and needs for volunteers, including: filling book requests, wrapping and addressing packages, donation pick-ups, fundraising and social media. Asheville Prison Books is a prison abolitionist project. They send books to folks who are locked up because it is one of the best ways to show solidarity with them. As a project rooted in anti-authoritarian politics, APB views prison as a tool the state uses to uphold an unjust social and economic order based in large part on white supremacy. When dealing with a system that thrives on dehumanization and isolation, finding ways to connect with and meet the every day needs of incarcerated people is a crucial part of challenging the legitimacy of this repressive institution. This event is at Firestorm Books at 610 Haywood Street in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.

06/17/19 ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY EVENT

Sunday, June 17 “Community Conversation on Policing – Mindset Challenges” by Quentin Miller. Join Quentin Miller for a discussion on how we can foster a growth mindset – a mindset that creatively builds on past success with an honest and sometimes difficult conversation on how the community and police working together can repair and build trust and partnerships on a foundation of excellence, integrity, accountability, transparency, and equality. Quentin Miller recently retired from the Asheville Police Department where he has served since 1994 and is the 2018 Democratic candidate for Buncombe County Sheriff. Quentin holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the North Carolina Department of Justice and graduated from the Administrative Officers Management Program at N.C. State. Informal discussion and refreshments will follow the presentation. All are welcome. Time is 2:00 PM. Location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. Contact the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville at EHSAsheville@gmail.com for more information.

06/18/18 to 06/20/18 FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES WORKSHOP AT UNCA

Facing History and Ourselves Workshops will be on June 18, 19, and 20 at UNC Asheville. For a second year in a row, through the generous support of Fred and Donna Meyer, CDE will be sponsoring workshops with Facing History and Ourselves. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for registration information coming soon. Students come to me in the beginning of the year and say “I don't care about history. It happened in the past. It doesn't matter to me.” I say to them “Give me 2 weeks. We are going to learn a different kind of history and approach it in a different way.” For more information, contact UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education at 828-232-5024 or dmiles@unca.edu.

06/18/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

06/18/18 DEMOCRACY ASHEVILLE COALITION MEETING

Please join us for the next Democracy Asheville Coalition Meeting on Monday, June 18. We're excited to introduce our Democracy Summer Interns, and plan out our advocacy steps for this summer. We will also discuss what's next in the fight for Fair Courts. Democracy Asheville Coalition Meeting will be on Monday, June 18, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Location is the Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center at 285 Livingston Street in Asheville. Please RSVP by contacting Darlene Azarmi at 828-216-3430 or darlene@democracync.org. Also contact her with questions. What is the Democracy Asheville Coalition? Our Local Coalition brings together organizational representatives and individuals who agree to work together to change and use the political system so it equips people to take action, promotes grassroots leadership, and serves “the good of the whole.” We want an elections process that is accessible, fair, and secure. And we want a government "of, by, and for the people," that fosters equity, solidarity, and justice.

006/19/18 FILM SCREENING AT FIRESTORM

Tuesday, Jun 19th @ 5:30pm. Juneteenth Film Screening: 13th. This Juneteenth we will screen Ava Duvernay's award winning documentary 13th and discuss the movement to #EndPrisonSlavery. This event is at Firestorm Books at 610 Haywood Street in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.

06/19/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

06/19/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ DO!SCUSSION

06/19/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING

On the third Tuesday of each month, Western North Carolina Veterans for Peace meets to coordinate group activities and programs.Veterans For Peace is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices. We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars. Time is 5:45 PM and location is the Block Off Biltmore at Eagle and Market Streets in downtown Asheville. For more information, contact Gerry at gwerhan@gmail.com.

06/21/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS BOARD MEETING

Board Meeting, public comment open at beginning of each meeting. Date is Thursday, June 21 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Location is The Cathedral of All Souls, 9 Swan Street in Asheville. Join us in the CE Room! This came from League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County website. Contact communications.lwvab@gmail.com for more information.

06/25/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING

06/26/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

06/26/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ DO!SCUSSION

06/27/18 WE THE PEOPLE 2.0 FILM SCREENING

We The People 2.0 Screening will be on Wednesday, June 27th, from 6 to 8:00 pm at THE BLOCK off Biltmore, 39 S Market Street, Asheville. Interested in Community Rights and why Corporations have more rights than we do? This film showcases the work of CELDF and the Community Rights movement across the US. “We the People 2.0” is about the loss of democracy in the United States. The story unfolds through the eyes of rural people and sacrifice zones in urban communities who have faced decades of toxic dumps, drilling and mines in their communities. These people come to understand that the reason they can’t stop the destruction is that the US has become an oligarchy, run by the corporate few who ignore the rights and will of the people. These people are frontally challenging our corporate state; thereby saving nature and themselves. Thomas Linzey, a nonprofit attorney’s inspiring words shows how, we, the people, can turn this around and lay claim to our democracy. This movement is building as you read this, not just in this country but around the world; this film shows how and where it all began.

06/28/18 PASTORS FOR PEACE POTLUCK AND TALK

The Cuba Caravan is coming to town! They are part of Pastors for Peace and are promoting building bridges and tearing down walls. Pastors for Peace began organizing Fridneshipment caravan to Cuba in 1992. What is it like in Cuba today? What is the current state of US-Cuba relations? What needs to be done to truly normalize relations? Pastors for Peace began organizing Friendshipment Caravans in 1992. This is its 29th caravan. This Asheville event will be a potluck and talk - please bring a dish. Also, it is a fundraising event for the caravan, so please donate what you can. The speaker will be Bill Hackwell, from the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity to the Peoples in Oakland, CA. He is a social documentary photographer and veteran of Caravans and the International Committee to Free the Five - now the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity. US citizens are free to travel anywhere in the world, except Cuba. To travel to Cuba you need permission, a license, from the US government. This has been the case for over 50 years. In his final years President Obama made licenses very easy to get, as well as taking some steps to reduce the underlying US economic blockade of Cuba. However President Trump has adopted a very hostile stance towards Cuba, partially reversing Obama’s actions, and reduced the possibilities for individual licensed travel. Pastors for Peace believes that licenses should be scrapped and we should be freely able to travel to Cuba and meet our Cuban sisters and brothers. Since 1992 we have taken 28 Caravans of people to Cuba without a license as a conscious act of civil disobedience. Time is 6 PM to 8 PM and location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. This is a fundraising tour, please donate what you can. For more information, contact ken at jonesk@maine.edu.

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ONGOING EVENTS

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MONDAY

Asheville SURJ weekly meeting at 6:30 pm at UU Congregation in Asheville, downstairs

Citizens’ Climate Lobby meeting on the third Monday at 6:30 at Habitat Tavern & Commons.

TUESDAY

Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument

SURJ Discussion at Firestorm Coffee & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. 10:30 AM-12 AM. Followed by Do!sessions from 12:30-2:30 PM Meet at Kairos West for later session.

Rally at historic Courthouse in Hendersonville at 5 PM on the first Tuesday of the month. Organized by the Progressive Organized Women.

Socialism! The Reading Group is at 6 PM at Firestorm on the second Tuesday of the month.

WEDNESDAY

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

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Green Drinks meets at 6 PM at The Block Off Biltmore on the third Wednesday of the month.

Sierra Club meets at 7 PM at Unitarian Universalist in Asheville on the first Wednesday of the month.

Indivisible Asheville does political letter writing at 5:30 every Wednesday at The Block Off Biltmore.

THURSDAY

Political Prisoners Letter Writing at Firestorm Coffee & Books at 6 PM on first Thursday of the month. Materials provided. Also Tranzmission Prison Project meeting to send packages of books and zines for mailing to prisons across the US.

Welcome Home Tour by Homeward Bound on the third Thursday of the month at 11 AM. Call 258-1695 for more information.

Asheville Prison Books Program is held at Downtown Books & News from 4 to 7 PM.

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

FRIDAY

Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville.

Progressive Women of Hendersonville hold a letter/postcard writing to government representatives from 4 to 7 PM at Sanctuary Brewing Company at 147 First Avenue in Hendersonville.

SATURDAY

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Mountain True holds urban forest workdays on the second Saturday of the month at Richmond Hill Park from 9 AM to 1 PM. Call 258-8737 for more information.

Food Not Bombs serves free vegan/vegetarian food every Saturday at noon at Pritchard Park.

Dances of Universal Peace on the third Saturdays at 7:30 at 1 School Road in Asheville.

SUNDAY

Asheville National Organization for Women meeting at 2:30 PM at YWCA of Asheville on second Sunday of the month.

Political Prisoner Letter Writing Night at 5 PM at Firestorm on the first Sunday of the month.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS

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FRIDAY, JUNE 8TH:

BREAK THE HUNGER FOOD DRIVE TO HELP FEED LOCAL CHILDREN

Children First/Communities In Schools is beneficiary of all-day food drive (Asheville, NC) WLOS News 13, Carolina Furniture Concepts, and Two Men & a Truck are hosting the sixth annual Break the Hunger food drive to help keep kids from going hungry during summer break. The station is asking viewers to bring non-perishable food items on Friday, June 8 to Carolina Furniture Concepts at 100 Airport Road between 4:30AM to 7PM and in Waynesville from 9AM to 7PM.

Staff and volunteers from News 13 and Children First/Communities In Schools (CIS) will collect canned goods, rice, pasta formula, macaroni and cheese and other non-perishables. Other essential items like diapers, toothpaste, and toilet paper will also be accepted. All of the items donated will go to Children First/Communities In Schools of Buncombe County, who will then distribute the food and items to the children and families they serve. A full shopping list of food pantry staples is on the Children First/CIS website at www.childrenfirstcisbc.org. Staff from Two Men & a Truck will load the boxes of donated goods onto their truck and deliver to the non-profit food pantry in the Emma Community.

And since child hunger cannot be eradicated with just a food box alone, all monetary donations made on Friday, June 8 will be matched by Carolina Furniture Concepts. These funds will be used to not only purchase food throughout the year, but also support policy advocacy for access to SNAP benefits, the free & reduced school meal program and other anti-hunger programs, as well as resources and services Children First/CIS provides to local children and their families. You can call 828-214-5152 and speak to Children First/CIS Resource development Director, Kate Frost, for instructions on how to donate.

“We feel fortunate to be the recipient of the WLOS Break the Hunger Food Drive for the sixth year,” stated Natasha Adwaters, executive director of Children First/CIS. “The need is great, as one out of every four children is at risk of hunger in Buncombe County, and more than half of children attending public school receive free or reduced lunch, which is a leading poverty indicator. When school ends, many of these children are at higher risk of food insecurity, which is why the timing of this food drive is so perfect so our food pantry is able to meet the increased demand for food. ”

Drop off locations are:

Carolina Furniture Concepts –Asheville location 100 Airport Road Asheville 28704 from 4:30AM-7PM

Carolina Furniture Concepts –Waynesville Location 121 Eagles Nest Road Waynesville, NC 28786 from 9AM-7PM

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Children First/Communities In Schools has been empowering and advocating for children and their families for over forty years. We have staff placed in local high-need communities and elementary schools to provide services so children can come to school ready to learn, graduate and succeed in life. But too many children live in families that are unable to afford basic needs such as food, housing, and healthcare- which creates barriers to learning.

We make sure our most vulnerable children and their families have supports such as food, school supplies, tutors, after-school centers and parenting classes. We use an evidence-based model that focuses on improving attendance, behaviors, coursework, and parent engagement-- a proven formula for promoting student success.

And knowing that children cannot thrive with a food box alone, we advocate for improved public policies with our local and state leaders to expand access to housing, healthcare, early childhood care and learning and other family supports. Get involved: donate, advocate and volunteer.

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Hood Tour Tickets

An interactive tour focusing on Asheville’s African American resilient history and future in the arts, environmentalism and entrepreneurship. The tour visits neighborhoods with existing and active green spaces, art, and grassroots initiatives. Tours run most Thursdays at 1 PM and Saturdays at 3 PM, and by appointment for groups by emailing info@hoodhuggers.com. Tours last approximately 1.5 hours. Cost is $25 per person. Tours begin at the Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Avenue.

Hood Huggers International, LLC offers sustainable strategies for building support pillars for resilient historically African American neighborhoods, providing a framework for community capacity building while increasing the effectiveness of existing service programs. These strategies incorporate the arts, environmental education and social enterprise.

DeWayne Barton is the founder/CEO of Hood Huggers. A sculptor and poet, Barton has been involved in community improvement and youth development for over 20 years. He serves on the African American Heritage Commission, CoThinkk, and the City of Asheville Neighborhood Advisory Board.

Tours run most Thursdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m., lasting approximately 1.5 hours. Call (828) 275-5305 or email blove@hoodhuggers.com for more information.

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Come out and support Neighborhood Energy Saver Program!

Dates: Mon, June 4 and/or Wed, June 6 from 5-7pm

Location: Green Built Alliance

Address: 378 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806

We're working hard to make a difference on climate change by helping our lower income neighbors save energy and reduce their power bills. There is a new opportunity for you to help that will only last a few weeks and will not come again! We need your help to make the program offered by Duke Energy - Neighborhood Energy Saver - as successful as possible. Because it goes hand in hand with our mission. Duke has brought this free, door to door program, to a

predominantly lower income neighborhood in Asheville from now till the end of June. They will help every home in that neighborhood to become more energy efficient if they can arrange with residents to do the work. Once they've made a certain effort to reach every home, successful or not, they will leave town and NOT come back to this neighborhood. So you see, this is a now or never opportunity to reach every home possible, and we need you to help us make this happen.

The Neighborhood Energy Saver program provides free walkthrough energy assessments to help low-income homes lower their energy bills and reduce energy demand in Buncombe County. It even gives each home up to 16 free energy-saving devices like LED light bulbs, water-saving shower heads and air-conditioning system filters. This program is one step toward our cleaner energy future, but people can’t benefit if they haven’t heard of it.

Will you help Asheville’s homes save energy and avoid the construction of a fossil fuel-burning peaker plant in Asheville? We have short canvassing shifts in Deaverview, a neighborhood in West Asheville, open for the next three weeks, and we can't make this happen without your support.

Contacts for more information about shifts: Canvassing coordinator Anna Shugoll anna@bluehorizonsproject.com

Yulia Shaffer, ESN volunteer coordinator, at yulia@energysaversnetwork.com

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dancewater

Sunday, June 03, 2018

Upcoming events for the week of June 3, 2018

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