Budget photo came from Win Without War email.
Obama’s budget proposal is the biggest ever for the Pentagon, per Win Without War.
UPCOMING EVENTS
02/09/15 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
This meeting will be a planning meeting. Time is 7 PM and location is North Asheville Library. We plan to review and finalize 2015 goals, review job descriptions, discuss membership clarifications. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Kruk 828-275-0680 or dianakrukmta@gmail.com.
02/09/14 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE MEETING
Vaidila Satvika, formerly the Director of the NYC Plaza Program, will discuss the radical approach that is leading New York City to take back underutilized streets to make more space for people. In the densest city in the U.S., leaders are demolishing streets to build places for people to sit, for children to play, and for plants to grow. How is this possible? What lessons can we learn? And what is causing cities everywhere to think more seriously about the transportation paradigm? Time is 6:30 to 8 PM and location is St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Charlotte Street in Asheville.
02/09/15 PHOTO EXHIBIT AT UNCA
Photo Exhibit: Forward Ever, Backward Never. In observance of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education will host “Forward Ever, Backward Never,” an exhibition of photographs by James H. Barker of the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The exhibition is free and open to the public and will be on view from Feb. 2– 27 in the lobby of Karpen Hall on the UNC Asheville campus. Hours are 8 AM to 9 PM.
02/09/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” film screening will be held at the Humanities Lecture Hall. Episode Three: Into the Fire (1861 – 1896) and Episode Four: Making a Way Out of No Way (1897 – 1940) will be shown. Time is 6 PM to 8:15 PM. Contact ssnyder@unca.edu for more information. Free and open to the public.
02/10/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL AT UNCA
World Affairs Council-Brazil's Metamorphosis by Liliana Castro of Henderson Co Schools. Time is 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM and location is Reuter Center 102A at UNCA. Brazil — it’s the “B” in the acronym BRICS, five emerging economies once seen as soon-to-be superpowers. After economic troubles in the 1990s, Brazil has risen to new global prominence — it’s drawing in more investment, working on global issues ranging from climate change to peacekeeping, and even hosting the 2016 Olympics. But some of Brazil’s trickiest problems — deep divisions over how to tackle serious income inequality, weak civic institutions and poor regional leadership — have held it back.
02/10/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
02/10/15 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville.
02/10/15 LUNCH N LEARN AT UNCA
Lunch-N-Learn: The Essence of Community Building will be from 12:30 to 1:30 PM at the Intercultural Center. This is sponsored by the Multicultural Student Program. Facilitator: Selena Hilemon (Director, Service Learning & Community Citizenship). For more information, contact ssnyder@unca.edu.
02/11/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in Black Mountain.
02/11/15 DISCUSSION AT UNCA
Shades of Being: Colorism in the African American Community is presented by the Multicultural Student Program. Facilitator: Dr. Dolly Mullen (Associate Professor of Political Science). Time is 6 to 8 PM. For more information, email intercultural@unca.edu.
02/11/15 GREEN DRINKS
“Health Implications of Genetically Modified Foods” will be the program, with socializing starting at 5:30 PM and programming at 6 PM. Location is the Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. Since 1995 genetically engineered foods have become pervasive in our food supply. Their introduction brings an unprecedented change in the amount of pesticide we eat, the nutrient composition of our food, and in the way we see food. Given our ballooning incidence of chronic diseases such as Cancer, Diabetes, Autism, and Autoimmune Disease, we must examine our current food supply, and its potential for negative impacts on our health. This talk will discuss what is known, and unknown, about the health effects of eating genetically engineered foods, specifically with respect to our digestive, immune system, and endocrine health.
02/12/15 FILM AT UNCA
“Dear White People” film screening is from 7 to 9 PM at Lipinsky Auditorium. This is presented by the Multicultural Student Program. For more information, email ssnyder@unca.edu. The film, Dear White People, is a social satire that follows the stories of four black students at an Ivy League college where controversy breaks out over a popular but offensive black-face party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in acutely-not-post-racial America while weaving a universal story of forging one's unique path in the world.
02/12/15 DIVESTMENT PANEL AT UNCA
The UNCA Divestment Coalition is hosting our Vice Chancellor of Finance John Pierce, local sustainable investing expert Peter Krull, and a representative from the University of North Carolina Management Company for a discussion about UNC Asheville's endowment investments. This is your opportunity to ask questions about your school's endowment! This public event is open to all stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, and members of our greater Asheville community. For more information contact uncadivest@gmail.com. Time is 7 PM to 10 PM and location is Karpen Hall, room 038. This will be and open and free event and our central point of contact is uncadivest@gmail.com.
02/13/2015 GLOBAL DIVESTMENT DAY
Friday, February 13 is Global Divestment Day, called by 350.org, with actions calling for divestment from fossil fuels happening all over the world! In Asheville, at noon at the Flatiron (corner of Wall St./Battery Park St.) there will be a rally, bring your orange DIVEST signs! The Green Grannies will be singing and leafletting about divestment and reinvestment in green energy. The Sierra Club hosts Peter Krull, a speaker on ethical investment at 12:30 PM, 34 Wall St. downtown. A light lunch will be served, donations welcome. Time is 12 noon to 1 PM and location is Sierra Club office at 34 Wall Street (3rd floor) in downtown Asheville. Rally is outside at the Flat Iron at 11:45 AM.
02/13/15 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM NIGHT AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS
Shot over a period of four years, Girl Trouble documents the compelling personal stories of three teenage girls entangled in San Francisco's failing juvenile justice system. Time is 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at Edwin and Charlotte Street in Asheville. No charge, donations are welcome. Public is invited.
02/13/15 OLLI BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT UNCA
OLLI is offering this program in celebration of Black History Month. On February 13, 2015, plan to attend 'Policing and Minority Communities' presented by Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 9 to 11 AM and location is Reuter Center, room 102A. (Another listing had this starting at 9:30 AM.)
02/14/15 HISTORIC THOUSANDS MARCH ON JONES STREET (HK on J)
Also known as Historic March on Raleigh. Location is across the street from the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at 2 East South Street in Raleigh. Pre-rally begins at 9 AM and march begins at 10 AM. Join us in Raleigh for a love and justice revival. This is also called the 9th Annual Mass Moral March on Raleigh. Buses will be leaving from Asheville early Saturday morning and returning that evening. Please visit the website listed below for ticket information and to reserve a seat. WE ARE IN THIS LOVE TOGETHER ... and we are determined to go "FORWARD TOGETHER, NOT ONE STEP BACK!" Go here for bus tickets: http://www.mountainmoralmonday.org. For more information email info@mountainmoralmonday.org.
02/15/15 ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY MEETING
“Growing up African American in Segregated Asheville” will be presented by Viola Spells, owner of Zenobia Studio, at the Sunday February 15th meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:00-3:30 PM at The Friends Meeting House located at 227 Edgewood Road, Asheville 28804 (near UNCA). Spells will discuss her experiences from birth through high school, 1945 – 1963, including vignettes of the YWCA, churches, schools, library, the YMI, Lexington Avenue, key people who were positive influences on children and young adults, community life in Asheville during the 1940s and 1950s, Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE) in the early 1960s and desegregation of the Asheville public library. Viola Spells was born and raised in Asheville where she attended the Livingston Street School and Allen High School. She received a B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, a Masters in Library Science from the University of Michigan, and supervised several regional library systems in Philadelphia, PA. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Metals from Eastern Tennessee State University and owns Zenobia Studio at Pink Dog Creative in the River Arts District where she creates and sells metal art work. Following Spells’ presentation there will be time for questions and group discussion. Following the meeting, informal conversation and light refreshments will be available. All are welcome!
The Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville is a humanist, educational, philosophical, non-theistic alternative to traditional religions. It is affiliated with the American Ethical Union, and the American Humanist Association, both of which are members of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. Members are inspired by the ideal that the supreme aim of human life is working to create a more humane society. Their commitment is to the worth and dignity of the individual and to treating each human being so as to bring out the best in him or her.
For more information, email ethicalsocietyasheville@gmail.com or call 828 687-7759.
02/16/15 LECTURE AT UNCA
The lecture is “Using psychology to promote environmentally-friendly behavior”. Dr. Raimi will be speaking. Free. Time is 10 AM to 11:30 AM and location is Highsmith University Union, 221-222 Mountain Suite.
02/16/15 LECTURE AT UNCA
“Projecting the Urban: Humanists and Designers in Collaboration” by Dr Dana Cuff. Dr Cuff is the founding director of cityLAB, a research center at UCLA that explores the challenges facing the 21st century metropolis through design and research. She was recently awarded $2 million by the Mellon Foundation to support "The Urban Turn: Collective Life in Megacities of the Pacific Rim." Her project will build connections between architecture, urban studies and the humanities, engaging faculty and students from across the campus in the study of contemporary issues in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Shanghai and Mexico City. Free and open to the public. Time is 6 PM to 7:30 PM and location is Karpen Hall 139 - Laurel Forum. Contact Dr. Sophie Mills at smills@unca.edu or 828-251-6296.
02/17/15 HARRIET TUBMAN PERFORMANCE AT ASHEVILLE MUSEUM
Come Celebrate Black History Month at aSHEville Museum! Harriet Tubman, a reenactment by Becky Stone will be on February 17th at 7 PM. Cost is $8 non-members/$5 members/$4 youth. Location is 35 Wall St., Asheville. Call 828 785-5722 for more information.
02/17/15 ART EXHIBIT AND RECEPTION AT UNCA
“The Black Experience? A Re-examination” will be hosted at the Highsmith Art & Intercultural Gallery. Reception will be from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. More information can be obtained by emailing ssnyder@unca.edu.
02/17/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
02/17/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON PRIVACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE
“Privacy in the Digital Age,” with Jagdeep Bhandari, professor of business and economics at Mars Hill University. Bhandari will discuss the responses abroad to what some see as a “U.S. dragnet,” and will explore whether changes in the ideas of “privacy” and “harm” due to digital technology have done away with privacy as we have known it. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. Time is 7:30 PM.
02/18/15 GREEN DRINKS
“Connecting Our Lives With Our Landscape: Patchwork Urban Farms” is the program, with socializing starting at 5:30 PM and program starting at 6 PM. Location is the Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. Join us Feb 18th, to hear from Sunil Patel of Patchwork Urban Farms. Learn how Patchwork is creating a movement to reconnect our lives with our landscapes, and find out how you can plug in. Patchwork is regenerating our urban landscapes and making the groundwork for a vibrant food and farming economy. The time for concerted action is now!
02/18/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” film screening will be held at the Highsmith 104. Episode Five: Rise! (1940 – 1968) and Episode Six: A More Perfect Union (1968 – 2013) will be shown. Time is 6 PM to 8:15 PM. Contact ssnyder@unca.edu for more information. Free and open to the public.
02/19/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH LECTURE AT UNCA
Lecturer will be Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, as well as director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. His ten-part documentary series, Finding Your Roots, aired on PBS in 2012. Professor Gates is Editor-in-Chief of TheRoot.com. He is the author of several works of literary criticism focusing on race and black culture, and he has written for Time, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Root. He has also produced and hosted several documentaries for PBS. This will be at 7 PM and it is free and open to the public. Location is Lipinsky Auditorium. The tickets for this event are gone, per reports from UNCA.
02/19/15 SAVE THE ROSENWALD SCHOOL IN MARS HILL
Upon rehabilitation, the Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School will serve as a Community Cultural Center and an Interpretive Museum intended to promote a fuller understanding of southern Appalachian black history and to enhance education at all levels. The final program of “Our Story – This Place” will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 6:30 PM. Join us for an evening of gospel music and a presentation on the history of gospel music and how it relates to the African American community. A reception will be held afterwards. The event takes place in Broyhill Chapel, on the campus of Mars Hill University. “Our Story, This Place, The History of African American Education in Madison County, NC: The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School” is on display at the Rural Heritage Museum until February 28, 2015. The exhibit includes historic artifacts, photographs, and videos. Works by Charity Ray are also on display as part of the exhibit. The Rural Heritage Museum is open daily (except Mondays) from 1-5 PM and by appointment. It is located on Rt. 213, in Montague Hall, on the campus of Mars Hill University. Admission is free.
02/19/15 ASHEVILLE WOMEN’S POWER HOUR BY ASHEVILLE N.O.W.
The first monthly Asheville Women's Power Hour will be February 19, third Thursday, at 6 PM. The Women's Power Hour will be a monthly event issues uniquely of value to women. During these events, women from all walks of life will build relationships and create transformation in our public, professional, and private lives. All Women's Power Hour events are sponsored by Asheville NOW. February's topic will be: Examining A Woman's Worth: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, Workplace Conditions, and NC's Unresolved Issues. At the event, women will meet and greet Asheville author Cynthia Drew, who will talk about her novel, "City of Slaughter," which is set against the dramatic backdrop of this historic event. For more information on this and other events including location, email ashevillenow@live.com.
02/20/15 OLLI BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT UNCA
OLLI is offering this program in celebration of Black History Month. On February 20, 2015, plan to attend 'History of Slavery in Asheville' presentation led by Deborah Miles, Director of UNC Asheville's Center for Diversity Education and Darin Waters, PhD, assistant professor of History at UNC Asheville. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 9:30 to 11 AM and location is Reuter Center, room 102A.
02/20/15 HISTORY AND ITS BURDENS
“History and its Burdens: The Place of African Americans in our Collective Historical Memory”, with Dr. Darin Waters and Deborah Miles. Dr. Waters will share his research on slavery in Asheville while Ms. Miles will share its relationship to the current site of Vance Monument. This presentation is part of a project of the Center for Diversity Education to acknowledge the history of slave labor at the current site of the Vance Monument which is the former site of the Buncombe County Courthouse. On this site enslaved people were sold on the courthouse steps and their deeds recorded at the Register of Deeds. Time is 3 PM and location is UNCA Osher Life Long Learning Center. This is a program of Osher Life Long Learning (OLLI).
02/20/15 LIVE STAKING ON THE FRENCH BROAD
Come canoe with the French Broad Riverkeeper! We’ll be paddling about 8.5 miles down the FB and planting trees along the riverbank. Each tree you plant will help to restore the bank’s stability and prevent sediment erosion. No experience necessary. We’ll provide the boats (but if you have your own, you’re welcome to bring it!) trees and tools, just bring yourself and your lunch. Email Anna (anna@wnca.org) or Hartwell (hartwell@wnca.org) if you are interested. Time is 9:30 AM to 5 PM and location is Headwaters Outfitters at 25 Parkway Road in Rosman.
02/20/15 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 noon to 2 PM. Everyone is welcome. Please go to www.wncpsr.org for more information, which includes how to get there and other details.
02/21/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WORKSHOP
Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East will hold a workshop on the Israeli military detention of Palestinian children “No way to treat a child” and local actions we can undertake. Time is 10 AM to noon. Location is St. Mathias Church at 1 Dundee Street in Asheville. We will be learning more about the subject and looking to craft local actions. We are fortunate to have Jennifer Bing of The American Friends Service Committee leading us in this. This event is free but your registration would be most helpful so we can properly plan Please call 828-669-2073 or wcpjme@gmail.com to register.
02/21/15 LEAVE NO TRACE WORKSHOP
Join MountainTrue Forest Keepers (formerly Western North Carolina Alliance) and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for a morning workshop about the seven principles of Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics! In the afternoon, the group will venture outside to put the skills to use. FREE for everyone but preregistration is required. Contact Kana Miller at kana@appalachian.org or call 828.253.0095 ext. 205 to register. Bring: warm layers, lunch, water, notepad and pens, sturdy hiking shoes, raincoat, and a pack to carry all personal items. Time is 10 AM to 4 PM and location is given with RSVP.
02/21/15 GREEN GRANNIES SING FOR THE CLIMATE
Green Grannies Sing for the Climate at Vance Monument at 4 PM. Google "Singfortheclimate" and come out and sing with us! This happens on the third Saturday of every month.
02/22/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 2 PM and location is Thomas Chapel at 124 West College Drive in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
02/23/15 LECTURE AT UNCA
Mandy Carter is the National Coordinator for the Bayard Rustin Commemoration Project of the National Black Justice Coalition. Her talk with build the connections between the work of Bayard Rustin, organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, with the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ community and the current deterioration of voting rights in North Carolina and across the country. Time is 7 PM and location is Karpen Hall, room 038.
02/24/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON RUSSIA AND THE NEAR ABROAD
“Russia and the Near Abroad,” with Steven Solnick, president of Warren Wilson College. Before coming to Warren Wilson, Solnick spent a decade abroad as Ford Foundation Representative in Moscow and New Delhi. Solnick was coordinator for Russian studies at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, and research associate at Harvard University’s Russian Research Center and Center for International Affairs. He will discuss what Russia’s actions in the Ukraine may mean for its other neighbors, and the current situation in Russia as the value of the ruble has dropped along with world oil prices. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website.
02/24/15 NC WOMEN UNITED LOBBY DAY IN RALEIGH
North Carolina Women United is asking residents to save the date and come to the state capitol Feb. 24 to fight for women's rights. “The more numbers we have, the more attention we will get,” local organizer Sandra Abromitis said. The group has planned a Women's Advocacy Day Program 9 to11 AM at the NC Legislative Building in Raleigh. Participants will discuss NCWU's priorities, including access to health care, civic participation and equality, economic self-sufficiency and violence against women. Writer and filmmaker Dream Hampton will be the keynote speaker. There also will be an opportunity to meet with state legislators and to learn how to advocate for local and state issues that affect women. This event is free and open to the public. For more information including how to register, contact Sandra Abromitis at abromitis@msn.com or 828-686-8281.
02/25/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA
There will be a screening of “Freedom Summer” on Thursday, February 25. at 7 PM at The Grotto at Highsmith Student Union. This film is part of a series from “Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle” that documents the summer of 1964 when more than 700 students joined with organizers and Local African Americans to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in the nation's most segregated states.
02/25/15 INTERRACIAL DATING IN AMERICA STUDENT PANEL AT UNCA
This event will be from 6 to 8 PM and location is Highsmith Student Union, room 224. This is sponsored by Multicultural Student Programs. For more information, email ssnyder@unca.edu.
02/26/15 TOWN HALL FORUM AT YMI CULTURAL CENTER
“Communities of Color: Exclusionary Housing, the Unbanked and Underbanked" Town Hall Forum. This panel, moderated by Dr. Darin Waters, will examine the financial practices of predatory lending, check cashing outlets, and their impact on the unbanked and underbanked in the community. Time is 6 to 8:30 PM and location is YMI Cultural Center.
02/26/15 A.R.T. MEETING FOR ADA-RELATED CHANGES
The City of Asheville and Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) invite you to attend our public meeting to discuss changes to ADA transit policies, forms and services. The meeting will be held in the Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Time is 4 PM to 6:30 PM. This was rescheduled due to the weather.
02/27/15 OPEN MIC NIGHT AT UNCA
And We Still Rise - Open Mic Night, sponsored by Multicultural Student Program and Black Student Association. Location is Alumni Hall and time is 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM.
02/27/15
WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
This meeting will be at 3:15 PM at Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Meet in the media room.
02/28/15 MARTIN LUTHER KING PRAYER BREAKFAST BY SWANNANOA VALLEY MLK MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
The 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Prayer Breakfast will be held at Camp Dorothy Walls in Black Mountain. Time is 8 AM. We are excited to announce that the speaker for the 2015 Prayer Breakfast will be Tyrone Greenlee. Tyrone Greenlee is an Asheville native and graduate of Asheville High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a community activist who currently serves on the boards of Just Economics of Western North Carolina and Green Opportunities, and has volunteered for many years with the Building Bridges organization. Tyrone works as a mentor and mediator at the Francine Delany New School for Children, and as Director of Christians For A United Community, a coalition of churches which works to dismantle racism and the disparities caused by racism. Tyrone is also a member of the New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where he serves as a member of the Deacons and Youth and Music Ministries. He also attends Circle of Mercy Congregation in Asheville. Tickets to the 2015 Prayer Breakfast can be purchased at the Black Mountain Chamber of Commerce, 201 E. State Street, Black Mountain, NC phone - Adult Tickets $15.00; Tickets for children ages 3 - 12 - $6.00 - Contact number for the Chamber is (828) 669-2300.
03/02/15 MOUNTAIN TRUE EVENT
A Home Composting Workshop will be held at NC Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center, 100 Jackson Park Rd, in Hendersonville. Time is 6 to 8 PM. Learn the ins and outs of home composting with MountainTrue. There will be a raffle drawing for five YukChuk kitchen compost bins, and all will receive discount coupons to purchase YukChucks on their own. Cost: $15 per person. Registration is required by Noon, Friday, Feb. 27. For questions and instructions on how to register, please e-mail MountainTrue at assistant@eco-wnc.org or call the office at 692-0385.
03/04/15 LECTURE AT UNCA
“In Her Father's Eyes: A Slovak Childhood in the Shadow of the Holocaust” will be on display from March 2 to March 27 at UNCA. The year 2015 marks the 70th anniversaries of the end of WWII when the slave labor and death campus were liberated. In Her Father's Eyes is the life of Kitty Weichherz told by her observant and devoted father Bella Weichherz. Family photographs and entries in a diary kept by Bella offer a window into the everyday life of birthday parties, the first day of school, and a first boyfriend. The Weichherz family were murdered sometime in 1942 or 43 most likely at Sobibor Death Camp. Dr. Mark Gibney will give the opening lecture on March 4. Time and location TBD.
03/07/15 MOUNTAIN TRUE ADOPT-A-STREAM TRAINING
Learn about a community-based monitoring program where you will receive both classroom and field experience for identifying stream health and water quality issues. After the training, you’ll be able to join an existing Adopt-A-Stream team or start your own to become an environmental steward. Time is 10 AM to 2 PM. Location is the MountainTrue Southern Regional office. For questions and instructions on how to register, please e-mail MountainTrue at assistant@eco-wnc.org or call the office at 692-0385.
03/07/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST VIGIL
There will be a protest on this date from noon to 2 PM at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. More information to follow.
03/10/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Thomas Chapel at 124 West College Drive in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
03/10/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON SECTARIANISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST
“Sectarianism in the Middle East,” with David Hudleson a retired career employee of the National Security Agency. Hudleson twice received the NSA’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award, as well as an Exceptional Service Award from the CIA and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Award. During his career he spent time in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and was an Arabic language specialist. He will address the role of sectarianism — the politicization of ethnic and religious identity — in the Middle East, specifically through the struggle between Sunni and Shi’i groups for dominance. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website.
03/17/15 JAZZ FOR JUSTICE FUNDRAISER
This is a benefit for Pisgah Legal Services. Time is 5:30 PM and location is 21 North Market Street in downtown Asheville. Awards presentation is at 7 PM. Tickets are $50. Please contact Pisgah Legal Services for more information at betsy@pisgahlegal.org.
03/21/15 BIOLOGICAL MONITORING TRAINING
Learn to sample a site for aquatic life which serve as biological indicators of water quality over time. This training is designed for both new and current volunteers. Training covers aquatic insect morphology & identification, as well as sampling protocol, and includes both a lab and field portion. For more information and to register visit bit.ly/wqtrainings. Location is Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, and time is 9 AM to 4 PM.
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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 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 4 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 a local activist:
Friends,
A group of Asheville emerging community leaders and civil rights veterans’ have joined together to create an opportunity for youth groups to see the movie “Selma” at no cost. As we continue to confront the challenges to achieving social justice the movie “Selma” presents a great opportunity to review why the civil rights movement still matters.
Can you bring a group of young people any Saturday in February? Please contact lucia@abcrc.org or tiffanydebellott@yahoo.com with the numbers of young people we should expect. If you cannot bring young people can you assist us to underwrite the cost of the tickets? (See www.ashevillefreedomschool.com). Meet in front of the Carmike Theater at 12:45 pm to pick up the free tickets for your group. Ms. Ella Baker would always remind us that we who believe in justice cannot rest.
Carol Rogoff Hallstrom, Esq.
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