HUDSON VALLEY ACTIVIST CALENDAR
March 17, 2012, Issue #677
Send event announcements to jacdon@earthlink.net
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Dedicated to Helping Build Activist
Movements in the Hudson Valley
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Editor's Note: This calendar covers events to March 23. Our next, longer calendar will arrive late next week with dozens of events between March 25 and mid-April. The latest Activist Newsletter will also be posted late next week.
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Saturday, March 17, NEW ROCHELLE: Westchester Women in Black holds a vigil in solidarity with the people of Palestine, 2-3 p.m. at Main St. and Memorial Highway. The vigil is sponsored by WESPAC and CodePink Westchester. Information, ceilie@aol.com, (914) 654 8990.
Sunday, March 18, ALBANY: Occupy Albany is sponsoring what they term a "lightly facilitated" discussion on the subject of "how Occupy could relate to and interact with the current political system. What are some strategies? Should it interact at all? How much is not enough? How much is too far?" It takes place 4-6 p.m. at 472 Madison Ave., and is "initiated by the Political Strategies Working Group." Information, http://www.occupyalbany.org/category/groups/political-strategy/.
Monday-Tuesday, March 19-20, NEW YORK & ELSEWHERE: The unjust, illegal and immoral American government invasion of Iraq took place nine years ago on these dates. This horrific event (officially over less than three months ago) is already fading from our national consciousness and may soon be forgotten — save for reminders such as the demonstration Monday the 19th in New York City at 5 p.m. near the Times Square Recruiting Station, 43rd and Broadway. Other protests are taking place in Chicago, Los Angeles and probably some other cities, but not many. The war cost Iraq over a million civilian lives, four million displaced people, including two million who fled to safer countries, and the utter destruction of its infrastructure. The U.S. finally pulled out Dec. 31 at a cost of a few thousand lives and several trillion dollars. The war machine moves on to other enemies, other killings, la de da, la de da.
Monday, March 19, WOODSTOCK: The liberal Rabbi Michael Lerner will speak on "Healing the Middle East: Why Americans Should Be BOTH Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestine." Starting at 7 p.m. at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, 1682 Glasco Turnpike. The evening will include a discussion, question and answer session and book signing for his newest book,
"Embracing Israel/Palestine." Admission $15 at the door. Information, (845) 679-2218,
info@wjcshul.org.
Tuesday, March 20, KINGSTON: A meeting concerning a proposed prohibition (UC Law 71) on using hydrofracking fluid known as "brine" as a de-icer on Ulster County roads begins at 7 p.m. at the County Legislative Building, 244 Fair St (at Main St., 6th floor). The Legislature will decide whether this bill is worthy of a formal public hearing, the next stage in the process. Frack Free Catskills urges citizens to attend the this meeting in opposition to brine, which contains dangerous arsenic, cadmium, benzene, toluene, phenol, naphthalene. Information, (845) 679-6938, joanwalker@gmail.com.
Wednesday, March 21, ROSENDALE: "Williams Lake: Hype vs. Reality" is the topic of a public forum focusing on "the hype and reality related to Hudson River Valley Resorts' proposed development project for the Williams Lake property." The meeting, presented jointly by Save The Lakes and Mid-Hudson Sierra Club, will take place 7-9 p.m. at the Community Center on Rt. 32. The event will discuss all aspects of the project, alternatives, plus a film clip from "Resorting to Madness," describing the impacts of major resort developments on rural communities, followed by a Q&A.Information, http://savethelakes.us/.
Friday, March 23, MILLBROOK: Frances Moore Lappé, a pioneer of the sustainable food movement and the author of more than 18 books, including the classic "Diet for a Small Planet," will lecture on "EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think." The free, public 7 p.m. event will be held at the Cary Institute auditorium, 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Rte. 44). The co-founder of Food First: The Institute for Food and Development Policy, the Small Planet Institute, and the Small Planet Fund, Lappé is an advocate for food democracy, including equal access to nutritious food and equitable farm labor practices. Space is limited, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Free parking near auditorium. Information, (845) 677-7600, ext. 121, freemanp@caryinstitute.org.
