Wednesday, April 29, 2015

04-29-15 MAY CALENDAR

MAY CALENDAR
May 1, 2015, Hudson Valley Activist Calendar, Issue #690
To subscribe contact us at jacdon@earthlink.net
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For The Latest Activist Newsletter Click: 04-26-15 NEWSLETTER
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THE HUDSON VALLEY CALENDAR IS UPDATED WITH NEW EVENTS EVERY FEW DAYS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. New items begin with this mark: √√.
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                                                HAPPY MAY DAY 2015

 
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40 YEARS SINCE U.S. LOST THE VIETNAMESE WAR

April 30 is the 40th anniversary of Vietnam's historic victory in what they call the "American war." It was an extreme comeuppance for the U.S. but Washington seems to have learned nothing from this traumatic experience. If you have not yet read our analysis of the war and the extraordinary era of the "Sixties" within which it was largely fought, check out the current April 26 Activist Newsletter just below this calendar.


A confident President Johnson in 1965,
convinced he could easily crush the 
Vietnamese struggle for unification and independence, thought he'd just have to 
intimidate North Vietnam's 
President Ho Chi Minh to show 
who's the real boss. Three years later
LBJ was too unpopular to run for 
reelection. In 1975 Vietnam was 
reunified, and independent.
           
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MAY EVENTS:


Friday, May 1, ALBANY and TROY: The capital district will enjoy a bang-up full day celebrating May Day, the real Labor Day, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Women Against War, The Sanctuary for Independent Media, and others will promote the day's theme: "Justice and Dignity for All!"  
The Albany events come first: 6 a.m. - Morris Dancers At the monument in Washington Park;
10 a.m. - Rally in support of adjunct faculty at The College of Saint Rose (Administration Building), 1000 Madison; 12 noon. - Rally for Immigrant Rights, Lark and Central; 2 p.m. - Rally in Support of Adjunct Faculty at SUNY Uptown. The Troy events come next — both at The Sanctuary, 3361 6th Ave., Troy. 5 p.m. - Food, Entertainment, Tabling, Open Microphone at  Outdoor Park; 7 p.m. - Speakers, Entertainment indoors. Information, WAW, women_againstwar@yahoo.com. The Sanctuary, ( (518) 272-2390

Friday, May 1,  KINGSTON: Films of Palestine Series presents the film "Voices From Gaza" 7- 8:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills, 320 Sawkill Rd. This multimedia presentation includes a short film about a theatre project with teenagers in Gaza, photographs, and a live reading of some of the young people¹s moving monologues about living under attack. Jo Salas, cofounder of Playback Theater, will speak about meeting the director of the Gaza Monologues Project, Iman Aoun, and about witnessing a Playback Theatre performance in Ramallah that brought children from Gaza and the West Bank together through a video link. Sponsored by Middle East Crisis Response (http://www.mideastcrisis.org) and Hudson Valley Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. Information, Jane.toby7@gmail.com,  (518) 291-6808.

Friday, May 1, MILLBROOK: Conservationist, author, and award-winning photographer Robin Moore will will provide a visually-rich presentation on the world's rarest amphibians. His new book, "In Search of Lost Frogs," details Conservation International's expedition to find frogs not seen in over a decade. Moore spearheaded the expedition, coordinating 33 teams from 21 countries. The free public event will start at 7 p.m. in the Cary Institute auditorium, 2801 Sharon Tpk. (Rt. 44). Books will be available for purchase by Merritt Bookstore. Information, freemanp@caryinstitute.org.

√√ Saturday May 2, KINGSTON: A demonstration against police brutality in solidarity with opponents of official violence against unarmed black men in Baltimore, Ferguson and New York City will begin at 2 p.m. in front of City Hall, 420 Broadway. The action is being initiated by the End the New Jim Crow Action Network, Citizen Action of New York and others. "Bring new signs, Mumia signs and our old signs," we're told. All individuals and groups are invited. Information, CENJC-KingstonNY@googlegroups.com, https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/CENJC-KingstonNY .

Saturday, May 2, HIGHLAND: Volunteers are needed today —  "I Love New York Park Day" — to work 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Fanny Reese State Park, close to FDR Mid-Hudson Bridge. Help remove exotic bush honeysuckle so native plants can flourish again. After lopping the honeysuckle, we’ll compress and tie it into bundles for use as dry brush packing to help stabilize shorelines. Contact Anthony Coneski, (845) 473 4440 Ext. 273, www.scenichudson.org.

Sunday, May 3, STONY POINT: Some 20 million people live within the 50-mile explosion/fallout range of the Indian Point nuclear power plants in Buchanan, N.Y. (38 miles north of New York City), and the overwhelming majority in the affected area have no idea what to do in the  event of a major accident or worse. Indian Point must be shut down! In the interim, a Nuclear Waste Storage and Decommissioning Forum will take place 1-4 p.m. at Stony Point Conference Center, 17 Cricketown Rd.  Several representatives of concerned groups will speak. Learn about the Indian Point nuclear plant's severely overcrowded fuel pools, the need for a plan to decommission them, and the lack of sufficient decommissioning funds to ensure it is done safely.  Also there will be an update on Indian Point legal matters and what is going on at other N.Y. State nuclear facilities.  Information, (845) 265-8080, ext. 7113, mannajo@clearwater.org,  or  judya814@comcast.net. You may register at register at www.surveymonkey.com/s/DecomForum.

Tuesday, May 5, CASTELTON-ON-HUDSON: A proposed pipeline transporting fracked gas through Rensselaer County is the topic of a critical public forum 6:30-9 p.m.at Maple Hill High School, 216 Maple Hill Rd. There will be a discussion about the pipeline’s potential environmental impacts, health and safety concerns, economic loss, and the rights of individuals and communities. There will be a Power Point presentation about a proposed high pressure fracked gas pipeline and compressor station plus an outstanding video and a Q&A session. The event and parking are free. Information, (518) 781-4686 , lisaz11659@gmail.com.

Wednesday, May 6, NEW PALTZ (SUNY campus): The Hudson River Environmental Society is sponsoring a public day-long 2015 Hudson River Symposium in the Student Union Building 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. All details at http://www.hres.org/joomla/.


√√ Thursday, May 7, NEW PALTZ: "Earth Calling — an environmental conversation through theater," begins at 8 p.m. at Deyo Hall, 6 Broadhead Ave. (by Huguenot St.).  Hudson River Playback Theatre plus New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, Citizens for Local Power, Mid-Atlantic Regional Transition Hub,  Solarize Hudson Valley, and Catskill Mountainkeeper. The evening is devoted to personal stories about climate change and information about local actions. Admission by donation.  Information, info@hudsonriverplayback.org, http://hudsonriverplayback.org.

Freddie Gray. Unarmed, Innocent. Looked at cop. Killed.Baltimore.

Saturday, May 9, WASHINGTON: Police violence in America, particularly directed toward black youth, has generated a mass demonstration on Mother's Day weekend that will take place in the nation's capital today, titled "The Million Moms March — Praying with our feet." The action was initiated by "Mothers for Justice United," a movement comprised of mothers whose unarmed children have been killed by police or white vigilantes. It is composed  of  mothers, families and others who care about the loss of these valuable lives cut short unnecessarily. The event will begin at Mount Vernon Square (800 Mt. Vernon Place NW) and the march will travel to the Justice Department, arriving around 2 p.m. All are welcome to participate. RSVP: www.mfju.eventbrite.com. Information, https://www.facebook.com/mothersforjusticeunited/info? tab=page_infohttps://www.facebook.com/mothersforjusticeunited/info? 


√√ Monday, May 11, KINGSTON: The End the New Jim Crow Action Network! (ENJAN), a Hudson Valley group dedicated to fighting racist policies of racial profiling, police brutality, and mass incarceration (the "new Jim Crow"), meets 6-8 p.m. at the New Progressive Baptist Church, 8 Hone St. (Also meets here May 25.) Information, (845) 475-8781, http://www.enjan.org.

√√ Wednesday, May 13, POUGHKEEPSIE: The End the New Jim Crow Action Network will meet 6-8 p.m. at the Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library, Family Partnership Center, 29 N. Hamilton St. (Also meets here May 27.) Information, (845) 475-8781, http://www.enjan.org.


Friday, May 15, BEACON: Today is Nakba Day, May 15, a day of remembrance and mourning for Palestinians around the world. “Nakba” — Arabic for catastrophe — refers to the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes that accompanied the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. The Middle East Reality Forum, backed by Hudson Valley peace and justice organizations will commemorate the day with a vigil at 5:30 p.m. at Main St. and Rt. 9D (up the hill from the Beacon Metro North station). At 6:15 p.m. they will march to St. Rocco's Society meeting hall, 26 S. Chestnut St. The program will include music, speakers and a discussion on the significance of Nakba today. Food and beverages will be served.
 The free public event is endorsed by a number of groups including ANSWER CoalitionCODE PINKGlobal Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in SpaceIraq Veterans Against the War, Jewish Voice for Peace, Middle East Crisis Response, Nakba Education ProjectJews Say No!,  Veterans For PeaceWomen of a Certain Age, Middle East Realties Forum, WESPAC, Veterans for Peace and. Information, Bennett Weiss, (914) 213-9783
.

Protesters in Seattle took to kayaks to protest as Shell's Arctic drilling fleet approaches the city. (AP) 
√√ Saturday, May 23, NEW PALTZ: The Obama administration announced conditional approval for Royal Dutch Shell Oil to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's North Slope. This is an ecological disaster in the waiting for one of the world's most pristine and beautiful environments. It must be stopped! A 3-5 p.m. demonstration to protest this outrage will take place here today beginning at the Shell Gas Station at 490 Main St. and Ohioville Rd., just east of the Thruway exit. They will then walk west on Main St. to reassemble at the Elting Library in downtown. The walk will then continue through the business district, ending at 4 p.m. at the Walkkill River bridge the Elting Library St. Demonstrators will walk west down Main St. to the Wallkill River for a display of environmental sculpture in the water. the same rate. Bring signs. Information, https://www.facebook.com/events/1060770660618795/

 

√√ Sunday, May 24, NEW PALTZ:  What could be more approprriate on the Memorial Day weekend than a peace walk? Participatants will gather at 3 p.m. in Peace Park, behind Village Hall on  Plattekill Rd. They will then join a sidewalk march to honor victims of governmental and corporate militarism, such as victims of drone killings, and other other acts of war, Guatanamo, police militarism, racism, gender violence, and ecocide. Bring signs. The event ends with picnicking and hanging out a bit at Hasbrouck Park. (Rain date, Monday, Memorial Day, May 25, same time). Information, Andrew at (845) 699-3051, or text Barbara Kidney at (845) 313- 8035.




√√ Tuesday, May 26, NEW PALTZ: Michelle Alexander, author of one of the most important books of our new century — "The New Jim Crow" — delivered a speech at Columbia University's "Beyond the Bars" conference. A film of this event will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Elting Library, 73 Main St. Presenters are Jamie Levato, Tracy Givens-Hunter, and Janet Bosco, followed by a Q&A. Free and public.


√√ Friday, May 29, MILLBROOK: Ecologist Rick Ostfeld will discuss "The Ecology of Lyme Disease" — a topic of considerable interest in the Hudson Valley — beginning at 8 p.m. at the Cary Institute Auditorium, 2801 Sharon Tpk. (Rt. 44). Information about this free public meeting at (845) 677-7600, ext. 121, www.caryinstitute.org.