02-11-13 Defend Women's Rights

DEFEND WOMEN’S RIGHTS!

Thursday, March 7, SUNY New Paltz

Over a score of community, labor, feminist, peace & justice, political and college organizations are backing a Mid-Hudson regional commemoration of International Women’s Day at 6:30 p.m. in spacious Lecture Center 100 on the SUNY campus.

They will demand: Stop Violence Against Women, Stop the War on Women’s Rights, Defend Reproductive Justice, Full Equality for all Women Workers!

A dozen women activists from the Mid-Hudson region have issued a Call To Action (see below) for women and men to support and attend the indoor rally, which is sponsored by the Hudson Valley Activist Newsletter.

The program is in formation — all speakers and endorsers will be posted soon at http://activistnewsletter.blogspot.com. Early endorsers include the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation (AFL-CIO), New Paltz Women in Black, the local chapter of Amnesty International, Bard College Student Labor Dialogue, Washbourne House (the Family of Woodstock-affiliated women and children's shelter), Orange County Democratic Women, Ulster County Democratic Women, Progressive Academic Network (PAN) at SUNY NP, the New Paltz campus/community Environmental Task Force, NP Climate Action Coalition, the SUNY NP chapters of NYPIRG and OXFAM, Move to Amend of Ulster County, Department of Sociology at SUNY NP, Peace and Social Progress Now, and Mid-Hudson ANSWER. The SUNY faculty union, UUP, passed a statewide resolution endorsing events honoring IWD and encouraging SUNY campuses to participate. The local UUP executive committee has unanimously endorsed the March 7 event. Many more supporters will endorse.

To volunteer (for leaflet distribution, research, organizing and/or helping out March 7), contact Donna Goodman at donna0726@earthlink.net. To get on our mailing list contact jacdon@earthlink.net.

——————————————————

CALL TO ACTION

March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day of solidarity for working women that is celebrated all over the world. It was originally inspired by strikes staged by women garment workers, many of them immigrants, in New York City more than 100 years ago.

This year, women and their allies will gather in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, New Haven, Syracuse, Sacramento, and other cities across the country to honor International Women's Day by demanding an end to violence against women. These actions are being held in response to a call by Women Organized to Resist and Defend (defendwomensrights.org), a national organization that is dedicated to building the struggle for women’s rights and equality for all.

Here in the Hudson Valley, we have joined this national campaign and are holding a public meeting in New Paltz, Thursday, March 7, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in LC 100 on the SUNY NP campus. We are all local activists who have worked in a wide range of human rights and social justice movements.

We demand: an end to violence against all women -- in the home, on the street and in all public and private spaces;  reproductive justice for all women – including full access to contraception, abortion, health care and child care; a living wage for all, and equity in the workplace, with paid family leave, and an end to sexual harassment at work; and full equality for women in all areas of society. We stand for full equality and respect now and against racism, sexism, anti-LGBT bigotry, and the exploitation and commercialization of women in mass media.

In the United States, 1.3 million women are raped every year. One in every four women experience severe violence at the hands of a current or former partner. Thirty-seven percent of reported rape cases are prosecuted and only 18 percent end in a conviction. Women face intimidation in the workplace. Women in the U.S. military face a record number of sexual assaults. Our sisters in U.S. prisons face horrendous threats and have nowhere to turn. Young women in high schools and on college campuses are regularly forced to contend with intimidation, assault and rape.

Sexual violence against women isn't “normal.” It's not human nature. Oppression against women—the violence, the objectification, the impoverishment and inequality that women experience—isn't just the way it is. It is a function of patriarchy and of institutionalized sexism, of the sexual objectification of women for corporate profit and of a society that tolerates—and often condones—sexual intimidation and violence.

The time is now to rise up and stop sexual violence against women. Last year, the Occupy movements took on the 1%—the wealth owners—and defended the rights of the 99%—the wealth-makers. The year before, a series of revolutionary movements in the Arab world took on oppressive governments in Egypt and Tunisia in the Arab Spring. We need a Women's Spring all over the world. 

From the streets of India to Steubenville, Ohio, mass protests have been organized against sexual violence against women. In both cases, the horrific crimes that were ignored or covered up have sparked an outcry, a rallying cry against a culture and a society that protects victimizers and alienates victims. In India, these protests have galvanized a mass movement. We can do the same.

We hold the power to bring an end to sexual violence. Every one of us can take action and make a difference in building the movement against violence and in support of women’s rights. Every single gain, every single right we as women have today is the result of struggle. We have to fight back. The status quo must go!

Join us in New Paltz on March 7. Ask your organization to endorse this event. Spread the word to your lists, your Facebook friends, your blogs, and all the groups you belong to. Help build a strong, independent, united women’s movement that will fight the right wing assault and protect women’s rights. For more information, to endorse, or to volunteer, contact donna0726@earthlink.net.

Alexandra Cox, SUNY NP  faculty, Sociology

Barbara Cvenic, SUNY NP student, NYPIRG

Donna Goodman, Hudson Valley Activist Newsletter, United University Professions (AFL-CIO)

Nora Hamond-Gallardo, Pastors for Peace

Terry Leroy, Haitian People's Support Project

Jamie Levato, regional human rights and environmental activist

JoAnne Myers, Marist College faculty, Political Science, Women’s Studies, Ulster Democratic Women

Caitlin O'Donnell, SUNY NP student, environmental activist

Ilgu Ozler, SUNY NP faculty, Amnesty International

Abigail Robin, SUNY NP faculty (Ret.)

Beth Soto, Director, HV Area Labor Federation (AFL-CIO)

Barbara Upton, New Paltz Women in Black

——————————————————————————

Note: Last August 26, on Women's Equality Day, we organized an outdoor rally in New Paltz that drew 300 people. A five-minute video of the rally and spirited march through town is at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfo6MZU7dB4.)

HUDSON VALLEY ACTIVIST CALENDAR

February 3, 2013, Issue #665

Send event announcements to jacdon@earthlink.net

———————————————————————

Editor’s Note: Another February calendar will be published to cover events later in the month. There may also be updates on the Feb. 14 One Billion Rising demonstrations throughout the Hudson Valley, and additional information about buses from our region to Washington Feb. 17 for the environmental protests (below we list Albany and New Paltz) and the big Feb. 14 gun control protest in Hartford.

Save the Date! Thursday, March 7, for a Mid-Hudson regional public gathering to commemorate International Women’s Day at 6:30 p.m. in SUNY New Paltz Lecture Center 100. Stop Violence Against Women, Stop the War on Women’s Rights! Supported by many local groups in conjunction with nationwide IWD rallies and meetings. Full details soon. To volunteer (leaflets, postering, research, organizing), contact organizer Donna Goodman at donna0726@earthlink.net.

Activist Events

Monday, Feb. 4, OLD CHATHAM: Powell House Quaker Conference and Retreat Center is the venue for a showing of the documentary "Bridge over the Wadi," followed by a discussion of this 55-minute 2006 film about Arab and Jewish parents establishing a bi-national, bi-lingual school inside an Arab village. We’re informed the documentary "portrays through the personal stories of its characters how complicated and fragile is the attempt to create an environment of co-existence against the backdrop of complicated reality." This free public showing begins at 7 p.m. at 524 Pitt Hall Rd (off Columbia County Rt. 13). Information, (518) 766-2992, poetapoetus@taconic.net.

Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Feb. 4, 5 and 8, ALBANY: Several days of opposition to sweatshops in New York State, sponsored by the Labor-Religion Coalition, take place here this week. On Monday, there’s a press conference and a rally starting at 11 a.m. outside the Governor’s Mansion. On Tuesday there will be a 6:30 p.m. showing of the sweatshop documentary “Made in LA” at the Spectrum 8 Theater, 290 Delaware Ave. On Friday, a potluck supper starts at 6 p.m. followed by speakers at 7 p.m. at the Pastoral Center, 40 North Main St. Information, (518) 213-6000, ext.6348, JPerkett@labor-religion.org.

Tuesday, Feb. 5, ANNANDALE (Bard College campus): Middle East analyst and progressive activist Phyllis Bennis will discuss “Where Do We Go From Here?” in the geopolitical arc from North Africa to the Middle East and Central Asia. Bennis, who directs the New Internationalism Project of the Institute for Policy Studies, will appear at 7 p.m. at the Bito Auditorium, Reerm Kayden Center at 30 Campus Rd. This free public event is sponsored by the Bard Human Rights Project, Bard Middle Eastern Studies, Bard Palestinian Youth Initiative, and Middle East Crisis Response. Information, (518) 966-5366, kprehm@aol.com, Campus map, http://www.bard.edu/campus/maps/pdfs/campusmap.pdf.

Tuesday, Feb. 6, ALBANY: Middle East analyst and progressive activist Phyllis Bennis will discuss “Where Do We Go From Here?” (see above) at 12:05 p.m. in the main branch of the Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Ave. The sponsors include the Palestinian Rights Committee of Upper Hudson Peace Action, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Women Against War, UAlbany Peace Action and the Solidarity Committee of the Capital District. Information, (518) 966-5366, kprehm@aol.com.

Tuesday, Feb. 6, ALBANY (SUNY campus): Middle East analyst and progressive activist Phyllis Bennis will discuss “Where Do We Go From Here?” (see above) at 7 p.m., Humanities Building room 354, 1400 Washington Ave. (same sponsors as Albany above.) Information, (518) 966-5366, kprehm@aol.com.

Thursday, Feb. 7, POUGHKEEPSIE (Marist campus): Progressive activist and comedian Dick Gregory is featured at a celebration of Black History Month 
and a commemoration of the 150^th  anniversary of the
 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation 
starting at 7 p.m. in 
Hancock Center, room 2023. The event is sponsored by the American Association of University Women, who note: “This evening will bring you face to face with a seminal figure in the civil rights movement that transformed America. You will be ‘moved to your bones.’ Do not miss this opportunity to see one of the members of Comedy Central's list of ‘100 Greatest Standups’ of all time.” Information, http://www.aauwpoughkeepsie.org/newsletters/branch_2013_02.pdf. Campus map, http://www.aauwpoughkeepsie.org/uploads/PDFs/2013/Marist_campus_map.pdf.

Thursday, Feb. 7, NEW PALTZ (SUNY campus): The Harlem Renaissance, its major figures (Aaron Douglas, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen) and their work, is the topic of a panel discussion by the cast of “Ebony Embers” 1:40-2:55 p.m. in Student Union 62-63. At 7 p.m. The Core Ensemble and Jamyl Dobson will perform the “Embers” in the McKenna Theatre on campus. The musical score includes works by jazz giants Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Billy Strayhorn, Thelonius Monk and Charles Mingus as well as concert music by Jeffrey Mumford and George Walker. Public and free. This event is supported by the College's Office of Academic Affairs, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Department of English, the Department of Black Studies, the School of Fine & Performing Arts, and the School of Education. Information, James Schiffer, schiffej@newpaltz.edu.

Thursday, Feb. 7, MILLBROOK: “Climate Change and the Future
 of the National Park Service” is the topic of a free public talk by National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. It begins at 7 p.m. at the Cary Institute auditorium, 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Rt. 44). We’re told: “Jarvis will discuss how climate change is manifesting itself in our national parks and detail the strategy that has been set in motion to help America’s most treasured landscapes adapt and mitigate.” Space is limited and it’s best to get there when doors open at 6:30 p.m. Information, (845) 677-7600, ext. 121, freemanp@caryinstitute.org.

Friday, Feb. 8, NEW PALTZ: A member of the recent CodePink delegation to Pakistan studying the human rights aspects of the U.S. drone war in Waziristan will describe what the group saw, did and learned in this troubled country. She is Patricia (Paki) Wieland, a retired professor, and peace/justice activist who has participated in seven human rights delegations to conflict zones in the last three years. She was on a boat to defy the blockade of Gaza, and recently traveled to Bahrain in an effort to protect civilian protesters from state directed violence, among other adventures. This important 7-9 p.m free public event is at New Paltz Village Hall, 25 Plattekill Ave., a block south of Main St. (Rt. 299). The sponsor is Middle East Crisis Response. Information (845) 876-7906.

Sunday, Feb. 10, NEW PALTZ (SUNY campus): In observance of Black History Month and the 150^th  Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the SUNY Music Department and others will present “A Ride on the Underground Railroad,” 3 p.m. in the Julien J. Studley Theatre. The concert will feature contemporary music as well as traditional spirituals. The performance will feature the Poné Ensemble for New Music, SUNY Concert Choir and College-Community Chorale, members of the College Youth Symphony, the Newburgh Free Academy Choir, mezzo soprano Patrice Eaton, violinist Ashley Horne, and maestro Harvey Felder. There’s also a special photographic exhibit chronicling slavery in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Tickets are $12 general admission, $8 seniors and $5 for students. Information, Historic Huguenot Street, (845) 255-1889 (or 1660), www.huguenotstreet.org.

Sunday, Feb. 10, MONTGOMERY: Two progressive films, followed by discussions, will be shown 2-5 p.m. at Wallkill River School of Art, 232 Ward St. (State Rt.17K). First, there’s “The Sky Is Pink," Josh Fox's 2012 18-minute documentary on the safety record and public relations strategy of the hydrofracking industry. Second is "The Economics of Happiness," a 67-minute 2011 documentary on how the way of managing material goods affects intangible factors in families and larger communities. Free will donations accepted but not required. Co-sponsored by WRS and Occupy South Ulster. Information, (845) 457-2787, (845) 699-3051.



Tuesday, Feb. 12, ROSENDALE: SUNY Professor A. J. Williams Myers will discuss the economic and social contributions of Africans along the Hudson River from the Dutch occupation of New York to the American Revolution. The 6:30-8:30 talk will be held at the Recreation Center on Rt. 32.

Thursday, Feb. 14, HARTFORD: On this Valentine’s Day, exactly two months after the slaughter of children in Newton, CT, thousands of people are expected to march and rally on the north steps of the state Capitol in Hartford to support gun control legislation. In partnership with Fairfield-based Connecticut Against Gun Violence, the March for Change movement was initiated by two Fairfield parents in response to the killings of 26 first grade students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School Dec. 14. Several other groups, including One Million Moms, will join the gun-control actions, as well as individuals including a Yale student survivor of the Colorado movie massacre.  Organizers said they formed a bipartisan grassroots coalition to urge state legislators to pass stricter “common sense” gun laws. Gov. Daniel P. Malloy is expected to address the crowd at 11 a.m. He will be joined by Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and state Attorney General George Jepsen. “We became activists because we had to,” said Nancy Lefkowitz, co-founder, with Meg Staunton, of March for Change. “All eyes are looking to Connecticut. There’s a fervor to get something done and we need to seize the opportunity.” People throughout Connecticut have been reserving spots on charter buses. If we learn of bus transportation from the Hudson Valley we’ll send a notice.

Thursday, Feb. 14, U.S./WORLDWIDE: Today is Valentine’s Day – but it is also the 15^th anniversary of V-Day, “a growing global movement to end violence against women and girls” launched by Eve Ensler, author of the Vagina Monologues. This year the title is “One Billion Rising” and its goal is for “one billion women and those who love them to walk out, dance, rise up, and demand an end to violence against women!” The call is based on the fact that “One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. One billion women violated is an atrocity. One billion women dancing is a revolution.” There will be many events throughout the world and the United States, including in the Hudson Valley. We list several Valley events but you will find many more of them if you Google “Hudson Valley New York One Billion Rising Feb. 14, 2013.” If there is an action planned in your town, send us word fast. Here are the two main international websites: http://www.onebillionrising.org/, http://www.vday.org/home.

Thursday, Feb. 14, WARWICK: Occupy Orange County is sponsoring a V-Day One Billion Rising event starting at 6:30 p.m. There will be a speakout and dance program at the Warwick Valley Community Center, 11 Hamilton Ave., followed at 8:30 p.m. by candle lighting and a procession to the Railroad Green in Warwick. Information, oorangeny@gmail.com, http://www.onebillionrising.org/page/event/detail/startarising/4jvf2.

Thursday, Feb. 14, NEW PALTZ: Supporters of One Billion Rising will rally at 3 p.m. at Main St. and N. Front St. The group will then walk several blocks to an indoor dance opposing violence toward women at the New Paltz Community Center on Rt. 32. behind Town Hall. Information, Mary Goggin, (845) 702-4506, maygog952@earthlink.net.

Thursday, Feb. 14, NEW PALTZ (SUNY campus): “Strike, Dance, Rise” is the slogan of a One Billion Rising flash mob dance at 3 p.m. in the Student Union Atrium to change social attitudes about violence against women.

Thursday, Feb. 14, HUDSON/CATSKILL: A One Billion Rising dance demanding an end to violence takes place at Columbia Greene Community College (in Hudson, Columbia) 10 a.m.-6 p.m., the Hudson Opera House from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and Petite Productions of Catskill (in Greene) from 12 p.m-2 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m.  “Come and be a part of an interactive community dance mob!” Participants are encouraged to register in advance and obtain sponsors to contribute and support their “Dance Strike.” Anyone raising $30 or more will receive a T-shirt.  Information, (518) 828-4619, ext 205 in Columbia County and (518) 943-4482 in Greene County.

Friday, Feb. 15, HUDSON: As part of One Billion Rising, a reading of the play “The Vagina Monologues” by noted author and women’s rights advocate Eve Ensler begins at 8 p.m., followed by a coffee, tea and dessert reception. The three actors are Elena Mosley, founder of Operation Unite; Stephanie Monseu, co-founder of Bindlestiff Family Cirkus; and veteran stage and film actor Kim Sykes. The event will take place at Stageworks/Hudson, 41 Cross St., and is directed by Laura Margolis. (The show is not recommended for children.) All seats are $25 and proceeds will go to the Reach Center in Hudson (a project of the Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene Counties.) For tickets call the Stageworks box office at (518) 822-9667 or https://secure.stageworkshudson.org/buy_obr.php.

Friday, Feb. 15, TROY: "The Politics of Immigration" is the topic of a 7 p.m. talk by progressive activist Jane Guskin, co-author of a book of the same title. She is also an editor of Weekly News Update on the Americas, a summary of Latin American news, and co-director of the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute. Her talk will will be at the Oakwood Community Center (former Presbyterian church), 313 10^th  St. Donation, $5 requested, $2 unemployed and students. The sponsors are The Troy Area Labor Council,  and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. Information, (518) 505-0948.

Saturday, Feb. 16, SAUGERTIES: Marxist activist Fred Goldstein will discuss his recent book “Capitalism at a Dead End,” 2 p.m. at Inquiring Minds Bookstore, 65 Partition St. He posits that the economic crisis, which began in August 2007 marked a turning point in the history of capitalism. Information, (845) 246-5775.

Sunday, Feb. 17, ELLENVILLE: A 3-5 p.m. meeting on Empowering Ellenville agency and information on Climate Change/Alternative Sustainable Energy actions will take place at 159 Canal St. (near Shadowland Theater). There will also be a 30-minute recorded presentation on "Ending Corporate Rule" by Paul Cienfuegos, co-founder of Democracy Unlimited, followed by a facilitated discussion. The sponsor is Occupy South Ulster. Information, (845) 699-3051.


Sunday, Feb. 17, WASHINGTON: The Sierra Club and Bill McKibben’s 350.org are organizing what they expect will be “the largest climate rally in history” in the nation’s capital from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Buses and car pools are coming from many parts of the U.S. Charter buses will bring Hudson Valley residents to the rally and back. So far we know about Albany and New Paltz. From Albany, contact Pete Looker at (518) 399-7118. (Leave Albany12:30 a.m., cost $58 but sliding scale). From New Paltz, contact corvasorora@yahoo.com. (Leave N.P. 4:30 a.m., cost $35, reductions possible). Let us know if there are other Valley buses joining the protest so we can list them. Sierra and 350 report: “Presidents Day weekend, we'll be taking to the streets of Washington, D.C. and the National Mall with thousands to form a massive human pipeline, and to tell the President that we expect leadership on climate change, beginning with a rejection of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. President Obama has just four years left to provide the leadership we need to stop climate change that is causing extreme weather like Hurricane Sandy, and Keystone XL is the first test of whether he's up for the job.” From Bill McKibben last week: “President Obama alone has the power to reject the pipeline – but we have the power to force him to make the right decision.  Over 12,000 people have already signed up to be at the action on Presidents Day weekend. That’s pretty good, but our goal is to make this the largest climate rally in history. Will you help us make it 20,000? This is our year. This is our future. Let’s demand a better one.” Information, http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nat_signup_feb17, http://act.350.org/signup/presidentsday/?akid=2665.10375.flltTU&rd=1&t=1.

______

The rest of February will be sent soon.

01-08-13 Activist Calendar

HUDSON VALLEY ACTIVIST CALENDAR

JANUARY 8, 2013, Issue #665

Send event announcements to jacdon@earthlink.net

———————————————————————

MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEST

IN WASHINGTON

The Sierra Club and Bill McKibben’s 350.org are organizing a major demonstration in Washington next month. They report: On Presidents Day weekend, Feb 17, 2013, we'll be taking to the streets of Washington, D.C., with thousands to form a massive human pipeline, and to tell the President that we expect leadership on climate change, beginning with a rejection of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. President Obama has just four years left to provide the leadership we need to stop climate change that is causing extreme weather like Hurricane Sandy, and Keystone XL is the first test of whether he's up for the job. Information, http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nat_signup_feb17.

Last week McKibben issued the following sharp statement about government inaction:

…. Faced with a Congress bought off by the fossil fuel industry, a realistic approach [by Obama] would be to do absolutely everything he could on his own authority -- new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, for example; and of course, he should refuse to grant the permit for the building of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, something that requires no permission from John Boehner or the rest of Congress.

So far, however, he’s been half-hearted at best when it comes to such measures.  The White House, for instance, overruled the EPA on its proposed stronger ozone and smog regulations in 2011, and last year opened up the Arctic for oil drilling, while selling off vast swaths of Wyoming’s Powder River Basin at bargain-basement prices to coal miners. His State Department flubbed the global climate-change negotiations.  (It’s hard to remember a higher profile diplomatic failure than the Copenhagen summit.)  And now Washington rings with rumors that he’ll approve the Keystone pipeline, which would deliver 900,000 barrels a day of the dirtiest crude oil on Earth. Almost to the drop, that’s the amount his new auto mileage regulations would save….

The president must be pressed to do all he can -- and more.  That’s why thousands of us will descend on Washington D.C. on President’s Day weekend Feb. 17  in what will be the largest environmental demonstration in years. But there’s another possibility we need to consider: that perhaps he’s simply not up to this task, and that we’re going to have to do it for him, as best we can.

If he won’t take on the fossil fuel industry, we will. That’s why on 192 campuses nationwide active divestment movements are now doing their best to highlight the fact that the fossil fuel industry threatens their futures.

If he won’t use our position as a superpower to drive international climate-change negotiations out of their rut, we’ll try.  That’s why young people from 190 nations are gathering in Istanbul in June in an effort to shame the UN into action. If he won’t listen to scientists -- like the 20 top climatologists who told him that the Keystone pipeline was a mistake -- then top scientists are increasingly clear that they’ll need to get arrested to make their point.

Those of us in the growing grassroots climate movement are going as fast and hard as we know how (though not, I fear, as fast as physics demands). Maybe if we go fast enough even this all-too-patient president will get caught up in the draft. But we’re not waiting for him. We can’t.

————————

UPCOMING: LOCAL ACTIVIST EVENTS

Wednesday, Jan. 9, ALBANY: Demonstrators are coming from various locations across New York State to attend an 11 a.m.-3 p.m. anti-fracking rally organized by the New Yorkers Against Fracking coalition. The event will take place at Empire State Plaza near where Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be delivering his annual State-of-the-State address. (The location will be the Plaza’s indoor Concourse Level via the State St. entrance to the Egg.) We’re told, “The rally is considered by many to be the final push to prevent fracking from commencing in New York State…”

• Buses may still have seats from several towns, including:

New Paltz, http://bit.ly/S7fSQI, Kingston: http://bit.ly/ZkYZ7j, and Saugerties: http://bit.ly/ZkYZ7j.

• Directions to the rally: http://www.albany.com/hotspot_esp.cfm.

• Information, http://www.nyagainstfracking.org, Daniel Morrissey (518) 285-1990, Rita Yelda (716) 507-2077, Renee@FrackAction.com.

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/243510039113031/?ref=ts&fref=ts&__req=3y.

Wednesday, Jan. 9, KATONAH: The impact of Hurricane Sandy on the ecosystem of the Hudson River is the topic of a free public meeting, 7-9 p.m., at Katonah Memorial House, 71 Bedford Rd. the speaker will be Riverkeeper's Hudson River Program Director Phillip Musegaas. The host is Bedford Audubon Society. Information, (914) 232-1999, http://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events.

Sunday, Jan. 13, WOODSTOCK: A meeting to honor Martin Luther King’s birthday will take place 3-5 p.m. at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, 1682 Glasco Turnpike. The theme is “The New Jim Crow – Raising Jewish Awareness,” with key speaker Rev. Modele Clarke and reflections by Rabbi Jonathan Kligler.

Wednesday, Jan. 16, POUGHKEEPSIE:  A forum on PCB contamination in the Hudson River will be held 3-6 p.m. at the Marist College Boathouse. The free public event is sponsored by the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Natural Resources Defense Council, Riverkeeper and Scenic Hudson. It’s endorsed by CRREO, Hudson River Fisherman's Association, Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance, and Sustainable Hudson Valley. Pre-register at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HR_PCB_Forum. Information,  Jeremy Brettholz (845) 641-7701, jerbrett1@gmail.com. Register at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HR_PCB_Forum.

Friday, Jan. 18, KINGSTON: Academy Green Park is the venue for a weekly vigil in opposition to fracking (weather permitting). The park sidewalk faces a heavily trafficked street and it’s prefect for carrying signs. The location is 200-238 Clinton Ave. at Albany Ave and Maiden Lane. Information (914) 489-7973, knip80@hotmail.com.

Sunday, Jan. 20, WOODSTOCK: For the 23^rd year in a row, local residents are holding a “Birthday Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King jr.” This year the theme is “King says NO! to the new Jim Crow.” The lively event begins at 2 p.m. at the Woodstock Community Center, Rock City Rd. Keynote speaker Theo Harris — a criminal justice consultant, author and singer — will discuss the New Jim Crow (based on Michelle Alexander’s book), linking it to Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. Harris’s newly published autobiography “Blessed and Highly Favored, Memoirs of a Multiple Felon,” has been acclaimed. Also speaking will be Pam Africa of the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu Jamal; Ismail Shabazz, community activist; Maggie Williams of Move to Amend; and Woodstock Town Supervisor Jeremy Wilber. Sponsors of this free public gathering include Martin Luther King Jr. Planning Committee, Haitian People's Support Project and Town of Woodstock. Information (845) 679-7320.

Monday, Jan. 21, AMERICA: Today is the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King. His birthday was Jan. 15, 1929, and he was assassinated by a white racist on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39. He hated war, especially imperialist war, as well as the Jim Crow segregation he fought to eliminate. A year before he died he said:  “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”

Wednesday, Jan. 23, POUGHKEEPSIE: Take part in a free reading group focusing on Michelle Alexander's controversial and best-selling 2010 book "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness." The group meets  6-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays at the Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library, Family Partnership Center, Suite 218, 29 North Hamilton St. The readings are organized by the End the New Jim Crow Action Network. Information, (845) 452-6088, ext. 3343, odell_winfield@yahoo.com.

Friday, Jan. 25, MILLBROOK: Harvard botanist Peter Del Tredici will discuss “Forests of the Future” in a 7 p.m. meeting at Cary Institute auditorium, 2801 Sharon Turnpike (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). He will focus on how northeastern forests are being shaped by urbanization, invasive species, acid rain, and climate change. Copies of his new book, “Wild Urban Plants,” will be available for sale. Information, (845) 677-7600, ext. 121, http://www.caryinstitute.org.