751 South project beginning?
I don't see any reports in local papers, but work may have begun on 751 South. April 18th I saw that several acres have been torn up on the west side of 751 south of Stagecoach Road, though possibly it is a different project. The site is next to Jordan Lake and New Hope Creek and there was a lot of controversy over how far it is from the water and other issues. Eventually Durham rejected the plan, but Republicans in the General Assembly from places far from the Triangle stepped in to force local governments to accept it. Things have been quiet, and I was hoping the plan had been quietly cancelled, but construction may have begun. It was originally proposed as a "conservation subdivision" or whatever the term was, but the area looks like a moonscape scrapped clean of life right now.
Citizen science projects
NCSU's A Tree's Life is launching a citizen science project asking people to spend a few minutes a year monitoring the growth of red maple trees, using a dendrometer they will provide. This USDA-funded research could help us understand how trees react to climate change and urbanization and how much of the buried carbon set free by humans is being re-absorbed by trees as they grow. Red maples are pretty common trees around here, and are very colorful in both early spring and fall and produce reddish winged seeds that scatter around now. To participate, see: ecoipm.org/a-trees-life/
An ongoing citizen science project about fireflies/lightning bugs and also relating to pollution and urbanization is the Boston Museum of Science's Firefly Watch: legacy.mos.org/fireflywatch/ I mentioned the NC Candid Critters project in a previous post, though in hindsight I wonder how much of a privacy issue there will be if camera traps are hidden on public land, so that people are under surveillance not only in urban areas but even in relatively remote wild areas.
Russian Revolution exhibit at UNC
I can't vouch for the content, but there is an exhibit, "A World on Fire in Flames of Blood: Narratives of the Russian Revolution," marking the 100th anniversary, at UNC's Wilson Library until May 14th. For more information, see: blogs.lib.unc.edu/news/index.php/2017/01/russian-revolution-exhibition/
Forsyth Creek Week
Forsyth County's Creek Week continues through April 2nd around Winston-Salem. There is a schedule and more information at: forsythcreekweek.squarespace.com/
Earth Day Festival in Greensboro
The Kathleen Clay Library in Greensboro (1420 Price Park Road) is having its annual event April 1st, 1-5pm in Price Park. There will be over 50 exhibitors with exhibits about things like alternative fuel vehicles and energy, gardening, etc. as well as a tiny house tour, live animals, a nature photo competition, hay rides, face painting, etc. This annual event usually brings out about 2500 people.
Student Action with Farmworkers 25th anniversary
Student Action with Farmworkers, based in Durham, was organized in 1992 and is hosting anniversary exhibits and events throughout NC and in Washington, DC this year. An exhibit in Raleigh's Historic Oak View County Park is ongoing through May 7th. The same exhibit will be at FLOC's office in Dudley May 26th to December 31st. There will be an event August 5th 6-9:30pm at the Power Plant in Durham's American Tobacco complex. Duke's Center for Documentary Studies will host an exhibit June 22nd to November 11th, with a reception September 10th 2-4pm. For details, see: saf-unite.org/content/saf-2017-exhibits-events
Community, Activism, and Beer: Resisting Trump's Dangerous Budget
The Durham People's Alliance is hosting an event at Ponysaurus Brewing April 1st at 1pm to call Senators Burr and Tillis to condemn Trump's proposed budget. To sign up, see: www.facebook.com/events/1767337099946769/
The PA's annual Membership Meeting will be Wednesday, April 5th at 6:30pm at Motorco Music Hall and NC legislator Graig Meyer will speak. For details see: www.durhampa.org/calendar
Evelyn McNeill Sims Native Plant Lecture at the NC Botanical Garden
From ncbg.unc.edu/annual-lectures/ :
Designing with Native Plants: A Naturalistic Approach
Lisa Wagner, Plant Ecologist
Sunday, April 2; 2:30 p.m.
Using nature as inspiration for creating naturalistic gardens is key to creating sustainable and enjoyable gardens with native plants. Naturalistic landscapes are both pleasing, as conventional gardens become more reflective of natural gardens, but also ecologically balanced, providing sustenance for you, and for fellow inhabitants of your site.
Lisa Wagner served as Director of Education at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, Clemson University for over 2 decades. She does frequent presentations and classes on topics including gardening for nature, creating a native woodland garden, and native plants for pollinators. A plant ecologist by background (Ph.D. in Botany, UC Berkeley), she’s involved with neighborhood greening efforts, sustainable gardening, and naturalistic garden design. Her blog, Natural Gardening, reflects her observations about gardening and the natural world. Free. Preregistration Required.
UPS Workers Solidarity Rally April 3rd
There will be a rally in solidarity with UPS workers in Chapel Hill Monday, April 3rd 7:30-9:30am at the Eubanks Road facility, next to the public parking lot on Eubanks.
Workers Rights Hearings April 4th
The NC AFL-CIO is hosting town hall meetings on the Fight for $15, union rights, and ending systemic racism April 6th (the 49th anniversary of the assassination off Martin Luther King) at 6pm in Durham (Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street), Greenville, and Gastonia/Dallas. For details see: aflcionc.org/
Health and Environmental Justice Talk April 4th
From Triangle WILPF:
"Creative Resistance: Fighting Toxins and Fossil Fuels,Tuesday April 4, 2017, 7:00-9:00 pm, Sonja Hanes Stone Center Auditorium, 150 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 -Free parking in Bell Tower Parking Deck, Bell Tower Dr.
How do you fit into climate change advocacy? How do toxins from fossil fuels affect our physical health, and our local economies and communities? How can people power help to “story” the facts and ethics within pursuits to address unequal toxic burdens, and promote science-based policy change?
In this public talk, Dr. Sandra Steingraber–an internationally awarded author and poet, cancer patient, persistent activist, and biological ecologist–engages our unique political moment to both welcome new advocates for environmental health, and to inspire communities fighting over the long term.
This event invites multiple perspectives into dialogue on environmental, health, racial, and economic justice. Opening for Dr. Steingraber by Rev. Rodney Sadler, NC NAACP. Immediately after join us for a panel discussion with water science expert, Dr. Ryan Emmanuel, as well as community members fighting back against these toxic impacts here in NC with representatives of Appalachian Voices, ACT Against Coal Ash, No Fracking in Stokes, Eco-Robeson, Community Drumming Circle, and communities fighting to stop the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
Planning organizers are from: Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom * Breast Cancer Action * 350 Triangle * NC NAACP * Appalachian Voices * NC Interfaith Power & Light * NC Environmental Justice Network"
Annual SCALA book sale at UNC
Every spring the UNC Student Chapter of the American Library Association (scalaunc.weebly.com/) has a book sale, and I think it will be April 4-8 in front of UNC's Davis Library this year, to benefit the UNC School of Information and Library Science. Last time I went to a sale there were not a lot of political books, but that may not be the case every year.
Haw River Assembly's 35th anniversary
The Haw River Assembly was founded in March 1982 to advocate for water quality in the Haw River basin (including Jordan Lake, which was new or possibly not even flooded at the time), so they are having meet and greets with the staff and board of directors throughout the basin. The last one will be April 5th 6-8pm at the Hope Valley Brewing Company in Durham (4810 Hope Valley Road). They are also trying to raise $35,000 this year. For more information or to donate, see: www.hawriver.org/
Friends of the Chatham County Library Spring Book Sale
The spring sale will be April 6-8th at the Chatham Community Library (on the CCCC campus, at 197 NC 87 North in Pittsboro). Thursday and Friday the sale will be from 9am to 7pm and Saturday it will be from 9am-2pm, and the prices vary. For details, see: friendsccl.org/
Tire Recycling in Durham April 8th
Durham residents can drop off tires (on or off rims) for recycling April 8th 9am-12pm at the Bahama Ruritan Club (who organized the event). For details see: keepdurhambeautiful.org/event/tire-
recycling-drive/
Syria Protest
There will be a rally Wednesday, April 12th 12-1pm at Chapel Hill's Peace and Justice Plaza (the old Post Office across Franklin Street from UNC) to condemn the US missile attack on Syria and the refusal to accept refugees from the Syrian civil war. The protest is being organized by Triangle WILPF, but all are invited to participate.
Annual Pilgrimage for Peace and Justice
This is organized by Witness for Peace Southeast and will be April 9-14th this year. See : www.facebook.com/PilgrimageforJustice/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf
UNC Charlotte Botanical Garden plant sale April 13-15th (see: gardens.uncc.edu/special-events/ )
Kim Il Sung birth anniversary
Fighter for Korean liberation from Japanese imperialism and founding leader of the DPRK Kim Il Sung was born April 15, 1912. Many diplomatic and other contemporary documents related to Kim Il Sung are online at digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/collection/138/conversations-with-kim-il-sung and at least some of his collected works are available in English at UNC's Davis Library.
Nahida Halaby Gordon and Samia Halaby author talks
Two authors will speak about their Palestine-related books (Palestine Is Our Home and Drawing the Kafr Qasem Massacre respectively) at Quail Ridge Books (www.quailridgebooks.com/) in Raleigh April 17th at 7pm. This was not organized by the Coalition for Peace with Justice (peace-with-justice.org/), but I heard about it from them.
US Tax Day April 18th
Income taxes are due April 18th (www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc301.html), though some tax resisters refuse to pay or pay less than the IRS expects, to oppose US militarism or for some less progressive reason.
NC We the People press conference in Raleigh
There will be a press conference April 19th at 11am in the General Assembly's Press Conference Room (at 16 West Jones Street) on the introduction of HB 453 and S354. The legislation would add a ballot measure (the We the People Act) in the 2018 general election, declaring that North Carolinians think money is not speech and that it is people who are "natural persons" with constitutional rights, not corporations and other entities, and asking Congress to act, which would overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. There is a petition and for more information about the campaign, see: www.ncwethepeople.org/
UNC-Charlotte Earth Day festival April 19th 10am-2pm
NC Star Party 2017
As part of the annual Festival of Science (April 7-23), begun by UNC's Morehead Planetarium, there will be stargazing events across the State April 21-22. Hopefully the issue of light pollution, which robs us of the chance to see the night sky and can harm human health and both animals and plants, will be mentioned. There are very dark skies in some rural parts of North Carolina, but light pollution is common (for more about the issue, see www.darksky.org). For details, see: www.ncsciencefestival.org/starparty
Indivisbull Town Hall
The Durham People's Alliance is hosting a town hall Saturday, April 22nd at 1pm at the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. They invited US Senator Tom Tillis (but he has not said he will attend) and say they want a constructive discussion. For more information see: www.durhampa.org/calendar
Sister Cities: Understanding Russia -- USA Relations
As part of the sister cities program a panel will discuss how to understand Russia April 22nd at 3pm at Durham's Southwest Regional Library (the main page says South Regional Library, but the detailed announcement says Southwest [I confirmed that it will be at Southwest]). The speakers are not listed, but hopefully it will encourage deeper understanding. For more information, see www.durhamcountylibrary.org
March for Science April 22nd
There will be events in several countries, Washington DC, and local events in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Asheville, and Wilmington. For more information see: www.marchforscience.com/
Party for the Pine
There will be events celebrating the record oldest longleaf pine (469 years) and the threatened longleaf pine savanna habitat at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve April 22nd, 10am-3pm. There will be music, exhibits, a controlled burn, turpentining, food trucks, a bluebird nest box workshop, and other events. At 7:30 there will be an event for the 5th annual Statewide Star Party. For more information, see www.partyforthepine.org/ , call 919 692 2167, or email Weymouth [period] woods [at] ncparks [period] gov
Durham Earth Day Festival April 23rd
Traditionally April 22nd (also Lenin's birthday in 1870, 100 years before the first Earth Day), which is a Saturday this year.
The Durham Earth Day Festival will be Sunday, April 23rd 12-5pm at the Durham Central Park (502 Foster Street), rain or shine. For more information see the page at keepdurhambeautiful.org and the schedule is at: durhamnc.gov/1003/Earth-Day-Festival
Earth Day in Wilson
The Imagination Station Science and History Museum (224 Nash Street East in Wilson, NC) will have an Earth Day Celebration April 22nd, 9am-12pm, with a scavenger hunt, crafts, games, etc. about things like recycling, reusing, and reducing the resources we use. They will have WeatherWorks Extravaganza 2017 in the afternoon, highlighting weather and STEM fields. Stephen Keebler from NOAA's Wilmington office will speak and WRAL meteorologist Mike Moss will be there. Both festivals are free. For details, see: scienceandhistory.org/home
Trees Over Durham April 25th
There will be a conference April 25th 2:30-8pm at the Durham Arts Center (120 Morris Street) to discuss trees and the community and produce a vision statement for Durham [the website says the 25th, but I also heard about a forum on the 24th at 6:15pm at the Durham Arts Center]. Childcare will be available, but requires registration. The meeting is being organized by Durham Tree Advocates, with financial support from Leaf and Limb Tree Service, Vaguely Reminiscent, and Duke Energy. [Durham's Finest Trees contest winners will be announced at 6:15.] For more information and registration, see: keepdurhambeautiful.org/event/trees-over-durham-forum/
Workers' Memorial Day April 28th
April 28th is an international day to remember people killed on the job (150 workers died at work in NC in 2015, the most recent year with statistics). To find an event, see: actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/workers-memorial-day-2017?source=website The NC AFL-CIO is hosting a press conference and interfaith memorial at the Old State Capitol (1 East Eden Street, facing the NC Museum of History) in Raleigh April 28th at 10am. Participants should wear black.
Friends of the Durham Library Grand Opening Sale
After the sale in February at the old location, the Main Library's Garage, there will be a spring book sale in the new location, near Sears at Northgate Mall, Friday, April 28th 3-8pm and April 29th 10am-4. It sounds like the Friday sale will be open to non-FODL members. There are small sales all year at each library and the Durham Co-op Market. I think I was once told that books retired by the libraries are only sold at the big sales, but I've been wondering if that has changed.
I Love Durham Limpio
There will be trash cleanups (limpio is Spanish for clean) at several locations in Durham April 29th 9am-1pm. There will be an Educational Resources Fair and registration at Lakeview Shopping Center, across from the Scrap Exchange. For more information, see:
keepdurhambeautiful.org/i-love-durham-limpio/
Native Plant Sale and Festival
The NC Botanical Garden's annual sale and festival will be April 29th, 3-7pm. The NCBG and private nurseries will sell native plants and books and there will be music, food trucks, and an appearance by UNC's mascot Ramses. For details, see: ncbg.unc.edu/native-plant-sale/
March for Jobs, Justice, and the Climate April 29th
There will be a demonstration for economic and environmental justice in Washington, DC Saturday, April 29th, the culmination of activism during the Trump Administration's first 100 days, organized by the People's Climate Movement. See: peoplesclimate.org/?source=350
The NC Sierra Club and others have organized buses that will go to and from Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Asheville, and New Bern/Morehead City on the 29th; for tickets see: www.eventbrite.com/e/peoples-climate-march-bus-chapel-hill-to-dc-tickets-33164210045
May Day/International Workers' Day May 1st
I have nor heard about any plans yet, but surely there will be local and national events and protests. It is the equivalent of US Labor Day in Mexico and many other countries, though it began in the USA.
[May 1st has been declared A Day Without Immigrants - no working, no school, and no buying: www.lahuelga.com/#form ]
Anniversary of Odessa Massacre May 2nd
Rightists in Odessa, Ukraine trapped campaigners for a federal system in the House of Trade Unions and set it on fire, killing at least 46 people (see odessasolidaritycampaign.org/alerts/)
Wake County's Annual Book Sale and Festival of Reading
The sale, which sounds like the biggest annual book sale in the Triangle, will be May 4-7th; see: www.wakegov.com/libraries/events/Pages/booksale.aspx
Haw River Festival
The Haw River Assembly's annual Haw River Festival will be Saturday, May 6th from 4-8pm in Saxapahaw, on the Haw in Alamance County, west of Carrboro. There will be food trucks, music, a farmers' market, water quality monitoring, canoeing, a kayak auction and silent auction, parading puppets, and more events. The Haw is one of the waterways dammed to create Jordan Lake and most of southern Durham is in its basin (all or most of northern Durham is in the Neuse River basin). Downstream from Jordan Lake the Haw and Deep rivers merge to form the Cape Fear River, which ultimately flows to Wilmington and the Atlantic. For details, see: hawriver.org/events/haw-river-festival/
Victory Day
May 9th commemorates the defeat of Germany in 1945, mainly in ex-Soviet and eastern European countries.
Karl Marx was born May 5th in 1818 in what is now Germany.
US Mother's Day
This holiday on Sunday, May 14th has some peace and justice roots, though it is rarely noted now. May 14th is also UNC's Spring Commencement and I've heard that the Eno River's mountain laurels usually bloom around then, so it is a good time to visit (though many spring wildflowers bloom in March and April as well).
Longleaf Festival 2017
The 8th annual Longleaf Festival, celebrating the longleaf pine savanna that once covered much of eastern NC, vital for many species and once economically important for naval stores, will be May 20th, 11am-3pm at Wake County's Harris Lake County Park. For more information, see: www.wakegov.com/parks/harrislake/Pages/Longleaf-Festival.aspx
World Turtle Day
World Turtle Day, May 23rd, is an annual event to increase awareness of turtles and tortoises, and was created by American Tortoise Rescue ( www.worldturtleday.org/ ). Many turtles are unnecessarily killed on roads around here (and even turtles that look too injured to survive can recover if at least removed from the road, and if necessary taken to a wildlife rehabilitator, in part because they are cold-blooded and rugged animals), and it is possible that box turtles are in decline because of sprawl. It might not be causing problems, but red-eared sliders, colorful aquatic turtles that used to be traded as pets, live in the Triangle and elsewhere in NC, but aren't native, while closely related yellow-bellied sliders are native. On the coast there are issues with endangered species of sea turtle.
June 5th is the UN's World Environment Day.
World Oceans Day
This annual day for increasing awareness about the oceans and keeping them healthy will be June 8th (see: www.worldoceansday.org/ ).
50th anniversary of Israel's attack on the USS Liberty
The Israeli air force and navy attacked the USS Liberty in international waters off Egypt, killing 34 and injuring 171, during the 1967 war, on June 8th.
Stop the Wars at Home and Abroad!
The United National Antiwar Coalition ( www.unacpeace.org/home.html ) will have a national conference, Stop the Wars at Home and Abroad: Building a Movement Against War, Injustice and Repression!, June 16-18 and the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia (403 North 3rd Street). The webpage is at: www.unacconference2017.org/p/registration-form.html], and there is a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/events/1208020632638814/?notif_t=plan_user_joined¬if_id=1485905602475965
Northstar Compass' final print edition content deadline June 30th
The Northstar Compass Signature Edition is coming out in October for the 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, and that will be the final paper edition, but the magazine, which covers communist organizing and news in the ex-Soviet states and other left news, mainly in Eastern Europe, including many photos, along with some articles on theory and Slavic culture, will continue online at: sovietcompass.today/ and will post news from the International Council for Friendship and Solidarity with the Soviet People (of which US Friends of the Soviet People is a part). Content for the final issue is due by June 30th, but preferably before then, and can be sent to sovietcompass at [gmail dot com] (also copy to bwz [at] [bell dot net]) or by mail to:
Northstar Compass
280 Queen Street West 2nd floor [I'm not sure that "2nd floor" is unnecessary]
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5V 2A1
They are specifically looking for short inspirational personal anecdotes about the many achievements of Soviet socialism and greetings to the Friendship House in Canada or the new online effort. They are also looking for articles for the October issue and ideas for the website.
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