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| Rallying in front of the downtown Durham McDonald's ©. |
Reportback from the Durham May 1st March
I wasn't there for the entire event, but I saw groups or people from Fight for $15, IWW, Durham Workers Assembly (the initiating organizer of the march), the Socialist Party (there were several flags and their 2016 presidential candidate supported it), the NC Green Party, and probably the WWP. There must have been more groups represented (see the cosponsor list). I didn't count, but there seemed to be roughly 50 people (possibly more, but fewer than 100) at the ending rally, which is small compared to events elsewhere, but large for a local labor demonstration on a Wednesday and maybe transportation is an issue or local activists went to the larger statewide teacher demonstration all day in Raleigh. I think some Fight for $15 organizers went into the McDonald's while the main rally stayed on the road that evening. As we arrived someone, possibly the manager, was gesturing futilely from inside for the marchers to go away. I don't know of any mainstream media coverage. Marchers were in the street but the Durham Police stayed out of view. The organizers plan to march again next year.
Midsummer Calendar
This calendar lists regional events of general left interest and cultural events, along with notable historical anniversaries and news. More items will be added during coming weeks.
RSN article: "Why is NPR Carrying Water for Trump on Venezuela?"
readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/57038-rsn-why-is-npr-carrying-water-for-trump-on-Venezuela
NPR station WUNC 91.5 FM's FCC license is coming up for renewal after 8 years this December, and comments can be made (until November) about whether it is serving the public interest, such as in its coverage of the plot against Venezuela, attempts to cool down relations with the DPRK, and attempts to inflame relations with Iran.
Library booksales
The Friends of the Durham Library will have booksales June 1 - 2, August 3 - 4, October 5 - 6, and December 7 - 8, and the hours for all of these sales will be 10am - 12pm members only and 12 - 4pm open to all on Saturdays and 1 - 4pm $10 paper grocery bag sales open to all on Sundays. The sales are at a space inside Northgate Mall, next to the former location of Sears (with Sears closed, people will probably have to enter through a side entrance and the FODL store's back service door won't be open). There are small satellite sales inside the library branches daily ( durhamcountylibrary.org/friends/ ).
The Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library will have book sales September 13 - 15 and December 6 -8 ( friendschpl.org/FCHPLevents ).
Friends of the Lee County Library has a continuous book sale: library.leecountync.gov/friends
During the Tulsa Race Riot May 31 - June 1, 1921 in Oklahoma there was fighting on the ground and firebombing using private airplanes.
National Trails Day is June 1st.
Controversial project 751 South (Ryan Homes) near New Hope Creek has an opening event Saturday, June 1st 12 - 4pm at 812 Watercolor Way ( www.facebook.com/events/473807706720241/ ).
World Bicycle Day in June 3rd ( www.un.org/en/events/bicycleday/ ).
The International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is June 4, and was created in 1982 following the deaths of many Palestinian and Lebanese children due to Israeli aggression.
General Francisco "Pancho" Villa was born June 5, 1878 (under the name José Doroteo Arango Arámbula). He sent a raiding party into Columbus, New Mexico March 9, 1916 during the Mexican Revolution, and was accused of being behind raids in Texas. A US Army force was sent into Mexico for a year and was the first to use motorized transport and aircraft, but failed to find Villa. He was assassinated July 20, 1923.
Irish revolutionary James Connolly was born June 5, 1868 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was executed by firing squad May 12, 1916 after the Easter Rising against British rule was crushed.
Naksa Day is June 5th, marking the beginning of the Six-Day War.
World Environment Day is June 5th ( www.un.org/en/events/environmentday/ ) and the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, for example the plundering of fisheries around war-torn or weak countries that can't adequately patrol their coastlines ( www.un.org/en/events/illegalfishingday/ ).
The first playable version of Soviet videogame Tetris was created June 6, 1984. It went on to become one of the most popular videogames ever made and may be useful therapeutically and have health benefits.
World Food Safety Day is June 7th ( www.un.org/en/events/foodsafetyday/ ).
Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats repeatedly attacked the signals intelligence gathering ship USS Liberty in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, killing 34 and injuring 171 personnel. The ship was decommissioned and later scrapped. Israel provided compensation for the casualties and the damage to the Liberty.
World Oceans Day is June 8th ( www.un.org/en/events/oceansday/ ).
Italian-American anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti was born June 11, 1888 in Villafalletto, Italy and was executed with Nicola Sacco August 23, 1927 for an alleged armed robbery and murder.
The World Day against Child Labor is June 12th ( www.un.org/en/events/childlabourday/index.shtml ).
Chapel Hill Town Council to discuss coal ash dump
The Friends of Bolin Creek ( bolincreek.org/blog/ ; includes a petition on the coal ash) is asking people to attend the Town Council meeting Wednesday, June 12th at 7pm at the Town Hall (405 MLK Jr. Boulevard) and demand that there be regular monitoring, a long-term solution to the problem, and budgeting to solve the problem instead of putting it off again. The coal ash is buried at the Chapel Hill Police headquarters up the road from the Town Hall and near Bolin Creek and a trail, and apparently there is a cliff of toxic coal ash bordering Bolin Creek and in places the layer of coal ash is 40' thick. The government of Chapel Hill wants to let a company build social service facilities or housing on the site under the Brownfields Program. I haven't been following the issue closely, but I wonder if the ash is from UNC's Co-Generation Plant, in a residential area on Cameron Avenue, the only place burning coal that I know of within a large area ( www.counterpunch.org/2019/05/31/putting-values-into-action/ ). A train can occasionally be seen trundling slowly through crowded central Carrboro carrying loads of coal, a still active remnant of Carrboro's industrial past. It's possible that UNC isn't the only entity that still uses coal, for example there is a cement plant nearby. Under an agreement with student groups many years ago, UNC's coal-burning was probably supposed to have been ended by now or soon (Missy Comley Beattie's article posted on Counterpunch refers to an end in 2020, but I don't know if that is the same agreement).
Coal Ash Disposal Site Remediation Project webpage: www.townofchapelhill.org/town-hall/news-events/current-issues/coal-ash-disposal-site-remediation-project
BAJ's June meeting: Climate Action Confronts Economics of Crisis
From Balance and Accuracy in Journalism:
"7:30 PM Wednesday June 12, at the
Community Church of Chapel Hill, 106 Purefoy Road
Balance & Accuracy in Journalism
presents
Tana Hartman Thorn and Betsey Downing
of the local
Citizens Climate Collective (CCC)
on
Economics Driving the Crisis
The smallest of climate response groups can draw on the strongest and clearest analysis to support responsible action. Tana Hartman Thorn, a member of the local Citizens Climate Collaborative (CCC), will introduce a video spotlighting a deep problem: the current market system that promotes insatiable growth, profligate production of cheap goods, gluttonous consumption, and generation of toxic waste. In the words of Douglas Brown, “Insatiable is not sustainable.” Tana and climate educator Betsey Downing will lead the discussion.
Australian military researchers now say drastic large scale changes are necessary if human civilization is to survive. What are those changes and what can individuals and communities do to counter the disinformation spread by Fox News and much social media plus mainstream media indifference?
Can Greta Thunberg and our own children save us?
What can we do to protect their future?
We make the path by walking.
[ ]
Balance & Accuracy in Journalism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alternative Radio’s recent broadcast of Dahr Jamail’s talk,
Climate Disruption, presents the realities seen by the scientists
most closely tracking the melting of ice. We’ll share CDs of his talk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DIRECTIONS TO BAJ MEETING SITE
106 Purefoy Road, Chapel Hill
Community Church, Unitarian Universalist
FROM EITHER DIRECTION ON THE CHAPEL HILL BYPASS:
take 15-501 [or 54] to the 15-501 Pittsboro exit
FROM EITHER DIRECTION ON THE CHAPEL HILL BYPASS:
take 15-501 [or 54] to the 15-501 Pittsboro exit
As you exit, TURN at the traffic light toward Chapel Hill.
Almost immediately TURN RIGHT just short of the convenience store.
That's PUREFOY ROAD, and you take it almost half a mile,
passing two stop signs as it curves left up the hill
until you can - just - see the third stop sign ahead of you.
At that point, there is a driveway on the left
with a subtle, tan sign for the church.
That driveway takes you to the parking lot and the Community Church.
Almost immediately TURN RIGHT just short of the convenience store.
That's PUREFOY ROAD, and you take it almost half a mile,
passing two stop signs as it curves left up the hill
until you can - just - see the third stop sign ahead of you.
At that point, there is a driveway on the left
with a subtle, tan sign for the church.
That driveway takes you to the parking lot and the Community Church.
~~~~~~~~ "
June 14th is the USA's Flag Day, marking a resolution by the Second Continental Congress in 1777, the US Army was founded June 14, 1775, and apparently Donald Trump was born June 14, 1946. Americans often have issues with people burning or otherwise mistreating the national flag in protest, even though it is also put on all sorts of things, often violating official flag etiquette and even civic virtue. Other countries don't seem to have so many controversies over how their national flag is treated, or it is rarely reported in English-speaking media.
Ernesto (Che) Guevara was born June 14, 1928 in Rosario, Argentina, but became famous for his role in the Cuban Revolution, and also fought in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bolivia, and traveled to many other countries.
CommunEcos: "A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity" screening
CommunEcos: "A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity" screening
From CommunEcos:
"Friday June 14, 6:30 pm – Join us to watch:
'A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity'
In 2014 a call was put out in Australia for volunteers to join a 12-mo. project called 'A Simpler Way,' with the goal of finding alternatives to modern society in response to environmental and economic crises. The participants formed an intentional rural community in Gippsland, Victoria. This 2016 film uses interviews and discussions with residents to tell the story of their motivation and discoveries. Their thoughtful commentary, combined with input from experts like permaculture expert David Holmgren and Nicole Foss (The Automatic Earth), help make a compelling case for rethinking our way of life. 1 hr. 19 min. Location: The EcoLounge. 2811 Hillsborough Rd., Durham, NC 27705. The spring green house (across from ABC Store) w/ 'Friends of the Earth' sign (although they are not us); Use side entrance (to right of porch); Park next door in supermarket lot for best lighting. Light refreshments served, and we pass the hat for suggested donations, no one turned away.
Next week: Fri. June 21, 6:30 pm – Screening of a new and highly controversial film Sexy Killers, exposing the devastating impacts of the still expanding coal industry in Indonesia. The film has “gone viral” with millions of viewers despite attempts by authorities to suppress it. (scroll down for more)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CommunEcos, (former home of the Recyclique creative reuse shop) is a non-profit that hosts films and educational events on sustainability and community empowerment!2811 Hillsborough Rd., Durham, NC 27705---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Community News:From Dogwood Alliance: Just days after woodchip industry giant Enviva settled a lawsuit over its air pollution practices, NC's Department of Environmental Quality released draft permits for yet another expansion at one of Enviva's facilities in Sampson County, NC (public hearing - July 15th). The Dogwood Alliance continues to push back against the expansion of this harmful, climate-disrupting industry, and they need your help. Read Dogwood Alliance's full statement here. Amplify on Twitter!Join Common Cause NC at the home of Eric and Erika Braun for a Supreme Court Countdown house party on June 27 in Raleigh! Visit our website for more info and to register to attend. On the eve of a momentous Supreme Court decision in Common Cause v. Rucho, our lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s congressional districts as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders, join us for the latest updates and hear what happens next. We will get a Supreme Court decision in June and we remain optimistic that we’ll get a favorable ruling forcing new, fair districts for 2020.In the news: From the UK: New rules give households right to sell solar power back to energy firms https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/09/energy-firms-buy-electricity-from-household-rooftop-solar-panels?CMP=Share_iOSApp_OtherCommunEcos CalendarFriday, June 21, 6:30 pm - Sexy Killers-- A new documentary exposing the devastating impacts of the coal industry in Indonesia. The film swept the country with millions of viewers and over 1000 spontaneous community screenings in a two week period, despite attempts by police and local authorities to ban the screenings. The film has clearly struck a chord in a country facing huge expansion of a polluting and irresponsible industry that is impacting communities land rights, agriculture, fishing industry, health and safety. A whopping 58 new coal-fired power stations are due to come online between now and 2027. Don Nonini will introduce the film and set it in the context of environmental advocacy and violence in Indonesia.Join our 'Friends' list (or unsubscribe): yikes [period] contact [at gmail period com] to stay informed on events, most of which are held on Friday evenings at 6:30. (But we sometimes have Saturday afternoon how-to workshops).
Unless otherwise noted, events are at 2811 Hillsborough Rd., Durham 27705. Most events have suggested donations, usually $5, or as noted. Park in rear or next door in Food Lion lot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CommunEcos is a non-profit environmental education organization
The Magna Carta Libertatum was enacted June 15, 1215 near the English town of Windsor.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15th ( www.un.org/en/events/elderabuse/ ).
Pollinator Festival at Lake Crabtree
Lake Crabtree County Park (1400 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville in Wake County) is hosting its 7th annual Pollinator Festival Saturday, June 15th 10am - 2pm, with exhibits, expert talks, games, crafts, giveaways, prizes, and food vendors: www.wakegov.com/parks/lakecrabtree/events/Pages/default.aspx
June 16th is Father's Day in the USA, and seems to be more of a holiday for retailers than Mother's Day, but according to Wikipedia it could relate to a major coal mine disaster in Monongah, West Virginia December 6, 1907 that killed 361 people, many immigrants from all over Europe, and leaving about 250 widows and 1000 children.
Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to go into space, on June 16, 1963, piloting Vostok 6 and spending about three days in orbit. According to Wikipedia, with this mission, Tereshkova logged more time in space than the entire US astronaut corps at the time.
The International Day of Family Remittances is June 16th ( www.un.org/en/events/family-remittances-day/ ).
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is June 17th ( www.un.org/en/events/desertificationday/ ).
National Pollinator Week is June 17 – 23 ( www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week ).
Bulgarian communist Georgi Dimitrov was born June 18, 1882 and was a general secretary of the Comintern during the struggle against fascism, often quoted on the definition of fascism, and was later prime minister of Bulgaria.
Juneteenth is June 19th, marking the declaration of abolition throughout Texas in 1865 by the Federal occupation force that landed in Galveston following the surrender of most of the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi on June 2nd (a Cherokee regiment surrendered June 23rd).
R (Rajani) Palme Dutt, a leading official of the Comintern, general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and editor of the CPGB's Weekly Worker and founder of the Labour Monthly, was born June 19, 1896 in Cambridge, England, UK. He is well-known for his analysis of fascism.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed June 19, 1953.
Bulgarian communist Georgi Dimitrov was born June 18, 1882 and was a general secretary of the Comintern during the struggle against fascism, often quoted on the definition of fascism, and was later prime minister of Bulgaria.
Juneteenth is June 19th, marking the declaration of abolition throughout Texas in 1865 by the Federal occupation force that landed in Galveston following the surrender of most of the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi on June 2nd (a Cherokee regiment surrendered June 23rd).
R (Rajani) Palme Dutt, a leading official of the Comintern, general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and editor of the CPGB's Weekly Worker and founder of the Labour Monthly, was born June 19, 1896 in Cambridge, England, UK. He is well-known for his analysis of fascism.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed June 19, 1953.
The International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is June 19th ( www.un.org/en/events/elimination-of-sexual-violence-in-conflict/index.shtml ).
The summer solstice is June 21st.
The Korean War officially began June 25, 1950, but fighting was already going on between revolutionary and counterrevolutionary forces; for example the Jeju Uprising officially began April 3, 1948.
Where Was Scott's Hole? A Chapel Hill/Morgan Creek Mystery
In the 1800's a location on Morgan Creek in Chapel Hill called Scott's Hole (after someone who drowned there) was apparently a popular swimming and fishing spot, but is now lost to history. Botanists are interested in finding it because rare plants grew nearby and it is cited as the location where many samples in the UNC Herbarium were collected. Chapel Hill Historical Society Vice-President Carl W Anderson and NC Botanical Garden Director of Conservation Johnny Randall will talk about this local mystery and perhaps the site can be rediscovered. This is part of the NCBG's Lunchbox Talk series, so I think participants are welcome to bring lunch. It will be Thursday, June 27th 12 - 1pm and is free, but registration is required: ncbg.unc.edu/calendar/
Author and speaker Helen Keller, famous for overcoming both blindness and deafness, becoming the first deaf-blind person to get a BA, was born June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She was a prominent member of the Socialist Party and the International Workers of the World, a founder of the ACLU and the Helen Keller International. She passed away June 1, 1968 at her home in Easton, Connecticut and is buried at the Washington National Cathedral in DC.
The Stonewall riots or rebellion took place June 28 - 29, 1969 in New York City.
10th anniversary of the coup in Honduras
Manuel Zelaya, the elected president of Honduras was arrested and expelled from the country June 28, 2009, a coup abetted by President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The US-supported coup is rarely mentioned as a reason for Honduran emigration to the US and the current demonstrations and killings of protesters by the rightist government that resulted from the coup aren't mentioned very often or in detail, especially when compared to the amount of (negative) coverage of Venezuela and even Nicaragua.
School of the Americas Watch is urging support for HR1945, the Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act, to end "security aid:" www.soaw.org/take-action-on-the-10th-anniversary-of-the-military-coup-in-honduras/ There are currently 61 co-sponsors, but none representing North Carolina.
For more information see: www.counterpunch.org/2019/06/28/honduras-at-ten-years-after-the-coup-a-critical-assessment/
The International Day of the Tropics is June 29th ( www.un.org/en/events/tropicsday/ ).
Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with Mir June 29, 1995, the first time a space shuttle docked with the Soviet/Russian space station (shuttle mission STS-71). I think I saw this televised, and it seemed to crawl along at a snail's pace, which is understandable given the massive vehicles involved, traveling around the Earth at thousands of miles per hour. In July 1975 an Apollo module and Soyuz-19 docked in orbit, the first joint US-Soviet crewed spaceflight.
Triangle Friends of Farmworkers
There was a business meeting June 26th at 7pm in Durham and a picket at a Circle K in Hillsborough (500 South Churton Street) Saturday, June 29th 9:30 - 10:15am.
Three cosmonauts on Soyuz 11 were killed in space June 30, 1971 due to depressurization through a damaged valve as they prepared to leave orbit after being the first (and only) crew on Salyut 1, humanity's first space station. Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev are the first humans to have been killed in space.
International Asteroid Day is June 30th. That day in 1908 there was a massive explosion over Siberia, leveling about 830 square miles of forest in a sparsely inhabited region. The night sky was unusually bright in parts of Europe and Asia for several days after the event. More recently an asteroid exploded high above the city of Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains of Russia February 15, 2013 with the force of 440 kilotons of TNT, far more powerful than the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima, and caused many injuries and damage ( www.un.org/en/events/asteroidday/ ).
The Battle of Gettysburg was July 1 - 3, 1863 in Pennsylvania, and was the Civil War battle with the most casualties, missing, wounded, or killed. Together with the Federal capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 4th July 1863 is seen as a turning point in the War.
July 3, 1988 the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 in Iranian airspace while the cruiser was in Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. Everyone onboard was killed, a total of 290 civilians (66 children), mostly from Iran, but including people from the UAE, India, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, and Italy. Allegedly the climbing Airbus A300 airliner was mistaken for an F-14 fighter descending for an attack. The US government expressed regret and paid restitution in 1996, but refused to apologize and the captain and crew of the Vincennes later received various awards.
March 10, 1989 the captain's minivan, driven by his wife, was set on fire by a pipebomb in San Diego and who set the bomb remains unknown.
See also: www.counterpunch.org/2019/06/17/remember-the-vincennes-the-uss-long-history-of-provoking-iran/
The Fourth of July festivities
There will be readings, tabling, etc. at Carrboro Town Hall Wednesday, July 4th 11am - 4pm: www.facebook.com/events/198813814360336/
Chapel Hill will have a fireworks show July 4th in Southern Village 6 - 10pm: www.facebook.com/events/351184608922912/
Pittsboro Summer Fest will be Sunday, July 7th 4:30 - 9:30pm: www.facebook.com/events/251396195738237/
The annual Festival for the Eno will be July 4th and 6th: www.enoriver.org
The annual Festival for the Eno will be July 4th and 6th: www.enoriver.org
The next Carrboro Really, Really Free Market will be Saturday, July 6th 2 - 4pm at the Carrboro Town Hall Commons: www.facebook.com/events/430848741090732/ and it is Tomato Day 2019! at the Carrboro Farmers' Market 8:30 - 11:30am: www.facebook.com/events/432525447571058/
National Moth Week is July 20 – 28 ( www.nationalmothweek.org/ ). There will be events at the NC Botanical Garden and other parks.
The Annual National Meeting of the Green Party US will be July 25 - 28 in Salem, Massachusetts and the registration cost will increase July 1st: salem.gp.org
The 62nd Annual Convention of the NC AFL-CIO will be September 19 - 20 in Charlotte.
The Global Climate Strike will be September 20.
The NC Museum of Natural History's BugFest will be September 21st and this year's theme is beetles (almost 1/4th of all known animal species are beetles).
Demand an End to War: Rage Against the War Machine
This sequel to the March on the Pentagon last fall ( durhamspark.blogspot.com/2018/10/reportback-from-womens-march-on.html ) will be Friday, October 11th in front of the White House and the Anti-Imperialist Revolution Summit will be Saturday, October 12th ( marchonpentagon.com/demand-an-end-to-war-rage-against-the-war-machine/ ).
The Annual National Meeting of the Green Party US will be July 25 - 28 in Salem, Massachusetts and the registration cost will increase July 1st: salem.gp.org
The 62nd Annual Convention of the NC AFL-CIO will be September 19 - 20 in Charlotte.
The Global Climate Strike will be September 20.
The NC Museum of Natural History's BugFest will be September 21st and this year's theme is beetles (almost 1/4th of all known animal species are beetles).
Demand an End to War: Rage Against the War Machine
This sequel to the March on the Pentagon last fall ( durhamspark.blogspot.com/2018/10/reportback-from-womens-march-on.html ) will be Friday, October 11th in front of the White House and the Anti-Imperialist Revolution Summit will be Saturday, October 12th ( marchonpentagon.com/demand-an-end-to-war-rage-against-the-war-machine/ ).
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