Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

“…The final straw has been the separation of children from their parents at the Southwest border. This is child kidnapping, plain and simple. Seizing children from their parents in violation of the constitutional rights of both is bad enough (mentally harmful to the children and infinitely painful to both the parents and children), but doing so without creating proper records to enable family reunification shows utter depravity on the part of the government officials involved. Although it is I who am resigning in protest against these policies, it is you who should be tendering your resignation instead. Sincerely, Elizabeth Holtzman”
 a Resignation Letter from Elizabeth Holtzman, a Trump White House advisor, to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, July, 16th, 2018

    Have you or your group considered spear-heading a Vermont Voter Registration Drive in anticipation of the November Primaries? Here is some helpful information to get you started from the Vermont Secretary of State website:

Step 1: Be Prepared!

To organize your voter registration drive:

• Set up a time and place for the drive: voter registration drives work well at large public events with lots of people such as music and art festivals, parades, community events, etc. Arrange to have a table and a video player available (if an electrical outlet is close by) for the drive. If you are a high school student, speak to your student activities or principal’s office for permission to set up the drive. Speak to the social studies department to see whether you could visit classes.

• Get voter registration forms: call 1-800-439-VOTE or email [email protected] to order voter registration forms, or contact your local town clerk.

• Order buttons, stickers, flyers, bumper stickers, videos, and other materials: call 1-800-439-VOTE or email [email protected]. Attach the order form to your email to place your order.

• Make sure you have all other necessary supplies: pens, clipboards, and volunteers.  Don’t be shy—have some volunteers standing with clipboards and registration forms in-hand, ready to ask passers-by if they are registered to vote.

• Assist voters in filling out the voter application to the checklist. The voter must include his or her Vermont driver’s license number. If a person does not have a Vermont driver’s license number, he or she must include the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Step 2: Get the Word Out!

There are many ways to get the word out. You may contact us and we can send you a voter registration poster or you may design your own. Many local radio stations will run free public service announcements, and you can ask governmental, civic, and religious organizations to announce the drive in their bulletins and at their meetings. Also, be sure to set up in a prominent location. If you are a student, ask teachers to make an announcement to their classes and set up in a prominent location in your school!

Step 3: Have Fun!

You are helping the citizens of Vermont fulfill one of their most important civic responsibilities—feel good about what you are doing!

Step 4: After the Drive

Return completed registration forms to the town clerk where the applicant lives prior to the election. View contact information for all town clerks (Excel). 

     We look forward to seeing you at the polls this November 6th!

HAPPENING TODAY, SUNDAY, JULY 22nd, 2018

Share the Harvest
sponsored by Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, July 22nd, 2018  at the Turning Point Garden (the corner of Elm Street and Frost Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 11am-1pm. Please bring your own bags.
Join Edible Brattleboro from 11am-1pm in our garden at Turning Point, on the corner of Elm and Frost Street (diagonally across from New England Youth Theatre) for free, locally grown veggies, herbs, and more. Please bring your own bags. All produce is free thanks to the generosity of local gardeners and farmers. We welcome donations from your garden.

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HAPPENING THIS WEEK, MONDAY, JULY 23r, 2018-SUNDAY, JULY 29th, 2018

Brattleboro Democracy Forum: Jump Start the Peaceful Revolution for Democracy
Wednesday, July 25th, 2018, at the River Garden (157 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 12pm-1pm. 
Things you can do for a new day of Democracy and Civil Rights. Join us for the presentation and discussion:
Woody Bernhard, host of the Brattleboro Democracy Forum, and organizer of the We Celebrate Democracy / Civil Rights For All main street banner, will share his ideas about what we can do ourselves, right now, to begin the peaceful revolution and get back on track to a democracy which respects and includes all people. 
Listen to  Woody perform his  inspirational  "Carpenters Song" about the virtues of the mythic christian hero known as Jesus Christ. Learn  a "prayer of change",  a short sequence of slow controlled movements embodying the desire for change. Learn a Meta, a prayer for peace of mind.
We will talk about ways that we can change ourselves in order to change our culture of disagreement and violence into a culture of helping each other. Talking points will include what is fueling the divide?, conformity,  the media, egotism and self promotion, competitiveness, competitive sports, individualism, nationalism, and our tendency to see people who disagree with us as enemies, etc…. 
Presenter: Woody Bernhard is a retired carpenter. He was born in Lebanon New Hampshire. He has been a resident of Marlboro for 40 years.  He is former chairman of the Windham Regional Commission, former Chairman of the Marlboro Selectboard and former member of the Marlboro Planning Commission.

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350 Brattleboro Meeting
Wednesday, July 25th, 2018 at the Brattleboro Food Coop (2 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in the Community Room (please use the 7 Canal Street entrance). 6pm-8pm.
Join our planning meeting to work on our Rise for Climate action on September 8th. This will be an opportunity to call on local leaders to take meaningful climate action, particularly regarding transportation. All are welcome! Get more info or RSVP here.

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Art, Decolonization & Action for Puerto Rico
Wednesday, July 25th, 2018 at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (10 Vernon Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301). 7:30pm. Doors open at 7pm. Light refreshments provided. ADMISSION: Free. Free off-site childcare provided; ASL interpretation available.
In connection with the exhibit David Rios Ferreira: And I Hear Your Words That I Made Up, Rios Ferreira and members of The Root Social Justice Center discuss art as a vehicle for activism, the challenging narratives of colonization, and its persistence in current social and political structures.
David Rios Ferreira (b. 1982, Bronx, NY) has exhibited in galleries and museums in the US and abroad, including CoCA (Seattle, WA), Nemeth Art Center (Park Rapids, MN) and Kunstraum Richard Sorge Gallery (Berlin, Germany). He has held residencies at the Lower East Side Printshop (New York, NY), Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (New York, NY), and The Center for Book Arts (New York, NY). Awards include a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship, the Innovative Cultural Advocacy Fellowship from the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, a National Association of Latino Arts & Culture Fund for the Arts grant and the ArtSlant Grand Prize. Rios Ferreira lives and works in New York and Jersey City. He holds a BFA from The Cooper Union.
The Root Social Justice Center provides a physically and financially accessible space in Southern Vermont for social justice groups to meet, and is a hub for racial justice organizing. The Root prioritizes People of Color leadership and shifting resources to People of Color-led racial justice work. The Root operates collectively to sustain a space that strives to be free of oppression, harm, and injustice. Collective members Ezlerh Oreste, Vanessa Santana, and Angela Berkfield will share their personal experiences with the impacts of colonization and they will bring a call to action.

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Protest Vigil at TD Bank
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Friday, July 27th, 2018 (and every Friday) at TD Bank Brattleboro (215 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT). In front of the building. 12pm-1pm. Signs will be provided
TD is a major investor in Tar Sands. TD helps to fund the Dakota Access Pipeline. What You Can Do (besides attending the vigils): If you’re a TD depositor, change banks! Founded in 2005, Post Oil Solutions is a 501c3 community organizing project in Southeastern Vermont whose mission is to help empower the people of the Central Connecticut River Valley bioregion in this era of global warming and climate change to develop sustainable, resilient , collaborative, and socially just communities leading to a self- and community-sufficient post petroleum society.

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The Bi-Weekly Solidarity Vigil
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Friday, July 27th, 2018 at the Windham Hotel Corner (across from Flat Iron Café, Bellows Falls, VT). 1pm-2pm. 
A vigil of community, solidarity and diversity. We are one cause of peace, freedom & social justice for all living beings. Bring signs expressing your passion and concerns.

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Elliot Street Block Party
hosted by Elliot Street Fish, Chips & More and Downtown Brattleboro
Friday, July 27th, 2018 on Elliot Street in Downtown Brattleboro, VT. 4:30pm-8pm.
What do you get when you close down Elliot Street, throw in an amazing band or two, add some local talent and flavor and whole lotta friends and neighbors? ELLIOT STREET BLOCK PARTY! Join us in celebrating all things Elliot Street, all things Downtown Brattleboro and certainly all things community. This event is about coming together, creating positive experiences in the heart of Brattleboro- Downtown! Here's what we've got so far, and we're preeeeetty excited to tell ya bout it!
We are PUMPED to be collaborating with The Stone Church this go around to bring you a stellar music experience right on Elliot Street! 
MUSIC:
The Stone Church Presents… LuxDeluxe 6:30-8p https://www.facebook.com/luxdeluxemusic/?ref=br_rs  
      Churning out high-octane shows that leave audiences sweaty, LuxDeluxe delivers a serious punch of supple Rolling Stones-y grooves, persuasive danceable hooks, and rock-solid old-fashioned craft. Flaunting like Jagger, with all the sensuality of Bowie, lead singer Ned King creates a spectacle rarely seen since the heyday of rock&roll."
The Elliot Street Alibi 5-
     "The combination of two approaches to songwriting is what makes the Elliot St. Alibi unique. Hailing from Brattleboro VT, TESA brings roots and jam rock together with pop rock and funk to create a musical adventure. Inventive compositions and cheeky nods to classic favorites make The Elliot. St Alibi a sure thing for a great time."
FOOD:
Downtown restaurants will be serving their fare on da street in an effort to hasten your refueling process bc nobody wants the little people getting hangry! Hazel, Twin Flames Taqueria, Indian American Grocery and Elliot Street Fish, Chips and more.
ACTIVITIES:
Downtown Rocks- rock painting with positive words/intentions/images.
Chalk art- chalk provided so have at it! 
A Photo Station with a festive backdrop and props aplenty!
Cornhole- a country classic, we'll have several sets available for tossing the ol' beanbags around. 
KidsPLAYce will be open with some super fun activity TBD
DANCING! Bc of course! 
Huge mega-watt THANK YOU's go out to The Downtown Brattleboro Alliance and Green Street Promise Community for being a huge part of making this event happen! And a big ol' whopper of a thank you to you all for attending last time, cheering, supporting, being excited, spreading the word, bc without YOU, this event would.not.exist. If you want to support in the monetary fashion, please attend the June Feeding Friendzy at Elliot Street Fish and Chips on 6/12 5-8pm, 50% of any and all proceeds will benefit ESBP. Or simply stop in and drop a penny in the ESBP donation jar perched on the counter there (pssst you can do that anytime). See you at The Block Party!

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Share the Harvest
sponsored by Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, July 29th, 2018  at the Turning Point Garden (the corner of Elm Street and Frost Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 11am-1pm. Please bring your own bags.
Join Edible Brattleboro from 11am-1pm in our garden at Turning Point, on the corner of Elm and Frost Street (diagonally across from New England Youth Theatre) for free, locally grown veggies, herbs, and more. Please bring your own bags. All produce is free thanks to the generosity of local gardeners and farmers. We welcome donations from your garden.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Nuclear Holocaust Peace Pilgrims: Join the Grafton Peace Pagoda Walk in Our Local Area
Monday, August 6th, 2018 starting at The Brattleboro Coop (2 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) to Vermont Yankee (546 Governor Hunt Rd, Vernon, VT 05354). For information during the walk, please call Rose: (201) 956-5702 or Alex: (518) 605-3929. You may also email: [email protected]
The Grafton Peace Pagoda walks from August 4 - August 11. Walk some or walk it all. Start Saturday, August 4 in Lexington, MA (Leave at 1 PM) – Hanscom Airforce Base. End Saturday, August 11 at Grafton Town Square (6:30 PM) – Grafton Peace Pagoda. Monday, August 6 from Brattleboro Coop, VT to Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. Before Peace Walk, Contact Grafton Peace Pagoda: (518) 658-9301.

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FUTURE EVENTS

Healing Our Collective Trauma and Reconnecting with Our Spiritual Source & 
Healing Our Divisions and Biases and Unifying Our Movements: Two Workshops by Sherri Mitchell, an Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice Activist
sponsored by Post Oil Solutions
Saturday, October 27th, 2018 and Sunday, October 28th, 2018 on the Winston Prouty Campus (209 Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT) in Croker Hall on the 4th Floor (with elevator access). 9am-5pm, both days. 
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:
Healing Our Collective Trauma and Reconnecting with Our Spiritual Source:
This one-day workshop will take participants on a journey into Native American mythology and cosmology, as a means of healing our collective wounds and reconnecting with spiritual source. We have all been impacted by histories of violence. The oppressed, the oppressor, and the witness alike bear the wounds of our collective past. Together, we will look at the psychic and spiritual wounds that we all share and learn how we can untangle their hold on our hearts and minds. Participants will be asked to look at the history that led to this traumatization and explore how it continues to impact their lives. We will also learn how to hold sacred space for one another while our trauma is present. In this process, we will learn that there is a safe space for us to occupy together, whole and intact. Then, we can begin the process of healing our divisions, so that we can go back and claim a new future for all living beings.
Healing Our Divisions and Biases and Unifying Our Movements:

This one-day workshop provides participants with an opportunity to look at the divisions and biases, including hidden biases, that have been built into our societies and ideologies. We will look at the divisions created by our shared history, the biases informed by that history, and the ways that they prevent us from joining our movements. We will learn how to find interest convergence points that enable us to work with one another across these divisions, and how to manage the intersectionality of the emerging movement of movements. 
-We will only accommodate the first 50 people that register, with a wait list beyond.
The minimum participants are 20; we will cancel if we get less than this, and reimburse registrants accordingly.
-People are encouraged to bring a bag lunch and snacks for themselves, or to share
-Registration: $125.00
-REFUND POLICY FOR PARTICIPANT CANCELLATION: People can get a refund of the full price if they cancel 10 days prior to the event; after that they can get 50% up to 5 days before the event. If they fail to cancel before that time they will get a 25% refund up to 48 hours before the event and no refund within 48 hours. 
Write & Mail Check to
Post Oil Solutions, P. O. Box 431
Townshend, VT  05353
Note “Sherri Mitchell”  in Memo line and please include e-mail address and phone number.

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RESOURCE FOR WeCAN: Rapid Response Text Alert System

When WeCAN began, Song & Solidarity set up a Rapid Response Text Alert System for WeCAN Groups. Directions for signing up are on WeCAN's website, here: https://www.wecantogether.net/rapid_response We were reminded of the Rapid Response text alerts system as President Trump moves towards firing Mueller. In the event Mueller is fired, MoveOn is planning a nation-wide simultaneous protest. The trick will be to get the word out fast if/when the time comes. We are grateful to Song and Solidarity for providing this service.

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STANDING REGULAR MEETINGS

Lost River Racial Justice, Black Lives Matter-South, and People Of Color Caucus Regular Meeting

Reoccurring racial justice organizing meetings every 2nd Monday at The Root Social Justice Center (The Whetstone Studio of the Arts, 28 Williams Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) on the First Floor. 6pm-8pm. 
Childcare provided. Fragrance & nut free space.  

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Alternatives to Suicide 
Every Wednesday, 6pm-7:30pm at the Hive Space (24 Flat St, Suite 202, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). Second Floor, up one flight of stairs.

Alternatives to Suicide is a mutual support group open to anyone who has experienced thoughts of suicide. The group is guided by a charter of values provided by the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community. The group is non-clinical and does not link suicide with illness.  Participants are free to talk about and find meaning in their experiences in/on their own terms. 

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Youth 4 Change

Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month from 5:30pm-8pm.
Upcoming: Aug 6th, Aug 20th

For more information please contact Youth 4 Change at [email protected].
Agenda:
5:30pm: Drop in homework time and art making
6:00pm: Food
6:30pm: Meeting and Organizing
Youth 4 Change is for local-area youth 12-22 interested in political organizing around local/state/national social justice issues that are important to them. Brattleboro area advocates and educators are holding a space, and assisting youth in building a strong personal tool kit to organize for change.  Using a variety of creative methods, we aim to enable youth with tools for resilience, courage and compassion, while fostering their ability to speak up about issues that matter to them, and to take action in the name of love and liberation for all people.  Come explore issues of racial, economic and gender justice through art, movement, first-hand accounts and contemplative practices. Connect with area youth around the issues that matter to you and strengthen your tool kit for action! 

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A Note for Brattleboro Justice of the Peace Candidates, Present and Future:
Brattleboro Independent Candidates for Justice of the Peace Filing Deadline

Friday, August 17th, 2018

The deadline for filing as an independent candidate for Justice of the Peace is rapidly approaching – Friday, August 17th.  The Town Clerk and current Chairman of the Board of Civil Authority urge you to consider becoming a candidate for Justice of the Peace (JP) on the November ballot.
While a historic back page in the election process and often the subject of humorous anecdote, JPs serve a vital role in the conduct of critical town responsibilities. A JP is a member of the Board of Civil Authority (BCA).  Along with the Selectboard members, and Town Clerk, they function as the Board of Elections by assisting in the maintenance of the voter checklist, determining key issues related to election day and voting, and serve as polling place officials on these days.
Serving on the Board of Tax Assessment Appeals, JPs act as a quasi-judicial body hearing and ruling on the merits of cases brought to the Town by property owners seeking valuation changes.  In addition to tax appeals, the BCA is part of the Board for the Abatement of Taxes a statutory function that addresses specific problematic matters affecting properties on the Town Grand List.
JPs do not meet on a regular basis. There are generally one or two meetings prior to any election, a series of tax appeal hearings in late summer/early fall and usually one or two abatement meetings annually, in winter and summer.
We ask that you consider these mandatory responsibilities and consider service to the town as Justice of the Peace.  Based on town population, parties in Brattleboro may nominate up to 15 candidates. JPs serve vital roles in our community and those seeking to serve must be committed to attending meetings and participating in the mandatory functions of the Board of Civil Authority.
Please feel free to contact us if we might be of assistance or if you have questions about Board of Civil Authority’s responsibilities, of if you need direction on how to file as an independent candidate for Justice of the Peace.

Sincerely,

Hilary Francis         
Brattleboro Town Clerk and Clerk of the Board of Civil Authority
[email protected]
ph 802-251-8129

Elliott Greenblott
Chairman, Brattleboro Board of Civil Authority

Additional information, supplied from the VT Secretary of State website:

-Major and minor party justice of the peace candidates are nominated by town caucus or town party committee in order to be placed on the ballot in the General Election (November 6, 2018). The caucus must be held on or before the Primary Election. If a town fails to hold a caucus, nominations may be made thereafter by party committee. In either case, the committee chair or secretary must file the statement of nomination with the town clerk no later than 5 p.m. Friday, August 17, 2018 (three days after the primary). No financial disclosure or consent of candidate form is required for justice of the peace nominations.
Justice of the peace Statement of Nomination by Party Committee:
https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/865898/2018jppartynominationfinal.pdf
- 2018 Justice of the Peace Party Committee Nomination Form
Independent Justices of the Peace
Independent justice of the peace candidates file a statement of nomination (petition) and consent of candidate form with the town clerk in order to be placed on the ballot in the general election (November 6, 2018). These statements of nomination and consent forms must be filed no sooner than Monday, April 23, 2018 and no later than 5 p.m. Friday, August 17, 2018 (3 days after the primary).
- Independent justice of the peace candidate Statement of Nomination, Consent of Candidate, and instructions: https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/865904/2018independentconsent-jpfinal.pdf

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ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING 

Indigo Radio

Sundays at 12pm on Brattleboro Community Radio 107.7FM

To stream live: Visit www.wvew.org 
Indigo Radio, deepening understanding and making connections! IndigoRadio is a group of area educators seeking to learn through engaging with others in our community and throughout the world. We will be talking about educational and social issues both globally and locally and connecting them to our lives and Brattleboro community. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigoradiowvew/. For archive recordings of past shows: https://soundcloud.com/user-654648353

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