[HCCN] October Calendar events

[Larry Dansinger]

Dear Newsletter editors,

Here are some calendar items for October and later.  FEEL FREE TO PICK AND
CHOOSE AND NOT USE EVERY ITEM.

Larry Dansinger


September 25-27: Common Ground Country Fair, Crosby Brook Rd., Unity. MOFGA
(Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association), 568-4142 or
mofga at mofga.org or www.mofga.org.

September 28-October 3: Banned Books Week to end literary censorship. Thesil
Morlan, Amnesty International, 832-6863 or thesil at midcoast.com for an
information packet.

October 2-3: "Celebrating the Family" conference and 25th anniversary
celebration of Maine Parent Federation, Wyndham Portland Airport Hotel, S.
Portland. Maine Parent Federation, 1-800-870-7746 or parentconnect at mpf.org
or www.mpf.org.

October 2-4: Creating a Culture of Peace: Bringing Nonviolence Training to
Your Community weekend workshop and preparation for working in Maine prisons
and jails and outside, Friday evening and all day Saturday-Sunday, Midcoast
Friends Meeting, 77 Belvedere Rd., Damariscotta. Linda Cote-Small, 563-6712
or chezcote at roadrunner.com.

October 2-4: "Food for Thought, Time for Action" conference on sustainable
food systems w/speakers on food politics. College of the Atlantic, 288-5015
or www.coa.edu/foodforthought/.

October 3: Annual Harvest Supper featuring great potluck food,
entertainment, and awards, 6-8 PM, Unitarian-Universalist Church, 120 Park
St., Bangor. Peace and Justice Center, 170 Park St., Bangor. Call 942-9343
or info at peacectr.org or www.peacectr.org.

October 3: Midcoast Maine Slow Foods Picnic. MOFGA, 568-4142 or
lolalea at lslea.com or www.mofga.org.

October 3-10: Annual Keep Space for Peace week of events and protests, in
Maine and thruout the world, to stop the militarization of space. Call the
Global Network, 443-9502 or www.space4peace.org.

October 4: Peninsula Peace and Justice celebrates its tenth anniversay with
readings, songs, and food, 4-6 PM, Library, Blue Hill. Call 326-4405 or
judy at robbinsandrobbins.com.

October 7: Champions for Children and Giraffe Awards (appreciating those who
stick their necks out for kids), 5-8 PM, Freeport Hilton Garden Inn,
Freeport. Maine Children's Alliance, 623-1868 or MaineKids at mekids.org or
www.mekids.org.

October 9-11: New England Gathering of War Tax Resisters and Supporters,
Amazing Planet Farm, Brattleboro, VT. Larry Dansinger, Maine WTR Resource
Center, 525-7776 or rosc at psouth.net for ridesharing.

October 10: Vigil in honor of Keep Space for Peace Week to call for an end
to building Aegis Cruise Missile Destroyers, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, in front of
Bath Iron Works, Washington Street, Bath. Smilin' Trees Disarmament Farm,
763-4062.

October 14-15: "Awakening the Dreamer" annual Pax Christi retreat
(environment, spirit, and social justice), Living Water Spiritual Center,
Winslow. Mary Ellen Quinn, 223-4992 or memquinn at peoplepc.com.

October 17: End the War in Afghanistan Rally and Demonstration, Copley
Square, Boston. For carpooling from Maine to the demo, contact Lisa Savage,
Code Pink Maine, 643-2356 or lsavage3 at gmail.com. From New Hampshire, Alex
Freid, xpunkdrummer444x at hotmail.com.

October 19: Speaker from Revolutionary Association of the Women of
Afghanistan (RAWA), 7 PM, Public Library, Parrott Ave., Portsmouth, NH.
Rachel Williams, Seacoast Peace Response, rachfit at mindspring.com or
781-504-5800.

October 24: 350 Movement events around the state, highlighting climate
change threats and opportunities. Look for something in your area.

October 24: Great Maine Apple Day to celebrate apples in Maine, all day,
MOFGA Educational Center, Unity. MOFGA, 568-4142 or mofga at mofga.org or
www.mofga.org.

October 25: "Capitalism Hits the Fan" film (understanding root causes of
economic problems) shown with panel discussion to follow, 7 PM, Peace and
Justice Center, 170 Park St., Bangor. Call 942-9343 or info at peacectr.org or
www.peacectr.org. 

October 29: Sanford Horwitt speaks on "Community Organizer-in-Chief: Barack
Obama and the Legacy of Saul Alinsky," 10 AM, Hutchinson Center, Belfast.
Call 338-8033.

October 31: Join Seacoast Peace Response and be in the Portsmouth Holiday
Parade. To join the SPR contingent: Doug, dbogen at cleanwater.org or Wes,
wesflierl1 at netzero.net.

November 3: Election Day--votes on Tabor II, Marriage Equality, school
consolidation, excise taxes, and medical marijuana.

November 6: "Whose House, OUR House" conference on getting involved in
legislation supporting low income people, 9 AM-4 PM, State Capitol, Augusta.
MAIN, 1-866-626-7059 x204 (Chris Rusnov).

November 6-8: Farmer to Farmer conference for farmers to learn new ideas and
techniques, Point Lookout, Northport. MOFGA, 568-4142 or mofga at mofga.org or
www.mofga.org.


Notices:

A lot of attention in October will be going to a number of election issues
on the November 3 ballot. Question 1 is a people's veto question. The No on
1 campaign to preserve marriage equality will be holding fundraising and
voter calling parties thruout Maine. For more on how to get involved or
attend a local organizing meeting, contact the campaign at
www.ProtectMaineEquality.org. They are also looking for letter writers to
local newspapers and people to call in to local radio stations. For more on
that or for a phone/email contact, try EqualityMaine at 761-3732 or
info at equalitymaine.org.

Question 4 on the ballot is TABOR II (another attempt at a "Taxpayer's Bill
of Rights) that many groups are opposing because it will cut state support
for services for those who need those services. Question 2, on cutting local
excise taxes on many cars, will also cause a loss of state services and
benefits. These are both being pushed by conservative groups. Opponents of
these measures include Engage Maine, 553-7157 or engagemaine at engagemaine.org
or, I assume, www.engagemaine.org. The Maine Center for Economic Policy,
622-7381, also has some arguments on why cutting taxes and services will
hurt and who they will hurt.

Question 3 asks voters whether they want to repeal the school district
consolidation law. Question 5 asks voters if they want to adjust medical
marijuana laws so they allow treatment of more medical conditions and create
a regulated distribution system. There is also a bond issue (#6) for $71
million and a constitutional amendment giving local officials more time to
certify initiative petition signatures.

Health care and coverage reform is another hot topic, and the Maine Center
for Economic Policy, 622-7381, www.mecep.org, has both a fact sheet on
health care reform and a report, "National Health Reform: Lessons from
Maine." Check out both of these for factual info. There's also Midcoast
Health Care Reform, which continues to promote a single payer system and is
urging rallies and vigils locally and statewide to counter the opposition to
government-supported health care programs. Midcoast HCR, 596-7784 or
info at midcoasthealthcarereform.org.


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