Democracy for New Mexico

City of Santa Fe: Spring Celebration and More

From the City of Santa Fe:
Spring is a great time to be outdoors and enjoy Santa Fe’s environment! Here are four fun and worthwhile community events to celebrate our city and your spring fever.

Volunteers Needed to Plant Native Trees Along the Santa Fe River -- Saturday, April 7th and Saturday, April 14th, 9 AM to 3 PM: After many years of hard work, the San Ysidro River Park in Agua Fria is almost finished. Come join us for willow planting on April 7 and 14 from 9 AM to 3 PM. We will be planting over 2,000 trees and need all the help we can get. No special skills required, just enthusiasm and a willingness to get dirty. Please bring gloves, water and a snack/lunch. We will be meeting in the parking lot at the San Ysidro Park (located near San Ysidro crossing). There is no need to sign-up in advance, but if you would like more information, please call Pamela Dupzyk, Santa Fe Watershed Association Program Director, at 820-1696.

A Day of Fun and Action: Trade-In Your Incandescent Light Bulbs for Energy Conserving Compact Fluorescent Bulbs -- Saturday, April 14th, 1 PM to 3 PM at Franklin Miles Park: Join the Sierra Club, the City of Santa Fe, PNM, and the Interfaith Alliance for A Day of Fun & Action – learn how YOU can solve global warming, and how you and your elected representatives can “Step It Up”.  See exhibits by green businesses, learn how to cut your global warming emissions, bring a picnic lunch and listen to Round Mountain and speakers.

Light Bulb Trade In: bring us your incandescent light bulbs – for each bulb you bring us, we will give you a 100 watt compact fluorescent bulb – a $5 value! For every five bulbs you bring, the City will give you a pass to the Genoveva Chavez Community Center.

Costume Contest: for kids and adults. Dress as the plant or animal you would most miss if global warming is not stopped.

Molly Ivins Memorial Pots and Pans Band: bring your pots, pans, and other kitchen implements and get ready to bang away in honor of the late Molly Ivins.

For more information, contact Carol Oldham, Sierra Club New Mexico Regional Representative at (505) 243-7767.

Volunteers Needed for the Great American Clean Up -- April 21st: This is a great opportunity to get your neighbors together to Spring Clean your neighborhood or come and help clean up Santa Fe.  Registration will take place on Saturday, April 21st between 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM at the City of Santa Fe Parks Building, 1142 Siler Road. The Clean Up will run until noon; trash bags will be provided. A picnic for volunteers will follow, 12 noon – 2 PM, at the Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station, 1686 Paseo de Vista. For more information, contact Gilda Montaño, City of Santa Fe Keep Santa Fe Beautiful Coordinator, at 955-2215.

Santa Fe River Festival -- June 2nd, 11 AM to 3 PM at Frenchy’s Field Park: The first annual Santa Fe River Festival will be held on June 2nd from 11 AM to 3 PM at Frenchy’s Field Park and we need your help. The Festival will be a celebration of the river with art activities, naturalist walks, science investigations, music, food, and educational booths, preceded by an all-river clean-up. If you would like to participate in this community event, please contact Pamela at pamelad@santafewatershed.org. Committees are forming for art, food/music, and volunteer coordination. The River Festival 2007 is sponsored by The Santa Fe Watershed Association, the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County.

2007 Peace and Justice Awards Dinner Set for 4/21

From the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice:

Saturday, April 21
Doors Open 6 PM - Dinner 6:30 PM - Program 7 PM
Saint Timothy's Lutheran Church
211 Jefferson NE at Copper, ABQ
Your Donation: Fifteen Peaceful Dollars
NM Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino
Kief Henley and Peter Conhein of Guild Cinema
Keynote speaker Col. Ann Wright
Make your reservations today by calling 505-268-9557

State Senator and Lifelong Activist for Justice, Jerry Ortiz y Pino
Jerry's work for peace with justice spans many years and issues, from solidarity with Central America to improving the lives of New Mexico's youth. Many of us got to know Jerry a little better this year when he sponsored numerous pieces of Peace and Justice Legislation, including Impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney, and balancing military recruiters' messages in schools. Even in the midst of a busy legislative session, Jerry continued to enlighten 'Burque with his Weekly Alibi columns.

Kief Henley and Peter Conhein of the Guild Cinema
Kief and Peter are the latest proprietors of the Guild Cinema, which has served Albuquerque as the only independent, single-screen theater around, and celebrates 41 years in 2007. The Guild brings the latest independent documentaries, classic movies, and great music to the big screen. With Kief and Peter at the helm, the Guild Cinema is a true community partner, helping to get the word out about important issues and providing space for local organizations working for peace and social justice to reach a larger audience with their message.

Keynote speaker Ann Wright was the deputy chief of mission in several U.S. embassies. She has also been a U.S. Army colonel, with twenty-six years of military experience. She resigned March 19, 2003 due to her disagreement with the decision to go to war on Iraq without UN Security Council authorization.

Editor's Note: Col. Ann Wright will also be speaking the following evening, Sunday, April 22, at the Mennonite Church in Albuquerque, on the topic, "Iraq Now - Iran Later?" Click to read our previous post on this event.

Col. Ann Wright to Discuss Iraq Now - Iran Later?

"IRAQ NOW - IRAN LATER?"
A Presentation by COLONEL ANN WRIGHT
Army Colonel (Ret.), Foreign Diplomat

Sunday, April 22, 7 to 9 PM
Albuquerque Mennonite Church
1300 Girard N.E. (2 blocks north of Constitution)
Albuquerque NM
Suggested $10 donation at the door

Colonel Ann Wright served 29 years in the Army and then later worked in the State Department. In 2003, she resigned from her State Department post due to her disagreement with the decision to go to war on Iraq without U.N. Security Council authorization.

"I have served my country for almost thirty years in some of the most isolated and dangerous parts of the world. I want to continue to serve America. However, I do not believe in the policies of this Administration and cannot --morally and professionally -- defend or implement them. It is with heavy heart that I must end my service to America and therefore resign."

Sponsored by the School of the Americas Watch - New Mexico. For more information, contact Judy Bierbaum at 268-1040.

Editor's Note: Click to read Col. Wright's resignation letter to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wright was most recently the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She helped open the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, in January 2002.

Civil Rights Leader Julian Bond to Speak in Santa Fe

Long time civil rights leader and activist Julian Bond will speak at Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe on Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 4:00 PM. Bond’s lecture is presented by Santa Fe’s Human Rights Alliance with sponsorship by Temple Beth Shalom. Co-hosts include the Santa Fe chapter of the NAACP, the New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum and Equality New Mexico.

Tickets for Bond’s lecture are available exclusively at the Lensic Box Office in Santa Fe or their online site. The box office can be reached at 988-1234. Tickets are $15 for the lecture and $50 for the lecture and a private reception with Mr. Bond afterwards. Temple Beth Shalom, the lecture site, is located at 205 E. Barcelona Road. Additional parking is available at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, St. John’s United Methodist Church and Immanuel Lutheran Church, all located on Barcelona Road.

In an October 2006 interview with the gay news magazine The Advocate, Bond spoke out against homophobia in the African American community and linked it directly to the spread of AIDS among black people. He stated, “Homophobia is one of the major obstacles to black Americans coming to grips with this disease in the ways that we should.  It is awfully disturbing.  It’s a refutation of what the movement for civil rights stood for.  It’s disgraceful.”

Julian Bond, who has served as the Chairman of the Board of the NAACP since 1998, began his civil rights activism in 1960 as one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta.  He was active in civil rights protests and voter registration drives across the South.  In 1968 he was co-chair of the challenge delegation from Georgia to the Democratic National Convention that successfully unseated Georgia’s regular Democrats.

In 1965 he was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives but was prevented from taking his seat due to his opposition to the Viet Nam war.  Bond was elected twice again before the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Georgia House had violated his rights in denying him his seat.  In 1974, Bond was elected to the Georgia Senate where he served until 1987.  His tenure ended after an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1986 that prevented him from seeking re-election to the state senate.  At that time, Bond had been elected to public office more times than any other black Georgian in history.

Bond was also the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center at its founding in 1971, and he continues to serve on its board of directors today.  He also serves on the Boards of the People for the American Way and the Council for a Livable World.  He is currently a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the American University in Washington, D.C. and a professor in the history department at the University of Virginia. 

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER for 3/31 Network of Spiritual Progressives Workshop

PASSION AND SKILLS: SPIRITUAL PROGRESSIVES WORKING TOGETHER, a day-long workshop to learn about Spiritual Activism, is set for Saturday, March 31, from 9 AM to 5 PM, at the First Unitarian Church at Carlisle and Comache in Albuquerque. The event is organized by the Northern New Mexico and Albuquerque chapters of the Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP). Click for flyer (doc) for more info. The registration fee of $35 includes a vegetarian lunch. Please register now or request information by calling 505-983-2443 in Santa Fe or 505-323-6162 in Albuquerque.

SpiritualProgressives.org (national organization)

SpiritualProgressivesNewMexico.org (Northern New Mexico chapter in Santa Fe)

Albuquerque-NSP.org (Albuquerque chapter)

In the Spirit of César Chávez 3.31.07

From the Recuerda a César Chávez Committee: Come celebrate the memory of César Chávez and the diversity of Albuquerque.

“In the Spirit of César Chávez, UNITE for Human Rights!”
MARCH & RALLY, Music * Entertainment * Speakers * Food
Featuring Son de Madera & Concepto Tambor
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Music and Poetry at 10:30 AM, March begins at 11 AM
(Bring your banners!)
South Broadway Cultural Center Park
(1025 Broadway SE)
Rally and Celebration 12 Noon
National Hispanic Cultural Center
(4th and Avenida César Chávez)

CO-SPONSORS
Recuerda a César Chávez Committee
City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department
Lo Maduro de La Cultura
National Hispanic Cultural Center
New Mexico Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
For more information call Michael Casaus 417-5288
------------------------------------
Celebre la memoria de César Chávez y la diversidad de Albuquerque:

“Honrando el espíritu de César Chávez, Unámonos por los derechos humanos”
Marcha y Manifestación, Comida * Entretenimiento* Oradores* Música
Presentando a Son de Madera y Concepto Tambor
Sábado, 31 de marzo, 2007, Musica y poesía a las 10:30 AM
La marcha comienza a las 11 AM
¡Traiga sus Pancartas!
Parque de El Centro Cultural de Broadway
(1025 Broadway SE)
Manifestación y evento cultural, 12 del mediodía hasta las 3PM
Centro Nacional Hispano
(Calle 4 y Avenida César Chávez)

CO-PATROCINADORES DEL EVENTO
Recuerda a César Chávez Committee
City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department
Lo Maduro de La Cultura
National Hispanic Cultural Center
New Mexico Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Para recibir más información llamar al Michael Casaus 417-5288.

Don't Miss Dave Foreman at UNM

Free lecture & slide show
Thursday, March 29, 7:00 PM
SUB Ballroom C, UNM Campus, Albuquerque, NM

Join Dave Foreman for a raucous and inspiring evening about the future of conservation in North America. Drawing upon a lifetime of experience in the environmental movement, Foreman offers bold, hopeful, and viable proposals for averting the current sixth mass extinction and creating a biologically-sustainable continent within the 21st Century. Foreman is the author of several books, including The Big Outside and Rewilding North America, and will be signing copies after the lecture. Contact UNM Wilderness Alliance at unmwild@unm.edu or 277-1316 for more information. 

Popejoy Hosts Tim Robbins' "1984"

The Actor’s Gang brings George Orwell’s classic "1984" to life in the stage adaptation directed by Tim Robbins (Mystic River, Shawshank Redemption). This is Tim Robbins’ first production since the award-winning "Embedded." Founded in 1981, The Actor’s Gang has become one of Los Angeles’ most enduring theatre ensembles. Known for their bold, original works and daring reinterpretations of classics, the Actor’s Gang’s work is raw and socially minded.

Written more than half a century ago, "1984" creates a world where people are afraid to express their views freely, where leaders are not held accountable for their deceptions, where perpetual war is waged against an unseen enemy. It is a world where Ignorance is Strength, Freedom is Slavery, and War is Peace. The most striking aspect of "1984" is its parallels to current events and headlines stemming from around the world. Read more about the Robbins' production.

"1984"- Tuesday, March 27, 7:30 PM
$39, $35, $29, $20 - Buy Tickets

CodePINK joins Stop the War Machine and a long list of local organizations, including Democracy for New Mexico, that are supporting tomorrow's antiwar march in Albuquerque marking the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion. Gather at Civic Plaza downtown, march to Robinson Park with stops at the offices of Sen. Pete "Prosecutor Purge" Domenici and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, and rally at Robinson Park for Peace-A-Palooza.

The South West Organizing Project is organizing music and dancing: Aztec dancers will be performing as the march reaches Robinon park to bless the festivities. Plans include Slam Poets (ABQ Slam Team), Bands (including Mezcla Experience, Hakim Bellamy and Members, Raging Grannies), Dance Groups, live painting by local aerosol artists, and Inti-Illimani a Chilean band, which has promoted Latin American folk music worldwide and collaborated with artists such as Federico Fellini, Mercedes Sosa, Wynton Marsalis, Sting, Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen. (Inti-Illimania is also performing March 17 at 8 pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center; see NHCC calendar).

Visit the March17.org website for the latest information. Download a flyer.

Peace events will be taking place Saturday in other New Mexico communities including Taos, Los Alamos and Santa Fe, with a March on the Pentagon in Washington DC and other actions all over the nation.

On Monday, March 29, you can organize or join a candlelight vigil for peace supported by MoveOn, True Majority and other progressive and peace organizations.

And don't forget the gathering at 4:30 PM today in Corrales at the town hall meeting with Rep. Tom Udall.

MoveOn Needs You at Corrales Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Udall TODAY

Hey All,
We need numbers here tomorrow:

What: Rep. TOM UDALL TOWN HALL MEETING

WHEN: Friday March 16th 5pm (gather at 4:30 PM)

WHERE: CORRALES MUNICIPAL COURT (Corrales Rd. across from post office)

We will gather with signs, attend meeting, initiate serious dialog with Tom, etc.

TV AND LOCAL PRESS IS EXPECTED

Thanks for your support!

Mike Davis
Duke City/Corrales Council
MoveOn.org