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March 22nd, 2021News, Updates & Events |
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Uncle Foods Diner
Meal Schedule |
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 Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim: “I am a voice for the voiceless. We are all speaking to an unseen world, speaking for our Mother Earth, trying to stop our spiritual blindness. We speak for the the animal kingdom, for those in the waters, for the four-leggeds and the one leggeds (the trees), the Bengal tiger, the camel, the elephant and the creepy-crawlers. I pray that our Creator hear us. The creatures have a right to be.” “I am trying to teach reciprocity. Ritual and ceremony create the energy of reciprocity.” Grandmother’s name in her Native language is Taowywee Naibigwan, meaning Morning Star-Dragonfly or “Transformer” An Homage to Grandmother Agnes The strongest and bravest part of her slipped out of her regalia and into a clear sky of sun, stars and moon, on the back of one determined Eagle. As she flew, the most adventurous part of her spread out her arms atop the wings of the sacred messenger. Still, she is on a mission, the nature of which we can only guess! Our treasured, fierce, good-humored and loving Grandmother Agnes leaves the clothing of the Peaceful Warrior behind for us to take up if we dare, along the infinite Red Road. Even as her Spirit soars, the Salmon must be crying. Elizabeth V. Hallett
11-29-19
Peace House, Ashland, OR Continue Reading … |
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News & UpdatesCOVID Housing and Community The Environment The Nation International Journalism Social Justice & Racial History EventsClimate- Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
- Government: County & City Project – March 25
- Ashland Climate Action Project – Natural Gas: The Fossil Fuel You Came to Love – March 25
- Bringing Social Equity to Climate Advocacy – March 30
- Rogue Climate
- Tell Oregon to Reduce Pollution from the Largest Climate Polluters – March 26
War & PeaceSocial JusticeCommunity |
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| Resources for Asian and Pacific Islander Support • Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO): www.apano.org
• National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum: www.napawf.org
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta: www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org
• Anti-Asian Violence Resources: anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co
• The AAPI COVID-19 Project: aapicovid19.org/resources |
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Jackson County COVID StatisticsCurrent as of 03/21/2021: View updated stats HERE Jackson County COVID-19 TESTING SITES |
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Groups rally against Medford’s proposed camping ordinance
MEDFORD, Ore. — A coalition of local advocates is taking aim at a new camping ordinance under consideration by the City of Medford, one that could have long-term consequences for the local homeless population. Medford City Council began looking for a revised camping ordinance in February — attempting to carve out a path to enforce prohibitions against camping along the Bear Creek Greenway and other public sites without running afoul of several relevant court decisions and two bills making their way through the Oregon legislature. Continue Reading … Return to top |
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| Petition Opposing Ordinance Against Houseless People In Medford |
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The Action NetworkMedford, Oregon wants to make it illegal for people to sleep in a tent, even during the winter. This is an inhumane response to poverty and houselessness. Under this new law, unhoused people could spend up to six months in jail for simply sleeping in a tent or lying down in public. Such criminalization doesn’t address the root causes of poverty — it will make issues worse rather than better. This petition asks the Medford City Council to reject proposed changes to its “Prohibited Camping” ordinance. |
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Applications Available to Human Services Agencies
for $805,000 in COVID-19 Emergency Rent Assistance ACCESS, Jackson County’s Community Action Agency, recently received $2,148,707 in State STARR (Supporting Tenants Accessing Rental Relief) funds from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). STARR funds are to provide rent assistance for Jackson County residents who experienced a loss of income, compromised health conditions, are at risk of losing their housing, or diagnosed or exposed to COVID-19, and/or displaced or unstably housed as the result of public health measures taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19. ACCESS is making $805,000 available to Jackson County human services agencies for the funding period of April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 to be used for Homeless Prevention, Rapid Re-housing and/or Program Delivery. We are also scheduled to receive an undetermined amount of Federal Emergency Rent Assistance funding from OHCS in the next few weeks, which will have a longer funding period. This request for applications applies to for the STARR Program, the Federal Emergency Rent Assistance program and any other COVID-19 rent assistance funding that may be made available in the future. The deadline to submit an application is 5 p.m., Thursday, March 25, 2021. For more information or to request an application, please contact Jackie Agee at 541-774-4330 or jackieagee@accesshelps.org. Return to top |
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Not Just Another PipelineThe expansion of Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline is a breathtaking betrayal of Minnesota’s Indigenous communities — and the environment.
 PALISADE, Minn. — My daughter and I are walking along the fast-flowing stream of pure darkness that is the young Mississippi River. We are two hours north of Minneapolis, in Palisade, MN, where people are gathering to oppose the Line 3 pipeline. Patches of snow crunch on pads of russet leaves as we near the zhaabondawaan, a sacred lodge along the river’s banks. It is here that Enbridge is due to horizontally drill a new pipeline crossing beneath the river. We enter the lodge. The peace, the sweetness, the clarity of the water is hard to bear. The brush and trees hardly muffle the roar of earth-moving and tree-felling equipment across the road. The pipeline is almost at the river. Last month, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s administration signed off on final water permits for Enbridge to complete an expansion of its Line 3 pipeline. After the final section is built in Minnesota, the pipeline will pump oil sands bitumen and other forms of crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta, to Superior, Wis., cutting through Indigenous treaty lands along the way. Lawsuits — including one by the White Earth and Red Lake nations and several environmental organizations, and another by the Mille Lacs Nation — are pending. But construction has already started. Continue Reading …
(Originally Published in the New York Times by Louise Erdrich, December 28th 2020) Return to top |
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The next big oil pipeline battle is brewing over Line 3 in Minnesota On his first day in office, President Biden signed an executive order to stop construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. But now, many people in the Great Lakes region are asking the Administration to halt a different pipeline project they believe poses an even greater threat to indigenous communities and local waterways. And as NewsHour Weekend’s Ivette Feliciano reports, experts and climate advocates say it’s time to stop oil pipeline projects in the U.S. once and for all. Read the Full TranscriptHari Sreenivasan: On his first day in office, President Biden signed executive orders aimed at aggressively tackling the climate crisis, including stopping construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. But now, many people in the Great Lakes region are asking the administration to halt a different pipeline project they believe poses an even greater threat. Thirty years ago this week, the Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota ruptured, spilling 1.7 million gallons of crude oil onto a frozen river near Grand Rapids, Minnesota. If the river had not been frozen, the oil could have seeped into the Mississippi River and contaminated drinking water for millions downstream. Continue Reading … (Originally Published by PBS.org, March 6th 2021) Return to top
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CONSPIRACY THEORIES ARE KILLING US, AMERICA 
As over one-third of Oregon went dark in the state’s largest-ever power outage, my thoughts traveled back to the 1990s, to a brightly lit auditorium in Ellensburg, Washington filled with Holocaust deniers.
I had travelled over many rural miles in a Greyhound bus, ever-present anxiety my only companion, to enter that auditorium. The only visible person of color present, I already understood deep in my bones how morally repugnant and politically dangerous Holocaust denial was. But I did not yet know that this seemingly fringe conspiracy theory would become the template for conspiracy theories that would dominate American political discourse within the next two decades. It’s time to face facts. The mainstreaming of conspiracy theories in America is no longer merely a war of words or a question of ideological differences. It is a deadly phenomenon that is costing lives. Continue Reading … (Originally published in an email from the Western States Center by Eric K. Ward on Feb. 25, 2021) |
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| $40 Million for Pacific Northwest ForestsLike so many Oregonians, many of my family’s best memories have been made exploring Oregon’s shores, forests, and deserts. Especially during this difficult year, I’m thankful for any opportunity to get outside and enjoy the peaceful nature and beautiful scenery that makes our state so special. That’s why it’s so important that we be good stewards of our natural treasures, so that future generations of fishermen, hikers, hunters, campers, and other outdoor recreationists can make their own memories on our public lands, too. Continue Reading …
Let’s Make Congress Work For the PeopleOn January 6, a violent mob of insurrectionists attacked the United States Capitol, in an attempt to hunt the Vice President and members of Congress, and overturn the results of a fair election. But breaching the Capitol building is not the only way to attack a democracy. For decades, the powerful and the privileged have used massive political contributions to corrupt our government in their favor and secure an agenda — made up of tax giveaways and safety protection rollbacks — that serves them and their wealthy friends. And because the politicians who work for them are only serving a sliver of the American population, their agenda is deeply unpopular and they’ve resorted to trying to hold onto power by manipulating elections, by blocking citizens from voting and drawing convoluted districts. Continue Reading … Return to top
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Online harassment of female journalists is real, and it’s increasingly hard to endureJulia Carrie Wong remembers a time, years ago when she felt that being a part of digital culture was fun. “I used to really enjoy online spaces, having a personality and a voice,” recalled the 37-year-old technology reporter for the Guardian. That changed radically several years ago after she wrote on Twitter in support of a journalist who had been targeted by a white-nationalist site. Continue Reading …
(Originally published in the Washington Post by Margaret Sullivan March 14, 2021) |
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 Black Alliance
& Social Empowerment Recently our BASE team has made a connection with the president of Tennessee State University about providing full-ride Medical College Scholarships for Black males in their senior year of High School. Are you interested? Do you know someone that would be interested? Here are the particulars: There is a program between TSU and Meharry Medical College through which the student would go to TSU for three years and then on to Meharry and finish to become an MD or DDS in 7 years instead of the traditional 8 years. Currently, they have only females signed up for the program. If you are a Black male or know Black males who are high school seniors who want to become a MDs, have a 28 on the ACT and a 3.5 GPA, we have a possible “FREE RIDE” for you or them at Tennessee State University. Please contact us ASAP as the student info needs to be submitted. |
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Recovering a forgotten piece of Portland’s baseball history, the Rosebuds 
If you ever find yourself at Northwest 25th and Vaughn Street in Portland, you might think the area is pretty unassuming at first: there’s a mix of industrial properties, houses and apartments in the neighborhood. Hotels are within view further down the street, and the Adidas store attracts shoppers from around the metro area just a few blocks away. But at the same spot 75 years ago, Portland’s baseball teams stepped up to the plate at Vaughn Street Park, a 12,000-seat wooden stadium in the Slabtown district. Demolished in 1956 as a fire hazard, what’s left of the park today is a commemorative plaque that name-drops two teams from the annals of Portland’s baseball history, the Portland Webfooters and the Portland Beavers. Continue Reading … |
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Government Program
Government: County & City ProjectThursday, March 25 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm via Zoom
SOCAN Calendar Event with Zoom Link This newly established project team will explore how best to move ahead. For information, contact Lorrie Kaplan. |
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Ashland Climate Action ProjectA Zoom Conversation – Natural Gas: The Fossil Fuel You Came to Love.
Seduced by methane, now plagued by heartburn
Thursday, March 25 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Panelists: Dan Serres, Conservation Director, Columbia Riverkeeper; David Farrer, Toxicologist, Oregon Health Authority; and Tom Graly, Co-leader of the Berkeley Climate Action Coalition’s Electrification Working Group
Registration Required (no charge) Studies show that most Americans think natural gas is a clean fuel that does little harm from a climate or pollution perspective. Residential and commercial use of natural gas in Oregon has soared in recent decades. We hear a lot about “decarbonization,” but natural gas, which is primarily methane, is in some ways worse than coal. This panel discussion will update us on the latest research on the climate, environmental, and health impacts of natural gas, including impacts on indoor air quality from gas appliances. We’ll also touch on the gas bans that many cities and other government entities have enacted and how gas companies have responded to these bans. For more information contact Lorrie Kaplan |
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While we all face the looming threats of climate change, communities of color, tribal communities and rural Oregonians are on the frontlines of this existential threat. The Almeda and South Obenchain fires were vivid examples of this reality, as many of the hardest hit residents were from historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities. To compound the devastating impacts of the fires, there are very real risks that these residents will be unable to stay as our communities rebuild. At the same time, Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-04, the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP), is shining a spotlight on climate and environmental justice, and new legislation has been introduced to incorporate an “equity lens” into multiple levels of state climate policy. What does “climate equity” mean? Does an equity focus detract from or strengthen climate advocacy? Does it make a difference? What is meant by the phrase “just transition”? How can we infuse social equity into the fabric of our climate policy advocacy? Please join SOCAN at our March General Meeting from 6:00 – 7:00 pm on Tuesday March 30th to explore these issues. The program will be conducted via ZOOM. Participation is free but we ask attendees please to register on the calendar event at: https://socan.eco/events/. Cecilia Estolano, CEO and Founder of Estolano Advisors, and Asma Mahdi, Policy Director of Better World Group, authors of the December 2020 “State of Oregon Climate Equity Blueprint“, will join us by zoom to help us work to achieve a more equitable, climate-adapted future. Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/862899640945374 |
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Next week there is an important public meeting to make sure that fracked gas power plants aren’t exempt from Oregon’s new greenhouse gas reduction program. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is developing new action plans to reduce climate pollution in Oregon, but fossil fuel industry representatives are asking to exclude fracked gas power plants from regulation. This would mean that our state’s six largest individual climate polluters would be off the hook for reducing pollution. Can you make a public comment at the next Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) meeting to let the EQC know that fracked gas power plants need to be included in the new greenhouse gas emission program? WHEN: Friday, March 26 at 10:15AM
WHERE: Online – The Zoom link will be posted HERE on Monday, March 21.
GIVE TESTIMONY: Check out the testimony guide HERE.
SUBMIT A COMMENT: If you can’t make the meeting on Monday, March 26, you can send a written comment to the EQC HERE. This new greenhouse gas emissions program is part of Governor Brown’s 2020 Executive Order on climate change. We all need to raise our voices to make sure that the largest polluters aren’t exempted. |
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United for Peace and JusticeSave the Date! UFPJ Webinar: The Enduring Nuclear Threat: A Deeper Look
March 30, 2021: 8 – 9:30 pm EST, 5 – 6:30 pm PST
 The recent entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons brought a welcome positive moment to a bleak disarmament landscape. But none of the nuclear-armed states have joined the Treaty, and all are expanding or modernizing their nuclear arsenals. This webinar, hosted by UFPJ, will provide an update on nuclear weapons policies and programs and an overview of relevant developments in international law. It also will suggest the need to rethink familiar approaches to disarmament, and to shift the focus of disarmament advocacy from recognizing the effects of nuclear weapons to analyzing the causes of nuclear arms racing and of the risks of war among nuclear-armed countries – the same root causes driving many of our other most pressing crises. |
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Sign up now for FREE informative, fascinating four-session course on nuclear weaponsWhat You Can Know and Do”This FREE four-session course is informative and fascinating! Sign up now to take it either in MAY or in JULY 2021 (your choice of Tuesdays or Saturdays in either month). This 4-session course presents the serious information in a supportive environment and also lifts up some positive ways people can solve the problems. We go far beyond “doom and gloom” to actually empower people to support the solutions. |
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Deconstructing Whiteness – A Learning Space A grassroots, community offering White folks becoming white aware – A first step in dismantling racism 
INVITATION: See below for more about our new, nor intimate Cohort. For folks who want to learn and un-learn the patterns of whiteness, of privilege, dominance, and fragility, in the company of others on the path of anti-racism work. Please join our mailing list for the most current information on our offerings. RSVP: To receive the Zoom link for specific monthly offerings, RSVP here. INTENT: This space is primarily for self-identified white folks, to do the necessary work of deconstructing whiteness. A space is offered to feel discomfort, make mistakes, to examine biases and experiences in a supportive atmosphere. GOAL: To come away with actionable items for our own lives that eventually create a safe and welcoming community for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. DATES & FORMAT: A new format for 2021, general events (open to all) will occur every other month, starting February 25. Offerings are held every 4th Thursday of the month, 6:30-8:30 PM. Alternating months, starting March 25, will offer the opportunity for work with a more intimate cohort. The format for both consists of a topic, videos, experiential exercises, reflective writing, sharing, and connecting. To participate in the Cohort please complete this sign up form before Thursday, March 23! General offerings: February 25, April 22, June 24, August 26, October 28, 2021 Cohort offerings: March 25, May 27, July 22, September 23, November 18 (third Thursday!) All offerings 6:30-8:30 PM via Zoom. |
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 You’re invited! March 25-28, 2021, online Tickets are free; donations benefit local rural LGBTQ advocacy groups beyondboomandbust.com OUT Dance Project is a storygathering and dance project focused on rural LGBTQ+ stories in Oregon. We are excited to be partnering with the Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest to archive these stories, widening the representation of rural LGBTQ+ lives in our queer herstories. Choreographers, dancers, and writers from across Oregon have been working together to create this show and we would love to share it with you! The show is Thursday, March 25 through Sunday, March 28, 6-8pm PST and matinees at 1pm PST on Saturday and Sunday. All the shows are free, online, and open to anyone. Visit our website to get a ticket: www.beyondboomandbust.com The ticket is free (with an option to donate to rural LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations), but please do register so we can send you the link to the show and reminders. |
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 Online Training Opportunities |
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Upcoming Trainings from the DC Peace Team |
3/27 Online training on Introduction to Active Bystander Intervention from 12-5pm EST with a 1 hour break. REGISTER HERE |
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 If you missed the first episode when we introduced Rural Race Talks and heard highlights from the show, be sure and catch it here as we get ready to go Behind the Scenes with Rural Race Talks. In this month’s episode, we talk with LaNicia about the power of learning in public and what motivated her to start a call-in radio show focused on talking about racial justice in our rural communities. |
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You can significantly develop your skills – and gain new resources – so you can make big progress on issues you care about (climate, peace, environment, human rights, economic justice, etc., etc., etc.) Please sign up now for my series of FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS every week for 6 consecutive weeks starting in mid-March. - Sundays afternoons March 21 to April 25 (1:30-3:30 pm Pacific Time), OR
- Monday evenings March 22 to April 26 (6:30-8:30 Pacific Time).
These workshops are FREE and user-friendly. They are good for people of ALL ages and ALL levels of experience. People who have taken these workshops have found them informative, inspiring, and practical. |
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 Pro-Nuclear Power Bill Will Have a Senate Hearing on 3/23. Please testify. |
Oregon PeaceWorks is the grandchild of the successful statewide 1980 ballot measure campaign that halted the development of nuclear power in Oregon. That ballot measure required that, in order to site a nuclear plant in Oregon, an operating federal nuclear waste repository had to exist and the proposal had to be subject to a vote of the people of Oregon. Despite nuclear proponents’ claims during the campaign, the industry was not able to meet either of these criteria. Thus our ballot measure has protected Oregonians from the costs and dangers of nuclear power for 40 years. SB 360, which would undermine the provisions of this ballot measure, will receive a public hearing on March 23 at 1 p.m. Please read the following information from Physicians for Social Responsibility about the bill and how you can submit testimony (oral or written) against it. A comprehensive set of talking points about the issue is included. Continue Reading … |
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At a fundamental level, Sanctuary is about belonging and security. It’s about feeling safe enough to breathe deep, to laugh, rest, worship, and play. Safe enough to simply be. Unfortunately, the threat of racial profiling, harassment, detention, and separation from one’s family is very real for many Oregonians.The Sanctuary Promise Act (HB 3265), is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, March 25th at 1:05 PM. The time for verbal testimony during the hearing is limited but we can make sure our voices of support are heard through written testimony. Our goal: submit 100 written testimonies before the hearing! You can find all the information and resources you need to submit your testimony by clicking here. We will also be hosting a Collective Conditioning Session on Monday, March 22 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm where we will collaboratively craft powerful written testimony following the latest updates & messaging research from our coalition partners. RSVP here and share the invite! We hope to see you there! |
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| K.A.W.S – Keeping Ashland And All Women Safe |
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Housing Now, AshlandFellow activists, May Day is quickly approaching and is traditionally a day commemorating the continued struggle of working people everywhere to survive and transform the world. We are working to organize an outdoor gathering or demonstration on May 1st, and we want you to join us. The purpose of the rally is to demonstrate solidarity with workers and with struggles for progressive change. We invite you to join us for a planning meeting on Saturday, April 3, 2021, at the Ashland Lithia Park bandshell, 3 p.m., rain or shine. Through networking we are stronger together. |
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Jackson County Virtual F.E.A.S.T. Oregon Food Bank’s Community FEAST (Food, Education, Agriculture, Solutions, Together) program provides an event to help communities listen, organize, and act to improve their local food system. Each community is unique and is in the best position to identify its own challenges and opportunities. FEAST creates the space for community members to engage in a facilitated discussion and begin to work towards solutions to build a more equitable and resilient local food system.
Series of three Community Conversations on April 7, April 21, and May 5 from 5-7 pm facilitated via Zoom – inviting diverse community food systems stakeholders to the table to share experiences and ideas, and deepen our understanding of our Jackson County food system. Each meeting will include panelist presentations, followed by group discussions. The goal of FEAST is to mobilize community collaborative efforts to identify and implement food systems improvement projects. Register here. |
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