People of Color in the Political Process

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Last December about 70 people attended a "Hudson Valley for Obama" event, but not a single minority person showed up. For an event organized by Hudson Valley for Obama that was quite surprising. That led to questions like

Do minorities feel uncomfortable with the general progressive community in this area?
Is there a big disconnect between the issues of interest to each group?

Rev. Modele Clarke, Pastor of New Progressive Baptist Church, and Maude Bruce, President of Ellenville NAACP, will lead a panel discussion on "People of Color in the Political Process" at the Unitarian Fellowship in Kingston at 7:30 on Tuedsay Feb. 24.

These questions and others will be addressed at the event.

Join us for an interesting and important event for all who want to continue the great work that got Obama elected.

Tuesday, February 24th

7:30 pm

Unitarian Universalist Congregation

320 Sawkill Road, Kingston

For information call 845-340-9512

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

There's an interesting post you might want to pass on to the young girls among your family and friends. Here's an excerpt and link:

Where Are All the Women? � AAUW Dialog: "Engineers design pretty much everything we use from computers and cars to diapers and dishwashers. When women aren’t involved in the design of these products, women’s perspectives are not brought to the design table (or computer screen). In the same way that Ruth Ginsburg brings a valuable perspective, different from her male colleagues, to issues brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, women engineers bring valuable life experiences to the design process that are different from male engineers. For women to be full participants in our society, we need to be well represented among those who design and make the things that we use on a daily basis."

There are good scholarships available for girls interested in engineering and some interesting videos about young women engineers here.

Bowl for Kids' Sake, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ulster County

Image via Wikipedia

From Louise Flood:

Bowl for Kids’ Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters' national signature fundraising and awareness program. Each year, mentors and mentees, donors, businesses, and community members raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ulster County by asking family and friends for their financial support.

You can bowl as an individual or become a team captain and recruit your own team. Each team member must raise a minimum of $100. Each bowler will receive a free tee shirt as well as free pizza and beverages. And there will be lots of great prizes too.

There are two dates to choose from:

• Sunday, April 19^{th (}Mid-City Lanes, Kingston) Session 1 from 1:00-3:30pm, and Session 2 from 4:00-6:30pm, and
• Friday, May 1, (Hoe Bowl On the Hill, Kingston) 7 - 9:30 pm.

You can sign up at www.bigbrothersbigsistersulster.org and click on Bowl for Kids Sake or call Colleen Mountford, President, at 845-338-0431 ex. 238. Come enjoy a fun-filled time and make a difference in the lives of children in your community.

Faith & Poverty in a Time of Economic Crisis, 2/28/09

From Mary Gelhaus:

What is the responsibility of people of faith in addressing the needs of the poor and those less fortunate in this time of great economic hardship?

Keynote Speaker

The Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb

Professor of New Testament, Virginia Theological Seminary

Morning Prayer followed by small group discussions, Bible study, and panel discussion, sponsored by the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship

• The Rev. Richard Witt, Rural & Migrant Ministries

• The Rev. Darlene Kelley, Clinton Avenue Methodist Church, Caring Hands Soup Kitchen, Kingston

• Wayne Birch and Leslie Hoffman,Ecclesia Ministries, Newburgh

• Demi McGuire, Executive Director, NYS Episcopal Public Policy Network

Saturday, February 28th

9 am – noon

St. John’s Episcopal Church

207 Albany Avenue, Kingston

Call 331-2252 for reservations

Ars Choralis at St. John the Devine, Sat. March 28

Image by .m for matthijs via Flickr

From Marjorie Regan:

Our congratulations and best wishes to Woodstock's Ars Choralis and conductor/composer Barbara Pickhardt. They have been invited to perform Pickhardt's Music in Desperate Times: Remembering the Women's Orchestra of Birkenau at St. John the Devine, and then at Liberation Day Ceremonies with the Survivors of the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Berlin in April.

Ars Choralis:About Music In Deserate Times Concert: "In the darkest times, music provides solace and illustrates what is best in the human spirit.

During the depths of World War II, women musicians incarcerated at the Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camp were required to play for their Nazi captors. This is a story about how music saved the lives of those women. It is also the story of a small-town chorus that has brought back the music, hope, grief and resilience of these women.

Over one million people were murdered in Birkenau gas chambers. In exchange for their survival, a women’s orchestra was formed by the S.S. at Birchenau. During the year and a half it existed, 54 women participated in the orchestra. All but the conductor survived.

Two years ago, Barbara Pickhardt, conductor of the Woodstock, NY chorus, Ars Choralis, researched survivor’s memoirs and created Music in Desperate Times: Remembering the Women’s Orchestra of Birkenau. The concert interwove orchestral music (Schumann, Chopin, Puccini, Mendelssohn and others) with spoken memoirs and songs of hope, peace and resistance sung by the chorus. Donning the simple lavender scarves and white blouses worn by the Birkenau musicians, the members of the reconstructed orchestra felt a shiver of connection to the original orchestra as they played arrangements of the same music played in the camps."

You can find information about tickets and bus transportation to the March 28th concert at the Cathedral here.

There's a Woodstock Times review of the 2007 concert here.

The President is Coming to Kingston - Friday, 2/20

This used to be a men-only dinner, but no more. Congratulations to the Old Dutch Church on your 350th anniversary.

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER ?

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY TWENTHIETH, TWO THOUSAND AND NINE MARKS THE EIGHTY SIXTH ANNUAL DINNER

AT THE OLD DUTCH CHURCH IN KINGSTON, NEW YORK

Ticket Sales: Old Dutch Church Office, Info@olddutchchurch.org (845) 338-6759

Reception and Dinner $40.00

Image via Wikipedia

Dinner $25.00/ $30.00 Patron

On the 16th of November, 1782, General George Washington visited Kingston. The future father of our country, was greeted upon arrival by the Elders and the Dominie of the Old Dutch Church. Following his visit, he wrote to the church consistory to thank them for "their public mark of esteem." Since 1923, an annual community dinner has been held in his honor. The event is sponsored by the Old Dutch Church Men's Club.

The George Washington Dinner and it's program, though nonpartisan in any political or religious sense, stresses the importance of God and Country. It is a time honored tradition and opportunity for the community to come and join in fellowship to enjoy a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. There have been many illustrious keynote speakers throughout the years, Among the more prominent were: Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932, Haywood Hale Brown in 1979, Norman Vincent Peale in 1986, and most recently, Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey in 2008.

This year, the 86th annual dinner, marks two other important milestones, the Men's Club is inviting women to be a permanent part of this tradition, in which all are included to celebrate and sing the praises of our community, church, and our glorious first President of the United States. This special 350th Anniversary of the Old Dutch Church should prove to be the highlight of the first decade in this millennium for Kingston. We recently have been officially designated a National Historic Landmark. This ushers in a new era for our community through this year's grand celebration honoring the Father of Our Country, by making him our guest speaker for the first time; General George Washington.

Actor and Historian Dean Malissa is an accomplished scholar and renown for his portrayal of our first President. For more then a decade, Mr. Malissa, who cuts an imposing figure, has mastered the expertise to converse in the fashion of the day of our founding fathers,and has been much sought after to appear as George Washington around the country. He has performed at The White House, Mount Vernon and also in Europe to audiences of Presidents, Prime Ministers, and other Dignitary. Old Dutch Church is honored to welcome him to Kingston for this auspicious occasion.

There will be a VIP "Meet and Greet" Reception for General Washington at the Wiltwyck DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) ballroom on Green Street, Kingston, NY. from 5:00 to 6:45 PM. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Old Dutch Church. Special musical guests will be Molly Mason and Jay Ungar. The Men's Club Dinner at the Church will start at 7:00 PM. Proceeds from the sale of the VIP tickets will be donated to the Old Dutch Church Restoration Fund. The Friends of Old Dutch Church is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Proceeds from the dinner go to help in the projects of the Old Dutch Men's Club. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be for sale at the door. To purchase tickets, please contact the Old Dutch Church office.

The George Washington Dinner will kick off one of many public events scheduled throughout the year to commemorate the anniversary of the Church which was founded in 1659. A community heritage festival is planned for May. For additional information on the Old Dutch Church and upcoming events.

Please visit www.olddutchchurch.org or email info@olddutchchurch.org.

Ulster County Passed the Lever Resolution! On to Green County!

Image by Darwin Bell via Flickr

Many thanks and a special valentine to the Ulster County Laws and Rules Committee (Chairman Bischoff and Legislators Cahill, Decker, R.S. Parete, Rodriguez, Shapiro, Cummings, Maloney and Roberts) and Legislators Aiello, Cummings, Fabiano, Felicello, Gerentine, Hansut, Harris, Maloney, Noonan, Petit, Roberti, Roberts, Ronk, Terrizzi and Zimet for sheparding Resolution 47 through the Ulster County Legislature.

Resolution 47 urges the NYS legislature and the NYS Board of Elections to enact laws, Rules and regulations that specifically authorize the continued use of lever-style voting machines.

The Ulster County Legislature passed the resolution on Wednesday, February 11th.

Bravo!

Next Tuesday the Greene County Legislature will vote on the same resolution. Please ask your friends in Greene County to contact their representatives.

We hope the State will act promptly on this important issue.

Penny Social in Lake Hill Feb 14th

Benefit for St Judes Children's Research Hospital

Penny Social
Feb 14th
Open at 1 PM calling at 2 PM
for your convenience, the kitchen will open at 12 for Lunch
Lake Hill Fire House
Sponsored by the
Shady United Methodist Church

I like penny socials. They are an economical way to purchase items and support the non profit at the same time.
The members of the Shady United Methodist CHurch are a group that sets a wonderful example of service to the community that one lives in.

Choral Concert Honors Sojourner Truth Feb. 28th

Image via Wikipedia

From Anne Gordon:

LISTENING FOR TRUTH, a benefit concert to raise funds for a memorial to Sojourner Truth, will be presented on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 at 3 pm at the Reformed Church on Salem St. in Port Ewen.

The choral concert will feature the Esopus Festival Choir directed by Linda Bresnahan McCarthy, and the Ulster County Community Outreach Chorus, directed by Min. Dennis Washington. Music will include a variety of songs and hymns, some written by Sojourner Truth, and period music she would have known. In addition, a dramatic reading will be presented.

Tickets will be available for a suggested donation of $10 at the door. Seating is limited. Refreshments will be provided.

Money raised at the concert, through donations, and in the future at other fundraisers will be used to erect a statue to Sojourner Truth in a park being constructed on Broadway in Port Ewen. As a slave, Sojourner Truth lived and worked in a tavern which stood on the site in the 19^th century.

In 2005, the Esopus Town Board voted to name the park in her honor and a citizen's committee organized the Memorial Fund to raise funds for the statue. The Sojourner Truth Memorial Fund is affiliated with the Ulster County Community Foundation and all contributions are tax deductible.

The Evolution of Rhinebeck & Woodstock, Feb 27

Rhinebeck Historical Society
Feb 27, 7:30 pm
Starr Library, Rhinebeck Local History Room (lower level)
A Tale of two Communities
"The Evolution Of Rhinebeck and Woodstock"

A Panel Discussion featuring:

• Richard Heppner - Woodstock Town Historian

• Janine Fallon - Mower - Author of several books on Woodstock History

• Cynthia Owen Philip - Author of books on the history of Rhinecliff and a Rhinecliff Resident
  

• Dick Hermans - Owner of Oblong Book Store - Member of one of the first families of Rhinebeck
  

Free All Welcome

Let the Ulster County Leadership Know We Want to Keep Our Levers

Image via Wikipedia

From Ruth Wahtera, for the AAUW Public Policy Committee:

Back in December, our AAUW Public Policy Committee sponsored a viewing of the HBO documentary Hacking Democracy and a presentation by attorney Andi Novick. Andi is leading the suit against NY State to retain our lever system.

Glenn and I usually disagree about things political; he usually votes Republican and I vote Democratic. But we both came away feeling this is a non-partisan issue we can work on together.

Well, things are heating up. Dutchess County has passed a resolution to keep lever machines. Columbia County will vote on a similar resolution this week. We need to make our voices heard here in Ulster County.

Why keep our lever machines?

• Optical scan and touch screen voting machines can be hacked; to date, no electronic voting system has been able to meet the NY State standards for certification. In fact, testing for certification was suspended in October 2008 because the company contracted to test equipment, SysTest Labs, lost it's Federal certification as a testing lab.

• The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) does not mandate a statewide switch to electronic voting. NY filed a HAVA plan, accepted by the Federal Court, and implemented it. NYS has met the HAVA requirements.

• NY's constitution requires that voters be able to see how votes are counted -- paper ballots and lever machines are the only systems that meet these criteria.
  

• Costs - this is no time to spend millions of our tax dollars implementing a flawed electronic system when the current system works better. This is a budget cut we can all get behind.
  

I've set up a Citizen Speak message you can send NOW to Ulster County Legislature Chairman Donaldson and our new County Executive Michael Hein. You can add your personal comments at the bottom. It will only take a minute. Here's the link.

If you'd like more information, you can find it on our new blog Save NY's Lever Voting Machines or on Andi's blog Re-Media Election Transparency Coalition.

And please ask your friends to send a message, too.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ulster County

Many thanks to Colleen Mountford for coming out on a chilly night last night to appear live on my local cable access TV show. She is not only the executive director of the local chapter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, http://www.bigbrothersbigsistersulster.org/Colleen volunteers as a big sister as well. If you have an inkling that you would like to begin, or renew the habit of giving back to your community, call her at 845-338-0431 and make an appointment for an interview.
If you decided to commit one year to Big Brothers and Big Sisters, you will be matched with a child how has similar interests to yours. Your life will be enriched in ways that you can't imagine at the moment. Make the call today.

Peking Dancers and Tang Museum, March 15th

AAUW SPRING BUS TRIP
Sunday, March 15th

Peking Dancers
A matinee performance at The Egg in Albany

PLUS

Skidmore College’s beautiful
Tang Museum
for the exciting new exhibits

Oliver Herring: Me Us Them
and
Tim Rollins and K.O.S. [Kids of Survival]: A History

Cost: $55 which includes bus, driver tip and all tickets.
The bus leaves from the rear of the former Ames in the Kingston Plaza at 9:30 AM and returns about 7:00 PM.

For reservations:
Call Pat at 845-657-6807 between noon and 10 PM or write PWHL8@aol.com
Your reservation will be confirmed on receipt of your check. Send your check, made out to AAUW–Kingston Branch, to: Pat Whelan, 1321 County Rt. 2, Olivebridge NY 12461.

Please call now; ticket reservations depend on your early response.

These trips, sponsored by the American Association of University Women, are open to all, as is our membership. They are part of our mission to offer community enrichment and to raise funds for local, national and international programs, especially in support of women.

No refunds unless the AAUW must cancel the trip.

Eat Local Food web site

http://www.eatlocalfood.org/
A local Hudson valley web site, featured in GET FRESH

KAAUW co-sponsors Observer Corps Meeting with LWV Jan. 27

In order that local government meetings be transparent and their proceedings be known to all voters, KAAUW is co-sponsoring a meeting with LWV's Kingston Observer Corps on Tuesday, Jan 27 at 7PM at the Muddy Cup, Broadway, Kingston (near YMCA and Kingston High School). All are welcome to attend this initial meeting to find out how to be an observer, what is involved and understand that observers are completely non-partisan. Later there will be a training for those interested. Observers will remain members of their own organizations, whether AAUW or LWV or other community groups. For more information contact both AAUW and LWV member Margaret Sellers, MCSELLERS@aol.com or 339-3180.

Rosa Sat

Here's a beautiful song written and performed by Amy Dixon-Kolar, sent to us by Betsy Tuel. Thanks, Betsy!



Find more about Amy and her music on her website.

Another Reason to be Hopeful: This I Believe

From Betsy Tuel:

Hi,

My gardener heard this yesterday morning on NPR and was blown away, so shared it with me.

I am passing it on to you. I don’t know if you’ve heard ‘This I Believe’ segments on NPR before, but this one is unforgettable…

Thirty Things I Believe, written when Tarak McLain was six, last year.

This little guy is so inspiring and gives us yet another reason to be hopeful.

betsy

Here’s the link to the audio, so you can hear the interview.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99478226

A quick video summarizing the Recovery&Reinvestment Plan

Here's a 6:47 minute video from the Transition Team that touches on each of the major elements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.



What do you think?

Garlic from China

Last week, I purchased asparagras, they were delicious. They were 1.99 a bunch, which is a deal! They were grown in Peru.
Today, I purchased a sack of garlic. 5 heads. Shipped from Brooklyn. When I got home, I looked on the other side of the label. Product of China.
Now, the simple math tells us that the garlic retailed for 20 cents a head.
Tonight, I'm wondering what kind of a profit the farmer in China made for his/ her labor.

GET FRESH!

LIbertyview Farms

Check out the local farmer Billiam, who has some creative ideas about how we can
own chickens and fruit trees without the back yard responsibility.http://libertyviewfarm.blogspot.com/

Pay Equity Moves on to the Senate!

Thanks for supporting pay equity in the House. Now, please send a message to our senators. The House passed both the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act on Friday.

The Senate is expected to take up these bills as soon as next week, which means your action is needed now.

As you may remember, the Senate narrowly failed to pass a vote to move forward with Ledbetter bill last year. The good news is that it's a new Congress, and your message urging your senators to support these critical bills could change the outcome this time around. Even if you have written your senators about this legislation before, now is the time to contact your senators and urge them to vote yes on these critical pieces of legislation and oppose any attempts to weaken them. They need to hear from you now!

How big is the pay gap now?
According to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007 the ratio of women's and men's median annual earnings reached almost 78 cents on the dollar for full-time year-round workers, up from just under 77 cents in 2006. This is the narrowest the wage gap has ever been, but it's only an additional one cent on the dollar.

One cent is chump change. It isn't real change.

While women have been hard at work to earn their extra penny, Congress has failed to pass legislation that would give women effective equal pay protections. In light of this, join AAUW in telling Congress that passing the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is an urgent priority. Tell Congress: "Keep the Change until Women Have Real Change."

Take Action Now!

Related articles by Zemanta

• House Democrats Prepare Ledbetter Bill to Overturn Supreme Court on Equal Pay for Women

Ada Lovelace Day, March 24th, is an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology.

Women's contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognized. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines. Whatever she does, whether she is a sysadmin or a tech entrepreneur, a programmer or a designer, developing software or hardware, a tech journalist or a tech consultant, we want to celebrate her achievements.

Who was Ada Lovelace?
Ada Lovelace was one of the world's first computer programmers, and one of the first people to see computers as more than just a machine for doing sums. She wrote programmes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, a general-purpose computing machine, despite the fact that it was never built. She also wrote the very first description of a computer and of software.

So, help me acknowledge the women in technology that we love and admire.

• If you have a blog, take the pledge to join 1,000 other bloggers posting on March 24th. (Over 800 have signed up so far.)
  
• No blog? Help me decide who to write about here. Send me an email or post a comment with the woman you'd like to acknowledge.

Side comment: If you're trying to make something happen and need people to help you , check out PledgeBank.com to set up an "I will if you will...pledge.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Ada Lovelace Day needs your support!

GET FRESH- AAUW CONVERSATIONS

Weather providing, as there is ice and snow and what ever else mother nature decides to toss at us in the forcast, we will broadcast live at 8 30 PM the full segment of AAUW conversations.

Visit my blog, www.viewfrommykitchenwindow-janine.blogspot.com for the full

text of my post.

Janine

Congress Votes This Week on Pay Equity!

Image by Leadership Conference on Civil Rights via FlickrAAUW urges the passage of both the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act; we also urge their passage as a package, as part of the first set of bills the new president signs into law.

Passing both bills, in tandem, is critical to the overall goal of achieving pay equity for women: the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act rights the wrongs done by the Supreme Court, regaining ground we've lost and ensuring that people who've been discriminated against can seek vindication. The Paycheck Fairness Act is a comprehensive bill that would create stronger incentives for employers to follow the law as well as strengthen penalties for violations, strengthen federal outreach, education and enforcement efforts, and prohibit retaliation against workers who ask about employers' wage practices.

Together, the bills can help create a climate where pay discrimination is not tolerated, and give the new administration the enforcement tools it needs to make real progress on pay equity.

Take Action! Click this link to send a message to Congress

Urge your representative to support the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act when they come up for a vote this week to ensure the change hard working Americans need to receive equal pay.

Do you know women who are represented by congress people wavering on their vote. Send your friends an e-card asking them to take action. The link to the e-card is in the Keep the Change Badge in the right column. The numbers count!

Mystical and multicultural poetry

Classics in Religion
Wednesdays at 10:30 AM
Kingston Library, 55 Franklin Street

Many cultures have inspired mystical responses in poetry to celebrate the Transcendent and the Divine. This month, on January 7, 14, 21, and 28, the group will read selections from Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and Taoist texts, and Haiku, exploring the interstices running like a thread throughout major world religious paths. The series will be led by the Rev. Garnette Arledge, an interfaith minister who has served as a Hospice Chaplain. She is the author of several books on spirituality as well as numerous articles, poems, and weekly newspaper columns.