Author name: Peg Johnston

Solar and Energy Efficiency Grants Available

Catching the Sun: On Campus and Beyond

NYSERDA and Green Jobs are raising awareness of energy efficiency grants of up to $4000 and $8000 for 2-4 family homes. For more information attend the following session or call 723-0110 oe email bpacalis@ppefny.org.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 29, 7-9PM, LH 014., the Sun will be rising on Binghamton University.
There will be a brief forum on the future of solar energy on Binghamton University Campus, and the role and future of solar energy across the country. The panel will be hosted by Councilman Conrad Taylor, along with members of IDEAS club and Southern Tier Solar Works.

Promptly after the discussion, we will be showing the documentary 'Catching the Sun'. The film follows an unemployed American worker, a Tea Party activist, and a Chinese solar entrepreneur as they race to lead the clean energy future of the United States.
7:00-7:30pm – Discussion on BU Solar
7:30-8:45pm – Movie Showing
8:45-9:00pm – Brief Discussion

Solar and Energy Efficiency Grants Available Read More »

Huge Crowds for Welcoming Cities Resolution

 

UPDATE: Binghamton City Council unanimously passed the "Welcoming Resolution" after 200 people attended the Council Meeting the week before. Councilman Conrad Taylor had introduced a “Welcoming Cities” Resolution to Binghamton's City Council and a huge crowd (The Press estimated 100) came out to support the resolution.  It is a statement of welcome and support for the immigrants and refugees who live in our community. People were urged by Citizens Action and other groups to contact their council members and the Mayor. Mary Kaminsky introduced a similar resolution to the County Legislature.

Taylor was accused of "grandstanding" by other Council members and several members said that the resolution needed revising. The resolution was tabled to work on the wording that Council member Dani Cronce (D) and others objected to. Only one person spoke out against the resolution. City Council met Feb. 21 and approved the resolution.

Video at Pressconnects.com

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Ten Dollars to Hate

The Texas Man Who Fought the Klan

by Patricia Bernstein

Ten Dollars to Hate tells the story of the massive Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s—by far the most “successful” incarnation since its inception in the ashes of the Civil War—and the first prosecutor in the nation to successfully convict and jail Klan members. Dan Moody, a twenty-nine-year-old Texas district attorney, demonstrated that Klansmen could be punished for taking the law into their own hands—in this case, for the vicious flogging of a young World War I veteran.

The 1920s Klan numbered in the millions and infiltrated politics and law enforcement across the United States, not just in the Deep South. Several states elected Klan-sponsored governors and US senators. Klansmen engaged in extreme violence against whites as well as blacks, promoted outrageous bigotry against various ethnic groups, and boycotted non-Klan businesses.

A few courageous public officials tried to make Klansmen pay for their crimes, notably after Klan assaults in California and Texas and two torture-murders in Louisiana. All failed until September 1923 when Dan Moody convicted and won significant prison time for five Klansmen in a tense courtroom in Georgetown, Texas. Moody became a national sensation overnight and went on to become the youngest governor of Texas at the age of 33.

The Georgetown cases were the beginning of the end for this iteration of the Klan. Two years later, the head of the Klan in Indiana was convicted of murdering a young woman.  Membership dwindled almost as quickly as it had grown, but the Klan’s poisonous influence lingered through the decades that followed.  Ten Dollars to Hate explores this pivotal—and brutal—chapter in the history of America.PATRICIA BERNSTEIN is the author of The First Waco Horror: The Lynching of Jesse Washington and the Rise of the NAACP and the president of Bernstein and Associates, a public relations firm in Houston. She has published articles in Texas Monthly, Smithsonian, and Cosmopolitan.

What Readers Are Saying:

"This book is an important examination of a dark episode in American history. It tells the story of how select individuals had the courage to stand up and oppose popular extremism from a diminutive mother home alone with her children to a brave lawyer, who used the legal system against those acting outside the law.  It reminds all of us to stand up for our convictions." — Fred Zeidman, chairman emeritus of the board of the US Holocaust Museum
 
“The Second Ku Klux Klan needed stopping, and the brave, successful prosecution by Dan Moody was flawless. The heart-stopping narrative by Patricia Bernstein is a winner.”—Morris Dees, co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center
 
“A chilling story of how the KKK was on the march across the US and how Dan Moody, a Texas district attorney, fought the Klan, the most violent political organization in our history, brought them to justice, and broke their stranglehold on Texas’ power structure.  Patricia Bernstein’s dramatic book presents Dan Moody, Texas’ youngest governor, as a textbook study in political courage, demonstrating how eternal vigilance is still our safeguard against today’s threats from neo-Nazi and other 'white supremacy’ movements!”— Mark White, former governor of Texas
 
“Patricia Bernstein’s account of the Klan of a hundred years ago is a clarion call for vigilance today against all forms of bigotry that victimize those who are not considered 100% American because of their race, nationality, language, or religion.  The book deserves a large readership, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the history of the Klan and their pernicious bigotry.  It is also a valuable source for the many who have forgotten the disastrous influence of the Klan on American society and the fear and brutality it caused its many victims.”— Joseph A. Fiorenza, Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston.

Ten Dollars to Hate Read More »

Pantsuit Nation and other organizing

UPDATE: Local March on Saturday, Jan. 21 at noon gathers at Martin Luther King Promenade.

Activists have been busy the week before the Inauguration and the protests surrounding it. A chapter of the national group Pantsuit Nation met at the Lost Dog Cafe Thursday Jan 12th to a lively crowd. On the same evening local #womensmarch organizers had a well attended poster making session. And the Dept of Public Art sponsored two sign making workshops Jan 8th and another on the 15th. In addition to the #womensmarch, there is another protest march on the day of the Inaugural Jan. 20th. They will gather in front of Union Station and walk toward the White House and a "Freedom Festival" at McPherson Square. There is a bus from Rochester for $60 with some scholarships 585 436-6458. Four buses from this area are going to the Women's March. The Aphrodite Access Fund, an abortion fund at the office of Dr. Amy Cousins office, is giving marchers "goody bags" with water and a snack with literature from the Abortion Conversation Project; the national activist group Shout Your Abortion is helping with the bags. (download handout below)

Citizen Action continues to have organizing meetings on Wed. evenings with several committees working on several issues. For more information, visit their website.

Stay involved, stay connected, sign up for our weekly e-news. We'll try to keep you up on all the events. (Please let us know what going on in your progressive organizing.)

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Winners Announced in Photo Competition

6th BOB JOHNSTON MEMORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW AND COMPETITION

SPONSORED BY Cooperative Gallery 213 and the Two Rivers Photography Club  January 6 – 28, 2017

The exhibit received 105 entries, which have been judged by Chuck Haupt, a former photographer at the Press and Sun-Bulletin and a member of the Cooperative Gallery.  “The response from area photographers has been outstanding,” commented Haupt, “and the quality of the photos is excellent.”

The winners are as follows: Best of Show “Clyde” by Peter Mason; Judge’s Choice Color: “Liberty Hosta” by Thomas LaBarbera and “Harbored” by Sandra Kirker;  Judge’s Choice Black and White: “Turbulence” by Mary Lou Shapinas and “Another Dimension” by Paula Friedman.

Honorable Mentions: “II” by JM Hogan; “Gone Fishing” by Mary Lou Shapinas ; “Flatlined” by Jessica Fridrich; “Snow on My Nose” by Grant LaBarr; “Under the Bridge” by Andrew Thayer; “Circles” by Lesli Van Zandbergen; “Summer Moonrise” by Kirk Van Zandbergen; “Ballooning” by Mike Ricciardi; “Preserved in a Puddle” by Dan Harendza; “Defying the Odds” by Jessica Fridrich; “Asylum” by Greg Chianis; “Lion” by Scott Anderson.

To see some of the winners follow this link: https://spark.adobe.com/page/JM40Wqr9B9PRf/

The Competition is named for Bob Johnston, a lifelong photographer and a gallery member who died in 2010. “Bob Johnston was an ‘Ansell Adams’ kind of photographer who worked mostly in black and white film and favored both urban and natural landscapes,” said Bill Gorman, also a photographer and member of the Cooperative Gallery. Bob Johnston defined a good photo this way: “For me, the successful photograph is one in which both the abstract elements and the subject matter of the image reinforce each other to provide an emotional experience for the viewer.”

The Cooperative Gallery, a popular stop on the First Friday Art Walk, located at 213 State Street in Binghamton, is open on Frist Friday 3- 9 pm and regularly Fridays from 3-6 and Saturdays from 12- 4 pm. Find us on Facebook at Cooperative Gallery 213 and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter on our website at  www.cooperativegallery.com or on our Facebook page.

Winners Announced in Photo Competition Read More »

Fund Essential Menstrual Hygiene– Will Binghamton be First?

The Women and Gender Studies Activism class at Binghamton University is announcing to the media that we will be having an open, public speak out in support of Fund Essential Menstruation legislation on December 7th at city hall at 6:30pm during the scheduled city council meeting.. We have written a proposed legislation titled Fund Essential Menstruation (FEM) Hygiene Act 2016. See their Facebook Page for more info.

Our mission statement is as follows: One of the most difficult things about being homeless is being a person who menstruates. There is no single “rulebook” guiding homeless people to the resources they need. Not every person has the privilege of reaching into their purse and grabbing a sanitary napkin. Without access to these sanitary items, they are susceptible to a range of health challenges including, but not limited to, yeast and bacterial infections and toxic shock syndrome.
Therefore, we are proposing legislation entitled, Fund Essential Menstruation (FEM) Hygiene Products Act 2016, requiring the city of Binghamton to provide feminine menstrual products in all city owned public facilities. Menstrual hygiene products should be included alongside the other sanitary items currently provided by the city of Binghamton in its public facilities.

If Binghamton City Council passes this legislation, we will be one of the first cities in the country to provide sanitary items for free.

 

Fund Essential Menstrual Hygiene– Will Binghamton be First? Read More »

RiverRead to Close Jan 31 :-(

Dear RiverRead Books supporters,
 
We have just sent a press release to the media announcing the closure of RiverRead Books effective January 31, 2017.

We are heartbroken to say the least.  When Pat, Jane and I sat down to plan the store and order the 10,000 books needed to offer a good selection, we had stars in our eyes and were so excited to be creating this great ‘third place’.  We took almost an entire year to plan, design and order for the store.  We wanted to do it just right.  To this day, we still get comments from locals and visitors from away, about the beauty and atmosphere of our store and the great selection.  Our plan was to offer a gathering place for all things literary and artsy, a place to share ideas and converse with the community.  Well, we did just that … in eight years we held almost 900 events.  Planning those events was important because we wanted to offer something for everyone.  We wanted to highlight the very talented local authors, to give them a chance to share their words with those who might never have known about their books.  We hosted monthly poetry open mikes, facilitated by the ever faithful J. Barrett Wolf, to whom we own a great debt of gratitude.  We enjoyed hosting musicians once or twice a month for everyone’s listening pleasure and we ALWAYS hosted a new visual artist every month.  We designed the store with a gallery wall specifically for that purpose!   We wanted people to drop in, browse the stacks, have a cup of coffee (or warm cider), ask some questions, compare notes and in general, share our enthusiasm for books.  Due to limited space, we needed to curate carefully … to be sure to offer titles to cover all interests.  And we established ourselves as the ‘go to’ place for ordering books.
 
When we moved into the store, the surrounding area was pretty sad.  Although the Riverwalk was completed, it was underutilized.  The old Fair Store became empty when the county employees who had temporary offices there returned to the newly refurbished County buildings.   We were visited daily by homeless people living out of shopping carts and on benches on the Riverwalk.  We became involved several times when someone was stricken with illness or were huddled in the cold.  We collected bottles and cans for them.  As the city has changed and more shelters were offered, the homeless moved on and the city began to host events at the Peacemaker’s Stage.  Every other month or so there were some very nice events there. Downtown has been transformed with all of the new student housing and eateries and we are happy and proud to have been a part of that.  Even though it didn't work out for us, we hope people will make an extra effort on behalf of all those who have taken a chance on downtown and support businesses, new and old, by spending their dollars locally.  We will miss having the store and for that matter, the entire bookselling community, other booksellers, authors and publishing reps.  But most of all, we will miss the people who came in regularly and visited with us.  We will miss you each and every day.

RiverRead to Close Jan 31 :-( Read More »

Post Election Fear

A number of constituencies have reported an increase in the number of people fearful about the outcome of the election of Donald Trump. Muslims have reported incidents of harassment of women wearing hijabs. The Gay Help Line reports increased calls from people fearful and experiencing harassment. Immigrants who came to the US as children are fearful that they will be deported to countries that they have no memory of. Gay couples with children are inquiring about second parent adoption in case gay marriage is overturned. Fears about the loss of affordable insurance are rampant.

Locally, Citizen Action had 100 people at their first meeting and is scheduling several meetings to create an infrastructure that will create a rapid response to the incidents that are sure to come with a Trump presidency. The next meeting is Wednesday December 7 at 6:00 pm at First Pres Church 42 Chenango St. Binghamton.

Nationally, a "Million Women March" will be held Jan 21st in Washington DC and in several other cities. For more information see https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_lsTTIlJff6anpUaUdoYWUwVU0/view.

The Bridge received notice that a chapter of the Pink Pistols is opening locally. It is part of  a national organization that teaches those "who feel vulnerable how to legally and safely defend themselves and their loved ones with a handgun." They also offer unarmed self defense classes for women, LGBTQ and others who are interested. More info:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1811022989138138/

Gov. Cuomo also made this statement:

"Hate crimes have spiked across the country and this state has not been spared. This week, fliers glorifying the KKK were found distributed on cars in Suffolk County. Last week in Allegany County, a softball field dugout was defaced with the words “Make America White Again,” accompanied by a spray-painted swastika. These are just a few examples. My administration has launched a number of investigations into hate crimes targeting minorities and immigrants. and immigrants." He announced a new hotline: "Residents who have experienced bias-motivated threats, harassment or discrimination are encouraged to call our toll-free hotline at (888) 392-3644 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. If you want to report a crime or fear for your safety, call 911 immediately."

 

Stay strong and keep involved!

 

Post Election Fear Read More »

New VINES garden, Front St.

VINES and First Ward Action Council partner to build new garden on Front Street
New garden location is 250 Front Street Binghamton, within the Binghamton Gateway Homes community

VINES and First Ward Action Council are partnering to build a community garden in the Binghamton Gateway Homes Community, at 250 Front Street.  Volunteers came together November 19th to construct raised bed gardens and fill them with soil and compost.  A community garden is developed and managed by community members to provide space for people to grow their own food.  The Front Street Community Garden will have 20 raised garden beds available 2017 growing season for a $20 rental fee. Priority for garden plot sign-ups will go to those living on Front St and the surrounding side streets.

Anyone interested in renting a bed at the garden or in helping to build the garden is encouraged to come to the Saturday workday. To sign-up to volunteer please call/text us at 607-205-8108 or email us at info@vinesgardens.org or rsvp on facebook. Light refreshments and lunch will be provided.

Photo: Some of the dozens of volunteers that helped construct the garden.

 

New VINES garden, Front St. Read More »

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