WILPF BUSINESS MEETING
WILPF will meet Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. at Fresno Center for Nonviolence, 1584 N. Van Ness Ave. This meeting is open to all members.
WOMEN IN BLACK
A worldwide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. Feb. 7 (first Wednesday of each month) at noon at the Fresno County Courthouse. Wear black, bring a sign if you wish and stand in silence for peace.
STIR IT UP–WILPF ON KFCF 88.1 FM
(Listener-supported free speech radio for Central California)
Feb. 28, 3 p.m. (4th Wednesday of each month). Jean Hays does outstanding interviews on subjects involving WILPF interests and activities. Tune in to 88.1!
RAGING GRANNIES
Meetings on selected Mondays at 7 p.m. Call Patty Bennett at 559-999-9709 for details.
NEW READERS START HERE!
As the oldest women’s peace organization in the world, we work for peace, justice, disarmament, human rights, the environment and a sane foreign policy.
We get a lot of our work done in small groups that we call issue committees:
- Building Beloved Community includes work with people without homes:
- Dakota EcoGarden; contact Nancy Waidtlow at nancywaidtlow@gmail.com.
- WINGS; contact Bev Fitzpatrick at dfitzpatrick29@comcast.net.
- The Library Committee donates peace and social justice children’s books to local libraries. Contact Ann Carruthers at acarruthers@earthlink.net.
- The Cuba and Bolivarian Alliance Committee works to normalize relations between the U.S. government and the countries comprising the Bolivarian Alliance. Contact Leni Villagomez Reeves at lenivreeves@gmail.com.
- The Disarm Committee works for a nuclear-free world. Contact Patty Bennett at patriciajb@aol.com.
- Earth Democracy works on environmental and environmental justice issues. Contact Jean Hays at skyhorse3593@sbcglobal.net.
- The Legislative Committee contacts and visits our legislators concerning many issues. Contact Jean Hays (see above) or Betty Sempadian at sempad@comcast.net.
- The Middle East Committee examines the role of U.S. policy in the dynamics of current Middle East conflicts, specifically the Israel-Palestine conflict. Contact Maureen Walsh at maureencharlotte55@gmail.com.
and
- Women in Black stand in silence for peace monthly. Contact Joan Poss at ilsasso2003@yahoo.com.
- The Raging Grannies sing for peace and justice! Contact Patty Bennett (see above).
If you are wondering how to get involved and do more than just tut-tut about the news, here’s your chance. Get in touch; we’d love to have you with us. Every effort is appreciated. Write one letter, visit one office or library with us, stand for peace one time with Women in Black, be at the WILPF table for Earth Day, the Post Office for Tax Day and/or collect stuff for the Craft Faire. You will not be alone, and you will not be signing up for life or feel pressured to do more than you wish.
GET READY FOR THE WATER FORUM—SAVE THE DATE
On Saturday, March 10, WILPF Fresno will host H2O Three at the Fresno City College Forum Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year’s program includes the following:
Daniel O’Connell of America’s Farmland Trust, who will address water rights; David Cehrs, Fresno State Ph.D. hydrologist, on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and the progress his Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency has made within that sub-basin; Jacob Katz, Ph.D. from Caltrout, on its efforts to work with farmers to assist native fish by using fields to mimic floodplain habitats; Ron Stork of Friends of the River and Anita Lodge, a third-generation San Joaquin River Gorge resident, will explain why Temperance Flat Dam should not be built; Tom Frantz, Kern County farmer and president of the Association of Irritated Residents (AIR), on the continual degradation of Kern’s aquifers by the oil and gas industry and the use of oilfield wastewater for crop irrigation; Tom Willey, Madera County organic farmer and host of KFCF’s monthly radio program Down on the Farm, on the difficulties small farmers are currently experiencing with water; Chris Acree on the quest of the tribe for which he is the cultural resource analyst the Dumna to gain rightful federal recognition; Walt Shubin, Kerman farmer and former Central Valley representative, on his lifelong connection to the San Joaquin River and his experience working with Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid; and Lloyd Carter, host of KFCF’s monthly radio program Down in the Valley and AP journalist-catalyst for defense of the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, will update us on the latest important happenings in water we should know about.
The event is free, and students can arrange for class credit.
For more information, contact Jean Hays.
DAKOTA ECOGARDEN REPORT
The Dakota EcoGarden is a transitional facility for people without housing. Find us at 2231 W. Dakota Ave. in Fresno. It is under the nonprofit Eco Village Project of Fresno and is wholly supported by community donations from individuals and organizations such as WILPF. Please see our Web site at ecovillagefresno.org and our Facebook page under Dakota EcoGarden, or call Nancy Waidtlow at 559-224-1738 for more information or to arrange a tour. The board of the project and the residents are extremely grateful for the support of the community. If you are someone, or know someone, who is homeless or on the verge of homelessness, and you think they can live successfully in a self-governing community and are ready to work on a plan to regain their independence, give me a call or have them call me (Nancy at 559-224-1738).
VOLUNTEER TO HELP
If you have time to help us out with various needs, e-mail nancywaidtlow@gmail.com. We need someone to provide transportation to help residents get signed up for waiting lists for subsidized permanent housing. I think if we had lots of volunteers on call, we could get it done without a huge commitment from any one person. Also, helpers for garden work either regularly or occasionally—remember, it’s good for you.
—Nancy Waidtlow
WILPF FRESNO BUILDS A SHED
One new feature at the Dakota EcoGarden is a storage shed that will consolidate the things WILPF has stored in scattered places. It is right next to Peace Fresno’s shed. This works as a win-win deal, giving the Dakota EcoGarden $25 each per month in payment for providing the space for the sheds.
Construction leader Gerry Bill, construction wizard James Graves and industrious assistants Bev Fitzpatrick, Goia Frank, Melissa Frye and Leni V. Reeves put together the shed. Major assembly required!
TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
If you missed the chance to renew in person at the Crafts Faire in December, please send your membership renewal to WILPF Fresno, P.O. Box 5114, Fresno, CA 93755.
