MEETING NOTES FOR PEOPLE FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND HEALING
April 5, 2008

People for Peace, Justice, and Healing met at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 5, 2008, at Associated Ministries. Present for check-in: Vivi, Rob, Sallie S., Mark, Sol, and Karen K.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. ANN WRIGHT (Sallie and Mark)
U.S. Army Col. (ret.) Ann Wright will give a brown-bag lunch presentation on Fri., Apr. 18, beginning at 12:00 noon, at Shiloh Baptist Church, 1211 South "I" Street (corner of South 12th), Tacoma, across the street from Associated Ministries. At 3:00 p.m., she will speak in Room 250 of Xavier Hall (near the library) on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University. Copies of her new book, Dissent: Voices of Conscience -- Government Insiders Speak Out Against the Iraq War (Koa Books, 2008), will be on sale at both locations.

2. RAIN BARRELS & COMMUNITY GARDENS (Sol)
On Mon., Apr. 21, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at Tacoma Friends Meetinghouse (2508 South 39th St., Tacoma -- behind Borders Books), Sustainable Tacoma Environmental Project Series (S.T.E.P.S.) will present "Rain Barrels Community Gardens." Dan Borba, Tacoma's rainwater catchment expert, will discuss and demonstrate rain barrels. (Check out Dan's web site at www.naturalrainwater.com/) Kristen McIvor, a graduate student at the Univ. of Washington and an organizer of the Tacoma Community Gardens Project will also speak about local work parties in community garden plots. The Sustainable Tacoma Environmental Project Series (S.T.E.P.S.) is sponsored by Sustainable Tacoma Pierce.

3. GREEN RIBBON TASK FORCE TO PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS, INVITE PUBLIC COMMENT (Sol)
On Wed., Apr. 2, the City of Tacoma announced in a press release that "The Mayor's Green Ribbon Climate Action Task Force will unveil a slate of draft recommendations for reducing the city's carbon emissions at four public meetings in April. . . . Task force co-chairs Joanne Buselmeier of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and Ryan Mello of the Cascade Land Conservancy will outline the recommendations. . . . The meeting schedule: April 9, 6-7:30 p.m. -- Landmark Convention Center (Temple Theater), 47 St. Helens; April 10, 6-7:30 p.m. -- University of Puget Sound, Kilworth Lounge (in Kilworth Chapel) on North 18th Street, between N. Puget Sound Ave. and N. Warner; April 16, 6-7:30 p.m. -- Allen Russell Building, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Way; April 17, 6-7:30 p.m. -- South End Neighborhood Center, 7802 South "L" St. The draft plan will also be posted on the task force Web site, where people will be able to submit comments. The 25-member Green Ribbon Task Force was appointed by the Tacoma City Council in February 2007 to develop recommendations for actions the City and community should take to reduce greenhouse gases and curb global warming in accordance with the Kyoto Protocols. . . . Following the public meetings, the task force will finalize Tacoma's Climate Action Plan, which will be presented to the Tacoma City Council in June 2008."

4. SOUTH SOUND COHOUSING RESURRECTED (Sol)
On Sun., Apr. 20, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Puget Sound Cohousing Fair will offer an opportunity to learn about 12 Puget Sound cohousing communities and groups that are currently forming. For more information, write to info@PugetSoundCohousing.com or contact Craig Ragland, 425-487-3550. For more on South Sound Cohousing, see here.

5. TACOMA CATHOLIC WORKER FUNDRAISER ON JUN. 28 (Sallie)
The Guadalupe Gala, a fundraiser of Tacoma Catholic Worker that includes dinner and much more, will be held on Sat., Jun. 28, at Holy Cross Parish Hall, 5510 North 44th St., Tacoma. Donations may also be sent to 1417 South "G" St., Tacoma, WA 98405.

6. MOHSEN MIRGHANBARI AT HILLSIDE (Vivi)
On Sun., Apr. 6, at 1:00 p.m., at Hillside Community Church, which meets at the Friends Meetinghouse at 2508 South 39th St., Tacoma, Mohsen Mirghanbari will speak and answer questions.

7. TRAIN (Karen K.)
May 2-13, 2008. "Barefoot Studios, in partnership with Tacoma Neighborhoods Together, Metro Parks, Sound Transit, Job Carr Museum, GSA and UW Tacoma is proud to announce their production of Train, inspired by the railroad history and heritage of Tacoma, during the month of May. Funded in part by Tacoma Arts Commission and Washington State Arts Commission, Train is a collaborative intermedia performance/installation to be produced at Barefoot Studios and other sites in Tacoma with current or historic connections to local railroad activity. Tacoma’s railroad heritage and the artists’ personal train stories provide the thematic material for Train. A visual art installation will be exhibited at Barefoot Studios, 1604 Center Street, Tacoma. -- Directors Paul and Joséphine A. Zmolek of Barefoot Studios will present their own physical theatre works, 'Migrant' and 'On the Backs of our Mothers,' at Barefoot Studios. Both 'Migrant' and 'On the Backs of our Mothers' have been funded by the generous support of the Tacoma Arts Commission. Both pieces have been cast incorporating the talents of artists across genres, some trained as dancers and others, not. Paul’s all-male cast includes poet David Fewster, choreographer Michael Hoover, actor Jeff Hansen, photographer/musician Gary Lappier, and dancer Will Halsey. 'Migrant' explores themes of hobos, the migrant workers of the Great Depression years and how that correlates with the undocumented workers/illegal immigrants in our current time, the off-shore movement of highly skilled jobs, the 'Tacoma Method' and his own experiences as a 'gypsy' in the arts and education. 'On the Backs of our Mothers' begins with the story of Joséphine’s grandfather who was killed by a train when her grandmother was four months pregnant with her mother. Each cast member of 'On the Backs of our Mothers' explores their own personal stories of trains and womanhood through text and movement. Aged 25 years to 65 years, cast members include choreographers/dancers Katharine M. Stricker and Stephanie Kriege, film-maker/performance artist Meg McHutchison, movement artists Marla Simms and Jeanne Douville, and painter Blue Hesikx. Both works feature original music composed by Michal Szostalo." -- Performances at Barefoot Studios, 1604 Center St., Tacoma, WA (253) 627-2273. -- Guest performances each night. -- $18 -- Advanced purchase is strongly recommended as seating is very limited. Dates and times: Friday, May 3 @ 8:00 p.m. with special guest Michael Hoover. -- Saturday, May 4, @ 8:00 p.m. with special guest Meg McHutchison. -- Friday, May 9 @ 8:00 p.m. with special guests Katharine M. Stricker/Heidi Fosner. -- Saturday, May 10 @ 8:00 p.m. with special guests André Bouchard/Walrus Dance Co. -- More information here.

Respectfully submitted,
Mark