I don't think I'm allowed to name this gentleman, but if you were on the TESC campus during the mid-1970s you would probably remember seeing him. He was an older student, as in being 60-something. He came here from the Grays Harbor area and we figured he picked Evergreen because it was the closest school. His stature was short, his smile was broad, unfailingly positive and he was magically and happily clueless. For example, when he attended a lecture by feminists and it came to question and answer time, he would start off by asking, "Say there, now why do you gals ..." We learned not to walk with him in public unless we were ready for a show.

One time I was alongside him on campus when we had to move aside on a narrow walkway for an attractive young woman who was coming from the opposite direction. "Say there young lady," he chirped in his unique sing-song way, "I bet if they had a contest for the straightest posture on campus, you'd WIN!" And of course she was startled, looking like someone who had walked into a spider web by accident. He introduced himself and (oh-please-don't!) then introduced me, "And this is my handsome young friend, Steve ..." Needless to say, the next time I saw this woman as I was walking alone, I got a very strange look. He became a legend around school, and the source of considerable speculation, particularly since he was very quiet about his past. One time three of us went through his hometown while on the way to the coast, and we decided to look up his house via the phone book. And we found the address-- a vacant lot!!! Eeyow!

Flash forward a couple decades to the 1990s, after he had long since passed on. I'm cataloging material for a little local museum and I'm handling Aberdeen newspaper clippings from the 1940s. There was one clipping that made me stop cold. It was from 1948. Henry Wallace, the Progressive Party candidate for president is visiting Grays Harbor. Next to him are two local candidates of his party running for legislative offices.

I attended the vigil last night in Sylvester Park along with about 160 other folks.

Scott Douglas who hosted the vigil through MoveOn.org has some photos available.

Meet friends Ayed Morrar (a.k.a. Abu Ahmed) and Jonathan Pollak. Ayed is a leader of the Palestinian group Popular Committee Against the Wall. Jonathan is a founder of the Israeli group Anarchists Against the Wall.

Together they have led countless nonviolent demonstrations against Israel's occupation and appropriation of Palestinian lands. Both have suffered from arrests and physical attacks for their nonviolent resistance.

With their movement being largely unreported in the mainstream media, they are coming to tell you their story. Their commitment to nonviolent resistance in the face of overwhelming military oppression will inspire all of us working for peace and justice.

Friday, November 4, 6:30 PM at The United Churches 110 11th Ave SE downtown Olympia (11th and Capitol Way)

Sponsored by the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace and the International Solidarity Movement - Olympia.

This is an invitation to attend a benefit for PiPE (Partners in Prevention Education)

The benefit is going to be held November 21st at Yes Yes. The doors will open at 5:30. There will be a trailer screening of the upcoming release of the documentary "Downtowners" followed by music and an open mic! The show begins at:

6:30 p.m. The Saints
8:00 p.m. Open Mic featuring local youth

The suggested donation for the evening of events is $10. This benefit is sponsored by The Urban Layers Project.

There will be snacks and refreshments!

This benefit is to help in the efforts for the premier screening of the Documentary Film "Downtowners", scheduled for release at the Capitol Theatre on January 13th, 2006. "Downtowners" is a locally produced film which explores sexual violence & youth homelessness through the eyes of the youth & their community allies. More information about the Premier will be sent out in December!

PiPE's mission is to impact the norms, attitudes, values, expectations, and assumptions that support sexual violence including homophobia, sexism, classism, & all other forms of oppression.

Partners in Prevention Education is a community collaboration between youth who are homeless, service providers from Bread &Roses, Community Youth Services, EGYHOP, Done & Done, Safe Place, Stonewall Youth, United Community AIDS Network & everyday members like you!

If you would like more information about Partners in Prevention Education, please visit their website at: http://home.earthlink.net/~partnersinprevention

We look forward to seeing you at the benefit!

[via Peter Bohmer]

The Gleaners Coalition will be hosting a three-course fundraising dinner, silent auction and dance at the Eagles Hall on Saturday, November 5th, kicking off the campaign to open The Gleaners’ Café in the fall of 2006. Call 705-2375 for dinner reservations.

The event, The Gleaners’ Café, at Eagles Hall, 805 East 4th Ave on November 5th, will feature a three-course dinner and silent auction. Dinner and the auction will be in the ballroom at 6 pm, followed by music, dance, and a beer garden. The silent auction includes a gift certificate for dinner for two at The Herbfarm in Woodinville, WA. Cost for the dinner and dance party is a $25 per person donation. For reservations, please call Barry Cannon at 360-705-2375. The doors will open at 9 pm for those just coming for the dance party - $5 donation is suggested.

About the Gleaners: The Gleaners’ Café will be a non-profit restaurant modeled on Sisters of The Road in Portland. The Café will offer a nutritious menu in a safe and inviting atmosphere, featuring gleaned food as seasonally available. The cost will be affordable for all community .members. If someone can’t afford the price, they will be able to work 15 minutes to barter for a meal.

The Gleaners Coalition will provide the Café with fresh, locally grown food. The Gleaners Coalition has been gathering surplus food from local farms and gardens and distributing it to low- and no-income community members through various organizations, including the Thurston County Food Bank and Safe Place.

You know, if Ira Knight had just kept his mouth shut, mumbled something about not liking the Nuclear Free Ordinance and didn't say anything about not liking gay people, he might have won. But, he goes and shoots himself in the foot.

Its one thing for the local Christian Coalition to put out a "pastors pick" (pdf file) for the entire county, but they also put out this gem (pdf file), pointing out the differences between Ira and Jeff Kingsbury.

Here's a list of the differences:

• Ira supports "Voluntary display of the Ten Commandments on public property."
• Ira opposes "Benefits for same-sex partners of city employees"
• Ira opposes "Protected minority status for homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals, transgender, etc."
• Ira supports "Funding for faith-based charitable organizations"
• Ira supports "Diversified energy sources including nuclear power"

Not that any of these issues actually came up in the election, because Ira Knight never brought anything up. Big old thanks to the Christian Coalition for pointing all of this out!

From kgw.com:

Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security, passengers on state ferries will soon have a new way to pass the time while sailing across Puget Sound: learning how to protect the nation from terrorists.

The Homeland Security Institute, a virtual community college based in Olympia, plans to take advantage of a captive audience — the system's 26 million passengers each year, and crew members — to offer emergency-preparedness information in a variety of formats, from training videos on flat-screen TVs to security classes during ferry crossings.

[snip]

Fortugno said the institute plans a November launch for its online disaster-preparedness college, through which anyone can take a free course on terrorism, weapons of mass destruction or preparing for a natural disaster.

The 9/11 Commission found public education is one of the most important components of disaster preparedness, Fortugno said.

"You can't have a professional law enforcement or security person in every single spot. You're dependent on the general public," he said.

Is it just me, or does this sound like one step closer to total surveillance?

From The Olympian:

A Catholic nun who has spent decades advocating for gay inclusion in the Roman Catholic Church will visit South Sound this weekend.

Sister Jeannine Gramick will attend a screening of "In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick's Journey of Faith" and lead a discussion about the documentary that's based on her life.

The film was directed by Emmy-award-winning filmmaker and journalist Barbara Rick, founder of Out of the Blue Films in New York.

For more information: Call Betty Hill at 360-357-6207or go to www.ingoodconscience.com.

From the Houstonian Online:

Call me biased, but this week I was lucky to have Deerhoof's 'The Runners Four' land in my lap. Deerhoof, a progressive rock quartet from Olympia, can easily be labeled powerhouses on the indie rock circuit. Their individual vocals and "pop-meets-experimental" sound has become nothing short of an anthem for anyone who listens to more indie than just the Garden State Soundtrack. 'The Runners Four' released on Oct. 11, could easily be their masterpiece even if that's hard to imagine after 2004's breakaway hit release 'Milkman.' The 20 track album is a shining minimalist example of their live shows and general musical talent.