MARCH 2014 MEETING RECAP

from John Debus

We had a really good event this past Tuesday. After receiving a few e-mails and telephone calls

from people whom said they were not going to be able to attend, I thought it was just going to be a couple of us watching the documentary movie. The turn out was great with at least 8 to 10 new first time people and a total of around 30 total attendees. The movie had A LOT of good information, and covered many areas of the medical field. We open the door at 6:00 pm, a half hour early, for social time which was great and a few people took advantage of the time to get to know each other better. The movie was a little long, so we didn't have a lot of time for discussion after the movie, so we can continue the discussion at our picnic tomorrow.

Reminder for Our Quarterly Picnic tomorrow Sunday, 30 March 2014 at 11:00am to 2:00pm at

Museum Point, South Causeway Park in Fort Pierce. Bring something to eat (sandwich) for yourself, something to drink, you can bring a dish to share, or just come and have a drink with us (as always we will have drinks available). All our Events are free and open to the public, membership is not required. Come and meet some very good people and be part of our family. Make a day of it and visit the Museums and/or the Aquarium while you are there. Please call me if you have any questions or need directions.

Thanks for your support,

Hope to see you all at the picnic,

Take care,

John

772-349-5328

FIGHT WAGE THEFT

from Ted Parsons

Friends & Allies of Working Families,

We have had some success to today in the wage theft fight (see bottom text) but there is more to do to keep the momentum going in the worker's favor. We can't let this opportunity slip away. Rapid Response is needed in the next few days and we need your help to assure a working family's victory.

To keep the pressure on we have scheduled the 3 events listed below. Your enthusiastic participation can help assure us a victory. The wage theft preemption bill HB 957 in the Florida House still preempts Florida counties from enacting any wage theft ordinance other than that of the weakest effectiveness. Counties could not enact ordinances that might suit their unique particular needs.

HB 957 is primarily supported by the Florida Retail Federation (FRF). The FRF board members include representatives from Play it Again Sports, Publix, Office Depot, Macy's and others. To put pressure on these wage theft supporting companies we have scheduled Rapid Response events at the times and locations below.

Thursday, 3/27/14 5pm to 6pm at:

Play It Again Sports

3351 SE Federal Hwy. Stuart, FL 34997

772-286-9552

Friday, 3/28/14 5pm to 6pm at:

Office Depot

2627 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33409

561-687-2600

Saturday, 3/29/14 11am to 12pm at:

Macy's

575 S Rosemary Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

561-242-4085

The primary event is this Saturday's Event at Macy's Downtown. We will be requesting Media attendance at this event. Please make extraordinary effort to support all the events but especially the Saturday event at Macy's Downtown.

Please inform Rodney Statham (rstatham@flaflcio.org) 850-567-6607 or myself of your planned attendance. See below for info on today's wage theft events.

Thank you,

Ted Parsons

Mobilization Coordinator

Palm Beach - Treasure Coast AFL-CIO

Text " @pbtcmember " to 954-204-3698 to receive critical legislative updates

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBTC.AFLCIO

Cell: 561-346-5241

ted@unionspirit.org

MARCH 2014 MEETING REMINDER

from John Debus

Hi Everyone,

A reminder of our event this Tuesday evening, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, March 25, 2014

at the American Legion Post #40, 810 S. US 1, Fort Pierce, Fl. 34950. Please use

the front entrance (on US1) and it is the large room on the right side as you come in

the front door. Plenty of parking is on the side of the building. We have water and

Green Tea (free) available or you can purchase drinks from the bar in the next room.

Come early for some Social time before event, doors are open at 6:00pm. We must

start on time to insure we get out on time.

This month we will be showing the documentary movie "Doctored".  The film the

American Medical Association does not want you to see. The people you never see,

but whose job it is to turn you into a compliant, pill popping, revenue generation unit at

all cost. This movie is a little longer than normal, but has a lot of good information. I will

be cutting all information at the beginning of event, to start movie, with the information

and conversation after movie.

The action table at our event is set up for group's information, sign-up sheets, upcoming

events and petitions. All groups will also have 1-3 minutes at the end of movie to tell us

about themselves. You can also contact Kathy or myself to have your events posted

on our web-site happenings page. Check often for up to date HAPPENINGS.

Our Quarterly Picnic is scheduled for next Sunday, 30 March 2014 at 11:00am to

2:00pm at Museum Point, South Causeway Park in Fort Pierce. Bring something to

eat (sandwich) for yourself, something to drink, you can bring a dish to share, or just

come and have a drink with us (as always we will have drinks available). All our Events

are free and open to the public, membership is not required. Come and meet some very

good people and be part of our family. Make a day of it and visit the Museums and/or

the Aquarium while you are there.

Next month, we are inviting NAACP leaders in the area to come and tell us about their

organization and discuss how we can work together on common issues. We will also talk

about the Moral Monday marches and perhaps see if we could do something like that in

our area. So please mark 29 April 2014 on your calendar.

Please come out, we need your support to make a difference, be part of the experience.

We also would like your feed-back on our Events and Organization. So feel free to

respond to this e-mail. CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE;  tcprogressivealliance.com 

Check often as many events are posted late with little notice. We post as soon as we

get them. Also check out our blog with many interesting articles and information posted

there.

Thanks for your support,

Take care,

See you Tuesday,

John

TOP CHEF RON DUPRAT

from John Debus

Top Chef Ron Duprat will be at:

Blake Library 2351 SE Monterrey Rd, Stuart, FL 34996 at 11am, then at Elisabeth Lahti Library, 15200 SW Adams Ave Indiantown, FL 34956 at 3pm both on April 11th, 2013.

On April 12th he is at Port St. Lucie Community Center on Airoso Blvd . We have this location anywhere from 7am - 3:30pm. I am shooting for the event to go from 11am - approximately to 2pm. We will be occupying main rooms and can fill it to capacity which is 500 or so. He will be doing cooking demonstrations there on that morning as this location is better equipped for this since there is a kitchen.

Last but NOT least, we have to give back to our Ft. Pierce community and he will be encouraging the children there at P.A.L Park 903 S. 21st Street Fort Pierce, Florida 34950 on Suday April 13th from about 11am to 2pm!! 

Please watch YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHP_MbSNnFs&feature=youtube_gdata_player and see link for more info on Top Chef Ron Duprat!! Lastly, I would like to share that there are Vendor and Sponsor packages available and we would like to extend this information to you at this time as there is limited space especially in the Community Center.. We have several options for you to choose from so please let us know if you are interested in learning more about these package and we will contact you immediately.. There will be much media coverage during these 3 days and as you read in Your Voice Weekly we have already gotten their attention and will have more Press Releases going out and the NEWS Teams will be present too!!

EARTH RECOVERY GROUP DISCUSSION

fro Gregory Wilson

Come join the discussion about Earth Recovery Groups on Wednesday March 19^th 7:00 at Treasure Coast Unitarian Universalist Church at 21 Central Park Way Stuart Florida.

Earth Recovery Groups are designed to help understand the present state of the earth's life support systems, and define our emotional and spiritual responses, helping to cope with the grief of the loss of life and the possible loss of our future. Then, identifying the dynamics of a new story to guide and develop a new set of values that affirm life and the life-support systems of Earth, and planning and engaging in actions to bring about life supporting laws and policies.

We will discuss the 12 steps that structure the groups and the reasons we need the groups.

Call Gregory 772 486 4029 for more information

SATURDAY COMMUNITY CLEANUP

Saturday: River Kidz, Scout Troop 772 and Neighborhood Bible Way Church are joining forces to clean up Fort Pierce, one neighborhood at a time. If you have an hour to spare on Saturday, March 15th, plan to meet us at 8.00 am on 523 North 13th Street in Fort Pierce. We'll cover refreshments. All you have to do is walk with us and help with the cleanup. It's an easy way to give back and help all of us look and feel good about our community. It only takes an hour or two, and then you can head out to the rest of your fun-filled day, knowing you've helped make a difference in your neighborhood.

LECTURE SERIES IN VERO

from Nancy Steifel

Tuesday, March 18, 7 PM - Leonard Gougeon, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of American Literature at the University of Scranton, returns to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to present “America's Second Revolution: New England, Great Britain, and the Civil War.”  Event is free and open to the community, no tickets or reservations required; donations are gratefully accepted.

Thursday, March 27, 7 PM –the final ORCA (Ocean Research & Conservation Assn) lecture:  “Science Sea Stories and Out Takes” – a look at 30 years of unpublishable bloopers and blunders.  Dr. Edie Widder, a deep-sea explorer and MacArthur fellow, will share some behind-the-scenes stories of three decades of research at sea. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door; student tickets are also available at $20.

Thursday, April 3, 7 PM - a FL Humanities Council lecture about the history of St. Augustine by archaeologist Carl Halbirt.  Event is free and open to the community, no tickets or reservations required; donations are gratefully accepted.

Sunday, April 13, 7 PM, the legendary Judy Collins will perform.  Tickets are $42.50 (balcony), $52.50 (main floor), and $97.50—the higher priced ticket includes a dessert reception with Ms. Collins following the concert. 

Wednesday, May 28, 7 PM – “Dreamers and Schemers,” another FL Humanities Council event about persons who made Florida history including Zora Neal Huston and 2 others.  Event is free and open to the community, no tickets or reservations required; donations are gratefully accepted.

To get tickets for the non-free events, call the Emerson Center box office at 772-778-5249 or order them online athttp://theemersoncenter.tix.com/Schedule.aspx?OrgNum=2800

Democracy Update: Is the American Voter Endangered?

from SCPA

6:30pm Thurs. March 13, 2014
Democracy Update: Is the American Voter Endangered?
Location: Front Street Civic Center, 2205 Front Street, downtown Melbourne FL 32901

Multiple short presentations on timely issues

Status of voter registration + early voting in Brevard
by Tony Dutton, Voter Service Chair
League of Women Voters of the Space Coast

Voting rights and voter I.D. difficulties 
by Robert Johnson, President
NAACP South Brevard Branch

Florida purging of voters
by Denise Sala-Gore, President
Brevard Democratic Hispanic Caucus

'Hacking Democracy' documentary film, 10-minute excerpt
Leon County Supervisor of Elections runs a vote count test on voting machines

Exit Polling
by Beth LaPointe
Citizen Exit Poll

Three short 3 min. presentations:
Move to Amend


by Eric Anderson

Space Coast Progressive Alliance

Florida's restrictive felony disfranchisemen

t
by Mike Orlando

FL Rights Restoration Coalition

What the ACLU is doing to fight for voters rights


by Chris Curtis

Brevard Chapter of the ACLU of Florida

Co-hosted by 
NAACP South Brevard Branch and Space Coast Progressive Alliance

Free & open to the public

FULL INFO:
http://www.scpaflorida.com/item/2834-2nd-thurs-american-voter-endangered

Take the Clean Water DECLARATION straight to DEP!

from Cris Costello Over the next four weeks the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will hold a series of public meetings to take input on prioritizing the state’s water quality monitoring and restoration efforts for the next two years. Meetings are scheduled in West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Pensacola, Orlando and Bartow. It is important that local clean water advocates are in attendance. These meetings are an excellent opportunity to take the Floridians’ Clean Water Declaration straight to DEP officials. We are encouraging activists to: 1. Be present and vocal at your upcoming local DEP meeting. 2. Ask DEP representatives at each meeting to sign the Declaration. 3. Send a loud and clear "stop pollution at its source" message. Don’t be surprised if they won’t sign the Declaration – just asking and questioning will send a powerful message. See below for a full list of meeting dates and locations, and click here to see the full announcement from DEP. The meetings will help determine when Total Maximum Daily Loads and Basin Management Action Plans are developed and implemented for Florida's waters. Don’t let the technical nature of the presentation keep you from attending – anyone who cares about water quality should be there. WEST PALM BEACH: Wednesday, March 5, 2014, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST) PLACE: South Florida Water Management District Headquarters, B1 Auditorium, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406 FORT MYERS: Thursday, March 6, 2014, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EST) PLACE: South Florida Water Management District Lower West Coast Service Center, Main Conference Room, 2301 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL 33901 PENSACOLA: Thursday, March 13, 2014, 12:30 p.m. (CST) to 3:30 p.m. (CST) PLACE: Florida Department of Environmental Protection Northwest District Office, Conference Room 101, 1st Floor, 160 W. Government St. Pensacola, FL 32502 ORLANDO: Tuesday, March 25, 2014, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST) PLACE: Florida Department of Environmental Protection Central District Office, Conference Rooms A, B, and C, 3319 Maguire Boulevard, Suite 232, Orlando, FL 32803 BARTOW: Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (EST) PLACE: Southwest Florida Water Management District Bartow Service Office, Bartow Board Room, 170 Century Boulevard, Bartow, FL 33637

   One meeting was already held in Live Oak on February 25.

   All meeting materials (agendas, presentations, and handouts) have been posted to DEP site at this link: http://publicfiles.dep.state.fl.us/dear/watershed/2014_Monitoring_Assessment_Restoration_Priorities_Mtgs/

Thank you,
Cris Costello

Regional Organizing Representative

Sierra Club

2815 Proctor Road

Sarasota, FL 34231-6443

cris.costello@sierraclub.org

UU Documentary: Living for 32

from Nancy Stiefel

What:  Social Justice Film Series:  Living for 32

When:  Sunday, March 9, 7:00 PM

Where:  Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, corner of 16^th Street and 27^th Avenue, Vero Beach

Through the personal story of survivor Colin Goddard, "Living for 32" (2010) tells the tragic tale of the gun massacre at Virginia Tech University and Goddard’s inspirational journey of renewal and hope. He was shot four times and told he might never walk again. He lives with three bullets still lodged in his body and a titanium rod in his left leg.  After recovering from his wounds and completing physical therapy, he has made it his life’s mission to help ensure that a tragedy like the Virginia Tech massacre will never happen again.  Goddard now works for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 

Mayor Cory Booker, of Newark says, “Living for 32 is a powerful film. Colin Goddard, like many heroic Americans, knows that we have a Virginia Tech every day with more than 32 Americans dying daily due to gun violence. This film teaches, touches, and challenges us to act.”  

The Fair Trade Corner will be open one half hour prior to the film. A discussion about gun control with Rev. Alexander and Jeff Pierson will follow the 40 minute film. 

Hope to see you there.