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Law Day in Central Arkansas is this Saturday
(April 28) and commences with registration at 9:30am for a day full
of informative talks, break-out sessions and one-on-one
consultations presented by volunteer attorneys, judges and other
members of the law and justice community. This new venue to help
ex-felons and members of the homeless community find answers to
critical legal questions and take meaningful steps for living
successful, self-reliant and law-abiding lives has been specially
developed by the Lewis-Burnett Employment Finders.
During the program, a long list of well-known legal
experts will address topics on family law, voter rights, child
support, warrants, estrangements, and what a citizen's rights are
when stopped by a member of law enforcement.
Judge Leon Johnson, Judge Vic Fleming, Judge Mark Leverett, Senator
Joyce Elliott, Dan Roberts of the Department of Community
Corrections and others will, respectively, address Courtroom
Decorum, the legal implications of Act 570 and Act 1151.
Another long list of advocacy groups – including the Office of the
Governor, Extradition, Clemency & Corrections; the Dept. of
Community Corrections, the Office of Child Support Enforcement, the
Central AR Homeless Coalition, the Arkansas Community Dispute
Resolution Centers, Inc., Goodwill, Inc., Hope Credit Union and many
others -- will host information booths and have representatives on
site to answer individual questions.
The event is being held at the Willie Hinton Resource Center,
10am/2pm, and is open free of charge. For convenience, economically
priced food vendor services are available nearby. All with an
interest in social justice advocacy are welcome. Direct questions to
Darlene Lewis, Executive Director Lewis-Burnett, (501) 379-1592.
RE-ENTRY COALITION MEETING
Please mark your calendars and set your phone alarms now for next
Wednesday's general meeting (May 2nd, 10:00am) of the Central
Arkansas Re-entry Coalition at the Willie Hinton Neighborhood
Resource Center Auditorium, 3805 W. 12th Street, in Little Rock.
MUSIC BENEFIT
Saturday, May 12, “In Tune with the Homeless” offers a free day-long
benefit music festival, 11am / 5pm at the Enjoy LifeStyle Center &
Skatepark, 500 Karrott Street, North Little Rock, where a 'battle of
the bands' will feature nine musical groups performing in three
musical genres: Folk, Hip-Hop, and Rock. The primary beneficiary of
this event is the SOAR Outreach Network (SOARNetwork.org &
FamilyCalledUs.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that
provides transportation and other resources for homeless persons in
the Little Rock area. Admission to the festivity is free of charge
and open to the general public. Assorted recreational activities,
food vendors and merchandise are available for purchase onsite. For
more information, contact Dee Dee Boneicki, 501.837.3024,
heavenlyhere@yahoo.com -or- Adam Lansky, 501.838.2682,
adam.lansky@hotmail.com
MUSIC BENEFIT
Saturday, May 19, 2pm to sunset, “Band Together &
Fight Hunger,” celebrates its 8th year as a one-day music festival
in North Little Rock on the front lawn of the Levy United Methodist
Church at the corner of 47th & Allen Streets. The fun-raising
project benefits the Amboy Community Food Project. All are welcome
to bring lawnchairs or blankets and enjoy the music, food and good
cheer among all ages. This is a 'rain or shine' event, featuring Big
Tree, Jawbone & Jolene, Bluesboy Jag, Clover Blue, Charlotte Taylor
& gypsie Rain, Rayzr Skynard, Brethren and Allan good. Admission is
free with the donation of non-perishable food items. The program
will be moved indoors, weather requiring. Contact Jim Carpenter,
501.765.8806, carpenter8806@sbcglobal.net for details.
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Nights of White Noise...
Imagine the sound of a paper being ripped, torn
and shredded to pieces.
Factor in the mechanical rushing noise of your
hair-blower running on high.
Add to that the sound of 1000 piranha ripping
apart a carcass.
Now amplify the loudness of the sound you've
imagined by 100....
Got it...???
Wondering why...???
I just wanted you to get some sense of what it
sounds like on my back porch since the gas-play folks set the nearby
well ablaze. (Learn more about the process
here.) The above image looks eerily like what I saw leaping
well above the towering treetops last night, from a distance of
several miles, as I drove toward my home.
The roaring whoosh is so loud, it filled my
bedroom with white noise all night. Personally, I find it
exceedingly difficult to equate this kind of stuff with 'progress'.
Speaking of which, Cathey, Joseph, Mike, Jake
and Clyde -- all neighbors in Fort Smith -- are trying to raise
awareness to get more civic and church groups to realize what
Smart Meters are going to do to their homes, neighborhoods
and electric bills.
They have been canvassing door-to-door, stumping
to convene a public 'town hall' meeting with legislators and the
Arkansas
Public Service Commission. If you'd like to learn more about
it and/or get involved, read more from the top of the center column
or email
nosmartymeter@gmail.com
Because 'progress', at least to me, necessitates
satisfaction of purpose; to be doing something worthwhile. Of course
it is the tactile definition applied to 'worthwhile' that has
precipitated huge debate among us thinking beings over the
centuries, to the degree of provoking manifest wars -- the war on
drugs and in Afghanistan among the countless number of such
(purposeless) causes.
Think about that. And while you
do, also ponder on how we may all together celebrate 2012
in joy and abundance with the unified purpose of peace.
(((hugs))) ~Christine
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Public meeting to discuss mandated Smart Meter
deployment.
 A
town hall meeting will be held at 6pm, Monday, April 30, 2012, at
the Ft. Smith Chamber of Commerce, 612 Garrison Avenue, to
discuss the deployment of 'smart meter' electricity monitoring
technology on homes and businesses throughout the OG&E service area.
According to the OG&E website, installation of
this new technology will “modernize and allow for better operation
of our electrical system (and is) an important part of OG&E’s
strategy for providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity to
our customers (that will) help our customers better manage their
electricity use.”
However, many citizen groups and a variety of
public officials nationwide have taken issue with such industry
claims, asserting that Smart Meter technology violates their
personal privacy, poses a serious health hazard, puts the security
of the entire electric grid at great risk and needlessly escalates
the cost of electricity.
“Public outcry has occurred to the point of civil
disobedience,” said Ft. Smith resident Jake Morgan, speaking on
behalf of a group of neighbors who have organized the April 30th
meeting.
“Michigan, Texas and California are three states
that have some history implementing Smart Meter technology,” Morgan
continued. “Some cities have listened to their constituents and have
gone so far as to outlaw Smart Meters from being implemented like
Marin County, California. The latest evidence of a backlash comes
from Maryland. Last month, the state’s public service commission
rejected an $835 million smart-meter installation plan put forward
by the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company.”
Also, in January this year, the Board of the
American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for “immediate
caution” regarding smart meter installation and encouraged a
moratorium on installation, based on their findings that the
electromagnetic field (EMF) and radiofrequency (RF) generated by
Smart Meter technology pose “significant harmful biological effects”
to human health.
As a result “some utility companies now provide a
reasonable Opt-Out program for those who feel Smart Meters are not a
good idea for them,” Morgan elaborated. “OG&E has publicly stated
that they do not plan to allow citizens to opt-out, and that's why
we've organized this public meeting. So everyone can get informed
and have a voice in deciding what is best.”
For more information about the April 30th meeting,
contact Catherine Holloman, 479-739-4935.
SEE ALSO:
Smart Meters or Dumb Ideas?
Are these
helpful devices that make energy cheaper, keep the gird safe and
make all the systems we rely on more secure? Or is this 'smart'
transfor-mation simply highly sophisticated 'social engineering'
being promulgated as 'for our own good' by a league of
multi-national energy and technology brokers who are up-playing
'consumer benefits' while plotting on taking us all to the cleaners
for billions in (their) profit?
RECENT EVENTS
FREE ADVOCACY WORKSHOP
If you are truly determined to 'be' an
effective phorce for beneficial change in your
community and throughout our criminal justice system, join us for
this FREE 'train the trainers' program facilitated by Mary Sue
Molnar, founder of the fast-growing group Texas Voices For Reason &
Justice, Mary Sue Molnar is among the nation's leading and most
outspoken advocates for the reform of sex-crime laws.
Training for the Trainers, Sunday, April 15, 2012, 2pm / 4pm,
main branch of the Little Rock Public Library, 100 N. Rock Street,
across from the River Market, 1st floor, West Room.
CLICK for PDF FLIER
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RECENT EVENTS
RE-ENTRY
RESOURCE FAIR
Organized to help parolees and their
families connect with the support services that will enable them to
have successful lives! March 12, 2012 ~ 9am / 3pm
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As several among you already know, my youngest son is
in the Navy. Here is the latest news from him:
"I have an update for you, I was frocked today. The
Commanding Officer and Command Master Chief of my ship pinned on my
E-4 insignia so I am officially a 3rd class petty officer instead of
ICFN. I am addressed as IC3 which is a lot easier to say every time
I have to answer the phone (lol). I will send you a pic of what the
insignia looks like. It is will be displayed on all of my uniforms
after I have them all updated when we get back to land. Any way it's
hard to believe how long I’ve been in, the time has really flown
by."
He enlisted nearly two years ago on the delayed
entry program, spent months in training to prepare for bootcamp from
which he graduated late in October 2010 and is now stationed aboard
the USS Chancellorsville with the homeport of San Diego, California.
Official Navy USSCV Website
USS Chancellorsville (CG 62)
Deployment Log
Cruiser Photo Archive
My son is one heck of a great kid and
I love him with all of my heart, just like I love all my children,
be they near or be they far...
The Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruiser
USS Chancellorsville (CG-62)
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Yet another 'bragging rights' page, this one devoted
to my youngest daughter who, as with all of my children, I love very
much...
Shaundel Shoxx: Momma's Little Girl Grows Up
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And if you wanna know what my
'middle' daughter is up to, take a look at this
PDF
RECENT FEATURES
Cashing in on Predators?
Are laws on sex offenders supposed to
protect kids -or- meant to enrich high-tech tracking companies? Read
this special
Mother Jones report by Kate Sheppard and see what you think
about what is happening. Then decide for yourself if it's right, or
if it's wrong.
Justice Stephen Breyer
Sitting jurist of the United States Supreme Court,
Justice Breyer makes it redundantly clear in this still topical 2006
interview that for the democratic principles codified by the U.S.
Constitution to ‘work’ citizens must be ‘involved.’
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