GT Newsletter, 14 April 2021

 

 

Dear Greylock Together,

It’s kind of crazy how much is going on.  Maybe it’s not, though?  There’s a lot of things to do and people to help, after all.  Check out some of the links below and remember that it’s important to be an active activist!  Try to do something each week, if you can!

This Sunday there’s a panel event for Williamstown candidates for the Select Board and Planning Board.  If you’re on of our Williamstown members, we hope to see you there; you will have a chance to submit questions through the moderator for them!  It will also be recorded, for those who can’t watch live.
 

Daunte Wright BLM Vigil.   Williamstown Racial Justice & Police Reform, Greylock Together, and First Church are sponsoring a vigil for the recently slain Daunte Wright.  Join us at Field Park on Friday, April 16, 5:00 PM to mourn and honor him.

All are welcome. Please wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your friends and family. Daunte Wright should be alive today. But police terror and white supremacy took his life. Enough is enough. We must all do more to end white supremacy and police brutality and support Black freedom and survival.  Please spread the word!  Questions? Contact Rachel Payne at 617-309-0186 or rachel.r.payne@gmail.com
 

Williamstown votes.  Williamstownees (-towners?), you’ll be casting your vote on May 11th.  Our candidate forum is Sunday, April 18th, 3:00 – 4:30 pm, for Select Board and Planning Board Candidates.  It will be recorded and shared on WilliNet post-event.  Here is the Zoom link (ID:891 2624 9165 Passcode: 905196).  Thanks to WilliNet Community TV for “Meet The Candidate” links below.

Thus far, only Select Board candidate Albert Cummings has declined to attend the panel.

  Select Board (One-Year):

Select Board (Three-Year):

Planning Board:

There are other races as well!  Housing Authority:  Steve Dew Joan Diver; Library Trustee: Charles Bonenti ; and Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District: Laila Boucher.

Jeff Johnson has also sent along links to more chances to meet him and discuss the race; see the times and details here.

Spring Cleanup North Adams.  Join GreeNA for this year’s Earth Day cleanupin the fight against #plasticpollution by participating in community trash cleanup in YOUR North Adams neighborhood in honor of #EarthDay2021. Whether it’s a lot or a little, every piece of litter picked up makes a cleaner, greener city for ALL of us to enjoy. So get outside on your lunch break or before or after work or school, bring a trash bag and gloves, and don’t forget to SNAP A PICTURE and use #northadamscleanup2021 to inspire others and show us the good work YOU are doing for YOUR community. Remember: Always use safety measures and caution on busy roadways and avoid sharp objects or needles.
 

Spring Cleanup Williamstown.  Please join us for a spring Litter Cleanup Action Day at Field Park on Saturday, April 17th, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm! Volunteers are needed to pick up trash along roadways, parks, and riverbanks all across Williamstown. Check-in at Field Park anytime between 9 am and noon for instructions and a yellow trash bag. Please wear bright clothes and appropriate shoes and work gloves. Come for an hour or more. Kids are welcome! Covid protocols apply. Contact: Anne O’Connor aoconnor@williamstownma.gov


Ossoff Matters.  It’s worth stopping to appreciate how much this work matters.  We haven’t just helped change control of our government — we’ve also helped put some good new leaders in place.  Matt Stoller recently shared one anecdote of how Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff quietly and competently helped solve a significant issue for Georgia industry and green technology.  Check it out.


Hinds Hate Crime Bill.  Our state senator, Adam Hinds, has joined with state rep Tram Nguyen and MA Attorney-General Maura Healey to introduce a new bill focused on combatting on hate crimes, SD.972.  We should always be skeptical of new bills which strengthen penalties for crime, since it’s too-often a one-way ratchet.  “Tough on crime” gets applause, “weak on crime” gets a primary challenger.  But the bill seems reasonable and also cleans up some existing text in a way that clarifies some confusion.  Take a look at it.  Healey had this comment on the bill:“Hate crimes have increased in this country. From anti-Asian violence, attacks against immigrants, Black, indigenous and people of color, racist graffiti and slurs, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia – what we’ve seen happening in our communities is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. We CANNOT make excuses for this violence – for white supremacy, terrorism, and hate. That’s why I partnered with Senator Adam Hinds and Representative Tram Nguyen to reform our hate crimes laws. And it’s why we will continue to fight for a holistic approach to stop hate, including listening to and supporting affected communities, addressing systemic racism and inequity, and driving change in our culture that will prevent hate before it happens.”And thanks to Rep. Barrett and Senator Hinds for signing onto the  VOTES Actin Massachusetts, which will make it easier to register and vote here in MA, now has a majority of co-sponsors in both the House and the Senate!
 

Williamstown COOL Committee Zoom.  Join a Zoom Conversation with the COOL Committee on a Net-Zero Williamstown on Tuesday, April 20, 7:00 – 8:00 pm.

 

Scars of Colonialism Talk.  Join Heather Bruegl, Cultural Affairs Director of the Stockbridge Munsee Community of the Mohican people, the first nation of what we know as the Berkshires, Thursday, April 22 at 6 pm via Zoom to hear her discuss “The Scars and Costs of Colonialism.”  Find out more info from sponsor First Church.
 

Racial Justice Seminar. There will be a seminar discussing racial justice hosted by Community Legal Aid next month.  Thanks to Carrie Love for sharing: she was a GT featured guest in 2018 as an advocate for her legal work with immigrant families as we championed ending family separation!  The seminar will be May 13, from 5:00 – 7:00pm.  Direct link for pre-registration here:  https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpc-igqDkuHNzKlWhPXOIGBcGbMSv82QhI


Wheels for Wellness.  One of the great injustices in our community is widely unequal access to transportation, especially for health-related activities. This new program connects volunteer drivers with neighbors who need a ride to health-related activities, including vaccination. Volunteering is open to anyone between 55 and 80 years of age once they’re fully vaccinated for COVID. Riders can be of any age. Masks will be required until the pandemic is officially deemed to be over. Mileage reimbursement is available for those who want it. The more drivers the better. Connect with new people in our community! To learn more or to sign up, prospective drivers can call (413) 395-0109.

 
There’s an opportunity to phonebank for a candidate in New Orleans, passed along to us by Markey organizer Kristen Elechko (Ed Markey organizer).  If elected, Karen Carter Peterson, LA-02 will be the first Black woman to represent Louisiana. She is the fighter in this race, backing the Green New Deal, along with many other progressive priorities.  Help Karen by joining a phonebank with Nina Turner on Friday, April 16, 6:30-8:30 PM. Here is the Mobilize link
 

Greylock Together Book Group: Thursday, April 15 at 7 PM. Reminder: we’re participating in Berkshire County’s second “One Book, One Community” county-wide read during . This year’s book is Stop Telling Women to Smile: Stories of Street Harassment and How We’re Taking Back Our Power by author, street artist and activist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh. All welcome…join in via zoom! Counselors from the Elizabeth Freeman Center will lead our conversation. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85314237325?pwd=akpmS0VWVzVxTWYvaitzUUJIYitGZz09, Meeting ID: 853 1423 7325, Passcode: 794497
 

GT Spotlight! GT was featured in this week’s Indivisible MA newsletter as a SPOTLIGHT! We’re proud of our team and all of you for having an impact in so many ways.


Check out more news from this week at Muckraker Farm.


CONTACT INFO FOR GT TEAM ACTION:

Resist and persist!
    Alexander

 
 

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