Brian
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Post by Brian on Feb 8, 2014 1:02:04 GMT -8
After three months of darkness at the intersection of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue, all of the street lights were fully illuminated for this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil. What a difference. This is my eighth year on the corner -- Roberta and Nancy's ninth -- yet I had almost forgotten how it can shine in the winter. Ten regulars held signs and candles this week. Most of us followed Jeanne to the Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church after the vigil to view and discuss "Not My Life," a documentary about the persistence of human slavery and what we can do about it. I'll have more to say in this thread on the message board. Since October 2011, we have displayed a large type printout of the Defense Department's news releases announcing troop deaths during our weekly vigils. For the second week in a row, no U.S. military deaths were reported by the Pentagon.
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Feb 15, 2014 1:02:40 GMT -8
Our old friends and vigil participants Norm and Pearl were able to join this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, boosting our spirits along with the total attendance. They waited and rode buses for more than two hours to get to the corner -- and they were the first to arrive. Was Jeanne there? Indeed she was, according to the testimony of many reliable regulars, but she had to leave before I got there at 6:10. I count her among the 15 people who came this week. On a day when our President spoke so beautifully in the Central Valley about the statewide drought, we suffered through more June weather in Southern California. Last February, no military deaths in Afghanistan were reported by the Pentagon. The year before, in February 2012, we had news releases to post every week during the vigils. I was hoping that we'd have nothing to tape to the light pole this week for the third straight vigil. But the Defense Department announced two deaths, as seen in the attachment below. You have to be logged in to download the PDF we printed and posted, but everybody is welcome to join the Montrose Peace Vigil message board.
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Feb 22, 2014 0:27:01 GMT -8
The seven-day weather forecast offers the hope of heavy rain for next Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil. I remember only one vigil in my seven years when it rained hard constantly. If that happens on the 28th, I predict that we'll bathe in the water and dance with the wind, especially if we get snow in the mountains. This week, we had yet another day with temperatures in the 80's. Jim, who brings his big American flag every week to the corner, had one of the best reasons for missing a vigil -- he was out of town with the rest of his family celebrating his Dad's 94th birthday. Rosalind from the local chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America was back, taking Jim's spot under the jacaranda tree. Counting co-founder Roberta, husband John, their friend Wendy from San Francisco and many stalwarts, this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil numbered 12 participants. Attached below is the PDF of the flyer that we posted on the light pole with the three deaths announced by the Defense Department this week: C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents....pdf (100.5 KB)
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Post by Jeanne on Feb 25, 2014 6:32:34 GMT -8
The seven-day weather forecast offers the hope of heavy rain for next Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil. I remember only one vigil in my seven years when it rained hard constantly. If that happens on the 28th, I predict that we'll bathe in the water and dance with the wind, especially if we get snow in the mountains.] I'm going to have to miss the breezy, bathing, rain dancing this Friday. I have another training weekend in Claremont. I'l be stopping, starting, stalling on the 210 East.
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anni
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Post by anni on Feb 25, 2014 17:57:13 GMT -8
Well, Jeanne, you will be missed.
I have been rain dancing for lo these many days and I'm proud to announce that to insure a great rain fall I washed my car this afternoon...guaranteeing a real rain...I hope.
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Mar 1, 2014 0:00:31 GMT -8
And rain it did at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, as promised since our last vigil. This was going to be the biggest storm since that Friday in late February 2011, which we will always remember because the nonstop downpour and the high winds drove us across the street, under the Coffee Bean's awning, for most of the 90 minute vigil. This storm was warm and breezy in comparison. Roberta brought a few waterproof signs to the corner. Anni told me that she, Roberta, Jim, Sharon and Bill had a few brief showers before the precipitation let up for the arrivals of Bruce, Mike and me. Until 6:45, that is, when the rain and wind realy hit. We left five minutes early, I readily admit, and Anni insisted on throwing out my wrecked umbrella. Pedestrians were few -- mostly high school kids sprinting somewhere to beat the rain -- but the road traffic was normal with the usual enthusiastic honks, waves and peace signs. All windows were rolled up. Here are the February tallies of the people who participated in a Montrose Peace Vigil: - Feb. 7 - 10
- Feb. 14 - 15
- Feb. 21 - 12
- Feb. 28 - 8 (rain)
We averaged 11 participants per week this month, compared to 13 in both January and December and 14 in November. Last time we averaged 11 was August 2013. In February 2013, we averaged 12.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced no military deaths in the previous seven days.
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anni
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Post by anni on Mar 5, 2014 16:37:06 GMT -8
And rain it did at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, as promised since our last vigil. All windows were rolled up. Here's the great picture that I thought I posted on the weekend...Norm showed me I hadn't! Thanks, Norm. Oh, now I remember. I posted this picture in, "Guests Are Welcome."
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