June vigils

[Brian]

Montrose Peace Vigil began the 66th month of uninterrupted Friday gatherings with 11 participants on the long northwest corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in the Montrose Shopping Park. Everyone this week was a regular, although we may soon have at least one new face -- a driver waiting at the stoplight called over that she wanted to join us next Friday. Come by anytime between 5:30 to 7 p.m.

On other weekdays, we display a banner on the corner whenever at least three people, the minimum number needed to hold it, can get together for an hour. Last I heard, this Monday's a possibility.

[Brian]

All week, I've been fighting the same ear-nose-throat-chest infection from which Anni's been suffering so nobly and so much longer. To feel better, I left work early on Friday to bask in the sun and the warmth of passersby for the complete, 90-minute Montrose Peace Vigil.

Turnout this week was only seven, but we occupied all three patches of grass on the corner, and Roberta's springtime flowers were back on display. Traffic was heavy on the sidewalks and roads.

I heard that a planning meeting for the annual Glendale Peace Vigil/Glendale Education and Social Justice Advocates' Cruise Night booth has been set at the Coffee Bean across the street immediately after our vigil next week -- I'll leave it to Sharon or Roberta to provide the details and issue invitations. Cough.

[Jeanne]

I was there in spirit, peaceniks. And it so happens that i wore my peace pin made by Roberta for a freebee for last year's Cruise night in Glendale to the ceramics sale. One women commented on it and I told her about the vigil and she sounded interested.

Hope those tenacious colds go away soon.

[Sharon W]

OK - here's a copy of the message Nancy Kent sent to the Glendale Peace Vigil email list:


Glendale Peace Vigil, Montrose Peace Vigil and Glendale Education/Social Justice Advocates are again sharing a community group booth at “Cruise Night” 5:30-10:30 pm Sat. July 16. We’re trying something new this year -- a Cruise Night planning meeting for the 3 groups.



7:30 pm

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

3701 Ocean View

Montrose 91020

(corner of Ocean View & Honolulu -- the intersection where the Montrose Peace Vigil is held 5:30-7:00 pm Fridays)

Everyone invited!

[anni]

Thanks so much for this timely post, Sharon. Brian had the brilliant idea to order some pizza, before 7:00, eat in the pizza place (Big Mama's and Big Papa's)...dessert at the frozen yogurt joint on our way across the street to the coffee bean. The perfect Friday evening! And all in the company of passionate peaceniks. We deserve this.

[Roberta]

News flash! War $$$ Home resolution passed at Glendale City Council tonight, 3-2.

There was animated discussion and audience comment and participation, including folks there for another matter holding up our WAR $$$$ Home signs.

More details forthcoming.

[Brian]

Jun 14, 2011 20:49:08 GMT -8 Roberta said:

News flash! War $$$ Home resolution passed at Glendale City Council tonight, 3-2.

There was animated discussion and audience comment and participation, including folks there for another matter holding up our WAR $$$$ Home signs.

More details forthcoming.

Thanks, Roberta, for breaking the news Tuesday night on this board!

The city has posted the official video on its website. The action begins at 58:00 --

glendale.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=3010

[Roberta]

Thanks Brian for the time point, I just watched it! What you don't see during the discussion is the little kabuki theater in the audience. I made a few "WAR $$$$ HOME" 8x11s, in a choice of pink or brown.  Bill & Sharon Weisman, Moe Mansour, (GESJA member and local activist), and a few of the animal rights activists there for the ordinance banning retail sales of puppies/kittens in Glendale, held them up while I spoke and intermittently during the other comments and Council discussion. (I had explained my item to the anti-puppy mill/kitty factory people and passed out some of my extra leaflets to the supportive -- I know natural allies when I see them!)

When Councilman Najarian singled out West Hollywood in disparaging the lesser quality of the cities already supporting the War $$$ Home resolution, all the animal people emphatically raised their leaflets.  Turns out one of their group is a former WeHo official (?), and when he spoke on their item he made an archly clever remark about being from the "good" part of West Hollywood.  

One lady held hers up the whole time, others raising and lowering depending on the unacceptability of the statements being made.

Then Sharon added a fitting close during her public comments at the end of the meeting, clarifying that Code Pink is not a Communist Party front as alleged by one speaker, and explaining  the satirical origin of their name, from the Bush-era  color codes for threat level.

Great fun and a gratifying outcome!

And here's a wrap-up from the CV weekly.  In terms of length of discussion, War $$$ Home was not the "main" topic, the puppy/kitten ordinance went a lot longer, I think.  Funny that helping end cruelty to animals got a 5-0 vote while ending killing of humans merited 3-2.  (An animal-loving friend of mine suggests a sign saying WAR DOGS HOME to appeal to that large interest group.)

http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/news/06/16/2011/war-dollars-main-topic-of-council/

[Brian]

Every week, I count the participants at Montrose Peace Vigil and try to recount the goodwill we get. Our attendance has been down lately, but we still cover that weird, long corner, getting a lot of appreciation and very few objections from the drivers, passengers and walkers. I understand some teachers may be back when school's out -- I'd also like to encourage members of this message board who haven't come to the corner recently to drop by any Friday and help make our day.

• June 3 - 11
  
• June 10 - 7
  
• June 17 - 9
  

After the vigil, Roberta, Julie, Anni and I joined six members of Glendale Peace Vigil at the Coffee Bean across the street in a planning meeting for Glendale Cruise Night, happening this year on Saturday, July 16. Anni's is going to start a thread in the Community section to continue the conversation about the changes underway for this year's game booth for the entire community with a fun peace and justice theme.

[Nancy]

Jun 16, 2011 17:32:36 GMT -8 Roberta said:

Funny that helping end cruelty to animals got a 5-0 vote while ending killing of humans merited 3-2. (An animal-loving friend of mine suggests a sign saying WAR DOGS HOME to appeal to that large interest group.)http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/news/06/16/2011/war-dollars-main-topic-of-council/

Jerry Ruben - not the one that's "Steal-This-Book" superfamous - but kind of famous - used to talk about founding C.L.A.W. : Cat Lovers Against War - because "War is a CATastrophie".."not healthy for kittens and other living things," and so on...