Author Archives: admin

by Paul Ortiz

This article was originally published on Aug. 27 in “Facing South” by the Institute for Southern Studies

Stetson Kennedy passed away today. He was 94 years old. Stetson died peacefully, in the presence of his beloved wife Sandra Parks at Baptist Medical Center South in St. Augustine, Florida.

Stetson Kennedy spent the better part of the 20^th century doing battle with racism, class oppression, corporate domination, and environmental degradation in the American South. By mid-century Stetson had become our country’s fiercest tribune of hard truths; vilified by the powerful, Stetson did not have the capacity to look away from injustice. His belief in the dignity of the South’s battered sharecroppers, migrant laborers, and turpentine workers made him the region’s most sensitive and effective folklorist.

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by Jessica Newman

When we think of a bat here in Gainesville, we think of the little guys we see right before dusk who could be confused for a small bird or even a large bug. But on Saturday, Oct. 29, locals will have the opportunity to see a fruit bat with a wingspan of more than five feet (the largest bat species in the world) right here at home, thanks to the Lubee Bat Conservancy’s Annual Bat Festival.

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by Fernando Figueroa, Gainesville SDS

Eighty members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and their allies participated in a march in Gainesville on Sept. 16 against annual tuition hikes planned by administrators at the University of Florida (UF). Administrators say they will raise tuition by 15 percent or more each year through 2019.

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by Michael Canney, Co-Chair of the Green Party of Florida

Progress Energy’s nuclear plant at Crystal River (CR-3) is one of more than 100 aging US reactors approaching the end of their life spans. Engineered to run for 40 years, CR-3 was supposed to begin decommissioning in 2014, when its federal license expires, but the nuclear utilities persuaded the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to create a fast-track relicensing process for the old reactors, postponing the expensive decommissioning process and allowing old nukes to generate power & profits for another 20 years.More than 60 old reactors already have rubber-stamp license renewals from the NRC, and four reactors in Florida are set to receive them, including Crystal River, which has been offline since September 2009 when cracking and delamination problems were discovered in the concrete and steel containment vessel.

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The cooler nights are upon us, soon to be followed by cooler days and cold nights. Here is your opportunity to make sure that nobody goes without such a basic necessity as a coat this winter.

The Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, Inc. (ACCHH), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is collecting new and clean, gently used outerwear such as coats, jackets, sweatshirts and sweaters. Gloves, mittens, scarves, hats, sleeping bags, tents and blankets are also welcome. All shapes and sizes are needed, but the need is greatest for LARGE and EXTRA LARGE adult sized coats and jackets.

Bring your clean, gently used coats to the Alachua County Housing Authority, 703 N.E. 1st St. in Gainesville between 9am and 4pm, Monday through Friday. Coats will be accepted now through March 1, 2012. All donated coats will be distributed free of charge through Coalition member agencies to local people in need.