Author Archives: Jessica

The CMC had a crazy but good month of October. Having the founding anniversary on Oct. 18 every year locks it into doing something special, and this year was an outdoor dinner celebration at the First Magnitude Brewing Company. Between great raffle items and a great dinner prepared by CMC volunteers and Board members, it was an event that went well and can serve as a bigger and better event model for the future.

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by Joe Courter

Poor old Joe, the Confederate statue. Due to a “you lead, no you lead” dance, the decision to move or not move the 111-year-old monument remains up in the air.

Would that it could be just lifted up in the air and plopped down somewhere else but the world (and physics) doesn’t work that way.

After much righteous agitation, and a large rally, and a lot of citizen input, the idea came forward from the County Commission to have people donate to the Matheson Museum in the name of moving the statue. However, no lead was taken on fundraising, some who reportedly asked about donating to the Matheson were informed by the Matheson to wait until they made their decision.

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Transcript edited by Pierce Butler.

This is the 31st in a series of transcript excerpts from the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program collection at the University of Florida, continuing last month’s story.

Dezeray Lyn was interviewed by Jessica Taylor [T] and Lara Alqasem [A] in 2009.

T: In your talk at the Civic Media Center, you focused a lot on children.

L: Palestinian children are not even seen as children. They’re just thrown into this terrifying, human rights-violating and crushing prison system.

I was at a demonstration and a young Palestinian was approaching. Everybody kind of froze, he was approaching a border police Jeep —  the border police are notoriously violent and scary, even more so than the soldiers. He put his hands up and started approaching the Jeep, and turned around to show them he didn’t have a weapon and everybody was watching like, what is he doing? You would not want to approach any military person there. He got right up close to the Jeep and picked up a rock and threw it at the windshield. The soldiers arrested him. Someone told me he had a fight with his family earlier. He could’ve been shot, now he’s spending eighteen months, I believe, in Israeli prison.

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by Sarah Hinds

I spent Saturday morning, Oct. 24, in the Ocala National Forest. My drive from Gainesville was full of thick fog and beautiful landscapes. Arriving at my volunteer post — Check Station 21 for the Florida Bear Hunt — a pileated woodpecker greeted me.

I was not there to protest, but to quietly observe, photograph and watchdog the proceedings of the day. Those were my instructions from Speak Up Wekiva, the organization that worked tirelessly to try and stop the hunt. I introduced myself to a kind young biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and was soon joined by another volunteer.

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The North Central Florida Central Labor Council will hold its annual holiday spaghetti dinner on Monday, December 14 at 6:30pm at the Alachua County Senior Center, located at 5701 NW 34th St, Gainesville, FL 32653. This yearly event is a great opportunity to meet other labor rights’ activists in the North Central Florida area and learn how to get involved in current campaigns.

This year our guest of honor and main speaker will be Congressman Alan Grayson. Please feel free to invite your friends, family, and colleagues.

More than 100 people gathered on Nov. 10 to join a national solidarity action with workers in the fast food and service sectors who are demanding $15 and Union Rights. Photo by Justin Dunnavant.

by Paul Ortiz and Sheila Payne
Alachua County Labor Coalition

The Fight for $15 Movement took a major step forward on Nov. 10 in Gainesville.

More than 100 people gathered to join a national solidarity action with workers in the fast food and service sectors who are demanding “$15 & Union Rights.”

Gathering at the corner of the University of Florida, spirited groups of living wage activists chanted: “Hold the Burgers, Hold the Fries, Make our Wages Supersize!” and “We Work, We Sweat, Put $15 dollars in our Check.”

Members of Alachua County Labor Coalition, National Women’s Liberation, Gainesville Veterans For Peace, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville waved placards, banners, and passed out “15 Reasons to Support $15” to people who stopped to talk.

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by Nancy Lasseter

On Friday, Dec. 4, the all volunteer-staffed non-profit Rwanda Sustainable Families (RSF) will host its 6th holiday fundraiser. Featured will be the sale of items made by the RSF — founded artisan cooperative in Rubavu, Rwanda, a silent auction of holiday gift baskets, and a raffle of Rwandan quilts. Green gift cards will be available that will gift a hen or year of school or kitchen garden to loved ones who would prefer to receive a gift that benefits the less fortunate. The evening’s events, held at the Wooly from 7–10pm, will include a performance at 8:15 by the UF Drum and Dance ensemble Agbedidi and music at 7 by the Boilin’ Oil duo.

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Power District Flea & Craft Market

by Michelle Koehlmoos

The P. Arts building (Power District Arts) houses various people and projects, including Sequential Artists Workshop, Green Building Cooperative (GBC), artist studios and a formative artist collective, performance space and a recording studio as well as other independent and D.I.Y. projects.

It is in the former Poole Roofing building at Depot Avenue and SE 2nd St., across from the Rosa Parks Bus station.

After a hiatus from public gatherings at the building, we re-invite the community to join us at our very first Power District Flea and Craft Market on Sunday, Dec. 6.

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by Nickie Kortus, Alachua County Library District

The Alachua County Library District is partnering with the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association to present Law in the Library: Adoptions on Monday, December 7, 6 to 7 p.m. at Headquarters Library, 401 E. University Avenue. Cynthia Swanson, a board certified adoption law attorney, will discuss different types of adoptions. She will cover step-parent Cynthia and relative adoptions, adoptions of newborns, interstate adoptions and intervening in a Florida Department of Children and Families case to adopt a child who is the subject of a dependency matter. She will talk about the requirements of home studies, notifications and consents, and help available to birth mothers in private adoptions. This presentation is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

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