Mayoral forum at the Dive Bar
Having a mayoral candidate forum at the Dive Bar was an inspired idea. I don’t have much to say that others haven’t said, but I do have some photos.
Bruce, Steve Lanava of the T&G, candidate Bill Coleman.
Left Ahead
I talked about the Cirignano trial on this week’s Left Ahead podcast. I was pretty sick, and not especially pithy, so listen at your own risk.
Locally-thrown (away)
Saturday I was at the Boston Vegetarian Food Fest. (Check out Jason Das’s account.) At the Vegan Outreach table, they were offering wallets made of soymilk containers in exchange for a donation. Turns out they were made in Worcester, from containers scrounged from a local restaurant. Locally made, locally recycled. For more info, see soywallets.com.
I’m told the coating on the paper will peel eventually, but that it’s super-easy to use your old wallet as a pattern to make your own.
It was really great to meet podcaster Erik Marcus of vegan.com. He has repented of his anti-Worcester ways. And I was happy to see Worcester’s InCity Times displayed at the table next to his.
While I was waiting to buy a copy of Veganomicon from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, a woman came up and told Isa, “You are my rock star!” Who could disagree?
A blurry flashless picture of the crowded festival floor.
Another blurry picture: Erik Marcus and Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
I thought this year’s talks were strong, and especially enjoyed Jeff Novick’s presentation on understanding food labels.
Resistance to Worcester Wal-Mart ends
It was a courageous battle, one that lasted longer and had more effect than anyone had the right to expect. Wormtown Taxi: “Of course, locating the new Wal-Mart right next to the sewage treatment plant is only fitting.”
It was only today that I noticed Wal-Mart abandoned plans last month to open a SuperCenter in Lancaster, Mass.
Mormon Worker
They’re Mormon fans of Dorothy Day, “promoting Mormonism, anarchism and pacifism.” They have a website, and you can read about them in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Doc Searls
“…I’m already tired of Facebook.”
Bad and surprising news from Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay Review:
The director of Coastside Catholic Worker, a Half Moon Bay-based charitable organization, was formally charged with one count of solicitation of an act of prostitution Tuesday in the San Mateo County courthouse.
Catholic Workers instigate Blackwater protest
First-hand account, Blackwater Watch website
Plastic bags in the New York Times
A quick insightful article.
I for one am truly sorry I missed the Dive bar debate. Another inspired idea was having a debate at the PIP shelter on Oct. 10th – one of the craziest political events I’ve seen in a long time. At that debate, I believe all of the candidates agreed to support CORI (Criminal Offenses Record Index) reform, to make it easier for people with arrest records in Worcester to get jobs and get their lives on track. Correct me if I’m wrong – I don’t remember anyone being noncommittal.
Bill Coleman, Barbara Haller, Gary Rosen, Rick Rushton, Grace Ross, Lynne Simonds, Joe Petty, and Richard Ball were all at that debate.
The ones who get in need to do like they said they would, and reform the CORI.