Eesha Williams's Blog, page 138
April 9, 2014
Victory for Grocery Workers
About 160 grocery workers in Brattleboro have a tentative first union contract. Within the next week, the workers at the Brattleboro Food Co-op will vote on whether to accept the contract. It was negotiated by a committee that was elected by the workers, and by management. “The contract includes raises and better benefits,” union official Jeff Jones told the Valley Post on April 9. The workers recently voted to join his union, which has a web site: www.ufcw1459.org.
April 8, 2014
Sierra Leone All Stars Concert Is April 9
The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars will perform a public concert in Northampton on April 9. The 7 p.m. concert will be at the Iron Horse Music Hall. The band performed an excellent concert at the Iron Horse last summer. The club appeared to be almost sold out and most of the people there danced.
In 2012, the All Stars released an outstanding album, Radio Salone. Most of the songs on the album are Afro-Pop or “high life” style. Some are reggae. The band released a new album on March 18.
Keene Mayor Rejects Women's Rights Petition
In the United States, the average woman who works full-time earns 77 percent as much money as the average man who works full-time. To address that problem, a group of women in Keene recently presented mayor Kendall Lane with a petition signed by 65 people. “We want him to designate April 8 as Equal Pay Day in Keene,” Dawn Andonellis told the Valley Post. She is a spokesperson for the Keene chapter of the American Association of University Women www.aauw.org.
April 8 symbolizes how far into 20...
April 2, 2014
Sierra Leone All Stars Concert Is April 9
The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars will perform a public concert in Northampton on April 9. The 7 p.m. concert will be at the Iron Horse Music Hall. The band performed an excellent concert at the Iron Horse last summer. The club appeared to be almost sold out and most of the people there danced.
In 2012, the All Stars released an outstanding album, Radio Salone. Most of the songs on the album are Afro-Pop or “high life” style. Some are reggae. The band released a new album on March 18.
Rally for Peace
There will be a rally for peace in Brattleboro on April 15 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., outside the main post office. “There will be live music,” organizer Daniel Sicken (pronounced SEE-kin) told the Valley Post. For more information, contact him at dhsicken@yahoo.com or by phone at (802) 387-2798. The event is sponsored by www.nwtrcc.org.
March 27, 2014
Valley Nuke Protest Set For April 1
On April 1 at 5:30 p.m., there will be a protest at the gates of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The public is invited. Vermont Yankee is three miles from Massachusetts and a stone's throw from New Hampshire. The protest organizers' main goal is to close the reactor immediately and permanently. Other goals relate to how and when the site will be cleaned up after the reactor is closed. Vermont Yankee is currently scheduled to close permanently late this year or early next year.
March 21, 2014
Sierra Leone All Stars Concert Is April 9
The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars will perform a public concert in Northampton on April 9. The 7 p.m. concert will be at the Iron Horse Music Hall. Advance tickets are $10. The band performed an excellent concert at the Iron Horse last summer. The club appeared to be almost sold out and most of the people there danced.
In 2012, the All Stars released an outstanding album, Radio Salone. Most of the songs on the album are Afro-Pop or “high life” style. Some are reggae. The band released a new...
1,200 Tons of Coal a Day Burned at Holyoke Plant
On April 8, activists will take a bus from Holyoke to Hartford to hold a rally at the office of the owner of the Mount Tom coal power plant. The coal plant is in Holyoke. “In the past few years, my wife has gone to the emergency room several times for asthma caused by the coal plant,” Carlos Rodriguez told the Valley Post. He lives in Holyoke and plans to take the bus to the rally.
Livable Wage Rallies Set
There will be rallies to raise the minimum wage to a livable wage at the Massachusetts and Vermont statehouses, and in Nashua, New Hampshire. A livable wage is enough to pay for rent, health care, groceries, transportation, and other essentials.
The Boston rally is on March 26 at 10 a.m. at 140 Bowdoin Street, Boston. The Boston rally organizers have a web site: www.RaiseUpMA.org. People who need a ride from the Valley should contact Lena Entin. She works for www.n2nma.org and can be reached...
