Eesha Williams's Blog, page 54
January 17, 2020
Workers Unite
About 130 tutors who are employed by the Keene public school system are planning a rally to demand justice. “We are planning on rallying at central square but we don’t have a date yet,” Kathy Twombly told the Valley Post on January 15, 2020. She is president of the tutors' union. Twombly's union is part of a bigger union that has a web site at www.nea.org.
January 10, 2020
CJ Chenier Concert is Feb. 14
CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band will play at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on February 14 at 7 p.m. CJ Chenier was born in 1957. According to his web site, he “spent his childhood in the tough tenement housing projects of Port Arthur, Texas.”
Chenier played with Ringo Starr on Paul Simon's album Rhythm of the Saints. Chenier performed with Simon on a concert tour. A video of CJ Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band performing live is at:
Hundreds Rally for Peace
Hundreds of people attended a peace rally in Northampton on January 4. One of the groups that organized the event has a web site at www.IndivisibleNoho.com. The same day in Keene around 35 people attended a peace rally, Amy Chapin Hathaway told the Valley Post. She is one of the organizers.
January 2, 2020
For 12 Years Home Depot Has Sat Vacant
The Brattleboro Home Depot and its vast parking lot have been vacant for 12 years. On December 30, 2019 Home Depot spokeswoman Margaret Watters Smith told the Valley Post her company would like to find someone to rent the building and parking lot. Years ago, another Home Depot spokeswoman told the Valley Post the same thing.
On January 2, 2020, Brattleboro town manager Peter Elwell told the Valley Post he will not try to find a use for the building or parking lot.
December 29, 2019
Workers Win
Thanks to the labor movement, on January 1 the minimum wage will go up to $12.75 an hour in Massachusetts and $10.96 an hour in Vermont. The New Hampshire minimum wage will remain at $7.25. In the 1930s workers went on strike around the nation, forcing politiciansto pass the first minimumwage laws. To this day, unions lobby to raise the minimum wage. One of the most active unions in the Pioneer Valley and Brattleboro has a web site at www.ufcw1459.com. New Hampshire unions have a web site at...
December 18, 2019
230 Rally in Winter Storm
To call on congress to remove Trump from office, 230 or so people attended outdoor rallies in the Valley on December 17. The rally in Springfield was during an ice storm. The Brattleboro and Keene rallies happened during a snow storm.
About 100 people were at the Springfield rally, organizer Debby Pastrich-Klemer told the Valley Post. "Shirley Whitaker (MD) sang 'There’s a Man Going Round Telling Lies,'" Pastrich-Klemer said. The below photo of Dr. Whitaker is from the doctor's Facebook...
December 12, 2019
150 at Rally
In Springfield, about 150 people attended a rally calling on politicians to do more to deal with climate change. “There were great speakers and there was amazing energy from everyone,” Grace Tatian told the Valley Post. She is a student at Mount Holyoke College. The rally was on December 6. More information is at:
www.facebook.com/SunriseSouthHadley
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