WCI Action Blast
"We're still here, we're not going anywhere, and
we expect you to represent us.".
Action: Permit Solar Garden
Development in Wright County
'Want solar community development? Call or email your county commissioner today to tell them you want solar community energy access! We will not get solar in Wright County unless we request it, as a constituency. Save money on energy. Save the earth.
Let commissioners know you want them to invite solar community gardens! No muss, no fuss. Just energy!
Background:
Wright County Commissioners held a public meeting for renewable energy - as solar gardens in Wright County on April 28th.
Before April 28th we were asked by WCI member, Lori Cocking, to contact our commissioners and let them know we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by converting from toxic fossil fuels to clean renewable solar energy by permitting solar garden development in Wright County.
District 1: Christine Husom 763-862-7697 Christine.Husom@co.wright.mn.us
District 2: Darek Vetsch 763-682-7687 Darek.Vetsch@co.wright.mn.us
District 3: Mark Daleiden 763-682-7686 Mark.Daleiden@co.wright.mn.us
District 4: Mary Wetter 763-682-7696 Mary.Wetter@co.wright.mn.us
District 5: Michael Kaczmarek 763-682-7685 Mike.Kaczmarek@co.wright.mn.us
Sponsors Needed for Youth Dance Group
Ballet Folklorico is a dance group of Spanish-speaking immigrant children who practice and perform traditional Mexican and Indigenous dances. Wright County Indivisible has joined with Ballet Folklorico to do multicultural relationship building. It has been fun to watch the dance practices and get to know the families, most of whom are low-income. They belong to the dance group in part because it is free for them to join.
The dancers wear traditional dresses which are fairly expensive. We are seeking sponsors for the 21 children (ages 2-16) involved in the dance group so that we can purchase new dresses and shoes.
There are 3 options:
1. Full sponsorship: $120
2. Partial sponsorship: $60
3. Other donation
If you are interested in participating donations can be made by check to:
United Faith Community - Buffalo,
Ballet Folklorico's fiscal agent.
United Faith Community
Attention: Ole Olson
PO Box 182
Buffalo, MN 55313
If you have questions please reach out to me, Renee Cardarelle, at 320-248-4629 or by email at criticalconversationmn@gmail.com
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021
Rally for Reproductive Freedom -Rose Thelen
In response to the call from the national Women's March, we are proud to announce that Wright County Indivisible and the St. Cloud State University Women's Center are collaborating to hold a rally in St. Cloud. Along with hundreds of other rallies nationwide on Oct. 2, our purpose is to protest the TX legislation that seriously restricts women’s reproductive freedom and to demand that all people have access to the full range of reproductive options.
- 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m - Rain or shine, a march will take place starting and ending at Barden Park on the SCSU campus - 720 5TH Ave. S., St. Cloud -where guests, including Sue Hedtke, WCI coordinator, will speak.
- 1:00 p.m – a demonstration will be held at the corner of Barnes and Noble (Division and Hwy 15Hwy). With signs and banners we will send the message for passing motorists to see that we will not quietly allow reproductive rights to be eroded and eliminated. Please bring signs, chants, banners, costumes and other methods to convey this message.
Per Women’s March rules, Masks and social distancing are required at both events.
WCI’s Thursday’s Blast!!!!! Activities and Actions June 3rd
Framing--Truth Brigade--MN Secretary of State--Zoomba--Filibuster--Coal
Activities
Monday, June 7th, 7:00-8:00 pm Free!! Connections Lab: Framing in Action
Topics: The Science of Misinformation, the Pivot, values and non-value frames, a short history of the rise and fall of the Republican Party and a Don't think of an Elephant moment. To register: Framing in Action: Beyond the Basics II
Wednesday, June 9th, 5:30: Join Indivisible’s Truth Brigade Campaign
WHY is it that the human brain is primed to accept obvious lies as truth--even when the consequences are deadly? And HOW can we use an understanding of the way our brains work to change the hearts and minds?
Join Indivisible’s Truth Brigade Campaign call on the psychology of disinformation, with Nikita Salovich, cognitive and behavioral scientist. Register here
Tuesday and Thursday Nights: ZOOMBA CLASSES for ADULTS
Starting June 8th and 10th...Join in the fun of learning Zoomba! WCI is partnering with Ballet Folklorico to bring diverse communities together through dance! Optional donations accepted. Contact Renee for details and directions: rc.card@live.com
Monday, June 14th WCI Monthly Meeting 6:30-8:30
Speaker: Jay Weatherford Executive Director of Wright Cty Community Action
Thursday, June 17th, 6:30 pm (Zoom and phone options)
Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State
Filibuster--the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and By-The-Way the Impact on Voting Rights" Presented with Annandale Huddle for Action.
We are delighted to welcome Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State, to Annandale Huddle. Steve is MN's 22nd Secretary of State and has been in office since 2015. Prior to his time as SOS, he was in the legislature for 10 years representing his hometown of Hopkins and St. Louis Park, where he was chair of the House Elections Committee, where he authored and shepherded our "No excuses absentee voting" law into the passage with bipartisan support. He also authored the law that allows for online voter registration in Minnesota and traveled the state debating Mary Kiffmeyer in 2012 to defeat the Voter ID constitutional amendment.
WCI Potluck! Join us in July in Buffalo!
Enjoy together a time outdoors to reconnect with each other! Smiling, familiar faces in an outdoor setting where the purpose is...FUN! Details to follow!
ACTIONS!!!
Indivisible National:
Call your senators now & tell them to eliminate the filibuster Right now, Republicans are using the Jim Crow filibuster not just to stand in the way of investigating the events of January 6th — they’re using it to block essential democracy reform legislation like S.1, the For the People Act — all while Republican state legislatures across the country are passing hundreds of sweeping voter suppression laws that will make it harder for people to vote and have a say in our democracy. No more. The choice is clear: save democracy or save the Jim Crow filibuster. But we can’t do both. Stop what you’re doing right now and make a call to both your senators. Tell them to eliminate the filibuster to pass critical democracy reforms. We don’t have time to waste. Click on the blue above to contact your senators!
Take Action - Contact Great River Energy-
Coal Creek Bail Out
Great River Energy (GRE) provides electricity to 28 rural electric cooperatives (including Wright Hennepin Electric) serving 700,000 Minnesotans. Last year, GRE announced its plan to retire its Coal Creek plant in North Dakota in 2022. Unfortunately, GRE is now backtracking on its promise to retire this dirty, expensive coal plant and replace it with clean energy. Through backroom deals, the fossil fuel industry is attempting to bail out Coal Creek and potentially stick you and your neighbors with a bill to pay for it.
This sale is bad for Minnesota and member-owners
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Selling Coal Creek would be a disaster for our climate. The plant emits the equivalent emissions of over 2,500,000 cars every year.
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This backroom deal is not transparent so member-owner impacts aren’t clear. Who is paying all these costs? Will GRE be purchasing power from this plant after the sale? We don’t know - because the deal is happening behind closed doors.
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There is a better deal for GRE member-owners. There are proposals as part of Biden’s proposed American Jobs Plan to provide funding for electric cooperatives to retire expensive coal plants and replace them with clean energy - investing in rural communities and supporting communities in the transition away from coal.
In order for this sale to move forward, GRE’s board of directors and member cooperatives must approve it. It is critical that they hear from member-owners like you. Your contacts can have a great impact.
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Contact Great River Energy. Call 763-445-5000 to leave a message asking GRE to retire Coal Creek instead of selling it
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Identify whether your electricity is provided by 1 of GRE’s 28 rural electric cooperatives, If so, call and /or email your local cooperative to “vote no” to selling Coal Creek in a backroom deal
East Central Energy: Call Joe Morley, GRE Board member, 612-390-5000, Find your board rep
Connexus Energy: 763.323.2600, Greg.Ridderbusch@connexusenergy.com (CEO)
Dakota Energy: Joe Miller, Public Relations Director,
651-463-6178 or publicrelations@dakotaelectric.com
Great River Energy (GRE) Main Line 763-445-5000
Stearns Electric: (800) 962-0655, Tony Ampe, Board President, tampe@stearnselectric.org
Sample Message
Hi! My name is _____________ and I am a member-owner with ________ cooperative. I have heard that GRE is planning to sell its Coal Creek coal plant to an unnamed buyer instead of retiring it as planned. The Coal Creek plant is a huge financial and climate risk and should be retired. I am calling to ask GRE to retire the plant as planned and reject the backroom deal from North Dakota.
Message to your local coop:
Hi! My name is _____________ and I am a member-owner with ________ cooperative. I have heard that GRE is planning to sell its Coal Creek coal plant to an unnamed buyer instead of retiring it as planned. The Coal Creek plant is a huge financial and climate risk and should be retired. I am calling to ask _____ cooperative to reject the backroom deal from North Dakota and ask GRE to retire the plant as planned.
Contact jessica.tritsch@sierraclub.org with questions.
PODCAST: New MinnCentral Currents
Our Changing Waters (Podcast link!)
Our Changing Waters Podcast focuses on the Crow River and its intersection right here in Wright County, featuring 2 presenters from Delano.
Minnesota is home to 11,842 lakes and 6,564 natural streams and rivers. Our waters flow north to Hudson Bay, east to the Atlantic Ocean, and south to the Gulf of Mexico.
We fish in these waters, swim in them, drift down them on lazy summer afternoons. From chasing frogs through small creeks to dropping a line through the ice, we spend a lot of time in and around the water.
Duration:00:34:47
MN NOW Racial Justice Book Club
All are welcome to the Minnesota NOW Statewide Book Club on racial justice. This isn’t just a conversation about ending racism, it is a conversation about how we live our lives WITHOUT racism. If all you know is oppressive systems, all you will do is perpetuate those systems. We must learn new systems, new ways of being and acting human. This book club will challenge you to think about how you have embodied white supremacy and will invite you to explore other ways of being human.
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Sunday, May 16 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Our first book takes a deep dive into how white supremacy permeates our culture and informs our everyday thinking. It challenges us to reflect deeply and explore the ways these systems have impacted us, and how we have learned behaviors that reinforce this culture. The book should be read over a period of time, to give you time to reflect and explore how white supremacy is unconsciously present throughout our lives.
“Me and White Supremacy helps you take the work deeper by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and giving you the language to understand racism, and to dismantle your own biases.”
Facilitators for this book will be Renee Cardarelle and LaToya Burrell.
Sessions are free to MN NOW members. If you are not a member, a $5 contribution per registration is suggested, or $15 to become a member. All are welcome regardless of gender, gender identity, age, race, religion, choice of pet, etc.