Occupy Delaware GA
Meeting Notes
Spencer Plaza
2012-08-15

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Meeting start: 1919 hr.

REPORT-BACKS

National Chalking Day, somebody chalked in New Castle, Community Plaza! Occupy Students. And we chalked there too.

Command tent. Will be picked up from VVAW/OSS, this weekend. It’s near the Blue Sage Grill, near Bensalem.

Last night at the Wilmington In Transition meeting, protesting PNC because they’re the 2nd largest financier of mountain top removal for coal (BoA is #1). PNC out-lobbied WSFS to be the exclusive on-campus bank at UD, and students are returning Aug. 24 and Sierra Club will leaflet to steer people away from banking at PNC. Saturday, Aug. 25, Monday, Aug. 27, 12pm-5pm. looking for 2 volunteers for each time slot. Coordinating with EQAT. Contact Stephanie Herron, Stephanie.Herron@SierraClub.org.

Do we want to join with the Sierra Club passing out their materials, and/or also passing out our move-your-money pamphlet as ODE? We’ll ask. It’ll be good to reach out to them. We could pass out Occupy T-shirts for a donation.

Alternate CU in Newark, American Spirit [http://www.americanspirit.org/].

Wilmington Rally, feedback wasn’t as enthusiastic as last week, but it was still good.

Media

Phil Bannowsky is doing how-to-write-a-press-release course, email Phil (link to Web site).

We went to the Del. Ctr of Horticulture, people who are doing Spencer Plaza. Meet and greet for candidates. Even non-Democrats and Republicans. Everybody was there. There were a lot of city people. Made some inroads linking decriminalization to crime. Also linked up with the Sierra Club. Going on the Toxic Tour tomorrow.

Tuesday, debate at the Newark Senior Center, for ALL candidates. Aug. 21, 6 pm. (see Andy’s FB site.)

PROPOSAL (or proto-proposal, since we don’t have a quorum)

Spencer Plaza is supposed to go under construction, so we thought the HB duPont Park area would be a good meeting place, in the middle of things, and plenty of parking. The park represents freedom of speech, from fear, from want.

This doesn’t need to be a proposal, but we can’t make a decision with so few people.

I like the visibility and central location, but my concern is the noise. Is it noisier than Spencer Plaza?? Evan at 7 pm? Yes…but the visibility may compensate. There’s a nearby bar. And it’s in the city, the heart of financial darkness.

We tend to have more people at the meetings when they’re inside. Grace Church is available, but someone from the church has to be there.

Stan Kozinski said they’ll start on Spencer Plaza ASAP after Labor Day.

Hanover Church would like to talk with us more about continuing together in partnership. And there’s Rodney Square.

So we’ll bring it back up next Wednesday, and decide then at any rate.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Delaware Nature Society Environmental Center is hosting another mayoral candidate forum on Aug. 21, 6:30-8pm, at the Russell Peterson Nature Center. Specifically about environmental issues. They’re accepting questions in advance: brenna@delawarenaturesociety.org (before the 20th). Let’s go with ODE shirt.

Shale gas Outrage 2012 Stop Fracking rally, Philadelphia, Sep. 20 and 21. shalegasoutrage.org

The Produce Giveaway, this Friday, 1 pm, donate and/or volunteer, meet at noon in front of the Wilm. Library building.

Prayer Service, 2pm Aug. 19, this Sunday, August Quarterly, (link) Peter Spencer Plaza!!

Anyone who wants to meet with Hanover, see Jen.

Sep. 22, 9a-3p, Blackbird Creek Reserve, Townsend, DE. Environmental group advocacy seminar. Coalition…[link on Occupy FB page]

WeAreWoman march on Saturday, this Saturday, the bus we’ll about know tomorrow. We’ll work toward setting up carpooling, leaving at 8am. See Kris.

Debate next Tuesday at the Newark Senior Center. Voter registration outreach at Goldey-Beacom this Saturday.

Voter disenfranchisment: Delaware’s election system is rigged for this to happen [], with no voter-verified paper receipts. It really is bad. Also, third parties are excluded from debates, this will be an action. http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4846207

Tomorrow I’ll be at duPont Park http://inwilmingtonde.com/places/place.php?p=198 protesting at noon.

Chalking: cannot write on private property, no threatening messages. Can write on public sidewalks.  The only free speech that is not defensible is threatening speech. Think before you chalk.

We have the money stamp.

MovetoAmend.org is launching a caravan doing money stamping events.

PrideFest, Sep. 8, noon to 8 pm.

Meeting adjourned: 2028 hr

Action meeting followed the GA