Category: News

Harmony Park Permit up for Renewal: Faces Possible New Restrictions

Harmony Park, the privately owned location for Sacred Harvest Festival, has its Conditional Use permit up for renewal with Freeborn County, Minnesota on November 7 – today- at 7 pm.  According to the renewal hearing notice Resolution #11-014 puts forth a series of possible new restrictions that include:

  • Noise limits at a maximum of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agencies Rule #7030 with a baseline decibel level between 70db and 80db.
  • Employment of a security firm at events.
  • Use of directional speakers.
  • Bands, electronic equipment or drum circles will have to be silent at 1am on weekends and holidays and at 10 pm on weeknights.
  • Payment by the property owner for one Freeborn County Sheriff’s Deputy 10 hours per day at overtime rate.

Two members of Harmony Tribe intend to appear at the hearing and speak in support of Harmony Park.

Anyone who wishes to appear and support Harmony Park and its permit renewal are also invited to appear at the Freeborn County Commissioner’s office: 411 South Broadway
Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007.

Those who wish to send an email regarding resolution #011-014 can send an email to Freeborn County Commissioners.

Freeborn County Commissioners
Glen Mathiason
glenmath@frontiernet.net

Dan Belshan
dbelshan@clear.lakes.com

Jim Nelson
507-383-2605

Christopher Shoff
christopher.shoff@co.freeborn.mn.us

Mike Lee
ccmikelee@yahoo.com

For more information on Harmony Park go to http://www.harmonypark.com

For more information on Harmony Tribe go to http://www.harmonytribe.org To send an email in opposition of Resolution #011-014 go to http://www.co.freeborn.mn.us/commissioners/default.aspx and email the county commissioners. Those wishing to attend the hearing can go to the Freeborn County Commissioner’s office, located at 411 South Broadway Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007.

Slutwalk Minneapolis Seeks Cultural Change

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For more information on Slutwalk, go to http://www.slutwalkminneapolis.org/
You can also go to the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SlutWalk-Minneapolis/183709888345601?ref=ts

from Minneapolis Slutwalk October 3, 2011 - photo by Diana Rajchel

In early October, over 700 women, men and children marched over Hennepin Avenue and Stone Arch Bridges to protest attitudes toward sexual violence in dominant culture. The march, labeled “Slutwalk,” was prompted by Toronto police officer Michael Sanguinetti’s statement that women should “avoid dressing like sluts” to avoid sexual assault. The first march took place in Toronto last April, with women dressed in their most provocative attire. Slutwalk has since become an international movement. Marches have happened in cities across the world, including Minneapolis, New York, Melbourne Australia, Delhi and London.

The choice of the word “slut” is controversial, with some feminists objecting to its use as a term people use to subjugate and shame women. A 2009 sociological study also suggests that using words with negative connotations in an attempt to reclaim them does not effectively destigmatize them and can actually reinforce the associated stigma. While aware of these objections, Slutwalk organizers have chosen to retain the term for its attention-getting power. Continue reading →

DC Pagan Community Center Set For Year End Opening

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The Open Hearth Foundation has secured a space for the District of Columbia (DC) Pagan Community Center.  I interviewed Iris Firemoon, foundation board member, about the securing of a space and the Community Center launch planned for December 31st.

Are you excited at the prospect of the DC Community Center opening?

DC Community Center Space

DC Community Center Space photo: Capital Witch

We are very excited! We signed a lease at the end of September, and took possession of the space on October 3rd. We have been hitting the ground running since then. Our official launch will be December 31st of this year, and we will have a launch party.

 How did you put this all together?

photo: Capitol Witch

The Open Hearth Foundation was founded in 1999.  Several groups, area leaders , and individuals came together and decided that they needed a space that could accommodate the kind of work that a lot of Pagan groups do. We need a space where we can stay past midnight; where we aren’t worried about out drums being too loud; we are not worried about inviting strangers or the public to our home and to putting our address on the internet; where we can store the things that a group may need. They noted all these things and built a framework for what they wanted in a Pagan Community Center. Over the last 12 years we have been raising the money to get there. Continue reading →

OccupyMN – Who are the 99%?

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The 99%.  If you ask demonstrators at the OccupyMN protest, they’ll tell you that’s who they are.   They say they are frustrated with a system of government that ignores the majority voice (the 99% of America) in favor of the richest 1%. They are angry with corporate influence on our government, tired of their standard of living dropping, and energized to do something about it.  What that something is, isn’t yet known, but they are talking over possible solutions.

Today the OccupyMN demonstration kicked off with speakers, a march to the Federal Reserve building, drumming, and approximately 400 demonstrators.  PNC-Minnesota spent most of the day at the Hennepin County Government Plaza in downtown Minneapolis.  We wanted to find out who the 99% are.  Media outlets and political pundits have categorized the protestors as trust-fund college students, union members, or out of work hippies, but does that perception match reality?

There are two ways to describe who the 99% are – traditional demographics or a more experiential approach.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages so we present both.

Experiential:

Demographics*
Some of the demographics may surprise you. The protesters are most likely in their early 20’s to mid-30’s, male, college educated, and employed. Although 35% said they were DFLers, very few were happy with the party of their choice. No one I spoke to said they supported the GOP. While 36% bring in less than $25,000 in household income, 43% of the demonstrators are in the richest 25% percentile.

Continue reading →

Pagan Presidential Candidate Aligns himself with OccupyWallStreet

If you wish to learn more about Aldous Tyler’s presidential campaign, visit http://americachangestoday.com/ for an overview of Tyler’s platform. You can also listen to his radio program, TMI with Aldous Tyler, at http://tmitmitmi.com.

Radio announcer and political commentator Aldous Tyler says that corporations are ruining America’s economy. In a bid to resolve what he calls the corporate takeover of the United States, Tyler announced his candidacy as a democratic candidate for the office of US president in late September.

Aldous Tyler seeks the Democratic presidential ticket

Tyler states, “My goals are really not political. My goal is to save this nation from where it’s headed right now.”

When asked about his odds for winning, Tyler admits his chances are not good. “I cannot raise the millions and millions of dollars that Obama can. This is not a factor in whether or not I should do this.”

As of the time of the interview, Tyler needed to raise $15,000 to get his name on the ballot in 15 states. “I don’t have any paid staffers. I have volunteers to help me out. I’m making sure every dollar that comes my way goes to getting my name on the ballot and making sure this campaign happens.”

Tyler is a resident of Madison, Wisconsin and a former resident of the Twin Cities. He is a longtime member of the Pagan, LGBT, BDSM and polyamory communities and he has served on Detroit, Twin Cities and Madison Pagan Pride boards. At present, he lives in Madison with his wife, his son and a niece he fosters. He also hosts the radio program TMI, a program focused on progressive politics in the United States.

Tyler describes himself as a “spiritual interconnectivist” and considers his spirituality to fit best under the umbrella of modern Paganism. “I honor the divinity in every human being. This is why equality of all people is one of my priorities, and this is why people must be exalted over corporations. We must be able to respect one another. Because [corporations are treated as more valuable than citizens], this is one of the most destructive things that has ever occurred in human philosophy. If anyone has found a religion or philosophy that nurtures their spirit or soul, more power to them. We are all equal, we are all here to experience the world so collectively the world can know itself,” explains Tyler. Continue reading →