CONA

It was a rainy day on June 3 but that didn’t dampen the spirits of CONA members who came out to celebrate the organization’s 30th year. The main event, held at the 1812 Farm in Bristol, was a conversation amongst past and some founding board members. Julia Myers, a founder with her husband Edward in 1982, was there, as was Jean Harris, another early activist. Others included Suzanne Hedrick, Paul Kando, Lee Rushmore, Mike Stevens and Wendy Eichler. They shared what CONA meant to them, and fond memories of events and activities, such as an essay contest organized in the 1980s with Lincoln Academy students on the topic of the danger of nuclear arms (this when CONA stood for Citizens Opposing Nuclear Arms). Some reminisced about the Bridges for Peace movement, which began in this era but was resurrected during the Iraq War years.  Paul Kando talked about how he admired Ed Myers as a model citizen, acting on his beliefs, and how CONA stood for this encouragement of citizens to make a difference in their society. Mike Stevens spoke movingly about how the CONA board meetings were wonderful times for him to share ideas amongst people who have similar concerns and how this made him feel a little less lonely in this world of constant problems and media negativity.

After a potluck dinner, the evening concluded most appropriately with 60s folk music provided by the local group Greenfields. Many enjoyed singing along with songs

such as “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “This Land is Your Land.”

Citizens Offering New Alternatives (CONA) will celebrate its 30th anniversary at its annual meeting on Sunday, June 3 at the 1812 Farm in Bristol.
The Damariscotta-based peace and justice organization began in 1982 by a group of local residents primarily concerned about the proliferation of  nuclear arms, the acronym then standing for Citizens Opposing Nuclear Arms. In the mid-1990s, wanting to diversify their interests, members changed the name to Citizens Offering New Alternatives.
Over the years, CONA has offered monthly public programs on issues of social and environmental justice and held community celebrations, such as Peaceful Beginnings on the first of the year. In recent years it has championed the Climate Action Club of Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, with a member of the club on its board, and joined with the Friends of Midcoast Maine to co-host various programs.
To celebrate the milestone, past members of the board, including Julia Myers and Jean Harris of Damariscotta, who were original members, Paul Kando of Damariscotta, Mike Stevens of Bristol, and others will share their memories of the organization during the meeting portion, from 5 to 6 p.m. Rather than the customary featured speaker at 7 p.m., the main event will take place during this earlier portion of the meeting. A potluck dinner will follow and music with the local group Greenfields, featuring Joe Brennan on the guitar, David Fields on the banjo and Deb Arter singing. The event should conclude by 7:30.
The 1812 Farm is in Bristol Mills on Rte. 130. For more information, contact Kay at 549-3731.

On Thursday, May 3 , 7 pm, “FARMS, in our Community” will be presented at Great Salt Bay School in Damariscotta.” The program will feature a short presentation by Karen Kleinkopf, F.A.R.M.S.’ founder, followed by a sampling of the kinds of healthy, tasty foods F.A.R.M.S is bringing to our local schools.
Since 2004 FARMS (Focus on Agriculture in Maine Rural Schools) has been educating students, many of whom have only a vague idea of where their food comes from, about good nutrition and the role of local farms in promoting healthy sustainable communities, by collaborating with kitchen staff, teachers, students, farmers, parents and community members, and bringing local foods into the schools’ weekly cafeteria through farm-to-institution purchasing and the annual Harvest Lunch event. Through the connection between nutritious food and local farms, students learn about the health, environmental, and economic benefits that come from supporting local agriculture.
FARMS regularly visits every K-8 classroom in the five schools in AOS #93, having reached more than 1000 children during the 2010-2011 school year. Morris Farm Educational Center recently received a donation from the Allegis Foundation to expand the work of F.A.R.M.S to a sixth school, Wiscasset Primary School.
Activities in these schools include taste tests (see the surprising results at mefarms.org), “Healthy Snacks,” which the kids help to prepare, and which are also served at the monthly “Miles of Friends” gatherings, and providing each school with a “cooking outfit”- a bucket of cooking supplies, FARMS also offers teachers curricula and mini-grants to purchase foods for using the program in their classes.  FARMS is developing curriculum for taste tests, farmer visits, and seed- to-table discussions as an integral part of student learning, and has started an after-school Culinary Club reaching 40 students and 38 families.
As reported in a front page article in the 4/11 issue of the Lincoln County News
Karen Kleinkopf was just awarded the Kathryn Musgrave Public Service Award by the Maine Nutrition Council.
The program, which is presented by FARMS and CONA (Citizens Offering New Alternatives) is free, though donations are always appreciated.
To learn more about FARMS go to mefarms.org. FMI: dbalant@roadrunner.com, 563-1216 and www.conamaine.com. Great Salt Bay School is on the south side of Bus. Rte 1, (Main Street), just east of the traffic light at McDonald’s.

Date: Thursday March 22^nd

Spreadsheet: Timeline rev 2

Inside Job, an Academy Award-winning documentary film about the U.S. 2001-to-2007 financial crisis narrated by Actor Matt Damon, will be shown Thursday, March 22nd at 6:30 P.M. at the Midcoast Friends Meeting House in Damariscotta. The film was first screened at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, where it was praised for its pacing, research and exposition. Following its international screening, Inside Job was awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2010.

The film explores how the erosion of financial protections and policies in the U.S. helped create a national and international financial crisis that injured millions of Americans and destabilized financial markets in countries around the globe. Inside Job looks at how the deterioration of banking controls, especially in the investment and housing industries, led to high levels of mismanagement and corruption in many of the U.S.’s most prestigious banks and investment corporations.

Director Charles H. Ferguson says that Inside Job describes “…the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption.” Ferguson interviews key players from the U.S.’s financial community about how the crisis was created and reveals how a lack of accountability—from the highest to the lowest levels—contributed to the theft of billions of dollars and the collapse of large segments of the U.S.’s financial community. Ferguson also follows the crash of Iceland’s banking industry and the country’s subsequent recession after Iceland underwent a similar process of financial deregulation that paralleled events in the U.S.

Inside Job is co-sponsored by CONA (Citizens Offering New Alternatives) and the Midcoast Peace Center. CONA is a non-profit membership organization celebrating 30 years of presenting programs and community events in support of peace, justice and the environment. Admission is free, but a donation of non-perishable food or toilet articles for the Ecumenical Food Pantry would be appreciated. A second, follow-up discussion and study group program will be offered at a future time for interested participants.

The Midcoast Meeting House is located at 7 Belvedere Road in Damariscotta. From south of Damariscotta, at the blinking yellow light on Route One between Newcastle and Nobleboro, turn left onto Belvedere Road (from north of Damariscotta, turn right onto Belvedere Road). Proceed approximately .2 miles. The Meetinghouse is on the right. FMI: go to www.conamaine.com or contact Doris Balant, 563-1216, dbalant@roadrunner.com.

A new film, “Mother Caring for the 7 Billion”, followed by audience discussion, will be presented on Wednesday, February 15 at 3 pm at Skidompha Library, Damariscotta.

The film documents important aspects of the global problem of overpopulation.  It does not focus on fixing blame for overpopulation  but instead suggests we can find respectful ways through one of the most difficult problems facing our world today. The film explores many different facets of the population dilemma, in the “developing” (low-consuming) world as well as in the “developed” (high consuming) world.  With climate change already threatening the present and future harvests that must care for our much larger and still growing population, wisdom demands that  we return our attention to this crucial issue.

In the film, we follow a young American mother and children’s rights activist, from a large family herself, as she visits a young woman and her family in Ethiopia, and learns about a popular educational program, a radio soap opera, with family planning in the story line, being produced locally.  Intertwined with this personal story are interviews with population experts, including the concurrent and equally serious problem of our overconsumption and huge ecological footprint. A trailer for the film can be seen at http://www.motherthefilm.com/trailer

“Mother is a must-see film on why population growth still matters and what is hindering action to reduce it.”

- Hania Zlotnik, Director of Population Division, United Nations

” Mother leaves viewers with a ray of hope… we must not be afraid to reengage with the population issue and that the time for such renewed engagement is now.”  Science Magazine , Sacha Vignieri

“Mother Caring for the 7 Billion is a beautifully crafted and unique film that dispels the myths from business leaders and government that we can grow forever, consume ever more, and that the planet is our infinite dumping ground.” -Paul R. Ehrlich , Professor of Population Studies, Stanford University , Author, The Population Bomb

CONA is a non-profit membership organization celebrating 30 years of presenting programs and community events in support of peace and justice, and the environment. This program is co-sponsored with the Midcoast Peace & Justice Group and the Peace & Justice Group of Waldo County.  For more information, contact Doris Balant, 563-1216, dbalant@roadrunner.com.