No Peace Local
No Future Global
Newsletter of Omni Center for Peace Justice Ecology
Performance rescheduled after rains
Tuesday Sept 26 - 6:30 pm 
You are invited to a double-header concert with
Geoff and Leslie Oelsner, and Harmonia!

Sorry for the last-minute cancellation on the 19th. Threat of rain so present!
We really will get to celebrate, in words and music,  
 the release of the printed version of Geoff's book, with photos by Leslie:   Attunements for the Earth link is below
  
NEW DAY!
When: Tues. Sept. 26th, 6:30-8:00 pm
(same lovely location at Vesper Point Mt. Sequoyah)
 
Admission is free, and all proceeds from the sale of books and CDs will go to the Wild Foundation (wild.org)  which focuses on
conserving and protecting wilderness around the world.
 
Feel free to come at 6:45, and to bring insect repellent in case of mosquitoes.
We hope to see you there! If you need more information,
  please reply to this email .
 
*Please note: This will not be a duplicate of the previous event at the Library!
  
Now available in hard and softbound versions at Amazon.com, and as an ebook at Amazon's Kindle store and at geoffoelsner.com
 
Attunements for the Earth now in print

Dear OMNI Friends,

Our planetary climate crisis calls for all possible creative responses. It calls us to turn and tap into the catalyzing intelligence of Nature. Leslie’s and my new book is titled Attunements for the Earth. It includes Leslie’s photographs and my writings. It’s part of our turning, part of our response, and I would greatly appreciate any support you can offer for sharing it with as many people as possible.

Attunements for the Earth is now available on Amazon as an ebook, and in soft and hard bound book form. 

Above are the front and the back cover, which includes a description of its contents:

Thank you!
Geoff Oelsner
Walk for Peace local group on Saturday
Saturday Sept 23 - 9:00 am - start at Walker Park Castle

A project of Walk for the World organized locally by Jordan and Allee Anabal Jordan. The local walk will meet at Wilson Park near the Castle.
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To participate fully, please register to find the preparatory meditation and more information. Registration link is toward the bottom of this beautiful page.
That Quorum Court at it again
Beth Coger's drive to save the rule of law in Washington County

Our Quorum Court is problematic in so many ways. Right now we can only roll our eyes at it. But that's just not enough. The Q Court and parts of Washington County government have real authority over our lives, and they're not doing a good job of exercising it. Their bungling and manipulation of money were disastrous during covid. The same dynamic is still playing out in other ways.

The county attorney, Brian Lester, has demonstrated a lot of incompetence over the years with no accountability. That may have something to do with the fact that he's the long-time chair of the county Republican Committee. As senior staff he has taken on power far beyond his job title and his abilities. For instance last year he demanded a huge pay raise and got it. As long as the Court is controlled by one party it will be hard to change that.

When Eva Madison was JP for District 9 there were several legal battles between Eva and the county Judge which included attorney Lester. It was really hard for them to cope with an informed woman with opinions. More than once the Judge said ."...lady if you don't like my decision sue me.." It's also fair to note that he generally lost the battle.

Now that Beth Coger has replaced Eva, it appears that the same dynamic continues even though there's a new judge. In a Court dominated by one party not too concerned with the rule of law, state codes for responsibilities and duties to guide the interaction of the Court, JPs and the public don't seem to mean much. Beth has sued Brian Lester twice for refusing to honor FOIA requests. We can see that clearly now since our Governor found FOIA so threatening that she tried to change law to keep from disclosing her travels. What is Brian Lester hiding?

To learn the latest about what Beth has been going through to keep Washington County transparent, see the regular blog she posts about her work as a Justice of the Peace in our county. Washington County Update

Beth has severalf ways you could help her get the attention of the Q Court. If you'd like to write a supporting letter to the editor to tell Lester he's being watched, along with others who glower at women who are too sure of themselves , see Beth's ask right here:

Here's more:
You can also
  1. ATTEND The Quorum Court meeting Thursday! (6:00 pm at courthouse)
  2. Speak at the 15-minute public comment period at the beginning of the meeting. There are 12-minute public comments before the vote on any ordinance or resolution. This is your chance to be heard, to address the court, to be more involved.
  3. Call County Attorney Brian Lester 479-973-8415 or email blester@washingtoncountyar.gov and ask the questions about the lawsuits, and/or any other questions you have or more information you’d like to have.
  4. Support Pre-trial services. Talk to Judge Deakins and ask him why he’s not interested in pursuing the data analyst and other assistance (coordinator) for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC). The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has offered to assist the county in implementing pretrial services AT NO CHARGE TO THE COUNTY! We must take advantage of their knowledge and skill. And we need a coordinator and data analyst in order to be successful.
  5. Call Judge Deakins, Sheriff Cantrell and as many Justices of the Peace as you can. Get to know them. Meet them for coffee. Tell them you want a real pretrial services program in Washington County.
  6. Write letters to the editor.  
  7. Share this Newsletters with your friends and neighbors!
Candidate David Phillips Candidate Bob Stafford
 
To Anybody in Ward 1, please put the NOVEMBER 14 SPECIAL ELECTION on your calendar. Omni's not telling you who to vote for, but one candidate stands out since he’s the spouse of our fine District 12 Quorum Court Justice of the Peace Evelyn Rios Stafford, and that says something good about him. He has a platform that touches strongly on things we've identified as important to us. He's not well known though, so he's going to need every vote he can get.
 
The other candidate is unknown to me. He doesn't mention issues we talk about much so I don't feel comfortable saying the two candidates are equivalent. Here are brief bios of both the candidates. Above all, I hope Ward 1 residents will VOTE NOVEMBER 14.
 
Coralie Koonce Book Signing
Sat September 30 - 10:00-11:30 am - Fayetteville Public Library

The notorious local author Coralie Koonce invites you to join her!

I'm going to do a Book Reading with my newly published memoirs SOUP TO NUTS on Saturday, September 30 in the Zeigler Room at the Fayetteville Public Library (the new building). It'll be so fun. All are invited!
 
Emerging Homeless Solutions

How do other cities manage their homeless crises? Lots of problems, seems like not many solutions. Here’s a news report from Washington D.C. that could be the story of cities all over the country.
 
Washington DC saw a 40% spike in homeless encampments starting with covid. That’s huge! Their story has points that sound eerily familiar for Fayatteville. There are a LOT of homeless people, they just kind of appeared during covid, and they seem too have, and are causing, a lot of similar problems.
 
The neighborhoods where encampments spring up face similar challenges every day, and city officials are confused and struggle to know how to really resolve them. Some neighbors feel for the homeless on their sidewalks. Others just want them and their stuff to disappear. Sounds like Fayetteville.
 
The Director of Health and Human Services says: “we have enough housing vouchers to pay for everyone who is unhoused. The question of whether we have the housing supply is a lot more complicated” That’s an issue for our area too.
 
A neighborhood business woman says “Not one department is in charge of everything. We constantly have to reach out to different people.” DC claims there is a central point of contact but that apparently isn’t well-known. Fayetteville has no central coordination, but it would sure be helpful to housed and unhoused people alike.
 
Another camp experiment in Austin: Ezperenza Camp. Austin is getting famous for its well-run Community First Village of permanent housing for formerly-homeless people. Austin’s trying other experiments to get people off their streets too. But Austin has a whole lot of homeless people, and these camps are just scratching the surface.
 
Here’s a media report from May 17, 2021 that share the strengths and weaknesses of a state-sanctioned camp that’s been in Southeast Austin for 4 years now. It’s called Esperanza Community and. KVUE's Molly Oak took us inside to see what's changed and what's working since it opened.
October 1 @ 9:00 AM – October 31 @ 7:00 pm
Botanical Gardens

The “Scarecrow Showdown!” The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is introducing this brand-new tradition to the Autumn season.

The Scarecrow Showdown is a temporary art installation & competition, from October 1 to October 31, showcasing handcrafted scarecrows created by the Northwest Arkansas community. 

Garden guests can stroll through the Garden during the month of October to vote on their favorite scarecrow in each category: Amateur, Professional, or Business. An additional prize will be awarded to the “Most Creative Scarecrow!”

Participants can encourage family and friends to visit the Garden to vote & share their creations on social media!
The Climate Moment ....
What's happening around the world about climate? Selected moments from the collection of Reevaluation Counseling leader Russ Vernon-Jones and shared by local Omni member Dorothy Marcy

#234 World Bank calls for end to government subsidies of fossil fuel!

In June, the World Bank released a report calling for current subsidies for fossil fuels to be used for addressing climate change instead. According to the World Bank press release, In 2021 governments spent $557 billion “to artificially lower the price of polluting fuels, such as oil, gas, and coal.... [These funds] exacerbate climate change, and cause toxic air pollution, inequality, inefficiency, and mounting debt burdens. Redirecting these subsidies could unlock at least half a trillion dollars [per year] towards more productive and sustainable uses.”

"We humans are meant to be connected to each other and to the earth. When we are disconnected we create grossly unequal societies that harm humans and harm the earth." - (paraphrase of Marama Davidson, female Maori member of the New Zealand Parliament)