Tricounty DFA Update: Very Sad News-- Events, More
Hello Everyone;

First, before anything, I am deeply saddened to report that former Glens Falls Fifth Ward Councilman "Jolly"John Kemnitzer died this morning after a long illness.

As anyone who has been involved in the Democratic Party here over the years will know, Jolly John was a Glens Falls institution. An irrepressible raconteur, he was the heart, as well as the adviser, sounding board, mentor and guardian of memory for Glens Falls Democrats, holding forth from the Fish Fry for over 40 years. He is irreplaceable and his passing will leave a great void.

Visiting hours are scheduled for Wednesday at the Singleton Funeral Home on Bay Road from 4pm to 8pm. The service is set for St. Alphonsus Church in Glens Falls at 10am Thursday.

Since so many area Democrats will be at the wake, the Steering Committee members I reached tonight all agree it will be a practical impossibility to hold a meeting at our usually scheduled time. But there are other important events on tap for later in the month, and we can continue those in his spirit.

In This Update:

1. Iraq War Anniversary March 20th.
2. DFA Fifth Anniversary Party
3. Gov. Dean's Plans
4. Lakoff On The Obama Code
5. Rockhill Progressive Film Festival


1. Iraq War Anniversary March 20th.

The sixth anniversary of George Bush's invasion of Iraq is coming up on March 20th. Last year we held a reading of the names of American service men and women who have died in that needless war. It was appropriate to remember the extreme sacrifice they were called on to make. And as everyone who attended will attest, reading those thousands of names was deeply moving and, to reuse an old phrase, mind altering. I've discussed this with most of the Steering Committee and we agree it would be appropriate to try and organize this again. We'll have more for you on this in a future update.


2. DFA Fifth Anniversary Party

Five years ago this month Governor Dean, after suspending his campaign, founded Democracy For America.

DFA is now scheduling a nationwide series of celebratory parties for the fifth anniversary of DFA's founding on March 25th, and we will be scheduling a event along with other DFA groups across the country! There will be a special video presentation and a nationwide conference call with Governor Dean himself! We will also have more for you on this later.

3. Gov. Dean's Plans

In the news today is that President Obama has passed over Governor Dean for Secretary of Health and Human Serivices in favor of Gov. Sibelius of Kansas.

Dean has now spoken out and and an article on Huffington Post details his new plans, which are quite diverse. And he will apparently be spending more time at DFA, although it is not clear how much. For more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/01/exclusive-dean-talks-abou_n_170874.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/01/exclusive-dean-talks-abou_n_170874.html

4. Lakoff On The Obama Code

Most DFA people are familiar with George Lakoff's work on framing. DIck would urge everyone to read Lakoff's new article on "The Obama Code, which explains Obama and his use of language. It's really worth reading!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/the-obama-code_b_169580.html

Interestingly, DFA's very first training day was four years ago last month with Lakoff, a project I proposed to DFA Executive Director Tom Hughes the previous year.


5. Rockhill Progressive Film Festival

The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe Progressive Film Festival returns to Friday night with:

FRI MAR 6 7:00 pm FRIDAY FILM FORUM Free
LITTLE ROCK - 50 YEARS LATER (2006) Brant & Craig Renaud 70 min
This documentary film explores the ways in which race relations have changed--and the ways in which they've stayed the same--as Brent and Craig Renaud return to Little Rock Central High School fifty years after the famous incident in which nine African-American students were denied entrance to the building by an angry white mob.


FRI MAR 13 7:00 pm FRIDAY FILM FORUM Free
PUCKER UP (2005) Kate Davis & David Heilbroner 76 min RT Rating = 80 %
This appropriately named film is a documentary on the world of competitive whistling. The filmmakers travel to the International Whistling Convention and Competition in North Carolina to view the latest competitors, as well as giving a detailed history of the sport.
Exposing all the thrills and spills of the demolition

Thanks everyone! See you all soon,

Larry

Labels: Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Glens Falls, Howard Dean, Iraq War, John Kemnitzer, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:04 PM