Program Magnific!

UPDATED 30 September. Changes shown by ~NEW~.

~NEW~Cm. Carol Wood confirms her times at the SPEAK OUT: 11am-1pm.

COMMUNITY GROUPS
In addition to program contributors, groups setting up information tables all day are

*EVE Inc.,
*The NorthWest Initiative of Lansing,
*Women's Center of Greater Lansing,
*MSU Safe Place,
*The Michigan Peace Team,
~NEW~ and Neighborhood Watch.

Also joining the SPEAK OUT are

*Leann C. Holland RN - Program Coordinator of the Sparrow Forensic Nurse Examiner Program (at the General Info Table),
*The NorthStar Center of Lansing,
*and The Triangle Foundation of Michigan (from 11am-1pm).

SCHEDULE
The program offers an exciting line-up of Lansing residents, local and state anti-violence workers, as well as artists sharing their talents:

11am - Opening
*Minute of Silence
*Honor Roll for Victims of Violence
*Musician Barb Barton
*Welcome by Tammy Lemmer - Program Manager of the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

11:30am - Contributors Set 1
*Deena Tyler - Survivin' & Thrivin' Host
*Jillian Pastoor - Community Relations Coordinator of EVE Inc.
*The Triangle Foundation of Michigan

12pm - Mix-n-Mingle (see note below)

12:30pm - Contributors Set 2
~NEW~ Neighborhood Watch
*Judge Amy Krause - 54A District Court
*Fr. Peter Dougherty - Michigan Peace Team

1pm - Mix-n-Mingle (see note below)

1:30pm - Contributors Set 3
*Melissa Dey Hasbrook - East Side Poetry Open Mic Organizer
*The NorthWest Initiative of Lansing
*Julie Thorne - Loved one of murder victim Ric Leach

2pm - Mix-n-Mingle (see note below)

2:30pm - Closing
*Logic the Poet - SpitFire Poetry Organizer & Nu Poet Collective Member
*Musician Chris Dorman
*Surprise Artist Performance for Send Out

MIX-N-MINGLE
For each contributor set, there is a half hour for SPEAK OUT attendees to meet Lansing residents, dialogue with anti-violence advocates, and/or ask questions of present officials. Civil servants invited include LPD officers, City Councilmembers, and additional local and state officials. Also, our State Capitol and Lansing's City Hall are nearby, so residents may drop by offices of state and city officials.

THANKS
Thanks to everyone for their help! This event would not be happening without the help many are pitching in. Most recently...

*Y. for helping spread the word & improve flyer design,
*and Colleen from Gone Wired Cafe for copying posters PLUS letting an info table about safety be set up.

JOINING
Are you coming to the SPEAK OUT? Share the news with a note to deyofthephoenix[at]hotmail.com.

And be sure to check out what Lansing's Public Services says about construction for downtown Lansing!

Get Ready, Get Set...

NU POET HOSTIN'

Check out the East Side Poetry Open Mic this Tuesday, September 25, @ Magdalena's Tea House with guest host Gianni "Tupaco" Risper, a Nu Poet Collective member and Eastern High School student! Sign-up @ 7:30pm with reading @ 8pm. $5 cover.


NEW HAPPENIN'

Congrats to Logic (Nu Poet Collective member) for organizing the awesome bimonthly happenin' SpitFire Poetry @ the Green River Cafe (E. Lans.)!

Survivin' & Thrivin' regs Anaya Keaton & Melissa Dey Hasbrook tried out the most recent open mic (9/21).

Visiting from Detroit, the featured poet Omari King Wise performed stunning works including Hard Girl and Sambos.

The poetry slam wrapped up the night with History winning 2nd place and T. Miller in 1st. Each received cash awards!

NEW SPEAK-OUT SPECS

Please note the new location for the SPEAK OUT: Michigan State Capitol grounds (across from Lansing's City Hall Plaza).

Many thanks to supporters Rossman Group for donating funds for liability insurance & the anonymous donor whose funds covered the event's permit expense.

Welcome to the latest SPEAK OUT participants:

Musician Barb Barton,
MSU Safe Place (with info table),
Women's Center of Greater Lansing (with info table), &
NorthStar Center.

Updated posters show the SPEAK OUT's new location & latest participants. Please share them with neighbors, friends, and city officials!

Public-City

DOUBLE FEATURE

The Lansing area's got two open mics running back to back! Follow the links under Poetic Happening (menu to the right) for details about Spitfire (9/19) and Poetry in the City (9/20).


POWERFUL

Check out poetry by Lansing women residents about violence! Visit this web page and download the file titled CityCouncil_hndout17sep07.pdf .

Thanks to...

Julie Waterbury and Anaya Keaton for letting their poems be passed out to Lansing's City Council and Mayor at Council's meeting September 17.

Anaya for reading her poem during public comment in opposition to Act 99 and in support of safety in Lansing.

Rina Risper for attending public comment in moral support of Anaya and Melissa Dey Hasbrook.

KEEPING IT REAL
from Melissa

I keep at City Hall officials these days, urging the inclusion of preventing violence and its targeting at women. So far, my exchanges with councilmembers are positive in this direction including Cms. Kaltenback (Wd.4), Allen (Wd.2), and Pres. Leeman (Wd.1).

And it's good to hear...

invitations for presentations by anti-violence advocates at committee meetings--from Cm. Matt, Wd.3, at Public Safety; and from Cm. Wood, At-Large, at Committee of the Whole.

interest to learn more about primary prevention of violence from anti-violence advocates expressed by Council VP Jeffries, At-Large.

Want to hear what I've been saying to city officials? Visit http://womenwriters.us.to/stoptheviolence for recently published files.

9/14 Letter to City Council and Mayor about Act 99
LetterCouncil&Mayor14sep07_copy.pdf

9/16 Letter to City Council about Act 99
LetterCityCouncil16sep07_copy.pdf

9/17 Letter to Mayor about violating City Charter
LetterMayor17sep07_copy.pdf

9/17 Citizen Complaint filed against Mayor
Citizen_Complaint_Form17sept07_onln.pdf

9/17 Public Comment at City Council meeting
about Act 99 and safety in Lansing CommentCityCouncilMtg17sept07.pdf

Signs & Lines

UPDATED PHOTO GALLERY
Check out the new album Anti-Violence Advocacy now available from Women Writers.

PHENOMENAL!
Last night's Old Town Poets Creole Gallery re-opening was phenomenal with nearly 30 people reading 1 poem or performing 1 song each!

Some open mikers from Survivin' & Thrivin' made appearances. Julie W. read a poem reflecting on the women's lives lost this summer to violence; a line: The trees look strange to me. Anaya read one of her (as usual!) fabulous spontaneous poems; a line: Poetry is a lifestyle.

Among the first set of poets, someone read "Responsibility" by Grace Paley, who died in the past month. The inspiring poem is available at this web page (scroll toward the bottom).

Gianni "Tupaco" Risper, Sept. 25's guest host for ESP Open Mic at Magdalena's Tea House, read a firey poem entitled "America," calling out fellow Americans to confront our nation's doings in the world.

Words, Willows, & Women

THE LATEST

Wednesday, September 12, Deena Tyler and Melissa Dey Hasbrook are heading to the Creole Gallery The Old Town Poetry Series is putting on an evening of song and poetry.

And Melissa gives away willow saplings in memory of victims of violence this Saturday, September 15, starting at 8am in the Lansing City Market.

Women's Center of Greater Lansing and musician Barb Barton are joining the Oct. 1 SPEAK OUT to keep Lansing safe! Check out event posters (see files with "Poster_")!

CITY GOVERNMENT NEWS
from Melissa...

My efforts to urge Mayor Bernero and City Council to "fix what's broken" within the Lansing Police Department are all about getting priorities straight to keep Lansing safe. Missing: the prevention of violence against women and ongoing direct input from residents.

Unfortunately, Mr. Mayor still has not acknowledged my correspondence (began on Aug. 17), and he left City Council before public comment this week (on Sept. 10). My comment made at City Council's meeting is published at http://womenwriters.us.to/stoptheviolence.

Today I attended the Ways and Means Committee for public comment and to hear discussion about Act 99, which is the Mayor's proposal for funding 10 (+1 spare) cameras at $350K. In supplement to the meager LSJ story about this meeting, I'm posting on the forums. Visit my posts and find the subject "The Real Story".

Comin' Togetha

Lansing's SPEAK OUT for keeping our city safe is comin' togetha!

Hours are moved up now for 11am to 3pm.

Our line-up so far includes...

SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE
~Melissa Dey Hasbrook - Coordinator of East Side Poetry Open Mike
~Deena Tyler - Host of Survivin’ & Thrivin’ Poetry Open Mike
~Rina Risper - President & Publisher of The New Citizens Press and Founder of the Nu Poet Collective

ANTI-VIOLENCE & PEACE ADVOCATES
~EVE, Inc. - End Violent Encounter
~Triangle Foundation of Michigan
~Fr. Peter Dougherty - Founder of the Michigan Peace Team
~Judge Amy Krause - Lansing’s 54-A District Court

COMMUNITY RESIDENTS & GROUPS
~Rev. Nathan Dixon - Trinity AME Church & Founder of the Capital City Community Action Network
~The NorthWest Initiative of Lansing
~Logic - Nu Poet Collective & Organizer of SpitFire Open Mike

*********************
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
*********************
from Melissa...

Wanna hear what people are saying about...?

Media coverage for victims of violence...
See Zachary Chartkoff's Letter to the LSJ Editor.
Keeping Lansing safe...
See Anne Smiley's Cameras are bad idea for city, LSJ.

Wanna see what I said to Lansing Government and media?

Check out my emails and letters at http://womenwriters.us.to/stoptheviolence.

Wanna see my comments via the Lansing State Journal?

Check out my posts on LSJ Forums, and Blogs of Derek Melot (Aug. 16 & Sept. 4) and John Schneider.

?s and !s

{?}Is Lansing's Poetry Scene Dying?

By Gianni Risper in the column Teen Talk.

{?}Questions on the mind of a Lansing resident
who is a woman and survivor of violence

Published by The New Citizens Press from an email addressed on Aug.26 to The City Pulse.

{!}Mayor, cops jump the gun

Join the conversation! See LSJ columnist John Schneider's Aug.31 post about safety in Lansing.

{?!} http://womenwriters.us.to/stoptheviolence/

Correspondence to Lansing's media and local government about STOPPING THE VIOLENCE is now available.

Hope

FALL BLAST-OFF

The Old Town Poets return to the Creole Gallery on Sept. 12, 7:30pm, with open mike. Deena Tyler and Melissa Dey Hasbrook will be there!

The evening of song and poetry is a celebration of Robert Busby's positive influence in Lansing and his collaboration with local artists.

PRO-ACTIVE
from Melissa...

In response to the recent spiral of violence in Lansing, I find hope a necessity...

... healing with poetry & advocacy (poems coming soon; see LSJ Forum posts)...

... writing local officials to prevent violence against women (see email to City Council and Mayor) ...

... writing local media to cover victims of violence fairly (see email, letters to editor, press release to media) ...

... using the City Pulse online forum Keeping Lansing Safe! (see CP Forums, then select News, and find Keeping Lansing Safe!) ...

... inviting residents and groups to participate at Oct. 1's SPEAK OUT (see Invite1Oct).

Let's keep instilling hope in our community...

... for survivors of violence..
... for loved ones who survived murder victims ...
... for children looking to adults for protection and example ...
... for adolescents looking to adults for leadership and inspiration ...
... for neighbors staying behind locked doors ...
... for ourselves, the heart of Lansing.