Tuesday, Feb 5 at 5:30 pm City Council meeting in downtown Greensboro.

Wednesday, Feb 6 Informational meeting on Duke Energy rate structures, long-term business plans and rate hike bills, at Glenwood Coffee and Books.

Sunday, Feb 10 at 2 pm is the Second Sunday Energy Movie Matinee at Glenwood. See the invitation at http://www.facebook.com/events/467350123315714/

Monday, Feb 11 in Raleigh a North Carolina Utilities Commission public hearing is being held on Duke and Progress energy’s 20 year business plan, which includes expansion of nuclear, coal, and gas production, rather than renewable resources, along with ongoing rate hikes to the public. We are planning to attend the meeting with other energy activists from NC to demand that our voices be heard. Please email ogsoenergyworkinggroup@gmail.com if you’d like to travel with us. All are welcome!

Monday Feb 18 is a national climate convergence rally in Washington DC. Please stay on the look-out for further info on this event.

Discussion of trees being hacked by Duke in GSO. Action is being taken, but concern that it may not be lasting unless ordinance is set by city. FB group “Greensboro Respects Our Trees” for updates.

Discussion of billing dispute with Duke over deposit on change of address after house fire. If this is happening to one customer, it is most likely happening to other. Need to draw public attention to monopoly.

Next EWG mtg, Sunday Jan 6 at 2:00. EWG mtgs will now meet on first and third Sundays of each month.

Second Sunday Energy Movie Matinee Series continues, 2:30 pm at Glenwood in Jan and Feb.

Happy New Year from the energy working group!

- Second Sunday Energy Movie Matinee: every second Sunday, from December through February, from 2-3:30 we will be showing films/ documentaries related to the energy crisis in the US, followed by discussion. Free event, all are welcome. If you know of a film, worth recommending, please send me the title. This Sunday, December 9 the movie is “Burning the Future: Coal in America”

-Last weekend a statewide roundtable meeting was held in Greensboro to create action plans to put pressure on the NCUC and lawmakers to protect the people and the environment of NC over profit for Duke, the largest utility corporation in the US, second largest in the world. The next roundtable meeting will be held sometime in January, in the WNC (Asheville) area. Send an email If you’re interested in joining the listserve or attending.

-Canvassing/ community outreach on the Duke/ Progress rate hikes and scheduled IRP hearing: This hearing is when Duke will submit its long-term plan to the NC Utilities Council to continue its production of dirty energy, with coal, nuclear and gas being the dominant resources, and increasing rates to consumers yearly. If you’d like more information about these proposals and projections, please visit the websites http://www.ncwarn.org/ and http://www.consumersagainstratehikes.org/. We need volunteers to help collect signatures and comments for the petitions to be shared at the hearing, before Feb 11. Please contact the EWG if you can help collect signatures by knocking on doors, or bringing petitions to local events, such as community markets, potlucks, parties, educational/ outreach events and the like. Also, there on online petitions at the sites linked above.

Report Backs:

Unemployment Group- meeting with the committee at the IRC to work on employment issues for convicted offenders to be rescheduled.

Walmart action on Black Friday- union/anti-union sentiment by protestors, crowds, local Fox news affiliate, at on Battleground Ave on November 23.

March in Solidarity with Gaza, last Monday, November 19, well attended, downtown, with Cakalak Thunder. A rally planned for Wednesday, Nov 21, was canceled due to the cease-fire announcement.

Also on Monday, November 19, 350.org gave a talk at Duke University on how individuals, groups, and institutions can reduce CO2,  use.

Announcements:

Saturday, Dec 1, statewide roundtable meeting on initiatives against Duke Energy across NC. Meeting will be 10-4 at Glenwood books, bring your own lunch, will be attended by 350.org, Greenpeace, NC Warn and others. all are welcome.

The OGSO Energy Working Group will be hosting a “Second Sunday Energy Movie Matinee Series” on the second Sundays in Dec, Jan and Feb at Glenwood Books from 2-3:30. http://www.facebook.com/events/467350123315714/ for details.

On Tuesday mornings at Democracy Chat is hosted at Glenwood Books from 8:30-10:30 by Dave Reed. This week’s topic will be the Hostess Strike and closure.

On Tuesday, Nov 27, Barbara is planning a presentation on Citizens United at 7:00 at Hemphill Library.

On Dec 7, Glenwood Books is hosting a book reading and discussion from Spoma Jovanovic’s new book, “Democracy, Dialogue, and Community Action: Truth and Reconciliation in Greensboro,” 5-7 pm.

On Dec 8, Glenwood is having a book exchange/ bargain book sale in the afternoon.

A Buddhist Mediation will be hosted by John K at the new Greensboro Community Yoga center on Summit Ave from 6:30-7:30 on Sundays, beginning Dec 9. donations accepted.

***Regarding announcements/ info to be posted on the OGSO website, please send any calendar postings/ news/ contact info to press@occupygreensboro.org***

Also, a question was raised about the OGSO listserve, how to use it to share announcements, and whether a link can be added to the website to broadcast posts??

Discussion topics:

Rolling Jubilee! We have copies of the Debt Resistors’ Operations Manual, a project of OWS, distributed by Al. These manuals contain information on the personal resistance, and the People’s Bailout. The discussion touched on the stigma associated with debt, and ideas and understandings of the movement were shared. Possible follow up by a Rolling Jubilee working group or fundraiser…

The NC legislative session and Republican supermajority. Resistance and organizing, how to use the peoples’ power in NC…

Grassroots organizations from across the state are meeting next Saturday to organize and coordinate efforts against proposed rate hikes from Duke and Progress Energy companies, as well as nuclear energy proliferation and other pressing energy issues, with the coming legislative session. Please come join members of the Occupy Greensboro Energy Working Group, Greenpeace, 350.org and NC WARN, and others concerned with exploitation of natural resources and dirty  energy  profiteering in NC. Bring a bag lunch.

Contact ogsoenergyworkinggroup@gmail.com for more info.

FrackFree NC goes live!  The alliance of NC organizations working against fracking in NC  launched the website today:  Go to http://www.frackfreenc.org/
You’ll find great resources on  this issue – and it will be a one-stop website for event and issue updates.  There’s an online petition too.

Grassroots Frack Strategy Meeting Dec. 8 at the Summit (at Haw River State Park north of Greensboro). If you would like to join us for a day-long grassroots strategy gathering on December 8th to keep NC Frack Free, please click here for online registration
http://frackfreenc.org/get- involved/meeting-registration/

Stack- Nathan

Notes- Kate

total of 12 people in attendance

0 proposals

3 discussion topics-

-how to carry the process of Occupy GA into other areas of our lives (horizontal leadership discussion)

-Impact of Superstorm Sandy on the nation

-Economic globalization

Working Group report backs:

-Employment Working Group is exploring the possibility of developing a worker-owned cooperative of formerly convicted individuals who are looking for a job upon reintegration from prison. An interest meeting is scheduled with the Interactive Resource Center.

The Employment Group meets on Saturdays at 11:00 am at Glenwood Coffee and Books.

- The Foreclosure Working Group meets on Wednesday evenings at Glenwood Coffee and Books.

At 5:30 pm, the meeting with the technical team on mortgage fraud is held, and at 6:00 the meeting is opened for the entire working group. The group is recruiting volunteers for reviewing of foreclosure files.

A national day of action in Home Defense is being planned, with events to take place in Greensboro. Date tba

**If anyone has notes, events, pictures, meeting minutes, discussion topics, etc., to post to the website at occupygreensboro.org, send an email to press@occupygreensboro.org

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLedxdYSX3EKocRxFfQJERA4ofXCKS_w9c

Howdy folks.

You should be able to view the entire show from October 14 at this link on you tube.  Thank you to Brian with Digital Restoration Services for filming and uploading the event, and to all the artists and activists who made it possible, including John Kernodle, Maurus Monk, Ben Lassiter, Julia Kimmel, Black Lotus Society, Screaming By Me, and Laila Nur.

Enjoy!

Facilitator: John Kronodle

Stack: Mark Spritz

Notes: Emiley Joyce

Participants: 26

Greetings: Name and a brief description of why you joined occupy

Agenda:

-Rules and Hand signals

-Announcement

*Buttons for sale and or donation

*Citizens United teach in at Elon see Brian.

*Foreclosure meeting Thursday nights 5:3pm0 books store pizza, beer, or money for.

*Energy working group Movie matinee First sunday of the month starting november             through January from 2pm- 3:30pm at Glenwood Coffee and Books.

*Employmenting Meeting-11am saturday at Glenwood Coffee and Books

*After General Assembly Party

-Proposals

*Raising the city wide minimum wage. No vote taken, suggested working group.

-Discussion

*Supporting the robin hood tax

*Citizens United/ updates with city council

-Parking Lot

*Occupy in Spring

*Lower drinking

*Future Protest

* Direction of Occupy

-Reflections

1. Attend the Oct 2nd Council Meeting!!!
It’s VITAL that we pack the Council chambers the night of the vote on the resolution -that means getting 100+ people to attend the meeting. Before the vote is taken, people will be offered a chance to speak. You do not have to speak, but speakers on behalf of the resolution will ask folks in favor to stand, to sign and support. Your presence matters!!!
Greensboro City Council meetings are held at the Council Chamber on the second floor of Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St. Free parking is available in the Greene Street Parking Deck after 5pm. The meeting starts at 5:30 pm, and is likely to go on for quite a while. The resolution will not be the first item on the agenda, so it’s okay to come after the meeting has started. Be prepared to hang out for a while, because there’s no telling how fast they’ll run through the agenda. Bring a book, or just
listen in-it’s all interesting!

4. Bring 2 friends to the Oct 2nd City Council Meeting! (Or at least get them to to email or phone ahead of time!)
This movement will be successful if we can show that large numbers of Greensboro residents are opposed to the Citizens United ruling and want to see an end to corporate personhood. Some Council members think this issue is not important, just a “distraction.” That’s why it’s key that EVERY council member hear from and see hundreds of people in support of the resolution.
For more information
www.facebook.com/PeoplesCoalitionAgainstCitizensUnited
twitter.com/pcacul

3. By 10/02, phone your District Rep- leave a message of support for the Resolution.
A phone call or even a phone message makes a HUGE impact! Just state your name and address, and that you hope the Council member will support the resolution to end corporate personhood! You can call any and all council members and the Mayor. If you have time to make only one call – call your District Rep. You don’t have to say anything complicated – just respectfully convey that you want your Rep to support the resolution. If you want to get fancy, tell them why it’s important to YOU!