Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity

CCCHD meetings are in Warren the first Tuesday of every month from 6-8 pm. Happy New Year.  CCCHD (Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity) is asking supporters to consider a more active role in building local justice in 2010. We need you!  And we are fun.  If you might be interested in signing on for any of our fun filled, pro-community, pro-justice work in 2010, below are outlined some of the main projects for the year.  Please consider what questions you have and if you can make any small or large commitments.  We can also set up a time to talk with you via phone or over coffee.  We look very forward to hearing back.  On behalf of the CCCHD Leadership Team –  warmly, Marcy (503 543-3647)

• workers – who commit to completing specific one time or ongoing tasks,
• folks to join the Leadership Team that meets quarterly,
• donations of garden materials (manure, tools, plants/seeds etc)
• speakers and tour guides - especially for the school kids.

• Coordinate food growers,
• grow/can/freeze menu items,
• prep food the week of (late September)
• join Decorating Team,
• join Communications Team,
• sell tickets for your own table
• be a worker who commits to completing specific one time or ongoing tasks

Work Party on Saturday May 9th – 9 am to 12pm.

We are planning a garden at the ROP house, 33421 SW Maple in Scappoose,  across from the Middle School. We hope that a community-tended garden  of ornamentals, fruit bearing plants, and raised vegetable beds will be a great way to inspire adults, children, and creatures, and demonstrate the values of cooperation.

Please consider donating materials to this project. At this point, we need donations of plants – ornamentals, fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, vegetable starts.
We  can also use compost, barkdust, planting mix, boulders and gravel.
We need 2×6 untreated cedar or fir lumber to build raised beds and compost bins.
Drop off donations at 33421 SW Maple. There will be signs posted for drop-off donations.

And join us for our first work party!
Saturday, May 9 – from 9am to 12 pm . Rain or shine.
For more information contact:
Heather Bee      hbee@aii.edu
Mike Edera        mikeedera@centurytel.net

Marcy Westerling – marcy@rop.org
Rural Organizing Project & United Vision for Idaho
www.rop.org, www.uvidaho.org

Special guest, Benji Lewis, will be joining us as he tours the state prior to reporting for his 3rd Tour of Duty in Iraq.  On the day he is due to report for reactivation, he will instead hold a press conference explaining his decision to decline to serve.

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January 30, 2008

Contacts:

Marcy Westerling, Director, Rural Organizing Project, (503) 543-8417 or (503) 543-3647  

D. Michael Dale, Executive Director, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project, (503) 357-8290

David Fidanque, Executive Director, ACLU of Oregon, (541) 954-7731

Judge Prohibits Measure 5-190 from Taking Effect

Anti-Immigrant Law on Hold Pending Ruling on its Legality

ST. HELENS, Ore. – Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Ted E. Grove today issued a preliminary injunction that will prevent an anti-immigrant ballot measure from taking effect on February 2.

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1. Q: Is it true that there is now a new law in Columbia County about hiring workers who are not authorized to work in the U.S.?
A: No. A Columbia County measure, concerning employment of unauthorized “aliens,” apparently received a majority vote on November 4, 2008. However, it is not yet in effect.

The County believes there are serious problems with the way the measure is written. Those problems may delay its implementation. Even if the County enforces the measure, there may be legal challenges to stop enforcement.
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The South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, Rainier Chamber of
Commerce, and State Representative Brad Witt are sending a message to the
Columbia County business community following the passage of Measure 5-190:
“Sit tight and take no immediate action.”
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Scappoose, Oregon – Columbia County has been thrust into the public eye statewide after the passage of an anti-immigrant ballot measure last Tuesday.

Measure 5-190 intends to impose a $10,000 fine on any employer found to be hiring undocumented immigrants, and require county employers to register with the federal E-Verify program. On Election Day, the vote was split with 57% in favor and 43% against. (http://www.co.columbia.or.us/elections/results/EL45.HTM)
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(Scappoose, OR) Local businesses and community members across Columbia County were disappointed to learn of the passage of Measure 5-190 today. The rejection of its partner measure, 5-191, was good news.
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Dear neighbors,
It’s no secret that many of us are hurting – feeling the pain of rising fuel costs, soarining interest rates, falling home values, and threatening unemployment.The hardest part of economic insecurity is that we often face it in isolation. We feel alone with our problems, facing big, impersonal forces but it doesn’t need to be this way. Our history is filled with examples of people coming together to solve the toughest problems. Just ask the folks who survived the Great Depression and World War II how people learned to unite in the face of hard times.
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