August 2013 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - Volume Nine, #1

lots to tell this month... all tour dates details updating continuously at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html
please buy CDs at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid
Please forward this widely


BANKSTERS BEWARE!! COMING VERY SOON...........

details at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html and http://summerofsolidarity.com

We've got a pretty ambitious route planned, but if you're on our route and you're in struggle, let us know if your could use some energy/support/inspiration/encouragement from the Summer of Solidarity rabblerousers, educators and artists!  We'll do our best to be there.

AUGUST 17th PHILA * AUGUST 18th PITTSBURGH *

AUGUST 19th  DETROIT * AUGUST 20 and 21 CHICAGO *

AUGUST 22nd MADISON *AUGUST 23rd MN STATE FAIR

AUGUST 24th FARGO *  AUGUST 26th MISSOULA AUGUST 28th PDX * AUGUST 30th SAN FRANCISCO

LABOR DAY 2013  LOS ANGELES!!!!!!

Save our Postal Service!!

Mike O'Brien of Kill the Autocrat

Countdown to Ireland!!

My 21 fellow travelers and I will meet in Bunratty on September 29th and head off for 9 adventure-packed days in the west of Ireland.  The tour is coming together brilliantly and I'm just thrilled and honored to be hosting it.  

Next year I hope to host a labor history tour of Ireland at the end of July/beginning of August.  Drop me a line if you'd like to join us. Read more at: http://johnsmithmusic.com/tour-ireland

GASLAND TWO

Do yourself a favor and watch Josh Fox's terrific Gasland Two.  http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/ It doesn't matter if you haven't seen Gasland One.  Educate yourself on this crucial issue or Range Resources will do it for you.

If you want to read about Fracking, Professor Walt Brasch,  a respected writer and dear friend who happens to live right in Marcellus Shale country, has written a terrific book called "Fracking Pennsylvania."  I'll have a few copies to sell on the tour or you can order it directly from Walt ...  http://www.walterbrasch.com/

Fracking update in Michigan from Ellis Boal:

The Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan is nearing the end of a 6-month voter petitioning campaign to get the question of banning horizontal fracking and storage of the waste on the 2014 statewide ballot.

Additionally, the measure would reverse the state's 1930s-era policy requiring environmental regulators to "foster" the oil-gas industry favorably.  Regulators currently also have to "maximize" oil-gas production (not to mention maximizing global warming and industry profits).

A quarter-million valid witnessed signatures must be turned in by October 1.  Last year a similar campaign got 30,000 signatures with 450 volunteers.

This year the Committee is better organized.  The industry knows this.  In a May press release the Michigan Chamber of Commerce labelled the Committee dangerous, emotional, and extremist.

If voted in, the governor cannot veto the measure, nor can the legislature repeal it except by a 75 percent vote of each house.

Unlike other states where fracking is well established, it is just getting started here.  But it started big:  Last year Encana Oil & Gas drilled the world's largest frack well, in a state forest in Kalkaska County; it used 21 million gallons of water.

On July 14 Anne Feeney, together with George Mann and Rik Palieri, endorsed the Committee campaign, on the Detroit leg of the Almanac Trail tour, which celebrates the groundbreaking 1941 tour of the Almanac Singers to union halls across the country.

The Committee is seeking volunteer circulators in Michigan willing to get 200 signatures each, a time commitment of 10-12 hours.  And donations are very welcome from anywhere.  Sign up here:  http://letsbanfracking.org .

This also just in from MI - http://www.popularresistance.org/daring-aerial-blockade-stops-tar-sands-pipeline-expansion-in-michigan/http://www.popularresistance.org/daring-aerial-blockade-stops-tar-sands-pipeline-expansion-in-michigan/

American Crystal Sugar Lockout Ends

I wrote to you so many times about the struggles of the workers at American Crystal Sugar in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, I wanted to tell you the conclusion -  it's infuriating.. Over 1300 workers were locked out of their jobs by this greedy and very profitable employer for 20 long months. The newspapers describe the employer as a "farmer-owned cooperative" - and at one point that was quite true.  

First agribusiness wiped out the small farms, and then they set their sights on the workers who process the agribusiness produce. 

Against all odds, the workers held out through four contract votes, turning down the company's only offer - a 13% raise to be immediately consumed by rising health care premiums  - and shop floor "flexibility" for management, which would have allowed them to bypass seniority, negotiated safety clauses and much more.

These workers forfeited almost $66,000 each to protect their (and our) rights in the workplace.  They're back at work on the rotten contract management originally tried to shove down their throats.  They work side by side with scabs who crossed their picketlines.  My hat is off to these resolute working class heroes who tried so hard to hold the line for us all.  As my friend Jon Fromer said,"Capitalism Sucks."  As Dorothy Day says, "Do you think our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy rotten system?" (Charlie King says that, too...)

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Heartfelt thanks to the O'Briens, Paul Lowenberg and all the staff and volunteers at the Northern Lights Festival Boreal in Sudbury, ON last month ... Great music, great hospitality, great times!!

MILESTONES

It is with great sadness we note the passing of Toshi Seeger, Jane Becker, Mary Pam (Sprague) Kilgore and Stephanie Bledsoe.

Toshi-Aline Ohta Seeger died on July 9th.  This link is to a good obit, although it omits that she produced "Power of Song," the fabulous documentary film about her husband, Pete Seeger  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/toshi-seeger-wife-of-pete-seeger-dead-at-91-20130711

And feminists and labor advocates everywhere mourned the passing of Jane Becker http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/goedwardsville/obituary.aspx?n=jane-becker&pid=166019202&fhid=19072#fbLoggedOut  She was a fixture in Pittsburgh politics for a generation, and empowered many women in politics.

On July 23rd my friend Mary Pam (Sprague) Kilgore died of cancer.  We worked together very closely in the early 80s when Mary Pam was the voice of WYEP-FM, which, at that time , was listener supported community radio.  She will be missed by many.

Stephanie Bledsoe

And, in a senselessly tragic accident, our family/community was devastated by the sudden death of Stephanie Bledsoe on Friday, August 9th.  Stephanie was 26 years old.  She sang the processional at my daughter Amy's wedding on December 15th of last year.

It seems impossible that this bright light is no longer with us.  Heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

SEND A CARD TO REBELGAL AND IWW STALWART FAITH PETRIC!!

Our wonderful friend Faith Petric had another bad fall and has decided that her beloved and legendary 3 story house on Clayton St. (with no bathroom on the first floor) in San Francisco can no longer be her home... She's 97, and the last time I saw her perform was with Lou and Peter Berryman at the Freight and Salvage in January 2013. The first time I saw her perform was at our syndicalist bar and grill, Wobbly Joe's.  I was hugely pregnant with Amy and Daniel was still one year old.  I had been moping a little, feeling like I would never get a chance to pursue music.  Here was Faith, 66 years old, driving a VW bug around the country performing in folk clubs. She's called the "Fort Knox of Folk Music" because of her encyclopedic repertoire (which I am so pleased to say includes "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?"). She had removed the back seat and installed a mattress, in case she didn't find a place to stay.  I was so exhilarated to realize that I could "have it all" - kids AND a so-called career in folk music, and I resolved to do it until I was at least 97, as Faith is today.  Her 98th birthday is September 13th (born in 1915!)  She's sharp as a tack and would welcome hearing from you.

Please send her a letter of appreciation and your well wishes. Her address is:

Faith Petric

c/o Coming Home Hospice

115 Diamond Street

San Francisco, CA 94114

And keep Sarah Elizabeth Campbell and Al and Dotty Dale in your thoughts...

MORE EXCITING TOUR DATES!!!

September 7th at the Botto House American Labor Museum

Help to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Paterson Silk Strike, and the 30th anniversary of the museum...

http://www.labormuseum.net/?p=events-calendar&event_id=344

I'm so looking forward to the Jerry Tucker Legacy Conference scheduled in St. Louis for October 11- 13.  I'll be performing in Friday, October 11th.  Be there!

more info at: http://stllaborconference.com/

FAMILY NEWS

daniel berlin... 1980

sebastian berlin ... 2013

the apple doesn't fall far....

January 2013 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME EIGHT, Number 6

Buy my CDs at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid

Subscribe to my newsletter at http://annefeeney.com/newsletter.html

Visit my website: http://annefeeney.com

Upcoming shows: http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html 

WESTERN WORKERS' LABOR HERITAGE FESTIVAL

January 18-20th, 2013

http://www.westernworkersfestival.org/

I'm headed to the Bay Area this weekend for the 27th Annual Labor Heritage Festival.  The festival is located just off Highway 101 in Burlingame and there's plenty of convenient parking.  It's also super accessible by BART.  Check out the website (above) for all the details of what I'm sure will be an amazing and inspiring festival.

This year's festival is dedicated to Jon Fromer, a fantastically talented songwriter, guitar player and human being.  His death on January 2, 2013 has us all bereft and grieving. We will celebrate his inspiring life and work at the Festival, and hope everyone who can possibly join us will be there.

His obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle is available at:

http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Jon-Fromer-musician-and-producer-dies-4177500.php

AND THE NOMINEES ARE ....

I think 2012 was a great year for film. Beasts of the Southern Wild, Searching for the Sugar Man, Looper,  Lincoln (good, but too long), Anna Karenina, Argo, the Flight, the Arbitrageur, Silver Linings Playbook, The Master and Promised Land were all very entertaining. Haven't seen Amour, Django, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserables, the Impossible, the Life of Pi  or any of the animated films yet. I am a little concerned at the pro-war content of Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and the TV show Homeland... entertertaining and disconcerting.

I will host my Oscars party once again.  If you're interested in attending, let me know.  I think I have 10 seats left.

IRELAND 2013 -  COME WITH US!!!

I blew the deadline on my December newsletter and today is the day I had said I wanted to hear from folks about coming to Ireland with me, September 29-October 8th.  If you'd like to do this trip, please give me a
call 412-877-6480 or text or email me. We've already got some fabulous folks on board .. but all from the west coast... what's up with you folks who live east of CA, OR, WA and BC?

Join me in Ireland, September 29-October 8th

I've been traveling regularly to Ireland since 1977.  When I tell my friends about my Irish adventures they invariably say, “Oh, I wish I could have been with you!”  Well, now’s your chance.  Ireland is such an interesting country.  Its extraordinary natural beauty, colonial history, ancient traditions, cultural heritage, beautiful music, friendly and charming people ... and now – thank goodness! – excellent cuisine and good coffee.  I used to tour Ireland in a rental car and stay at B&Bs.  Thanks to my experience leading 5 tours to Ireland in 2008 and 2009, I have come to appreciate the finer points of staying in a hotel.  First, there’s no curfew – many B&B’s like to have you home at 10 or 11.  And most hotels are conveniently located in town.  Second, the food in the hotels is great, and many of the hotels have what they call leisure centers…  they’re gyms, often with pools. And finally, as hotel guests we are welcome to the hospitality of the bar after the pubs close.  We've had many a lovely singsong in the hotel pub upon returning from our evening out.  It’s also a wonderful experience to tour with a small group.  And they’re all folks on my mailing list… lots of interesting folks from all over the US, Canada, and often Sweden or Denmark. Join us and bring a friend or two!

INCLUDED

Cost is $2250 per person based on double occupancy (two to a room).$2600   for single room rate (single room option is no longer available on this tour). Cost covers nine nights’ lodging, ground transportation in our luxury coach,  all breakfasts, three group dinners, music, island ferries, and heritage centers.

NOT INCLUDED

You make and pay for your own flight arrangements.  You may wish to come in a few days or a couple weeks early, or stay on after the tour.  Your choice.  Our tour does not include your lunches, the other six evening meals, your beverages or tips.  All tours begin at Shannon Airport (SNN) - 30 miles north of Limerick in west Ireland.

SOME TIPS

I strongly encourage you, if at all possible, to arrive the day before the tour begins.  We'll be happy to arrange a lovely B&B for you in Bunratty, near Shannon Airport.  Our luxury coach will pick you up there after your delicious full Irish breakfast. You'll get a chance to meet some of our tourmates, perhaps have a pint at Durty Nelly's - the legendary Irish Pub.  Or, if you want to try the medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle, you may find it very enjoyable.

I’m so happy to answer any questions you may have.  Call, email or text me with any questions you have.  If I don’t know or can’t make up a plausible answer, I’ll find out for you immediately.

Inishfree Tours – September 29- October 7, 2013

Mayo - Galway – Clare  ***  Detailed Itinerary

 Day 1.   This morning we welcome everyone aboard around 9:30 a.m. after your breakfast at the B &B and then head northwards to County Mayo.  Our first stop is at Coole  Park, (http://www.coolepark.ie/), the home of famed Lady Gregory – a  patron of the arts whose guests included James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw,  W.B. Yeats, and many other notable Irish poets, writers, and playwrights.  It’s one of my favorite sites in Ireland… a gorgeous walk, a great visitors’ center with a most informative DVD about the local history, a cafe .. a lovely place to visit.

 We’ll have a chance to stretch our legs before gathering in the gardens for a brief “go around” of introductions to our fellow guests and an overview of our itinerary for the tour. We then drive to the village of Cong in county Mayo for lunch (http://www.tourclare.com/cong.html). Cong is the quaint village where much of the 50's movie 'The Quiet Man' with John Wayne and Mara O'Hara was filmed (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045061/).

A 2008 tour visits the "Quiet Man" bridge in the village of Cong

 After lunch we drive to the beautiful town of Westport where we’ll be staying for 3 nights at the CastleCourt Hotel (http://www.castlecourthotel.ie/).  After settling into the rooms and resting up for a bit, we’ll meet for our first group meal in the hotel restaurant, followed by a private Irish music concert with a talented local musician.

  Day 2.  In the morning we’ll hop on the bus and head to the wonderfully scenic Achill island, Ireland’s largest island, which is accessible from the mainland via a bridge. Here, a knowledgeable local guide will lead us  around the island to visit several points of interest (http://www.achilltourism.com/places.html).

  We’ll stop off in the village of Keel for a tasy lunch at the Beehive Cafe  (http://www.ireland-guide.com/establishment/beehive-the.3877.html) and will have a refreshing walk on the picturesque white sand beach at Keem Bay (http://www.achilltourism.com/keembay.html) .

In the evening we’ll be back in Westport for dinner on your own and a session of traditional Irish tunes in one of Westport’s many lively pubs. One famous pub is Matt Molloy's; Matt is the well-known flute player of the famous Irish band, The Chieftains.

(http://www.mattmolloy.com/pub_about.html) Also, if anyone is interested, there is a great theater show of the Legend of Grainne Mhoal the Irish “Pirate Queen” at the Westport Hotel,  25 euro a seat (http://www.grainnemhaol.com/#).

Day 3. This will be a day where you have some options.  Depending on the weather, some may  want to stay back for the day and explore the streets of Westport --  shopping, going for walks, etc. (http://westporttourism.com/). The bus will make a visit to the Country Life Museum (http://www.museumsofmayo.com/country-life-museum.htm)  in rural County Mayo -- an excellent museum with displays showing the  amazing changes in Ireland between 1850 and 1950. We’ll also visit a  historic monastic site with an old round tower and abbey. In the evening we  will again be on our own for dinner and a trad music session in town.

 Day 4. We’ll pack our bags and move south through gorgeous scenery to  County Galway.  We’ll drive along the edge of Clew Bay, pass through the  town of Louisburgh and head down through the atmospheric Doo Lough Valley,  stopping for a hike if the weather allows.  We’ll proceed on past  beautiful Ashley Falls and through the towns of Leenane and Maam before stopping off for a look at the picturesque Kylemore Abbey  (http://www.kylemoreabbey.com/). We’ll arrive in the scenic village of Clifden in the late afternoon and  check in for our three night stay at the Station House Hotel (http://www.clifdenstationhouse.com).  After some time to rest and refresh, we will have our second group dinner followed by a private concert by a local Galway songwriter at the Hotel.

 Day 5. Weather permitting, we drive to the small fishing village of  Cleggan, from where we’ll  catch the 40-minute ferry over to Insihbofin (http://www.inishbofin.com/), a very beautiful, peaceful, low-paced island. We’ll get the chance to stroll around the island on foot, or rent a bike, or take a mini bus guided tour of the island. We'll return back to Cleggan on the late afternoon ferry and drive back to Clifden for a rest before heading out for dinner and a music session in the local pubs.

 Day 6. We’ll tour around the Connemara region in the morning -- driving to the small fishing village of Roundstone (http://www.roundstone-connemara.com/) before returning to Clifden for a walk  on the Sky Road, which offers great views out to the sea. The afternoon  will be a 'free afternoon' to explore Clifden, shop, read, golf, hike or  just relax. In the evening we’ll again have dinner and music on our own in  the local pubs.

 Day 7.  We’ll pack up and head south to County Clare.  We’ll drive through  some wonderful Connemara scenery and on to Galway City, Ireland’s third  largest city, where we'll stop for lunch and a stroll up Shop Street – a  pedestrian mall with shops, cafes, buskers, bookshops and pubs (http://www.360cities.net/image/galway-shop-streetutm_medium=all_images&utm_source=google_earth#0.20,0.00,90.0).

 From Galway we’ll drive on to the quaint town of Doolin  (http://www.doolin-tourism.com/), renowned for its traditional Irish music scene, and check into our accommodation, which will be at either B & B’s or a small, comfortable hotel.  After check-in and a rest, we will meet at  one  of the local pubs for dinner on our own followed by rousing Irish trad  music.

The Cliffs of Moher

Day 8 .  We will tour parts of County Clare starting with one of Ireland’s  most spectacular and well-known sites, the Cliffs of Moher, with  breathtaking views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean (http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/). From the Cliffs  we’ll drive to Caherconnel  ring fort heritage center for a look at the ancient fort and also a sheep dog demonstration (http://www.burrenforts.ie/) . In the evening we’ll meet  at another local pub for more great music, food, and fun.

 Day 9.  Today is our last full day together. We will tour the Burren region of County Clare (http://www.galway.net/galwayguide/visit/burren/) and listen to a presentation by a local person about the region. The Burren is unique limestone landscape with plenty of historical sites including ancient tombs, stone forts, old churches and graveyards. We’ll make a stop at the Poulnabrone Dolmen (http://www.megalithicireland.com/Poulnabrone.htm) and return to Doolin on the spectacular Black Head drive along the edge of Galway Bay.  In the evening we’ll have our last group dinner and a final“go around” of farewell thoughts on the tour, a few songs, many hugs, and possibly a few tears.

 Day 10.  We head back to Shannon Airport in the morning. Be sure to let us know your departure time if you fly home, or whatever other arrangements you have made for the rest of your vacation -- renting a car, taking a  bus, etc.  You’re interested in my tour, so I hope you’ll enjoy meeting some of my Irish activist  friends.

 Note:  Most folks come on our tour in large part for the music. Most music sessions (a group of Irish musicians playing traditional jigs, reels, and  songs, usually unplugged) begin around 9:30 pm, sometimes 10 pm, and  continue til around midnight.  This can be a bit late for most Americansat first.  So be prepared for late nights. The flip side of the coin is that we don't head out most mornings until 10 am, so you can either sleep in or go a walk before we leave for the next day’s activities. And you are always free to stay in any night. We pride ourselves on our flexibility.

 Also, a free full Irish breakfast is provided B & B style at each hotel,  normally in the dining room. Usually between approximately 8 - 9:30 am.

 We want you all to know that if for any reason you prefer to sit out any  of our planned day or evening outings to do something on your own or just  relax, that is perfectly fine.  Just let us know so we know how many heads to count on the bus.

This information and more is available at https://www.facebook.com/events/483879711658925/

I'd love to have you join us! You’ll be welcome indeed!

FAMILY NEWS, BIRTHDAYS, ETC

Ben Mumphrey, Olivia Grefenstette,  Mick Madera, Dennis McCahill, Geoff Bartley - 

Happy December Birthdays!

Lauren Grefenstette, Jesse Dalton, Jim Marks, Shannon Metcalfe, Blanka Engstrom, Shelley Kessler, Tom Weldon the younger, Art Deckard, Ed McCahill, Bill Obermeyer, Art Deckard, Bob Barnes and Maryellen Deckard.  Happy January Birthdays.

Amy and Mike are on their 'working honeymoon'.  Mike is accompanying Mary Gauthier on a Caribbean cruise. Dan and Monique and Sebastian are back in Zimbabwe.  Monique's pregnancy is going well.  Julie is back in Sweden.

My last MRI was unchanged and the doctored scheduled the next one for March 2013.  In the meantime, I took a fall and put my bottom teeth through my lower lip. I go on Medicare on February 1st!

Jos Williams, DC Labor Council President, hosts the opening plenary

Here's a photo of me singing at the Labor Campaign for Single Payer Conference last weekend in Chicago.  If you zoom in, you can see my bruised & swollen lower lip.  The battle for single payer continues - and as the Affordable Care Act becomes implemented, its many shortcomings will be revealed.  We can't control costs until we get the insurance industry out and get rid of the ruthless profiteers in health care.

My pal Phil Keyes made it onto the top of the liver transplant list.  He was in the hospital less than a week and he sounds terrific! I'm hoping to get to Tampa in March to see him.

If you're in Pittsburgh on Saturday, I hope you'll go see Peter Yarrow in concert, sponsored by Calliope, our folksong society.

Upcoming shows are listed at http://www.annefeeney.com/calendar.html 

REMEMBER, EDDIE AND JERRY AND SAY: "DUMP THE BOSSES OFF YOUR BACK!"

November 2012 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME EIGHT, Number 5

COME TO IRELAND WITH ME!!  SEPT 29th-OCT 8th, 2013

Here's something to think about during the holidays....

I'm thrilled and delighted to announce another Irish tour in 2013.  Early October has proven to be a very nice time to tour Ireland. How about  three days and nights in Westport, County Mayo, three in Clifden, County Galway, and three in Doolin, County Clare?  If you'd like all the details of this exciting trip, send me an email with your address, and I'll get one off to you immediately.



Have a look at my website for basic info on the tours and  also look as well at my friend Johnsmith's website.  http://johnsmithmusic.com/tour-ireland   Following my business partner and friend Tom Pigott's sudden death in February of this year, John stepped in and honored all of Tom's commitments - none of the 2012 tours were cancelled. He is operating now as Inishfree Irish music tours.

The cost for the tours is $2250 per person ( double occupancy) or $2600 single. Folks pay a $750 per person deposit via credit card upon signing up, then another $750 six months out, and the final $750 due three months out

I'm available and anxious to answer any questions you may have.  I love touring Ireland with my friends, and we will have the luxury coach of Paddy Downs at our service!  If you think you'd like to do this, DO IT!  I can only take 22 people, and I'm only doing one tour in 2013.  I'd love for you to be part of it.  Think it over during the holidays.  If I have 22 people signed up by January 15th, the tour is on ...  If I don't, I'll release the hotel rooms, or John will offfer the dates to someone else.  

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IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:

PITTSBURGH, PA - NEW YEAR'S EVE
CHICAGO, IL - HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
BURLINGAME, CA - WESTERN WORKERS' LABOR HERITAGE FESTIVAL
details at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html

I'm very excited that my talented activist/songwriter/comrade Evan Greer is coming to Pittsburgh to do a "That Was the Year That Was - 2012 - a musical revue" at my house.  I'll also provide champagne and food at midnight.

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SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING NEW

My wonderful daughter Amy was invited to participate in a show on THE LEARNING CHANNEL.  They were seeking brides-to-be who are wearing heirloom or borrowed dresses instead purchasing a new one.  Amy is a prime candidate for this show because the dress she'll wear on December 15th when she and Mike Meadows tie the knot was originally worn by her paternal great grandmother. Celia Levin married Abraham Seder in 1913 and the dress remained in storage until I wore it in 1977 when I married Amy's dad, Ron Berlin.

The dress was very frail and in need of major repairs.  The show offered to absorb all the costs of restoring the dress and customizing it to Amy's style if we would tell the story of the dress on their show.  They also had a professional Hollywood buyer measure Amy and select five new designer dresses for her to consider. She could have a new designer dress, or the restored 100 year old dress.  The show brought me, Amy and three bridesmaids out to Burbank for a week of filming and modeling.  It was sooooooooooo much fun!

Here we are sushi-fying!

The crew: Me, associate producer Trish Vogel, Lindsay Crochet, Christina Hurt
Llewellyn Gannon and the bride - Amy Berlin

TA DA!  THOSE ELECTIONS

Go Tammy!  Go Claire!  Go Elizabeth!  Go Maine!  Go Colorado!  Go Washington!
We also had some great victories in Pennsylvania...
and I'm so pleased we won't have to listen to Paul Ryan, Todd AIken or Mr. Mourdoch of Ohio.any more.

Now it's time for the real work.  We've got to devote ourselves to resisting - resisting offshore drilling, resisting mountaintop removal, resisting the Alberta Tar Sands project, resisting hydraulic fracturing ...  protecting our water, our air and our soil.

We cannot allow cuts to Social Security or Medicare.  We cannot allow the privatization of the Postal Service.  We can't give up on universal health care.  We can't give up on our teachers.  We must bring the troops home now!  

Your dance card full yet?

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MILESTONES - FAMILY AND FRIENDS

It is with great sadness that I report the untimely passing of working-class hero Jerry Tucker.  He mentored me and countless others in organizing, strategy, history, struggle, activism, listening, surviving and winning.  He loved baseball, jazz and labor songs.  His passing, from pancreatic cancer on October 19th, is a devastating loss to the working class.  

He and I worked on so many campaigns together, starting with the AE Staley lockout in Illinois in the early 90's and most recently the campaign for single-payer healthcare.  His humor, generosity, dedication, knowledge, persistence and optimism were unsurpassed in this movement.                                                               

                                                                                    
And another labor legend left us on October 5th at the age of 94.  George Edwards, most recently of SOAR, as well as a 70+year member of the United Steelworkers.  He was a fixture at every local rally for jobs, health care, peace and justice. The last time I saw George was at the 2012 Labor Day Parade.  He walked the entire route. To learn more about my friend George Edwards, read his obituary at
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/obituaries/obituary-george-edwards-wilkinsburg-resident-was-usw-activist-every-day-of-his-life-656471/

The movement sustained another loss with the passing of Russell Means on October 22nd..  Russell Means spent a lifetime as a modern American Indian warrior. He railed against broken treaties, fought for the return of stolen land and even took up arms against the federal government. Means, who died Monday from throat cancer at age 72, helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee — a bloody confrontation that raised America’s awareness about the struggles of Indians and gave rise to a wider protest movement that lasted for the rest of the decade.

Before AIM, there were few national advocates for American Indians.  Along with Dennis Banks, Means was one of the first to emerge. He sought to restore Indians’ pride in their culture and to challenge a government that had paid little attention to tribes in generations. He was also one of the first to urge sports teams to do away with Indian names and mascots. Means observed  "There were dozens, if not hundreds, of athletic teams that in essence were insulting us, from grade schools to college. That’s all changed.”

AIM was founded in the late 1960s to demand that the government honor its treaties with American Indian tribes. The movement eventually faded away, Means said, as Native Americans became more self-aware and self-determined.

Happy November Birthdays to Janet Feld, Sigi Nagys, Eric Schwartz, Jay Mankita, Pat Wynne, John Lilly, Alec Dubro, Rosann Barker, Amy Kurland, Dan Kenney, Kimberly Sever, James Durst, Mike Gremba, Pat LaManna, Shakeybean Cobb, Katie Hinde, Bill Pollak, Lloyd Cunningham, Mary Lane McCahill, Julie Leonardsson,  Marty Rosenberg, Darlene Buhler, Sheila Tiernan, Corry Metcalfe-Haendiges, Mark Perna, Shane Bartell, John Morber, Matt Watroba, Peter GIlmore, Kim Dobson, Bob Beach, Bob TIbbs, Dennis Soper, Jack Erdie, Vicki Guzman, Patty Spadaro, Larry Long, Scott Chesnick, Susie Howell, Christine Patberg, Ron Mann, Bayard Blain, Chuck Fink, Kathleen Mumphrey Chapman.

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THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  It's totally centered around food, family and friends... at least at my house.  No one is a football maniac.  In fact, our television wasn't on at all on Thanksgiving Day.  The kitchen was crowded with everyone helping to get the food to the table.  I am so incredibly grateful - more so every day - for the love and generosity of my friends that has lifted me from fear and sadness to gratitude and joy.  I can't possibly list everyone who has done something remarkably kind, thoughtful and generous for me.

L-R Kathleen Feeney, Casey Horne, Julie Leonardsson, Bryan Reilly, Ashley Walch, Kimberly Sever
(at table, not in pic) Amy Sue Berlin, Mike Meadows, Anne Feeney, Bill Feeney, Shirley Myers

Thank you for all your help and kindness to me over the past two years.  I don't know what 2013 has in store for me, but you've made it possible for me to live every day fully since my cancer diagnosis.  It's clear that I won't be able to return to my full work schedule for a while yet, and your support continues to be really important to me.  You can use the "Donate" button at http://annefeeney.com or send a check to me at 2240 Milligan Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA  15218.

I hope you'll buy my CDs as well ... http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid
I hope you're one of the 22 people who'll go to Ireland with me in 2013!

In solidarity,

Anne