A few things going on around town you should know about . . . extra city meeting, mayoral forum, cops in schools, Venezuela, lake levels, free tax help, overture call for artists and help needs to pass state expungement laws!
EXTRA CITY MEETING
Madison-Area Out-of-School Time (MOST)
Date: Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 11:00am
Location: Goodman Library 2222 S. Park St Room Conference Madison, WI 53713
● Coalition meeting check-in
○ What’d the data say?
○ Trying something new in February
● MIS update
● MIS Scaling conversation
BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOLOL WEEK OF ACTION NATIONAL DEMANDS
From Freedom Inc
Despite recently renewing the contract with the Madison Police Department, the Madison Metropolitan School District is participating in the National Week of Action for Black Lives Matter at School whose fourth demand is to “Fund Counselors Not Cops.” This hypocrisy is a slap in the face to Black students who are disproportionately impacted by police violence in their schools and their communities.
Freedom Inc. has urged MMSD to invest in non-police crisis intervention specialists, school psychologists, counselors and creating well rounded, culturally relevant programs and services for youth of color for the past two years. Our youth deserve better and their lives matter.
Please contact your local School Board members to demand that they invest in youth and divest from the police.
School Board contact info:
Mary Burke – email: mburke2@madison.k12.wi.us
Nicki Vander Meulen – email: nkvander@yahoo.com
Kate Toews – email: ketoews@madison.k12.wi.us phone:608-800-2193
James Howard – email: jlhoward@madison.k12.wi.us phone:608-231-9376
Dean Loumos – email: dgloumos@madison.k12.wi.us phone:608-332-2095
TJ Mertz – email: tjmertz@madison.k12.wi.us phone:608-215-1942
Gloria Reyes – email: greyes@madison.k12.wi.us phone:608-228-5303
HANDS OFF VENEZUELA RALLY SATURDAY
What: “US Hands Off Venezuela” Rally
When: Saturday, February 9th, Noon
Where: State Capitol, State Street Steps, MadisonDemanding “regime change,” the Trump administration is laying siege to Venezuela. Washington’s deepening of sanctions, a form of economic warfare, is solely aimed at worsening an ongoing crisis in order to impose powers in Caracas favorable to US interests. US actions have served only to deepen political divisions and decrease the likelihood of a peaceful solution, as they increase hardships and suffering of the common people.
Venezuela has the world’s largest known oil reserves. And that fact has more to do with US demands for “regime change” and threats of further intervention than any concerns for “democracy” or “freedom” and the “defeat of tyranny.” US efforts to overthrow the present government will only serve to weaken the prospects for a peaceful, democratic resolution to the crisis and leave a bitter legacy in keeping with the long history of US intervention in the region.
The revival of “Yankee imperialism” at its worst must immediately be brought to a halt. People here in the US must once again come together to counter Washington’s aggression, overt and covert, in Venezuela and elsewhere in Latin America — the necessary precondition for peace, true democracy, and security. Join in opposition and voice demands for an end to US intervention and violations of Venezuela’s national sovereignty.
VITA TAX SITES
This is tax assistance for low income people.
1) State of Wisconsin locations throughout (says specific to Elderly but can also be used by anyone under income guidelines)- https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/pcs-vita.aspx
2) Madison Public Library VITA Sites and hours: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/resources/tax-assistance-2019
3) Most important/easiest to share- VITA Brochure at Richard Dilley Tax Center attached here.
COUNTY YAHARA CHAIN OF LAKES – LAKE LEVEL TASK FORCE
Yogesh Chawla recorded the meeting if you didn’t make it on time last Monday.
THE ONE PRE-PRIMARY MAYORAL FORUM I MIGHT ATTEND
Getting Past the Politics with The People’s Mayoral Forum
Dear YGB Community,In the spirit of holding our elected officials accountable and demanding change, YGB is excited to host The People’s Mayoral Forum: Getting Past the Politics, brought to you by Movement Fund, moderated by Sagashus Livingston, we will look past political jargon and dig deep into candidate solutions, experiences and expertise.
During the mayoral race, local leaders have produced insightful forums that only seem to scratch the surface of candidate history, solutions, and expertise. The community has asked for more.
YGB has heard the community’s cry for deeper questions with deeper responses that get past the political answers that everyone knows. We’re getting at relevance. We’re getting to specifics.
This is your time to ask the REAL questions and get the REAL answers from our city’s potential leader. Attendance is free and open to the public.
The event will take place on Monday, February 11, at 6:30pm. It will be located at Madison’s Central Library at 201 W Mifflin St. 3rd floor.
You can register for the event on Eventbrite and Facebook
Please, share this with your friends and family and let’s make sure our mayoral candidates hear from us in the best way possible.
Moderated by Sagashus Livingston
OVERTURE CALL FOR ARTISTS – INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS
Overture will hold the following gallery application information meetings this week:
For individual applicants: WED, FEB 6, 6-7 pm in the Wisconsin Studio, 3rd floor of Overture.
For group applicants: THU, FEB 7, 6-7:30 in the Wisconsin Studio, 3rd floor of Overture.Overture Galleries Call for Artists and Proposals
The Overture Center is now accepting applications for its 2019/20 Gallery Season. Located in Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street, the Overture Galleries radiate off the Rotunda lobby on three levels, serving as an entryway to the Capitol Theater.
The Overture Galleries 2019/20 Application deadline is MON, MAR 18, 2019.
Overture aims to exhibit a wide variety of artists, media and visual art of organizations from throughout Dane County. The application is easy and Overture staff is available to answer any questions.
Information on applying and the online application can be found here: http://www.overture.org/galleries/overture-galleries/info-for-artists
To prepare your application, please review the application instructions, gallery guidelines and information for artists found on this page. http://www.overture.org/galleries/overture-galleries/info-for-artists
Individual applicants will be placed into two person or group shows. Overture Galleries also accepts curatorial proposals and group proposals. Group and curated exhibits must be organized with a strong conceptual and visual theme and include work by at least two artists, the majority of whom reside in Dane County.
Overture Gallery Staff will hold an informal meeting to answer questions regarding the gallery application process. This meeting will be held on WED, FEB 6 6-7 pm in the Wisconsin Studio, 3rd floor of Overture.
Overture Gallery Staff will also hold a meeting about curated projects. This meeting will be held on THU, FEB 7, 6-7:30 in the Wisconsin Studio, 3rd floor of Overture.
If you have any questions about your application or the process, please feel free to contact us.
Beth Racette at bracette@overture.org or 608.258.4169 or
Augusta Brulla, the Gallery Assistant at galleries@overture.org608.258-4428,We encourage you to sign up for Overture Galleries newsletter!
At the bottom right of any page on Overture webpage www.overture.org you’ll see “Get Email Updates” Press SIGN UP button and check the box for Overture Gallery News. (You’ll need to do this from the website, not a mobile device.)
Overture Galleries also has a Facebook page where we announce Gallery exhibitions, opportunities and post other relevant information. https://www.facebook.com/overturegalleries/
WHERE WOULD YOU BE WITHOUT A SECOND CHANCE?
Help get state expungement laws!
Where would you be without a second chance?
Whether it was an employer who decided to take a chance and give us our big break, or loved ones who helped us find forgiveness for a bad decision, we’ve all benefited from having second chances in our lives. Having been convicted of a minor criminal offense should be no different.
Take a minute to tell state lawmakers to reform expungement laws to give minor criminal offenders a second chance.
Research shows even minimal interaction with the criminal justice system can have a significant detrimental impact on a person’s life. The consequences of a criminal record can be a life-long barrier to success, presenting obstacles to employment, housing, and education.
At the same time, Wisconsin is experiencing a shortage of workers all across the state. Too many of our state’s able-bodied, potential employees remain trapped on the workforce sidelines due to an employment barrier created by our state’s outdated, unclear, and inconsistent expungement law.
It’s time to remove those unnecessary burdens from those who have paid their debts to society for minor offenses. It’s time to reform expungement laws in Wisconsin. Send a message to your state lawmaker today: let’s give folks a second chance to clear their records and get to work.
More Background:
BACKGROUND: A bi-partisan group of state lawmakers has introduced LRB 1689/1. This proposal provides comprehensive expungement reform and bridges the gap between employers seeking to fill vacancies and low-level offenders seeking a pathway to overcome a barrier to employment and become successful members of the workforce. The bill would:– Eliminate the state mandate on judges to grant/deny expungement at the time of sentencing. Wisconsin is the only state that requires the decision on expungement to be made at the time of sentencing rather than after a sentence has been completed. This bill allows judges to approve (or deny) an expungement petition at the completion of the sentence.
– Provide employers and employees with clarity and certainty in regards to criminal background disclosures on employment applications.
– Clarify that only low-level offenders are eligible for expungement. The bill does not make any changes to current law regarding the types of crimes that are eligible.
– Define what it means to successfully complete a sentence, to ensure that only individuals who have successfully completed their sentences (and have not reoffended) will be eligible for expungement.
– Remove the arbitrary age limit of 25.
