The Progressive Alliance of Henderson County has merged the energies and aims of its grassroots forerunners – PWH, POW, Hendersonville Huddle and Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform.
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OUR MISSION:
To connect residents of Henderson County and surrounding areas to civic engagement and activities at the grassroots level.
OUR VISION:
The Progressive Alliance of Henderson County (PAHC) compassionately advocates for justice, respect, inclusion and sustainable, healthy communities for all.
Visit our website for more photos, events, and links to like-minded groups.
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WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP?
Activism is NOT a spectator sport! Where/how do you see yourself helping?
Specific Areas to Assist PAHC
- Postcard Party Suggestion Sheets, contact Sissy Owen. Write a weekly Suggestion Sheet of issues for Friday Postcards – work from home, about once a month, a couple of hours.
- Postcard Party Address Lists, contact Audrey Stelloh . Maintain address list of US Cabinet members - work from home, half an hour when positions retire, get fired, die; several hours required when new President comes into office. Or create and maintain address list of NC State Senators - work from home, half an hour when positions retire, get fired, die; several hours required after election cycles.
- Photographer, contact Sissy Owen. Take pictures at rallies, Postcard Parties, Informed Progressive, wherever PAHC has events.
- Press releases, contact Liz Agnello. Person will be part of a team that develops press releases, promotion for events, articles for newsletters and any other writings needed to advance and address the needs of PAHC- work from home, amount of time is your decision.
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Postcard Parties
 Holiday weekends are busy times for Sanctuary Brewing Company, so we’ll meet in the Co-op Community Room (adjacent to the store) on the following date, from 4:30 to 6pm.
Friday, AUGUST 30th
The Hendersonville Community Co-op Community Room
60 S. Charleston Ln, Hendersonville, NC 28792
Food and beverages are available at the co-op.
All other Postcard Parties will be at Sanctuary Brewing Company - 147 1st Ave. E, Hendersonville, NC.
We will be partnering with El Centro on Friday, August 9, 2019 and with North Carolinians Against Gun Violence on Friday, August 16, 2019. See below articles for further details.
Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform
The Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform has been taking place in Hendersonville in front of the historic courthouse for the past ten years. It addresses the urgent need for compassionate, humane immigration reform that is particularly relevant to the current situation in our country. It addresses the need for DACA young people (those people brought to the U.S. illegally as children) to be given a path to citizenship. The Vigil is from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the third Friday of the month. The next Vigil is Friday, August 16th. We have signs or you can bring your own. Immediately following the end of the Vigil, the “Postcard Party” at Sanctuary Brewery, a short half block east of the courthouse, offers the opportunity to write postcards to legislators about issues of concern to you.
 HOLD THE DATE!
Friday, August 9 will be our next
"After-Postcards Casual Dinner With Alliance Friends"
6-7:30 p.m. at 305 Lounge & Eatery on Main St., downtown Hendersonville
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Informed Progressive Series
 On Wednesday, 7/10, Darlene Azarmi, Regional Organizing Manager for Democracy NC, discussed the removal of pre-clearance from the Voting Rights Act, the implementation of photo ID in NC (why and how it was taken down in Court and thus ended up on the ballot last Fall), where we are today with the removal of the last Saturday of Early Voting and the strategy behind uniform hours at Early Voting sites. Gaby Romero, student organizer at Appalachian State University, covered updates on the photo ID law, including the student piece of ID. The meeting ended with a call to action. Participants were encouraged to attend a free screening of “Rigged the Voter Suppression Playbook” held at Sanctuary Brewing Co, Sunday, July 14th.
 On Wednesday, July 24, Pam Rogers spoke at a special Informed Progressive meeting. Pam recently visited a migrant farm worker camp in Henderson County. She explained why she went, what she saw, and the people she met. She reported that there are around 50 migrant camps and that approximately 10,000 migrants come though Henderson County each year during the growing season (April – October). These people, who are fleeing gang violence and the lack of jobs and education, are exploited by an inhumane, unjust system. She ended with a call to action that included getting the word out about the deplorable conditions migrants face in our county (she is available to talk to groups), collecting items such as hats, bandanas and long sleeve shirts for the migrants, and donations.
On Wednesday, August 14, 2:00 – 3:30, Lyndsey Simpson, candidate for Hendersonville City Council will speak on her platform and goals for our town.
Donaldson Event Space
1216 6th Ave W, suite 500 (behind the Pardee Urological Building)
Hendersonville, NC 28792
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Area Events and News
Lights for Liberty
Hendersonville showed up – MORE than 200 of us - to support the local Lights For Liberty Vigil on the evening of Friday, July 12. We demonstrated to our community at large and to our immigrant neighbors that we stand with them and demand that they be treated with fairness, respect, decency, and justice in Western NC and and across the nation both in our immigration policies and practices.
El Centro’s Executive Director, Sergio Fernández, spoke to the crowd, as did 19-year-old Blake, who wondered aloud that maybe there were not more young people in attendance because they are afraid.
We sang and held our candles aloft in solidarity and resolve. We earned thumbs up and honks from passing motorists. Over $600 in cash was collected, as well as a lot of needed household supplies, for our immigrant neighbors.
Many kudos to Gayle Kemp for organizing the event! She urged us to stay involved, even when it seemed uncomfortable. Rapid Response Teams are forming, and need YOUR help. Send an email to Sergio Fernandez ( sergiofelcentro@gmail.com) with a copy to Gayle Kemp ( gaylekemp@gmail.com) for follow up since Sergio is so busy.
El Centro and Progressive Alliance of Henderson County
El Centro and the Progressive Alliance of Henderson County are partnering at Friday’s Postcard Party on August 9th at Sanctuary Brewing Company, 147 1st Ave. E., Hendersonville. Please drop in anytime between 4:30 to 6 PM. Postcards, stamps and suggestion sheets are provided.
El Centro of Henderso  n County is a grassroots nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a more inclusive community for Latinos, by providing unique services, developing grassroots leaders and working together to access community resources. Besides the GED and immersion Spanish/English classes, El Centro partners with faith communities and other organizations to address the wide-ranging needs of the Latinx community, such as employment, transportation, housing, voting rights, and protecting the legal rights of everyone in the community.
The presence of El Centro and its programs has contributed toward reaching our vision: to create a welcoming and just community where everyone is treated with dignity and where everyone is valued and respected. Sergio Fernandez, executive director, is working with Sheriff Griffin to address the impact that the 287(g) program and the ICE raids have had on our community.
We are pleased that the members of the Progressive Alliance of Henderson County have agreed to write postcards addressed to local officials regarding what needs to be done. Any volunteer is greatly appreciated, but volunteering to influence the policies in our community is one act that is of utmost importance.
Spanish-speaking volunteers are needed to answer the phones for a couple of hours each week at El Centro on N. Grove St. They also need a bookkeeper for a couple of hours a week, help in researching and writing grants, and help updating and maintaining their web page.
Donations of money, non-perishable food items, and hygiene supplies are most appreciated. El Centro will host a back to school drive. Please donate school supplies and new or gently used back packs. Collections will be gathered during postcards or can be dropped off at El Centro between 9:00 am and 2:00 PM, Monday to Friday.
Contact Information:
elcentro.lac@gmail.com
(828) 290 7134
508 N Grove St. Hendersonville, NC 28792
https://www.facebook.com/el.c.comunitario/
http://www.elcentrohvl.com/home
DEMONSTRATION FOR FAIR REDISTRICTING Before LWV redistricting forum
 Where: PUBLIC SIDEWALKS on Washington St. And 3rd Avenue IN FRONT OF HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
When: Saturday, August 10
Time: 1:00-2:00
Why: Tired of being kicked around by Mark Meadows, Chuck Edwards, and Mitch McConnell? They can do it because we don’t have competitive legislative districts in North Carolina or across the country.
Legislators Terry Van Duyn (Asheville) and Chuck McGrady will be at League forum. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO SPEAK OUT! Let’s END PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING.
Stay tuned for details about what is at stake with the new redistricting bills coming before the N.C. General Assembly.
North Carolinians Against Gun Violence/Progressive Alliance of Henderson County
 On Friday, August 16, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (NCGV.org), will partner with the Progressive Alliance of Henderson County at the Alliance's Friday Postcard Party. The Postcard Parties are every Friday at Sanctuary Brewing Company, 147 1st Ave. E, Hendersonville. Please drop by anytime between 4:30 to 6 PM. Postcards, stamps and suggestion sheets are provided.
NCGV is an organization that works to make North Carolina safe from gun violence through the education of the public about preventing gun violence, the enforcement of current gun laws, and the enactment of needed new laws.
Currently, the NC General Assembly is considering bills that would severely weaken our concealed carry permit system. Without concealed carry permit requirements, people in NC would be able to carry a loaded, hidden firearm without meeting any common-sense requirements such as undergoing firearm safety training from a qualified instructor. This is dangerous for our state, and together we can prevent it! Sara Smith, an organizer with NCGV, will be available with post cards and information to write your state legislators about this topic. She is also excited to connect with you about other opportunities to prevent gun violence in North Carolina together! For more on the importance of concealed carry permit laws or other issues NCGV works on, please visit http://www.ncgv.org/ or email Sara at sara@ncgv.org.
From Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety
Our next meeting will take place on Monday, August 12th at 5:00pm at the Hendersonville Community Co-Op. We will be discussing plans for the fall, and I'll recap  the highlights of the National Mom's Convention taking place this weekend in Washington DC. I'm hoping some Democratic presidental contenders will show up.
We will be tabling at the Back to School Festival on Saturday, August 17th from 10:00am-4:00pm at Jackson Park. We need volunteers to work 2 hour shifts at this event. Walter Barnwell said he'd help set up our canopy starting at 9:00am that morning. We could use some extra help with the set up, as well as handing out information and gun locks the rest the day. Please get back to me asap about your availability to help at this great community event.
https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/health/page/back-school-fest
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By Lee Stevens
Catherine Lynch
 Catherine Lynch has been a champion of compassionate immigration reform for the past 10 years, mostly through coordination of the Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform that is held on the third Friday of each month from 4:00 to 4:30 in front of the historic courthouse. While the vigil was started back in 2009 in an effort to support the passing of the Dream Act, it remains essential to our resistance to this day. In fact, since coming under the umbrella of the Progressive Alliance, attendance has increased, with about 30 participants at last month’s event.
“It’s not only humane and American to welcome immigrants,” she explains, “it’s also good for our country.”
Before becoming an integral member of our community, Catherine had lived within the same three-mile area on the south shore of Long Island for the first 62 years of her life. When she retired from her job as a medical social worker at a hospital there in 2006, she decided it was time to live somewhere else, especially during the winter. With her eye on the mountains of North Carolina, she rented a furnished apartment in Flat Rock for six months to try out the area. Luckily for us, she loved it, so she returned to Long Island, sold her condo, and moved here permanently in July 2007.
Once relocated, she continued her career in medical social work at Four Seasons Hospice until her retirement three years ago. She also volunteered at Blue Ridge Literacy Council and the Free Clinics, in addition to her involvement in immigration reform. These days, her other primary volunteer work is with Interfaith Assistance Ministries (IAM), where she serves as an intake interviewer and coordinator of the Interfaith Driver Program. In the second quarter of 2019, this program provided transportation for 97 clients who had either walked to IAM or taken public transportation and needed a ride home after receiving food and clothing.
In addition to helping people and working on causes close to her heart, Catherine has always loved to travel. Over the course of her lifetime, she has visited six of the seven continents, with Antarctica being the only one she has not visited. While she has had no problem traveling alone on hiking vacations and tours in many countries, these days she is joined by her husband of eight years, Bill Elder. She also loves to read, and belongs to a local book club.
When asked how she maintains the momentum of her resistance, she cited the value of perseverance. She looks back at the struggle of women getting the right to vote, which took 75 years of strength, courage, and persistence, and sees the result as proof that organized people working toward a positive cause will ultimately win.
She sums it up this way: “We stand on their shoulders, and should never pass up the right to vote because we have benefited from their sacrifices.”
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
ACLU Know Your Rights
For more complete information.
There is also an app that can be downloaded to your smart phone that sends camera footage directly to the ACLU so that if your phone is confiscated, the footage is saved. You can get it at: https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/en/app
Citizen Advisory Committees
 While many of us are gravely concerned about the path our Country and State are taking, there is something that we can do right here in Henderson County to make our community better. There are numerous committees at the County and Municipal level that need you to contribute your skill, talent, time, and voice. This is one way that we can be the change that we are looking for. Remember, we are the ones we have been waiting for. We need to show up and do what we can. What a great place to start: right here at home making a much needed contribution and forwarding the progressive cause locally. Please step up and speak up for what is important to us all. Your voice matters
El Centro Volunteer Position
Interested in volunteering for one hour each week (flexible to date and time but Monday preferred) to do bookkeeping for El Centro located on Grove Street in Hendersonville? To explore details please contact Sergio Fernandez at ElCentro.lac@gmail.com or
Sergio Fernandez
Executive Director
El Centro -LAC-
(828) 290-7134
508 N Grove St
Hendersonville NC, 28792
 From CREDO: Google Apps compromise privacy: Google knows where you are right now, even if location tracking on your Google apps is turned off. Worse, the company is handing over your location information to law enforcement agencies.
This is a gross breach of privacy and it needs to stop immediately. It's time we expose and hold Google accountable for collaborating with law enforcement and secretly surveilling people's activities through its Sensorvault program. (Sources: AP, 8/13/18; NY Times 4/13/19; Jennifer Lynch, Electronic Frontier Foundation, 4/18/19)
Tell Google: Stop the surveillance. Shutdown Sensorvault. Click here to sign the CREDO petition.
The Legalities of Picketing
 Information on picketing from Code of Ordinances – City of Hendersonville, N.C.
It is legal to demonstrate on city sidewalks. It IS illegal to impede traffic or movement of pedestrians on sidewalks or streets. A Notice of Intent to Picket is needed for demonstrations or pickets of 50 or more people. The intent of the “Notice of Intent to Picket” ordinance is to provide law enforcement with advance notice of gathering of large crowds so they can be on the lookout to provide for the safety of demonstrators and the public.
Sec. 46-83. - Picketing.
“(b) Notice of intent to picket. (1) Notification required. The organizer of a picket that the organizer knows, or should reasonably know will be by a group of 50 or more individuals shall give notice of intent to picket to the chief of police or designee at least 48 hours before the beginning of the picket.”
For those intending to organize demonstrations, it would be useful to consult the ordinance to get more specific information on city rules. See the ordinance.
For questions or help in organizing contact Chris Walters or Chris Berg through our website. We will be glad to help or advise.
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Some people don’t look.
Some look, but don’t see.
Some see, but don’t act.
Some people act.
. . . Anon
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The PAHC core leadership group (currently Liz Agnello, Chris Berg, Nancy & Neil Brown, Lucy Butler, Sheila Clendenning, Julia Luellen, Laura Miklowitz, Sissy Owen, Audrey Stelloh and Chris Walters) working together diligently to strengthen our impact, has created mission and vision statements for the group.
Please speak to any of us if you can offer your ideas and time about the future of Henderson County.
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