GSA meeting at Center West

One of the coolest things happening at the Center West recently is the formation of a community Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). It's very difficult in this part of the world for GSA's to get going, and the fact is they save lives.

If you are a young person that is ready to take action against discrimination or bullying directed against you or your friends, this is the group for you. Here are the details; please forward the info along!

Weekly meeting for the Black Hills area Gay Straight Alliance at the Center West, 4pm on Saturday May 10th. On the agenda will be discussions about summer events, new LGBT teen center, upcoming pride festival, etc. Open to all LGBT youth, their friends and supporters. We need as many as can make it.

Michael M. Coats, Director
The Center West
3601 Canyon Lake Dr.
Suite 4
Rapid City, SD 57702
605-348-3244
info@thecenterwest.org
http://lavenderworldrc.blogspot.com/

Obama Night at Thirsty's

A bunch of PenDems had an exciting evening at Thirsty's, spending the evening watching Obama win North Carolina and watching Indiana, narrow, narrow, narrow.

Some of them are still there, waiting for the final answer...

David Gregory just said, on MSNBC

The end game is in sight.

Obama staff Kimberly Henderson (Dist 33 House candidate!!) and Melissa Ness (wo)man the table at Thirsty's tonight.



Precinct Committeeman Larry Mintzlaff gets a hug from the candidate he will deliver in Robbinsdale's fighting 1-4, Bethany Wojahn (District 32 House Dem candidate).

It was a great night!!

District 32 Dems on Act Blue

ActBlue now has a page up for all three of our forward-looking Dem candidates in Robbinsdale! (All three are Obama supporters too.)

Record Dem registrations

This is the benefit of the Hillary - Obama contest going on this long. (WaPo)

In the end, it will help the entire Nation push back from 25 years of nonsense, here in South Dakota and across the nation.

Go out there in Pennington County and register Dems!!

Richard Reedy gets that right

Richard Reedy, in a post on the Sioux Falls Argus Leader blog, ponders, as I do:

Can someone please explain how creating second-class citizens out of the gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender community is for the greatest good?

I find it interesting that many of the people who actively campaign to accomplish this are at the same time actively working to secure all human rights for the unborn. So according to their logic, the unborn has more civil rights than a retired, combat-disabled Marine who just happens to be gay. Most of these people make their arguments based upon their religious beliefs, a belief that is constitutionally protected and a belief that I defended as a Marine for years.

No kidding Sergeant! You are sooooo invited on July 12 to join us and other Patriots at the Shrine Of Democracy, Mount Rushmore, to celebrate the sacrifices of all our vets. This event is part of SD PrideFest 2008.

The guest speaker will be Judy Shepard of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Hope to see you there!

Cinco de Mayo is coming!

Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 4, 12-4 pm at The Armory in Sturgis!



Join us for lots of Mexican food, a jumping castle for the kids, and your Meade County Democratic Candidates:
Pam Chalkley
Dennis Levin
Fred McPherson
Nyla Griffith
Kevin O'Dea
Dennis Finch
Jeff Nelsen
Kim Henderson
Gary Loudner


All the food and fun for $15, $30 for the whole family!

Let's carpool to Sturgis!!

Download a printable flyer here....

Earth Day Tomorrow!

This crossed my desk from Mary Jo Farrington, who works in Student Affairs at SDSM&T, just north of Robbinsdale...

This should be a really wonderful event, not withstanding the Marxist overtones.

I highly recommend Karen Hall's talk. DIA's flyer on recycling in Rapid City is excellent, that alone is worth showing up!

Here is the final schedule of events at the School of Mines on Saturday,
April 26th. Bring your friends and forward this on! Thanks!


9:00 a.m. - LITTER PICK UP. Come to Kansas City St. and
Elm St. between 9 to 10 a.m. and pick up a bag
and gloves. We will go along the big hill (near Mines)
on Kansas City St. There will be another pick up day
from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 27. (same place)
.

2:00 – 5:00 Learn about the hybrid car. A Honda Civic hybrid
and Honda Civic Coupe will be on display
in the front of Surbeck. Don Cicchelli will be there to explain the technology.

2:00 – 9:00 Environmental booth displays: Surbeck Ballroom
(Plus, free popcorn, smoothies, and children activities)
Black Hills Sierra Club
Black Hills Mountain Lion
Black Hills Photographic Society
Democracy in Action
Environment Club, and CCPC
Friends of Sand Creek
Human Society
Izaak Walton League
Maka Foundation
Norbeck Society
Powertech Co.
Protect Private property
Prairies Hill Audubon Society
Prairie Dog Coalition
Roots and Shoots
SDSM&T Student Government (Kids table)
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

2:30 - 5:-30 Discussion Groups – McKeel (next to ballroom)
2:30 - Karen Hall “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”
DIA will give excellent recycle info booklet.
3:15 - Shirley Frederick “Uranium Mining in SD”
4:00 - Jim Petersen ‘Keeping Rapid City’s water
Clean!” Protecting our aquifers.
4:45 - Philip Bangs - “Wind, Solar power and
net metering”

5:45 – 6:40 FILM – “Kilowatt Ours” - McKeel

5:00 – 7:00 Food and drinks served in the Miner’s Shack
(downstairs in the Surbeck Center)

6:45 – 9:00 MUSIC, POETRY AND FUN!
6:45 p.m. MARAV starts the evening off with
Romany and middle eastern inspired music, with
hand drumming, guitar, vocals and dancing.
Leonard Running and Sue Hay will entertain!
Willy Grigg and Jon Clark will sing and
play guitar, keyboard and mandolin.
www.willygrigg.com
Philip Bangs video - Concerto For Winds
UU Haiku poetry
Open Mike - singers and players should sign in
at 6:45 p.m. and are welcome to perform too.