The Unforeseen, Apr. 28, Civic Club, Sou. Pines

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS WILL SHOW GRIPPING DOCUMENTARY ON

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND SPRAWL

On April 28, Save Our Sandhills will show the breathtaking documentary The Unforeseen, which was produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford. This film questions what we – as members of communities around the country – are willing to sacrifice in the name of growth.

This 90-minute film depicts the transformation of thousand of acres of pristine hill country in Austin, Texas, into suburban development by an ambitious real estate developer. In the process, a nearby natural spring is threatened, community conflict ensues, land is devastated, and lives are ruined. The Unforeseen, beautifully crafted, explores in-depth all sides of this politically-charged situation, showing the effects of development and sprawl on landowners, developers, and members of the community.

This same struggle is playing out in cities and towns across the United States and, at this moment, it is playing out in Moore County, particularly in Area A, which is the fastest growing area in the county. Moore County has had – and continues to have – controversy surrounding projects known as Stonehill Pines, Dormie Club, Pine Forest, Pine Needles, and Tyler’s Ridge. The question this film poses, “What are we willing to give up in the name of growth?” is not rhetorical. It is based in a reality that we must ponder. What do we envision Moore County to become in the future? Will it resemble “Everywhere USA?” or will it continue to have the charm and ambiance that has brought people to visit and settle here for years?
Join us for an informative and provocative evening; refreshments will be served. We will meet Thursday, April 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

Humanure in Austin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZXFK8z9WXo&feature=player_embedded

Author Diane Wilson

http://www.chelseagreen.com/authors/diane_wilson/

No Security for Obama

Dallas Police Ordered to Stop Weapons Screening Obama Crowds

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022208E.shtml

Jack Douglas Jr., writing for Dallas Star-Telegram, reports, "Security details at Barack Obama's rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena."

How 'Bout One For the Rest Of Us?

http://www.off-grid.net/index.php?p=680

For Molly from The Texas Observer

Statement From the Texas Observer

Molly Ivins left her editor's chair at The Texas Observer more than 30 years ago and went on to play a larger stage. But she never left us behind. She remained convinced that Texas needed a progressive, independent voice to call the powerful to account and to stand up for the common folk.
She kept our voice alive. More than once, when the paper was on the brink of insolvency, she delivered speeches and gave us the honorariums. She donated royalties from her best-selling book Shrub to keep the doors open. Her determination and efforts sustained the Observer as a magazine, as a family, and as a community.
Molly was a hero. She was a mentor. She was a liberal. She was a patriot. She was a friend. And she always will be. With Molly's death we have lost someone we hold dear. What she has left behind we will hold dearer still.
Despite her failing health and an impending ice storm, Molly insisted on being driven to the Observer's most recent public event in early January so she could thank our supporters. Observer writers are useful, she explained to the crowd, in much the same way as good hunting dogs. Turn them loose, let them hunt. When they return with their prey, pat them on the head, say a few words of praise, and set them loose to hunt again.
For the time being, The Texas Observer's web site will be dedicated to remembering Molly, her work, her wit, her contributions to the political discourse of a nation. We invite readers to submit their own thoughts and recollections, to say a few words of praise. Then, we will return to the hunt.
To read more about Molly Ivins or to make a comment about her, go to Texas Observer. Tax-deductible contributions in her honor may be made to The Texas Observer, 307 West Seventh Street, Austin, TX 78701 or the American Civil Liberties Union, 127 Broad Street, 18th floor, New York, NY 10004.