Written by Marcia Hamilton | 02 February 2010

As many of you know (because you were also calling calling calling into Massachusetts) volunteers across the country were extremely busy trying to save Ted Kennedy’s seat.  Dustin Lambro, OFA State Director, wrote that OFA  made “close to 8,000 calls using Votebuilder at our physical phone banks or from using Votebuilder from home—and over half of those just on the last day of GOTV Tuesday.  We also made  almost 12,000 calls using Neighbor to Neighbor online.    This equals a total of nearly 20,000 calls from Washington State alone.  Nationally, OFA made over 2.4 MILLION calls into Massachusetts.  That said, losing the special election in Massachusetts was obviously a disappointment.  After historic gains in the last two election cycles, we know that we’re fighting a head wind in 2010.  What we saw in Massachusetts was an electorate that is anxious and impatient at the pace of change in this country.  No one is more frustrated at the stranglehold the special interests have over Washington–and the slow pace of change—than is the President.”

Media Ethics Committee

Indeed, the circumstances of the Massachusetts election provided the context for our first OFA Media Ethics meeting at Jeff Gislason’s (PCO Belfair 2) house on January 19.  The group of Neighbor to Neighbor Network (NNN) volunteers  who form the core OFA Mason County team have  long been concerned over the role of media in swaying public opinion unfairly by distorting the truth.  We decided to recognize the first year anniversary of our President’s term by doing something about media ethics.  And, actually, some of our questions are, “Why can’t we apply the same “truth in advertising” rule to news as we do to products?  What is the obligation of journalism if not to report the facts?  When did the concept of the “public airways” go away?  Jeff (euphemistically) calls “news” “noise” shows

Some of  what we decided was  that our overall goal was to educate people about how to find out and tell the difference between news, commentary, opinion, and lies.  We agreed that our targets would be the FCC, newspapers, radio and TV (including FOX, CNN and MSNBC) and that the main issue was the media’s and specific journalists’ sensationalization of  and distortion of the truth.   We thought that we would start local but deal with national “news.”  We agreed that we would monitor the situation, do research, and  advocate change at the FCC (Toll  Free number is 888-225-5322).  When we acted we would be specific, factual and base our comments on proof.

We decided to write to local papers as individuals, pointing out the false statements of the week made by TV commentators and ask readers to write to FCC,   We are also going to hold an event at which we will show the movie “Outfoxed” and host a panel discussion comprising representatives from local media and government.   We welcome new  members.  Please let any of us know your interest or call or email me.  (360-275-67601,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Yes We Canning

To celebrate Martin Luther King’s day of service in 2010 we held a CAN-IN  at the Belfair Baptist church at which ten canners canned 300 apples worth of applesauce.  QFC donated the apples,  the church donated the use of its commercial kitchen, the canners (some of them true experts who have canned their whole lives) donated their time and expertise (including our own Mary Chilton); Jane and George Roush provided  most of the jars  and somehow all of us found enough money to buy new lids.  We canned to exhaustion!  55 pints, 30 3-cup jars, and 24 quarts.  Because regulations prohibit our giving “home canned” food to a food distribution center, the canners took it to various non- distribution centers and churches where the homeless are fed.  These included 30 jars to the homeless shelter in Shelton,  20 quarts to the House of Prayer Friday Lunch, the Coalition of Churches, Sunday Supper, and the Prince of Peace Catholic Church.

The  NNN/OFA Yes We CaNNNing Project will continue, under the guidance and oversight of the WSU Extension Food Preservation Department.     Our goals are to  provide training and assistance to our community for safe,  healthy living and eating.  We will do this by training needy community members how to can safely; using  and preserving foods that would otherwise be wasted; helping to feed the hungry in our community; and  bringing back the home touch to what we put on the table. Yes We CaNNNing will thus be training community members as food handlers and in canning and food preservation techniques under WSU guidelines.  In addition, Canners will use locally grown products, become certified food handlers, learn preservation techniques, and provide food for themselves.  In this way we will train people to can and have them take both their food and their new found knowledge home.

< Prev