A Very Occupy Weekend – Irvine AND Santa Ana hijinx!

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Upcoming events this weekend for Occupy Orange County – both Irvine branch and Santa Ana.  Participating in all or most of these operations is good for your soul.  Especially in the rain!

TONIGHT (Friday) IRVINE:  Movie – “Capitalism, A Love Story.”

Friday, November 4 · 8:30pm – 10:30pm
Location – Irvine United Congregational Church
4915 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA
Plumer Hall

Capitalism: A Love Story examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). The film moves from Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan. With both humor and outrage, the film explores the question:  What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism?  Families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings.  Moore goes into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere.  What he finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal…and 14,000 jobs being lost every day.  Capitalism: A Love Story also presents what a more hopeful future could look like.  Who are we and why do we behave the way that we do?

This movie is being presented by Occupy Orange County CA as part of their educational outreach.

Thank you to the Irvine United Congregational Church for providing the space to view the movie.

There is no charge to attend this viewing.

Saturday, Irvine:  Transfer Your Money Day –
Speeches, March, Music, and Voter Registration Drive!

Saturday Nov. 5, nationwide, is “Transfer Your Money Day,” during which informed American citizens will remove their funds from the major banks such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase and Citibank that accepted bailout money and continue to impose regulations that create hardship for consumers, and transfer them to alternative institutions such as smaller community banks and credit unions.

The Occupy Irvine Village, at the Civic Center Plaza on the corner of Alton and Harvard will mark this day with a rally and a Transfer Your Money March to the local branch of a major bank at 11AM, with speeches and music back at the Village at from 2 to 5 PM.

Featured speakers will include celebrated UCI Middle East Studies Professor Mark LeVine (on current events in Egypt and our solidarity with the people there), UFCW policy analyst Julio Perez, and other experts on the banking system and our current financial crisis. Music of all genres, interspersed between the speeches, will be provided by “Rock Doctor” John Hoagland, Vern Nelson, and other special guests.

Being inclusive, the Occupy Movement is “trans-partisan.” In other words, it’s a movement by the people for the people regardless of political affiliation. To that end, Occupy Orange County is embarking on a Voter Registration Drive also beginning Saturday, November 5th. Any person desiring to register to vote is encouraged to stop by the village and fill out their voter’s registration card.

To RSVP for the Transfer Your Money March, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=233879273340590

SANTA ANA, SATURDAY:  Occupy Art Walk, and more!

The Santa Ana branch of the Orange County Occupation looks even more exciting this weekend.  This Saturday at 1 PM they are holding a rally at the corner of 4th and Main in front of the malefactors Wells Fargo and Bank of America, and leafleting pedestrians in support of Transfer Your Money Day.

At 5 they will all march down to “Occupied Civic Center” – which is by the Veterans’ Memorial at Broadway and Santa Ana, and have Face-Painting and Self-Defense Instruction for children.  (!)  While preparing for the big Art Walk Action.

At 7:30 PM the big Occupy Art Walk Procession begins – with “silent marching” past all the Dia de los Muertos altars, culminating at the Santora Building and Matt’s studio.  [Hey!  There’s a piano there, a painted piano from back when the Pacific Symphony did their “OC Can You Play?” thing — so I’ll definitely be playing and we’ll be singing songs there Saturday night. – ed]

Route: Civic Center to Main Street, Main Street to 4th Street, 4th Street to Spurgeon Street Promenade, Stop at altar, 3rd Street to Main Street, Main Street to 2nd Street Promenade, 2nd Street to Art Walk, leaflet & end with sangria at Matt’s studio at approximately 9 PM…

NOTE:  Saturday night we all GAIN an hour – another great Occupy victory!

Make sure to turn your clocks back!!

SUNDAY, Santa Ana, 10am to 1 – Save the Sexlinger Orange Orchard!

[Ed – this isn’t connected with Occupy necessarily, but it could be and should be – we should not let the top 1% destroy Orange County’s last remaining intact orange orchard!  Hat-tip Heather Pritchard.]

Demonstration Dates
We continue to have demonstrations at the orchard – spreading the word about its possible destruction. Please plan on attending any of our upcoming demonstrations… weather permitting —

Sunday, November 6 from 10 am – 1 pm
Saturday, November 12 from 10 am – 1 pm
Saturday, December 10 from 10 am – 1 pm
Sunday, December 18 from 10 am – 1 pm
The Sexlinger Orange Orchard is located at 1584 East Santa Clara Avenue (between Grand and Tustin)

We are also asking everyone, especially Santa Ana residents, to write letters to our city officials (Santa Ana Planning Commissioners and City Council members) and tell them how you feel about the development project proposed for this last remaining intact orange orchard complex within our city. We will be available to help with letter writing at all demonstrations.

Clarification & Update:

There has been some misinformation about the ownership of the orchard. Martha Sexlinger, the last family member, died in 2006. Her property was left to Farmers and Merchants Bank. It has changed hands several times since her passing and the current owners – Concordia University Irvine and Orange Lutheran High School – purchased this five-acre orange orchard at auction in 2009 when the then owners – Empire Homes – defaulted on their loan.

As many of you who drive by the orchard know, the trees are full of beautiful Valenicia oranges that simply fall to the ground and rot. The Save Our Orchard Coalition and The Harvest Club have made several attempts, (since last June), to contact both schools in an effort to harvest this food and deliver it to those in need within our community. We have mostly been ignored. In the latest attempt, we were denied access to the orchard — “… Concordia’s legal counsel has advised against permitting anyone access to the property, regardless of signed waivers or liability insurance coverage. Sincerely, Kurt Krueger President.” This is a very sad response indeed.

MONDAY NIGHT, SANTA ANA:  City Council meeting!

Occupy Santa Ana is trying to get permission from the Santa Ana City Council to camp out permanently at the Veterans’ Memorial like the Irvine protestors do in Irvine.  Word is councilwoman Michele Martinez has introduced a motion to that end for Monday night’s meeting;  we have not seen it yet, more details to come.  Word is also that councilmen Benavides and Sarmiento are already supporting us;  we need Tinajero and/or Alvarez on board, they are both known as progressives so they really should.  Commissioner Mill, we need your help!  And it’s great to see we’ve got both the progressive candidates in the 69th AD backing us – Julio and Michele.

Much more to come soon…


About Vern Nelson

Greatest pianist/composer in Orange County, and official political troubadour of Anaheim and most other OC towns. Regularly makes solo performances, sometimes with his savage-jazz band The Vern Nelson Problem. Reach at vernpnelson@gmail.com, or 714-235-VERN.