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DESCRIPTION:HYPOTHERMIA PAYBACK HITS ELDERLY DISABLED HOMELESS MAN\nFreedom Sleeper 
 activists reported last week learning of the death of local homeless man 
 Michael Meers, disabled with a foot injury.  \n\nWarming Center founder 
 Brent Adams noted "On our coldest night of the year, he showed up with no 
 shoes and soiled pants...We changed his clothes, offered personal care and 
 gave him a coat and layers of clothes.  He didn't want the women's rain 
 boots we had given him - even though they fit him.  He slept well that 
 night.  [At other times Meers]...rested in doorways and behind buildings.   
 limited and painful gate....[The night Meers died] we were [open and] at a 
 remote location.  [Even though] I did a shuttle sweep of downtown that 
 night - I didn't find him."\n\nFreedom Sleeper activist Abbi Samuels has 
 announced they will be having a memorial for him.\n\nWINTER SHELTER CUTS 
 TRANSPORT FOR DISABLED?\nAdams notes further that "the AFC [Association of 
 Faith Communities] Winter Shelter has been refusing people with physical 
 challenges like Micheal's. They've even stopped using the handicap 
 accessible lift on their shuttle bus."  \n\nIn order for folks to use the 
 110 spaces [for an unhoused population of 1000-2000 in the City], they must 
 walk out to the edge of town past the Tannery on Highway 9 by 4 PM in the 
 afternoon.  The program refuses to allow people to go directly to the 
 downtown Salvation Army shelter where worker Steve Pleich has attempted to 
 move the "intake facility" from its distant and 
 difficult-for-disabled-to-access location.\n\nBATHROOM BAN STILL ON?\nBrent 
 also noted that the Warming Center has been "hosting people who've been 
 relieving themselves in their pants for several days."   There is no 
 indication that the City staff has opened the City Council Courtyard "park" 
 bathrooms during the night or even in a timely manner during the day, a 
 concern that Freedom Sleepers brought directly to the staff at a prior 
 Freedom SleepOut  \n\nFOOD NOT BOMBS ORGANIZING EVENT AND PRESENTATION 
 FRIDAY MARCH 10 6:30 pm\nKeith McHenry has announced he'll be speaking at 
 the Resource Center for Non-Violence in an organizational and educational 
 meeting for activists at 612 Ocean St.  The theme of the talk will be 
 "Taking Direct Action To Resist Fascism".   \n\nFood Not Bombs has been 
 regularly feeding Freedom Sleepers Tuesday evening as well as providing hot 
 vegan food to all comers outside the main post office on Saturday and 
 Sunday 4-6 PM.   It is currently resisting an attempt by right-wing 
 residents to drive them away.  Sign their petition at  
 https://www.change.org/p/support-the-right-of-food-not-bombs-to-share-free-food-info-and-ideas-in-public-spaces-in-sc/ 
 . \n\nStory at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/03/02/18796921.php 
 ["Anti-homeless group tries to drive Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs out of 
 sight"]\n\nThe Homeless (Lack of) Services Center [HLOSC} continue to 
 refuse to open its meals to the community as Food Not Bombs, Calvary 
 Episcopal, the St. Francis Soup Kitchen and other groups do.  \n\nNew 
 public records, secured by Councilmember Chris Krohn, show collusion 
 between the SCPD, Harvey West Businesses, and City Parking Boss Marlin 
 Granlund to ban all parking on Coral St. and other nearby streets, 
 requiring disabled folks to park blocks away from to the HLOSC to use the 
 limited services they still provide. \n\nNO RECORDS YET FROM THE SCPD; 
 CLAIM FORMS STILL CENSORED FROM COUNCIL AGENDA\nPolice are still 
 withholding witness accounts and the D.A.'s investigation into SCPD Officer 
 Eric Bailey's gundown of Sean Arlt last October.  Councilmember Krohn has 
 not publicly demanded these records be released, as earlier records were of 
 the Officer Conor Carey's killing of "Happy" John Dine in 1997\nsee   
 "Unasked Questions, Foregone Conclusions"  at 
 http://www.huffsantacruz.org/StreetSpiritSantaCruz/076.Unasked%20Questions,%20Forgone%20Conclusions=1-98.pdf\n&\nhttp://www.huffsantacruz.org/StreetSpiritSantaCruz/077.Happy%20John%20Dine's%20Death=1-98.pdf\n&\nhttp://www.huffsantacruz.org/StreetSpiritSantaCruz/078.John%20Dine's%20Death%20(cont.)=1-98.pdf\n\nNor 
 has there been a response to records of communications between the SCPD and 
 the Department Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement to 
 resolve the contradictory stories of Chief Kevin Vogel and Spokesperson 
 Schwab of the DHS.\n\nOn the upside, City Hall has released records of all 
 claims against the City filed in the last year.  An activist requested that 
 pending claims be placed on the City Council in the original form presented 
 by those claiming damages against the city for abusive or negligent 
 behavior.  City Administrator Bren Lehr has so far declined to do this, 
 concealing contact information--which prevents the public from giving 
 meaningful testimony at the Closed session which precedes City Council.  
 This is particularly important in cases of police violence--which often 
 gets little if any coverage in the local media. \n\n1984 READING PROMPTS 
 ACTIVIST RESPONSE\nGeorge Orwell's warning novel 1984 got a public reading 
 at the Bookshop Santa Cruz, owned and run by the Coonerty family, that has 
 long excluded key Sleeping Ban opponents.  The store owners have targeted 
 Freedom Sleep supporters Becky Johnson, Robert Norse,  and a slew of others 
 who've denounced Neal and Ryan Coonerty for their political actions as 
 Councilmembers creating anti-homeless city policy.  \n\nLast week, the 
 Bookshop Coonerty featured an exclusionary reading of Orwell's grim warning 
 against political repression.  (See 
 http://goodtimes.sc/cover-stories/orwell-1984-trump/ )   \n\nActivists 
 responded with an informational flyer outlining the various law and 
 practices developed in Santa Cruz in significant part with Coonerty 
 leadership or support and the general silence of the "progressive" 
 community.\n\n https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/03/06/18797116.php
SUMMARY:Showing Contempt for Local Trumpite Sleeping Ban Enforcement--Freedom SleepOut #87
LOCATION:Again Besieging the Balmy Bigots at City Hall--809 Center St.---in the City 
 Hall Courtyard both there and on the sidewalk.  Sleeping bags, blankets, 
 cameras, and hot soup are our weapons.  From Tuesday afternoon through 
 mid-morning Wednesday.  Help needed posting videos on line to showcase the 
 antics of the Sleepbuster Scalawags who stalk Freedom Sleepers by night and 
 by day.
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/03/06/18797116.php
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