Springville Action - 7/20/25 #29

It was hard to build on local stuff for this issue. 😕 Hope you get something out of this.

Whether it’s a link to a timely news item, a call to action, an event or a book review, send it to [email protected].

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🦄 Inspiration

Fifteen Minutes of Fighting Fascism; Fifteen Hours of Joy. Whatever works for you!

🧟‍♂️ Nightmare Fuel

Public Media is defunded, not defeated. Fact: if you’re on the side that thinks Elmo and Mister Rogers don’t deserve public support, you should be regretting your life choices.

NPR’s editorial choices deserve criticism, locally and nationally. It may be slightly unfair to say that they were an integral part of the media machine that helped lock this regime in place. But it is true that they gave and give space for MAGA lies, amplify Trump messages without meaningful pushback in many cases, and now are shocked, just shocked that one of the pillars of their funding has been kicked out from beneath them? Shoulda seen that coming.

Anyway, support local media and especially public media however you can. If it means a donation, cool, especially to national programs. Share their online stories. Call and thank their stations.

One likely outcome of this defunding: shitty “learning” sites like PragerU and Christo-fascist thinktanks like the Heritage Foundation will fill the space held by Elmo and Sesame Street with their own version of Nazi muppets and singing the alphabet to the tune of “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Local teachers have already used these sites for classroom material. We’ll see more of it, so be vigilant when reviewing your child’s school work, and be prepared to speak up and speak out to local school boards.

To do ✅ 

📚 Something to read: American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherman. You could also go watch Oppenheimer if you missed it during the whole OppenBarbie craze, but you get so much more depth with a book. Striking historical parallels to current events. A remarkable overview of an unabashed genius’s life, love and work at a pivotal space and time - the dawn of the nuclear age. It’s long so dig in and have a dictionary next to you when reading.

A big 👏 to: WNY Democrats for having a summer meeting and offering an opportunity for local candidates to share their messages and recruit for volunteers. Think about this - you make a donation to the DNC or congressional candidate. Yay, $50 is like pennies to campaigns like that.

On a local level, a $50 donation is absolute gold. Town races aren’t usually that expensive - in the grand scheme of things - and while local dollars demonstrate local support, those local dollars can also go far to make long-shot races competitive and to make competitive races winnable. $50 = a few hundred lit pieces; thousands of social media ad impressions; pizza for energized volunteers making calls and knocking on doors. One of our first Springville Action newsletters mentioned finding your people and fighting your corner. Here’s your chance:

Copied from the WNY Democrats for Progress FB page because of general laziness:

10 candidates: Kevin Hardwick for Erie County Comptroller, John Davis for Amherst Town Board, Jack Kavanaugh for Amherst Town Board, Tiffany Lewis for Cheektowaga Town Council, Monica Elderkin for Cheektowaga Town Council, Braiden McElhaney for Orchard Park Town Board, Marie Mahon4OPTownSupervisor, Jenn Borgioli for Lancaster Town Board, Tom Sweeney for Lancaster Town Board and Natalie Nitsche for Hamburg Town Clerk.

Pick at least one of these folks and make their race your pet project through November. They need the love. Give them some money, offer to make phone calls, drive the candidate on doors, do research, attend events, share social media content. It’s just work, folks, and we aren’t afraid to do the work.

A big 🖕 to: Nick Langworthy - a perpetual stain in this space - for voting for the recission package and defunding public media. BTPM and local media should boycott his press conferences, send his staffers’ emails to the big junk email box in the sky, and be clear that an assault on public media is an assault on all media.

This won’t happen, though, we’ll still see the same both-sides-ism that plagues news stories. Don’t platform hate and don’t give public space to fascists. Easier said than done.

Also: CBS and Paramount caved, and we’re losing the Late Show. Look for broadcast licenses to be threatened, news anchors to quit in fear for their lives, self-censorship to become the name of the media game, and ultimately, ed. note, I think they’re going to try to get SNL off the air.

Springville Action currently meets in person every 4 to 6 weeks at a local venue. We typically share ideas, local events, and have a facilitated discussion around a chosen theme. If you do not currently receive these email invitations, but would like to be included, please respond to  [email protected].

🧶 Crafters/Fiber Artists - lots of opportunities to come together! Concord Library, first Sat. of the month, 1-3; Concord Mercantile, second Sat. of the month, 10-1; Art’s Cafe, Wednesdays, 5:30pm. You’ll see your people.

[remainder of content repeats (mostly) from last email]

To Do ✅

😷 Medical checkups. Get a printout of your vaccination record and check with your doctor about recommended vaccines, including MMR, based on your age and other risk factors.

🐝 Citizen Scientists, Unite! Download the Inaturalist app on your phone; upload pictures of nature (animals, plants, trees) for identification and help out the environmental community.

📰 Letter to the Editor. Pick a topic, drill down to 1 key message and write your heart out. There are local people who will help zazz up your letter and get it ready for publication. Email [email protected].

📱 5 Calls - Download the app to your phone; enter your ZIP code; follow the prompts to call U.S. Senators and your local Congressional rep. EXTRA CREDIT - ask your local elected officials what the impact of general federal nonsense will have on local projects, and what they are doing to protect your community.

📮 Postcards - Explore the Postcards for Democrats web site and support Democratic candidates in swing states. Organize for Action is local, find them on Facebook.

😊 Meet a Neighbor: How well do you know your neighbors? Start small but make a point to find one new acquaintance in your area this week!

🗳️ Go to a government meeting. These are open to the public and people rarely attend. See your government at work and pay attention to the decisions they’re making.

• The Town of Concord Board meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm with a work session preceding as needed.

• Sardinia Town Council Meets the 2nd Thursday of the Month 6:30 pm at the Sardinia Town Hall. 12320 Savage Road, Sardinia, NY 14134, 716-496-8900.

• Village of Springville: Meetings are on the second floor at 65 Franklin Street. Meetings are normally the first and third Monday of the Month at 7:00pm. Check for schedule updates.

• Springville-Griffith Institute Board of Education

• (email [email protected] to add other meeting info to this section)

At a loss for what to do?

Are you sick of hearing “there’s nothing I can do about everything that’s happening”? There’s plenty you can do - big or small, just try to do SOMETHING each day.

• Public Displays of Connection

  • Guerilla Gardening and Yarn Bombs! There is a slightly subversive and very fun tactic of guerilla gardening and placing handmade knit pieces in public places. Be creative.

  • Plant a garden or support a local CSA

  • Plant a homemade lawn sign - it doesn’t have to be political - paint a one word message like “Hope", ”Love,” “Peace.”

  • Maintain little free libraries or start your own

• Basic Needs

  • Donate blood

  • Learn first aid and basic medical skills

  • Participate in local Buy Nothing groups

  • Donate to Little Free Pantries or your local food pantry

  • Participate in a seed exchange, like the one at Hulbert Library in the Town of Concord

• Organized Volunteering

  • Support or join a volunteer fire department

  • Green Springville, Grow with Springville, Springville Center for the Arts, the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail, the Finger Lakes Trail - just a small set of local organizations that would be glad for your support and time.

• Neighbor Support

  • Help people with phone calls and forms - like Social Security, health appointments and insurance paperwork

  • Give neighbors rides, assist with basic needs

  • Provide a meal to a struggling family or neighbor - see lasagnalove

  • Offer babysitting or respite care - especially during meetings

  • Teach a skill or coordinate a training - sewing, gardening, cooking, car repair, how to fix a toilet or bike.

Misc.

Content welcome: Initially this newsletter was going to be sent weekly. Now it's sending as soon as it feels like there is enough content to let it fly - probably 2x/week. Your contributions are welcome. Email [email protected].

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