Category Archives: UUFSD in the News

UUFSD’s Stand for Gun Control

Posted on by

CHECK IT OUT!

UUFSD continues to be in the news for our stand on gun control.

May 1st update:

April 30th update:

April 7th (Original Post):
UUFSD was featured in the Union Tribune today (April 7, 2013) for our work on gun control. Below are links to some of the coverage of the March 16th’s gun violence vigil held in Encinitas, including UUFSD members in the background.

April 16th (Original Notice to UUFSD Members):
Gun Violence Vigil – Saturday, March 16: Just a reminder that if you are coming and have a Standing on the Side of Love T-shirt, please wear it for we are the LOVE PEOPLE!!!

Candlelight Vigil for all Victims of Gun Violence
Saturday March 16, 2013 6:30 pm
In front of Encinitas City Hall at Civic Center
505 S Vulcan Ave, Encinitas, CA 92024
The Mayor of Encinitas will be hosting!
Bring: Candles, pictures of victims, signs promoting gun safety laws
Sign-up at: facebook.com/EncinitasVigil
For More Info Call: (619) 742-9555 Organized by: Organizing for Action (OFA)

Hmong Story Cloths Exhibited at UUFSD

Posted on by

From left, Nancy Harmon, Roger Harmon, Irving Himelblau and Bob Montgomery stand in front of a Hmong story cloth. Photo: Claire Harlin at the Del Mar Times

May 6, 2012:

The Exhibit Life Becomes Art: Story Cloths and Photographs of Southeast Asia’s Hmong People, is currently displayed in Founders Hall. Join us at a guided tour with Roger and Nancy Harmon after the May 13th service. Save the date of Monday, May 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. when we will hold a forum, free to the public, with presentations and discussions of the topic in Founders Hall. Mr. Bob Montgomery, Director of the San Diego Branch of the International Rescue Committee, will join Roger and Nancy Harmon as our speakers for the evening.

May 15, 2012

The forum is promoted by the Del Mar Times, with interesting background on the history of the Hmong and Hmong tribal life.

May 17, 2012:

The Hmong Story Cloths Exhibit is written up in the Coast News in a beautiful article about the exhibit and the Hmong people. It includes interviews with Roger Harmon and Bob Montgomery.

May 31, 2012:

The Hmong story cloth collection owners, Nancy and Roger Harmon, express their appreciation at the coverage the exhibit received in the Del Mar Times.

Feb 23: UUFSD Kids Standing on the Side of Love

Posted on by

Standing on the Side of Love is a public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression. It is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, and all are welcome to join.

National Standing on the Side of Love Month kicked off on Martin Luther King Day and ended on Valentine’s Day. Our children, under the guidance of DRE Alison Crotty, participated by making Valentines Day “thank you” cards to the organizations and lawyers that fought hard against Prop 8. You can read more about it here (search on UUFSD – you’ll find us about 3/4ths of the way down). On the same day, the whole Fellowship wore Standing on the Side of Love t-shirts and Rev. David Miller preached a sermon entitled “Is God Love?”

UUFSD kids and their Valentines for the lawyers that fought Prop 8.
(Credit: Alison Aguilar Lopez Gutierrez McLeod Crotty)

Dec 9: Vandals hit UUFSD

Posted on by

In the early morning hours on Friday, Dec. 9, our fellowship was vandalized with spray paint and what was apparently intended to be hateful words. It is unclear whether the person or persons who did this meant these words to be specifically against Unitarian Universalism or perhaps just a rant against some sort of religious institution. No matter how they were intended, it is clear that when these acts occur the fabric of civil society tears a little more.

Read the full article, written by Reverend David Miller, that was published in Letters to the Editor in the Del Mar Times and Solana Beach Sun.

The same article was posted on the Standing On the Side of Love blog and commented on by the Reverend Peter Morales, President of the UUA, on his facebook page on December 20, 2011.

Occupy San Diego and UUFSD

Posted on by

On October 15, 2011, nine members and friends of UUFSD marched in support of the Occupy San Diego movement. Members and friends marching in downtown Encinitas included Karen Freeman, John Gilles, Livia Walsh, Irv Himelblau, Dave and Deborah Ploesner, Angela Knappenberg, Ed Mlakar, and Bev Conner.

The Encinitas march was an adjunct to the march in downtown San Diego at which the Rev. David Miller and Ruth Gregory were present. Lisa Shaffer, Steve Bartram, Christie Turner and Laura Colban also participated in the ongoing Occupy demonstrations.

On October 24, Reverend David participated in leading an interfaith service in downtown San Diego outside the Civic Center for the Occupy San Diego protesters. You can find his sermons on the Occupy movement here and here.

And on October 31, the UUA released a statement on the Occupy protests, which can be read here.

Update, Feb 28, 2012:

Back to top

40 Voices 12 Days 5 Concerts

Posted on by

In the Autumn issue of the Unitarian Universalist Partners Church Council (UUPCC) magazine is an article by Ruth Gibson about the Unitarian Universalist Association’s 2011 Festival Choir Tour (see pages 12 AND 13). This stirring article with images describes how 40 members of various choirs in the US toured UU’s in eastern Europe to conduct 5 concerts in 12 days. Hence, the title. There are three terrific videos available on YouTube:

• Amerikai Unitárius Kórus – Sepiszentgyörgy, 2011.08.11. (52:07)
• Amerikai Unitárius Kórusfesztivál – Unitarian Festival Choir Tour (13:42)
• Székely himnusz – Amerikai Unitárius Kórus (3:16)

Our own Anne Larocca and Karen Eckhart are in the choir!

Strengthening Connections on 9-11-11

Posted on by

This is an article by Reverend Miller in the electronic magazine: Standing on the Side of Love dated 9 September 2011. The campaign for Standing on the Side of Love is made possible by the generosity of individual donors and gifts to the Annual Program Fund and Friends of the UUA. His article illustrates the work and actions of this wonderful program that is part of our fellowship. Here is the link to his article.

Never forget that we are all on a common journey

Posted on by

This is Reverend David’s article in Sign On San Diego (the on line version of the San Diego Union Tribune) reminding us of common ground we share. His quote is the essence of his message.

“We add our voices to these remembrances by saying that this day of despair was a rip in our interconnection, a moment in time that continues a decade later to call us into a renewed urgency to work together to heal this world.”

Here is the link to this poignant message from the 9 September 2011 Sign On San Diego.

Why I got Arrested by John Atcheson

Posted on by

A compelling story about how John Atcheson walked the walk to demonstrate his level of support for environmental issues. On August 25th 2011 he was arrested for his peaceful demonstration to bring attention to the impending disaster should the Keystone XL Pipe Line be approved. His story is told at Common Dreams (Commondreams.org), a 501(c)3 nonprofit U.S. based progressive news website. Click here to read his article.

Just what is Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

Posted on by

On May 8, 2011 Loraine Reitman and Margorie Cohn gave a lecture at UUFSD, Just What is Cruel and Unusual Punishment?, sponsored by Activist San Diego for Networking for Social Justice. This lecture was in support of U.S. Army Pfc Bradley Manning, he has been accused of leaking classified information to Wiki leaks. For information about Activists San Diego go to: activistsandiego.org