The Petaluma Progressive Festival

Thanks to Steve B.'s volunteer help (and photography!) and Peter H.'s Midnight Munchies (mmm), the Peace Panel Project and the Chico Peace & Justice Center had a good showing at the 19^th Annual Progressive Festival in Petaluma last Sunday, (7/31/16). And what a hoot it was! Under the shade of the stately, century old, trees of Walnut Park, in downtown Petaluma, we were cooled by a gentle ocean breeze, entertained by The S.F. Mime Troupe, live music, and inspired by a rousing speech by Daniel Ellsberg, (“The Most Dangerous Man in America”). Fortunately we were able to set up next to the food court so we had good traffic checking out our exhibit. The Petaluma Progressives (P.O. Box 445, Petaluma, 94953) put on a grand event. It was great to see so many progressive groups' exhibits (maybe 30) and to be a part of the larger peace movement. It was co-sponsored by the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County, KPFA 94.1 FM, The Bohemian, Comite VIDA, Project Censored, and KBBF-FM.

This was the maiden excursion for the Peace Panel Project in our “new” 1982 Chevy LUV bio-diesel pick-up, complete with the lettering on the back, “BIODIESEL 78% Less CO2”. Yippee! The PPP bicycle cart, fully loaded, just barely fits in the back (less than a 1/4” to spare), in what, I think, may be the smallest pick-up in town.

This was also the first time the PPP was invited to bring to the Festival the “essential sequential six” easels and Panels that concludes with Howard Zinn's encouraging words, “SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PEACE GROUP” and the CPJC logo underneath.