Re-up: Indigenous People's Day

 

Indigenous People's Day
Monday, October 13

At Myrick Park Nature Place from 9 to 3, including activities, tours, speakers, tournaments, vendors.

At UWL Student Union from 3 to 8 p.m., including tours, vendors, speakers, music, dance.

7:30 p.m. Keynote speaker: Amy Lonetree

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From the article: "The year was 1863, just shy of the U.S.-Dakota War, and although the Ho-Chunk Nation remained neutral, it gave settlers the perfect excuse. 

"To execute their plan, they formed the Knights of the Forest, a secret society with one goal: 'To banish forever from our beautiful State every Indian who now desecrates our soil.' What followed was one of the most grisly forced removals in the nation’s history."

To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota by Cathy Coats.

Protests Friday

From La Crosse Indivisible:

Friday, October 10th, there will be two opportunities to protest. First, the weekly protest at the La Crosse City Hall. This takes place from 12pm to 1pm every Friday. We usually have about 15 to 20 of us out there, but we always welcome more voices! Come out and show up!

The second opportunity to protest will be at 4 p.m. at La Crosse St. and West Ave. This protest will last for an hour and the theme will be Americans Against Ice. Stop by and Shout it out! 

"We are at the point of moral emergency"

 

"... we can expect nothing more than a combination of cowardice and willful ignorance in our major institutions. The fact that the major media continues to talk as if there will be normal elections in the United States, continues to talk as if Trump has only 3 more years in office, and continues to play 'horse races' between parties about future elections should not reassure you. The media reluctance to say plainly what is true is indicative of how bad things are."

"Donald Trump is preparing to declare martial law."

DVO protest Thursday

 From Opportunity Wisconsin:

La Crosse Government Shutdown Protest

Thursday, October 9

5:30 – 6:30pm CDT

210 7th St S

La Crosse, WI 54601

Congressional Republicans, including Congressman Derrick Van Orden, shut down the government just because they refused to lower health care costs for Wisconsin families. Republicans would rather shut down the government, which is going to cause real pain for Wisconsin families, than reverse their harmful health care cuts or prevent premiums from skyrocketing. Earlier this year they acted quickly to make tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations permanent - now they’re sitting on their hands while the government is shut down because of the crisis they created.

Join us on Thursday, Oct. 9th, from 5:30-6:30 outside Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s La Crosse office to call on Congressman Van Orden to end the government shutdown and take action to keep health care costs down.

Feel free to bring signs and make your voices heard! (No electoral signs please!

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous People's Day
Monday, October 13

At Myrick Park Nature Place from 9 to 3, including activities, tours, speakers, tournaments, vendors.

At UWL Student Union from 3 to 8 p.m., including tours, vendors, speakers, music, dance.

7:30 p.m. Keynote speaker: Amy Lonetree

###

From the article: "The year was 1863, just shy of the U.S.-Dakota War, and although the Ho-Chunk Nation remained neutral, it gave settlers the perfect excuse. 

"To execute their plan, they formed the Knights of the Forest, a secret society with one goal: 'To banish forever from our beautiful State every Indian who now desecrates our soil.' What followed was one of the most grisly forced removals in the nation’s history."

To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota by Cathy Coats.

John Nichols keynote at 10/18 dinner

 

Join the La Crosse County Democratic Party, keynote speakers John Nichols of the Capital Times & Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez for our annual Fall Dinner Fundraiser!

When: Saturday, October 18, 2025

• Doors open at 5
• Dinner at 6
• Speakers at 6:30
• Raffle drawing at 8

Where: Concordia Ballroom,1129 La Crosse St.

More info and tickets: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/laxdems-fall-dinner-2025

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan Tuesday

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, 2nd CD, will be at the Root Note on Tuesday, October 7 at 2:30 p.m.

See https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1234791772022565&id=100064752604588

Save the SMRT

Info from La Crosse Area Transit Advocates

At the September 8 La Crosse County Board planning meeting, the County Administrator recommended ending the four-county Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (SMRT) service at the end of 2025, citing low ridership and a budget deficit.

This action page -  https://tinyurl.com/SaveTheSMRTPage - will have links, info, and updates about the potential ending of SMRT service and how transit advocates can encourage decision-makers to keep it.

The timeline is short, with opportunities to speak coming soon and into early November.

If you support the SMRT

1. Sign the Save the SMRT petition: https://tinyurl.com/SaveTheSMRT  (Link to downloadable version to print and circulate is at action page) Forward the petition link to others who might be interested in signing or helping circulate the petition.

2. Download, print, and post the flyer at your workplace or school, at your local, or at your  place of faith. 

3. Contact your County Board representative by phone or in person and tell them why. If you are a regular or occasional rider, tell your story. If you are a transit, climate action, access and equity, public service, or social justice advocate, tell them why the SMRT is good for our wider community (a talking points document will be available at the Save the SMRT page soon). If you work with clients or patients who use the SMRT to access needed services, carry their stories to your County Board rep.

If you can't talk to them in person or on the phone, email and ask for a meeting or call to follow up. 

4. Spread the word and encourage others to contact their county board representatives.

5. If you are a SMRT commuter, talk to your employer about why the SMRT helps you get to work. If you are a student who uses the SMRT to get to school, talk to your school administrators.

6. Consider writing a letter to the editor or submitting an article for your workplace, school, or organization's newsletter.

7. If you can attend and speak at an upcoming County Board meeting please do. You must be at a meeting in person to speak, but you can view (only) meetings online. Some of the meetings are scheduled at times when many are not available. See details at the action page.

8. If you can help organize others in this effort, please contact LATA.

Climate Action Now

From Citizen Action Wisconsin:

The Climate Accountability Act, Assembly Bill 145/Senate Bill 150, authored by Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde and Senator Chris Larson, requires Wisconsin for the first time to adopt an accountable climate action plan. 

Its provisions include requiring the Legislature to pass a concrete and enforceable plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in accordance with the Paris Climate Accords and the global consensus of climate scientists, and requiring the plan to maximize the economic benefits of climate action for all Wisconsin residents, especially people in urban and rural areas currently locked out of economic opportunities.

• Call your State Legislators and ask them to Co-Sponsor The Climate Accountability Act.
• Call your State Assembly Representative and ask them to co-sponsor Assembly Bill 145
• Call your State Senator and ask them to co-sponsor Senate Bill 150

Learn more at https://www.citizenactionwi.org/climate-accountability-act

Our Diverse Community

October 8 at 5:30 p.m. Building Bridges: Immigrants and Community in Wisconsin

A conversation about current immigration affairs in Wisconsin with Deisy España and Laura Pastrana from Voces de la Frontera.

October 13 Indigenous Peoples' Day 10 to 3 at Myrick Park and 3:30 to 8:30 at UWL.

BEYOND THE BRIDGE documentary and discussion October 14 at 6 p.m. for a powerful and eye-opening cinematic journey with "Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness." This bold and dynamic documentary chronicles a staggering 40,000-mile road trip through twelve U.S. cities, immersing viewers in real-life stories and solutions while asking one essential question: How can we solve homelessness comprehensively?

DISABILITY PRIDE FEST October 19 from 11 to 3 at Logan High School.

The Disability Action Network will host their 4th annual Disability Pride Fest to promote inclusion and highlight the value of people with disabilities to our community. Lots of people in our community are impacted by accessibility barriers and isolation. At Disability Pride Fest, they will actively break down those barriers through socialization presentations, performances, sports, children’s activities, and resource booths. Put simply, the event will celebrate disability culture.

Thursday - Feed back about transportation

 

Ride with elected leaders and area planners on Thursday at 9 a.m. (leave from the City Hall parking lot) to experience the good and the could-be-better of bike commuting in La Crosse during Week Without Driving. Here's your chance to advocate for changes directly to those with the power you make changes. RSVP: tkey@lacrossecounty.org

Also on Thursday, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., learn more and provide feedback about the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation's plans for Highway 16. 

The meeting is at the (not accessible by public transportation) Nature Place in Myrick Park. If you can't make this meeting, visit the link for other input options.

Remember, we were once promised a much different La Crosse Street.