Delaware Center for Horticulture brings a veggie garden to the "food desert" of Southbridge, Wilmington.

Good on them.  I used to have to travel to Southbridge once a week in a former career, and if there's a neighborhood in Wilmington that needs help, it's that one.  And not only did DCH and the Master Gardeners of NCCo team up to bring a big community garden to Southbridge, they installed a beautiful mural on the adjoining building.  It's worth clicking on the story just to see the mural.  Really well done!

Link to the story in the News Journal: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20111225/GARDENER0103/112250311

WTB's thoughts on the "Occupation" movement in general.

When the national Occupy movement rolls to its natural stopping point (at least in its current tent-city form), I believe the scattered messages coming out of it won't have mattered as much as that it inspired a lot of people to go outside the comfort of their own lives: to take action, implement ideas, DO something.  Or at least try.  Who knows what political powerhouse could emerge from this movement, having known nothing of that world previously?  Who knows what lasting, influential ideas will be hatched here before the tents inevitably come down? 

A common Occupier is someone who has been out of work for a long time.  That's a person who is not currently curled up on the couch, wallowing in depression.  That's someone who's giving themselves a sense of purpose, whether this movement ultimately affects any change or not.  That's someone who may be learning new skills or sharpening latent ones, like negotiating, public speaking, or working on a team towards a common goal.  And that's a person who may emerge from this with a new sense of themselves, of what they're cut out for in this world.  I think the benefits to this movement go way beyond whether anything will really change with the economic system in this country.

I like to look at it from that angle, at least, even while I doubt the impact that a bunch of people camping out will have on Wall Street's immediate future.  But, bottom line, it's been a long time since large groups of Americans got this fired up over anything in this country.  Maybe the point of all of this is for us to collectively remember how to do it, whether we were directly involved or not.

Happy Thanksgiving: to Occupiers, non-Occupiers, and Monday morning quarterbacks like myself.

Occupy DE is hosting a holiday re-gifting event on Market St. on Friday.

This is a smart idea.  It would be a smart idea even without the association with a political movement.  I've often thought that large neighborhoods (like my own) should bring the community together with events like this - give a gift that's nice but something you never wanted, take away something more useful to you. And it gives Occupy Delaware a lot of credit, in my book, for coming up with ideas that have purpose, and for implementing those ideas.  I would go as far as to say that, stacked up against other Occupy locations, this makes Occupy DE look like a stand-out. 

From Occupy Delaware:

Green Friday: the people's re-gifting giveaway, an alternative to Black Friday
A free shopping event planned for November 25th on Market St. in front of Rodney Square in the city of Wilmington.

Members of the Occupy Delaware movement are planning "Green Friday:  The People's Re-gifting Giveaway", which will be a free marketplace where shoppers can "shop" for free goods, all of which have been donated.  This event is a response to the consumerism and corporatism of Black Friday, and the goal is to encourage people to think about their shopping choices, including: supporting locally and independently owned businesses, evaluating the environmental impact of the goods they buy, considering where and how goods are manufactured and at what cost to the people producing them, how goods are advertised and marketed to the public and to consider who really benefits from mass-consumerism.
The public are invited to "shop" as well as to donate goods for the marketplace.  Both new (re-giftable) and gently used goods are both fine, but please, only items in good working order.  Donated items can by dropped off the day of the event or dropped beforehand to the Occupy Delaware site located at: Spencer Plaza, 800 N. French St., Wilmington DE.
In addition, there will be resources for shoppers who are interested in supporting locally owned independent businesses as well as a "Make and Take" free art table.

What: Green Friday: The people's Re-gifting Giveaway
Date: November 25, 2011
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Place: Sidewalk in front of Rodney Square (Market St. side)
For more information:
Webpage: http://www.occupyde.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyDE
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/occupydelaware

CONTACT: Jen Wallace
Phone: 302-588-6919
E-mail: jenwallace@comcast.net

And the exploitation of the 'Occupy' concept for marketing purposes continues.

This time Wilmington councilwoman Loretta Walsh thinks we should have buttons, like the current "IN Wilmington" buttons, that say "Occupied IN Wilmington".  From the News Journal:

Wilmington Councilwoman Loretta Walsh let her disappoint with John Rago, director of communications and policy development for Mayor James M. Baker, be known this Friday in an email to him and other council members.

“John, you have fallen down on your job. I for one am very disappointed. If you have actually done this already but I just don’t know about it then forgive me………………where is my IN with Occupy Wilmington button?”

Wilmington may not have an Occupy Delaware “IN” slogan yet, but creative minds with nothing better to do think it might look something like this:

[Insert hastily made graphic of the IN Wilmington button with the word Occupied pasted on the top].

Link: http://blogs.delawareonline.com/dialoguedelaware/?p=3647

*Sigh*.

I'm not even an 'occupier'.  I'm not close to anyone who is.  I have decidedly mixed feelings about the whole thing.  But shouldn't we wait until after the protestors have packed up and gone home and aren't getting themselves hurt and arrested before we start attempting jokes about using the phrase in ad campaigns?  That's the first problem I have with this. 

The second problem is something I've long been uneasy about - that arts development in this city is being driven by city council and corporate marketing experts, in the absence of actual grass roots or youth movements.  But that is a discussion for another day.

Home Grown Cafe co-opts the "Occupy" phrase into a marketing tool for their business.

Rant warning: this may be a little caustic.

Here is the flyer that caught my attention this morning:

To be sure:  This is not an Occupy DE event.  It is meant only as a way to attract patrons to this Halloween themed show.  And Occupy DE does not seem happy about it.   In case you were thinking "Maybe Home Grown is trying to show solidarity with the movement", there's this subtitle which starts off the official Facebook invite: 

"...because you can't wasted and listen to rock music on Wall Street."

Yes, they wrote "Because you can't wasted".  And by the way, I'm pretty sure you can do those things at Occupy rallies, but I digress. 

Reaction was swift from actual Occupy DE supporters, who left the following comments for Home Grown:

"This is totally inappropriate. I used to support Homegrown, but this crosses a line. Its like having a bodybag party in honor of Iraq soldiers. TASTELESS."

"This is out of line and tasteless. Opportunist crap like this will make me take my business down to Mojo Main."

"I'll bring it to the group's [Occupy DE's] attention. Most of us are in Newark anyway, so we'll remember this shit when we make decisions about eating and drinking out on Main Street."

"I'm gonna light up a big blunt of homegrown marijuana in this place tonight. Just for using the name occupy and the name homegrown... i'm gonna show everyone just how much a bunch of posers you all really are."

"...this is an 'Occupy' event?"  [Answer from a different commenter]: "The exact opposite".

"I think using the OCCUPY association for your own profit is disgusting. The Occupy movement is working hard to improve all of our lives, while Homegrown, is a business for profit. Please consider using a different term to attract customers - and consider donating supplies or food to the REAL Occupy cause. Please come see the Occupy Delaware FB page for details." 

[This last comment was responded to by members of Villains Like You and Tail, the bands involved in the event, with chants of  "Occupy [commenter's name]!" and accusations that she's an uptight kill-joy who ruined the fun for everyone.  Later, one of the same band members advised the woman 'no hard feelings', because they were just 'pulling her leg'.  Guys, calling someone an uptight killjoy does not fit the definition of 'pulling ones leg', making that one weak attempt at an apology.]

But my absolute favorite part of the whole exchange was this official response from Villains Like You, ostensibly thought up after they realized that the numbers were growing of those not happy with the usage of the "Occupy" term:

"this is not an occupy event, though we encourage their movement and welcome all to come peacefully groove out to some rock and roll.  understand: we're young, pissed off musicians who feel the same way you do."

Oh. OH!  You're young, pissed off musicians, you say?  Well ... WHY didn't you say so in the first place!  Because that TOTALLY makes it cool.  D'ja hear that, Occupy DE organizers?  You can call off the dogs now, they're young, pissed off musicians.

Now it's time for my own caveat: I am not a supporter - or a detractor - of Occupy DE or Home Grown.  (The bands involved, however...oy).  And I'm not against humor - I've laughed at many jokes aimed towards this movement.  But I do agree this is an ill-thought and ill-timed marketing idea.  Especially, and this is the part that baffles me, in a hippy-themed cafe that's exactly the kind of place you would expect 'Occupy' supporters to patronize.  I can see this working for a place that's a hang-out  for conservatives, inclined towards ridicule of the Occupy movement, but why would Home Grown want to alienate the activist crowd?