Pastors for Peace breaks US blockade of Cuba

by the Cuba Solidarity Committee

For the 21st time, Pastors for Peace has successfully broken the US blockade of Cuba! More than a hundred PfP volunteers crossed the border at McAllen, Texas on July 21st with hundreds of tons of school, medical and building supplies for the people of Cuba. Despite openly declaring their intention to break the blockade, the group faced no resistance from US border patrol. It seems the agents in charge of enforcing the blockade agree that our Cuba policy it is not only immoral, but too embarrassing to stand by.

Folks in the Twin Ports donated 20 large boxes of building supplies to the effort, and raised over $1000 to support the caravan when it stopped in Duluth on July 6. NAWC gives a special shout-out to the Central Labor Body and Peace Church for helping collect donations; to Carmody Irish Pub, Andrew Turpening, Yazmin and Bruce Bowers, and members of 2one8 for making a successful benefit concert; to Roxanne Johnson and the folks at Loaves & Fishes for cooking up a great soul food meal for the Pastors; and to the speakers who helped welcome Pastors for Peace to Duluth at a July 6 press conference: Rev. Brooks Anderson, Mayor Don Ness, Sister Jean Maher, and Brent Mavick from Congressman Oberstar's office.

Congressman Oberstar took the opportunity of the Pastors for Peace visit to Duluth to sign on as a co-sponsor to the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, which would allow free travel to Cuba and relax the trade embargo. The bill passed the House's Agriculture Committee in June, and is expected to pass both the House and Senate by year's end.

Report on the Tax Day Anti-War Protest

by Adam Ritscher

"Bring our war dollars home!" was the message of more than 120 people who participated in the Northland Anti-War Coalition's April 15 Tax Day protest. The event was held to highlight the fact that hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax dollars are being wasted every year on the unjust wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the same time this is going on federal, state and local governments are being forced to cut social programs due to budget shortfalls. The NAWC protest called for our tax dollars to be spent on human needs, rather than war.

The protesters who attended represented a broad swath of people - young and old, Black and white, white collar and blue collar workers. And in addition to the Northland Anti-War Coalition, a number of other local groups endorsed the protest and participated in it, including the Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body.

The event began at 4:30pm with a rally at the MN Power Plaza. There were three powerful speakers at the rally - former Wisconsin State Assemblyman Frank Boyle, community activist Brandon Clokey, and FBI whistle blower Coleen Rowley. Singer and song writer Rachael Kilgour shared several songs, and student activists Margaret Nelson and Steve Wick were the co-chairs.


After the rally, the protesters set off on a long march through downtown over to the Bayfront Park - where a Tea Party rally was being held at the same time. Protesters held a 50 foot banner that illustrated the portion of tax dollars that goes to the military, and handed out fliers to the folks attending the Tea Party event. From the Bayfront Park the march continued on through Canal Park, and then back to the MN Power Plaza.

Other coverage of the rally:

• Dueling Duluth rallies target taxes -- Duluth News-Tribune
• Anti-war rally protests war spending on tax day -- Fox21
• War Protesters: Bring the money home! -- DNT and MichaelMoore.com
• Report on the Tax Day Anti-War Protest -- Perfect Duluth Day
• A common call from a divided nation: we can't afford war -- DNT

Also, following the protest, at 7:30pm, Coleen Rowley gave a presentation up at the University of MN-Duluth about her role as a whistle blower in the FBI who spoke out against torture and the invasion of Iraq. Thirty five people attended this event.

This Tax Day protest was the culmination of a Spring campaign by the Northland Anti-War Coalition to speak out against military spending. Each Wednesday at noon, for the past several weeks, vigils were held in front Congressman Oberstar and Senator Franken's offices, and activists delivered letters and petitions from local activists and organizations on the issue.

Thanks to everyone who participated in these events for helping to keep the issue of the war front and center. Special thanks to all of our speakers, co-chairs and to Rachael. Also, special thanks to Josie Johnson for leading the chants during the march, to Bob Kosuth for leading the collection, to Mike Solon for the sound system, and to Joel Kilgour and Adeline Wright for making the 50 foot banner (and for the 101 other things that Joel did for the protest!). We have a lot of wondering people in this area who have done a lot to keep the local anti-war movement alive and kicking! But the struggle continues, so I hope to see you all at the next NAWC planning meeting, which will be on Sunday, May 9 at 2pm at the Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Congregation. I hope to see you there!

Franken needs to hear from you!

Yesterday, 50 "Minnesotans for Peace" visited the St Paul offices of Senator Al Franken to ask him to vote NO on the new war supplemental. Franken's staff were courteous, and Franken himself called to speak with the activists. But his answer was disheartening: he supports the escalation of war in Afghanistan and Pakistan and plans to vote YES on the supplemental.

In the end, 6 people were arrested for peacefully refusing to leave his office, including Vicki Andrews of Grand Rapids.



"The common people," reflects Coleen Rowley after the meeting, "seem to be the only ones who remember Vietnam and know the awful truth of being in an 'unwinnable' quagmire."

But we don't have to give up. With a little people power, we can get our representatives on the right track and defeat this war bill. In the coming week, please take a moment to call the offices of your representative and senators. Be polite, and ask the person answering the phone to send a message to their boss to vote NO on the $33 billion war supplemental. Remind them:

--- $708 billion of our tax dollars are already going to the Pentagon in 2011. This is more than enough to keep our nation safe;

--- On the campaign trail, Obama pledged to end the practice of "back-door" war funding. After Congress passed his 2009 back-door war funding package, Obama swore it would be his last. Congress should hold him to it;

--- Our communities and families are suffering the effects of budget cuts and joblessness. We need this money at home, not buried in endless wars.

MINNESOTA
Representative James Oberstar (CD8)
(218) 727-7474

Senator Al Franken
(218) 722-2390

Senator Amy Klobuchar
202-224-3244

WISCONSIN
Representative Dave Obey (CD7)
(715) 398-4426

Senator Herb Kohl
202-224-5653

Senator Russ Feingold
202-224-5323

Report on the March 19 Anti-War Protests

CSS student and Iraqi citizen Zaynab Alwan made
this banner to highlight the terrible human cost of war

By Adam Ritscher

This March 19th marked the 7th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. During these past seven years hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans have needlessly lost their lives - and millions more have had their lives disrupted by physical and psychological injuries, by having their homes demolished, and losing loved ones. And tragically, after the passage of all of this time, there is no real end in sight.


To show that our region is still against this war, and that we continue to demand an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from overseas, the Northland Anti-War Coalition marked the occasion with three pickets that took place at different times throughout the day, in different neighborhoods of Duluth. Each picket was an hour long, and all told, 60 people participated in the day's events.


The first picket was held at 7:30am at the corner of Grand & Central in West Duluth. 10 hearty souls were able to roust themselves out of bed that early and hold signs to greet people on their way to work.


The second picket was held at 11:30 at the busy intersection of Central Entrance & Mesaba up by the Coppertop Church. Another 10 activists showed up for this event, which proved especially challenging due to a drop in the temperature, and fierce winds off the lake that even broke some of our picket signs!


And the final picket of the day was held at 4:30pm at the corner of Lake Ave. & Superior St. in downtown Duluth. Forty people attended this event, and like the previous pickets, we were greeted by overwhelmingly positive responses from the many passing motorists and pedestrians.

Both the local ABC and Fox television affiliates covered the actions.

I'd like to thank everyone who participated in today's protests, despite the weather! I especially want to hank our press spokesperson, Zaynab Alwan. I want to thank Fatima Alwan, Cole Maki and Scott Bol for leading us in some boisterous chants; Carl Sack for handling the press work; Joel Kilgour for proposing the pickets; and everyone else who had a hand in today's important event.

Since the war is not over, neither is the need for an anti-war movement! So, mark your calendars for the next NAWC protest, which will be on April 15 - Tax Day. We'll be gathering at 4:30pm at the MN Power Plaza for a colorful march through downtown Duluth, Canal Park and through the Tea Party event that'll be taking place at the same time. Be sure to tell your friends, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Report on the Feb. 17 Picket at Congressman Obey's Office

On Wednesday, February 17, a group of about 20 concerned citizens gathered in front of Congressman Dave Obey's office in Superior. The protesters came from Trego, Shell Lake, Spooner, Hayward, Duluth and Superior, and half a dozen came from the University of WI-Superior. After holding signs along Tower Ave. from noon to 1pm, the group went up to Obey's office, and left a letter, signed by the whole group, expressing their opposition to the ongoing funding of the two wars.

The picket was part of a national campaign to protest in front of Congressional offices on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. It's main sponsors were Peace North and the Progressive Democrats of America. The next picket will be on the 3rd Wednesday of March, same time and place.

Anti-war protesters gather in Superior

By Rich Kremer, 91.3 KUWS
December 17, 2009

Despite freezing temperatures, about 20 demonstrators gathered outside Congressman Dave Obey’s office in Superior today.

Holding signs saying “Healthcare not Warfare” and “End War Now” members of the Progressive Democrats of America picketed along Tower Avenue, outside of Obey’s office. But this wasn’t your typical protest. It was more of a show of support since Obey is opposed to President Obama’s troop escalation in Afghanistan. Progressive Democrats spokesman Steve Carlson of Trego says the Democratic congressman has gone out on a limb on this issue and they’re out to help.

“We really wanted to come out here today primarily to get out the message of healthcare not warfare, to support Obey’s stance on this and to just tell him that we’re with you, we got your back on and keep it up.”

Carlson says Obey’s Share the Sacrifice, war tax is a step in the right direction but he doesn’t think it will pass.

“So what we’re going to need him to do is take it up to the next step and say no to war funding. Congress has the power to make war not the president of the United States.”

Jan Provost of Superior’s Grandmothers for Peace says money for the conflict in Afghanistan should be spent on health care and creating jobs.

“People are suffering in this country. We’re spending all that money on war and it’s just ridiculous, so that’s why we’re here. And it’s kind of a cold day for old ladies to be out but we’re committed.”

Sybela Yarish of Rice Lake has lived in Afghanistan. She says Afghan fighters have crushed empires before so the only winner in this war is the military industrial complex.

“It’s about money. It’s not about anything else but money and I don’t understand Obama with all his promises, why he’s chosen to hook up with that bunch of bandits.”

Obey is on record saying he would feel better if the U.S. begins to withdraw troops in 18 months but without better support from Pakistan and Afghanistan he doesn’t see that happening.

Hey Obama, Yes We Can; Troops Out of Afghanistan!

Student activists from UMD and CSS were joined by a handful of community members on Thursday in an emergency anti-war march/traffic slow-down at the Lake and Superior intersection in downtown Duluth. The protest was called in response to Obama's reception of the Nobel Peace Prize even as he escalates the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan and threatens to destabilize South America by stationing hundreds of troops in Colombia.

Despite the frigid weather, the crowd kept up their spirits with chants and drumming, circling the intersection for 45 minutes before marching to Canal Park. Channels 3 and 6 covered the protest on their evening newscasts. Keep reading for more pics courtesy Emily Flesch.

In a dramatic re-enactment of Obama's peace prize ceremony, the new Nobel Laureate walked over a human red carpet representing those who have died in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Colombia and Honduras because of his Administration's policies.

Traffic wasn't stopped, but it was forced to slow down as students circled the intersection in two groups, interrupting business as usual and challenging public apathy toward Obama's wars.

Photos from 10/2 vigil

On December 2, Women in Black and several other local peace groups held a vigil in downtown Duluth to protest Obama's escalation of the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Two dozen people took part. Here are a few photos taken by Richard Thomas.

15,000 people protest the SOA/WHINSEC

by Twin Ports SOA Watch

Some of the Northlanders at the protest. Photo: Margaret N.

As the mainstream media looked the other way, a major human rights gathering took place this weekend in Columbus, GA. Some 15,000 people from across the Americas converged there for three days of teach-ins, networking and a protest against the US Army's School of the Americas/WHINSEC. Resistance movement leaders and human rights activists from Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Colombia joined us -- a stark, country-by-country reminder that the US is not only taking the wrong path in Afghanistan, but in this hemisphere, too.

Dozens of people from the Twin Ports and Ashland took part in the weekend's events, including our largest ever Duluth student delegation. Rachael Kilgour represented the Northland at the main stage of the protest and at an evening benefit concert in downtown Columbus, singing some of her own songs and protest standards. In addition to official SOA Watch events, Duluth activists also joined migrant workers picketing grocery stores in Columbus for fair wages and stopped along the way in Atlanta to protest Coca-Cola's collaboration with death squads.

Despite occasional threats and harassment by Columbus and military police, the event went largely as planned. Michael Walli of Duluth was arrested on Sunday after he and three others attempted to enter Ft Benning. He refused to post bail but was released on his own recognizance on Monday pending a January trial.

Thanks to the Duluth Central Labor Body, the St Scholastica Monastery, and CSS Student Senate for making it possible for Duluth-area students to take part in this incredible event. Look for a report-back sometime in December, but in the meantime you can check out the photos after the jump.

People begin to arrive at Ft Benning's main gate. The Honduran coup and pending
US-Colombia military agreement are at the forefront of everyone's minds.

Margaret N. from CSS stands at the main gate. Three rows of fencing and
hundreds of MPs protect the base from those dangerous college students and nuns.

Big brother was watching.

The crowds swell to the thousands. The roots of SOA Watch are in Catholic resistance movements, including many nuns and priests who served as missionaries and were themselves imprisoned and tortured under brutal right-wing regimes in Latin America. While the protest has grown more inclusive over the years, many symbols of the that early movement -- including white crosses to commemorate the dead -- remain.

This die-in along the route of the protest commemorates the 700 women, men and children massacred in El Mozote, El Salvador by SOA graduates in 1980.

CSS and UMD students collect donations to support SOA Watch.

A puppet pageant commemorated the 20th anniversary of the murder of 6 Jesuit priests, their co-worker and her 16-year old daughter at the University of Central America in El Salvador.

The weekend ended with a solemn procession to commemorate the victims of SOA graduates. As the names of thousands of victims were read aloud from the stage, activists transformed Ft Benning's main gate into a memorial.

Report on Oct. 17 March & Rally

"1-2-3-4, We Don't Want These Stinking Wars!" reverberated off the tall buildings in Duluth's downtown on Saturday, October 17, as a spirited band of about 100 protesters marched through the city. On a day when anti-war protests were held in more than 40 cities and towns across the nation, this spirited band marched to show their continued opposition to the ongoing U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the combined price tag of these two wars approaching $1 trillion dollars, and up to one million lives lost, we need to show that the anti-war movement is alive and kicking!



The Duluth protest started at the Clayton, Jackson, McGhie Memorial (which memorializes three African-Americans who were lynched in Duluth in 1920), where we held a moment of silence of Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor, a local soldier who was killed in Iraq on Oct. 9 and whose funeral was held on the same day as the protest.

From the CJM Memorial we marched through downtown Duluth, and then up to the Civic Center where we held a rally on the steps of the Federal Building. Peter Provost of the band Clear greeted the protesters with some moving song-singing, and this was followed up by an impressive program of powerful speakers. The theme of the rally was "Fund Human Needs, Make Jobs Not War!", and this was woven into all of the speeches, which stressed what a tragic waste all of the war spending is, when we have so many social needs crying out for funding.


The speakers at the program were physician and health care activist Charles Gessert, Rev. Cathy Schuyler of the Duluth Congregational Church and CHUM, Scott Yeazle of the Twin Ports Action Coalition, Josie Johnson of Earth Action and Eric Blomstrom from Community Action Duluth. And the whole event was ably MCed by Ellie Connolly of the Northland Anti-War Coalition, who stressed the need to keep reaching out to our friends, neighbors and co-workers to build the anti-war movement.

Organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition, the protest was also endorsed by the Duluth Central Labor Body, Veterans for Peace, Women in Black, Peace North, the Duluth Area Green Party, Grandmothers for Peace, Socialist Action, Lake Superior Greens, Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Peace & Justice Committee, UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Workers United Local 99, CSS Earth Action, Rice Lake People for Peace, the Nortland Center for Art & Ecopsychology and a host of individual activists and concerned citizens.



Special thanks to all of our wonderful speakers at the rally, and to Ellie for MCing. Thanks to Steve Wick and Josie Johnson for leading the chants during our march, and to Mustafa Aidid, Chere Suzette Bergeron, Carl Sack, Linda Gokee and Bob Kosuth for being the rally marshalls. Thanks also to Mike Solon for the sound system, and to Colette Knudson and Gary Sorenson for being our press liasons. Labor World newspaper deserves a special shout for doing such a great job plugging the protest, as does the National Assembly to End the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars, which initiated the Oct. 17 national day of action. And finally, thanks to Scott Bol, Peter Krause, Joel Kilgour, and everyone else who helped organize this event.

Coming on the heels of our Oct. 5 candle light vigil to mark the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, this fall has been a busy one for the Northland Anti-War Coalition. But much remains to be done to build a broad enough, and visible enough movement to bring these wars to an end. Towards that end NAWC would like to invite all anti-war activists throughout northern Minnesota and Wisconsin to a special strategy planning meeting on Nov. 8 at 2pm at the Duluth Unitarian Church. The struggle continues, and we could use your help and input on moving forward! Thank you to everyone who turned out on Oct. 5 and Oct. 17, and we look forward to seeing you on Nov. 8!

Report on Oct. 5 Afghan War Vigil

On Monday, October 5, the Northland Anti-War Coalition marked the 8th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan with a candle light vigil and march in Canal Park.



About 40 people gathered in front of the Army Reserve base on Park Point, lit candles, and marched, together with the Veterans for Peace float, to the Amazing Grace coffee house in Canal Park.


The somber event was meant to remind people of the thousands who have needlessly died in this ongoing conflict, and to renew calls for the war to be ended immediately.


After the march, there was an event inside the Amazing Grace honoring war resisters that featured singing by Rachel Kilgour.


Thanks to everyone who participated in this powerful and moving event!

Local 99 solidarity picket report

On August 15, NAWC turned out 19 people to support our long-time ally Workers United Local 99 in their fight for fair working conditions at the Pickwick Restaurant in Duluth. Local 99 represents low-wage workers in the hospitality and restaurant industries, including the 85-year union at the Pickwick. The new Pickwick owner (Chris Wisocki) is trying to bust the union and even fired two long-time employees for union activity. Local 99 responded with informational pickets and a community boycott of the restaurant. The boycott is making a mark, but the battle isn't over.

A hearty Loaves & Fishes contingent turned out to the NAWC picket, as well as Vets for Peace. We sang some old labor songs (with Rachael Kilgour's help) and heard from CJ and Sandy, the two women who lost their jobs but still show up in front of the restaurant every day, rain or shine, to fight for their rights and the rights of other union workers.

The picket was a great show of solidarity and sure to strengthen the ties between our movements. Please consider dropping by the picket to show your support - every day but Sunday during lunch and dinner hours. Local 99 especially needs a big turnout on Saturday evenings from 5-8. Join them if you can!

Barrel Investigation Report

On Wednesday, August 5, members of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and employees of EMR, Inc environmental contractor spoke to a crowd of about 40 people in Duluth about their investigation of military waste barrels in Lake Superior. The event was hosted by Duluth Mayor Don Ness at City Hall, and was attended by representatives of of the Fond du Lac Band, the Duluth American Indian Commission, Nukewatch, Save Lake Superior Assocaition, and NAWC, as well as the mayor of Superior and staffers of Representative James Oberstar, Representative Dave Obey, Senator Russ Feingold and Senator Amy Klobuchar.

"We need to know the truth about these barrels ... and to hold the people who dumped the barrels to account."

Duluth Mayor Don Ness

After a water ceremony led by women of Red Cliff, Mayor Ness welcomed the crowd and thanked Red Cliff for taking the lead on this important study. He called the dumping of military waste into the Lake by the US Army a "terrible wrong."

Former Red Cliff Tribal Chair Jean Buffalo then explained the importance of this investigation to Anishinaabe people - from their spiritual and practical dependence on the water to the treaties signed with the US government that guarantee perpetual rights to hunt, fish and gather on their ceded lands. Pollution, she said, compromises these treaties by endangering the very sustenance of the Anishinaabeg.

Sue Anderson and Scott Carney of EMR, Inc, the environmental contractor hired by Red Cliff to assist with the study, reported that they had positively identified 591 barrels at three sites near the Lester, Talmadge and Sucker Rivers north of Duluth. This is roughly 300 more barrels than were found by the MPCA in the 1990s, and will offer a broader statistical sampling. More than 800 barrels dumped into the Lake from the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) are still unaccounted for, they acknowledged, but explained that the size of the Lake and funding constraints limit what they can do. The barrel project is being underwritten by a $1.2 million grant from the Department of Defense under its Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP), a program to clean up the DoD's own environmental disasters. According to Sue Anderson, the $40 million allocated to this program is shared by all tribes in the US, and has not changed in value since NALEMPs inception 13 years ago.

In early summer of 2010, EMR, Inc will begin pulling up 70 of these 591 barrels for testing. Red Cliff environmental officer Tracey Ledder said that the recovery will be an expensive and careful process, noting that the barrels may contain PCBs and other toxins, explosives, or even radioactive material. Based on what they find in the barrels, the Band will then test water and sediment in the Lake for possible contamination.

Red Cliff representatives concluded the presentation by welcoming local governments and environmental groups as partners in the barrel project. The activists in the audience were eager to offer partnership, but expressed some skepticism of the DoD's role in the project, specifically why the US Army Corps of Engineers, which dumped the barrels, couldn't seem to find even half of them. People also asked about rumors of dumping continuing into the 1970s, about testing the water at the city water intake for radioactivity and other dangerous toxins, and about holding Honeywell financially liable for testing and clean-up costs.

The Red Cliff Band will post periodic updates on the barrel project at its website. You can read the Nukewatch report on the barrel scandal here.

Barrel walk and monster party report and photos!

On July 19, more than 100 people marked Lake Superior Day with a march and rally on Canal Park in Duluth to draw attention to the scandal of Cold War-era military waste in Lake Superior. NAWC was well represented, along with members of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Duluth American Indian Commission, Lake Superior Greens, Grandmothers for Peace, Veterans for Peace, and activists from both UMD and the College of St Scholastica.

The march wound for 2 miles through Canal Park, Bayfront and the Lakewalk. Curious tourists and locals alike were eager to take fliers and shocked to learn that toxic military waste was still polluting our beautiful lake. The rally took place right on the beach, and passersby swelled our numbers into the hundreds. Poet and activist Ellie Schoenfeld emceed the rally, which featured Nukewatch co-director John LaForge and Red Cliff bandmember Katie Bresette. Rachael Kilgour and Robi Myerson brought their soulful music to the picturesque rally. Fox 21 aired a comprehensive and friendly story that night.

Joel and Cheré at the Toxic Monster Mash... read more after the jump
(photos by Cheré Suzette Bergeron and Bonnie Urfer).

The Red Cliff Band will soon begin sediment testing near the barrel dump sites, with a goal of recovering and testing 70 barrels before the end of the year. The Band is hosting an educational session about its barrel project this Saturday in Red Cliff and on August 5 in Duluth.

John LaForge addresses the crowd as the walk begins from the Duluth canal.

Bike pirates Alex and Emily supplied walkers with water and sunscreen.

John LaForge and Death (aka Ron Miller) make our demands known.

Katie Bresette Butterfly addresses the crowd.

CSS students close the rally with impromptu chants,

Toxic Monster Mash!

The night before the rally, toxic monsters had their own party at the Red Star to raise money for Nukewatch. Mutants and sea witches drank glowing martinis and danced the night away for a clean lake... and surprised more than a few bachelorette parties. Bonnie Urfer staffed the popular toxic barrel photo booth, and celebrity costume judge and high school biology teacher Kathy Hermes awared prizes to Margo Presley for Most Uncomfortable Costume, to Chere Suzette Bergeron for Most Recycled Costume, and to Joel Kilgour for Most Realistic Mutation. Thanks to the Red Star, Adeline Wright and Rob the Blob for pulling the party together!

Sludgco rep Amy Wilcox was on hand to help with the party clean-up.