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We settled the lawsuit with the five
neighboring properties who challenged
our plans for renovation and expansion.
When I shared the news on a recent
Sunday, the place erupted with claps and
cheers all around. It is a time to
celebrate!
You might be wondering, what comes next? We will
answer that question together and soon. In order to do
that, I will first summarize how we got here.
In the fall of 2010, we launched a strategic plan for six
areas of congregational life, including an ambitious
vision and goals for our six acre property. 2014
Facilities Vision: “Establish and maintain a spiritual
home that supports our mission and vision; enables our
growth initiatives (including adequate space for worship,
life span religious education, meetings, functions
and administration); and is welcoming, safe and well-
maintained.”
Our facilities goals were ambitious. At the time we had
deferred maintenance, underfunded cleaning and
building management staff, and the last time we held a
Capital Campaign to address large repairs, renovation,
and expansion was in the 1980s. Our buildings and
grounds matter as a vehicle to host the other five areas
of congregational life – it is in our spiritual home that
we nourish our spirits, learn across the lifespan, imagine
a more just world, and build community.
We rolled up our sleeves and focused our minds, bodies,
and finances on the large Facilities Area tasks ahead.
Here is what we accomplished and some natural next
steps.
1.) Launched a Sacred Conversations Taskforce who
helped us deeply examine options to see which was
the best fit for our values and mission: 1.) Stay,
Renovate and Expand, 2.) Buy a Building Elsewhere
and Retrofit, and 3.) Buy Raw Land and Build.
2.) Voted overwhelmingly to Stay.
3.) Launched the Gateways Taskforce to discover
the passion of our membership around
different projects and to learn from experts about
what was necessary and possible for our building,
our grounds and any additions.
4.) Voted nearly unanimously to fund and build an
expanded parking lot and drainage; to enhance the
current sanctuary; replace the roof; build an addition
(a fellowship hall, modern kitchen, ADA
accessible bathrooms, and 2 classrooms) and create
‘green’ landscaping for beauty and community.
5.) Managed a very successful Capital Campaign
working with Klote & Associates. The “Carrying the
Torch from Generation to Generation” Campaign
kicked off in January 2014. We pledged $2.3 Million
towards the 2014 Facilities Vision – the total price
tag at the time would be $3.2 Million dollars for
everything in our full vision.
6.) Gateways continues to refine the Capital Projects
we are planning working with architects, engineers,
continued on page 2
In this issue…
Have You Heard the Good News continued, UUA General Assembly 2 From our Interim Music Director, Joys and Concerns, WIFI 3 Musings from the Director of Religious Education 4 Sara Matsushima Concert May 20 Fundraiser, DWD, Native Plants 5 Adult Learning 6 Adult Learning 7
News from the Engagement Committee, Monday Book Club 8 SEAC Social and Environmental Action Council: Immigration Justice and Family Promise 9
New Jerseyan’s “right to a clean and healthy environment” 10
Calendar 11 Sunday Services 12
May 2018
Volume 63, No. 5
Have you heard the good news? From our Minister...
21 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown NJ
and professionals and based on feedback from
members and neighbors.
7) We rose to the challenge of opposition during
Public Zoning Hearings (which began in October
2014) and worked closely with our lawyers and other
professionals. This lasted an unusual amount of time –
25 months! – but the Zoning Board voted clearly and
indisputably in our favor.
8) Following our Zoning Approval, residents of 5
neighboring properties decided to sue us to prevent
changes on our property using an archaic restrictive
covenant from 1891. After many months, we finally
settled in March, and now the covenant no longer
applies.
9) Re-energized our Facilities and Grounds volunteers
who have beautified many spaces in our spiritual
home.
10) We increased the dollar amount in our budget to
move towards addressing the ongoing cleaning and
maintenance work.
11) Increased our custodial hours so our building is
clean.
12) Enhanced our sanctuary by purchasing a new A/V
system, carpeting, and chairs.
We do have a lot to celebrate! Look at all we have
accomplished using our talents, our stick-to-itiveness,
our skills, and our financial treasure.
Okay, so now what? The following are some natural
steps for us to fulfill in the near future.
Hire a part time building manager to improve our
maintenance track record.
Continue the fabulous, re-energized work of our
Facilities Volunteers to beautify our building and
grounds.
Continue to work through Gateways and other Leaders
to move through getting bids, permits, etc. and to
sequence our Capital Projects.
Prepare focus groups to create an updated 2018
Facilities Vision to move towards a vote on a Capital
Campaign. We were already planning to have a
second fundraising effort to close the gap between
dollars raised and our plans. We also know that our
successes in the Zoning Hearings and with the Lawsuit
have come at a heavy financial cost.
Launch a Capital Campaign! Last time we
successfully raised more funds than the UUA said
would be possible. We committed ourselves in the
direction of a holistic vision for our property as one of
the vehicles that drives what we are able to do for each
other, for our children, and for the world. Now, with a
green light before us, it is time again to see what we
can fund and accomplish together.
In fellowship,
continued from page 1
Have you heard the good news?
Interested in attending the June 20-24 General Assembly?
Grounded in a deep belief that we are all prophets, Unitarian Universalists
(UUs) ask, "How can we faithfully meet the demands of our time?" The call
to witness and act for justice in our society and in the world is clear. So, too,
is the call to examine our structures and practices, dismantling and
transforming those which fail to recognize the full humanity of all people and
to honor the interdependent web of life. Join us as we dive deeply into
questions of mission for our UUA, our congregations and communities, and
for each of us as individuals. Go to www.uua.org/ga for more information.
Page 3 Morristown Unitarian Fellowship
Joys and Concerns
Kim Dunn-Meynell – I have a new job in research at the University of Pennsylvania and am commuting
home on weekends.
Jonathan & Susan Jeans - we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in the Dominican Republic with
our entire family.
Carolyn Schwartz – I have moved to Sunrise Assisted Living in Madison, and will be there until mid-
May. I would like visitors, but please call first.
Anne Gaynor - Life is good! Sharon Glickman, who suffered a broken neck and foot, will be discharged
from rehab and homeward bound.
Jeanette Clawson - My surgery for endometriosis and abdominal pain went very well. My recovery will
take a few weeks, and I would love to have visitors.
Barbara Stasiak - attended 50th year reunion at Douglass College with the class of ’68—I was blessed
with joyful reconnections with old friends who are still activists for immigrant rights, lawyers for the
homeless, for the earth, for women.
Shari Loe - In March, my sister, Jan Loe’s home burned to the ground. Jan lost 4 of
her 6 cats, a life time of her art work, all of her music recording equipment and 6
guitars. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
We are sad to hear that Ricard M. Burgess, brother of Kathy Burgess passed away
suddenly on February 25, from heart failure. Richard was a longtime vacationer, and
subsequent resident, of Ogunquit, Maine. As a boy, he spent many summers at the
family cottage in New Hampshire. A private family service will be held in the summer.
From our Interim
Music Director
Whew… it’s been a great month!
After receiving many warm
welcomes from members,
musicians, committees, and staff,
I’m starting to get the lay of the
land here. My office on the 3rd floor is starting to
look and feel like an office, and it even has a piano
in it! Wins all around.
The Adult Choir has rehearsed and performed
beautifully, and I’m happy to say that we’re
developing a wonderful working relationship
already. If you’re interested in joining the choir,
rehearsals are Tuesday evenings, 6:15-7:45.
Come sing with us!
In addition to them, I’ve had the opportunity to meet
and make music with several other members of the
congregation who play instruments, write music, or
are just lovers of music. If you’re a musician and
we haven’t met yet, please introduce yourself!
I’m currently taking stock particularly of
instrumentalists, so let me know who you are so we
can make music together!
Do you know anyone with a drum set they might
be willing to donate to the Fellowship? If so, send
me an email at [email protected].
During this transition period for the music program,
we’re trying lots of new things. Some may stick,
some may not! I’m looking forward to
experimenting, succeeding, failing, and singing
with you in the months ahead!
Stearns
Our new WiFi network is named MUF and the password is fellowship
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Page 4
We are so fortunate to be part of a religion that does
not make us accept dogma not in alignment with our
deepest beliefs. Yet it recognizes that to believe
whatever we want would be irresponsible. Instead, we
are encouraged to engage in “a free and responsible
search for truth and meaning.” Or, as our children
understand it “we’re free to search for what is true.”
We are invited to be co-creators of what is true and
meaningful in our life and in our relation with the
interdependent web of all existence. We are invited
to carve out our spiritual path. And, we do that in a
variety of ways.
We come to worship on Sunday morning and
sometimes on Wednesday evening to learn new
perspectives or to be affirmed in the truths we are
discovering. We dialogue with others whose insights
may be similar to or different from ours. We look to
science, to other spiritualties, to those from outside
our community, to those who lived before our time,
even to those who are different from us in age, race,
ethnicity, gender identity, to name a few.
Whenever I come across a religious community in
our denomination or outside of it, I often look for
their religious education catalogue. A sparse offering
of classes could mean that there is more emphasis on
accepting dogma as imparted in worship experiences.
A large and varied catalogue often tells me there is
great interest in personal and spiritual growth. It is a
place I would like to be.
Here, at the Fellowship, we are fortunate to fall in the
latter category with our
support of lifespan
religious education. There
are classes and other
educational events for
adults. As our children
grow, they are exposed to a
variety of opportunities
that help them develop a
Unitarian Universalist
identity while also learning to respect and learn from
others whose ideas and practices may be a different
from ours. We think religious education is so
important that we try to have onboard a full time
Director of Religious Education (DRE) whenever
possible.
As we look to the future and await the arrival of our
new DRE, the Children’s Religious Education
Committee and I, in consultation with our soon-to-
arrive new DRE, have been looking at what we have
and how we can make it better. We have looked at
new pairings of ages, new curricula, and new ways of
doing things. We are looking at how we can improve
technology to make our classrooms even more
vibrant. And we are ready to start rolling out our
ideas by turning the Spotlight on Religious
Education.
Beginning in May, we will have a series of Parent
Brunches in the Terrace Room:
Sunday, May 6, 10:30 am - PreK - 2 grade parents
Sunday, May 13, 10:30 am - Grade 3 - 6 parents
Child care will be provided on May 6 and 13.
and a Social Chat on:
Tuesday, May 29, 7 pm - JHS and Youth Group
parents. Appetizers and refreshments will be served.
Other events coming up are:
Thursday, May 17, 7 pm – Toast to the Teachers
Sunday, May 20, 9 am – Coming of Age Service
Sunday, May 20, 11 am - Bridging Ceremony
for graduating seniors
Saturday, June 9, at 11 am - 3 pm – Lifelong Faith
Education in a Multi-generational Congregation
with Kim Sweeney
UU Parenting Class – May 8, 15, 22, 7 - 8:30 pm
Sunday, June 17 after the service – Family Picnic
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to
seeing you at these events.
Musings from Rev. Wendy Pantoja, Director of Religious Education (DRE)
CANCELLED
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Page 5
Deeds Well Done Paul Snellgrove, Tim Davis, Candice Posey,
Steve Parker, Helene Ferm for coordinating
the floor refinishing project.
Linda DeLap, Nan Perigo, Kendall Martin,
Steve Rice, Harry Harris for the Terrace Room
“Chair Project”.
Kendall Martin and Steve Rice for the “Faux”
Security Cameras and Signs
Harry Harris and Susan Harris for cleaning the
Terrace Room and Room 100 heat registers.
Edith Ng, Carrie Davis, Hazel Bell, Tim
Davis, Andrew O’Toole, and Kristine Horton
for coordinating the Easter Breakfast
Senior High Youth Group, Priscilla Demasi,
David Snedden, and Lisa Brennan for putting
together the Easter Egg Hunt
Dan Cohen and Donna Perch for teaching the
Leadership Class
Stewardship
Committee members
for work on the
Pledge Campaign
kick off
Why native plants? --From Linda DeLap, GEM
Do you need to replace shrubs or
trees because of storm damage;
or are you just thinking about
new landscaping? This time,
choose native plants.
Native plants have evolved to
thrive in your specific region and
ecosystem. When sited to meet
their sunlight and moisture
needs, they are often low
maintenance and may require
little or no fertilizer. Native
plants provide habitats and food
sources (roots, branches, leaves,
fruit, pollen, and nectar) for
native insects, birds, and other
wildlife. The biological
interactions that result will give people of all ages
opportunities to enjoy and learn about nature.
Reliance on a limited number of exotic
landscape plants has contributed to the
decline of many species of butterflies,
birds, and other forms of wildlife in the
United States. Exotic plants used in
landscaping are invading natural areas,
crowding out native plants, and disrupting
ecosystems in woodlands and grasslands.
Removal is costly and difficult. Invasive
non-native plants in NJ include Norway
maple, Bradford pear, Japanese zelkova,
burning bush, barberry, and butterfly bush.
Other non-native plants that are currently used in landscaping
may be recognized as invasive later on.
Native plants provide a distinctive natural landscape with
beauty characteristic of the region and season. Think of
blooming redbuds and dogwoods in spring; the shade of
maples and oaks in summer and their colorful leaves in
autumn; seeds, berries, and textured bark in winter.
For information on landscaping with native plants in NJ, see
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1140/. You can buy native trees
and shrubs at native plant nurseries (http://www.npsnj.org/
pages/nativeplants_Sources.html), Bowman’s Hill
Wildflower Preserve (near New Hope, PA), Rockaway Valley
Garden Club’s sale in Boonton, May 12, and a sale at NJ
Audubon’s Scherman-Hoffman Center in Bernardsville on
June 9.
Lobelia cardinalis (Photo by Henry Domke)
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Page 6
Meditation - Building Contemplative
Community - Co-facilitated by Tricia Armstrong
and Jo Angelina, May 3 and May 17, the first and
third Thursday each month.
EVERYONE interested in meditation, regardless of
length of experience meditating and root tradition
(including those with no tradition/secular) is welcome
to join us. On the first Thursday we’ll meet from
10:00 - 11:15 am. On the third Thursday we meet
from 7 - 8:15 pm. In each session we’ll enjoy
periods of sitting and walking meditation. Both
Tricia and Jo are inspired by
Thich Nhat Hanh. In
addition, Tricia has spent the
past year practicing in the
Insight tradition.
For more information,
please contact Jo or Tricia at
Gun Violence in the US: What can be
done? Program presented by Leslie Moran
continues on Wednesday evening, May 16, from 7
-8:30 pm.
This course will cover the following topics: How
we can support the second amendment and also
reduce gun violence/save lives. Ways that the US
differs from other developed countries in our
attitudes and laws around guns. How laws in
different states differ and how they make a
difference. Gun violence as a women’s issue.
Mental illness and guns. Effective citizen action.
For more info, please contact
Leslie at [email protected].
The Slave Next Door:
Human Trafficking in New Jersey - Thursday, May 17, 7-8:30 pm, presented by Susan
Neigher, member of the NJ Coalition Against Human
Trafficking.
We think slavery ended in the United States in the
1860’s, but modern day slavery in the form of human
trafficking exists in every community in our country
today. It is usually hidden and unnoticed, but it is
there. New Jersey ranks number six in the nation for
the incidence of human trafficking, and Morristown is
one of the hubs in our state. Learn what human
trafficking is, what it looks like and what you can do
to stop it. No registration required. For more info,
please contact Susan Oxman at
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Page 7
Thinking of presenting a program?
Please send a proposal to
Susan Oxman at [email protected].
Nonfiction Book Club for Human Reflection
- facilitated by Gloria Dyer, will
meet on Tuesday, June 19 at 1:30
pm.
The book to be discussed is
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest
for True Belonging and the Courage
to Stand Alone by Brene Brown.
Contact Gloria at
Compassionate Communication Practice Group - Co-led by Tricia Armstrong and
Linda DeLap, will meet on May 16 at 7 pm (third Wednesday each month.)
Each month we review a chapter of Marshall Rosenberg’s book
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life and do exercises related to the material in
the chapter. Newcomers are welcome. Please email Tricia at [email protected] to
learn which chapter we’ll be Focusing on and to let us know you’d like to join us.
Six Acre Seva Group
facilitated by Steve Parker, will
meet monthly, 9:30 am on the
THIRD Wednesday of the
month, May 16, and will
continue through October.
Would you like to make a
difference in the appearance of
our wonderful (and slightly
neglected!) grounds and
gardens … all six acres of
them?! Do you have a green
thumb? Love
nature? Looking
for a wonderful
way to be
outside and bond
with other
members? Then come join our
garden crew as we devote
loving service to our
community. All necessary tools
will be supplied. Stylish attire
might include: favorite work
clothes, gloves, sun screen, bug
spray, and a sun hat!
Questions?
Please contact Steve
Transhumanism and the Buddha’s Teaching on
Virtual Reality (Ethics in an Age of Artificial Intelligence)
Led by Rev. Allen Wells, Mondays, 7-9 pm, June 11-August 13. The most
important development of our time is the exponential advancement of
Artificial Intelligence, which engineers predict will surpass human
intelligence within a few years and may supplant our biological human life
form.
The advancement of AI confronts us with the deepest spiritual questions of
all time in their most extreme form including what is real about us.
Responding to them offers us an opportunity to deepen our
spiritual being. We will defer to teachings of The Buddha, but
include other religions, as well as poetry and our shared
experiences and will have meditative opportunities.
Required advance preparation: Slouching Towards the
Singularity, talk by Rev. Allen Wells; To Be A Machine, by
Mark O’Connell and Transcendent Man, video on YouTube.
You must attend the first class but not thereafter. Registration
required by May 21. Class size limited. To register and for
more info, contact Rev. Allen Wells [email protected]
UU Parenting class – led by Wendy Pantoja, DRE, Saturdays May 8,
15, 22, at 7 -8:30 pm. How can we nurture our children’s spiritual
lives? How can we create family rituals that help strengthen our Unitarian
Universalist (UU) identity? How can we rise to the role of parents as
theologians? Come and join us for lively discussions and exchange of
ideas as we support each other in raising UU children.
To register and for questions, please contact Wendy at [email protected].
CANCELLED
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Page 8
There are many ways each of us can help build the
strength of our congregation and help us live our
principles, within and outside our walls. Are you
searching for a volunteer role that highlights your
talents and interests? The right role feels like a gift
that you give yourself.
Service Auction co-chair intern - Collaborate
with service auction chair to oversee planning for our
largest annual fundraiser; communicate with the
subcommittee chairs for this event.
Skills/Interests: Organizational skills and experience;
communication skills; graphic design if possible.
Fundraising Chair: Supervise and support the
chair of each fundraising event, helping them create a
committee to strategize and publicize the fundraisers
via multiple media channels.
Skills/Interests: Ability to plan, organize, and
delegate as needed.
Economic Justice Ministry Coordinator: Help
lead Fellowship volunteers to reduce hunger,
homelessness and poverty in our community; identify
partner organizations and help coordinate volunteers.
Skills/Interests: Networking ability and volunteer
coordination.
Publicity Co-Chair: Liaison with other UU
congregations to share strategies to market and
promote their congregations through social media.
Skills/Interests: Marketing, ability to generate
graphic content for social media, video experience a
plus.
UU-UNO Envoy: Fellowship’s liaison to UU
United Nations Office, to promote our values on the
global stage.
Skills/Interests: Ability to coordinate with adults as
well as youth.
For more information, please contact
Soup Kitchen Hunger Walk: Raising our
contribution and coordinate our participation in this
annual fundraiser hosted by the Community Soup
Kitchen of Morristown.
Skills/Interests: Enthusiasm for supporting this
important organization’s work in the our community.
Family Promise Coordinator (Economic
Justice): Coordinate volunteers to staff shelter stays
for temporarily homeless families.
Skills/Interests: Organization and motivational skills.
Engagement Committee Member: Work with
committee members on implementation of a skills and
interests survey for our members.
Skills/interests: Comfortable learning online tools for
surveys such as REALM or Jotform.
Fun Ministry Co-chair intern (Engagement
Committee): Plan events to promote fellowship of
members for low costs and low ongoing
administration burdens. Encourage Fellowship wide
culture of including elements of fun and celebration in
all we do.
Skills/Interests: Values fun and connection.
Caring HUUB – ONLINE Meal
Coordinator: Receive requests for meal needs;
communicate with Meal Providers online. This role is
in addition to the meals offline coordinator.
Skills/Interests: Attention to detail, good
communication skills.
Caring HUUB - Rides Coordinator: Coordinate
volunteers for ride requests from Caring and/or
directly from congregants.
Skills/Interests: Attention to detail, good
communication skills.
Donna Becker or Marjorie Wormser
News from the Engagement Committee
THE MONDAY BOOK GROUP - third Monday of the month, 1:30 pm. Newcomers welcome,
come and join us for lively discussions. Reading the book helps but is not a prerequisite! Books
are chosen by our members. Contact Nancy Lee McLure for more info.
May 21: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles,
June 18: The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Page 9
SOCIAL and ENVIRONMENTAL Action Council
Immigration Justice Ministry (IJM)
Good news -- Musa Koteh, the Gambian refugee who was
granted asylum in October 2016 and has been supported by IJM
and members of the Fellowship, has realized his dream! This
month he begins work as a long-distance truck driver after
months of classes and training and achieving his commercial
driver’s license. Next up: getting a green card and reuniting with
his family (11 children, one of whom Musa has never seen). The
Fellowship has made a difference. Join us in this rewarding
work: [email protected]
Imagine if every qualified resident of New Jersey had access to
a driver’s license. Our roads would be safer, more drivers would
be insured, the state would take in additional revenue and there
might be fewer accidents. The Let’s Drive NJ campaign supports access to driver’s licenses for all New
Jersey residents, regardless of status.
Twelve other states already have this
common-sense policy. Wind of the Spirit
and the NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice, as
well as our own UU Faith Action NJ, urge us
to support this legislation.
Join supporters from 4-7 pm
May 12 on the Morristown Green to show
solidarity on this issue. For more
information: [email protected]
FAMILY PROMISE OF MORRIS COUNTY Ending Homelessness One Family At A Time
Volunteers Needed - The Fellowship has been a partner with
Family Promise of Morris County for over 20 years now, helping to
provide local homeless families with emergency shelter. Family Promise has an amazing track record. In
2017 they had a 92% success rate of moving families from shelter into independent living and a 97% success
rate in their community support program! Family Promise also operates the Our Promise Drop-in Center in
Morristown.
You can make a difference! Help join the Fellowship, and the other 5 congregations we work with, to
support families and guests in the emergency shelter program. We host 3-4 times a year at The Church of the
Redeemer, and provide support and other services to help make it happen. Many time slots are available
including overnight and morning shifts. This is also a great multi-gen opportunity to volunteer with your
children and play with the other children in shelter. Please reach out to Julie Wolfe for more information.
Mission and Covenant Statement
We, the members of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship,
mindful of the rich diversity and essential oneness of human
experience, covenant to weave the fabric of community from
the strands of our separate lives. This is our pledge:
To create for ourselves and our children a spiritual home
which will nurture, challenge and offer us renewal
To seek what is true even as we celebrate the mystery of
existence
To reach out to all who share our liberal religious values
and participate in the broader Unitarian Universalist
movement
To work for social justice and the well-being of our planet
Earth
Office Hours - Monday - Thursday 9 am - 2 pm
973.540.1177 www.muuf.org
Staff Minister
Rev. Alison B. Miller [email protected]
Ministerial Intern
Jamie Boyce [email protected]
Acting Director of Religious Education
Rev. Wendy Pantoja [email protected]
Interim Music Director
Stearns Matthews [email protected]
Finance Coordinator/
Acting Office Administrator Katy Julich [email protected]
Religious Education Assistant
Judy Donovan-Lifschulz [email protected]
Custodians: Sergio Lopez-Rojas, Marili Quintos
Check us out on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/morristownunitarian
Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Page 10
This is an historic opportunity!
Dear Fellowship Members and Friends,
In January, Assemblyman Tim Eustace and Assemblywoman Nancy J. Pinkin (the first
UU to co-chair a committee of the NJ legislature) introduced a bill to amend the state
Constitution and enshrine every New Jerseyan’s “right to a clean and healthy
environment.” For decades, the people of NJ have relied on federal and state legislation
to protect their natural resources. And for decades, the laws have let them down. NJ
water, air, forests, and other special places from the Highlands to the Pinelands have been
allowed to degrade in ways that are harming people’s lives. A Constitutional provision
could help change that.
In NJ the right to free speech, freedom of religion and other freedoms are protected as
fundamental rights in the state constitution. But NJ has NO constitutional provision
protecting environmental rights in the state.
Establishing a civil environmental right will drive better decision-making at all levels of government and will
prevent situations or conditions in which land becomes too contaminated, water becomes too polluted, and
air becomes too dirty to support healthy lives or a healthy economy.
The bill must pass through both houses of the NJ Legislature by August 2018, before people will be given
the opportunity to vote, through the 2018 ballot, on whether or not their right to pure water, clean air and a
healthy environment will be protected by the state constitution.
Right now, we need the Assembly to support and pass the Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 85 (ACR85)
currently before them. Every Assembly member needs to hear from their constituents just how important this
environmental rights amendment is, to them.
Write to your representatives in the Assembly today! Ask them to stand up for your fundamental
environmental rights by co-sponsoring ACR85 and actively encouraging legislative leaders to bring up and
pass the bill. Write your own letter or use the form at http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/node/5189. It’s
easy and will take no time at all!!
Jo Sippie-Gora, member Green Earth Ministry and Environmental Justice Task Force (UUFaithActionNJ)
Page 11 Morristown Unitarian Fellowship
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Morristown Unitarian Fellowship 21 Normandy Heights Road Morristown, New Jersey. 07960-4611
May 2018 Volume 63, No. 5
May 6 at 9 and 11 am “Following in Footsteps” This year’s spiritual theme is “Kaleidoscope of Faith,” referencing the multiple sources of wisdom and
experience that inform our religious understandings. Members of our Coming of Age Class are on a UU
heritage pilgrimage to Boston this weekend. Let us join in reflecting on the role journeys, quests, and
pilgrimages play in our faith development. - Led by Rev. Alison Miller May 13 at 9 and 11 am “The Mother of All Morals” Mother’s Day is the kick off of 40 Days of Action to revitalize Dr. Martin Luther King’s Dream of a Poor
People’s Campaign: A National Cal for Moral Revival. This is a movement that counters the distraction and
disinformation tactics of politicians and unites us across religion, race, class, sexual orientation and gender
identity to focus on the most pressing moral issues. - Led by Rev. Alison Miller May 20 at 9 am “Coming of Age Ceremony” All are invited to participate in this memorable milestone in the lives of our 7th and 8th graders who will share
their credos and what they have learned about the meaning of life. - Led by our Junior High Youth, Advisors, and Rev. Wendy Pantoja
May 20 at 11 am “Bridging Ceremony” All are invited to participate in this moving milestone as our high school seniors bridge to young adulthood.
We will hear reflections from youth of different ages, alums, and more. - Led by our Senior High Youth, Advisors, and Rev. Alison Miller
May 27 at 10 am “The Monuments We Choose”
It matters who we memorialize and how — but what seems right to one generation may be seen differently by
another. From Confederate statues to the Vietnam wall to cyber tributes, we’ll explore how we memorialize
on this 150th anniversary of Memorial Day. We invite you to bring a flower to remember those who’ve
served. - Coordinated by Danelle Simonelli
1st and 3rd Wednesdays: May 16 at 7 pm Circle of Hope and Healing: “Let Your Soul Breathe” Our circle this evening will center around the teachings of the holy month of Ramadan in
the Islamic calendar, which has just begun. Join us for a time of spiritual renewal and fellowship.
- Led by Rev. Alison Miller