Stop selling Blue Bunny? * Saturday Night Music * Shopping with a social conscience * BILL'S COFFEESHOP NEWSLETTER * Vol. 12 * July 30, 2011

SHOULD WE STOP SELLING

BLUE BUNNY ICE CREAM?

Maybe Uptown Bill's should top serving Blue Bunny Ice Cream. That would be a big change for the coffee house, which has featured Blue Bunny since its opening 10 years ago.

We're considering this move in light of the news that Blue Bunny executives have contributed more than $400,000 in recent years to the political campaigns of Robert Vander Plaats. They have also made additional contributions to Family Leader, a political action committee controlled by Vander Plaats. (For details, see this story in the Sioux City Journal: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs/politically_speaking/article_be02ab94-d496-58e3-84b3-98b7c1bd7b7d.html.)

Robert Vander Plaats and his Family Leader organization have been spreading messages of intolerance all over the state and beyond. One recent example is the "marriage vow," which presidential candidates are being asked to sign. The Des Moines Register, called this "a troubling case of bias." (See the Register editorial here: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107140316.) One section of this document even says that African-American children had better lives under slavery.

This is but one example of the messages being circulated by Vander Plaats. There are many, many more which seem to us in great conflict with the Iowa ideals of tolerance and justice. So we are wondering if we should be buying ice cream from people who support such messages through their political contributions. 

Blue Bunny maintains that the Vander Plaats are personal contributions, not corporate ones. (See this message on the company's website: http://www.bluebunny.com/About/Messages/Statement.aspx.)

But in our view the personal is political. Business executives make choices in supporting candidates and issues not only for personal reasons, but also for corporate reasons. 

So we see the contributions by Blue Bonny executives as representing not only their personal interests, but also the corporate interests of Blue Bunny. And that's what leads us to be thinking about dropping Blue Bunny ice cream.

But we'd like to have a conversation with you, our friends, before we do anything. What do you think? What would you do? And if we drop Blue Bunny, what ice cream should we buy instead.

If you'd like to talk about this,  join us this Saturday, July 30 at 2 pm. First we'll listen to Fran Hawthorne talk about her book on shopping and parenting with a social conscience (see below). Then let's talk about Blue Bunny. 

SATURDAY BOOK TALK ON ETHICAL

PARENTING, SHOPPING, INVESTING

Fair trade? Organic? Paper or plastic? Cloth diapers or not? Fran Hawthorne explores these questions and many more in her new book "The Overloaded Liberal: Shopping, investing, parenting and other dilemmas in an age of political activism." Published by Beacon Press, the book is a practical guide to ethics for everyday life. Hawthorne gathered information for her book in dozens of interviews with experts and with ordinary consumers. 

Hawthorne will be in Iowa City this coming weekend (July 30 and 31) to talk about her book. She will be at Uptown Bill's Coffee House, 730 S. Dubuque St., on Saturday, July 30. A book talk and reception are planned at 2 pm. 

She will also speak at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 10 S. Gilbert St., on Sunday, July 31 at the 10 am service.

An award-winning author of four books, and a veteran writer and editor for newspapers, magazines, and websites, Fran Hawthorne has spent her career exploring the intersection between business and social policy.

Back in 1985 she dug into the ways Wall Street buys business with campaign contributions, and she was one of the first to debunk the myth that socially responsible investing means lower profits. She has investigated diet drug fads, anti-aging "wonder" drugs, and the collapse of the American pension system.

Her books include:  Inside the FDA: The Business and Politics Behind the Drugs We Take and the Food We Eat (John Wiley & Sons, 2005), Pension Dumping(Bloomberg Press, 2008), and The Overloaded Liberal: Shopping, Investing, Parenting, and Other Daily Dilemmas in an Age of Political Activism(Beacon Press, 2010).

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California at Berkeley, Hawthorne worked at  Fortune, BusinessWeek, and the Record of Bergen County, N.J. She now writes regularly for The New York Times, Newsday, The Scientist, NY Journal of Books, and many other publications.

***You can find an excerpt from Fran Hawthorne's book here: 

www.scribd.com/doc/29791451/An-excerpt-from-The-Overloaded-Liberal-by-Fran-Hawthorne

***You can find an excerpt from an interview with Fran Hawthorne here: 

www.ihavenet.com/politics/Fran-Hawthorne-Discusses-The-Overloaded-Liberal-ZM.html

***Fran Hawthorne's blog is here:

http://hawthornewriter.com

ANOTHER PACKED WEEK

AT THE COFFEE HOUSE

Music, conversations, and two nights of readings take place at Uptown Bill's this week. 

Saturday, July 30
2 pm: Meet the author: Fran Hawthorne, author of "The Overloaded Liberal."
7 pm. Saturday Night Music: Sara Pray and Thomas Kivi. Two terrific singer/songwriters. We've been playing their CDs all week in the coffeehouse. 

Monday, Aug. 1
7 pm: Chris Bell, singer/songwriter. He's the singer/songwriter who plays the cello like a guitar. 

Tuesday, Aug. 2

6:30 pm. Mary Lucille Hays, author of the Midwestern newspaper column Birdland, will read from her work. 

To Gilsenan, director of Uptown Bill's will also read selections from his 30 years of newspaper columns.

Wednesday, Aug. 3
6 pm Readers and Writers Group. 7 pm Open Mic (Spoken Word).

Thursday, Aug. 4
6 pm Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)

Saturday, Aug. 6
4:30 pm. Irish Sessions. 

CIRCLE LABOR DAY
ON THE CALENDAR
Uptown Bill's hosts the annual Ralston Creek Fair and Flea Market on Monday, Sept. 5. This event is so big that we'll take over the parking lot across the street to make room for antique dealers and other vendors. Plus, it's the 10th anniversary of Uptown Bill's. It will be a great day with lots of live music and other activities. Hope to see you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8:30 am during the summer. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 10th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

--

In the spirit of Bill Sackter, Uptown Bill's strives to nurture and encourage a gathering place where people of all abilities are welcome. Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Watch us on You Tube: www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLEE41220297F8D82C

Visit our web page: www.uptownbills.org

Parenting & shopping with a social conscience * Season for changing, moving * Live TV, plenty of music, too * BILL'S COFFEESHOP NEWSLETTER * VOL. 12 * JULY 25, 2011

TIS THE SEASON FOR

CHANGING, MOVING

Tucked into the evenings now are signs of change. By the calendar, summer is just one-third over. But here and there are hints that this will not last forever.

First, the fireflies are nearly gone. A month ago, they filled our nights with their magical light. Now, one is lucky to see two or three all evening.

Second, the cicadas are back. They start singing around dusk, getting louder and louder as the day turns to night. Some evenings their collective singing sounds like the roar of machinery in a factory.

Along with the cicadas have come the crickets. But one has to listen carefully to hear them among the cicadas. Soon, though, that will change. 

*     *     *     *     *

AROUND Iowa City this is the moving season. Every rental truck and trailer in the city and nearby has been pressed into service for this annual migration. Thousands are headed out of the city; other thousands are headed in. Those who are departing leave behind all sort of things, including couches, bookshelves and even appliances. Those who are staying will be trolling the streets in search of discarded items.

*     *     *     *     *

In the coffee house, there are now more goodbyes than hellos. Some are people we have known for years; others have just been around for the summer.

It is particularly hard to say goodbye to the people who have shared their gifts of music with us. We will miss Diving Horses, a great string band. And we will miss Lauren Bevineau who brought much music and many friends to Uptown Bill's over the last year. She performed for the last time on Saturday night, opening for Dave Moore. You can find a clip from the evening on the Facebook page for Uptown Bill's.

SATURDAY BOOK TALK ON ETHICAL

PARENTING, SHOPPING, INVESTING

Fair trade? Organic? Paper or plastic? Cloth diapers or not? Fran Hawthorne explores these questions and many more in her new book "The Overloaded Liberal: Shopping, investing, parenting and other dilemmas in an age of political activism." Published by Beacon Press, the book is a practical guide to ethics for everyday life. Hawthorne gathered information for her book in dozens of interviews with experts and with ordinary consumers. 

Hawthorne will be in Iowa City this coming weekend (July 30 and 31) to talk about her book. She will be at Uptown Bill's Coffee House, 730 S. Dubuque St., on Saturday, July 30. A book talk and reception are planned at 2 pm. 

She will also speak at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 10 S. Gilbert St., on Sunday, July 31 at the 10 am service.

An award-winning author of four books, and a veteran writer and editor for newspapers, magazines, and websites, Fran Hawthorne has spent her career exploring the intersection between business and social policy.

Back in 1985 she dug into the ways Wall Street buys business with campaign contributions, and she was one of the first to debunk the myth that socially responsible investing means lower profits. She has investigated diet drug fads, anti-aging "wonder" drugs, and the collapse of the American pension system.

Her books include:  Inside the FDA: The Business and Politics Behind the Drugs We Take and the Food We Eat (John Wiley & Sons, 2005), Pension Dumping(Bloomberg Press, 2008), and The Overloaded Liberal: Shopping, Investing, Parenting, and Other Daily Dilemmas in an Age of Political Activism(Beacon Press, 2010).

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California at Berkeley, Hawthorne worked at  Fortune, BusinessWeek, and the Record of Bergen County, N.J. She now writes regularly for The New York Times, Newsday, The Scientist, NY Journal of Books, and many other publications.

***You can find an excerpt from Fran Hawthorne's book here: 

www.scribd.com/doc/29791451/An-excerpt-from-The-Overloaded-Liberal-by-Fran-Hawthorne

***You can find an excerpt from an interview with Fran Hawthorne here: 

www.ihavenet.com/politics/Fran-Hawthorne-Discusses-The-Overloaded-Liberal-ZM.html

***Fran Hawthorne's blog is here:

http://hawthornewriter.com/

LIVE TV, OPEN MIC

& LOTS OF MUSIC

Here's a look at what's scheduled during the next two weeks at the coffeehouse:

Tuesday, July 26
6m. Live broadcast of Tom's Guitar Show from the coffee house. 

Wednesday, July 27
6 pm. Readers & Writers Group. 7 pm. Open Mic (Spoken Word).

Thursday, July 28
6 pm. Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)
7:30 pm – Gwendolyn Countryman, singer/songwriter
She writes: 
"My vintage Lo Ducca Bros. accordion, rebuilt it New Hampshire (reeds) and Italy (bellows) has arrived. She sounds and plays fabulously. What a joy and inspiration. I hope to share her at my upcoming show at Uptown Bill's."

Saturday, July 30
2 pm: Meet the author: Fran Hawthorne, author of "The Overloaded Liberal."
7 pm. Saturday Night Music: Sara Pray and Thomas Kivi

Monday, Aug. 1
7 pm: Chris Bell, singer/songwriter

Tuesday, Aug. 2

6:30 pm. Mary Lucille Hays, author of the Midwestern newspaper column Birdland, will read from her work. 

Wednesday, Aug. 3
6 pm Readers and Writers Group. 7 pm Open Mic (Spoken Word).

Thursday, Aug. 4
6 pm Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)

Saturday, Aug. 6
4:30 pm. Irish Sessions. 

FOLLOW THE COFFEESHOP
'WALK ACROSS IOWA'
Dale Hankins is past Cedar Rapids in his across Iowa to spread abilities awareness and tell the continuing story of Bill's Coffeeshops. You can follow the walk on the Facebook page for "Bill's Coffeeshop Walk Across Iowa." You can also read about the walk in Eastern Iowa Life: http://easterniowalife.com/2011/07/25/taking-a-walk-across-iowa-to-spread-a-message-of-abilities-awareness/

FEATURED BOOKS IN
SACKTER HOUSE MEDIA
Books by and about  individuals with disabilities are featured in the Sackter House Media display at Uptown Bill's. Come by and see our selection, including Fantasy Windows by Rick Chacon. 

CIRCLE LABOR DAY
ON THE CALENDAR
Uptown Bill's hosts the annual Ralston Creek Fair and Flea Market on Monday, Sept. 5. This event is so big that we'll take over the parking lot across the street to make room for antique dealers and other vendors. Plus, it's the 10th anniversary of Uptown Bill's. It will be a great day with lots of live music and other activities. Hope to see you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8:30 am during the summer. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 10th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

Dave Moore * Shooting stars * 'Overloaded liberal' * BILL'S COFFEESHOP NEWSLETTER * Vol. 12 * July 18, 2011

PICK A NIGHT FOR

SHOOTING STARS
THERE IS a good reason to stay up after midnight during the next few weeks. This is the best time of year to see shooting stars.

Chances are you'll see one just about any night if you wait long enough. But during the first two weeks of August, the number of shooting stars can be as many as 40-50 an hour. So get out your calendar and pick the night you're going to go out and watch for these "stars" streaking across the night sky.

Officially, these shooting stars are called the Perseids. You can find out more about these and other star "showers" at the website of the Minnesota Institute of Astrophysics at the University of Minnesota:www.astro.unm.edu. Earth Sky also has lots of information about the August meteor showers: www.earthsky.org.

This year, the best time to view these is during the first week of August. That's because there is a full moon around Aug. 13 which will make it hard to see the stars.

The best places for viewing are away from street lights and other light sources. One recent year, some friends and I camped out on a school soccer field from 1 am to 3 am. We even persuaded the school to turn off the sprinklers for that one night. We took lawn chairs and sleeping bags out onto the middle of the field and were rewarded with a great show.

I would guess there are some good spots for viewing down by the river or maybe in one of the county parks. I'd love to hear from readers who have done stargazing in past years in either place.

Of course, if you're outside the city – camping or at the lake – the show will be even better because there is less light to contend with. But this is an amazing display every year – even if you're in the middle of the city.

MEET THE AUTHOR OF
"OVERLOADED LIBERAL"
Fair trade? Organic? Paper or plastic? Cloth diapers or not? Fran Hawthorne explores these questions and dozens of others in her new book "The Overloaded Liberal: Shopping, investing, parenting and other dilemmas in an age of political activism." Fran will be at Uptown Bill's on Saturday, July 30 to talk about her book. Her talk is at 2 pm. Autographed copies will be available.  Join us for this interesting discussion. 

MORE ABOUT

FRAN'S BOOK
Here's an excerpt from a review of Fran Hawthorne's book by Stuart Shiffman (www.bookreporter.com):

"Whole Foods and its competitor, Costco, exemplify the quandary created by principled shopping. By classic definition, Costco is the big-box behemoth that progressive shoppers should avoid. Through pricing and size, it has destroyed many small independent merchants. Whole Foods labels products by country of origin. The produce is organic, additive-free and clearly marked for consumers. Yet Costco is a more labor-friendly organization than Whole Foods. Therein lies the rub: Do you buy at Costco, the more labor-friendly store, or do you support the smaller merchant where prices may be higher? No one said that politically active shopping was easy.

"The Overloaded Liberal" is honest enough to recognize that strict application of progressive values might paralyze shoppers altogether. It is difficult to purchase clothing that was not manufactured in a country where workers are treated in a fashion that Americans would consider deplorable. But one person's sweatshop is another's desirable job that, by local standards, produces a more than adequate standard of living. Do you protest the poor working conditions by boycotting the merchandise? If you do, then your wardrobe will be very limited.

"Hawthorne does not provide readers with an easy answer to shopping in an age of political activism. But that was not her intention in this book. Pointing out that these decisions are not easy and often have wide-ranging implications open the reader's eyes to the difficulty of consumerism in this era. As another example, joining food co-ops with volunteer workers may mean that grocery stores will cut jobs and workers will lose salaries. Selecting foreign organic products over chemically produced domestic items may seem beneficial, but those foreign items come at the cost of carbon emissions from shipping them around the globe. There is a cost for everything, often measured in something beyond dollars.

"This is a thoughtful and provocative book. By the way, the issues raised here are not solely for those on the left side of the political spectrum. Many conservatives confront similar moral dilemmas as they purchase food, clothing and appliances. But finding common ground on this issue has become as difficult as every other political debate. Regardless of your political views, 'The Overloaded Liberal' will help you address consumerism in the era of politically active shopping."

ALSO COMING
UP IN JULY
Wednesday, July 20
6 pm Readers & Writers Group. 7 pm Open Mic (Spoken Word).

Thursday, July 21
6 pm. Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)

Saturday, July 23
Saturday Night Music, 7 pm. Dave Moore (Opening: Garrin Jost, Lauren Bevineau)

Tuesday, July 26
6m. Live broadcast of Tom's Guitar Show from the coffee house.

Wednesday, July 27
6 pm. Readers & Writers Group. 7 pm. Open Mic (Spoken Word).

Thursday, July 28
6 pm. Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)
7:30 pm – Gwendolyn Countryman, singer/songwriter
She writes: 
"My vintage Lo Ducca Bros. accordion, rebuilt it New Hampshire (reeds) and Italy (bellows) has arrived. She sounds and plays fabulously. What a joy and inspiration. I hope to share her at my upcoming show at Uptown Bill's."

Saturday, July 30
2 pm: Meet the author: Fran Hawthorne, author of "The Overloaded Liberal."
7 pm. Saturday Night Music: Sara Pray and Thomas Kivi

Monday, Aug. 1
7 pm: Chris Bell, singer/songwriter

Tuesday, Aug. 2

6:30 pm. Mary Lucille Hays, author of the Midwestern newspaper column Birdland, will read from her work. 

Wednesday, Aug. 3
6 pm Readers and Writers Group. 7 pm Open Mic (Spoken Word).

Thursday, Aug. 4
6 pm Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)

Saturday, Aug. 6
4:30 pm. Irish Sessions. 

FOLLOW THE COFFEESHOP
'WALK ACROSS IOWA'
Dale Hankins is walking across Iowa to spread abilities awareness and tell the continuing story of Bill's Coffeeshops. You can follow the walk on the Facebook page for "Bill's Coffeeshop Walk Across Iowa."
Read about the walk in a Daily Iowan story by Chastity Dillard: http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/07/11/Metro/24081.html

FEATURED BOOKS IN
SACKTER HOUSE MEDIA
Books by and about  individuals with disabilities are featured in the Sackter House Media display at Uptown Bill's. Come by and see our selection. 

CIRCLE LABOR DAY
ON THE CALENDAR
Uptown Bill's hosts the annual Ralston Creek Fair and Flea Market on Monday, Sept. 5. This event is so big that we'll take over the parking lot across the street to make room for antique dealers and other vendors. Plus, it's the 10th anniversary of Uptown Bill's. It will be a great day with lots o live music and other activities. Hope to see you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8:30 am during the summer. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 10th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

SEE YOU AT THE FAIR * PLENTY OF MUSIC * MIDSUMMER ON THE PRAIRIE * BILL'S COFFEESHOP NEWSLETTER * VOL. 12 * JULY 9, 2011

MIDSUMMER ON

THE PRAIRIE

We are in a long stretch of hot, humid days now, broken occasionally by thunderstorms. It is summer on the prairie. The weather is not necessarily conducive to people, but it is wonderful for the corn.

Daylight still begins before most of us are up. Night comes slowly, providing us with long lingering evenings. Fireflies are still a part of the evenings, you can see them along the creek behind Uptown Bill's. But now one can hear the cicadas, too, sounding like little engines running in the night. They will get louder as the summer goes along, eventually sounding like a small factory operating a night shift. 

The arrival of the cicadas marks the midpoint of the summer, but for now we are still hoping that summer will go on forever. 

PLENTY OF MUSIC

AND LOTS MORE

Three nights of live music, plus an Open Mic and other events are planned this week at Uptown Bill's. Here's a look at this week -- and what's happening through the rest of July: 

Wednesday, July 13
6 pm. Readers & Writers Group. 7 pm. Spoken Word Open Mic. 
7:30 pm. Jenny Dalton, singer/songwriter from Minneapolis

Thursday, July 14
6 pm. Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter). 
7:30 pm. Diving Horses, local musical group

Saturday, July 16

2-5 pm Open Reading. 
5:30 pm Michelle Lynn 7 pm. David Olson, singer/songwriter from Twin Cities.

Wednesday, July 20
6 pm Readers & Writers Group. 7 pm Open Mic (Spoken Word).

Thursday, July 21
6 pm. Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)

Saturday, July 23
Saturday Night Music, 7 pm. Dave Moore (Opening: Garrin Jost, Lauren Bevineau)

Wednesday, July 27
6 pm. Readers & Writers Group. 7 pm. Open Mic (Spoken Word.

Thursday, July 28
6 pm. Art & Music Night. 7 pm. Open Mic (Singer/Songwriter)
7:30 pm – Gwendolyn Countryman

Saturday, July 30
7 pm. Saturday Night Music: Sara Pray and Thomas Kivi

GREAT BARGAINS IN

BILL'S BOOKMART

Children's books are just 25 cents in the bookstore; CDs are $2. (Lots of new CDs added during the past week.) As always, paperbacks are $2; hardcovers are $3. Come see us soon. Check out Bill's Bookmart on Facebook for more details. 

FOLLOW THE COFFEESHOP

'WALK ACROSS IOWA'

Dale Hankins is walking across Iowa to spread abilities awareness and tell the continuing story of Bill's Coffeeshops. You can follow the walk on the Facebook page for "Bill's Coffeeshop Walk Across Iowa."

Read about the walk in a Daily Iowan story by Chastity Dillard: http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/07/11/Metro/24081.html

WHAT'S FEATURED IN

SACKTER HOUSE MEDIA

Books by and about  individuals with disabilities are featured in the Sackter House Media display at Uptown Bill's. Come by and see what we have

SEE YOU AT 

BOOK FAIR

Saturday, July 16 is the day for the annual Iowa City Book Fair. Look for our booths, plus those of others, in Gibosn Park (next to UI library). Fair runs from 10 am to 5 pm. The fair is part of the IC Book Festival running all weekend.

OPEN READING AT

THE COFFEE HOUSE

Uptown Bill's hosts an open reading from 2 to 5 pm on Saturday, July 16. You're invited to come by and read a story or poem you have written -- or one you really like. Sign up sheet is on the side of the pop cooler at the coffee house. 

CIRCLE LABOR DAY

ON THE CALENDAR

Uptown Bill's hosts the annual Ralston Creek Fair and Flea Market on Monday, Sept. 5. This event is so big that we'll take over the parking lot across the street to make room for antique dealers and other vendors. Plus, it's the 10th anniversary of Uptown Bill's. It will be a great day. Hope to see you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8:30 am during the summer. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 10th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible

Fourth of July picnic * Spring Grove soda pop * Co-ops & Labor Unions * BILL'S COFFEESHOP NEWSLETTER * VOL. 12 * JULY 2, 2011

YOU'RE INVITED
TO OUR PICNIC
Uptown Bill's is planning a picnic lunch on Monday, July 4th. It's at 1 pm. We'll have the usual fare, including hot dogs and potato salad. It's free (okay, we do pass the hat for donations). You're welcome to bring a favorite dish, though that's not required. We'd love to see you -- even if it's just a brief stop before you head off to another barbecue or picnic.

JANE ADDAMS' VISION OF SOCIAL WORK
INCLUDED CO-OPS & LABOR UNIONS
A coffeehouse like Wild Bill's or Uptown Bill's is just one of the models for social work practice pioneered by Jane Addams and the other residents of Hull House. They tried lots of other things, too, experimenting with many different ways to improve people's lives and build better communities.

Two models they found particularly effective were cooperatives and labor unions. Addams and the others helped start several cooperatives, including one to buy coal in bulk for heating and another to provide housing for single women working in Chicago. They also helped organize several labor unions, including one for women in the garment industry.

Addams believed very strongly that individuals and communities should have a say in their neighborhoods and their jobs. She saw co-ops and labor unions as ways to extend democracy into the marketplace and the the workplace. This theme of extending democracy appears in every book she wrote and in dozens of articles.

Addams also saw co-ops and labor unions as organized ways for people to take care of each other. And she imagined that both could help transform society in a more peaceful and more equitable place.

STILL A VISION
FOR US TODAY
It's been more than a century since Addams first outlined her vision of social work: a quest for a society with peace and justice for all. But it's a vision which still can be applied in our time. Co-ops and labor unions still have the potential to extend democracy into the marketplace.

The resurgence of co-op grocery stores in recent decades shows this vision is still relevant. New Pioneer in Iowa City is one example of this economic democracy described by Jane Addams. A brand new example: Tallgrass Co-op, a grocery opening in September in Des Moines. (See below for more on this new venture.)

There also has been a renewed interest in labor unions. COGS, the UE local which represents graduate assistants at the University of Iowa, is one example. This union emerged because graduate students wanted a voice in their workplace. Graduate students at other universities are pursuing the same approach. 

When I was at Wild Bill's, we talked about the idea of the coffeeshop operating as a cooperative. In fact, a study team of business students reviewed the idea, and concluded that it is possible. But there are no current models for co-ops at this university for cooperatives (though there are at other universities and there were housing co-ops here in the past). So creating such a co-op will take time.

A cooperative could also be a model for Uptown Bill's. It could be a co-op in which the operators of each business are the member of the cooperative. More about that idea in the near future.

SPRING GROVE
SODA IS HERE
Looking for a really old-fashioned soda pop. Stop in and try one of the eight flavors we have from Spring Grove Soda. Located in Spring Grove, Minnesota, this company has been bottling soda pop for more than a century. Used to be that you couldn't get Spring Grove Soda outside of a very small area in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa (unless you drove to the bottling plant). But now it's available at Uptown Bill's. Stop in soon and try root beer, lemon sour or one of the other flavors.

TAKE A LOOK

AT FAIR TRADE

Uptown Bill's serves a fair trade coffee distributed by Cafe de Sol. Like to learn more about fair trade coffee -- and other fair trade products. Check out the Fair Trade Resource Network: http://www.fairtraderesource.org/ 

NEW FILM

ON CO-OPS

A new film about grocery cooperatives in the US is now in production. You can learn more (and see a preview) at this website: http://foodforchangemovie.com. There are co-op markets in more than a dozen Minnesota communities and almost as many in Iowa.

NEW GROCERY CO-OP
COMING TO DES MOINES
A new co-op grocery, Tallgrass Market, is scheduled to open this fall in Des Moines. Here's a link to a column in the Des Moines Register about the new co-op: http://dmjuice.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110615/BASU/106150331.

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Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8:30 am during the summer. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in its 10th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's website or Facebook page. You can call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.

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In the spirit of Bill Sackter, Uptown Bill's strives to nurture and encourage a gathering place where people of all abilities are welcome. Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Watch us on You Tube: www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLEE41220297F8D82C

Visit our web page: www.uptownbills.org