Juneteenth is for Everyone​

The United States of America is a country with the highest of ideals. The Declaration of Independence states that “[w]e hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Protecting and promoting these rights is our highest calling as a nation. A devastating part of our American experience is slavery.  When slavery was legal in this country, the “self-evident” truths of our nation were rejected by some and the inherent God-given rights of others were denied. 

The Civil War brought an end to slavery in this country on May 9, 1865. However, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. “He informed the enslaved African Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. This momentous occasion has been celebrated as Juneteenth — a combination of June and 19 — for over 150 years.” (from The National Museum of African American History website.)

​Learn all about our special celebration here:

OFFICIAL PITTSFORD JUNETEENTH WEBSITE

Please join me at the home of Ms. Cheryl Peacock and Mr. Bruce Pollock for an afternoon of good food and great conversation.

I will serve a Wild Mushroom Risotto with Fresh Basil Cashew Cream and Grilled Garlic Crostini. This dish was among the most popular at this year’s Pittsford Farmer’s Market. I can’t wait to make it for you!

Please RSVP in advance at admin@pearlbrunt.com or contact our hosts directly at 585.455.7373.

Join us for a fun educational evening, learning, eating, and sharing more radical conversation!

Join us for DINNER at 6:30 pm and stay for an outdoor screening of VEGUCATED at 8:00 pm.

MENU
All Plant-based and Made from Scratch!

- Uncle James Didn't Know It Was VEGAN CHILLI with Assorted Toppings

- Fresh Sweet Corn Muffins

- Decadent Chocolate Mousse Pie with bourbon whipped cream.

SUGGESTED DONATION $10-25.

Please RSVP so I can prepare enough food for everyone!

If you enjoy high quality bourbon and delicious crepes, then this is the fundraiser for you!

Get to know Pearl as she prepares fresh crepes with an assortment of toppings like bourbon cherries with orange zest and vanilla.

Pearl is running for Pittsford Town Board. She is a foreign relations consultant, educator, public speaker, and among other things she is a plant-based foodie.

Having attending grad school in Paris, Pearl has developed a particular affection for this traditional French dish.

Join us for an evening of good food, good music and good company.

"Your crepe at the Pittsford Farmer Market was delicious. I... could not tell it was a vegan recipe. Thank you for what you do to bring the community together." Pittsford Farmers Market Attendee

*Suggested Donation $25

Amongst many other things, Pearl is a plant-based whole food advocate. Originally booked to teach classes at the new YMCA, she is really excited to have this opportunity to share with the community as the Y’s test kitchen has yet to reopen.

This season, Pearl will partner with local organizations to provide educational outreach, cooking demonstrations, and tastings!

THIS WEEK’S MENU:

Wild Mushroom Risotto

EDUCATION FOCUS:

Dairy Alternatives

The cooking demo will start promptly at 9:00 am with samples usually ready by 10:00 - 10:30ish!

Come to the village market on Saturday’s from 9 am - 1 pm.

Please join us for an afternoon jazz concert with local legend Herb Smith and the Freedom Trio and storytelling with Rev. Angela Bamford from the Black Storytellers League of Rochester as we celebrate Juneteenth!

Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Liberation Day, Juneteeth has been widely celebrated in black communities, however...

A victory for freedom anywhere is a cause for celebration everywhere!

Check out our BOOK EXCHANGE for a variety of inspiring stories, and interesting reads.

There will also be TRIVIA with a chance to win some great local shop prizes!

FOOD WASTE is annoying when you think about how much money you spend, but it is terrifying when you understand how much food waste in landfills contribute to climate change.

Join us for a discussion with Impact Earth Founder to learn more about local composting and how we can make it easy and accessible for everyone.

These live conversations feature 30-minute topic-specific talks, usually with a guest speaker followed by 30-minutes of open community discussion to which EVERYONE is welcome to be involved.  Please consider this your formal invitation and join us!

Click to JOIN US on ZOOM!

The only rules are to keep it RELEVANT to the topic and keep it RESPECTFUL.  The conversation will continue at innovation-conversations-with-pearl.mn.co.

This week, we will discuss the opportunities to encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion through zoning codes. Our town is currently going through an update. We have until April 25 to add comments to the town’s interactive zoning map.

SPECIAL GUEST: Stevie Vargas

Stevie Vargas is a longtime community organizer and advocate in the Rochester community where she has been focused on issues around education, the injustice system, poverty, and the ways in which these issues intersect. She currently works for the Alliance for Quality Education where she is the campaign coordinator.

She is one of the co-founders of Free the People Roc, NNLB a statewide collective of Black women focusing on reparations and mutual aid work, and is currently Chair of the Rochester chapter of the Working Families Party.

Innovation Conversations with Pearl Brunt is a series of public discussions intended to seed ideas in the community. It's not about what we should do, rather, it's about understanding what we COULD do and how we can incorporate some of those ideas into a community vision. Each week, Pearl will host a brief (30-minute or less) informative talk that will vary in format from guest speakers to presentations depending on the subject. After the talk, community members are invited to ask questions, make comments and engage in conversation.

YOU CAN JOIN ON Pearl’s FACEBOOK Page or YOUTUBE Channel. Both will stream live simultaneously.

The Town of Pittsford is currently going through a zoning overhaul. We have until 25 April 2021 to add our comments to the interactive map. Please remember that the Town of Pittsford and Pittsford Village are two separate municipalities, even though Pittsford Village is very much the cultural heart of our community and Pittsford Town owns property in the village. Both Pittsford Town and Village residents are encouraged to participate in the map and conversation. With that in mind, I thought zoning would be a great place to start Innovation Conversations with Pearl Brunt.

The zoning discussions will include the following topics:

02 April 2021 - Environment

09 April 2021 - Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

16 April 2021 - Auxiliary Dwelling Units.

23 April 2021 - Open Public Discussion

RESOURCES

I have always been a huge fan of Ted Ed, Ted Talks, books, and documentaries. You can expect to find a combination of short videos, book recommendations and other resources relevant to this week’s talk.

ZONING RESOURCES

Introduction to Zoning

Zoning vs. Planning

Green Building