A Wonderful Offer from North Carolina.

Dear All,

We have just received a copy (via NYSCOF) of this wonderful offer from Jan Petit in North Carolina. She is prepared to play host for a national gathering for fluoridation fighters at this time (Labor weekend) next year. I would certainly like to go and to support it in any way I can. The set up sounds fantastic, with plenty of opportunities for making it a fun weekend for the whole family, in addition to providing a venue for brainstorming on how we can help each other end this fluoridation nonsense once and for all. I don't suppose that our friends from outside North America will be able to afford to come to this meeting, but hopefully some of them will organize national meetings of their own - and give us feedback on the outcomes.

If you are interested in attending this proposed meeting, please let Jan know, and if you would, please send us a copy of your e-mail (ggvideo@northnet.org) so that we can keep track of how much interest there is in such a gathering.

Jan Petit's e-mail address is jpettit@tds.net

Paul Connett.
August 30, 2002.

Jan Petit of North Carolina (USA) writes:
"We are all fighting this bailiwick by bailiwick touching base with each other haphazardly, intermittently or not al all. I would personally like to meet and get to know those other lay people and professionals around the country (the world?) who have fought this fight so diligently through the years, discuss what works, how we could better coordinate our efforts and what methods we could use to bring the fluoridation dangers to the consciousness of America."

"It's no secret that the ultimate goal must be to get fluoridation and fluoride pollution and pesticide use eliminated (well, decreased anyway) nation-wide and world-wide. We may get it out of local water systems but it is still in the air and an unknown entity when we travel, buy pesticide-laden groceries, or eat out. There are symposia primarily for intellectual discussions and dissemination of recent research, etc. but these are for the elite and aren't meant for us everyday, practical, political action groups. In your NYSCOF efforts to coordinate and disseminate, could you put out feelers and see if there is any interest in having a weekend (say,... the Labor Day weekend of 2003?) in which everyone able and willing could get together with one or more of the professional folks, (Connett, Limeback, Mullinex, etc.) for a few days of exchanging ideas, developing strategies, boosting flagging morales, reinvigorating a long and frustrating odyssey which seems to have no end?."

"I would be willing to host an informal get-together on my property. NC is fairly centrally located at least for those in the East. I have rental houses, two in particular that I could offer free, of course, and my own home all on about 85 acres suitable for RVs and tents with bed and breakfast inns and a motel nearby for those who prefer more luxury. I could put up quite a number of people (families welcome) on the property which have a couple ponds with a paddle boat, streams, hiking area and a swimming pond up here in the mountains of western NC. We live quite simply about 2 1/2 miles from the small community of Saluda (pop. 650) 40 miles south of Asheville on I-26 near the SC border. It is normally cool (2,400 ft. elev.) and virtually mosquito-free year round (Did I mention the ccasional copperhead snakes and black bears?). I use no pesticides and only manure to reassure those who are chemically sensitive. The 85 acres are in two parcels about 1 mile apart suitable for bike riding between. I could meet incoming planes from Greenville, SC or Asheville, NC (we're about equal distance from each). We flew Hardy Limeback here for about $250 round trip this June. It's a one day road trip to here from virtually anywhere this side of New Orleans, Nashville, Detroit, Boston, or Tampa."

"If anyone would like to comment pro or con on this idea, please e mail me: jpettit@tds.net. Even if we have just a few come next year it might be the beginning of a much needed, more coordinated, concerted, nationwide (world-wide?) effort. Or maybe it's: Too expensive? Unnecessary? Everyone too busy? Let me know if you're interested."
Jan Petit jpettit@tds.net