| To submit an item for inclusion in next week’s newsletter, write newsletter@audacitycat.com |
| Friday, May 1 @ 10:30AM: Audacity Office Hours, Villager Cafe, Camden Sit a spell with fellow Audacitizens! Catch up, gear up, and hatch plans to act up. Who’s welcome? Everyone! (Villager Cafe, 25 Mechanic Street, Camden) |
| Friday, May 1: National General Strike No Work, No School, No Shopping All Day Long Rally by the Camden Village Green & Chapman Park in Rockland at Noon Spread the Word Now: Tell Friends, Put Up Posters, and Share on Social Media |
| About the General Strike We are asking each and every person reading this newsletter to participate in the National General Strike on Friday, May 1, 2026. Joining a national coalition of over 200 organizations, including MoveOn, Indivisible, and the National Education Association, we are asking you to flex your collective power by participating in a day of no work, no school, and no shopping. The strike is an opportunity for us to flex our collective power as workers, students, consumers, and everyday people. Our actions are designed to send a clear message that “business as usual” cannot continue while politicians enrich themselves, people go hungry, rights are trampled, families are torn apart, and the federal government extends threats and intimidation instead of honest leadership. Nationally, the General Strike focuses on three demands: putting everyday families first and taxing the ultra-rich, ending the abuses of ICE and private armies, and expanding democracy by defending free and fair elections. A core principle of all May Day actions is a strict commitment to nonviolence and the de-escalation of potential confrontations. Local General Strike Action Details Local rallies will be held simultaneously at the Camden Village Green and Rockland’s Chapman Park at Noon. These rallies have two purposes: 1. To publicly disrupt the false sense of normality that has descended over our nation with a nonviolent visual and auditory ruckus. Bring signs that share your point of view. Also bring drums, kazoos, bullhorns, pots and pans, and other noisemakers to create a loud, nonviolent presence at the rallies that neighbors and local leaders will remember. Drivers are encouraged to form a “honking brigade” to show support by driving around the rally locations. 2. To connect folks to the growing local and national movement of nonviolent resistance. The Audacity will send coordinators and trained peacekeepers to the Camden and Rockland noontime rallies to maintain a positive presence and share information about how to join the growing nationwide movement for democratic change. We will pass out fliers with information about getting in touch with movement groups and joining future political actions. All who share the goals of the general strike are welcome to participate. Spread the Word Now: Tell Friends, Put Up Posters, and Share on Social Media To help make the day a success, we are asking you to do three things before May 1: 1. Tell your friends and invite them to come. Make it a fun, social event. 2. Print and put up Posters everywhere you can. Here is a link to a poster for you to print: https://audacitycat.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MAY-DAY-BW.pdf 3. Share the news over Social Media using your own words, to create a buzz and make the event a subject for viral discussion. Include this image to draw the eye: https://audacitycat.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/maydaystrike.png |
| Saturday, May 2 @ 10AM: Audacity’s Monthly Mass Meeting, Rockland Shape the Future of Resistance in Knox County at The Audacity’s Monthly Mass Meeting, Saturday, May 2 at 10 AM 345 Broadway in Rockland. Please park at McDougal Park if you can. As we work to protect democracy, we do it democratically. On the first Saturday of every month, we gather at 345 Broadway to make organizing plans. We need your voice, your thoughts, and your willingness to step forward and make it happen. If you’re seeking to step up your organizing activity, this is a great opportunity to get involved.send agenda items to contact@audacitycat.com |
 Join us at the park and let’s create ways to join in future demonstrations, events, and Creative Actions Together. Now is the time to RISE UP! Saturday, May 2 @ Noon: Stand Out and Sing Out in Rockland’s Chapman Park We are a diverse group. And, together, we choose democracy. We demonstrate the perseverance of local opposition at the corner of Park & Main Street. We sing, hold signs, have conversations, give away buttons and postcards. We collect food/hygiene items for the local food bank. Be A Peace Keeper: Members of The Audacity differ in background, political affiliation, and ideas, but we agree on the following points:opposition to authoritarianism, bigotry, and corruptionsupport for inclusive democracy, equity, and freedomnonviolence in action |
 Dirty Water. Overcrowded. No Lawyers. Rotten Food. No Beds. No Medicine. Filth. Lights on 24/7. Beatings.For these reasons and more, members of The Audacity Visual Arts Group put this public message on their bodies in Rockland on April 25, 2026: No ICE Prisons. EVER. |
| Sunday, May 3 @ 12:30PM: Signs of Fascism, Waterville Please join us for a Signs of Fascism protest in coordination with Indivisible Mid Maine Waterville. The meeting place is the Unitarian Universalist Church, 69 Silver Street, Waterville, at 12:30 p.m. The line will start at the UU Church and then head towards the bridge that crosses over Messalonskee Stream onto Kennedy Memorial Drive. The protest will run from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. The weather forecast is calling for partly sunny skies with a high of 54 degrees. Please call, text, or email Ellen if you plan to participate: 207-462-4241; ripko55@gmail.com. |
| Thursday, May 7 @ 7PM: Democratic Candidates’ Night (Knox County Sheriff and District Attorney) Rockland City Hall The forum will be held at the Council Chambers at 270 Pleasant Street, Rockland.The public is invited to attend and ask questions of the candidates. Each candidate will offer an opening statement followed by questions from the public, and the forum will conclude with closing statements.Candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for district attorney are incumbent District Attorney Natasha Irving of Rockland and challenger Barbara Cray of Westport Island. There are no Republican candidates and, as of April 10, no unenrolled candidates had announced.The district attorney seat represents Knox, Waldo, Lincoln, and Sagadahoc counties. Irving is in her second four-year term.Candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Knox County sheriff are incumbent Sheriff Patrick Polky and challenger John Hansen, both of St. George. Polky is completing his first four-year term. There are no Republican candidates for sheriff. Albert “A.J.” Joy of Hope has announced his intention to run as an independent candidate for the post.The election is on June 9. Absentee ballots will be available on May 9. Applications for absentee ballots are already available.Reporter Stephen Betts will moderate the forum. This event is sponsored by Midcoast Villager. |
 Action: Participate in regular standouts with Maine Voices For Palestinian Rights Camden, on the Village Green, every Friday, 5 PMRockland, at Chapman Park, on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays, 3 PMBelfast, in Post Office Square, every Sunday, 12-12:30 PM |
 Action: Volunteer with the League of Women Voters of MaineObserve the Polls Volunteer role — Visit polling places on election day The League trains nonpartisan election observers to visit polling locations in their region, report out on what they see, and help resolve any issues that arise. All volunteers are required to fill out the interest form and attend a training. Click here to view the list of trainings for May. Thank your Town Clerk Town clerks are the unsung heroes of American democracy. They serve on the frontlines of administering our elections and work tirelessly to assist voters and count every vote. May 3-9 is Professional Municipal Clerks Week. The League will celebrate our clerks and thank them for their critical work to make sure Maine elections are orderly, secure, and inclusive. |
| Voting Information Are you a teacher, counselor, parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or friend of a teen? The Maine League of Women Voters wants to get voting info out especially to 17- and 18-year-olds. Did you know… Students who will turn 18 on or before the November general election are eligible to vote in the primaries! Have a discussion with your class [or kid or carpool or church group or team or…] about what it means to have semi-open primaries and how students can participate. There are two statewide election days in Maine in 2026: June 9 — State Primary Election – This election is to choose the candidates who will be on the General Election ballot. November 3 — General Election In a semi-open primary, unenrolled voters can choose which primary to vote in, whereas before they couldn’t participate.Unenrolled voters — At the polls, or when you request your absentee ballot, you can choose which primary that you want to vote in. Although you will cast your ballot in a party primary, you will maintain your unenrolled status.Quick Notes:Enrolled voters can only vote in their party’s primary.Republicans can NOT vote in the Democratic primary.Democrats can NOT vote in the Republican primary.Green Independent and Libertarian do not have a primary this year. (NOTE: Green Independent and Unenrolled (sometimes known as “Independent” voter status) are two separate party statuses). Registered voters who are 17 years old may vote in primary elections if they will be 18 by the general election. For more complete information on upcoming elections, share this presentation (created by the League of Women Voters of Maine and Maine Students Vote). Contact emilia@lwvme.orgfor more information or to schedule a classroom visit! |
 Action: Boycott Amazon! Delete your accounts! You can do it! Robert Reich’s recent substack explains how Jeff Besos is the “The Worst Neo Robber Baron of Them All.” He’s one of the three richest people in the world (estimated net worth at least $259 Billion, he makes approximately $3,715 per second, yet his company does little to protect its workers. |
 Action: Volunteer with Rockland Pride Rockland Pride is what we make it, and it wouldn’t be possible without YOU. Now is the time to let Rockland Pride know if you want to volunteer – you do not need to commit to the whole day; just a few hours would be helpful! For more details on Rockland Pride’s volunteer needs for June 7, visit: https://rocklandmainepride.org/get-involved/. To sign up to volunteer, email rocklandmepride@gmail.com. |
 Grab a Clynk bag from Linda at our weekly demonstration. Then return your full Clynk bag(s) (the fuller, the better) to the nearest Hannaford store. We’ve raised about $250 and know we can raise more. Together, we make a difference. |
| The Constitution is worth saving, the rule of law is worth saving, democracy is worth saving, but these things can and will be lost if everyone waits around for someone else. – Timothy D. Snyder |