“Stop Eminent Domain Abuse” Roadshow to come to Grinnell’s Drake Community Library, May 12th

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

EVENT DATE / TIME: Saturday, May 12, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Drake Community Library, 930 Park St., Grinnell, IA 50112
Contact: Ed Fallon at (515) 238-6404 or [email protected]
Sarah Spain at (805) 857-3715 or [email protected]

“Stop Eminent Domain Abuse” Roadshow to come to Grinnell’s Drake Community Library, May 12th

Bold Iowa and its partners are bringing a community forum to many towns across Iowa this summer. The first event was held in Montezuma on April 21, at the Public Library, and the third one will be at Drake Community Library, 930 Park St., on Saturday, May 12th at 11-12:30 pm. All are welcome and refreshments will be served.

The community forum highlights two items. First, educational insight about the historic eminent domain lawsuit before the Iowa Supreme Court, filed by landowners along the route of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Iowa Sierra Club. For detail on the case, see Supreme Court No. 17-0423. Second, view “Crossing the Divide”, a documentary by Ralph King. The documentary is about the 2017 Climate Justice Unity March, and shows the value of rebuilding trust and unity across political, cultural and geographic lines. See below for the full program agenda.

Landowners Keith Puntenney (left) and Vern Johnson (right), with Kathy Byrnes (lower right) from Bold Iowa.

Some of the highlights of the Montezuma event included a slide show of farmland decimated by the pipeline installation in various counties by Keith Puntenney and Vern Johnson, two plaintiffs in the lawsuit from Boone County. Steve Hickenbottom, a farmer in Mahaska County and another of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, spoke about problems he and his family have had with the pipeline company. Attorney Wally Taylor of the Iowa Sierra Club discussed the historic lawsuit and what it means for Iowa. Christine Nobiss, founder of Indigenous Iowa, informed the public about the back lash of eminent domain abuse on the Indigenous people of Iowa. The event wrapped up with Ed Fallon and Sarah Spain, of Bold Iowa, sharing details of the First Nation / Farmers Climate Justice Unity March that will be taking place in Iowa later this fall. The march will raise awareness of the lawsuit and abuse of eminent domain by the Iowa Utilities Board.

Indigenous Iowa was founded by Christine Nobiss to raise awareness about the Native American perspective about the devastating effects that oil, gas and coal have on our environment.

Bold Iowa builds rural-urban coalitions to fight climate change, prevent the abuse of eminent domain, protect Iowa’s soil, air, and water, and promote non-industrial renewable energy.

###