by Joyce Nickols

A big “thanks” goes to the 50 Unitarian children, youth, and adults, along with members from Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church and women from my book group, who helped with the “Children’s Tools for School” project.

Tom Zaugg drove the ReMax truck to Staples in Santa Fe early on August 6^th to pick-up the $21,000 order of school supplies (yes, $21,000!). We were back to the Masonic Temple by noon and many came to unload the truck. (Take a look at the article/picture by Sherry Hardage hanging on the bulletin board across from the kitchen as it shows some of our kids in action.) We then opened boxes and sorted the items in preparation for the individual school “boxing” that took place the next day. It was a busy and sometimes chaotic two days but everyone agreed it was fun and a worthy outreach project. Everyone seems eager to help again next year. Least you think the task was complete, the following week several UU adults delivered all the boxes of supplies to individual elementary and middle schools in Los Alamos and Espanola.

The school supply project originated with one woman, Patt Tubb, who felt all children not only needed but also deserved to have the proper school supplies to succeed in school. For many years she operated a program for at-risk children out of her White Rock home.

When it became apparent that the need for this program was huge, Self Help Inc. was asked to further develop the program, which they have since 1996. This year we distributed school supplies to the five Los Alamos elementary schools and the middle school and to the eleven elementary schools and middle school in Española. The supplies go directly to the counselors (in some cases to the principals) who in confidentiality distribute them to children in need. United Way is the primary funder of the program, but nearly half comes from individuals—many from this church, which is greatly appreciated. For years I have felt the “Children’s Tools for School” project would be a very good intergenerational outreach project for us UUs. We were needed this year and many came forward to help. Thank you.

At the request of the members of its Social Concerns Committee, the Congregation of the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos met in a Congregational Meeting on Friday, August 4, 2000 and, after a more than two-hour debate, passed the following resolution concerning the pretrial treatment of Dr. Wen Ho Lee. The resolution was passed by an affirmative vote of 97% of those voting.

Richard K. Cooper
President, Unitarian Church of Los Alamos

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CIVIL RIGHTS FOR DR. WEN HO LEE

August 4, 2000

WHEREAS, Dr. Wen Ho Lee, an American citizen, was arrested in December 1999 and charged in a 59-count indictment with transferring nuclear weapons data to an unsecured computer and portable storage systems in violation of federal laws;

WHEREAS, Dr. Lee is not charged with espionage;

WHEREAS, as documented in the transcript of the FBI interrogation, FBI agents lied to Dr. Lee about the results of a polygraph test which he passed, and threatened his life and his family in an effort to force Dr. Lee to confess to espionage;

WHEREAS, while awaiting trial set for November, 2000, and presumed innocent, Dr. Lee has been denied bail, jailed in solitary confinement, and subjected to harsh and cruel conditions which include the following:

Dr. Lee is in chains, shackled hands and feet whenever he is taken from his solitary cell; he is chained during his one hour per week visit with immediate family so that he must shuffle and awkwardly lean to activate the intercom with manacled hands in order to speak through glass (however, during a mid-July visit his handcuffs were removed) while two FBI agents monitor and censor each word; Dr. Lee remains in ankle chains when working with his lawyers behind triple locked doors in a windowless room in a secured facility;

Dr. Lee is not allowed any exercise, fresh air, or showers on weekends; the one hour of exercise weekdays he spends alone, and until recently in shackles, and he must forego any exercise or fresh air on days he meets his attorneys to prepare for trial; Dr. Lee’s telephone calls are extremely limited, censored and transcribed; he is allowed no television and limited reading material; his mail is delayed by months;

AND WHEREAS, in protest of the treatment of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, which is far more severe than needed to assure security, numerous organizations and individuals have adopted resolutions or written in protest to Attorney General Janet Reno and other government officials;

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED that the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, New Mexico, while taking no position on the guilt or innocence of Dr. Lee with respect to the charges against him, concurs in the protest of the conditions of detention of Dr. Wen Ho Lee as cruel and overly harsh and is alarmed by the denial of Dr. Lee’s civil liberties and rights to due process;

FURTHER, the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, New Mexico, calls upon the government of the United States of America immediately to institute humane treatment of Dr. Lee and to seek from the Court pre-trial release of Dr. Lee under conditions that respect his human dignity;

AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall be printed in publications of the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos, distributed to other appropriate Unitarian Universalist Association offices and congregations, and shall be delivered to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and to the congressional delegation from the State of New Mexico.