Beneath the Neon, Book Signing Schedule

Matthew O’Brien is a Las Vegas-based writer and editor. He’s the author of Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas and news editor of Las Vegas CityLife, an alternative weekly with a circulation of 85,000.

Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas is a creative nonfiction book that chronicles his adventures in the Las Vegas storm drains, which he has explored for more than five years with a flashlight, tape recorder and expandable baton for protection.

"The catacombs of ancient Rome served as houses of worship for Jews and Christians. When surveyed by Pierre-Emmanuel Bruneseau in the early 1800s, the sewers of Paris yielded gold, jewels and relics of the revolution. And thousands of people lived in the subway and train tunnels of New York City in the 1980s and '90s.

What secrets do the Las Vegas storm drains keep? What discoveries wait in the dark? What’s beneath the neon?"

Book signing schedule:

• Book fair from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Clark County Library (1401 E. Flamingo Road)

• Vegas Valley Book Festival from 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Nov. 2 at the El Cortez (600 Fremont St.)

• Book signing from 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. Nov. 17 at B. Dalton (in the Galleria Mall)

To buy Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas, visit:

www.shoplva.com/productdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=1495 .


For more info, visit:

www.beneaththeneon.com .

Las Vegas Peace Festival

When? Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007, 4:00 - 11 PM

Where? The Box Office / Las Vegas Peace Festival 1129 Casino Center and California Avenue 1 Block South of Charleston, NV 89101

What? The Las Vegas Peace Project is honored to be working with HRP No. 5 and The Box Office to present The Las Vegas Peace Festival. The Festival is multi-cultural event to support the Las Vegas community's growth in ART, EDUCATION, HEALTH and WELLNESS.

This wonderful family event brings people from all over the Las Vegas Valley who are dedicated to growing in peace and wellness to build a strong community here in Las Vegas.

For more info, please contact Kat at 702-202-5029

Las Vegas Peace Project

http://peace.meetup.com/177/?a=mu_fzxy47nlmm

Meet Presidential Candidate, Mike Gravel in Las Vegas

Photo Credit: Clint Karlsen, Las Vegas Review Journal

Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, a Democrat running for president, right, speaks with homeless men in Frank Wright Plaza in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon. Gravel was assisting homeless advocate Gail Sacco with feeding the needy.

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Meet Mike Gravel

Mike Gravel, former US Senator for Alaska and current candidate for President, will be meeting with
Gail Sacco, homeless advocate and other social activists.

We will be discussing homelessness and poverty among other social issues.

We will be meeting at Frank Wright Plaza (Fourth Street & Stewart Ave.) tomorrow, Friday, October 12, 2007 at Noon.

Frank Wright Plaza is known as a gathering spot for about 100 homeless and poor people daily.

Free lunch provided to anyone who is hungry.

Mike Gravel's Official Campaign Site:

http://www.gravel2008.us/

Recent Media Coverage, Food Not Bombs & Feeding the Hungry, Eric Montanez, Not Guilty

October 9, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jury Delivers Verdict In Homeless Feeding Trial

The first man arrested in Orlando's crackdown on food sharing in public parks was found not guilty by a jury on Tuesday afternoon.

Eric Montanez admitted he opposes the ordinance but claimed on the day he was arrested he wasn't protesting the law but instead following it, WESH 2 News reported.

Just minutes before his court appearance, Montanez was feeding the homeless in Lake Eola.

http://www.wesh.com/news/14300798/detail.html

October 10, 2007

Feeding the Hungry is a Crime

The stake-out was almost comical in its absurdity:

On April 4, 2007, undercover police counted how many times Eric Montanez, a 22-year-old volunteer with Food Not Bombs, dipped a serving ladle into a pot and handed stew to hungry people.

Once Montanez had dished up 30 bowls, the police moved in, collecting a vial of the stew for evidence as they arrested him for violating an Orlando, Fla., city ordinance: feeding a large group. Two days into his trial yesterday, Montanez was acquitted by a jury of the misdemeanor charge, but was cautioned to obey the law.

As activists celebrate the verdict, the Orlando Police Department has said it will continue to ordinance, making the fight for the free flow of food in the city far from over.

“He is on trial for the crime of feeding the homeless—literally,” says George Crossley, a member of the Stop the Ordinance Partnership (S.T.O.P.), an alliance of 19 advocacy groups, including Orlando branches of Code Pink, the NAACP, and the National Organization for Women.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3358/feeding_the_hungry_is_a_crim/

October 8, 2007

UPDATED: October 9, 2007

Group Protests Member's Arrest With Food Food Not Bombs Feeds The Homeless Despite Bans

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The local chapter of Food Not Bombs protested the arrest of one of its members in Orlando on Monday.

They said Eric Montanez is going on trial for feeding the hungry.

Food Not Bombs protested by doing exactly what an ordinance stated they should not do; they gathered the homeless in a public area and fed them.

http://www.wesh.com/news/14292465/detail.html

October 8, 2007
UPDATED: October 8, 2007

Group Intentionally Violating City Ordinance During "Ladle Fest"

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A controversial city ordinance has led to a number of protests and now a trial. An Orlando man is the first person to face a jury for feeding the homeless.

It's the first trial of its kind. A man is facing a judge and jury for violating Orlando's ban on feeding the homeless. Eric Montanez, 22, was caught feeding a group in Lake Eola Park earlier this year. The prosecution told Eyewitness News their case rests on video taken of Montanez feeding the homeless, breaking Orlando's feeding ban.

http://www.wftv.com/news/14289861/detail.html

For more information visit:

http://www.foodnotbombs.net

The Difference Between Rich/Poor People

The Difference Between Rich/Poor People

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."