Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace (BACP) held our monthly meeting on Monday, April 4, 2022.  The meeting took place online via the Zoom website.  Judi Schiller, Richard Schiller, Isaiah Oleson, and Doug Olson joined the BACP meeting. The BACP meeting began with Doug providing an update about fellow BACP member Robin Hensel's health condition.   Robin suffered a stroke in late March.   She is recovering at St. Cloud Hospital.   Doug found out about Robin's stroke from mutual friend Laura Wright.  Laura found out about Robin suffering the stroke from Robin's daughter Heather Farrier.   Doug sent information about Robin's condition to the BACP listserv and many of Robin's friends and fellow peace activists in Veterans for Peace, Women Against Military Madness, and the Minnesota Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Community. Everyone in BACP wishes Robin a complete recovery.   Robin is a good friend and dedicated peace and justice activist. [Robin now lives at The Gardens at Foley, an assisted living facility in Foley.   Robin continues her recovery.  Robin's friend and fellow peace activist Retha Dooley visited Robin at St. Cloud Hospital.   Retha said Robin struggles speaking clearly.   Hopefully, speech therapy will help Robin regain her ability to speak clearly again]. Robin's friends can visit her.  If you would like to set up a visit with Robin, please call The Gardens at Foley at (320) 968-6201 to set up a visit with Robin. If you would like to write to Robin, she can be contacted at: Robin Hensel The Gardens at Foley Room # 102 253 Pine Street Foley, MN 56329 Doug will provide updates on Robin's condition when more information is available. BACP meeting participants originally planned to hold a peace vigil and in-person meeting in the Brainerd United Church of Christ (UCC) upstairs library on Monday, May 2.   The vigil would have been held at the intersection of Sixth and Washington Streets, Brainerd, across from the historic Brainerd water tower.   The peace vigil would have taken place at 6 p.m. and lasted until shortly before the BACP meeting began at 7 p.m.   However, a few weeks after the Monday, April 4 BACP meeting, meeting participants decided to postpone the peace vigil and hold the Monday, May 2 BACP meeting online.   The recent poor weather caused this change of plans.   Weather permitting, BACP may hold a peace vigil and in-person meeting on Monday, June 6. BACP will host a table at the Brainerd Pride Picnic.   Brainerd Lakes Pride, a Brainerd area LGBTQ rights group, will host the Brainerd Pride Picnic.   The Brainerd Pride Picnic will be held in Gregory Park on Saturday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donna Bowen and Doug hosted the BACP table at the September 2021 Brainerd Pride Picnic.   The BACP table received a positive reception from picnic attendees.   The BACP table gives BACP members an opportunity to share our message of peace with Brainerd Pride Picnic attendees.   If you are interested in volunteering at the Brainerd Pride Picnic, please contact Doug at djo819@hotmail.com BACP will hold our Spring Adopt a Highway cleanup on Saturday, May 7.   Cleanup volunteers will meet at the former Cabin Fever restaurant parking lot at 11 a.m.   A short assembly will be held to plan the cleanup.   The former Cabin Fever parking lot is located off Highway 76 north of Little Falls.   The cleanup takes about two hours.    More information about the cleanup can be found at www.brainerdpeace.org under the Adopt-a-Highway Project section. Everyone is welcome to join the Spring BACP Adopt a Highway cleanup. Meeting participants agreed there must be a thorough, independent investigation of the Bucha massacre and other war crimes in Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia accuse each other's forces of committing war crimes.   Only a thorough, independent investigation can uncover the truth about war crimes committed during the Ukraine War.    [Dee Knight, a longtime peace activist, war resister, and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) International Committee member, gave an excellent presentation on the Ukraine War for the Brainerd Lakes Area DSA and Twin Ports (Duluth/Superior) DSA on Tuesday, April 5].    Knight's presentation can be viewed at:  The War Crisis 4-5-2022 - YouTube This is a half-hour talk on the current war crisis, given to northern Minnesota DSA and Veterans For Peace on Tuesday April 5. It's based on a series of 4 ar... www.youtube.com BACP will hold our next monthly meeting on Monday, May 2 at 7 p.m.   The BACP meeting will be held online via the Zoom website.  The meeting will last 40 minutes, the maximum amount of time Zoom provides for free meetings.   The Zoom link to the BACP monthly meeting is:   https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71645757382?pwd=ARr85GKI55sIKh9QapUBAqpGD1AIho.1 The BACP meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.    BACP Meeting Notes Submitted by Doug Olson