Hello friends
People of a certain age will remember this...the civil defence signs
posted in buildings that promised to protect us from nuclear threats.
Yellow background with a black circle and three yellow upside down triangles within it.
Back in the 50's and 60's, when i was in elementary school i remember looking at them with a sense of looming doom. i'd ask the adults about them and was told to ignore them, telling me nothing bad was going to happen. Then, i remember everyone's feeling of anxiety when hallways in school would seem flooded with alarms; we were to immediately push our desks against the nearest wall, then get under them and cover our heads. We were timed on how quickly we could do this and we couldn't get up until the person in charge told us so.
One day, i asked my Aunt Marjie, who was a civil defence captain in Minneapolis during WWII, what those signs were for...she explained in a way that made some sense at the time. They were to allow us to survive a nuclear attack from a foreign nation; they were to provide safety and they were necessary. When i got to high school, i looked for any chance to escape...somewhere, anywhere...all the noise, social mayhem, the jostling in the hallways, the failures i felt in math class. So, i made it my business to use those places i once feared in the building as a hideout. Often, i ended up in one of those shelters. The silverfish and i sang Gregorian chants down there for hours at a time...totally undetected. There were 55 gallon drums of "fresh" water and metal boxes full of crackers along concrete walls. No bathrooms, though...clearly a design flaw. Yet, it served in making me feel safe from all the assaults of my senses going on above. i grew to like that sign, to seek it out, to know where it was, just in case. i also came to understand the need we all have for sanctuary, for safe spaces, for places to simply be.
— jester
Next NP Meeting
All are welcome!
- When:
- Wednesday, January 21, 6:30–8:00pm
- Where: (note change of location)
- Vermilion Park Inn
30 Center Street
Soudan, MN
Get directions
- Special Guest
- Twin Ports Rapid Response
- Topic
- Constitutional Observer Training
Twin Ports Rapid Response and Northern Civil Defence Network will offer Constitutional Observer/Rapid Response training for our members and friends.
Please bring a donation for the Cook Area Food Shelf. Light refreshments will be served.
Heads Up!
New NP Meeting Day Starts in February
Beginning in February and going forward we will be meeting on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month.
Breakfast in the Afternoon
- When:
- Friday, January 23, 2:00pm
- Where:
- Tavern In The Bay
Greenwood Township near Tower
Here's your opportunity to set the agenda for our future actions and programming!
All are welcome to attend.
Signing & Resisting Events
Each Friday at noon at the following locations:
- Cook: Hwy 53 and River Street
- Tower: Mainstreet by the locomotive
- Ely: Sheridan St. & Central Ave
Signs should include issues common to everyone like good jobs, enough money for food and healthcare, and a good education.
Other events
ICE Out of Minnesota
Range Road Rally
- When:
- Friday, January 23,
- Where:
- From Ely to Grand Rapids!
- 11:00am Ely-Whiteside Park (& Tower)
- 12:00pm Aurora (Biwabik,Gilbert,Eveleth)
- 1:00pm Virginia Mall Parkin Lot (Mt. Iron,Buhl,Chisholm)
- 1:45pm Hibbing Community College lot (Keewatin,Nashwauk,Bovey)
- 2:20–4:00pm Grand Rapids (Zorbaz—food on your own)
Grab your signs and join us in a car parade
across the Iron Range. Start from the beginning, meet at a stop listed above,
or fall in line as we pass through the above cities on their main street.
We will be collecting food & supplies for our TC neighbors.
Training— How to Show Up for Minnesotans in Crisis
Be the Neighbor Minnesota Needs
from Common Cause MN
- When:
- Tuesday, January 20, 12:00pm
- Where:
- Zoom
We’re calling on Common Cause Minnesota members to join a statewide network of rapid‑response volunteers who are ready to show up, protect their neighbors, and strengthen community resilience. There are many ways you can make an immediate and meaningful impact, and we are creating opportunities for you to show up and take small actions to support your immigrant neighbors.
There are many ways we can be a good neighbor.
- Deliver Food & Meals
- Offer Rides
- Train as a Constitutional Observer
- Show Up & Bring Friends
- Get Trained in Protest Safety
Free public screening — “Bad Faith”
"A great and powerful and timely film" - Ken Burns
from Ely Indivisible
- When:
- January 24, 2:00pm
- Where:
- Vermilion North College (VCC) Theatre
Ely, MN
This film offers a succinct history of the rise of religious nationalism and its implications for democracy today in the United States.
"Bad Faith" looks at the evolution of the political ideology of Christian nationalism — what it is, where it comes from, and how it’s influencing culture & politics. It does not impugn the Christian faith. Nor is it an indictment of any religion, religious belief or practice. It includes voices from faith communities, historians, and everyday people.
Good will offerings help defray our costs, fuel our mission and are sincerely appreciated.
DFL Environmental Caucus Winter Member Meeting
Path to Victory 2026
from DFL
- When:
- January 25, 6:30pm
- Where:
- Zoom
This meeting will feature:
- An opportunity to hear from candidates seeking elected office
- Discussion of how to succeed at your precinct caucus on February 3
- The resolutions and endorsed candidates (so far) the DFLEC is supporting this year
- A preview of our plans to win an environment-friendly majority in the 2026 election
Attend Your Precinct Caucus Feb. 3
Get ready!
Two of the most powerful ways for many of us Minnesota writers and other citizens to influence the behavior of our government are to register and vote in elections, and to participate in our precinct caucus.
- When:
- Tuesday, February 3, 7:00pm
Caucuses occur every even-numbered year on the first Tuesday in February. The 2026 elections in the fall will determine control of the Minnesota state government and impact policies related to the environment, gun safety, women’s rights, and many more.
But first: what are precinct caucuses?
Precinct caucuses are local meetings run by political parties. Anyone may participate if they live in the precinct, are eligible to vote in 2026 (must be at least 18 on Nov. 3), and generally support the party hosting the meeting.
By attending a caucus, you can learn about candidates for public office and influence who your party will endorse. You can bring up issues important to you that might eventually make their way into the party platform. Perhaps you will be chosen and agree to attend the district convention to represent a point-of-view. The next level of involvement would be the State convention!
Very often, anyone showing up to the caucus can become a delegate. Only a small percentage of citizens attend precinct caucuses, which means that your participation can have a large influence on the election process.
You can visit the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State website for more information about precinct caucuses, including the location of the one you should attend, based on your political leanings and address.
Learn about Township Elections
2026 Minnesota towns with March elections calendar
Meet Emanuel Anastos
At February NP Meeting
- When:
- Thursday, February 5, 6:30–8:00pm
- Where:
- Cook Community Center
510 Gopher Dr.
Cook, MN
- Special Guest
- Emanuel Anastos, Candidate for CD-8
Special speaker Emanuel Anastos, a candidate for CD-8, will address us. Emanuel earned a degree in Philosophy at Carlton College and is a native of Long Island, NY. He currently works in the Indian Child Welfare department at Bois Forte Reservation and resides in Tower, MN.
This is your opportunity to hear more about his positions on issues that matter to you & to ask
him your questions.
Please bring a donation for the Cook Area Food Shelf. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome!
Free Community Meal
Strength through Community
- When:
- First & Third Sundays, 12:00–3:00pm
- Where:
- 510 Chestnut Street
Virginia, MN
- Free hot meal
- Food distribution
- Clothing distribution
- Free store table
Note that food, hygiene, clothing donations are needed!
Calls to Action
Read Learn Share
This is an "Each One Teach One" moment
We all have networks that we can leverage to build
knowledge, communications, action plans.
The work of resisting & rebuilding requires learning together.
We provide a few suggested readings below:
Postcards to the States
Order yours now!
"Sign up to write News Boosting postcards to help combat disinformation and make sure voters in states with the most competitive Senate elections in 2026 learn how harmful the Trump/GOP agenda is for them.
"We mail you the postcards for free, along with voter lists and instructions with a short script. You will handwrite the message and the voter addresses. Orders of 100-300 postcards may take 10-14 days to deliver — we prioritize orders of 500+ to ship within a few days. You will provide Postcard Stamps (currently $0.61) and mail the postcards on the instructed date. You're only responsible for one mailing, but there are a total of five mailing dates. Your mailing date will either be Feb 18 or Apr 2; if it's Feb 18 but you need more time, that's OK!"
5 Calls
Got only a minute?
Calling your congressperson is the most effective way to influence policy.
5calls.org makes it easy. They have a variety of current issues you can choose.
These include calls to:
- De-fund ICE/Ice Out For Good
- Stop ICE’s Aggressive Attacks on Immigrants and Citizens
- Block Trump’s Imperialist Invasions
