From the editor

I'll try to answer several questions readers of The Razor Wire ask frequently and update you on a few new developments. We receive a lot of mail from you. To give you some idea how much, in this issue we've included some photos of mail stacked up and staff processing it. Much of the huge increase in daily mail volume is due to signed and returned Jubilee Justice 2000 petitions pouring in from all over the country. We've added new staff and relocated most of our mail-handling operations to Colville's Café al Mundo.

Al Mundo owner Shelley Taylor will have primary responsibility for mail processing and volunteer coordination. Shelley's husband, Richard, leads Planetary Refugees, an accomplished reggae band. Thank you, Richard, for pulling together things musically at our June 10th Benefit/Dance.

I remind readers that we don't do legal work from the Home Office. Though difficult at times not to, we can't legitimately offer legal advice if you call or write for this kind of help. We have no attorneys on staff, and besides, though you may want an attorney, too many of you tell me horror stories about mortgaging your homes to pay attorneys. Go figure.
The heart of our work are your letters. They start the whole process. Keep 'em coming. How do we teach staff to spot the 'gems', the story made for Dateline, or The Wall, or Mail Call? We're growing, and with success has come new challenges of staff training, no small chore.

Thank you, Mark Harrison, for your writing contributions and for reminding Colville what The November Coalition is contributing to our small town.

We can't endorse candidates for political office. Our nonprofit status bars us from endorsing any particular party or person running for office. What we can do is present articles, like the one by Dr. Edwards in this issue, which discuss and inform activists how to involve themselves in the political process beginning at the caucus level.

Mary Fossum has been hired to do bookkeeping. Vicki Woods is Nora's executive assistant and will be updating The Wall portion of our website this summer. Get your stories, visitation photos and PSI's together and send them to Vicki Woods at the November Coalition "Home Office".

A special appreciation goes to Henry Freriks. I've never met him, but he's someone who calls us frequently, donates money, steers us to good call-in talk radio, and just recently bought and shipped us a copy machine for the Office. Ah, the magic of November Coalition. Thank you, thank you, Henry. You're one of those gems.