Spring is here again, and that means a plethora of locally-grown foods are available at local farms and farmers' markets. Eating fresh, seasonal, locally-grown food is not only healthy, it's also a pleasure for many who call themselves locavores (people who eat locally-grown food), and it also helps keep money invested in our communities.

Occupy Staten Island members Seth and Jen, along with their friend Kurt, spent a Saturday morning volunteering with New York Cares and the New York City Parks Department to do a cleanup at South Beach on Staten Island, in preparation for the Memorial Day weekend opening of the beaches for swimming. They removed trash along the boardwalk and under the boardwalk. Some of the trash included drinking straws and assorted litter; other trash included rocks and pieces of cement, as well as a 10-foot steel pole, which was the catch of the day. "I will never bring a straw to the beach ever again.

On April 14th, Occupy Staten Island will join Occupy Wall Street in a citywide event that will bring together organizations, activists and individuals to realize and revolutionize a mass movement throughout New York City. The event will be held at Central Park,  on the South side of the park on the West side of Wollman Rink, starting at 1:00pm.

The aim of the Occupy movement is not to occupy public spaces, it is to agitate for real and profound changes. (There's an excellent article about that topic, here.) Occupying the commons has been a great way to make the people's voices heard, but the movement has a lifeblood that does not survive or perish on the basis of the ability to hold a public space.