6 - North Countryman
www.northcountryman.com
May 19, 2012
’Burgh to hold third ‘Really, Really Free Market’ By Stephen Bartlett
stephen@denpubs.com PLATTSBURGH — It’s an enduring criticism: racing to continually consume, Americans see everything as disposable. Really, Really Free Markets exist to undermine that idea, says Matt Hall, one of several people organizing the third and largest one in our area. The free market will be an allday event in Trinity Park on Saturday, June 16, featuring free entertainment, goods, services and more. It is expected to begin at 11 a.m. and run through 9 p.m. “We wanted to expand it to an all-day festival,” said Hall, one of the founders of the Rota Studio and Gallery in Plattsburgh. “The first two were ef-
fective and met the needs of people, and we wanted this to be more of a celebration.” The Really, Really Free Market is thought to have originated simultaneously in 2004 in North Carolina and Florida during anti-globalization protests. The idea quickly spread throughout the United States. The movement is a horizontally organized collective of people who create a temporary market based on gifts. The goal is to proactively counteract capitalism and build a community based on shared resources and care for others. Really, Really Free Markets often offer goods and services. Participants bring in items as well as skills and talents. “The first Really, Really Free Market in Plattsburgh was or-
ganized by Meghan Risley and held at Rota,” Hall said. At the time, people had a difficult time understanding that the items were free and questioned organizers. It seemed to be a hard concept for people to grasp. “We spend so much of our time working, the economy is rough, people are in debt and money is important,” Hall said. “People need money, and the way the culture works, money is more valuable than time, well-being and sanity.” Our culture revolves around capital, he said, and people greet things that deviate from a financial fixation as weird, but twice now, Plattsburgh’s Free Market has been successful. Donated items included household goods, new clothing, appliances, electronics,
foot massages, hair cuts, face painting and musical training. Hall said the events drew a cross section of the community. The next event is expected to draw more items and services, as well as entertainment, including the Great Chernesky, a folk singer and entertainer. The event is also expected to feature poetry and puppetry. Hall said organizers are still looking for volunteers. Anyone interested should contact him at 563-0494. Rota Studio and Gallery will be the drop-off point for items from June 8 through June 15, from noon until 5 p.m. “I think we have a lot to share with one another, especially in Plattsburgh,” Hall said. “We try to do as much as we can to reinforce the idea of community and cooperation.”
Convicted murderer leaving region upon release
By Stephen Bartlett
Stephen@denpubs.com
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Nobody Does It Better! North Countryman
PERU — At 13-years-old, Michael T. Murphy killed a younger child in Peru. He’s 41 now, and on June 5, he will be released from state prison and move to North Carolina. According to Murphy, he was raised by an alcoholic mother who died the winter of 1983 after falling asleep outside. On April 12, 1984, Murphy was walking in the woods with 10-year-old Andrew Pitkin and
two dogs. They were in the woods near their neighborhood in Peru and one of the dogs hit Andrew as they wrestled. Andrew kicked the dog, which had belonged to Murphy’s mother. The older boy started fighting with Andrew, who he ended up stabbing 33 times. He also disemboweled Andrew. Murphy threw the knife away and didn’t hide Andrew’s body, nor did he report what he had done. He was convicted of seconddegree murder and sentenced to nine years to life. He first came up
for parole in 1993 and earned his GED, as well as an associate degree, while an inmate. Earlier this year, Murphy appeared before Parole Commissioners Mary Ross, Lisa Elovich and Henry Lemons. They said he demonstrated good progress and good conduct. Murphy told commissioners he didn’t remember all of the murder and could not recall what drove him to do it. He admitted it was a horrifying act. Based on his positive record, letters of support from his family, a positive review and a low-risk
evaluation, the board granted his parole, though Elovich disagreed with the decision. Andrew’s parents, now in Texas, were angered by the decision and fear Murphy, who is not allowed to contact the Pitkin family without permission. Other stipulations of his release include submitting to substance abuse tests, abiding by a curfew, participating in anti-aggression and anti-violence counseling and maintaining a job. He plans to live with a sibling in North Carolina.
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