NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steven R. Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman; District 3: Derek Glaser; District 5: Susan Koneck. LaVerne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

LARRICK IN US SENATE CANDIDATES’ DEBATE . . . Green Party Senate candidate Steve Larrick will debate Republican Mike Johanns and Democrat Scott Kleeb on Saturday, August 23, 2008, 11:00am at the Open Air Auditorium, State Fair Park, in Lincoln. Larrick was invited to participate following a Green Party protest of his exclusion from the American Legion Boys State debate in June. The State Fair debate is sponsored by Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Rural Radio Network, KRVN. KRVN, Lexington, 880; KNEB, Scottsbluff, 960; and KTIC, West Point 840, will broadcast the debate live. KOLN-KGIN TV of Lincoln will stream video live at www.kolnkgin.com. NET Radio will broadcast the debate Sunday Aug. 24, at 1:00pm CDT, or click “listen now” at www.netnebraska.org. The debate will be archived for listening at www.netnebraska.org/extras/campaign08. The candidates will answer questions and make closing remarks. The debate is open to fair visitors.

CD 2 NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CHAPTER MEETING . . Thursday, August 21, 2008, 7:00pm, Congressional District 2 Greens will meet at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th & Farnam, to plan Labor Day campaigning and discuss Omaha Area Green Party activism. Executive Committee members and Omaha NGP Council Representatives will be present with Larrick for Senate campaign materials. Stop and pick up a supply of newsprint fliers. Help spread the word in the Omaha area.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TUTORS NEEDED . . . The Lincoln Literacy Council needs volunteer tutors to teach English as a Second Language and basic English literacy to adults in Lincoln. No teaching experience is necessary. The next training session begins Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Registration is required. Phone 402.476.7323, or click on Tutors at www.lincolnliteracy.org for more information.

“WIND BELT” TOWN HALL MEETING SERIES IN LINCOLN . . . T. Boone Pickens, 50-year oil and gas developer, will be in Lincoln with his plan to reduce America’s $700 Billion Annual dependence on foreign oil imports, Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 10:00am, at the Lancaster Event Center, 4100 North 84 Street. Doors to his Town Hall Meeting will open at 9:30am. The Pickens Plan calls for investing in power generation from domestic renewable resources such as wind, and using natural gas as a transportation fuel. Climate Progress critiques of The Pickens Plan are here and here.

WEDNESDAY PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

NEW FARMERS MARKET OPENS . . . Lincoln’s Community CROPS has started a new farmers market open 4:30pm to 7:30pm on Thursdays at Pentzer Park, 27th and Potter Streets. Vine-ripened tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, herbs and flowers are grown seven miles from the market and picked fresh each week for sale by local vendors. Community CROPS works with farmers to develop small businesses that sell produce and eggs direct to consumers in the Lincoln area.

GROW AND SHARE FRESH PRODUCE . . . Area gardeners are invited to take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th Street and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, where it will be collected by the Food Bank and distributed to 100 agencies in Southeast Nebraska that serve low-income indivduals and families. Produce may also be dropped off at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle (three blocks north of 48th & Superior Streets), 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Do not pre-wash or refrigerate produce, and transport it in paper sacks rather than plastic bags to avoid spoilage.

AG COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON WIND AND RENEWABLES . . . The public is invited to testify at two Ag Committee Interim Study hearings, Friday, August 22, 2008 at the State Capitol, Room 1524. The 10:00am hearing on Senator Preister’s LR 353 examines rural economic development potential of wind energy, and the 1:30pm hearing on Senator Dubas’ LR 350 examines opportunities in renewable energy systems from ag products and waste streams. Forward written comments to Committee Chair Phil Erdman, perdman at leg dot ne dot gov or Senator Phil Erdman, State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509. Specifically request that your comments be included in the hearing transcript.

HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI EXHIBIT . . . During the month of August, a 30 piece Hiroshima-Nagasaki Exhibit is on display at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street, Lincoln. Monday through Friday, enter through the north side door. The exhibit is in the basement.

BIG RED WELCOME AT UN-L . . . Sunday, August 24, 2008 is Big Red Welcome at UN-L. E-mail Anthony diCostanzo, anthony dot dicostanzo at gmail dot com for details, or to help staff the Nebraska Green Party table.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.