LARRICK TO DISCUSS ENERGY POLICY AND ETHANOL . . . Thursday, October 2, 2008, US Senate candidate Steve Larrick will discuss energy policy at a 2:00pm public forum. The other Senate candidates have also been invited to participte. The discussion will take place at the Mary Reipma Ross Theatre, 313 North 13 Street, Lincoln. For more information, phone Nicole Behmer at 402.902.9337 or e-mail nkunasek84 [at] hotmail [dot] com.

“MEET THE CANDIDATES: NEBRASKA’S SENATE RACE” . . . NET Television will broadcast a one-hour program featuring in-depth interviews with Steve Larrick and two of the three other US Senate candidates on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at 7:00pm on NET1. It will rebroadcast Friday, October 3 at 1:00pm on NET2; Sunday, October 5, at noon on NET1; and Thursday, October 16, 9:00pm on NET1.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CD 1 MONTHLY MEETING . . . The Congressional District 1 Green Party meeting is cancelled for September while Steve Larrick campaigns in District 3, and tapes a tv spot in North Platte.

KEEP SPACE FOR PEACE WEEK . . . International Days of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space, October 1, through October 8, 2008. For a list of nationwide protest actions, click here.  No Weapons in Space; Stop Star Wars Reserach and Development; Convert the Military Industrial Complex; Fund Human Needs. Click here for Omaha Nebraska Report. See Green Notes next week for schedule of Omaha events, or e-mail nfpstate [at] nebraskansforpeace [dot] org.

REGISTER TO VOTE GREEN . . . Fill out the voter registration form here. (pdf) Complete online, and print out a copy for your records. If you have questions about registering to vote, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 402.471.2555, or your local county election commissioner.

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY . . . The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners is seeking community members to serve on the County Extension Board for 3-year terms beginning January, 2009. The Extension Board represents and assists UN-L Extension staff with Agricultural
Profitability and Sustainability and issues concerning Children, 4-H, Youth and Families, Food Safety, Health and Wellness, Water Quality and the Environment. Monthly board meetings are usually at 8:00am on the second Friday. Registered Lancaster County voters must apply for an appointment by November 1, 2008. Applications are available here. (pdf)

COMMUNITY COMPOSTING WORKSHOPS . . . Learn how to use fall organic matter and grass clippings to create a compost pile, and receive a free soil thermometer or compost bin at fall workshops sponsored by UN-L Lancaster County Extension and the City of Lincoln Recycling Office on Tuesday, September 30, 6:30pm at the Walt Library, 6701 South 14th Street; and Wednesday, October 1, 6:30pm at the Eiseley Library, 1530 Superior Street.

RECYCLE CFLs NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 30 . . . WasteCap Nebraska is coordinating a pilot recycling program for individuals and businesses. Drop off burned-out compact fluorescent lamps at Ace Hardward stores in Lincoln, now through November 30, 2008. A 60 cent recycling fee per bulb will be offset by a 60 cent coupon toward the purchase of a new CFL. Learn the benefits of CFLs and how to safely dispose of broken bulbs here.

LINCOLN 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 e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

FILM AND FORUM AT HASTINGS COLLEGE . . . In celebration of GLBT History Month, the award-winning film “For the Bible Tells Me So” will be presented at the French Memorial Chapel, Hastings College, Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 7:00pm, followed by refreshments and a moderated discussion. Informed by such people of faith as Bishop Desmond Tutu, the film examines the relationship between scripture and sexual identity through the experiences of five American families.

15th ANNUAL MARKOE-DEPORRES SOCIAL JUSTICE LECTURE SERIES . . . Thursday, October 2, 2008, 7:30pm, the Social Justice Lecture Series at Omaha’s Creighton University will present “The Challenge of Peace” 25 Years Later: Landmark or Lost Opportunity? A dialog with George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington DC, and Rev. Drew Christiansen, Editor in Chief, America Magazine, will ask “Has the US Bishops’ Teaching on War and Peace Made a Difference?” The Creighton event will be held in the Skutt Student Center Ballroom.

PLEDGE TO WORK THE POLLS . . . Click here to sign up for Lancaster County election day poll work from 7:00am to 8:00pm, November 4, 2008. Payment is minimum wage compensation. There is a required training session before the election. The Pollworkers for Democracy website also links to other counties in Nebraska.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steve Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. 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.

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

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE . . . Sunday, September 21, 2008 has been declared International Day of Peace to be “observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an inviation to all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day.  For history and further information, click here.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CANDIDATES DEBATES . . . Nebraska Green Party US Senate candidate Steve Larrick will be available for questions from the media before a Monday, September 22, 2008 Lincoln-Lancaster County League of Women Voters debate event. Larrick will be outside of St. Paul United Methodist Church in downtown Lincoln, 1144 M Street, at 12:30pm to answer questions and discuss issues. Greens and supporters are invited to join him. The LWV sponsors pre-election debates as a service to Nebraska voters, but the 2008 Democratic and Republican Senate candidates refused to participate in this year’s forum, forcing the Senate portion to be cancelled. Click here for a schedule of the debates and list of participating candidates.

REGISTER TO VOTE GREEN . . . Fill out the voter registration form here (pdf). Complete online, and print out a copy for your records. If you have questions about registering to vote, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 402.471.2555, or your local county election commissioner.

MEETING ABOUT MUD WELL FIELD AND MEAD SUPERFUND SITE . . . Senator Don Preister will convene a public information meeting on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 7:00pm, at the VFW Hall, 102 South 24th Street in Ashland, Nebraska. There will be a presentation on an injection project treating groundwater contaminants at the Superfund Site near Mead, and a discussion by Environmental Protection Agency representatives updating activities and findings. To carpool from in or near Omaha, phone Mark at 402.453.0776.

COMMUNITY COMPOSTING WORKSHOPS . . . Fall workshops sponsored by UN-L Lancaster County Extension and the City of Lincoln Recycling Office begin Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at the Gere Library, 2400 South 56th Street, Lincoln, 6:30pm. Learn how to use fall organic matter and grass clippings to create a compost pile, and receive a free soil thermometer or compost bin. Other workshops will be Thursday, September 25, at the Anderson Library, 3635 Touzalin Avenue, 6:30pm; Tuesday, September 30, 6:30pm at the Walt Library, 6701 South 14th Street; and Wednesday, October 1, 6:30pm at the Eiseley Library, 1530 Superior Street. There will also be a composting demonstration Saturday, September 27, from 10:00am to noon at the Pioneers Park Nature Center‘s new backyard composting area.

WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS . . . Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 9:00am to 4:00pm, Nebraska Appleseed, ACLU Nebraska, and NAACP will present a workshop at Mahoney State Park in the Nebraska Room. Basic communication strategies and hands on training will teach individuals and groups how to raise awareness about policies that create greater equal opportunities for Nebraskans. Participants will be eligible to apply for a mini-grant of up to $1,000 to utilize what they learn in the workshop. Register on-line here.

LINCOLN 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 e-mail mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AT UN-L . . . Washington DC commentator and editor of The Baffler magazine, Thomas Frank, will present “Toxic Civics for the 21st Century” at 7:30pm, Thursday, September 25, 2008, at UN-L’s Nebraska Union, 1400 R Street, Lincoln. Author of “The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule,” and “What’s the Matter with Kansas: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America,” Frank will discuss whether 19th century corruption has returned to national politics. For more information, phone 402.472.9478.

CALL FOR GREEN JOBS NOW: BUILD THE NEW ECONOMY . . .Saturday, September 27, 2008, thousands of people will join together for an unprecedented National Day of Action calling for Green Jobs Now. Organized by the We Campaign, 1Sky, and Green for All, events will be held across the country to send a message that it is time to Repower America with 100% clean electricity in 10 years by switching to renewable energy. Click here for more information and to take action.

TIRE AMNESTY . . . Saturday, September 27, 2008, 9:00am to 9:00pm, and Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:00am to 9:00pm, tires of all shapes and sizes will be accepted, with no limit, at 4800 West O Street, Lincoln, on the south side of O, across from Shoemaker’s Truckstop. Tires will NOT be accepted from dealers, from outside of Nebraska, or on rims. This FREE tire removal project is sponsored by Emerald’s SID #6 using grant money from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

PLEDGE TO WORK THE POLLS . . . Click here to sign up for Lancaster County election day poll work from 7:00am to 8:00pm, November 4, 2008. Payment is minimum wage compensation. There is a required training session before the election. The Pollworkers for Democracy website also links to other counties in Nebraska.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steve Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. 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.

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

REGISTER TO VOTE GREEN . . . Fill out the voter registration form here (pdf). Complete online, and print out a copy for your records. If you have questions about registering to vote, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 402.471.2555, or your local county election commissioner.

LARRICK IN FINAL PRE-ELECTION DEBATE . . . Steve Larrick will debate Republican Mike Johanns and Democrat Scott Kleeb at a Lincoln Independent Business Association luncheon meeting Tuesday, September 16, 2008, noon to 1:00pm, at the downtown Holiday Inn, 9th and P Streets, Lincoln. Doors open at 11:30am. To make reservations, phone 402.466.3419 by Monday, September 15. The debate will air live on KLIN 1400-AM radio.

FRIENDS OF WILDERNESS PARK CANDIDATES FORUM . . . FWP and Bluestem Sierra will hold a forum for candidates to the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Board at meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 7:00pm in the library of Lefler Middle School, 1100 South 48 Street, Lincoln. Questions may be submitted in advance to Mike Carlin, mcarlin at neb dot rr dot com.

ANTELOPE VALLEY PLANS AND TOURS . . . Representatives of the Joint Antelope Valley Authority and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the contractor and the construction team, will be present at a public meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 4:00 to 7:00pm, 2143 O Street, Lincoln, the former location of Via Van Bloom Tour and Travel. A bus tour of the project will begin at 5:30pm, Thursday, September 18, with a presentation at Lincoln High School, 2229 J Street. Saturday, September 20, a bike tour will begin at the Auld Recreation Center in Antelope Park, 9:00am, and bus tours will start at 9:00 and 11:00am. For more information, or to make recommended tour reservations, phone 402.458.5901, or click here(keyword: antelope).

STROLLING ON THE BOULEVARDS . . . Well-known Lincoln Historian Ed Zimmer will lead an early evening walking tour of the Sheridan and Woodscrest neighborhoods on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, beginning at 6:30pm. Click here for details.

PAUL A. OLSON SEMINARS IN GREAT PLAINS STUDIES . . . The Fall Series of Seminars in Great Plains Studies begins Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 3:30pm, at the Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street, Lincoln, phone 402.472.3082. Akim Reinhardt, Associate Professor of History, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, will present “American Colony: Pine Ridge Reservation in the 20th Century.” A reception will follow the lecture.

LINCOLN 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.

LUNCH AND LEARN . . . Thursday, September 18, 2008, the first in a Lunch and Learn Series sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lincoln-Lancaster County, features Becky Gould, Executive Director of the Appleseed Foundation, and Patrick Jones, Un-L Assistant Professor of History speaking on Affirmative Action. The luncheon is at noon on the 20th floor of the US Bank Building, 13th and M Streets, Lincoln. Reservations are required by noon the Monday preceding the event. E-mail lwv-ne at inebraska dot com, or phone 475.1411.

EVERY CHILD MATTERS . . . In Nebraska, 63,022 children live in poverty. 45,000 do not have health insurance. 15,501 were reported abused or neglected in 2005. 29% of 4th Graders Scored below Basic Reading Levels in 2007. All state and federal candidates have been invited to participate in a survey regarding children’s issues. Survey results will be released to the public at a Rally for Kids organized by Voices for Children Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 10:00am, on the north steps of the State Capitol Building. Rain venue is the YWCA Georgian Room.  Speakers include Senator DiAnna Schimek, Dr. Will Austin, Associate Professor, UN-O College of Education, Dr. Tom Tonniges, Director of Boys Town Pediatrics, and Cindy Woodbury, Former Foster Care Youth.

ANGELA DAVIS AT MALONE CENTER . . . Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 7:00-9:00pm, Angela Davis will appear in Lincoln at the Malone Center, 2032 U Street (474-1110), speaking on behalf of Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa, wrongfully imprisoned for 38 years by the State of Nebraska. Ed and Mondo are recognized by Amnesty International as Prisoners of Conscience. The Nebraskans for Justice event is free and open to the public.

ANGELA DAVIS AT NEBRASKA WESLEYAN . . . Thursday, September 18, 2008, 7:00pm, Angela Davis will speak at the NWU Annual Visions and Ventures Symposium, O’Donnell Auditorium, 51st Street and Huntington Avenue, Lincoln. David has been deeply involved with social justice through activism, scholarship, and written work. Her most recent book is Are Prisons Obsolete? Her keynote address on prison abolition, open to the public, is titled “The Politics of the Imprisoned Flesh.” Read her Frontline interview here.

NEBRASKA STUDENT ORGANIZING CONFERENCE . . . Saturday, September 20, 2008, 9:00am to 5:00pm, UN-L students will host an activist training conference for leaders of social change in Nebraska communities and college campuses. Students from peace and justice, women’s rights,environmental, GLBT, civil liberties, election year campaigns, and minority and diversity advocacy groups will participate. Interactive workshops led by students and veteran community leaders will offer training in organizing skills. Contact Nic Swiercek for further details by phone at 402.659.1420, or e-mail psc dot unl at gmail dot com. Register online here.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION . . . Saturday, September 20, 2008, 9:00am to 1:00pm, residents of Lincoln and Lancaster County may bring hazardous waste items to be collected at Veyance Technologies (Goodyear), 4021 North 56 Street, Lincoln. Items for disposal include thermometers, thermostats containing mercury, solvents, oil-based paint, paint thinner, pesticides including DDT, and CFLs containing mercury. Phone the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department for more information at 402.441.8040.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steve Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. 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.

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

REGISTER TO VOTE GREEN . . . Fill out the voter registration form here (pdf) Complete online, and print out a copy for your records. If you have questions about registering to vote, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 402.471.2555, or your local county election commissioner.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steve Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. 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.

OMAHA MEET AND GREET THE CANDIDATES . . . The South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance will hold a Meet and Green the Candidates, Thursday, September 11, 2008, from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the Sheet Metal Workers Hall, 24th & Venton Streets. US Senate candidate Steve Larrick, and Public Service Commission candidate Doug Paterson will be there for the South Omaha event.

LOCAL DELEGATES REPORT ON PALESTINE AND COLUMBIA . . . Lincoln Chrisian Peacemaker Team Delegates Hannah Breckbill and Amanda Balzer will report on their first-hand experiences and observations after returning from Palestine and Columbia. Three local presentations will be made: Sunday, September 7, 2008, 10:45am, First Mennonite Church, 7300 Holdrege Street; Sunday, September 7, 7:00pm, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street; and Monday, September 8, 7:00pm, at UN-L Nebraska Union. A brownbag lunch for clergy and those interested in learning more about the Christian Peacemaker Teams will be Friday, September 12, noon, First Presbyterian Church, 840 South 17th Street, all in Lincoln. A flier is available here. (pdf)

CITIZENS FOR EQUAL PROTECTION . . . Tuesday, September 9, 2008, 5:30 to 7:30pm, CFEP will meet in Lincoln at First-Plymouth Congregational Church, 2000 D Street. The discussion will concern how Nebraskans can collectively help LGBTQ people in local communities. For more information, contact Tyler Richard, tyler at cfep dash ne dot org.

LINCOLN 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.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LETTER-WRITING GROUP . . . Join human rights activists and local Greens at Jones Coffee, 727 South 11th, Lincoln, between 7:00 and 9:00pm, Wednesday, September 10, 2008.  The group meets every second Wednesday of the month for fair trade coffee to learn about human rights violations around the world, what is being done to address them, and letter-writing.  Contact Matt Gregory for more information, by phone at 402.570.7840, or e-mail plylas at hotmail dot com.

911 TRUTH ACTION . . . Thursday, September 11, 2008, there will be a 911 Truth Action at the Federal Building, 15th & O Streets in Lincoln, from 3:00 to 7:00pm.   The public is welcome.

NATURAL PLAY SPACES . . . Urban designer Robin Moore will speak on the Value of Natural Play Spaces for Children and Families, Thursday, September 11, 2008, 7:00pm at Kimball Recital Hall on the UN-L City Campus. The Healthy Families Play Outside website is here.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: Effect and Affect . . . Local and regional experts will discuss solutions for a more environmentally aware world at a free event, open to the public, on Thursday, September 18, and Friday, September 19, 2008, at The UN-L College of Architecture Gallery, Room 210, 10th & R Street, on the Un-L City Campus, Lincoln. For an Agenda of the two-day program starting at 1:00pm September 18, click here. (pdf)  To guarantee seating, and for the September 18 reception, 6:00 to 8:00pm, rsvp by Friday, September 12, to Doris Devries at ddevries1 at unl dot edu.

ONE-DAY CONFERENCE: PUTTING BULLIES OUT OF BUSINESS . . . Student organizations at Nebraska Wesleyan University will sponsor a one-day conference intended to raise awareness about the immediate and long term effects of bullying in communities, and how to reduce instances of bullying behavior. The Conference will be Saturday, September 13, 2008, 9:30am to 3:30pm at NWU. Workshops include information on parent involvement, women’s rights issues, violence in minority communities, and a session on bullying in America. To register, e-mail event organizer Jake Hoy-Elswick, jake dot hoyelswick at gmail dot com, or Joshua Cramer, jrcramer at gmail dot com.

LINCOLN BICYCLE SWAP MEET . . . Saturday, September 13, 2008, 9:00am to 3:00pm, rain or shine, the fifth annual Bicycle Swap Meet featuring antique bikes, new bikes, BMX, Road, Mountain, Low Riders and Bike Stuff, will be at 5300 South Folsom Street, in Lincoln.  For more information, contact Randy Farmer at 402.420.3076 or Scott Grossenbacher at 402.499.8248.

TWILIGHT ON THE TALLGRASS . . . Saturday, September 13, 2008, 5:00pm to 10:00pm, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will host a festival centered around the works of Loren Eiseley, native Nebraska naturalist, scientist and writer. Walk the trails through never plowed tallgrass prairie, around ponds, wetlands, wildflowers and grasses where birds and wildlife live in their habitat at this 808-acre nature preserve 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln. For more information phone 402.797.2301.

TRI CITY AIDS WALK . . . This year’s AIDS WALK will be in Kearney, Sunday, September 14, 2008, at the UN-K Health & Sports Center on West Highway 30. Registration will begin at 1:00pm. Kickoff speakers from Kansas City are United Methodist Church Bishop Fritz Mutti and Etta Mae Mutti, who lost two sons to HIV AIDS. For more information contact Erin Cantrell by phone at 308.338.0527, or e-mail casemanager-3nap at charterinternet dot com.

HISPANIC/LATINO CULTURAL CELEBRATION . . . Sunday, September 14, 2008, 10:00am to 6:00pm, a free family-oriented cultural festival featuring live bands, tango dancers, children’s activities, displays and ethnic foods will be at Antelope Park. Hosted by El Centro De Las Americas, the Hispanic/Latino community serving Lincoln/Lancaster County, this year’s event will celebrate 25 years of providing language classes, computer training, counseling, children’s education, housing placement, translation services and a food pantry for the Lincoln area.

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