Monthly Archives: January 2009

Green Notes Week of January 25, 2009

Green Notes

Judiciary Committe Hearings on Death Penalty bills, LB 306 for Abolition, and LB 36 for lethal injection, will begin at 1:30pm on Thursday January 29, 2009, room 1113, at the state capitol building. “We should not rush towards a new method of execution when the death penalty is so clearly flawed.” –Jill Francke, NADP State Coordinator.

THE DEATH PENALTY IN NEBRASKA . . . Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty and others will host an Omaha discussion of why the only acceptable alternative to electrocution, now unconstitutional, is abolition–not lethal injection. Focus of the informational meeting will be the legislature’s death penalty related bills on lethal injection and abolition. The meeting is Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 7:00 to 8:00pm at Pius X O’Brien Parish Center, 70th & Blondo, Omaha. For more information, contact Jill Francke, NAPD statewide Coordinator, jill [dot] francke [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.477.7787. Vigil against the death penalty in Lincoln every Monday, noon to 1:00pm at the State Capitol Building by the information desk on ground floor.

“AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR” . . . A free showing of “At the Death House Door,” a film about Texas death row Chaplain Carroll Pickett, will be hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University’s Nebraskans for Peace Chapter on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 7:00pm, in the Olin B lecture hall at the northern edge of campus near 52nd & Madison Streets, Lincoln. After witnessing 95 executions, Pickett’s message is clear: the death penalty is an irreversible mistake that must end. For more information, or to set up a showing in your area, contact Jake Hoy-Elswick, jake [dot] hoyelswick [at] gmail [dot] com, or call Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, 402.477.7787.

LINCOLN EARTH DAY 2009 PLANNING MEETING . . . Nebraska Greens initiated 2008 Lincoln Earth Day planning and coordination. In 2009, Planning Committee Co-Chairs have scheduled a first meeting Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 6:00pm, at the Lincoln Community Foundation 5th Floor Conference Room, 215 Centennial Mall South. Agenda items include Purpose & Theme, Date/Time, Venue, subcommittees & chairs, initial timeline calendar, and future meeting dates/location. For more information contact Eva Sohl, esohl [at] nlcv [dot] org, or Julie Diegel, info [at] nlcv [dot] org.

“AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR” . . . ACLU Nebraska Legal Director and NADP Board Chair Amy Miller will host a free showing of “At the Death House Door” on Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 6:00pm, at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, in Copeland room 142. Questions and answers will follow.

CONVICTED. SENTENCED TO DEATH. INNOCENT. . . . Randy Steidl became the 18th person to be freed from Illinois’ Death Row for a wrongful conviction, after spending over 17 years in prison. He will speak Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 5:00pm, at Creighton University Skutt Student Center, Room 104. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Rebecca Murray of the Nebraska Innocence Project, (402) 280-3062.

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.

CENTRAL NEBRASKA PEACEWORKERS VIGIL . . . Greens and Central Nebraska Peaceworkers will vigil for peace on Wednesday, January 28, 2009, from 5:00 to 6:00pm at Webb and State Streets in Grand Island, Nebraska. Peace signs will be available, or bring your own.

OMAHA GREEN DRINKS . . . Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 5:30pm to close, Omaha Green Drinks will meet at Whole Foods Market, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room by the restaurant seating, cross from the coffee bar. Everyone interested in environmental issues is welcome. Green Drinks now meet in 461 cities worldwide. For questions or further information, phone Jean Waters at 402.554.6259, or e-mail jwaters [at] mail [dot] unomaha [dot] edu.

WEEKLY OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday evening, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe,  38th and Harney in Omaha.  This week’s film is Strange Culture, about an artist accused of bioterrorism.  The event is always free and open to the public. Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

THE BATTLE FOR WHITECLAY . . . “An inside look at an important contemporary conflict pitting American Indian rights against state and local governments in the United States,” The Battle for Whiteclay will show at The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln, from January 30, to February 5, 2009. There will be questions and answers following the 7:00pm showing on Friday, January 30. “Movie Talk” with Director Mark Vasina, Frank LaMere and others will be Sunday, February 1, 2009, after the 1:00pm showing.

LINCOLN NEBRASKANS FOR PEACE MEETING . . . The new Lincoln Chapter of NFP will meet Sunday, February 1, 2009, 4:30pm, at the Anti-Oppression Art Gallery, 1416 O Street, above Duffy’s. For specific meeting information, e-mail Josh Cramer, jrcramer [at] gmail [dot] com.

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative.

Green Notes Week of January 18, 2009

Green Notes

2009 NEBRASKA ENERGY PLAN . . . Text of the draft 2009 Nebraska Energy Plan is available in pdf here.  Website information can be found here.  The plan encourages renewable energy projects, and support for nuclear power. The public is invited to comment on the proposal through January 23, 2009. Click here for a list of six reasons why nuclear power is not a reasonable, realistic solution to the world’s energy problem. Click here to comment, or submit e-mail comments to energy [at] nebraska [dot] gov.  Click here (.pdf) to read a Green Party statement of opposition to the use of nuclear power.

“A TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR” . . . Founder and Artistic Director of the American Negro Playwright Theatre Barry Scott will present an hour-long tribute to Dr. King on Monday, January 19, 2009, 11:00am, in Heckman Auditorium at Doane College Crete campus. The free event is open to the public. Segments of King’s speeches will be performed, and a question/answer session will follow the presentation. Click here for a map of the Doane campus.

WINTER GREEN DRINKS IN NEBRASKA CITY . . . Monday, January 19, 2008, 4:30 to 6:30pm, all those interested in Green practices and initiatives for Nebraska City, Otoe County, and the surrounding area are invited to Green Drinks at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center. Priority choices for 2009 projects will be discussed. For more information, phone 402.209.0559. To rsvp, e-mail LeadershipNC [at] windstream [dot] net. Rethink. Reuse. Reduce. Recycle.

WILDERNESS PARK PRESERVATION . . . Tuesday, January 20, 2009, Friends of Wilderness Park will meet from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the Lincoln Public Schools Administration Building, 5901 O Street, Room E-111. (Use main front door.) Dennis Ferraro, Herpetologist at the UN-L School of Natural Resources, will bring samples of reptiles from the Salt Creek area. Children who may enjoy seeing snakes and rare, threatened species up close are welcome. The presentation is free and open to the public.

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.

THE DEATH PENALTY IN NEBRASKA . . . Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty will host a Lincoln discussion of why the only acceptable alternative to electrocution, now unconstitutional, is abolition–not lethal injection. Focus of the informational meeting will be the 2009 legislature’s bills on lethal injection and abolition, and strategies for next steps in the campaign to end state killing. The meeting is Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 7:00 to 8:00pm at the Clyde Malone Community Center, 2032 U Street, Lincoln. For more information, contact Jill Francke, NAPD statewide Coordinator, jill [dot] francke [at] gmail [dot] com or 402.477.7787.  Vigil against the death penalty every Monday from noon to 1:00pm inside the State Capitol Building by the information desk on ground floor, Lincoln.

LINCOLN GREEN DRINKS . . . Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 5:30pm to close, Lincoln Green Drinks will will meet at Lazlo’s South, 5900 Old Cheney Road, in the boardroom off the bar area–to the left as you enter. There are Happy Hour specials on food and drinks in the bar until 6:00pm. Green Drinks is an international social network now active in 463 cities worldwide. E-mail Tyler Mainquist, tmain [at] inebraska [dot] com, for more information.

RENEWABLE ENERGY . . . Wind, Solar and Geothermal renewable energy will be the focus of the Omaha Sierra Club Program Thursday, January 22, 2009, 7:00 to 8:30pm, at First United Methodist Church, 69th & Cass Streets. (Enter through the north door.)

CENTRAL NEBRASKA PEACEWORKERS MONTHLY MEETING . . . Many Central Nebraska Peaceworkers are Green Party members and supporters. This month’s regular meeting is Sunday, January 25, 2009, 3:00pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, Grand Island, Nebraska. Nebraskans in Congressional District 3 are invited to CNPW meetings, and encouraged to get involved in local peace activism.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNCIL VACANCIES . . . Nominations are being considered for 1) Representatives from each Congressional District for Environmental Trust vacancies; and 2) Environmental Quality Council seats for Ag Crop Production, Auto/Petroleum Industry, Biologist, Food Products Manufacturing,Labor, Livestock Industry, Minority Populations, Municipal Government, and the Power Generating Industry. To apply online, click here.  The Governor will send nominations to the Natural Resources Committee for confirmation hearings in January or February.

LIBRARY BOARD VACANCY . . . January 31, 2009 is the deadline for Lincoln residents to apply for a vacancy on the Lincoln City Libraries Board of Trustees. This is a six-year appointment (2009-2015) to a seven-member board. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest including a statement outlining their philosophy and goals for providing public library services, plus a brief bio resume, to library [at] lincolnlibraries [dot] org. Applications will be forwarded, with recommendations, to the Lincoln City Council.

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative.

Green Notes Week of January 11, 2009

Green Notes

2009 NEBRASKA ENERGY PLAN . . . Text of the draft 2009 Nebraska Energy Plan is available in pdf here. Website information can be found here. The plan encourages renewable energy projects, and support for nuclear power. The public is invited to comment on the proposal through January 23, 2009. Click here for a list of six reasons why nuclear power is not a reasonable, realistic solution to the world’s energy problem. For a Green Party statement of opposition to the use of nuclear power, click here.  Click here to comment, or submit e-mail comments to energy [at] nebraska [dot] gov.

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . During winter months, every Monday from noon to 1:00pm, supporters of abolition in Nebraska vigil inside the State Capitol Building by the information desk on the ground floor, Lincoln. Join them for a few minutes, or the hour. For more information, contact Fran Kaye, fkaye1949 [at] yahoo [dot] com, or Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, 402.477.7787.

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.

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENTAL BILLS ON SIERRA PROGRAM . . . The focus of this months’ Lincoln Sierra Club meeting will be Energy and Environmental Bills before the 2009 Legislature. The Thursday, January 15, 2009 7:00pm meeting is at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNCIL VACANCIES . . . Nominations are being considered for 1) Representatives from each Congressional District for Environmental Trust vacancies; and 2) Environmental Quality Council seats for Ag Crop Production, Auto/Petroleum Industry, Biologist, Food Products Manufacturing,Labor, Livestock Industry, Minority Populations, Municipal Government, and the Power Generating Industry. To apply online, click here.  The Governor will send nominations to the Natural Resources Committee for confirmation hearings in January or February.

LIBRARY BOARD VACANCY . . . January 31, 2009 is the deadline for Lincoln residents to apply for a vacancy on the Lincoln City Libraries Board of Trustees. This is a six-year appointment (2009-2015) to a seven-member board. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest including a statement outlining their philosophy and goals for providing public library services, plus a brief bio resume, to library [at] lincolnlibraries [dot] org. Applications will be forwarded, with recommendations, to the Lincoln City Council.

LGBTQ RIGHTS SUMMIT . . . A Nebraska Summit for LGBTQ Equality will be Saturday, January 17, 2009, at First Plymouth Congregational Church, Lincoln. Sponsored by Nebraska Citizens for Equal Protection, the Summit includes a light breakfast and lunch with pre-registration.  Presenters include Sarah Kennedy, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; Ryan Sallans, Planned Parenthood of Nebraska and Council Bluffs; Larry Williams, City of Lincoln Commission on Human Rights; Amy Miller, ACLU-Nebraska; Meredith Bacon, National Center for Transgender Equality; and Georgia Feiste, Collaborative Transitions Coaching. For more information, click here. Register safely and securely here.

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative.

Green Notes Week of January 4, 2009

Green Notes

2009 NEBRASKA ENERGY PLAN . . . Text of the draft 2009 Nebraska Energy Plan is available in pdf here. Website information can be found here. The plan encourages renewable energy projects, and support for nuclear power. The public is invited to comment on the proposal through January 23, 2009. Click here for a list of six reasons why nuclear power is not a reasonable, realistic solution to the world’s energy problem. Click here to comment, or submit e-mail comments to energy [at] nebraska [dot] gov.

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . During winter months, every Monday from noon to 1:00pm, supporters of abolition in Nebraska vigil inside the State Capitol Building by the information desk on the ground floor, Lincoln. Join them for a few minutes, or the hour. For more information, contact Fran Kaye, fkaye1949 [at] yahoo [dot] com, or Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, 402.477.7787.

OPENING DAY: 101st LEGISLATIVE SESSION . . . Following Opening Day of the 2009 Nebraska Legislature, Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 10:00am, the public is invited to an Annual Reception with the senators, 5:00 to 7:00pm, at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel’s Lancaster Room, 333 South 13th Street, Lincoln.

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.

NEBRASKA WETLANDS CONSERVATION . . . Thursday, January 8, 2009, 7:00pm, Nebraska Game and Parks Wetland Program Manager Ted LaGrange will present “Wetlands of Nebraska and their Conservation Needs” at the Wachiska Audubon General Meeting at Union College Dick Administration Building lower level Room 03, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. For directions, click here.

SPRING CREEK PRAIRIE CHAPTER RETREAT . . . A Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center Retreat and Potluck will be Saturday, January 10, 2009, 9:00am to 2:00pm at the Center. There will be a business meeting to discuss possible priority programs and projects for 2009, and potluck food. Bring a favorite dish to share. For directions, click here.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNCIL VACANCIES . . . Nominations are being considered for 1) Representatives from each Congressional District for Environmental Trust vacancies; and 2) Environmental Quality Council seats for Ag Crop Production, Auto/Petroleum Industry, Biologist, Food Products Manufacturing,Labor, Livestock Industry, Minority Populations, Municipal Government, and the Power Generating Industry. To apply online, click here.  The Governor will send nominations to the Natural Resources Committee for confirmation hearings in January or February.

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative.