Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

THE NEW ARENA QUESTION . . . Lincoln Journal Star letters to the editor continue to express concern over various aspects of the proposed Haymarket District development project the City of Lincoln is promoting exhaustively. A Sunday, May 2, 2010 LJS article “City, developers yet to ink arena agreement,” is here.  It reports “The agreement would release BNSF from paying for any environmental damage.” A May 2 Local View, “Common sense doesn’t support arena,” is here.  “No2Arena calls for full disclosure of EPA testing” is reported here.   “Project won’t be boon it’s promised to be,” another Local View, is here.  Coverage of a No2Arena press conference on financial aspects of the issue is here.  The proposed arena site is highly contaminated with toxic railyard waste. The City of Lincoln will be assuming liability for cleaning up 130 years of toxins. The railroads will have no clean-up responsibility after this proposed deal. Click here for a list of toxic contaminants at the Haymarket location site.
Nebraska Green Party and the UN-L Progressive Students Coalition are sponsoring the only Opposition Forum on arena development Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 5:30 to 6:30pm at The Ross.  See Green Notes below for details of various opportunities to Learn the Facts about the project this week before the May 11th vote on a small percent of the unknown actual costs to Lincoln taxpayers.
The No2Arena group will meet Saturday, May 8, 2010, 10:00am, at the Huntington Day Center, 47th Street and Huntington. Yard signs and bumper stickers are still available there, and by phoning 488.8519. To help prevent the purchase of toxic land in a flood plain for this development project, write your own letter to the LJS editor and e-mail it to oped [at] journalstar [dot] com. Phone Kathy at 402.202.8153, or e-mail KathyKBD [at] aol [dot] com to learn more and volunteer help with neighborhood flier distribution. Click here to become a “Vote NO to Lincoln’s Haymarket Arena” Facebook fan. Join the collective opposition affirmation that “We will win the No2Arena Vote.” Shared intention is a powerful force. Spread the information. Share the intent. SAVE THE HAYMARKET.

2010 FARMERS MARKETS BEGIN . . . Locally grown produce and baked goods are now available at Lincoln Farmers Markets five of the seven week days.  Saturdays through October 9th, the Haymarket Farmers Market will be open from 8:00am to noon. The Old Cheney Road Garden Market at 55th Street and Old Cheney Road (behind the Lincoln Racquet Club) is open from 10:00am to 2:00pm every Sunday through November 7th. Other Lincoln Markets include:
— Havelock Farmers Market, behind the businesses at 62nd and 63rd Streets and Havelock Avenue, Wednesdays 3:00 to 6:30pm, May 5 to October 27th.
— Piedmont Farmers Market, 1265 South Cotner Blvd. Saturdays 8:00am to noon, May 15 to September 18. Vendor spots available. Call Randy Nelsen at 467-2777.
— The Mid-Week Haymarket Farmers Market, 12th and R streets. Tuesdays in June from 5:00 to 7:00pm, in conjunction with Jazz in June.
— Centennial Mall Garden Market, 14th and M streets, east side of the Nebraska State Office building. Wednesdays noon to 4:00pm, July 7 to August 25th.
— Community Crops Farmers Market, Pentzer Park, 27th and Potter (2 blocks north of 27th and Holdrege), Thursdays, 4:30-7:30pm, June 3 through September 30, 2010.
— Backyard Farmer’s Market and Exchange, Tuesdays, 4:30 to 7:30pm, in the St. Paul United Church of Christ parking lot at 1302 “F” Street, June 1st through September 28, 2010.  Vendor applications are  due by May 15th.   Contact Jeff Eggers, himo83 [at] hotmail [dot] com.

REGISTER TO VOTE . . . The voter registration deadline for Lincoln’s May 11th primary election, including a vote on the proposed Haymarket District arena development, is Monday, May 3, 2010. Any Lancaster County resident may register in person at the Election Commissioner’s office, 601 North 46th Street, 8:00am to 6:00pm. Voter registration will also be available on Monday at Walt Branch Library, 6701 South 14th Street, 4:30 to 6:00pm; and Eisley Branch Library, 1530 Superior Street, 4:30 to 6:00pm. Click here (pdf) for a sample ballot. REGISTER TO VOTE and SAVE THE HAYMARKET.

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet at the information desk on the lower level of the State Capitol. The lunch-hour presence reminds senators of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. For information about Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, click here.

LEARN THE FACTS . . . Tuesday, May 4, 2010, No2Arena spokespeople Brad Carper and Scott Wendt will be on NET Radio 91.1FM with Clay Masters. The series begins airing at 6, 7, and 8:00am; 4:30 and 5:30pm.

LEARN THE FACTS . . . Wednesday, May 5, 2010, spokespeople from both the pro and con sides of development in the Historic Haymarket District will be on KFOR’s Lincoln Live radio program, 11:00am to noon, 1240AM, answering call-in questions. Phone 489.1240.

LEARN THE FACTS . . . Nebraska Green Party will co-host a free Public Forum “In Opposition to the Arena” on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 5:30 to 6:30pm at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln. The UN-L Progressive Student Coalition will co-sponsor the Opposition event.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Lincoln peace vigils continue at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets, 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.

HAVE YOU HEARD *ALL* THE FACTS? . . . Arena Pros and Cons will be debated Thursday, May 6, 2010, 5:30 to 7:00pm, at the Haymarket Apothecary Building Ridnour Room, 809 P Street, Suite 500, Lincoln. Kandra Hahn will represent the opposition in this free public event. Questions for either side must be pre-submitted to qspjoanne [at] neb [dot] rr [dot] com or infone [at] afphq [dot] org by Wednesday, May 5th. LEARN THE FACTS.

SAVE THE HAYMARKET . . . No2Arena will meet Saturday, May 8, 2010, 10:00am, at Huntington Day Center, 47th Street and Huntington, Lincoln. Packets of fliers need distributed in targeted precincts. To help, phone Kathy at 402.202.8153, or e-mail KathyKBD [at] aol [dot] com. This will be the last weekend before a May 11th vote.

ANNUAL COMMUNITY CROPS PLANT SALE . . . The seventh annual Community CROPS Plant Sale will be Saturday, May 8, 2010, 2:00 to 4:00pm, at West Gate Bank, 50th and O Streets, Lincoln. There will be vegetable, annual and perennial plants at this fundraiser for community gardens. Click here for details, or phone 474.9802.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS OPEN . . . Area farmers markets open this weekend.  Global research confirms food choices contribute the highest percentage to our carbon footprint; even more than transportation.  The advantages of shopping locally go far beyond environmental impact. Farmers markets are the best way to choose local. Click here for a Michael Braunstein list of reasons to shop farmers markets. Click here for a list of Omaha area Farmers Markets including Benson, Bellevue, Papillion, Auburn, Beemer, Bennington, Falls City, Plattsmouth, and Wayne, Nebraska; Glenwood, Council Bluffs, and Griswold, Iowa.

OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Omaha peacemakers vigil every Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm, at StratCom/UN-O, 6801 Pine Street, east of the Scott Technology Center on the Un-O campus. Free parking is available at the NE Corner of 67th Street and Pine in a student lot. For more information, phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887. Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is an Anti-War and Peace Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 402.426.9068.

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. The event is always free and open to the public. This week’s film is “The Silence of Neto,” a Guatemalan film that chronicles one boy’s coming-of-age in that country. Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . The next Progressive Omaha meeting will be Saturday, May 8, 2010, from 6:00 tp 9:00pm, at 4924 Chicago, in Dundee. Speaking will be John Hansen, President of Nebraska Farmers Union, discussing “Globalization and its Impact on Family Farmers.” There will be a potluck from 6:00 to 7:00, Hansen will speak between 7:00 and 8:00. Group business and social time will follow.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

TAR SANDS IN NEBRASKA . . . One of the dirtiest, most destructive projects on Earth is set to begin in Nebraska soon. A massive pipeline, Keystone XL, designed to carry tar sands from Canada into the United States, is proposed to cut through the Ogallala Aquifer, Nebraska’s most precious water resource. Tar sands are a thick, black dirt derived from the soil under forests of Canada that produce 20% more global warming pollution than conventional oil. The Department of State has recently scheduled public hearings on the project in Fairbury, May 6; York, May 10; and Atkinson, May 11. Click here for more details, and to sign up to attend a public hearing to stop this dirty pipeline.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers Markets have begun again. Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople still meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here. Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it says WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? here.  Every time you use the GoodSearch toolbar, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. Download the GoodSearch Toolbar here.  THANK YOU for supporting Nebraska Greens.

We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente