KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Click here and scroll down the Green Notes Index to learn about the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline if you are new to this website. The pipeline issue has been updated every week since May 30, 2010. To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberta, Canada environment, click here.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline. In light of this year’s Gulf disaster and more recent Michigan tar sands spill, the Lincoln Journal Star has editorialized concern about the project here and here. “Keystone XL letters causing stir in state,” published August 15, 2010, reports on certified letters TransCanada sent Nebraska landowners along the proposed pipeline route recently, urging them to sign easements in the next 30 days or face land condemnation proceedings.
Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to continue receiving letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents who demand regulation on the existing tar sands pipeline, expressing concern about building another TransCanada pipeline in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, CD-1, 1517 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515, 202.225.4806, 402.438.1598 (Lincoln); Rep. Lee Terry, CD-2, 1524 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.4155, 402.397.9944 (Omaha); Rep. Adrian Smith, CD-3, 503 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515, 202.225.6435, 888.ADRIAN7 (Toll Free); and Governor Dave Heineman, PO Box 94848, State Capitol Bldg., Lincoln, NE 68509, 402.471.2244. Senator Mike Johanns is at 202.224.4224, 402.476.1400 in Lincoln; and Senator Ben Nelson is at 202.224.6551, 402.441.4600 in Lincoln. Please tell them all that oil pipeline regulations need to be in place, not only to govern the existing pipeline, but also any future pipeline proposed by TransCanada or other environmental exploiters.
Click here to tell Secretary Clinton NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Gov. Heineman to put forth laws that protect our resources and economic activity and tell President Obama to live up to his promise of clean energy and energy independence.
Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil.”
WEEKEND WITHOUT OIL: Join the national Call to Action, Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, 2010. Click here to sign the pledge and find a list of starting point ways to reduce personal oil consumption.
Lincoln area: Congressional District 1
CITY FORESTER UPDATE . . . The Lincoln City Council heard public testimony on the Mayor’s proposed budget Monday, August 9, 2010. On Wednesday, Council voted to restore funding for the Forester position, but the job, as it exists today, will disappear. After 21 years as City Forester, Steve Schwab will now have to apply for the new, lower-paying forester job if he decides to continue work for the City. Click here to read Lincoln Journal Star coverage of the City Council budget vote.
VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, from noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor 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.
MIDWEST RURAL ASSEMBLY . . . The second annual Midwest Rural Assembly will be Monday and Tuesday, August 16 and 17, 2010, in South Sioux City, Nebraska. There will be twenty learning roundtables on rural issues hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs staff. Learn more and register online here. Phone 402.687.2103 1017 or e-mail virginia [at] cfra [dot] org with questions.
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.
MARI SANDOZ AND JOHN NEIHARDT REMEMBERED . . . Ron Hull, senior advisor to Nebraska Educational Telecommunications, will share personal reminiscences of Mari Sandoz and John Neihardt, Thursday, August 19, 2010, noon, at the Nebraska History Museum, 15th & P Streets. Hull will discuss the authors’ distinctive approaches to writing, and their friendship with each other. The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, phone 402.471.4754.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE MILITARY ANNUAL . . . The Annual Alternatives to The Military Peacemaker of the Year Pot Luck Supper will be Thursday, August 19, 2010, 6:00pm, at Christ United Methodist Church, 4530 A Street, in Lincoln. Jack Gould, co-founder of Common Cause-Nebraska, who almost single-handedly keeps press focused on the revolving door between government and lobbyists, is Peacemaker of the Year 2010. Alternatives to the Military, founded in 1991, leaflets and tables at Lincoln high schools twice each year. ATM also provides school libraries, media centers, and counseling centers with alternatives literature, to help students learn the truth about military promises in exchange for fighting and dying in constant wars and occupations. Everyone is welcome. To rsvp, e-mail mjberry [at] inebraska [dot] com
REEFER MADNESS AT NWU . . . The curtain opens Thursday, August 19, 2010, 7:30pm, for the Musical production of “Reefer Madness” at Nebraska Wesleyan University’s McDonald Theatre, 51st Street and Huntington Avenue, Lincoln. This tongue-in-cheek reinterpretation of the 1936 film will run through Sunday, August 29th. For show times, click here. The cast list is here. For tickets, phone 402.465.2384.
HEMPSTOCK NEBRASKA . . . POSTPONED: The Douglas Village Board voted to DENY HEMP Nebraska a special use permit for this event.
WACHISKA AUDUBON SUNRISE FIELD TRIP . . . Sunday, August 22, 2010, the public is invited to carpool and caravan with Wachiska Audubon for a sunrise visit to North Lake Basin Wildlife Management Area near Utica, Nebraska. Wading birds, ibises, egrets, and other herons often visit wetlands in the area during summer dispersal and fall migration. Meet at 15th & H Streets in Lincoln, at 5:30am, to begin the trip together. For more information, phone John Carlini at 402.475.7275.
GROW AND SHARE . . . Local gardeners can take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, every Monday and Tuesday during summer. Food will be collected for the Food Bank of Lincoln, and distributed to 65 Southeast Nebraska agencies serving low-income people and families. Gardeners can also drop off produce at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle–about three blocks north of 48th and Superior, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm. Click here for tips on how to process produce for sharing. For more information, contact Cory Priefert at Campbell’s, 402.423.4556, ext. 233; or Cheri Lawrence at the Food Bank, 402.466.8170, ext. 106.
LINCOLN FARMERS MARKETS . . . Locally grown produce and baked goods are available at Lincoln Farmers Markets five of the seven week days. Saturdays through October 9th, the Haymarket Farmers Market is 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.
— 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.
Omaha area: Congressional District 2
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 “Arranged,” about the friendship between two women young women, one a Muslim and one an Orthodox Jew, both involved in arranged marriages. Click here to watch the trailer. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.
19TH ANNIVERSARY OF PULSE OMAHA . . . People Uniting Lending Support & Encouragement, PULSE, will celebrate nearly two decades of service to the Omaha community with a benefit concert by jazz guitarist Calvin Keys and his trio on Thursday, August 19, 2010, at 1316 Jones Street, from 7:00 to 11:00pm. PULSE is a non-profit organization offering comprehensive long-term support for secondary victims of homicide. Learn more about PULSE here. Purchase tickets in advance by calling 402.898.6053.
COUNTDOWN TO ZERO . . . An exclusive profile of “Countdown to Zero,” including interviews with the film’s director, and producter, will open at Film Streams Ruth Sokolof Theater, 1340 Mike Fahey Street, Omaha, on Friday, August 20, 2010. The new documentary traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs with nine nations possessing nuclear weapons capabilities. From Entertainment Weekly, “It’s the rare piece of political filmmaking that could unite the left and the right. It makes getting rid of nuclear weapons as less a ’cause’ than an imperative.” The film will run through Thursday, August 26th. For a schedule of showings, and to watch the trailer, click here.
Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3
TRANSPORTATION SUMMITS . . . Monday, August 16, 2010, Representative Adrian Smith will host the first transportation summit to discuss Nebraska’s highways, railroads, motor carriers and aviation infrastructure. The public, government officials, and business owners in Congressional District 3 are invited to the free summits. The schedule is as follows: August 16, 10:00am and 1:00pm MT, in Gering; August 17, 10:00am and 1:00pm CT in North Platte; and August 18, 10:00am and 1:00pm CT in Grand Island, Nebraska. Click here for summit locations.
PAWNEE SPEAKERS SERIES . . . The Pawnee were pre-Nebraskan settlers, farming and hunting on the Plains. A 2010 August Speakers Series will present a glimpse of their Culture every Sunday afternoon, 3:00pm, at The Pawnee Arts Center, 106 South Mill Street, Dannebrog, Nebraska. Sunday, August 22nd, Roger Welsch, Nebraska author, folklorist, and historian, will present “Earth Lodges and Sod Houses.” The Center will open at noon. Light refreshments will be available after the program. There is a suggested donation. Phone Gale Pemberton, 308.226.8286, or e-mail gale1938 [at] live [dot] com for more information.
BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople 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 in expanded space 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. Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!
We are no longer the alternative; we are the imperative. –Rosa Clemente