Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

2010 EARTH DAY WEEK . . . Lincoln will celebrate 40 years of Earth Day Saturday, April 24, 2010, 2:00 to 6:00pm at Antelope Park, with evening activities in the Haymarket. Every day of this week there will be an Earth Day Event. Click here for a full schedule, and check Green Notes below.

THE NEW ARENA QUESTION . . . No2Arena informational materials will be ready for Saturday morning’s 10:00am meeting at Gere Library, 56th and Normal Blvd., April 24, 2010. (Due to road construction, enter on 56th Street.) See Green Notes below about how to help with distribution, about this week’s Neighborhood Association meetings, about Saturday night’s potluck fundraiser at the Unitarian Church, and other opportunities to learn *the facts* about a proposed arena in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District. A significant Local View in Lincoln Journal-star, Sunday, April 18, 2010, by Brian Chilcott is here.  It states: “Lincoln, if you will ever stop the “brain drain,” if you will ever be attractive to smart young professionals and the companies that employ them, you’ll have to be more visionary than your silly arena plan would suggest. Every well-educated Nebraskan I know lives elsewhere, and it is a sad condition. I wish you luck, but I certainly wouldn’t return to foot the bill for such nonsense.”
A series of live chats at www.journalstar.com will begin Monday, April 19th, at 10:00am. Arena related questions from readers will be fielded live online, starting with Pershing Center General Manager Tom Lorenz. This week’s Neighborhood Association meetings are listed in separate Green Notes below. An April 17, 2010 letter to the editor, “Get all arena facts first,” is here.
The proposed arena site is highly contaminated with toxic railyard waste. The City of Lincoln will be assuming liability for cleaning up ground contaminated with 130 years of toxins. The railroads will have no clean-up responsibility after this proposed deal. It is very unlikely that $7.5 million allotted for cleanup will be adequate. The City will owe $20
million per year in interest on the bond for 30 years. This raises the cost to $755 million with interest, without added contamination clean-up costs. Click here for a list of toxic contaminants at the Haymarket location site.
Phone Kathy at 402.202.8153, or e-mail KathyKBD [at] aol [dot] com to learn more and volunteer. No2Arena yard signs and bumper stickers are available at Saturday morning meetings, or by phoning 488.8519. Click here to become a “Vote NO to Lincoln’s Haymarket Arena” Facebook fan.     SAVE THE HAYMARKET.

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 senators and 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.

NO IMPACT MAN . . . Lincoln Earth Day 2010 and Cleaner Greener Lincoln will present a screening of ‘No Impact Man‘ on Monday, April 19, 2010, 7:00pm, at The Grand Theatre, 1101 P Street. The documentary follows the life of Colin Beavan and his family, who abandoned a high consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle for a year of making no net environmental impact. Scroll down to view the trailer here. The free film is open to the public.

CIVIL RIGHTS PANEL . . The Dan Williams Civil Rights Lecture, honoring the founder of CARD, Citizens Against Racism and Discrimination, will be Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 5:15pm. A Panel discussing civil rights issues in Lincoln will be at The Cornhusker Hotel, 333 South 13th Street, Lincoln, timed in conjunction with the 2010 Civil Rights Conference, April 20 and 21, focusing on fair housing and employment discrimination. Hosted by Jose Soto, Southeast Community College vice president of diversity, multicultural education and affirmative action, the panel will include local Civil Rights Icon Lela Knox Shanks.  For more information, e-mail lwilliams [at] lincoln [dot] ne [dot] gov or phone 402.441.8691.

SOULFORCE IN LINCOLN . . . Soulforce will be visiting Lincoln on Tuesday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 21, 2010. Founded in 1998, Soulforce is based on the principles of relentless nonviolent resistance as taught and practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Tuesday, April 20, 2010, Plymouth Pride Fellowship will host a 5:00pm potluck at First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, in Pilgrim Hall, with a 5:30 panel of clergy. GLBTQs, Allies, and Equality (bus) Riders from different parts of the nation will share food, meaningful dialoge and support with local community activists and friends as part of work to end religious and political oppression. Soulforce will visit the Union College campus on Wednesday, April 21, 2010. There will be an open mic night at Meadowlark Coffeehouse, 1624 South Street, from 7:00 to 9:00pm. For more information, e-mail robin [at] outlinc [dot] org or click here.

SUPPORT NO2ARENA AT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS . . . No2Arena spokespeople will meet with Lincoln Neighborhood Associations this week. Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 7:00pm, Kandra Hahn will be at the Meadowlane Neighborhood Association, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 1015 Lancaster Lane. Also on Tuesday, Scott Wendt will be at the Country Club Neighborhood Association meeting, Irving Rec Center, 2010 Van Dorn, at 7:00pm. From 11:00pm to midnight on Tuesday, Brad Carper will answer call-in questions at KZUM Community Radio, 89.3fm. Call 474.5086 with questions and comments.

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.

RECYCLED PLASTIC BAG PROJECT . . . There will be a discussion, open to the public, about the Doane College Plastic Bag Project, Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 6:15 to 7:15pm, in Courtyard Lounge, First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, Lincoln. Doane Professor Brad Elder will lead a conversation about reusing plastic bags in Kenya.

HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION . . . Friday, April 23, 2010, 9:00am to 1:00pm, Lincoln residents may bring household hazardous waste items for recycle or safe disposal to the 87th and Highway 2 Walmart. Click here for a list of accepted items. For more information, phone 402.44.8021.

LOCAL-LICIOUS DINNER . . . Nebraska farmers and gardeners of the Nebraska Food Cooperative will provide locally grown and raised foods for a Local-Licious dinner at the Country Club of Lincoln Ballroom, 3200 South 24th Street, Lincoln, on Friday, April 23, 2010, 6:00pm. Learn about statewide efforts to develop a local food system, have a great meal, and support the local food movement.  Reserve tickets online through PayPal here.

SAVE THE HAYMARKET . . . No2Arena will meet Saturday, April 24, 2010, 10:00am, at Gere Library, 56th and Normal. (Due to road construction, enter on 56th Street.) Volunteers are need to help distribute fliers with *the facts* from house to house in Lincoln. Packets and precinct maps will be available at this meeting. If you can’t be there, please phone Kathy at 202.8153 to volunteer help walking neighborhoods or making phone calls.

EARTH DAY WILDERNESS PARK CLEAN-UP . . . As part of Earth Day, Friends of Wilderness Park will meet in the Day Camp parking lot at 8:30am, Saturday, April 24, 2010, to pick up trash and litter along Park trails. Children are welcome. Adults only will form an additional group to gather litter along roadsides and possibly under bridges. The parking lot can be reached by turning south onto Park Boulevard from Van Dorn, then going south to 1st Street. Call 441.7895 before April 21st if you plan to help, and qualify for free pizza and soda after the clean-up is finished at noon.

BIRD FEEDING WORKSHOP . . . Pre-registration is required for an Earth Day Backyard Bird Feeding Workshop, Saturday, April 24, 2010, 10:00 to 11:30am, at Pioneers Park Nature Center in the Prairie Building Auditorium. Presented by the Wild Bird Habitat Store, the workshop will teach how to set up a sumer bird feeding program at home. There will be refreshments and door prizes. For more information, and to register, phone 441.7895.

PARTY FOR THE PLANET . . . Earth Day will be celebrated at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Saturday, April 24, 2010. The Zoo is located on 27th Street between Capital Parkway and A Street at 27th & B Street.

WORLD TAI CHI AND QIGONG DAY . . . The 12th Annual World Tai Chi and Qigong Day will be observed in Lincoln Saturday, April 24, 2010, from 9:00am to noon, at the Antelope Park enclosed shelter. Beginning in the earliest time zones of New Zealand, Tai Chi and Qigong will be practiced at 10:00am worldwide. As Earth turns, a wave of positive Qi energy will be spread around the planet. All are invited to participate. For more information, phone Chris at 402.310.5990 or e-mail headlee1 [at] juno [dot] com

EARTH DAY ELECTRONIC RECYCLING EVENT . . . Saturday April, 24, 2010, noon to 5:00pm, Open Harvest will host a free Earth Day Electronics Recycling event in the store’s parking lot at 1618 South Street, Lincoln. Recycle anything with a plug or batteries for free with these exceptions: CRT TV’s and monitors under 21” will cost $10 per unit; those larger than 21” will cost $35 per unit. Phone Secure Recyclers, 402.420.1515, with any questions.

EARTH DAY TRAIL RUNS . . . Registration begins at 8:00am, Saturday, April 24, 2010, for 5K, 2 mile, and a 1 mile kid’s run (12 and under) starting at the Mopac East Trailhead on 84th Street near State Farm. All races will be run simultaneously. There will be a limited number of Open Harvest water bottles with early registrations. Register here.

EARTH DAY AT ANTELOPE PARK . . . From the Mopac Trail, Lincoln Earth Day Events will move to Antelope Park, 2:00 to 6:00pm, for a Celebration Festival. The community-wide zero-waste Event will include main stage entertainment (powered by solar power) from local bands and dance troupes, family activities, a kid’s Big Wheel race, an Alternative Transportation Expo, and an educational exhibitor booth fair. Artists for the Earth will present a Green Poster display, and the 4th “Style Your Sole” TOMS shoe decorating event will be hosted by local shoe store The Public. At 4:00pm, celebrated Lincoln photographer Michael Forsberg will present a keynote speech on how we can best conserve local natural resources, with photos, in the Auld Pavilion. There will be a Post Celebration Bike Ride to the Haymarket for a Green Meals tour. A variety of Haymarket restaurants will participate, offering featured sustainable menu items and drinks. Click here for a full schedule of Earth Day events.

SAVE THE HAYMARKET . . . A potluck fundraiser to benefit the No2Arena campaign will start at 6:00pm Saturday evening, April 24, 2010, at the Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street in Lincoln. There will be a Cash Bar, Live Music, Door Prizes, and Community Spirit for educating Lincoln about *the facts* before a May 11th vote on the arena project.

OPEN HOUSE AT SPRING CREEK . . . Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, 11700 SW 100th Street, Denton, will host an open house from 1:00 to 5:00pm, Sunday, April 25, 2010. The 808-acre tallgrass prairie nature preserve is located 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln. Click here for directions. Guided walks will begin at 2:00 and 3:30pm, and light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.

COMMUNITY GARDEN PLOTS AVAILABLE . . . Community CROPS has garden plots available all over Lincoln for those interested in growing their own food locally. CROPS has a Community Supported Agriculture program offering subscriptions to boxes of locally-grown food, and also offers gardening classes. Click here to find links for applications to all CROPS programs.

ORDER NATIVE PLANTS TO SUPPORT FRIENDS OF WILDERNESS PARK . . . Orders for plants being grown by Finke Gardens and Nursery for this year’s Wilderness Park native plant catalogue must be placed by May 4, 2010. Native plants are naturally adapted to the local environment and native soil, naturally tolerant of pests, and require little water. Catalogues and order forms are available at Finke Gardens, Meadowlark Coffee & Expresso, The Mill, and Lincoln Parks and Recreation Center office at 27th & A Streets. Call 477.8282 and leave a message to place a phone order for a 2010 catalogue.

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

Monday, April 17, 2010, 7:00pm, Great Escape Theatre, 7440 Crown Pointe Avenue, will premiere Wigger, a film written and directed by Omowale Akintunde, head of the UN-O Black Studies Department. The film, shot on location in Omaha, has to do with racial issues that exist across the country. Three of the film’s stars, Ana Maria Horsford, Meschach Taylor and David Oakes, will be present. The film is being shown as part of Omaha’s annual Malcolm X Festival and Conference, [pdf] April 18 through April 20, 2010. Call the black studies office, 554.2412, for more information.

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 “Food Beware: French Organic Revolution.”  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.

OMAHA SIERRA CLUB MEETING . . . “Environment Omaha: Creating a More Sustainable City” is the focus of this months’ Omaha Sierra Club program, Thursday, April 22, 2010, 7:00pm, at First United Methodist Church, 69th & Cass Street (Enter north door education wing). Speakers will be Connie Spellman, Mick McMeekin, and Steve Jensen.  All are welcome.

UN-O EARTH DAY EVENT . . . The UN-O Ecology Club will host an Earth Day event on Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, in the Pep Bowl area behind Eppley Administration Building. There will be a live band from noon to 1:00. Stop by the Nebraska Green Party table and meet Omaha Greens.

NW-U EARTH DAY EVENT . . . Visit the Green Party table at Nebraska Wesleyan’s Earth Day event, Thursday, April 22, 2010, along the walkway between the Student Center and Smith-Curtis, from after 11:00am to 2:00pm.

WILDFLOWER HIKE . . . There will be a Wildflower Hike around the Great Marsh, Fontenelle Forest Wetlands Education Center, Bellevue, April 24th, 2010, at 10:00am. Meet at Wetland Education trail head by 8:15 to 8:30pm. For directions, more information, and to rsvp, e-mail bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com or phone 402.614.4788.

ACLU-NEBRASKA ANNUAL . . . The 2010 ACLU Nebraska Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet will be Saturday, April 24, 2010, at Cascio’s Steak House, 1620 South 10th Street, Omaha. A 6:00pm reception will be followed by dinner at 7:15. The Keynote Speaker, Ellery Schempp, will focus on “The Constitution, the Bible and the ACLU.”

IBRAHIM SBAIHAT PERFORMANCE . . . Saturday, April 24, 2010, 5:00pm, Palestinian Folksinger Ibrahim Sbaihat and his band will perform at a night of traditional Palestinian music and culture at First United Methodist Church’s Cary Hall, 7020 Cass Street (east entrance). The event will include a potluck dinner and Arabic food. Phone Musa al-Hindi at 402.708.9605 for more information.

HEALTH, WELLNESS & FITNESS EXPO . . . The 2010 Mind, Body, & Spirit Fair will be at Omaha Civic Auditorium, 17th and Capitol, Saturday, April 24, 11:00am to 6:00pm, and April 25, 11:00am to 4:00pm. The interactive community event will have seminars on various topics both days. For more information, phone Bob Mancuso, Jr. at 402.346.8003, or click here.

THEATER OF THE OPPRESSED WORKSHOP . . . There will be another Theater of the Oppressed  Workshop Sunday, April 25, 2010, 1:00-5:00pm, at the UN-O Student Center, 6001 Dodge, in the Nebraska Room.  The Facebook site is here.  Contact Colleen, codoherty [at] unomaha [dot] edu with any questions.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

PUBLIC NIGHT AT BEHLEN . . . The UN-L Behlen Observatory near Mead in Saunders County will be open for public viewing from 7:30 to 10:00pm, Friday, April 23, 2010. At 8:00pm there will be a presentation on Saturn. There is no charge for the public night. For more information, click here or phone UN-L astronomer Edward Schmidt at 402.472.2788.

GOING GREEN SUNDAY . . . Trinity United Methodist Church, 511 North Elm Street, Grand Island, will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day Sunday, April 25, 2010. Change the World Sunday is an invitation to Rethink Church: Go Green as an act of renewing creation in your life this spring. There will be a seed exchange, and seed packets for local gardens will be available free of charge. Phone Trinity UMC offices, Monday through Friday, 308.382.1952, for more information, or e-mail Maureen Vetter, mvetter [at] charter [dot] net.

PEACE WORKERS MEET . . . Central Nebraska Peace Workers will meet Sunday, April 25, 2010, 3:00 to 5:00pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 511 North Elm Street, Grand Island. EveryOne is welcome.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Until local markets begin again, 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.  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