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Green Notes Week of September 12, 2010

September 12, 2010Green Notesgreenone

PEACEWEEK . . . PeaceWeek, a Global Telesummit for Building a Culture of Peace, will be Tuesday, September 14 through Tuesday, September 21, 2010. From the website: The broad trend of human evolution is to move beyond violence. Given the scale of global crises, we must accelerate that evolution and learn to live, collaborate, and create in a more harmonious way. PeaceWeek will unite pioneers from around the world together for the largest virtual peace summit ever created, culminating with the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21st. Engage in creating a shift to a world at peace by registering for this free virtual event here.

WE THE PEOPLE . . . The U.S. Constitution says “We the People,” not “We the Corporations.” Nowhere are corporations mentioned, let alone protected. Constitution Day, Friday, September 17, 2010, is an opportunity to take this message to your school, neighborhood, city, town, or your elected officials. Educate, advocate or organize on that date to proclaim that constitutional rights belong to human beings, not corporations. Publicly funded schools and colleges must set aside time on September 17 for lessons or programs on the Constitution and its history. This is a prime opportunity for students or teachers to educate on behalf of ending corporate personhood. Everyone should know how our rights have been handed over by the courts to the corporate elite, and that we all need to be part of the movement to get those rights back for people alone. The recent Citizens United v FEC Supreme Court decision granting corporations greater First Amendment free speech rights is an example of the decline of real democracy and self-governance. Move to Amend has many suggestions for raising the issue of corporate personhood—from model letters to the editor, to street theater, to fliers and other resources for tabling events or house parties. Take a look at the list here and get involved.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . On Monday of this week, TransCanada Corp. and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer plan an official announcement to kick off a so-called “open season” to solicit interest in the pipeline’s capacity from companies in Montana and North Dakota. On Thursday of last week, the EPA announced a new pipeline leak near Chicago.
Green Notes have been updating the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline proposal since May 30, 2010. Click here and scroll down the Index to learn about tar sands and TransCanada if you are new to this website. The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.” To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberta, Canada environment, click here. The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. See CD 2 Green Notes below for details of Thursday’s Omaha demonstration against the pipeline.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline. Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: 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. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and “Windmills Not Oil Spills” t-shirts, or stop by the Bold Nebraska office at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.”

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

MARY RIEPMA ROSS 100TH BIRTHDAY . . . In 1993, Mary Riepma Ross gave the University of Nebraska Foundation $3,600,000 to support the construction of a new Media Arts Center. Mrs. Ross, an alumna of UN-L, was on hand for the 2002 dedication of The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, and continues to support the activities of The Ross, even today. On October 1, 2010, she will turn 100 years old. To help celebrate this milestone in her life, The Ross would like to surprise her with birthday wishes on behalf of the many friends and supporters who enjoy the films shown at the Ross. The goal is to present her with 100 birthday greetings. To participate in the birthday surprise, write a note to Mrs. Ross expressing the impact the film theater has had on you personally, on the University of Nebraska, and on the community. The birthday greeting parameters are one page only, 8 ½ X 11, written legibly. Phone The Ross office, 472.9100, if you have questions. Deadline is September 15, 2010. Return your letter to Danny Ladely, MRRMAC, PO Box 880253, Lincoln, NE 68588-0253, or e-mail the letter as an attachment to dladely1 [at] unl [dot] edu

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.

PLANNING FOR 10/10/10 . . . Tuesday, August 31, 2010, Bill McKibben was on Late Night with David Letterman talking about 350.org’s Global Work Party on 10/10/10, and his plan to put solar panels back on the roof of the White House, among other things of interest to sustainability activists and environmentalists. Click here for a short list of Lincoln actions. Others include a neighborhood CFL distribution, prairie plantings in the new Union Plaza, and a 10/10/10 Celebration with food and music at 5:00pm. The LincolnBioneers will host Bike Power for Community at 10:10am at Peter Pan Park, 32nd and W Street, one block north of Vine and one block west of 33rd Street. The next planning meeting for 10/10/10 activities in Lincoln will be Wednesday, September 15th, 5:00pm, at the 5th floor meeting room, Lincoln Community Foundation Building, 15th & N Street. Click here to e-mail an organizer with questions about how to get involved. Click here for a message from Bill, “Disappointment at the White House, Pride in the Movement,” written after his meeting at the White House: they refused to accept the Carter solar panel he and Unity College students delivered saying they would continue their “deliberative process” to discuss putting solar panels back on the White House roof. He continues, “Well, we’re done deliberating. When Pakistan is under water, Russia is on fire, and millions of people are ready for clean energy jobs, it’s not time to deliberate: it’s time to get to work.”

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.

WORLD DAY ON THE MALL . . . This year’s “A World of Difference,” Day on the Mall will be Thursday, September 16, 2010, 10:00am to 2:30pm, on Centennial Mall, 15th and M Street, east of the State Office Building. The emphasis will be on “going green.” There will be educational and informative presentations on multicultural topics, live entertainment, art activities, ethnic food and information vendors. For more details, phone Roxanne at 471.6042.

ANOTHER NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN NEBRASKA? . . . Senator Kent Rogert wants third nuke power plant in Nebraska. Construction would take five to six years and cost between $6 billion and $10 billion. The possibility will be discussed at a public hearing Friday, September 17, 2010, 1:30pm, in the City Council Chambers, 218 South 16th Street, Blair, Nebraska.

NEBRASKA STUDENT ORGANIZING CONFERENCE . . . The third annual Nebraska Student Organizing Conference will take place Saturday and Sunday, September 18 and 19, 2010, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The conference will bring together progressive-minded students from a variety of backgrounds to learn the skills and expertise necessary for making positive, lasting change in their communities. The purpose of this free annual event is to make stronger leaders through networking, interactive skill-building workshops, and strategic planning. Register here.

PRAIRIE FESTIVAL . . . This year’s Twilight on the Tallgrass Prairie Festival, “A Trail in Time,” is from 5:00 to 10:00pm, Saturday, Steptember 18, 2010, at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, 11700 SW 100th Street, three miles south of Denton, Nebraska. Click here for a schedule of the evening’s activities. Bring a picnic and enjoy the music, hiking, an 8:00pm program, “The Great Unknown,” and late-night stargazing. There is a small suggested donation, and children under 12 are admitted free. For more information, phone 402.797.2301.

HIKE WILDERNESS PARK . . . Friends of Wilderness Park are hosting weekly hikes through different parts of the Park, every Saturday at 3:00pm. The casual strolls will highlight the diversity of life in the Park. All ages are welcome.

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.
— 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 & JUSTICE EXPO . . . The 5th Omaha Peace & Justice Expo will be Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 5:00 to 8:30pm, at the UN-O Ballroom, Milo Bail Student Center. MIT Linguistics professor and author Noam Chomsky will present the Keynote Address via live exclusive videoconferencing followed by Q & A with the audience. Admission is Free. Click here for photos on Facebook. E-mail PeaceExpo [at] gmail [dot] com for more information. “In this possibly terminal phase of human existence, democracy and freedom are more than just ideals to be valued – they may be essential to survival.” –Noam Chomsky

BLACK-WHITE DIALOGUES . . . The fall Black-White Dialogues public series, where people of the different races meet, watch and listen to a short presentation, and then discuss the topic and other concerns, building connections in order to address and eliminate racism, continues Tuesday, September 14, 2010 with Dee Kinder, Master Trainer, speaking on “8 to Great: 8 High-ways to Success,” from 7:00 to 9:00pm at First Central Congregational Church, 421 South 36th Street, in Omaha. Gather at 6:45pm. To get involved, phone Elaine Wells, 573-1720, or click here for information and registration.

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 “Sin Nombre,” an epic dramatic thriller in the tradition of film noir, set on the Mexican border. Watch the trailer here. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Thursday, September 16, 2010, 5:00 to 7:00pm, at 90th & Maple, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, try parking in the southwest corner lot of Westlake Hardware. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOL SEMINAR . . . Communities In School of Nebraska has developed a series of topical-based seminars, designed to supply local service providers and other interested stakeholders with information on the latest research-based practices and their implementation. “Race Equity Issues” will be presented Friday, September 17, 2010, 11:00am to 12:30pm, at Turning Point Training Building, 2nd Floor, 3223 North 45th Street (off of 45th and Bedford), in Omaha. The cost is free. Bring your own lunch. Dessert and drinks will be provided. Click here to register.

BENSON UNITY PARADE . . . There will be a Benson Unity Parade starting at 11:00am on Maple Street in Downtown Benson on Saturday, September 18, 2010.

BENSON FARMERS MARKET . . . The Benson Farmers Market will be on Military Avenue from Maple to Binney Streets, Saturday, September 18, 2010, 8:00am to noon.

FORT OMAHA INTERTRIBAL POWWOW . . . Saturday, September 18, 2010, there will be Native American music, dance, food and arts at the 19th Annual Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow, Fort Omaha Campus Parade Ground, North 30th and Fort Streets, 1:00 to 7:30pm. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail bvelazquez [at] mccneb [dot] edu or phone 402.457.2253.

WORLD O! WATER FESTIVAL . . . Sunday, September 19, 2010, rain or shine, Omaha’s World O! Water Festival will take place from noon to 4:00pm at the Papio-Missouri NRD Wehrspann Lake, 8901 South 154th Street, Omaha. World O! Water is a free annual event, aimed at educating the public about water conservation, quality and recreation. Click here for a list of some of the day’s activities, a map link, and more information.

CONCERT FOR WHITECLAY . . . Sunday, September 19, 2010, doors open at 5:00, music starts at 6:00pm, Countryside Community Church, 8989 Pacific, Omaha, for a Concert for Whiteclay featuring singer/songwriter Michael Bucher, Michael Murphy, and special guest Cante Tenza. Admission is two letters to close Whiteclay, or $20. Paper, pens and addresses for government officials will be provided. The concert is sponsored by The Whiteclay Awareness Committee. For more information, e-mail murphy_music [at] yahoo [dot] com

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . .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 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.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

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

Green Notes Week of September 5, 2010

September 5, 2010Green Notesgreenone

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . .
Green Notes have been updating the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline proposal since May 30, 2010. Click here and scroll down the Index to learn about tar sands and TransCanada if you are new to this website. The Natural Resources Defense Council calls tar sands “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.” To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberta, Canada environment, click here. The Keystone XL pipeline would threaten Nebraska’s underground source of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened. See CD 2 Green Notes below for details of Tuesday’s Omaha demonstration against the pipeline.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline. Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: 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. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and “Windmills Not Oil Spills” t-shirts, or stop by the Bold Nebraska office at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.”

NEBRASKA AIDS WALK . . . Sunday, September 12, 2010, the Nebraska AIDS Walk will take place in six cities: Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Kearney, Hastings and Scottsbluff. Find locations and contact information by Congressional District below. Click here for further details and facebook sites.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

MARY RIEPMA ROSS 100TH BIRTHDAY . . . In 1993, Mary Riepma Ross gave the University of Nebraska Foundation $3,600,000 to support the construction of a new Media Arts Center. Mrs. Ross, an alumna of UN-L, was on hand for the 2002 dedication of The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, and continues to support the activities of The Ross, even today. On October 1, 2010, she will turn 100 years old. To help celebrate this milestone in her life, The Ross would like to surprise her with birthday wishes on behalf of the many friends and supporters who enjoy the films shown at The Ross. The goal is to present her with 100 birthday greetings. To participate in the birthday surprise, write a note to Mrs. Ross expressing the impact the film theater has had on you personally, on the University of Nebraska, and on the community. The birthday greeting parameters are one page only, 8 ½ X 11, written legibly. Phone The Ross office, 472.9100, if you have questions. Deadline is September 15, 2010. Return your letter to Danny Ladely, MRRMAC, PO Box 880253, Lincoln, NE 68588-0253, or e-mail the letter as an attachment to dladely1 [at] unl [dot] edu

DINE OUT TO HELP OUT . . . September is Hunger Action Month. The Food Bank of Lincoln and 48 restaurants in 99 locations will stage the 21st Annual Dine Out to Help Out on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. Each restaurant listed here will donate 10% of the day’s proceeds to Food Bank programs. Help support the Food Bank’s work to feed Lincoln’s hungry people by dining out to help out on Wednesday.

PUBLIC MEETING ON ANTELOPE CREEK DESIGN . . . There will be a public meeting focused on the proposed flood-control design to Antelope Creek from South 27th Street to South Street, Thursday, September 9, 2010, 5:00 to 6:30pm, at the Auld Recreation Center, 3140 Sumner, in Antelope Park. A brief presentation will start at 5:15 and be repeated at 6:00pm. Q & A will follow both presentations.

COMMUNITY CROPS & SUNSET COMMUNITY FARM WALK . . . The annual Community Farm Walk and Soup Supper at Sunset Farm, Southwest 40th and West F Street, Lincoln, will be Friday, September 10, 2010, 5:00 to 7:30pm. There will be a farm tour, free raffle drawing, kids activities, music with Jim King, free food samples, and farm grown vegetables for sale. All the food you can eat is included in the meal ticket. Kids under five eat free. There will be special raffle prizes for those who meet at Open Harvest, 1618 South Street, and bicycle to the farm. Find details, directions, and a PayPal link here.

FALL COMPOSTING DEMONSTRATION . . . The Pioneers Park Nature Center will present a backyard composting demonstration on Saturday, September 11, 2010, 9:30 to 11:30am. The free sessions will show how to use three types of composting bins.

SEPTEMBER 11 REMEMBRANCE . . . Lincoln pastors will remember September 11, 2001, with a worship service of prayer and song on Saturday, September 11, 2010, 7:00pm, on the east lawn of Northeast United Church of Christ, 6200 Adams Street. The hour will include scripture reading, prayers for healing and grace, and an offering of peace cranes as an act of faith in remembering. Bring your own lawn chairs and/or blankets. All are welcome. Contact David Orr, david [at] fmclincoln [dot] org for more information.

NEBRASKA AIDS WALK . . . Sunday, September 12, 2010. Registration begins at Noon. Walk begins at 1:00pm. Lincoln location: behnd the UN-L Student Union. Contact Stephanie Hummer, 402.476.7000, or e-mail stephanieh [at] nap [dot] org. For more information about The Nebraska AIDS Project, click here.

BENEFIT CONCERT FOR MATT TALBOT KITCHEN . . . The horn-based rock bank Loose Rooster will perform a benefit concert for Matt Talbot Kitchen on Sunday, September 12, 2010, 6:00pm, at red9, 322 South 9th Street, Lincoln. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Matt Talbot, 2121 North 27th Street, or by calling 402.477.4116. They will also be available at the door. All proceeds will go to hunger relief and homeless prevention programs.

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.
— 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

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Thursday, September 9, 2010, 5:00 to 7:00pm, at 90th & Maple, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, try parking in the southwest corner lot of Westlake Hardware. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region. For more information, e-mail japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

BLACK-WHITE DIALOGUES . . . The fall Black-White Dialogues public series, where people of the different races meet, watch and listen to a short presentation, and then discuss the topic and other concerns, building connections in order to address and eliminate racism, will begin Tuesday, September 7, 2010. This Series Theme is “Helping Youth Create & Achieve Their Vision of Success.” Sharif Liwaru, President of Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, will present “The Transformation of Malcolm X” at First Central Congregational Church, 421 South 36th Street, September 7th. Gather at 6:45pm. The program is from 7:00 to 9:00pm. To get involved contact Elaine Wells, 573-1720, or click here for information and registration.

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 “RiP! A Remix Manifesto.” Copyright issues in the information age are explored in this documentary focusing on the controversy surrounding Girl Talk, a popular mash-up artist who takes existing songs and transforms them into something fresh and original. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

EMPOWERMENT NETWORK COMMUNITY MEETING . . . There will be an interactive community meeting at Omaha North High Magnet School Viking Center, 4410 North 36th Street in Omaha, Saturday, September 11, 2010, at 9:30am. A networking breakfast will begin at 8:45am. Click here for a list of planned interactive presentations and discussions.
For more information phone 402.502.5153.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH BLOCK PARTY . . . “Taking it to the Streets,” Saturday, September 11, 2010, 1:30 to 7:30pm at 24th & Blondo in Omaha (2021 North 24th Street), will be a “Stop The Violence” event featuring free activities including live music, entertainment, sports events, free food, fun and educational information designed to strengthen community relations. For more informaiton, phone 402.341.4297.

BENSON FARMERS MARKET . . . The Benson Farmers Market will be on Military Avenue from Maple to Binney Streets, Saturday, September 11, 2010, 8:00am to noon.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . Progressive Omaha will meet Saturday, September 11, 2010, 6:00 to 9:00pm, at 4924 Chicago in Dundee. The Reverend Howard Dotson, Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, will speak on the issue of discrimination against Latino immigrants in Fremont and Omaha. There will be a potluck supper from 6:00 to 7:00 and business/social time from 8:00 to 9:00pm. EveryOne is welcome. Learn about Progressive Omaha here.

NEBRASKA AIDS WALK . . . Sunday, September 12, 2010. Registration begins at Noon. Walk begins at 1:00pm. Omaha location: Nebraska AIDS Project office, 250 South 77th Street. Contact Kyle Baun, 402.552.9260, or e-mail kyleb [at] nap [dot] org

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

NEBRASKA AIDS WALK . . . Sunday, September 12, 2010. Registration begins at Noon. Walk begins at 1:00pm. HASTINGS location: Hazelrigg Student Union, Hastings College. Contact Judy Sandeen, 402.462.2961, or e-mail jsandeen [at] hastings [dot] edu KEARNEY location: Fine Arts Building, UN-K Campus. Don Messer, Chair of the United Methodist Global AIDS fund, will speak at 1:00pm before, the walk. Contact Andrew Brackett, 308.338.0527, or e-mail andrewb [at] nap [dot] org NORFOLK contact: Christin Woockman, 402.649.3584 or christinw [at] nap [dot] org SCOTTSBLUFF location: Trails West Camp/Monument Pathway. Contact Jill Young, 308.635.3807, or e-mail jilly [at] nap [dot] org For more information about The Nebraska AIDS Project, click here.

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

Green Notes Week of August 29, 2010

August 29, 2010Green Notesgreenone

EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of each month, people around the world stop for five minutes to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. NewDimensions invites peacemakers everywhere to join at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am in District 3 where Mountain Time begins, on Wednesday, September 1, 2010, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its beings. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . This week, CNN reported on the Keystone XL pipeline, repeating the Natural Resources Defense Council description of tar sands as “the dirtiest, most destructive oil on the face of the Earth.” Processing the fuel involves strip mining valuable forests, and burning it yields more pollution than other kinds of oil. Thom Patterson repeated the NRDC warning that the pipeline would threaten one of America’s largest underground sources of fresh water, the 175,000-square-mile High Plains Aquifer, that provides water to 1.9 million people and irrigation for thousands of square miles of farmland throughout eight states. Nebraska’s geologically unique Sand Hills, where many bird species rest during migration, would also be threatened.
Click here and scroll down the Green Notes Index to learn about the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline if you are new to this website. Green Notes Updates started the week of May 30, 2010. To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberta, Canada environment, click here. See CD 2 Green Notes below for details of Tuesday’s Omaha demonstration against the pipeline.
Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline. The Lincoln Journal Star editorialized on the issue for the third time last week. TransCanada should back off was published Monday, August 23, 2010. Why it matters that spilled Michigan oil came from tar sands, was posted by Jonathan Hiskes at grist on August 16, 2010. Sunday’s August 22, 2010 Lincoln Journal Star updated TransCanada’s written intent to condemn property if landowners do not sign an easement for pipeline construction. This, before the project is even approved by the Federal Department of State and President Obama. Read “Push coming to shove on pipeline easements” here.
Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor still need to receive letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents demanding regulation on the existing tar sands pipeline, expressing concern about more TransCanada construction in our state. Contact information for Nebraska Congressional Representatives is as follows: 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. Click here for a Bold Nebraska XL Pipeline Action page with resources and background information. E-mail actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org to get yard signs, bumper stickers and “Windmills Not Oil Spills” t-shirts, or stop by the Bold Nebraska office at 1141 H Street, 3rd Floor, Lincoln, 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
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.”

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

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.
— 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

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, 5:00 to 7:00pm, at 90th & Maple, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, try parking in the southwest corner lot of Westlake Hardware. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region. For more information, e-mail Jane, japlapoo [at] netzero [dot] net

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 “American Casino,” a documentary by Leslie and Andrew Cockburn chronicling the collapse of the US financial system and the sub-prime lending scandal. Watch the trailer here. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

JEFFREY HAAS AT CREIGHTON . . . Author of “The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther,” Jeffrey Haas, will speak on behalf of Nebraska’s political prisoners Ed Poindexter and Mondo We Langa, on Thursday, September 2, 2010, 7:00pm, at the Hixson-Lied Auditorium in the Mike and Josie Harper Center, 602 North 20th Street, between Burt & Cass, in Omaha. The free, open event is hosted by Nebraskans for Justice in observance of Ed and Mondo’s 40 years of wrongful conviction and incarceration. Parking is available in the visitor lot at 20th & Cass Street. For more information, e-mail mdickin [at] lps [dot] org or phone Mary at 435.3073.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

PEACE WORKERS DEMONSTRATION . . . Central Nebraska Peace Workers will vigil on Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 5:00 to 6:00pm, at State Street and Webb Road, in Grand Island. All Peacemakers are welcome. Stop by for a few minutes, or the hour. Peace signs will be available, or bring you own. For more information, phone Mena at 308.754.4901.

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

Green Notes Week of August 22, 2010

August 22, 2010Green Notesgreenone

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. Green Notes Updates started the week of May 30, 2010. To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberta, Canada environment, click here. See CD 2 Green Notes below for details of Tuesday’s Omaha demonstration against the pipeline.
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 twice. Why it matters that spilled Michigan oil came from tar sands, was posted by Jonathan Hiskes at grist on August 16, 2010. Sunday’s August 22, 2010 Lincoln Journal Star updated TransCanada’s written intent to condemn property if landowners do not sign an easement for pipeline construction. This, before the project is even approved by the Federal Department of State and President Obama. Read “Push coming to shove on pipeline easements” here.
This is not a done deal. 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.”

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

CITY FORESTER UPDATE . . . “Lincoln’s city forester retires in wake of restructuring” was posted at the Lincoln Jounal Star website on Thursday, August 19, 2010. Steve Schwab has retired, just days after the Lincoln City Council voted to create a new forester position with stripped-down duties and less pay. Click here and scroll down for background on this issue starting July 25, 2010.

INTEGRATING ORGANICS WITH FEDERAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS . . . Organic farmers, ranchers, or those transitioning to organic are invited to Ponca State Park, Ponca, Nebraska, on Monday, August 23, 2010, 9:00am to 3:00pm. Learn about federal conservation programs and how to benefit from them at the one day workshop hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Farm Aid. For more information, contact Traci Bruckner by phone at 402.687.2103 ext 1016, or e-mail tracib [at] cfra [dot] org

LINCOLN GREEN DRINKS . . . Green Drinks will meet in Lincoln on Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 5:30pm to close, at Lazlo’s Brewery and Grill in the Haymarket at 210 North 7th Street. Green Drinks, a self-organizing social network for environmentally interested activists and friends of the Earth, now meets in 721 cities worldwide. For more information, contact Rick Yoder, ryoder [at] mail [dot] unomaha [dot] edu

CONCERTVATION 2010 . . . The Nebraska League of Conservation Voters will host a benefit concert, “Concertvation 2010,” on Thursday, August 26, 2010, at Red 9, 322 South 9th Street, Lincoln. Bands performing in support of the NLCV’s mission of water, land and wildlife conservation initiatives include the Kris Lager Band, Son of ’76, and Stonebelly. The NLCV is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship across Nebraska, educating about renewable energy solutions and resource conservation. For more information contact Cara Brenner, cbrenner [at] nclv [dot] org or phone 817.729.2666.

OPEN HOUSE AT BOYER CHUTE REFUGE . . . Comprehensive conservation planning begins at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, August 26, 2010, 3:00 to 7:00pm, with an open house for public comments on refuge issues at the NWR office, 720 Rivers Way, Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. Click here for details and contact information.

KZUM MUSIC AND BOOK SALE . . . KZUM-HD, Lincoln’s beacon in the world of community radio at 89.3fm, will hold the Summer Music and Book Sale benefit fundraiser on Friday, August 27, 9:00am to 7:00pm, and Saturday, August 28, 2010, 9:00am to 5:00pm, at the Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. Donate books or music by calling 402.474.5086 ext. 2. Help support community radio, and pick up some great deals on music and books at this annual summer event.

REEFER MADNESS AT NWU . . . The Musical production of “Reefer Madness” opened Thursday, August 19, 2010, at Nebraska Wesleyan University’s McDonald Theatre, 51st Street and Huntington Avenue, Lincoln. This tongue-in-cheek reinterpretation of the 1936 film runs through Sunday, August 29th. For show times, click here. The cast list is here. For tickets, phone 402.465.2384.

ARTS IN THE PARKS . . . Arts in the Parks continues for the second weekend with Festivals in two Lincoln parks. The Neighborhood Festival Series events will be at Peach Park, 14th & Peach Streets, 6:00 to 8:00pm, Saturday, August 28, at Cooper Park, Sixth & D Streets, Sunday, August 29, 2010. The events are free and all are welcome.

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

PROTEST KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Guardians of the Good Life will rally to protest the XL tar sands pipeline on Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 5:00 to 7:00pm, at 90th & Maple, in Omaha. Walk, bike, or carpool to the rally if possible. If you drive, try parking in the southwest corner lot of Westlake Hardware. Help educate and raise awareness of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threat to the fragile ecosystem of the entire region.

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 “This Emotional Life – Episode 2: Family, Friends and Lovers,” The second episode in a three part series, looks at emotions commonly regarded as obstacles to happiness — anger, fear, anxiety, and despair. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

SUSTAINABLE FARM TOUR AND PICNIC . . The Omaha Sierra Club will host a Sustainable Farm Tour and Pot Luck Picnic on Thursday, August 26, 2010, at Rhizosphere Farm, 3650 North 252nd Street, Waterloo, Nebraska. The optional picnic starts at 6:00pm. The farm tour starts at 7:00pm. Click here and scroll down for directions to the farm.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

WORKSHOP ON LIVESTOCK COMPETITION . . . Friday, August 27, 2010, the USDA and Department of Justice will host an historic workshop on competition in the livestock industry to address issues of buyer power, concentration in livestock markets and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act.[pdf] U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will open the workshop and participate in a roundtable discussion. There will be public testimony, and panels will feature ranchers, academics, processors and industry representatives. A bus chartered by the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska is offering free transportation to Colorado State University, Lory Student Center, 1101 Centre Avenue Mall, Fort Collins, for the one-day event. 8:45am to 6:30pm. Find a registration form here. Fill out the form, and phone Destry Brown, 308.458.2244, to reserve a seat on the bus. There will be pick-up locations in Grand Island, Burwell, Dunning, Hyannis, Alliance and Sidney, Nebraska. There is no cost to ride the bus, leaving the afternoon/evening of Thursday, August 26th, returning to Nebraska Friday evening. A large turnout at the workshop will send a message that farmers want action to reverse the ongoing concentration and vertical integration in U.S. markets to preserve the future of family farm and ranch livestock production. The workshop is free and open to the public. The only expense will be for cost of meals and the overnight stay. A block of rooms is reserved. For more details about the Colorado workshop, click here.

PEACE WORKERS MEETING . . . Central Nebraska Peace Workers will meet on Sunday, August 29, 2010, 3:00pm, at the home of Del and Carolyn Roper, 906 Bell Street, in Grand Island, Nebraska. This will be a combined business and social pot luck gathering. Beverages and tableware will be provided. All Peacemakers are welcome. For more information, e-mail ceryf [at] windstream [dot] com.

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.

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

Green Notes Week of August 15, 2010

August 15, 2010Green Notesgreenone

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

Green Notes Week of August 8, 2010

August 8, 2010Green Notesgreenone

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Another Lincoln Journal Star Editorial on the tar sands pipeline, “Michigan oil spill holds lessons,” was published on August 4, 2010. It begins “The oil spill from a pipeline in Michigan last week justifiably adds to fears about the safety of the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil across Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills.” As reported in Green Notes last week, Nebraska has no legislation on the books for regulating the current Keystone I pipeline, nor the proposed XL sand tars pipeline. The Editorial ends with this: “The obvious lesson from the mess in Michigan is that promises of safety and quick response to spills are not always kept. An effective safety system should include inspections, monitoring and adequate spill response planning. Before the State Department approves the Keystone XL project, it should ensure that all these elements are in place.”
An August 5th LJS article reported that TransCanada “responded to critics Thursday by dropping its proposal to run the pipeline at a higher pressure level and agreeing to follow U.S. safety standards for the project.” August 7th, LJS reported that members of the Rainforest Action Network and Friends of the Earth in Chicago protested the XL pipeline with a banner over Lake Shore Drive during rush hour on Thursday. President Obama made several Chicago appearances that day. The banner asked him to “Block the Keystone Pipeline and Stop the Tar Sands.” Protesters also demonstrated outside the Palmer House where Obama spoke. To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberts, Canada environment, click here. Click here for David Suzuki’s two part program about oil sands on “The Bottom Line.” Click here for the CBC Radio podcast.
Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to continue getting letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents who demand oil pipeline regulation 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 any other environmental exploiter.
Click here to send a message to Secretary Clinton, NOT to grant a permit to TransCanda, tell Governor 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.
And 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.”

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

SUPPORT LINCOLN’S TREES . . . On Monday, August 9, 2010, at 2:15pm and 6:30pm, the Lincoln City Council will hear public testimony on the Mayor’s proposed budget at the County City Building, 555 South 10th Street, Room 112. Supporters of Save Lincoln’s Trees, and EveryOne concerned with his plan to eliminate the City Forester position is needed to attend one or both sessions of this public hearing. Read an August 5, 2010 letter to the editor of Lincoln Journal Star, “Rethink Forestry Plan,” here, and an August 8th letter, “Keep the forester,” here. Trees are the hallmark of the Arbor Day Foundation headquartered in Lincoln. On Tuesday, workers will begin installing a “green roof” on the Foundation’s administrative building. A strong show of public support on Monday will send a clear message to the Council that Lincoln needs a City Forester. Wear green. If you want to testify, e-mail Mary Schwab at Ohair42 [at] aol [dot] com

LEARN ABOUT TAI CHI . . . A community education program on tai chi will be Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 7:00 to 8:30pm, at BryanLGH Medical Center East Conference Center, 1600 South 48th Street. Longtime practitioner Otto Altobelli will lead the presentation, followed by participant movements. To register, click here or phone 402.481.8886.

FORTENBERRY TOWN HALL . . . Nebraska’s Congressional District 1 Representative Jeff Fortenberry will hold a Lincoln Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 7:00pm, at Lincoln Southwest High School, 7001 South 14 Street. This is an opportunity to bring up the Keystone XL pipeline issue, or any other topic of personal concern.

JOHNSGARD AT WACHISKA MEETING . . . University of Nebraska-Lincoln ornithology professor emeritus Paul Johnsgard will speak about Nebraska’s Sandhill cranes and other spring birds at the monthly Wachiska Audubon meeting, Thursday, August 12, 2010, 7:00pm, in Room 3 of the Union College Dick Administration Building, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. Johnsgard has written more than 50 books on nature topics, many of them about birds and their habitats. Refreshments will be served after the program. For more information, call the Wachiska office at 402.486.4846.

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 Center for Rural Affairs. Learn more and register online here. Phone 402.687.2103 1017 or e-mail virginia [at] cfra [dot] org with questions.

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

CLOSING CEREMONY AT STRATCOM . . . The annual weekend of vigils at Kenny Gate, Offutt Air Force Base, commemorating the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ended Sunday, August 8, 2010. Monday, August 9, there will be a Closing Ceremony with prayer circle and line crossing at 11:00am. Long time Omaha peace activists Peg Gallagher, Father Jack McCaslin and military veteran Mark Kenney are planning to “cross the line.” Gallagher, McCaslin and Kenney have long histories of protesting at STRATCOM, because of their deeply held belief in nonviolence. Father Jack is 81 years old. Gallagher is 91. All three will be risking jail, again, for their convictions, and need the support of Omaha’s peace community Monday morning. Join them in their action, or just be there in solidarity. For driving directions to Kenny Gate click here, and scroll down past the map. Phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887, or e-mail cwomaha [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.

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 the Festival will host “The Conspiracy Tour,” a whirlwind, month-long excursion across the continental United States to raise awareness of and solidarity for political activists facing severe state repression. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . Saturday, August 14, 2010, Progressive Omaha will meet at 4924 Chicago in Dundee, from 6:00 to 9:00pm. The speakers will be Christian Gray, Executive Director of inCOMMON Community Development, and Howard Dotson, from Neighbors United, inCOMMON’s partner group. There will be a pot luck supper from 6:00 to 7:00, speakers from 7:00 to 8:00, and business with social time from 8:00 to 9:00pm. All are welcome. E-mail kabrams123 [at] cox [dot] net for more information.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

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 15th, Jean Lukesh, Nebraska author, educator, and historian, will present “The North Brothers and Their Pawnee Scouts,” an understanding of the friendships and services Pawnee extended to the settlers. 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.

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

Green Notes Week of August 1, 2010

August 1, 2010Green Notesgreenone

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . A July 26, 2010, earth2lincoln broadcast on KZUM, 89.3fm (6:00pm every Monday), revealed that there is *no* regulation legislation in Nebraska, for the current Keystone I pipeline, nor for the proposed XL pipeline. Listen to the interview here. To see photos of what tar sands have done to the Alberta, Canada environment, click here.
Now, two leaks have already been discovered, both in South Dakota, at the brand-new Keystone I pipeline, before the operation is even in production. A report on the May 2010 leak, revealed by Plains Justice, is here. The June 20, 2010 leak is covered here.
A Lincoln Journal-Star Editorial on July 27th, Keystone XL pipeline needs more study begins “The Environmental Protection Agency is right. The draft statement on the environmental impact of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline is inadequate. More work is needed.” Further, “The draft is full of omissions and oversights. The current statement does not deserve approval. We are pleased that the State Department on Monday extended the Sept. 15 deadline by 90 days for federal agencies to comment on the draft, but that’s not enough. The problems should be fixed and the public should get another chance to comment on the revised statement.” Read the entire editorial here.
Ruptured Oil Pipe Sends 877,000 Gallons of Crude Oil into Kalamazoo River, Threatening People and Wildlife covers last week’s Michigan spill, the largest ever oil disaster in the Midwest. The AlterNet article is from July 30, 2010.
The State Department comment period expired July 2nd, but Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and the governor need to continue getting letters, e-mails and phone calls from constituents calling for oil pipeline regulation in Nebraska. Contact 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 any other environmental exploiter.
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.
And remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. Read “Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil” here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

REMEMBERING HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI . . . The first U.S. performance of “Foie Gras and the Public Servant,” by Hayashi Kyoko, victim of the bombing of Nagasaki, will be part of a program on Friday, August 6, 2010, 7:00pm, at the Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 “A” Street. Local actors David Landis, William Gaines and Hanna Day-Woodruff will perform the leads in this “reading performance” of what was originally a radio play. For more information, e-mail Paul Olson, polson2 [at] unlnotes [dot] unl [dot] edu

REMEMBRANCE CONTINUES . . . The 2010 Hiroshima-Nagasaki Lantern Float commemoration will be Saturday, August 7, 2010, 7:00pm, at Lincoln’s Holmes Lake. The program will be a mixture of music, poetry and reflection, culminating with the lantern float at nightfall. The purpose of the event is to remind us of what happened and to affirm that such events never occur again. For a schedule of the evening’s events, scroll down here.

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

BENEFIT FOR OMAHA BIKES . . . Monday, August 2, 2010, 7:30pm to 10:00pm, Tom Snyders, “The Bicycling Comedian,” will perform a one-night-only comedy show “You Can’t Bring That Bike in Here!” for the benefit of Omaha Bikes, a community organization promoting improved transportation, utility, and recreational bicycling infrastructure, opportunities and experiences in Omaha. The fundraiser will be at Barley’s Bar & Grill, 1510 Cuming Street. Now pedaling through the Midwest, Snyders has performed in more than 200 comedy clubs, riding his bicycle to each performance, accumulating more than 150,000 miles in all 50 states and 33 countries on six continents. For details, click here.

STOP THE PIPELINE DEMONSTRATION . . . Weekly demonstrations promoting clean energy and an end to plans for the Keystone XL Pipeline will continue throughout the summer. This week, the demonstration will be Tuesday, August 3, 2010, 5:00 to 7:00pm, on the northeast corner of 90th & Dodge Street in Omaha. Help by holding a burma shave type sign during part or all of the rally.

TIBETAN MONKS IN OMAHA . . . Tuesday, August 3, through Sunday, August 8, 2010, the Tibetan monks of Gaden Shartse Monastery in exile at Mundgod, India, will present a week of cultural events at the OM Center, 1216 Howard Street, Omaha. For a schedule of the week’s events, click here and scroll down.

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 “Trouble Behind,” a film that shows how present and past are tied together in a seemingly typical American town, Corbin, Kentucky, home of Kentucky Fried Chicken. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

STOP THE PIPELINE MEETING . . . A new group organized around support for clean, renewable energy, will meet Friday, August 6, 2010, 6:30pm, on the back patio of Caffeine Dreams Coffee Shop, 4524 Farnam Street, (one block west of Saddle Creek). The group is dedicated to stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline.

ANNUAL VIGILS AT STRATCOM . . . The annual weekend of vigils at the gates of Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, home of the Strategic Nuclear and U.S. Military Space Commands, will begin Thursday evening, August 5, 2010, with a 6:00pm Mass and Pot Luck Supper at the Omaha Catholic Worker, 1104 North 24th Street, Omaha. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, August 6, 7 and 8, vigils will be at the Kenny Gate of STRATCom, 8:00am to 5:00pm, commemorating the anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Click here for a full schedule of events and details. Monday, August 9, there will be a vigil and Closing Ceremony (including line crossing) from 8:00 to 11:00am. Phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887, or e-mail cwomaha [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.

HIKE FONTENELLE FOREST . . . The Missouri Valley Sierra Club will host a perimeter hike of Fontenelle Forest, open to all, on Saturday, August 7, 2010. Meet at the Nature Center, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. North, Bellevue, at 10:00am. For more information, e-mail bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

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 8th, Ronnie O’Brien, Education Director of the Kearney Archway, will present ” Building the Earth Lodge,” an understanding of where the Pawnee lived. 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.

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

Green Notes Week of July 25, 2010

July 25, 2010Green Notesgreenone

EARTH CIRCLE . . . On the first day of each month, people around the world stop for five minutes to visualize peace and focus on new levels of kindness, understanding, and compassion necessary for collectively facing the challenges of the 21st century. NewDimensions invites peacemakers everywhere to join at 4:00pm Greenwich Mean Time, 10:00am in Lincoln and Omaha, 9:00am in District 3 where Mountain Time begins, on Sunday, August 1, 2010, with the intention of deep healing for the Planet and all its people. Click here for more information about Earth Circle.

MOST BENEVOLENT OUTCOME REQUEST FOR THE GULF . . . “I am asking that the molecules of oil in the waters of the Gulf and other places where they are migrating now mutate and transform into a benign and benevolent form of existence that is totally compatible with the natural ocean and all life within it, resulting in the most benevolent outcome for all beings.” For more information about Benevolent Outcomes, click here.

TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . Last week’s major development in the ongoing Nebraska effort to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline came with publication on Wednesday of an Environmental Protection Agency letter to the State Department saying the draft Environmental Impact Study for TransCanada’s proposed oil pipeline is inadequate and should be revised. “EPA: Keystone XL impact statement needs revising,” and “Nebraska pipeline opponents applaud EPA stance” report that as Nebraska groups hosted an Interactive Pipeline Summit calling attention to concerns about the proposed pipeline, word spread that the EPA has concerns as well. The EPA also wants another public comment period. For a 6:20 minute BBC report on TransCanada and tar sands oil, click here.
A July 18, 2010 Grand Island Independent article, “Pipeline Expansion: State’s hands tied,” quotes senators saying Nebraska has little impact on the upcoming federal decision to allow or deny pipeline expansion, but organizers against the project do not agree. An AlterNet article, Game Changer: EPA Asserts Tar Sands Pipeline Environmental Analysis is Inadequate reports that the State Department’s draft Environmental Impact Statement asserts that the EIS is “woefully deficient” because “the Draft EIS does not provide the scope or detail of analysis necessary to fully inform decision makers and the public, and we recommend that additional information and analysis be provided.”
In Omaha, weekly meetings of an as-yet-unnamed citizens group dedicated to stopping the pipeline are on the back patio of Caffeine Dreams Coffee Shop, 4524 Farnam Street, one block west of Saddle Creek, 6:30pm every Friday. The group, in support of clean, renewable energy for Nebraska, also plans weekly demonstrations throughout the summer. EveryOne is welcome to get involved in this campaign. Click here for background from the Green Notes index. Then schroll down for updates published before the first comment period ended July 2, 2010.
Green Notes will continue to update this issue as new information becomes available. Reminder: Every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. Read “Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil” here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

UPDATE ON LINCOLN’S FORESTRY DEPARTMENT . . . The mayor’s initial proposed budget for 2010-2011 cut the Community Forestry Program eliminating the positions of City Forester and two certified arborists. Sunday, July 18th, sixty mph winds knocked over two 50- to 60- foot city trees. City arborists responded to 35 calls to remove tree limbs from cars and streets after the midnight thunderstorm. A July 19, 2010 letter to the Lincoln Journal-Star editor, “Pros are needed,” called on the mayor to restore the positions. Following a letter-writing campaign, the mayor backed off on some budget cuts, restoring the two arborist positions. A summary of the new proposed budget changes is here.
The City Forester position has not been restored. A Saturday, July 24th rally at Antelope Park in support of Steve Schwab, with 21 years of local experience, is reported here. It indicates “On August 9, the City Council will vote on the elimination of the position. Four of seven votes would be needed to save the forester position.
For more information, click here. Scroll all the way down to find direct links and contact information for the mayor’s office, and the City Council. If you value Our trees, parks and trails, please take action by asking the Council NOT to eliminate the City Forester position.

REMEMBERING HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI . . . The first U.S. performance of “Foie Gras and the Public Servant,” by Hayashi Kyoko, victim of the bombing of Nagasaki, will be part of a play-reading program on Friday, August 6, 2010, 7:00pm, at the Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 “A” Street.

REMEMBRANCE CONTINUES . . . The 2010 Hiroshima-Nagasaki Lantern Float commemoration will be Saturday, August 7th, 7:00pm at Lincoln’s Holmes Lake. The program will be a mixture of music, poetry and reflection, culminating with the lantern float at nightfall. The purpose of the event is to remind us of what happened and to affirm that such events never occur again. For a schedule of the evening’s events, scroll down here.

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

STOP THE PIPELINE DEMONSTRATION . . . Weekly demonstrations promoting clean energy and an end to plans for the Keystone XL Pipeline will continue throughout the summer. This week’s rally is Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 4:30-6:30pm (or as late as people want to stay), at 72nd & Dodge (northeast corner to start, then spreading out). From the announcement, “We need lots of people in order to hold our Burma Shave-type signs that spell out things like “No oil spills in our Sand Hills.” We are hoping this technique will engage the commuters to read along – and spur interest in finding out more about threats to the Good Life in Nebraska and what they can do about it. And please carpool, take the bus, walk or bike to the rally if you can.” The demonstration is open to anyone who believes the proposed Keystone XL pipeline is BAD for Nebraska, and that we need to move to a clean energy economy as soon as possible.

OMAHA GREEN DRINKS . . . Green Drinks, an international self organizing social network, will meet in Omaha on Wednesday, July 28, 2010, at Whole Foods Market, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room across from the coffee bar, starting at 5:30pm. Green Drinks now meets in 713 cities worldwide. Anyone with an interest in environmental issues is welcome.

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 “This Emotional Life – Episode 1: Family, Friends and Lovers.” The film looks at the importance of relationships, and why they are central to our emotional well-being. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

STOP THE PIPELINE MEETING . . . A new group organized round support for clean, renewable energy, will meet Friday, July 30, 2010, 6:30pm, on the back patio of Caffeine Dreams Coffee Shop, 4524 Farnam Street, (one block west of Saddle Creek). The group is dedicated to stopping the Keystone XLX Pipeline.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

WIND ENERGY IN THE PANHANDLE . . . There will be a “Forum on Our Future” focused on wind energy in the Panhandle, Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 7:00pm, at A103 Harms Advanced Technology Center, Western NE Community College, 2620 College Park, Scottsbluff.

PAWNEE SPEAKERS SERIES BEGINS . . . 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 1st, John Carter, Research Historian at the Nebraska State Historical Society, will present “Picturing the Pawnee: Nebraska Before the Diaspora,” a photo essay of the way they were. The Center will open at noon. Light refreshments will be available after the programs. 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.

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

Green Notes Week of July 18, 2010

July 18, 2010Green Notesgreenone

TRANSCANADA KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE . . . On Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 6:00 to 8:00pm, the National Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Sierra Club, Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Audubon Society and Bold Nebraska will sponsor an educational summit on the Keystone XL pipeline threatening Our groundwater-rich Sand Hills, including the Ogallala Aquifer. The free event, open to the public, will be held at NET Studios, 1800 North 33rd Street, Lincoln. A discussion with speakers including Paul Blackburn, Plains Justice; Marty Cobenais, Indigenous Environmental Network; Duane Hovorka, Nebraska Wildlife Federation; Ernie Fellows, Nebraska Landowners for Fairness; and Jane Kleeb, Bold Nebraska, will be followed by questions and answers. Questions submitted to actions@boldnebraska.org will be answered live at the event. Space is limited. Please send rsvp to actions [at] boldnebraska [dot] org. A live webcast will be online at www.boldnebraska.org. twitter: @boldnebraska www.facebook.com/boldnebraska
In Omaha, weekly meetings of an as-yet-unnamed citizens group dedicated to STOPPING the Keystone XL Pipeline are on the back patio of Caffeine Dreams Coffee Shop, 4524 Farnam Street, one block west of Saddle Creek, 6:30pm on Fridays. EveryOne is welcome to get involved in this campaign.
Click here for background from our Green Notes index. Schroll down for updates published before the State Department comment period ended July 2, 2010.
Green Notes will continue to update this issue as new information becomes available. Reminder: Every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. Read “Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil” here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN: SAVE LINCOLN’S FORESTRY DEPARTMENT . . . The mayor’s proposed budget for 2010-2011 cuts the Community Forestry Program would eliminating the positions of City Forester and two certified arborists. Lincoln is the home of the National Arbor Day Foundation. It is the only city in the U.S. that concurrently holds all five Tree City USA designations. In the next one to three years, 108,000 ash trees will face an infestation by the Emerald Ash Borer, likely resulting in severe damage or total loss of these trees. Now the mayor wants volunteers to replace professionals in caring for all of Our 1.5 million trees. E-mail to all City Council people asking that they restore these positions to the Community Forestry Program in the 2010-2011 City Budget may be sent to council@lincoln.ne.gov. Find Individual Councilmember’s direct e-ddresses here. The Council office phone number is 441-7515. Contact Mayor Chris Beutler’s office here, or phone 441-7511. Send a letter to the editor of Lincoln Journal-Star at oped@journalstar.com. A July 15 letter, “Keep forestry work,”is here, a July 17 letter, “Not OK substitute,” is here,
and a July 18 letter, “Don’t cut positions” is here. The Sunday July 18 LJS editorial opinion “Our trees need expert hands” is here. For more information, click here, www.SaveLincolnsTrees.com or go to www.facebook.com keyword: Save Lincoln’s Trees. If you value Our trees, parks and trails, please take action by asking City leaders NOT to eliminate the City Forester and Arborist positions.

HEALTHY SOILS . . . Learn about the role soil’s health and structure plays in the garden landscape with Horticulturist Twyla Hansen at a Community CROPS class on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 6:30 to 7:30pm, at Antelope Church, 3645 Sumner, Lincoln. Register and Pre-pay online here.

NANO SCIENCE CAFE . . . The Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will present a Nano Science Café at Red9 on Thursday, July 22, 2010, at 6:30pm. Professor Christian Binek, associate professor in physics and astronomy, and Steve Michalski, physics postdoctoral research associate, will talk about discoveries in the nanosciences, where material is manipulated at an atomic level.

NEBRASKA ENERGY FAIR IN LYONS . . . The Center for Rural Affairs and Nebraska Renewable Energy Systems will host an Energy Fair in Lyons, Nebraska, Friday and Saturday, July 23 and 24, 2010, featuring a renewable energy bus tour, demonstrations, breakout sessions, exhibit booths and more. The Energy bus tour, beginning 8:00am, July 23rd, at Nebraska Green Fuels, 300 Main Street, will visit five wind turbines, a solar installatio, a renewable energy farm, a commercial methane digester, and an on-farm alcohol plant. Check-in begins at 8:00am July 24th at the Lyons Auditorium, 335 Main Street, for the Energy Fair. Finish the evening at the Fallout Bar Street Dance, featuring the band Off the Grid. For more information, contact Stephanie at the Center for Rural Affairs, 402.358.3432 or StephanieF [at] cfra [dot] org.

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

PASS THE POTATOES, PLEASE . . . Environment Omaha, a partnership of the City, the community, and Omaha by Design, is joining with Community ReDesigned to launch www.passthepotatoes.com, a virtual town hall event that invites anyone interested in Omaha to submit practical, creative and resourceful ideas for improving sustainability of the city. If you have an idea for a project, large or small, that could help make Omaha a greener community, submit it to www.passthepotatoes.com. A panel of local experts will review the top ideas for potential implementation. www.passthepotatoes.com is seeking project ideas in five areas: preserving and enhancing Omaha’s natural environment; improving how people move around Omaha and what shape its future growth should take; improving the way Omaha builds, renovates and maintains its buildings; conserving natural resources; and improving Omaha’s overall health. For more information about www.passthepotatoes.com, phone Omaha by Design at 402.554.4010, or Community ReDesigned at 402.553.5485.

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 “Strong Roots, Fragile Farms.” Watch the trailer, featuring Willie Nelson, here. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

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

Green Notes Week of July 11, 2010

July 11, 2010Green Notesgreenone

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE / TAR SANDS . . . If you are new to Green Notes and the issue of a proposed Keystone XL Pipeline through Nebraska’s groundwater-rich Sand Hills, including the Ogallala Aquifer, click here for background from our Green Notes index. Schroll down for updates published before the comment period to the Department of State ended July 2, 2010. Omaha progressives against the pipeline met Friday, July 9th, to discuss an action plan. Nationally, TruthOut reports that Protesters gathered at the Canadian embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue asking Secretary of State Clinton to Vote No on the tar sands proposal. The Obama administration is poised to approve or veto the 1,700-mile pipeline. Click here for the TruthOut article.
Comments of concern may still be addressed on line to Nebraska Congressional Representatives and the governor as follows: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry; Rep. Lee Terry; Rep. Adrian Smith; and Governor Dave Heineman. Green Notes will continue to update the situation as new information becomes available. Reminder: Every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. Read “Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil” here.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

NEBRASKA PHARMACY BOARD HEARING . . . Monday, July 12, 2010, the Nebraska Pharmacy Board meets at 8:00am in the State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, to hear testimony on the subject of medical cannabis. Last winter, an independent pharmacy board in Iowa recommended that the Legislature reclassify marijuana so it could be used for medical treatment, and other states have now followed the reclassification trend. (A new Denver Sales Tax on Medical Marijuana Raised Over $1 Million In Five Months.) A powerful new eye-opening film about the future of cannabis, and perhaps the future of medicine, has just been released. The trailer for “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer,” is here.
“What If Cannabis Cured Cancer summarizes the remarkable research findings of recent years about the cancer-protective effects of novel compounds in marijuana. Most medical doctors are not aware of this information and its implications for prevention and treatment. If we need more evidence that our current policy on cannabis is counterproductive and foolish, here it is.” –Andrew Weil, M.D.

VIDEO YOUR GREEN PROJECTS . . . Jose Espinosa, a journalist traveling the country for GreenStories, will be interviewing people in Nebraska about their green projects, green activities, and green jobs. He will be in Lincoln Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 12 through the 14th. If you’d like to be interviewed about your Nebraska specific green lifestyle, contact him at JE [at] USAGreenStories [dot] com

“LIVING AND WORKING IN 2040” . . . The City and County will spend the next 12 to 18 months updating the Comprehensive Plan and long-range transportation plan for Lincoln/Lancaster. In conjunction with beginning this process, there will be a public workshop, “Living and Working in 2040,”(pdf) from 7:00 to 9:00pm, Tuesday, July 13, 2010, in City Council Chambers, County-City Building, 555 South 10th Street. Click here for more information.

PRIDE WEEKEND . . . Lincoln PRIDE weekend, celebrating LGBT diversity, will start Friday, July 16, 2010, with the Star City PRIDE Street Dance at the main site, 18th & N Streets. A beer garden will open at 5:00pm. Live music starts around 7:00pm. Saturday, July 17th, the Star City PRIDE Street Festival featuring food, vendors, speakers, and local artists, begins at 2:00pm. Jumpin’ Kate will sing original songs from 4:00 to 4:30, and bands will rock until 1:00am. A Kidz Zone will be open from 2:00 to 4:00 under the big tent on N Street west of the main stage. Click here for a full schedule of events, entertainers, and more information.

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

ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE, ANOTHER U.S. IS NECESSARY, ANOTHER DETROIT IS HAPPENING . . . Eighteen people from Nebraska, under the umbrella of the Omaha/USSF Coalition, joined 12,000 other Progressive activists from around the country to network, learn and celebrate at the U.S. Social Forum, June 22 through 26, 2010, in Detroit. Click here for a grab-bag of impressions from the event.

2010 OPPD HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY WORKSHOP . . . There will be a Home Energy Workshop at the Omaha Neighborhood Center, 115 South 49th Avenue, on Monday, July 12, 2010, 5:30pm. For more information, phone Renee at 636.3541, or e-mail rmjacobsen [at] oppd [dot] com

POWER OF THE MIND . . . Monday, July 12, 2010, Omaha native Friar Justin Belitz of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, will present a free lecture on the power of the mind, at Hampton Inn, Dodge Street and I-680, in Omaha, 7:30pm. Saturday and Sunday, July 17 and 18, Belitz will teach the Silva Method of Meditation at the Hampton Inn, Westroads. Belitz is an internationally recognized lecturer on meditation, mind development, relaxation, visualization and motivation. For more information, phone 402.334.8154 or 402.203.3514.

“BEYOND THE MOTOR CITY” . . . There will be a free opportunity to watch a PBS Documentary Screening and Discussion of the future of mass transit in America at Film Streams Theater, 1340 Mike Fahey Street, Omaha, Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at 7:00pm. For more information, contact Casey Logan, 402.933.0259, or e-mail casey [at] filmstreams [dot] org

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 “Ask Not,” a documentary that explores the effects of the US military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gay and lesbian service members. For more information, click here. The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

VIDEO YOUR GREEN PROJECTS . . . Jose Espinosa, a journalist traveling the country for GreenStories, will be interviewing people in Nebraska about their green projects, green activities, and green jobs. He will be in Omaha Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 15th through the 17th. If you’d like to be interviewed about your Nebraska specific green lifestyle, contact him at JE [at] USAGreenStories [dot] com

LEAD REMEDIATION PUBLIC MEETING . . . A toxic waste dump has been proposed for a South Omaha residential area located at 2727 South 28th Avenue. Thursday, July 15, 2010, 7:00pm, there will be a public meeting at the Southeast Police Precinct, 2475 Deer Park Blvd., to discuss this possibililty. As part of the Environmental Protection Agency lead remediation project, all soil removed from lead poisoned yards must be moved to a staging site for testing before it can proceed to the landfill. While the proposed property is zoned “industrial,” it is located in a residential area. The South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance invites all neighborhood associations, businesses, schools, community groups and non-profit organizations to attend this meeting to ask the EPA and its contractors to consider a site that is located in a non-residential area. For more information, contact Crystal Rhoades crhoades [at] mail [dot] unomaha [dot]edu

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETS . . .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 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.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

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.

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