ORGANIC FARM/RANCH TOUR . . . Anyone interested in organic farming is invited to tour Fulton Farms, a 2800 acre grass based operation, Monday, June 22, 2009, starting at 1:00pm. For directions, and more information, contact Kevin Fulton, 308.446.2520, or the Loup Basin RC&D, 308.728.3393.

FOCUS ON THE NIOBRARA . . . Steve Shulz, UN-O Professor of Real Estate and Land Use Economics, will discuss the economic and social value of recreational floating on the Niobrara National Scenic River Monday, June 22, 2009, 3:15pm, at Hardin Hall Auditorium, on UN-L East Campus at 3310 Holdrege, Lincoln. The presentation is open to the public.

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.

LINCOLN GREEN DRINKS . . . Green Drinks, an informal, self-organizing network of environmentally interested people, will meet in Lincoln on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, at Lazlo’s Brewery and Grill, 210 North 7th Street, starting at 5:30pm. Around-the-room introductions will be at 6:00pm. Meet in the bar area, not the boardroom, this month. If you have any questions, phone Jean Waters, 402.554.6259, or email jwaters [at] mail [dot] unomaha [dot] edu. Green Drinks is now active in 533 cities worldwide.

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 Unnatural Causes.  Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

NET METERING FORUM . . . There will be an audio forum on net metering in Nebraska with State Senator Ken Haar on Friday, June 26, 2009, 10:30am. Log in as “guest” here and call the number on the screen. Click here for more information about Renewable Alternatives Forums.

ANNUAL FWP PICNIC . . .  The Annual Friends of Wilderness Park picnic will be Saturday, June 27, 2009, 11:30am, at the Wilderness Park Day Camp Area, 3001 South First Street (near 1st and Van Dorn), Lincoln.  Bring a dish to share and tableware for yourself.  All are welcome.  For more information phone Adam at 402.421.8464.

SQUAW CREEK BIKE RIDE . . . The Sierra Club Nebraska Chapter is hosting a bicycle outing to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge on Satuday, June 27, 2009.  E-mail bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com or phone 402.614.4788 for details and to RSVP. Sierra Club outings are open to all.

TRAIL TREK RIDE . . . The seventh annual Trail Trek Bicycle Ride to promote families and fitness will be Sunday, June 28, 2009, at Oak Lake Park, Charleston Street and Sun Valley Boulevard, Lincoln. The ride is for everyone. 38 mile riders will start at 8:00am, 19 mile riders will start at 9:00am, and 10 mile riders will start at 9:10am, returning to Oak Lake Park by 11:00am for a barbecue and drawing for prizes. Click here to register online.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL. . . . Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets and eating fresh foods grown in or very near your own community. Eating locally grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher. Click here for Nebraska Buy Fresh. Buy Local. information. Lincoln’s eight Markets are as follows:

Old Cheney Farmers Market, 55th Street and Old Cheney Road, 10:00am to 2:00pm, Sundays through November 1.
Historic Haymarket Farmers Market, North Seventh between P and Q streets, 8:00am to noon, Saturdays through October 10. During peak season, mid-June through mid-August, there are about 215 vendors.
Havelock Farmers Market, north parking lot behind businesses between 62nd and 63rd streets and Havelock Avenue, 3:00 to 6:30pm, Wednesdays through October 28.
Piedmont Farmers Market, 1265 South Cotner Blvd., parking lot of Piedmont Shopping Center, 8:00am to noon, Saturdays through September/October.
Jazz in June Market, 12th & Q streets, Tuesday evenings in June, in conjunction with Jazz in June concerts.
St. Paul United Church of Christ Farmers Market, 1144 M Streets, 4:30 to 7:30pm, Tuesdays through September 8.
Community CROPS Farmers Market, Pentzer Park, North 27th & Potter Streets, 4:30 to 7:30pm,Thursdays, June through September. Click here for a map of local Community CROPS gardens.
Centennial Mall Garden Market, 14th & M Streets, noon to 4:00pm, Wednesdays, July 1 through September 30.

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

LINCOLN CITY COUNCIL WANTS INPUT . . . There is a proposal to change City Council weekly meeting times from 1:30 to 3:00pm in an effort to make them more accessible to public participation. There will be a June 22, 2009 vote on the change. Between now and then, the public is invited to offer opinions by phoning the council office at 402.441.7515, or e-mailing council [at] lincoln [dot] ne [dot] gov.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

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. 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 Unborn in the USA. Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

WACHISKA AUDUBON FOCUS ON NINE-MILE PRAIRIE . . . Current threats and opportunities to protect Nine-Mile Prairie will be addressed by UN-L Natural Resources professor David Wedin at the monthly meeting of Wachiska Audubon, Thursday, June 11, 2009, 7:00pm, at Union College Dick Administration Building, room 03 on the lower level, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. For more information, phone Wachiska at 402.486.4846, or e-mail wachiskaoffice [at] cornhusker [dot] net.

NINE-MILE PRAIRIE FIELD TRIP . . . There will be a guided hike at the 230-acre Nine-Mile Prairie native habitat on Saturday, June 13, 2009. Directions from Lincoln: From West “O”  drive north on Northwest 48th Street about four miles. At West Fletcher Road, go west one mile and park in the small lot opposite the historical marker. Walk south through the red gate and down the lane to meet by the kiosk at 9:00am. Phone Carole Closter, 402.475.9219, for more information.

BENSON SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL . . . Saturday, June 13, 2009, OMAHA’s Benson community will host the Annual Summer Arts Festival featuring local fare, ecclectic art and music. The heart of the Festival will be PS Collective, 6056 Maple Street. For more information, e-mail Raechel Ann Achelpohl, raechelann917 [at] gmail [dot] com.

JUNETEENTH NEBRASKA . . . Click here for website information about Nebraska Juneteenth Celebrations in OMAHA starting Friday, June 12, 2009.  The Lincoln Celebration of Freedom will be at Pentzer Park, 26th and Potter Streets, Saturday, June 13, 2009, from noon to 6:00pm.

PLANTS OF THE PRAIRIE . . . In conjunction with The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum  Wildflower Week, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will hold a “Plants of the Prairie” art class Saturday, June 13, 2009, 10:00am to 2:00pm. Spring Creek Prairie is located 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln. To register by June 12th, phone 402.797.2301.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . Progressive Omaha will meet Saturday, June 13, 2009, 6:00 to 9:00pm, at 4924 Chicago, in the Dundee neighborhood of OMAHA. Willie Hamilton, founder of Black Men United, will speak at 8:00. There will be a Potluck from 6:00 to 7:00, and business meeting from 7:00 to 8:00. All are welcome. For more information, e-mail Karen Abrams, kabrams123 [at] cox [dot] net.

BIRD WALK AT SPRING CREEK PRAIRIE . . . Birders will meet Sunday, June 14, 2009, 8:30am, at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, for a tour guided by Kevin Poague. Everyone is welcome. For more information, phone Kevin at 402.797.2301.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL. . . . Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets and eating fresh foods grown in or very near your own community. Eating locally grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher. Click here for Nebraska Buy Fresh. Buy Local. information. Lincoln’s eight Markets are as follows:

• Old Cheney Farmers Market, 55th Street and Old Cheney Road, 10:00am to 2:00pm, Sundays through November 1.
• Historic Haymarket Farmers Market, North Seventh between P and Q streets, 8:00am to noon, Saturdays through October 10. During peak season, mid-June through mid-August, there are about  215 vendors.
• Havelock Farmers Market, north parking lot behind businesses between 62nd and 63rd streets and Havelock Avenue, 3:00 to 6:30pm, Wednesdays through October 28.
• Piedmont Farmers Market, 1265 South Cotner Blvd., parking lot of Piedmont Shopping Center, 8:00am to noon, Saturdays through September/October.
• Jazz in June Market, 12th & Q streets, Tuesday evenings in June, in conjunction with Jazz in June concerts.
• St. Paul United Church of Christ Farmers Market, 1144 M Streets, 4:30 to 7:30pm, Tuesdays through September 8.
• Community CROPS Farmers Market, Pentzer Park, North 27th & Potter Streets, 4:30 to 7:30pm, Thursdays, June through September. Click here for a map of local Community CROPS gardens.
• Centennial Mall Garden Market, 14th & M Streets, noon to 4:00pm, Wednesdays, July 1 through September 30.

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

MACHINE OF DEATH RESUMES IN NEBRASKA . . . Thank you to everyone who contacted senators or wrote letters to the editor in support of an end to Nebraska’s death penalty. Repeal was defeated by a vote of 13 to 33. Click here to see how senators voted on lethal injection and repeal. Click here (pdf) for senators’ contact information, alphabetical, and by district. Thank them, or express disappointment, accordingly. To contact Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, phone 402.477.7787. The Nebraska Green Party platform will always include abolition of State killings.

WILDFLOWER WEEK . . . The first week of June is Nebraska Wildflower Week. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum  Plant Sale is June 6th in Lincoln, 9:00am to 2:00pm, at the NSA Greenhouse, 38th and Leighton, on the UN-L East Campus north end. For more information, including statewide events in Albion, Marquette, Hampton, Harrison, Kimball, and Omaha, plus plant lists, click here.

OMAHA WALK FOR THE ENVIRONMENT . . . Tuesday, June 2, 2009, there will be a Walk For The Environment leaving from Miller’s Landing, 151 Freedom Park Road, Omaha, starting at noon. The organized walk (no fees, no registration) will continue along the Missouri Riverwalk to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge linking Omaha to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The walk is to celebrate Omaha’s selection by the United Nations as the North American Host City for World Environment Day, Friday, June 5th.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

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. 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 Deliver Us From Evil.  Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

UNITED NATIONS WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY . . . OMAHA has been chosen as the Host City for North American celebrations of World Environment Day, Friday, June 5, 2009. This year’s theme is “UNite to Combat Climate Change.” Community events will highlight resources, initiatives and methods that promote low carbon economies and lifestyles. Click here for a schedule of the Day’s events.

BIRD WALK AND BRUNCH . . . Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will host a guided tour of pond, prairie and woodland habitats with birding expert Kevin Poague, Saturday, June 6, 2009, 8:30am, followed by brunch at 10:30am. For more information, and to pre-register by Thursday, June 4th, phone 402.797.2301.

NATURE CENTER ADDITION TOURS . . . There will be free tours of the LEED-certified addition to Pioineers Park Nature Center on Saturday, June 6, 2009, from 1:00 to 3:00pm. The nature center is at the west end of Pioneers Park, 3201 South Coddington Avenue, Lincoln. The 3,340-square-foot addition is an example of how environmental stewardship and social responsibility make economic sense. The tour will highlight native plants, the green roof, straw bale construction and other sustainable features of the building. Refreshments will be provided.

BRIDGING CORRECTIONS & COMMUNITIES IV . . . Jobs for released offenders in a tough economy will be discussed at a Community Forum Saturday, June 6, 2009, 9:00am to 1:00pm, at Metropolitan Community College, Building 10 Room 136, 30th & Fort Street, OMAHA. Registration begins at 8:30am. E-mail jfoster138 [at] cox [dot] net for more information.

“AMERICAN WINDMILLS” AUTHOR IN BEATRICE . . . Sunday, June 7, 2009, “American Windmills: An Album of Historic Photographs” author T. Lindsay Baker will speak about windmills and their role in history at the Homestead National Monument Education Center in BEATRICE, Nebraska, 1:00 and 3:00pm. Admission is free. For additional information, call 402.223.3514.

NFP-LINCOLN CHAPTER MEETING . . . Nebraskans for Peace-Lincoln will meet Sunday, June 7, 2009, at 3:00pm, in downtown Lincoln at the Bennett Martin Library, 136 South 14th Street. For more information, contact Eva Sohl at 326.1375 or Chuck Holm at 340.8292.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL. . . . Farmer’s Markets are back. Click here for a complete list of Lincoln’s eight regular Markets. Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets in your own community. And join 43 million Americans who will grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and berries in home gardens this year.

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

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . The 2009 Nebraska Legislature has given first round approval to LB 36, a bill to establish lethal injection as the method of execution by the State, rejecting abolition. Click here to find out how your senator voted. Thank your senator, or express disappointment, accordingly. Click here (pdf) for senators’ contact information, listed alphabetically, and by district. Vigil with Nebraskans against the death penalty every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, in front of the governor’s mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. Join vigilers for a few minutes, or the hour. In case of bad weather, meet inside the State Capitol Building at the ground floor information desk. To contact Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, phone 402.477.7787.

EMPTY BOWLS LUNCHEON . . . The 7th Lincoln Food Bank Empty Bowls Luncheon will be Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Embassy Suites, 1014 P Street. Lincoln’s finest restaurants are participating in this annual fundraiser. As always, ticket price includes an original hand-crafted bowl from Down Under Pottery.  For more information, and to reserve tickets, phone Cheri Lawrence at the Food Bank, 466.8170, extension 106, or click here.

CENTRAL NEBRASKA PEACE WORKERS VIGIL . . . The regular monthly CNPW Vigil for Peace is Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 5:30PM, at State Street and Webb Road in Grand Island. Join Greens and Peace Workers for a few minutes, or for the hour, from 5:00 to 6:00pm.

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.

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 GREEN DRINKS . . . Omaha Green Drinks will meet from 5:30pm to close, Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at Whole Foods Market, 10020 Regency Circle, in the education room by restaurant seating–across from the coffee bar. Green Drinks is an international social network of environmentalists, now active in 509 cities worldwide.

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

LINCOLN BIKETACULAR . . . Saturday, May 30, 2009, 9:00am to 5:00pm, the City of Lincoln, and Near South and Everett Neighborhood Associations will host the first Biketacular south of the State Capitol Building. The free event will include food, a bike rodeo, mechanical checks and licensing, races and a 12:15pm kids bike parade. For more information, or to volunteer help making children’s bike decorations for the parade, phone Jon Carlson at 402.441.7224.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION . . . An Omaha Community Conversation discussing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation will be Saturday, May 30, 2009, 2:00pm, at the W. Dale Clark Downtown Library, 215 South 15th Street. For more information, call or e-mail Justin Huck, 402.779.6120, justin [dot] huck [at] climateprotect [dot] org.

CENTRAL NEBRASKA PEACE WORKERS MONTHLY MEETING . . . This month’s regular CNPW meeting is Sunday, May 31, 2009, 3:00pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 511 North Elm Street, GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska (east basement door). The DVD “Life in Occupied Palestine, eye witness stories & photos”  by Anna Baltzer will be viewed. Greens and all peace workers are welcome. For more information, e-mail Mena Sprague, mine71 [at] hughes [dot] net, or phone 308.754.4901.

UNION FREEDOM RIDE . . . Unions across Nebraska are hosting a Union Freedom Ride to raise awareness in support of the Employee Free Choice Act on Sunday, May 31, 2009, 9:00am to 5:00pm, starting with registration at the UFCW Hall, 2308 South Locus in Grand Island. Motorcycle riders and cars in caravan will leave Grand Island at 10:00am for a press event in Lincoln at Senator Nelson’s office, 11:45am, then head north to lunch at the UFCW Hall in Fremont, 2410 North Colorado Street, and on to Omaha for a rally at 9900 Nicholas Street, 3:15 to 3:45pm. From 4:00 to 6:00pm there will be a Ride Celebration at Clancy’s West, 777 North 114 Street, Omaha. Riders and non-riders are welcome. To register online, click here.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL. . . . Farmer’s Markets are back. Click here for a complete list of Lincoln’s eight regular Markets. Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets in your own community. And join 43 million Americans who will grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and berries in home gardens this year.

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

DEATH PENALTY DEBATE MONDAY . . . This legislative session’s two death penalty related bills, LB 36, to change the method of execution in Nebraska to lethal injection, and LB 306, to abolish state killing, will be debated on Monday, May 18, 2009, starting at 1:30pm, on the floor of the legislature at the state capitol building in Lincoln. Click here (pdf) for 2009 state senators contact information, listed alphabetically, and by district. Click here to e-mail your senator directly. Join Nebraskans against the death penalty, who will be dressed in white bearing silent witness in support of abolition, at the visitor’s gallery during the debate. If you can’t be there in person, watch the debate live by clicking “Main Legislative Chamber” here. To contact Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty, phone 402.477.7787.

CLEAN ENERGY FOCUS . . . Be a part of the national renewable energy discussion With consultant and wind integration expert Bob Zavadil, Monday, May 18, 2009, 7:00 to 8:00pm on the UN-L East Campus at Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln. This free presentation is part of Nebraska League of Conservation Voters Education Fund ‘Renewable Energy: the Devil is in the Details’ lecture series, and is open to the public.

FREECYCLE . . . At the Freecycle Network, people give and get usable items free in their communities. The site has nearly 5,000 groups, including one in Lincoln. Click here for more information. Furniture and other useful household fixtures or building materials can be taken to Ecostores Nebraska, 530 West P Street, Lincoln. Call 477.3606 first to be sure the store will accept your donation.

COMMUNITY FORUMS ON LPS BUDGET . . . Lincoln Public Schools will hold two public forums with school officials presenting the proposed 2009-2010 budget. They will take comments and questions from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at both forums, Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at Mickle Middle School, 2500 North 67th Street; and Wednesday, May 20th, at Lincoln Southeast High School, 2930 South 37th Street. For more information, call Mark Shepard at 436.1635.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

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. 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 Body of War.  Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

BEING GREEN CONFERENCE . . . Thursday, May 21, 2009, 9:30am to 12:30pm, there will be a Being “Green” For Good Conference at the UN-L Kimmel Education and Residence Center, 5985 G Road, NEBRASKA CITY. The Conference is designed to help small business owners, community leaders, and entrepreneurs learn how environmental and social responsibility impact their bottom line growing profitability through sustainability. To RSVP by May 18, phone 402.873.3166 or e-mail dheidzig5 [at] unl [dot] edu.

PARADE FOR PEACE . . . On the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, May 23, 2009, noon to 2:00pm, there will be an Omaha Parade for Peace starting at the Memorial Park Bridge, Dodge and 60th Street. The parade will Walk down Dodge to 72nd, cross the intersection together, walk back along Dodge, returning to the park where a peace sign out of people will be formed. Wear costumes, bring drums or other noise-makers, banners, flags, or signs. Or just bring yourself, and a desire for peace. Everyone is Welcome.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL. . . . Farmer’s Markets are back for the summer. Click here for a complete list of Lincoln’s eight regular Markets. Eating locally grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher. Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets and eating fresh foods grown in or very near your own community.

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

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.

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 Bangkok Girl.  Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

ORGANIC FARM TOURS . . . Working Organic Farm Tours at the UN-L Ag Research and Development Center’s Forestry Area will be offered Thursday, August 20, 2009 in conjunction with a lunch sponsored by Nebraska Great Plains Resource Conservation and Development. For reservations phone Pat at 402.584.3837. For more information contact Extension Organic Project Coordinator Liz Sarno by phone at 402.309.0944, or e-mail esarno2 [at] unl [dot] edu.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE MILITARY ANNUAL DINNER . . . The Annual Alternatives to the Military Potluck Dinner and Awards Gathering is Thursday, August 20, 2009, 6:00pm, at Christ United Methodist Church, 45th & A Streets, Lincoln. Bring a favorite dish and table service. Park in the north lot. Join Lincoln’s ATM community for great food and networking. UN-L professor and human rights advocate Fran Kaye will be honored for her many years of activism in Nebraska.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets and eating fresh foods grown in or very near your own community. Eating locally grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher. Click here for Nebraska Buy Fresh. Buy Local. information. Lincoln’s current Markets are as follows:

Old Cheney Farmers Market, 55th Street and Old Cheney Road, 10:00am to 2:00pm, Sundays through November 1.
Historic Haymarket Farmers Market, North Seventh between P and Q streets, 8:00am to noon, Saturdays through October 10. During peak season, mid-June through mid-August, there are about 215 vendors.
Havelock Farmers Market, north parking lot behind businesses between 62nd and 63rd streets and Havelock Avenue, 3:00 to 6:30pm, Wednesdays through October 28.
Piedmont Farmers Market, 1265 South Cotner Blvd., parking lot of Piedmont Shopping Center, 8:00am to noon, Saturdays through September/October.
St. Paul United Church of Christ Farmers Market, 1144 M Streets, 4:30 to 7:30pm, Tuesdays through September 8.
Community CROPS Farmers Market, Pentzer Park, North 27th & Potter Streets, 4:30 to 7:30pm, Thursdays, June through September. Click here for a map of local Community CROPS gardens.
Centennial Mall Garden Market, 14th & M Streets, noon to 4:00pm, Wednesdays, July 1 through September 30.

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

NATIONAL BIKE TO WORK WEEK . . .  In Lincoln, join the mayor and city-county officials biking to work as part of national awareness week.  Businesses and individuals wanting to participate may contact Terry Genrich, 441.7939, or Mike Heyl, 441.3889, to join the organized action.

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty vigil every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, in front of the governor’s mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. The legislature is expected to debate this session’s two related bills, LB 306 to repeal, and LB 36 establishing lethal injection, this week. Please contact your senators in support of ending state killing in Nebraska. Click here (pdf) for 2009 state senators contact information, listed alphabetically, and by district. Join Monday vigilers for a few minutes, or the hour. In case of bad weather, meet inside the State Capitol Building at the ground floor information desk. To contact NADP, phone 402.477.7787.

TAKING CHARGE . . . Residents of Lincoln have until 5:00pm Friday, May 15, 2009, to participate in an online survey that focuses on programs and services in danger of being eliminated or reduced in the 2009-2020 budget. Specific topics include library services, Parks and Recreation programs, health programs, and police services. Click here to begin. If you take the survey, you are also eligible to participate in an in-depth discussion about the budget on Saturday, May 16, 2009, 8:30am to 3:30pm, at the UN-L East Campus Union, for which you will be compensated $35. For more information about the discussion, click here, or phone 472.5678. Pre-registration is required. To register, take the survey.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402.499.6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

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. 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 F**k: A documentary.  Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here.  The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

SCIENCE CAFE IN LINCOLN . . . An informal science discussion co-hosted by the University of Nebraska Medical Center will be Thursday, May 14, 2009, 6:30 to 7:30pm, at red9, 322 South Ninth Street, Lincoln. This pilot event for Lincoln, open to anyone over the age of 18, is meant to increase science literacy in the community. Click here for more information.

WACHISKA AUDUBON PRESENTATION . . . Congress designated May Endangered Species Month in 2006. Thursday, May 14, 2009, 7:00pm, two of Nebraska’s endangered species of birds will be featured by UN-L Least Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership Program Coordinator Mary Bomberger Brown. “Terns & Plovers: Cooperation in Conservation,” will be presented at the Wachiska General Meeting, lower level Room 03, Union College Dick Administration Building, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. All are welcome; refreshments follow the presentation.

PAINT EXCHANGE & HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS . . . The spring usable latex paint exchange will be Friday, May 15, 2009 at EcoStores Nebraska, 530 West P Street, Lincoln, from 3:00 to 7:00pm. Paint cans must be at least three-fourths full with intact, readable labels. Paint must not have been frozen, and must not be lumpy when stirred. Anyone may take free paint from the exchange May 15 through May 17th. For more information, phone EcoStores at 477.3606. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s unwanted chemicals collection is Saturday, May 16, 2009, 9:00am to 1:00pm, at Pfizer Inc., 601 West Cornhusker Highway. For collections guidelines, phone 441.8021, or click here (keyword: household).

CURB DAY IN LINCOLN . . . Saturday, May 16, 2009, is Curb Day, curbday.com the world’s biggest giveaway. People everywhere are encouraged to take unwanted items to their curbs for others to pick up. Guidelines: no trash, no dangerous or illegal items. Click here for a list of acceptable items for Curb Day. For questions or concerns, contact Mike Morone, mike [at] curbday [dot] com, or call 585.749.5107.

WORKSHOP ON WHEELS TOUR OF NORTHEAST NEBRASKA . . . Natural building and renewable energy are the focus of a van tour to five sites in northeastern Nebraska on Saturday, May 16, 2009. The full-day tour will begin in Lincoln at 8:00am, stop in Fremont to join people from Omaha and other communities at 9:15am, and return to Lincoln via Fremont around 8:00pm. The five stops will highlight a biofuels operation and wind generator near Lyons, a straw-bale building with storm room in South Sioux City, two new straw-bale cabins at Ponca State Park, a barn kit plant in Wayne and nearby barn built using locally harvested wood. Call Joyce Coppinger, 402.483.5135, or email jc10508 [at] windstream [dot] net for more information, and to pre-register.

FREE FISHING AND PARK ENTRY . . .  No park-entry permit or fishing license is required statewide in Nebraska Saturday, May 16, 2009.  For questions, phone 471.1623, or e-mail suzanne [dot] ridder [at] nebraska [dot] gov.

KONZA PRAIRIE DAY HIKE . . . Sunday, May 17, 2009, Omaha hikers will carpool to Konza Prairie in the Flint Hills of Kansas, a 8,700 acre preserve with a herd of roaming buffalo in residence. For details about the 8 mile, mostly flat loop hike leaving Omaha at 7:00am, and to RSVP, e-mail bobbygoetschkes[at] hotmail [dot] com or phone 402.326.1775.

LUNCH AND LEARN . . . Reservations are required by Monday morning, May 18, 2009, for the May 21st League of Women Voters Lunch and Learn presentation “Human Rights: Positive and Negative,” by UN-L Political Science professor David Forsythe, noon, on the 20th floor of the US Bank Building, 13th & M Streets, Lincoln. E-mail rsvp to lwv-ne [at] inebraska [dot] com, or phone 475.1411.

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL. . . . Farmer’s Markets are back in Lincoln. Click here for a complete list of Lincoln’s eight regular Markets. Eating locally grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher. Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets and eating fresh foods grown in or very near your own community.

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

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL. . . . Farmer’s Markets have returned to Lincoln. Click here for a complete list of Lincoln’s eight regular Farmer’s Markets. Eating locally grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher. Join the local food revolution by shopping farmer’s markets and eating fresh foods grown in or very near your own community.

VOTE . . . Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 8:00am to 8:00pm, is Election Day. In Lincoln, there is walk-in voting Monday and Tuesday at the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s office, 601 North 46th Street, and at your precinct on Tuesday. If you voted absentee, your ballot needs returned by Tuesday. For a sample ballot, click here.

LINCOLN BIONEERS . . . Lincoln Bioneers will meet on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 6:00 to 8:30pm for finger foods potluck and to work on a Permaculture Project at 1611 Van Dorn Street. New bioneers are welcome! To sign up for the Lincoln e-mail list, click here.

DARFUR FILMMAKER IN LINCOLN . . . Jen Marlowe, author of “Darfur Diaries, Stories of Survival,”  will speak Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 7:30pm, at the First-Plymouth Congregational Church Chapel, 2000 D Street, Lincoln. Marlowe is an activist working to end the violence and to bring education and clean water to the Darfur region of Sudan. Her newest documentary, “Rebuilding Hope,”  will be released later this year. The presentation is free, but an offering will be taken at the door.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

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. For more information, phone Jerry Ebner, 402.502.5887. Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, Anti-War and Peace Activists Vigil at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Contact Steve Horn at 426.9068 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’s film will be The Trials of Henry Kissinger.  Food and drink is available. A lively discussion follows each showing. For more information, click here.  The Peoples Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA COMMUNITY CONVERSATION . . . “How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization & the End of the War on Terror:” A Community Conversation with internationally acclaimed writer and scholar Reza Aslan will be Thursday, May 7, 2009, 7:00pm, Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific Street, OMAHA. Part of the Project Interfaith 2008-2009 Community Conversations Annual Speakers Series, and Countryside Community Church’s 2009 Annual Speaker Series, the program is free, but pre-registration is suggested. Register online here. For more information, phone Project Interfaith at 402.933.4647 or e-mail info [at] projectinterfaithusa [dot] org.

PRO-CHOICE COALITION MEETING IN OMAHA . . . The May Pro-Choice Coalition meeting will be Thursday, May 7, 2009, 6:30pm, at the Omaha ACLU Nebraska office, 1105 Howard, Suite 2, in the Old Market above Spaghetti Works. The door faces Howard Street. Special guest will be Kyle Carlson, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa attorney and lobbyist. A Lincoln car pool will leave from the office at 23rd & O Street, 5:10pm. E-mail Bobbie Kierstead in advance at bobbie [dot] kierstead [at] ppncb [dot] org or phone 402.441.3328 to reserve a ride. For more information, contact Tyler Richard, tyler [at] tylerrichard [dot] com or phone 402.202.6211.

PAUL KRUGMAN IN LINCOLN . . . Friday, May 8, 2009, New York Times columnist and Economics Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman will speak on the “Return of Depression Econimics,” 7:00pm, at Lincoln North Star High School, 5801 North 33 Street. The public is invited to this free presentation. To reserve tickets, phone Heather at Lincoln Public Schools, 436.1827, or e-mail haberne [at] lps [dot] org. Anyone with a ticket is guaranteed a seat until 6:45pm, when those without tickets will be seated.

SUPPORT ADVOCACY FOR CONSERVATION . . . The Second Annual Nebraska League of Conservation Voters Joe’s Club Dinner Dance and Fundraiser is Friday, May 8, 2009, 5:30 to 10:00pm, at Country Pines, 6305 West Adams Street, Lincoln. A no-host cocktail reception and silent auction begins at 5:30pm. Dinner is at 7:00. Dedication of the P. Joseph Gabig Wetland at Kirkpatrick Basin South Wildlife Management Area in YORK is at 3:30pm. Click here for more information and to reserve tickets, or e-mail Mary Harding, info [at] nlcv [dot] org.

BIRDATHON WEEKEND FIELD TRIPS . . . Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10, 2009, there will be three birding field trips in the area. Friends of Wilderness Park and Wachiska Audubon birders will lead a Saturday morning hike. Meet at the South 14th Street entrance of Wilderness Park, 8:00am.
Phone Mary Roseberry-Brown at 477.8282 in advance if you plan to attend so another leader can be added if necessary. A second Wilderness Park hike will be Sunday morning, meeting at 8:00am in the Saltillo Road parking area, just west of 27th and Saltillo. Phone leader Linda Brown at 489.2381 with any questions. The third hike led by John Carlini and Shari Schwartz will meet at 8:00am next to the observation tower at Platte River State Park, northwest of Lincoln on Highway 66 between South Bend and Louisville. From Lincoln, turn off I-80 at the Ashland/Mahoney Park exit and go east. To carpool from Lincoln, meet at the 745 South 11th Street DaVinci’s, 7:00am. Phone John at 475.7275 or Tim at 483.5656 to reserve a ride in advance.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA . . . The next Progressive Omaha meeting will be Saturday, May 9, 2009, 6:00 to 9:00pm, at 4924 Chicago, on the corner of 50th and Chicago in Dundee. All are welcome. There will be a potluck from 6:00 to 7:00, business meeting from 7:00 to 8:00, and John Kretzschmar, Director of the William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies at UN-O, will speak about labor issues on the national, state and local level, including the Employee Fair Choice Act and national health care, from 8:00 to 9:00pm. For more information e-mail Karen Abrams, kabrams123 [at] cox [dot] net.

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

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty vigil every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, in front of the governor’s mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. The legislature may debate this session’s two related bills, LB 306 to repeal, and LB 36 establishing lethal injection, as early as this week. Please contact your senators in support of ending state killing in Nebraska. Click here (pdf) for 2009 state senators contact information, listed alphabetically, and by district. Join Monday vigilers for a few minutes, or the hour. In case of bad weather, meet inside the State Capitol Building at the ground floor information desk. To contact NADP, phone 402.477.7787.

WALK-IN VOTING . . . Monday April 27, through Friday, May 1, 2009, registered voters in Lincoln may vote at the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s office, 601 North 46 Street. Click here for a sample ballot.

LINCOLN BUDGET SURVEY . . . Lincoln residents are invited to provide input to the City’s 2009-2010 budget in an online survey available here.  The “Taking Charge” survey focuses on programs and services in danger of being eliminated or reduced in the new budget.

RENEWABLE ENERGY LECTURE . . . Learn about a renewable energy based economy, Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 7:00pm, when Glen Andersen, Energy Policy Specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures, examines public policy energy topics at a “Devil is in the Details” lecture, Hardin Hall Auditorium, on UN-L’s East Campus, 3310 Holdrege. For more information, e-mail esohl [at] nlcv [dot] org, or phone Eva Sohl at 438.9341.

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. 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 426.9068 for more information.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Join weekly peace vigils at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets in Lincoln, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402-499-6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

CENTRAL NEBRASKA PEACE WORKERS VIGIL . . . The regular monthly CNPW Vigil for Peace is Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 5:30PM, at State Street and Webb Road in Grand Island. Join Greens and Peace Workers for a few minutes, or for the hour from 5:00 to 6:00pm.

KLAMATH RIVER FILM NIGHT IN OMAHA . . . This week the Omaha People’s Film Festival will present Upstream Battle.  Activists from the Klamath Justice Coalition will be upstairs at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney Streets, Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 7:00pm, to lead a discussion following a free showing of the film. Click here for information about the historic struggle to tear out four environmentally damaging hydropower dams along the Klamath in southern Oregon and Northern California. The film night and discussion is hosted by Progressive Omaha, expanding political consciousness since 2004.

NEBRASKANS FOR PEACE FUNDRAISER . . . Friday, May 1, 2009, 5:45pm, join OMAHA Nebraskans for Peace at the Annual Rice and Beans Fundraising Dinner, First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass Street, five blocks north of Dodge, in Cary Hall (entrance on the east side). The theme is “US Health Care, Today and Tomorrow.” Click here (pdf) for details from the March/April Peace Matters Newsletter.

NEAC AND NEBRASKA FOOD CO-OP CONFERENCE . . . The Nebraska Environmental Action Coalition and the Nebraska Food Coop are co-hosting the 2009 Annual Meeting & Banquet in AURORA, Nebraska on Saturday, May 2, at The Leadership Center, 1609 East Highway 34. For a map, click here. Speakers at the event include John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri Columbia , Bill Bullard of R-CALF USA, and Chris Peterson of Iowa Farmers Union. A bus has been chartered from Omaha and Lincoln. To rsvp dinner and find more information, click here.

ECONOMIST TO ADDRESS CRISIS AND CHANGE . . . UN-L Professor of Economics Hendrik Van den Berg will speak in Omaha on Saturday, May 2, 2009, 2:00pm, at the W. Dale Clark Library, 215 South 15th Street. The free lecture, “We Cannot Go Back to Normal, (but we can do much better than that)” is open to the public and will be in meeting room 2 on the library’s lower level.

LINCOLN HIGH FLEA MARKET . . . The Lincoln High School Booster Club will host the first LHS Flea Market Saturday, May 2, 2009, to raise money for school clubs, teams and groups. Students will provide entertainment and information during the event, 8:00am to 3:00pm, at the school’s north parking lot, 2229 J Street. The Flea Market is in conjunction with the Near South Neighborhood Association’s first Community Garage Sale. A rain date is May 9th.

LINCOLN PROGRESSIVE ACTIVISTS MEET . . . Sunday, May 3, 2009, Nebraskans for Peace-Lincoln will meet from 3:00 to 4:00pm at the Gere Public Library, room 2, 2400 South 56th Street.  Join Lincoln progressives and get involved.  For more information, contact Eva Sohl at 326.1375 or Chuck Holm at 340.8292.

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