INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE . . . Sunday, September 21, 2008 has been declared International Day of Peace to be “observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an inviation to all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day.  For history and further information, click here.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CANDIDATES DEBATES . . . Nebraska Green Party US Senate candidate Steve Larrick will be available for questions from the media before a Monday, September 22, 2008 Lincoln-Lancaster County League of Women Voters debate event. Larrick will be outside of St. Paul United Methodist Church in downtown Lincoln, 1144 M Street, at 12:30pm to answer questions and discuss issues. Greens and supporters are invited to join him. The LWV sponsors pre-election debates as a service to Nebraska voters, but the 2008 Democratic and Republican Senate candidates refused to participate in this year’s forum, forcing the Senate portion to be cancelled. Click here for a schedule of the debates and list of participating candidates.

REGISTER TO VOTE GREEN . . . Fill out the voter registration form here (pdf). Complete online, and print out a copy for your records. If you have questions about registering to vote, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 402.471.2555, or your local county election commissioner.

MEETING ABOUT MUD WELL FIELD AND MEAD SUPERFUND SITE . . . Senator Don Preister will convene a public information meeting on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 7:00pm, at the VFW Hall, 102 South 24th Street in Ashland, Nebraska. There will be a presentation on an injection project treating groundwater contaminants at the Superfund Site near Mead, and a discussion by Environmental Protection Agency representatives updating activities and findings. To carpool from in or near Omaha, phone Mark at 402.453.0776.

COMMUNITY COMPOSTING WORKSHOPS . . . Fall workshops sponsored by UN-L Lancaster County Extension and the City of Lincoln Recycling Office begin Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at the Gere Library, 2400 South 56th Street, Lincoln, 6:30pm. Learn how to use fall organic matter and grass clippings to create a compost pile, and receive a free soil thermometer or compost bin. Other workshops will be Thursday, September 25, at the Anderson Library, 3635 Touzalin Avenue, 6:30pm; Tuesday, September 30, 6:30pm at the Walt Library, 6701 South 14th Street; and Wednesday, October 1, 6:30pm at the Eiseley Library, 1530 Superior Street. There will also be a composting demonstration Saturday, September 27, from 10:00am to noon at the Pioneers Park Nature Center‘s new backyard composting area.

WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS . . . Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 9:00am to 4:00pm, Nebraska Appleseed, ACLU Nebraska, and NAACP will present a workshop at Mahoney State Park in the Nebraska Room. Basic communication strategies and hands on training will teach individuals and groups how to raise awareness about policies that create greater equal opportunities for Nebraskans. Participants will be eligible to apply for a mini-grant of up to $1,000 to utilize what they learn in the workshop. Register on-line here.

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.

POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AT UN-L . . . Washington DC commentator and editor of The Baffler magazine, Thomas Frank, will present “Toxic Civics for the 21st Century” at 7:30pm, Thursday, September 25, 2008, at UN-L’s Nebraska Union, 1400 R Street, Lincoln. Author of “The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule,” and “What’s the Matter with Kansas: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America,” Frank will discuss whether 19th century corruption has returned to national politics. For more information, phone 402.472.9478.

CALL FOR GREEN JOBS NOW: BUILD THE NEW ECONOMY . . .Saturday, September 27, 2008, thousands of people will join together for an unprecedented National Day of Action calling for Green Jobs Now. Organized by the We Campaign, 1Sky, and Green for All, events will be held across the country to send a message that it is time to Repower America with 100% clean electricity in 10 years by switching to renewable energy. Click here for more information and to take action.

TIRE AMNESTY . . . Saturday, September 27, 2008, 9:00am to 9:00pm, and Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:00am to 9:00pm, tires of all shapes and sizes will be accepted, with no limit, at 4800 West O Street, Lincoln, on the south side of O, across from Shoemaker’s Truckstop. Tires will NOT be accepted from dealers, from outside of Nebraska, or on rims. This FREE tire removal project is sponsored by Emerald’s SID #6 using grant money from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

PLEDGE TO WORK THE POLLS . . . Click here to sign up for Lancaster County election day poll work from 7:00am to 8:00pm, November 4, 2008. Payment is minimum wage compensation. There is a required training session before the election. The Pollworkers for Democracy website also links to other counties in Nebraska.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steve Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. LaVerne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.

REGISTER TO VOTE GREEN . . . Fill out the voter registration form here (pdf). Complete online, and print out a copy for your records. If you have questions about registering to vote, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 402.471.2555, or your local county election commissioner.

LARRICK IN FINAL PRE-ELECTION DEBATE . . . Steve Larrick will debate Republican Mike Johanns and Democrat Scott Kleeb at a Lincoln Independent Business Association luncheon meeting Tuesday, September 16, 2008, noon to 1:00pm, at the downtown Holiday Inn, 9th and P Streets, Lincoln. Doors open at 11:30am. To make reservations, phone 402.466.3419 by Monday, September 15. The debate will air live on KLIN 1400-AM radio.

FRIENDS OF WILDERNESS PARK CANDIDATES FORUM . . . FWP and Bluestem Sierra will hold a forum for candidates to the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Board at meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 7:00pm in the library of Lefler Middle School, 1100 South 48 Street, Lincoln. Questions may be submitted in advance to Mike Carlin, mcarlin at neb dot rr dot com.

ANTELOPE VALLEY PLANS AND TOURS . . . Representatives of the Joint Antelope Valley Authority and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the contractor and the construction team, will be present at a public meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 4:00 to 7:00pm, 2143 O Street, Lincoln, the former location of Via Van Bloom Tour and Travel. A bus tour of the project will begin at 5:30pm, Thursday, September 18, with a presentation at Lincoln High School, 2229 J Street. Saturday, September 20, a bike tour will begin at the Auld Recreation Center in Antelope Park, 9:00am, and bus tours will start at 9:00 and 11:00am. For more information, or to make recommended tour reservations, phone 402.458.5901, or click here(keyword: antelope).

STROLLING ON THE BOULEVARDS . . . Well-known Lincoln Historian Ed Zimmer will lead an early evening walking tour of the Sheridan and Woodscrest neighborhoods on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, beginning at 6:30pm. Click here for details.

PAUL A. OLSON SEMINARS IN GREAT PLAINS STUDIES . . . The Fall Series of Seminars in Great Plains Studies begins Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 3:30pm, at the Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street, Lincoln, phone 402.472.3082. Akim Reinhardt, Associate Professor of History, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, will present “American Colony: Pine Ridge Reservation in the 20th Century.” A reception will follow the lecture.

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 mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

LUNCH AND LEARN . . . Thursday, September 18, 2008, the first in a Lunch and Learn Series sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lincoln-Lancaster County, features Becky Gould, Executive Director of the Appleseed Foundation, and Patrick Jones, Un-L Assistant Professor of History speaking on Affirmative Action. The luncheon is at noon on the 20th floor of the US Bank Building, 13th and M Streets, Lincoln. Reservations are required by noon the Monday preceding the event. E-mail lwv-ne at inebraska dot com, or phone 475.1411.

EVERY CHILD MATTERS . . . In Nebraska, 63,022 children live in poverty. 45,000 do not have health insurance. 15,501 were reported abused or neglected in 2005. 29% of 4th Graders Scored below Basic Reading Levels in 2007. All state and federal candidates have been invited to participate in a survey regarding children’s issues. Survey results will be released to the public at a Rally for Kids organized by Voices for Children Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 10:00am, on the north steps of the State Capitol Building. Rain venue is the YWCA Georgian Room.  Speakers include Senator DiAnna Schimek, Dr. Will Austin, Associate Professor, UN-O College of Education, Dr. Tom Tonniges, Director of Boys Town Pediatrics, and Cindy Woodbury, Former Foster Care Youth.

ANGELA DAVIS AT MALONE CENTER . . . Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 7:00-9:00pm, Angela Davis will appear in Lincoln at the Malone Center, 2032 U Street (474-1110), speaking on behalf of Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa, wrongfully imprisoned for 38 years by the State of Nebraska. Ed and Mondo are recognized by Amnesty International as Prisoners of Conscience. The Nebraskans for Justice event is free and open to the public.

ANGELA DAVIS AT NEBRASKA WESLEYAN . . . Thursday, September 18, 2008, 7:00pm, Angela Davis will speak at the NWU Annual Visions and Ventures Symposium, O’Donnell Auditorium, 51st Street and Huntington Avenue, Lincoln. David has been deeply involved with social justice through activism, scholarship, and written work. Her most recent book is Are Prisons Obsolete? Her keynote address on prison abolition, open to the public, is titled “The Politics of the Imprisoned Flesh.” Read her Frontline interview here.

NEBRASKA STUDENT ORGANIZING CONFERENCE . . . Saturday, September 20, 2008, 9:00am to 5:00pm, UN-L students will host an activist training conference for leaders of social change in Nebraska communities and college campuses. Students from peace and justice, women’s rights,environmental, GLBT, civil liberties, election year campaigns, and minority and diversity advocacy groups will participate. Interactive workshops led by students and veteran community leaders will offer training in organizing skills. Contact Nic Swiercek for further details by phone at 402.659.1420, or e-mail psc dot unl at gmail dot com. Register online here.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION . . . Saturday, September 20, 2008, 9:00am to 1:00pm, residents of Lincoln and Lancaster County may bring hazardous waste items to be collected at Veyance Technologies (Goodyear), 4021 North 56 Street, Lincoln. Items for disposal include thermometers, thermostats containing mercury, solvents, oil-based paint, paint thinner, pesticides including DDT, and CFLs containing mercury. Phone the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department for more information at 402.441.8040.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steve Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. LaVerne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.

REGISTER TO VOTE GREEN . . . Fill out the voter registration form here (pdf) Complete online, and print out a copy for your records. If you have questions about registering to vote, contact the Secretary of State’s office at 402.471.2555, or your local county election commissioner.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steve Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. LaVerne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

OMAHA MEET AND GREET THE CANDIDATES . . . The South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance will hold a Meet and Green the Candidates, Thursday, September 11, 2008, from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the Sheet Metal Workers Hall, 24th & Venton Streets. US Senate candidate Steve Larrick, and Public Service Commission candidate Doug Paterson will be there for the South Omaha event.

LOCAL DELEGATES REPORT ON PALESTINE AND COLUMBIA . . . Lincoln Chrisian Peacemaker Team Delegates Hannah Breckbill and Amanda Balzer will report on their first-hand experiences and observations after returning from Palestine and Columbia. Three local presentations will be made: Sunday, September 7, 2008, 10:45am, First Mennonite Church, 7300 Holdrege Street; Sunday, September 7, 7:00pm, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street; and Monday, September 8, 7:00pm, at UN-L Nebraska Union. A brownbag lunch for clergy and those interested in learning more about the Christian Peacemaker Teams will be Friday, September 12, noon, First Presbyterian Church, 840 South 17th Street, all in Lincoln. A flier is available here. (pdf)

CITIZENS FOR EQUAL PROTECTION . . . Tuesday, September 9, 2008, 5:30 to 7:30pm, CFEP will meet in Lincoln at First-Plymouth Congregational Church, 2000 D Street. The discussion will concern how Nebraskans can collectively help LGBTQ people in local communities. For more information, contact Tyler Richard, tyler at cfep dash ne dot org.

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 mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LETTER-WRITING GROUP . . . Join human rights activists and local Greens at Jones Coffee, 727 South 11th, Lincoln, between 7:00 and 9:00pm, Wednesday, September 10, 2008.  The group meets every second Wednesday of the month for fair trade coffee to learn about human rights violations around the world, what is being done to address them, and letter-writing.  Contact Matt Gregory for more information, by phone at 402.570.7840, or e-mail plylas at hotmail dot com.

911 TRUTH ACTION . . . Thursday, September 11, 2008, there will be a 911 Truth Action at the Federal Building, 15th & O Streets in Lincoln, from 3:00 to 7:00pm.   The public is welcome.

NATURAL PLAY SPACES . . . Urban designer Robin Moore will speak on the Value of Natural Play Spaces for Children and Families, Thursday, September 11, 2008, 7:00pm at Kimball Recital Hall on the UN-L City Campus. The Healthy Families Play Outside website is here.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: Effect and Affect . . . Local and regional experts will discuss solutions for a more environmentally aware world at a free event, open to the public, on Thursday, September 18, and Friday, September 19, 2008, at The UN-L College of Architecture Gallery, Room 210, 10th & R Street, on the Un-L City Campus, Lincoln. For an Agenda of the two-day program starting at 1:00pm September 18, click here. (pdf)  To guarantee seating, and for the September 18 reception, 6:00 to 8:00pm, rsvp by Friday, September 12, to Doris Devries at ddevries1 at unl dot edu.

ONE-DAY CONFERENCE: PUTTING BULLIES OUT OF BUSINESS . . . Student organizations at Nebraska Wesleyan University will sponsor a one-day conference intended to raise awareness about the immediate and long term effects of bullying in communities, and how to reduce instances of bullying behavior. The Conference will be Saturday, September 13, 2008, 9:30am to 3:30pm at NWU. Workshops include information on parent involvement, women’s rights issues, violence in minority communities, and a session on bullying in America. To register, e-mail event organizer Jake Hoy-Elswick, jake dot hoyelswick at gmail dot com, or Joshua Cramer, jrcramer at gmail dot com.

LINCOLN BICYCLE SWAP MEET . . . Saturday, September 13, 2008, 9:00am to 3:00pm, rain or shine, the fifth annual Bicycle Swap Meet featuring antique bikes, new bikes, BMX, Road, Mountain, Low Riders and Bike Stuff, will be at 5300 South Folsom Street, in Lincoln.  For more information, contact Randy Farmer at 402.420.3076 or Scott Grossenbacher at 402.499.8248.

TWILIGHT ON THE TALLGRASS . . . Saturday, September 13, 2008, 5:00pm to 10:00pm, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will host a festival centered around the works of Loren Eiseley, native Nebraska naturalist, scientist and writer. Walk the trails through never plowed tallgrass prairie, around ponds, wetlands, wildflowers and grasses where birds and wildlife live in their habitat at this 808-acre nature preserve 20 minutes southwest of Lincoln. For more information phone 402.797.2301.

TRI CITY AIDS WALK . . . This year’s AIDS WALK will be in Kearney, Sunday, September 14, 2008, at the UN-K Health & Sports Center on West Highway 30. Registration will begin at 1:00pm. Kickoff speakers from Kansas City are United Methodist Church Bishop Fritz Mutti and Etta Mae Mutti, who lost two sons to HIV AIDS. For more information contact Erin Cantrell by phone at 308.338.0527, or e-mail casemanager-3nap at charterinternet dot com.

HISPANIC/LATINO CULTURAL CELEBRATION . . . Sunday, September 14, 2008, 10:00am to 6:00pm, a free family-oriented cultural festival featuring live bands, tango dancers, children’s activities, displays and ethnic foods will be at Antelope Park. Hosted by El Centro De Las Americas, the Hispanic/Latino community serving Lincoln/Lancaster County, this year’s event will celebrate 25 years of providing language classes, computer training, counseling, children’s education, housing placement, translation services and a food pantry for the Lincoln area.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.

SEPTEMBERFEST PARADE . . . Monday, September 1, 2008, join Larrick for Senate at the Labor Day Septemberfest Parade in downtown Omaha. NGP Representative Frances Mendenhall will be at 16th & Cass Street by 8:30am wearing an eight foot tall image of Steve Larrick that you won’t be able to miss. Call her cel at 402.208.3717 to meet up with her Monday morning and help distribute campaign materials before the parade. There will be a “thank you” party for those who help after the parade. Look for Frances, and ask her for 1:00pm party details.

PUBLIC MEETING ON NEW ARENA DEVELOPMENT . . . Wednesday, September 3, 2008, the public is invited to Memorial Stadium’s West Clubhouse to see how a proposed new arena and its surrounding amenities might look. The open house, from 5:00 to 7:30pm, will have eight information stations where people can comment on the project. Enter Memorial Stadium through glass dorrs on 10th Street and take the elevator to third floor. Free parking in the Champions Club lot west of the stadium, and in the lot just north of the stadium. The public may also provide input here.

GRAND ISLAND GATHERING FOR PEACE . . . Central Nebraska Peaceworkers and CD 3 Greens meet on the first Wednesday after the fourth Sunday of each month to Vigil for Peace, however, the August gathering was moved back one week. Join them from 5:30 to 6:30pm, Wednesday September 3, 2008, at the corner of State Street and Webb Road in Grand Island. Parking is located in the lot one block west and across State Street. Peace signs are provided.

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 mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

GROW AND SHARE FRESH PRODUCE . . . Area gardeners are invited to take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th Street and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, where it will be collected by the Food Bank and distributed to 100 agencies in Southeast Nebraska that serve low-income individuals and families. Produce may also be dropped off at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle (three blocks north of 48th & Superior Streets), 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Do not pre-wash or refrigerate produce, and transport it in paper sacks rather than plastic bags to avoid spoilage.

GREEN PARTY COUNCIL MEETING . . . The September Nebraska Green Party Council meeting will be at the home of US Senate candidate Steve Larrick, 920 South 8th Street, Lincoln, Saturday, September 6, 2008, at 12:30pm.

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES’ FORUM . . . Sunday, September 7, 2008, 5:00pm, Green Party candidate Steve Larrick will debate Republican Mike Johanns and Democrat Scott Kleeb at the Midwest Theater, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, sponsored by the Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce.

LOCAL DELEGATES REPORT ON PALESTINE AND COLUMBIA . . . Lincoln Chrisian Peacemaker Team Delegates Hannah Breckbill and Amanda Balzer will report on their first-hand experiences and observations after returning from Palestine and Columbia. Three local presentations will be made: Sunday, September 7, 2008, 10:45am, First Mennonite Church, 7300 Holdrege Street; Sunday, September 7, 7:00pm, Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A Street; and Monday, September 8, 7:00pm, at UN-L Nebraska Union. A brownbag lunch for clergy and those interested in learning more about the Christian Peacemaker Teams will be Friday, September 12, noon, First Presbyterian Church, 840 South 17th Street, all in Lincoln. A flier is available here. (.pdf)

ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE . . . A 30-minute interview with Cynthia McKinney will be broadcast twice on C-SPAN 1, Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 6:30pm and 9:30pm.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steven R. Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. LaVerne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.

CD 1 GREEN PARTY CHAPTER MEETING . . . Tuesday, August 26, 2008, CD 1 Greens will meet at the home of US Senate candidate Steve Larrick, 920 South 8th Street, Lincoln, 8:00pm. Greens will debrief Saturday’s US Senate debate at the State Fair, and discuss bringing presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney to Nebraska. Stop by to pick up campaign materials and help spread the word about Larrick for Senate in 2008.

NEBRASKA WOMEN WORK! . . . “Nebraska Women: How’s your work life?” is the premiere informational presentation of statewide survey results questioning over 1000 working women in Nebraska. The Women Work! event is Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 10:45 to 11:30am, at the Downtown ActivAge Senior Center, 1005 “O” Street, Lincoln. For more information, contact Lisa Good by phone at 402.489.0869.

GRAND ISLAND GATHERING FOR PEACE . . . Central Nebraska Peaceworkers and CD 3 Greens meet on the first Wednesday after the fourth Sunday of each month to Vigil for Peace. Join them from 5:30 to 6:30pm, Wednesday August 27, 2008, at the corner of State Street and Webb Road in Grand Island.  Parking is located in the lot one block west and across State Street.

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 mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

NEW FARMERS MARKET OPENS . . . Lincoln’s Community CROPS has started a new farmers market open 4:30pm to 7:30pm on Thursdays at Pentzer Park, 27th and Potter Streets. Vine-ripened tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, herbs and flowers are grown seven miles from the market and picked fresh each week for sale by local vendors. Community CROPS works with farmers to develop small businesses that sell produce and eggs direct to consumers in the Lincoln area.

GROW AND SHARE FRESH PRODUCE . . . Area gardeners are invited to take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th Street and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, where it will be collected by the Food Bank and distributed to 100 agencies in Southeast Nebraska that serve low-income individuals and families. Produce may also be dropped off at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle (three blocks north of 48th & Superior Streets), 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Do not pre-wash or refrigerate produce, and transport it in paper sacks rather than plastic bags to avoid spoilage.

LINCOLN GREEN DRINKS . . . Every fourth Wednesday on even months, the international environmental networking event Green Drinks meets in Lincoln at Lazlo’s Brewery and Grill in the Haymarket at 210 North 7th Street. On odd months Green Drinks meets in Omaha. There are now 402 cities participating in these monthly informal sessions worldwide. Lincoln Green Drinks will meet Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 5:30pm to close at Lazlo’s. For more information, e-mail Rick Yoder, bounce dash envneb dash 26471 at p2ric dot org.

HIROSHIMA ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVOR IN LINCOLN AND OMAHA . . . Kaz Suyeishi, president of the American Society of Hiroshima-Nagasaki A- bomb Survivors, will speak in Lincoln on Thursday, August 28, 2008, 7:00pm at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street, in the Black Fellowship Hall, lower level of the church (enter east doors off 50th Street). In Omaha, she will speak on Friday, August 29, at First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass Street, in Mead Hall, 6:30 to 8:30pm. (Enter west doors.) In Lincoln, Ms. Suyeishi will also meet UN-L students at the Nebraska Union Georgian Suite on Thursday, 3:30 to 5:00pm. For further information, phone Paul Olson, President of Nebraskans for Peace, at 402.475.1318.

HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI EXHIBIT . . . During the month of August, a 30 piece Hiroshima-Nagasaki Exhibit is on display at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street, Lincoln. Monday through Friday, enter through the north side door. The exhibit is in the basement.

DAVID ROVICS AND PEGGY LANG IN CONCERT . . . Friday, August 29, 2008, 7:30pm, David Rovics and Peggy Lang will perform a free original music concert at Hastings College, the French Memorial Chapel, 710 North Turner Street in Hastings. Amy Goodman called Rovics “the musical version of Democracy Now!” and Lang is a local Nebraska singer/songwriter from Dannebrog. For more information phone Mena at 308.754.4901.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steven R. Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman. LaVerne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steven R. Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman; District 3: Derek Glaser; District 5: Susan Koneck. Laverne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION BUDGET CUTS . . . Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler has proposed cutting StarTran bus service between 10:00am and 2:00pm daily. At a time when mass transit is needed more than ever, instead of leading the effort to use fewer fossil fuels and promote cleaner air by offering bus ride incentives, the Mayor wants to cut service. The City Council appears ready to recommend that StarTran fares be increased to avoid dramatic reductions in midday service. Students, senior citizens, low-income workers and families, the blind and their supporters are urged to attend a public City Council Hearing on the budget, including the StarTran issue, scheduled from 2:30 to 6:00pm and 6:30 to 10:30pm, Monday, August 11, 2008, at the first floor Council chamber, County-City Building, 555 South 10th Street, Lincoln.

MEET U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES . . . On Tuesday, August 12, 2008, Green Party candidate Steve Larrick will participate in a South Platte United Chambers of Commerce Meet-the-Candidates-Bar-B-Q from 5:00 to 7:30pm at Fort Kearney State Park, just south of the Kearney exit off Interstate 80. Larrick was invited to the event following a Green Party protest of his exclusion at the June 5th Senate candidates debate at Boys State. Supporters are invited to meet up in Kearney, or carpool from Lincoln with Steve. Phone Steve at 402.435.5612, or e-mail slarrick1 at msn dot com.

WEDNESDAY 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 mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LETTER-WRITING GROUP . . . Join human rights activists and local Greens at Jones Coffee, 727 South 11th, Lincoln, between 7:00 and 9:00pm, Wednesday, August 13, 2008. The group meets every second Wednesday on the month for fair trade coffee to learn about human rights violations around the world, what is being done to address them, and letter-writing. Contact Matt Gregory for more information, by phone at 402.570.7840, or e-mail plylas at hotmail dot com.

“EDUCATING CHILDREN IN NATURE” . . . The Education Committee will host the August meeting of Wachiska Audubon Society, Thursday, August 14, 2008, 7:00pm at Dick Administration Building on the Union College campus, 3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln. Shelly Smith, an Omaha Public Schools music teacher, will show excerpts from a DVD featuring a student performance with a migration montage; and Nancy Furman, of the Pioneers Park Nature Center, will speak about The Healthy Families Play Outside partners program. Wachiska is celebrating 35 years of sharing “the experience and love of nature–that life may flourish in all its natural diversity.”

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TUTORS NEEDED . . . The Lincoln Literacy Council needs volunteer tutors to teach English as a Second Language and basic English literacy to adults in Lincoln. No teaching experience is necessary. The next training session begins Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Registration is required. Phone 402.476.7323, or click here for more information.

GROW AND SHARE FRESH PRODUCE . . . Area gardeners are invited to take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th Street and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, where it will be collected by the Lincoln Food Bank and distributed to 100 agencies in Southeast Nebraska that serve low-income individuals and families. Produce may also be dropped off at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle (three blocks north of 48th & Superior Streets), 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Do not pre-wash or refrigerate produce, and transport it in paper sacks rather than plastic bags to avoid spoilage.

HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI EXHIBIT . . . During the month of August, a 30 piece Hiroshima-Nagasaki Exhibit is on display at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street, Lincoln. Monday through Friday, enter through the north side door. The exhibit is in the basement.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steven R. Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman; District 3: Derek Glaser; District 5: Susan Koneck. Laverne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

MONDAY ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY VIGILS . . . Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty have vigiled continuously in front of the governor’s mansion (and inside the state capitol during winter) every Monday for years. The steadfast group has grown small with moves away from Lincoln, and the effort needs new energy, particular in August when regular vigilers are also out of town. Meet in front of the governor’s mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln, Mondays from noon to 1:00pm. You may be one of only a few people, or you may be alone, but your presence will continue a long tradition of protest against state killings in Nebraska. Someone will be there with signs, if possible; but to be sure your presence is noticed, wear an ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY t-shirt or make a simple sign to hold while you vigil. For more information contact NADP at 402.477.7787.

GREENS SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY . . . There will be a public meeting on a proposed Lincoln Electric System rate hike Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 7:00pm at the Walter A. Canney Service Center, 2620 Fairfield Drive, Lincoln. The LES Administrative Board will act on August 8th. The Tuesday hearing offers an opportunity to raise the issue of renewable energy in Nebraska. The Nebraska League of Conservation Voters joins Greens in wanting to pack the room with local supporters of a clean energy investment. Contact Eva Sohl, Global Warming Project Coordinator, by e-mail at esohl at nlcv dot org, or by phone at 402.326.1375, for more information.

TOOLS FOR EDUCATION . . . The Center for People in Need “Tools for Education Back-to-School Program” is a cost-effective way to help meet the educational needs of Lincoln’s low-income children who receive new backpacks filled with essential school supplies. Each also receives new clothing from the Truckloads of Help program. Support and participation of the public makes a difference in the life of each child which, ultimately, brings many returns to the community. This year’s Annual Tools for Education distribution is Friday, August 8, and Saturday, August 9, 2008. Volunteers are needed for two hour shifts from 8:30am to 4:30pm on August 8, and 7:30am to 2:30pm August 9. Contact Susan Hale, shale at centerforpeopleinneed dot org, or phone 402.476.4357 for further details and to schedule a shift.

WEDNESDAY 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 mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

NAGASAKI LANTERN FLOAT . . . In Japan, lantern floats are used to guide the souls of the dead to their rest; in recent times they have been used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to commemorate the people destroyed by the first atomic bombs. In Lincoln, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Lantern Float will be Saturday, August 9, 2008, 6:30-9:30pm at Holmes Park on the northeast side of the Lake. All are invited to this moving remembrance of the horror of nuclear weapons and expression of hope sponsored by Nebraskans for Peace. Use the Normal Blvd. park entrance and follow Holmes North Shore Rd. Materials for lanterns and plans for making them will be provided at the site, or see how to make a shade and base at http://www.progressiveportal.org/lanterns/shademaking.html.

HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI EXHIBIT . . . A 30 piece Hiroshima-Nagasaki Exhibit is on display at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street, Lincoln. Monday through Friday, enter through the north side door. The exhibit is in the basement.

LARRICK FOR SENATE AT COLUMBUS DAYS . . . Columbus Days are Friday, August 8, 2008 through Sunday, August 10. Contact Green Party US Senate candidate Steve Larrick at 402.435.5612, or e-mail slarrick1 at msn dot com to carpool from Lincoln or volunteer support at events during the weekend.

GREENS SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC, COMMUNITY RADIO, AND LOCAL TALENT . . . Friday, August 8, 2008, join Greens at either of two great opportunities to support local music and Lincoln’s commuity radio station, KZUM, 89.3fm. Country blues artist John Walker will perform at 7:30pm, opening for local folk singer/songwriter Laurie McClain, now living and recording in Nashville, at a back yard house party, 6115 Huntington, Lincoln. From 9:00pm to close, join KZUM supporters at a benefit performance by Levi William at The Sidetrack, 935 O Street, celebrating 30 years of local community radio excellence.

NORTH STAR NEIGHBORS FARM TOUR . . . North Star Neighbors Farm produces organically grown crops and natural meat products with no antibiotics. They invite the public to the farm on Saturday, August 9, 2008 for hay rack ride tours, demonstrations and displays, hay stacking, pasture walks, and a noon dinner. Registration begins at 9:00am with fresh rolls and coffee. A free will basket will be available to help cover costs. Contact Jim Knopik by phone at 1.877.617.2333, or e-mail jknopik at hamilton dot net for more information and directions from Fullerton, Nebraska.

GROW AND SHARE FRESH PRODUCE . . . Area gardeners are invited to take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th Street and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, where it will be collected by the Food Bank and distributed to 100 agencies in Southeast Nebraska that serve low-income individuals and families. Produce may also be dropped off at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle (three blocks north of 48th & Superior Streets), 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Do not pre-wash or refrigerate produce, and transport it in paper sacks rather than plastic bags to avoid spoilage.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TUTORS NEEDED . . . The Lincoln Literacy Council  needs volunteer tutors to teach English as a Second Language and basic English literacy to adults in Lincoln. No teaching experience is necessary. The next training session begins Tuesday, August 19, 2008. Registration is required. Phone 402.476.7323, or click on Tutors at www.lincolnliteracy.org for more information.

FAREWELL TO BETTY PRATT . . . Early in the history of Nebraska Green Party, Betty Miles Pratt served as the NGP volunteer Database Keeper. Her dedicated commitment to Green Party Values and growing a grassroots alternative to corporate business-as-usual in the world of politics was key to building the foundation of current NGP membership. After a long, courageous battle with cancer, Betty died in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, July 19, 2008. She was a Southern woman of grace and dignity who will be missed by many friends, former colleagues at the University of Nebraska, and Green Party members. Click here for her family’s loving obituary.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.

FAREWELL TO BETTY PRATT . . . Early in the history of Nebraska Green Party, Betty Miles Pratt served as the NGP volunteer Database Keeper. Her dedicated commitment to Green Party Values and growing a grassroots alternative to corporate business-as-usual in the world of politics was key to building the foundation of current NGP membership. After a long, courageous battle with cancer, Betty died in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, July 19, 2008. She was a Southern woman of grace and dignity who will be missed by many friends, former colleagues at the University of Nebraska, and Green Party members. Click here for her family’s loving obituary.

CD 1 GREEN PARTY CHAPTER MEETING . . . Lincoln area Greens will move the July Chapter meeting to a new part of town: Meet at The Mill South, 4736 Prescott Avenue in College View, 7:00pm, Tuesday July 29, 2008. Steve Larrick will update his US Senate campaign.

MONDAY ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY VIGILS . . . Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty have vigiled continuously in front of the governor’s mansion (and inside the state capitol during winter) every Monday for years. The steadfast group has grown small with moves away from Lincoln, and the effort needs new energy, particularly in August when regular vigilers are also out of town. Meet in front of the governor’s mansion, 1425 H Street, Lincoln, Mondays from noon to 1:00pm. You may be one of only a few people, or you may be alone, but your presence will continue a long tradition of protest against state killings in Nebraska. Someone will be there with signs, if possible; but to be sure your presence is noticed, wear an ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY t-shirt or make a simple sign to hold while you vigil.  For more information contact NADP at 402.477.7787.

THE EXONERATED . . . Nebraska Repertory Theatre‘s Destinations Series presents “The Exonerated” for one performance only, Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 7:30pm in the Studio Theater, Temple Building, 12th & R Streets, Lincoln. The docudrama uses actual words of six real people to tell the true story of death row inmates found innocent. The script will be presented in a stage reading. A post-show discussion will be moderated by Stephen Griffith. No reservations are required, tickets are $7 at the door or free to NRT season pass holders, and coffee will be provided by The Coffee House.

FOOD ENTREPRENEUR WORKSHOP . . . The registration deadline is Monday, July 28, 2008, for a one-day seminar sponsored by the UN-L Food Processing Center for individuals interested in exploring the idea of starting a food manufacturing business. The “From Recipe to Reality” seminar is Friday, August 8th. Pre-registration is required, there is a fee, and space is limited. Phone 402.472.2819, or e-mail jgifford1 at unl dot edu for an information packet.

GROW AND SHARE FRESH PRODUCE . . . Area gardeners are invited to take excess fruits and vegetables to Campbell’s Nurseries, 2342 South 40th Street and 7000 South 56th Street, Lincoln, where it will be collected by the Food Bank and distributed to 100 agencies in Southeast Nebraska that serve low-income individuals and families. Produce may also be dropped off at the Food Bank, 4840 Doris Bair Circle (three blocks north of 48th & Superior Streets), 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Do not pre-wash or refrigerate produce, and transport it in paper sacks rather than plastic bags to avoid spoilage.

WEDNESDAY 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 mark at weddleton dot com for more information.

HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI EXHIBIT . . . A 30 piece Hiroshima-Nagasaki Exhibit is on display at First United Methodist Church, 2723 North 50th Street, Lincoln.  Monday through Friday, enter through the north side door. The exhibit is in the basement. It prepares the way for a Nagasaki Lantern Float on Saturday,August 9, 2008, 6:30-9:30pm at Holmes Park.

GROW YOUR OWN FALL GARDEN . . . Many garden crops planted in mid-August thrive in the cooler days of fall. Saturday, August 2, 2008, 9:30am to 11:30am, there will be a free workshop co-sponsored by Lincoln’s Cooperative Grocery Open Harvest and Community CROPS on how to Grow Your Own Fall Garden. This class will be at the First Presbyterian Church 18th & F Street Community Garden. It is part of a From Garden to Table grant. For more information, or to pre-register, phone 402.474.9802, or visit the Community CROPS website linked here.

COMMUNITY ARTS CELEBRATION . . . Sunday, August 3, 2008, from 1:00 to 4:00pm, visit the Lux Center for the Arts, 2601 North 48th Street, Lincoln, for a free celebration of art including demonstrations, hands-on projects, painting on an outdoor mural, and dancing to reggae music by RC Dub. There will be face painting and free popcorn from Colby Ridge. Bring your own t-shirt to tie-dye at a booth hosted by Blick Art Materials. For more information, phone 402.466.8692.

NEBRASKA GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES . . . Green Party candidates for 2008 in Partisan elections are Steven R. Larrick, U.S. Senate; and for Douglas County Board, District 1: Scott Hoffman; District 3: Derek Glaser; District 5: Susan Koneck. Laverne Thraen has filed for the Non-Partisan OPPD Board of Directors Metro District, and Doug Paterson is a candidate for Public Service Commission District 2 in Omaha.

We are not the alternative; we are the imperative. ReShape ’08. Register Green. Vote Green.