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

LINCOLN CANDIDATES DEBATES . . . The League of Women Voters of Lincoln-Lancaster County will host four debates for candidates on the ballot in the May 5 general election from 4:15 to 8:00pm, Monday April 20, 2009, in the Bevins Family Life Center of St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1144 M Street, Lincoln. Click here for a schedule of the debates. Click here for bios and Q&A with candidates.

VOTE EARLY . . . Early/absentee voting for the May 5 Lincoln City General Election begins Monday, April 20, 2009. An early/absentee ballot request form is available here.  To vote early by mail, fill out the form and return it to the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s Office, 601 North 46 Street, Lincoln, NE 68503. Or call the election office before 4:00pm April 29, 441.7311, and have an early/absentee ballot request form mailed or faxed. Voters also can vote early in person at 601 North 46th, Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.

RENEWABLE ENERGY & NEBRASKA’S FUTURE . . . Monday, April 20, 2009, a new documentary produced by students of the UN-L College of Journalism & Mass Communications, “Renewable Energy & Nebraska’s Future,” will premiere at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 North 13th Street, Lincoln. There will be a 6:30pm pre-screening discussion with students behind the project. The film will be followed by an 8:00pm conversation about renewable energy with Congressman Jeff Fortenberry.

HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS . . . Elena Dodd, Vermont playwright/actress, continues her Nebraska tour presenting a one-woman show “Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” on Monday, April 20, 7:00pm at Doane College, Sheldon Hall, CRETE; Thursday, April 23, 1:30-2:30pm at the Nebraska Supreme Court, 2nd floor of the state capitol building, LINCOLN (public performance); and Saturday, April 25, 10:00am, at the Holiday Inn, 9th & O Streets, LINCOLN, followed by a noon lunch. For lunch reservations, phone Bob Haller, 402.488.4258, or e-mail mshortt [at] inebraska [dot] com.

SOLAR ENERGY OUTREACH . . . International solar energy expert Richard Komp,  Executive Director, Skyheat Associates, continues to bring solar energy education to Nebraska at the following OMAHA events: TUESDAY, April 21, Noon and 1:00pm – Two, one-hour “edutainment” lectures at the UNO Milo Bail Student Center, hosted by UNO’s Maverick Productions.TUESDAY, April 21, 7:00-9:00pm – Public lecture at El Museo Latino, 4701 South 25 Street. WEDNESDAY, April 22, 7:00-9:00pm – Progressive Omaha Film Group, McFoster’s Natural Kind Café, 38th and Harney.  THURSDAY, April 23, 6-9:30pm – Public lecture at King Science Center, 3720 Florence Blvd., with the Omaha Astronomy Club. Viewing on football field after lecture. FRIDAY, April 24, 6:30-9:00pm – Public lecture, Lewis & Clark Jr. High School, 6901 Burt. SATURDAY, April 25, 9:00am-4:30pm – Energy education seminar and public outreach at Beveridge Magnet Center, 1616 South 120 Street.

LINCOLN CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM . . . Wachiska Audubon, the Bluestem Group of Sierra Club, Friends of Wilderness Park, and the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters will co-sponsor a forum for City Council candidates in the May election on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 7:00pm, at the Lincoln Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street. The public is invited to participate and to submit questions at the forum, or in advance to Mike Carlin, mcarlin [at] neb [dot] rr [dot] com.

POISONED WATERS . . . FRONTLINE examines the rising hazards to human health and the ecosystem in a new documentary, “Poisoned Waters,” Tuesday, April 21, 2009, from 8:00 to 10:00pm Central Time, on PBS. View a trailer here.

ENERGY STIMULUS PROGRAMS . . . Informational sessions on Nebraska energy assistance programs will be held from Tuesday, April 21 through Thursday, April 23, 2009 in Scottsbluff, Kearney and Ashland, Nebraska. Click here for times and location details.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION AT WESLEYAN . . . Greens will host a table at the Nebraska Wesleyan University Earth Day celebration Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 10:00am to 1:00pm. The Celebration will be located between the Story Student Center and the Smith Curtis Administration Building at NWU. Contact Environmental Action’s Heather Bearnes by phone at 402.360.1482, or e-mail hbearnes [at] nebrwesleyan [dot] edu for more information.

LINCOLN GREEN DRINKS . . . Green Drinks, the international social network of environmentally interested activists and friends, will meet in Lincoln Wednesday, April 22, 2009, from 5:30pm to close, at Lazlo’s Brewery and Grill, 210 North 7th Street, in the Haymarket. Green Drinks is now active in 488 cities worldwide.

THE ELEVENTH HOUR . . . Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The 11th Hour” is a documentary concerning Our environmental crises. The 11th Hour is the last moment when change is possible. The film will be shown in Lincoln on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 7:30 and 9:30pm, at the former State Theater, now Bourbon Theater, 1415 O Street. View the trailer here.

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 event will feature solar energy expert Richard Komp. 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 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. 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.

“BORDERLANDS PROTECTION” . . . For over ten years, the United States government has implemented a border policy that is resulting in destruction of unique habitat along the US/Mexican border. Omaha Sierra Club will meet Thursday, April 23, 2009, 7:00pm, at First United Methodist Church, 69th & Cass Streets, to view the short film Wild vs. Wall.  Following the film, questions and concerns will be discussed with Omaha native Sean Sullivan, Chair of the Sierra Club Borderlands Team. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, phone Mary Green at 556.1830, or e-mail mary [dot] green [at] nebraska [dot] sierraclub [dot] org.

EARTH DAY AT UN-L . . . The UNL annual Earth Day Festival will be Friday, April 24, 2009, 10:00am to 5:00pm on the green space north of the City Campus Union. In case of rain, space has been reserved inside the Union. The goal of the Festival is to educate about environmental issues and celebrate The Earth. Stop by the Nebraska Green Party table and introduce yourself!

NETWORK WITH NONPROFIT LEADERS . . . The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands presents “Connect. Promote. Strengthen. A Nonprofits Guide to Building Capacity,” from 9:00 to 11:00am, Friday, April 24, 2009 at the Lincoln Community Foundation, 215 Centennial Mall South, #100, Lincoln. For details, click here.

RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS MEET IN LINCOLN . . . Friday, April 24, 2009, returned Peace Corps volunteers will meet at 7:30pm for dinner at The Bread and Cup, on the corner of 8th & S Streets in Lincoln’s Haymarket, 440 North 8th, Suite 150. The dinner is open to all for discussion of current events and Green politics. For more information, or to carpool from Omaha, e-mail bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com, or phone 402.326.1775.

OMAHA EARTH DAY . . . The Omaha Earth Day Festival in Elmwood Park, 808 South 60th Street, will be Saturday, April 25, 2009, noon to 8:00pm. The event was rescheduled because of weather. The free Festival will feature family-friendly booths, exhibitions, displays, music and food.

AWAKENING THE DREAMER SYMPOSIUM . . . Click here to watch a four minute video about this “Symposium designed to accelerate the Great Turning to a just and sustainable world.” Participants are invited to “reconnect with their deep concern for Our world, and are empowered to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on Earth,” Saturday, April 25, 2009, 9:00am to 1:00pm, at Unity Church of Omaha, 3424 North 90th Street. For more information, click here.

ACLU ANNUAL . . . The 2009 ACLU Nebraska Annual Dinner will be Saturday, April 25, 6:00pm, at the Holiday Inn Downtown, 141 North Ninth Street, Lincoln.  Keynote Speaker will be Lucas Guttentag, founding national director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project. Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest will receive the Roger Baldwin Civil Libertarian of the Year Award, Christy Abraham will receive the Robert M. Spire Founders Service Award, and Nelson Potter will receive the Defender of the Bill of Rights Award. For reservations, phone 402.476.8091, or e-mail mmoslander [at] aclunebraska [dot] org by Friday, April 24th.

CENTRAL NEBRASKA PEACE WORKERS MONTHLY MEETING . . . This month’s regular CNPW meeting is Sunday, April 26, 2009, 3:00pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 511 North Elm Street, GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska. Greens and all peace workers welcome. For more information, contact Mena Sprague, mine71 [at] hughes [dot] net.

INTERNATIONAL SEED DAY . . . The Green Party endorses International Seeds Day, (pdf) Sunday, April 26, 2009, calling for the repeal of Order 81 making Iraqi farmers dependent on US firms. ISD, organized by the Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies, will educate the public and media about the importance of biodiversity and seed saving; the dangers of genetically modified food and patent seeds; the ruinous effect of Order 81 on Iraqi agriculture; and the growing resistance to the power of giant agribusinesses over seed resources. The Green Party supports the right of farmers to save their own seeds and preserve the heritage that farmers have developed over thousands of years to sustain human populations. Greens support protection for small farms, farmers’ markets, and organically and locally grown produce in the US and around the world. The Green Party opposes genetic modification of organisms used for food and supports legislation to protect the public from threats to biodiversity from seed stocks created by corporations. • “The First 100 Days: What Would a Green Administration Look Like?” Click here for video and text.

PALESTINE FOCUS . . . A noon potluck benefit to help support Christian Peacemaker Team member Jessica Frederick will be Sunday, April 26, 2009, at the Mennonite church, 7300 Holdrege Street, Lincoln. At 10:45am, Dr. Gordon Brubacher will speak on Occupied Palestine from his academic and personal experiences in the area. Following the noon meal, Jessica will update her work with CPT. Lincoln Palestinians Sam and Fay Ismail will also be part of the discussion. Click here for details.

SPRING ON THE PRAIRIE . . . Sunday, April 26, 2009, 1:00 to 5:00pm, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center will host an Open House and walks through the prairie’s trails. Light refreshments will be served in the Center.

LEDGES STATE PARK DAY HIKE . . . Sunday, April 26, 2009, there will be an organized day hike at Ledges State Park near the Des Moines River. The hike will cover a mix of prairie and woodlands, starting near Inspiration Point. Carpools can be arranged. E-mail Bob Goetschkes, bobbygoetschkes [at] hotmail [dot] com, or phone 402.614.4788 for more information and to rsvp.

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

OMAHA COMMUNITY CONVERSATION . . . “Women’s Health and Racial Justice: A Prescription for Success” is the topic of a Community Conversation Monday, April 6, 2009, 7:00 to 9:00pm at the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition,  2240 Landon Court. The conversation is part of a Series on Racial Justice.

PRIMARY ELECTION DAY . . . Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 8:00am to 8:00pm, please vote in local Primary Elections at your polling place. Click here to find a sample ballot for the Lincoln primary (pdf). Click here for a Douglas County sample ballot (pdf). Candidate and polling place information for Douglas County is here;  for Lancaster County, click here.  In Lincoln, you can also vote Monday, April 4th, at the Lancaster County Election Commissioner’s office, 601 North 46th Street.

PEACE FEST AT DANA COLLEGE . . . Tuesday April 7, 2009, 10:00am, through Thursday, April 9, Dana College in BLAIR will host Peace Fest 2009. Workshops begin with Tim Rinne, State coordinator of Nebraskans For Peace speaking on StratCom:  The Most Dangerous Place on the Face of the Earth, and concluding April 9 at 10:00am with Sr. Maryann Klostermann speaking on Alternatives to Violence. Many other speakers will present! For a Schedule of workshops, click here.

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.

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.

WACHISKA AUDUBON ANNUAL POTLUCK . . . The Wachiska Audubon  annual awards program and potluck will be Wednesday, April 8, 2009, beginning at 6:15pm. The event will be held at Van Dorn Villa 3001 South 51 Street, Lincoln. This year’s Earthkeeper Award will be presented to Lincoln environmental activist Foster Collins. Following dinner and awards, Alan C. Kamil, director of the School of Biological Sciences and George Holmes Professor of Biological Sciences and Psychology at Un-L, will speak on the cognitive abilities of birds.

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. This week’s film is Don’t Call Me A Saint.  The event is always free and open to the public. 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.

PROGRESSIVE OMAHA MEETING . . . Saturday, April 11, 2009, 6:00 to 9:00pm, Progressive Omaha  will meet at 4924 Chicago, (the corner of 50th and Chicago) in Omaha’s Dundee neighborhood. A potluck will be from 6:00-7:00pm. The guest speaker at 8:000pm will be Tristan Bonn, former Public Safety Auditor, addressing the current status of a Public Safety Auditor ordinance, and other City issues. Progressive Omaha is an organization that provides information, education and support to progressive people and groups through website outreach, speakers bureau, a weekly film festival, calendar of events, and monthly meetings.  All are welcome.

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