Activist Alert 11-6-2014

• Supreme Court journalist and author Garrett Epps is back in Eugene this week to speak about his new book, American Justice 2014: Nine Clashing Visions on the Supreme Court. Epps will speak at 4:30 pm Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Knight Law Center Wayne Morse Commons. Epps is a former UO law professor who now teaches at the University of Baltimore School of Law. He covers the Supreme Court for The Atlantic and contributes to The American Prospect. See waynemorsecenter.uo.edu. 

All About Parvin, an episodic series by Eugene videographer Tim Lewis documenting the mining of Parvin Butte and the community it affects, has its Eugene debut 6:30 pm Thursday, Nov. 6, at First Christian Church, 1166 Oak St. The event is $10, sliding scale, and food and refreshments will follow.

Eugene’s sick leave ordinance administrative rules are being developed. A series of public meetings are being held and the last will be from 6 to 8:30 pm Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Eugene Public Library. See eugene-or.gov/sickleave for more information.

• “Experiencing Inequity in Law Enforcement” is the topic at City Club of Eugene at noon Friday, Nov. 7, at the Downtown Athletic Club, 999 Willamette St. Speakers include Linda Hamilton, president of Blacks in Government, Jim Stauffer of the ACLU and Juan Carlos Valle, president of the United Latin American Citizens of Lane County. $5 for non-members. See cityclubofeugene.org. The following week, Nov. 14, local police chiefs and the county sheriff will talk about “Achieving Equity in Law Enforcement.”

• The 11th annual Close the SOA! benefit concert will be at 7 pm Friday, Nov. 7, at Wellsprings Friends School, 3590 W. 18th Ave., featuring folksinger Tom Rawson and the Eugene Peace Choir. Suggested donation is $5 to $15, but no one will be turned away. Sponsored by Latin America Solidarity Committee of Eugene. For more information about School of the Americas (SOA) and an upcoming vigil at Fort Benning Nov. 21-23, see soaw.org.

Auschwitz survivor Eva Kor, along with her twin sister, was subjected to Nazi medical experiments by Dr. Josef Mengle at the age of 10. She will speak on “Forgiveness, the Triumph of the Human Spirit” at a gathering that begins at 6:30 pm Saturday, Nov. 8, at Columbia 150 on the UO campus. Kor founded the CANDLES Holocaust museum in Indiana where she now lives. The lecture is sponsored by PeaceJam Northwest and the Division of Student Life at UO. $5 for non-students.

Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah is planning its 25th annual Fall Celebration & Anniversary Angel Fundraiser from 5 to 7 pm Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 13th and Chambers. Reservations at bufordpark.org or call 344-8350. Organizers say the event includes “food, drink, music, stories, friends and fun.”

• The ACLU Civil Conversation series presents a discussion on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as a threat to civil liberties. Numerous municipalities have formally opposed the new sections. Colin Farnsworth of People Against National Defense Authorization Act (PANDA Oregon) will explain how local officials can prohibit NDAA’s application in Oregon. The free talk is from 5:30 to 6:45 pm Monday, Nov. 10, at the Eugene Public Library. Food and drinks allowed. Contact lanechapter@aclu-or.org.

• Author Chris Dixon will speak on “Talking Across Today’s Transformative Movements” at 1 pm Monday, Nov. 10, at the LCC Longhouse on the main campus. Dixon is author of Another Politics. Contact Stan Taylor of the Lane Peace Center at taylors@lanecc.edu.

• The Climate Action Plan Task Force is hosting the second Corvallis Climate Action Plan public forum from 7 to 8:30 pm Wednesday, Nov. 12, in the main meeting room of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Topics for discussion will include land use and transportation, urban natural resources and buildings and energy. See corvalliscap.org for more information.

• The No Industrial Pisgah group has launched an online petition to the city of Springfield to save the rural Seavey Loop area and its small farms from industrial zoning. More than 660 people have signed the petition as of Monday, Nov. 3, and organizers are hoping for a total of 2,000. Find the petition at http://wkly.ws/1u8. The group is also planning a public fast from dawn to dusk at Springfield City Hall Nov. 14-15, led by a Japanese Buddhist order.