From the open publishing newswire: Portland, Ore. - May 27, 2008 - The WhyNotPortland campaign today submitted 30,520 signatures for its ballot initiative to provide health insurance for uninsured school children in Portland. The initiative will require 27,255 valid signatures from registered Portland voters to be certified for the November 2008 general election ballot in Portland.

The plan would allow children to see their pediatrician or other primary care provider for a $10 co-pay while providing coverage for hospitalizations and other major illnesses. Other highlights include no exclusions for pre-existing medical conditions, near immediate eligibility for newly enrolled Portland public school students and coverage would begin February 1, 2009.

Volunteers will continue to gather more signatures until the initiative is certified for the ballot. For more information about the initiative, please visit www.whynotportland.org or contact Dr. Gregg Coodley at (503) 452-0915.

 http://www.whynotportland.org

From the open publishing newswire: an update on the going ons of the sit in going on in Olympia.... A student sit-in at the Evergreen State College (TESC) has now surpassed its 100th hour and is heading into its fifth day. The sit-in is in support of reinstatement of the banned student group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

The student protesters have peacefully occupied the Seminar One building and have renamed it People's University. This sit-in is a part of a struggle for Free Speech on campus and an effort to put to a halt to the trend of deteriorating student rights on campus.

On Friday, May 23 an Evergreen student lost her job as a result of her participation in the demonstrations. Kelly Beckham, 20, was fired from her job at campus Parking Services after being deemed by a "security threat" by Evergreen Chief of Police Ed Sorger. She was notified directly by the police of her termination, rather than by the proper chain of command of her employment. Kelly Beckham, a member of banned student group SDS, was a speaker at the SDS Free Speech rally that preceded the sit-in. The loss of her job was a direct result of her involvement with the sit-in.

Olympia SDS and their supporters intend to stay in the occupied building until SDS is reinstated as a student group. Olympia SDS is requesting support and solidarity in all forms. All Power to the people. Student Power. ~ Olympia SDS

Dispatch from Sit-In at Evergreen | Day 8 of Sit-In at Evergreen

From the open publishing newswire: The occupation at Evergreen continues.

Not too many personal accounts have been posted online about the sit-in/occupation at The Evergreen State College for the reinstatement of Olympia Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). It started Wednesday, May 21st around 4pm and has continued since. Just before the sit-in started, 150 students, staff and faculty gathered in Red Square for a planned Free Speech Rally where speakers from SDS, MEChA, CISPES and the Evergreen Animal Rights Network spoke about the free speech fight at Evergreen and made connections to political repression in the Green Scare, against MEChA in the Southwest and the FMLN.

Shortly after the rally started, SDS's last appeal with the college took place elsewhere on campus. When the rally ended students marched toward Vice President of Student Affairs Art Costantino's office in the Sem 1 building. He was outside of the building instead of in his office. Students confronted him and chanted "Free Speech!" and "Reinstate SDS!". Students attempted to have a discussion with him, but Art refused and walked away. The students then decided to march up the stairs in the Sem 1 building and sit-in outside of his office. Around 60 students started the sit-in.

Students, both SDSers and supporters, have kept a continuous presence outside of Art's office, rotating in shifts where 5 to over 20 students will be there at any given time. People continue to donate food and other needed supplies for the sit-in.

From the open publishing newswire: Starting around 4pm on Wednesday, members of SDS and their supporters started on occupation of the administrative offices at The Evergreen State College in Olympia until SDS is reinstated as a student group. This followed a rally for Free Speech on campus where 150 showed up. Stay tuned for updates.

[Day 2] Olympia SDS has occupied Evergreen's Vice President's office (as well as the entire top floor and roof of SEM I). The occupation is now going into its second day.

From the open publishing newswire: let's make it happen! the idea is pretty simple: a network of babysitters banding together to offer free childcare to the community.

my basic vision involves a website and/or hotline that families browse/call, submit a request, and get free childcare. families can view profiles for each of the many many sitters, with info on their experience, certification, childcare style/philosophy, and other info. they choose the sitter they want, and email them directly. probably 72 hours in advance is cool.

the hotline thing is trickier, but not impossible. i have a few ideas, but we can talk about logistics later.

if anyone is interested in maybe helping get this started, in whatever capacity, email me! i'd like to form a formal collective ASAP, get the program going by autumn, and maybe even turn it into a formal 501(c)3 nonprofit if we feel like that's important.

From the open publishing newswire: On Tuesday, March 18, local activist Forrest Student and member of SDS at The Evergreen State College in Olympia was targeted by Officer Perez of the Evergreen Police. Perez has a history of harassing and abusing students and other people on campus. When Perez approached him and started questioning him, the person said he had the right to have an attorney present and because of that, Perez arrested him for obstruction. Forrest continued in his refusal, demanding an attorney while in jail and at his arraignment. In response his charges were increased to misdemeanor criminal mischief. The judge refused to set bail and Forrest is still sitting in jail.

Forrest has been very involved in local politics of late, participating in the Port of Olympia protests in November and being very vocal in his criticism of the conduct by the Administration on campus in the wake of the events on Feb. 14th. In the current environment of political repression on campus and elsewhere, this development proves significantly troublesome. Forrest has been held in jail and is facing charges for exercising a right protected by the Fifth Amendment, the right not to speak to law enforcement without representation.

If you would like to lend assistance to Forrest for legal matters, send check or money to:

Forrest Student
910 4th Ave. E
Olympia, WA 98506

From the open publishing newswire: a film about murdered indymedia journalist brad will
Brazilian filmmaker and media activist Miguel will be on hand
to discuss his documentary tribute to a fallen friend.
(film in portuguese and spanish with english subtitles)

Monday March 24th 7 pm
Liberty Hall
311 N. Ivy St.

From the open publishing newswire: The student movement lives! Todays walkout/protest for students was the most high spirited and most energized protest I've ever been to. 1500/2000 students walked out of school today in Portland, to show Oregon and the world that the student movement does have a voice and a loud one as well.

As we arrived to the elephant at North Park Blocks, over a thousand high school students were already lining the sidewalks giving peace signs to cars passing by. As more and more students flooded in, we began doing speeches atop a trash can. Students talked about the costs of war, and I mentioned the corporate influence on the war as well as the growing student movement. We began the march shortly afterwards... Read More

Student Walkout- a brief report

By the time I made it downtown, the demonstration was already approaching City Hall. It was an impressive wave of (mostly) young people. The East side of City Hall was saturated with demonstrators, with several scaling the wall, up onto the balcony. The spirited crowd eventually moved on to the Wells Fargo Tower and beyond.

Police presence was heavy. I don't remember seeing any Robocops, but the bike, horse, motorcycle, squad-car, and foot officers were all there. There was even one Homeland Security vehicle that passed by a couple of times. Overall, they behaved even worse than they did yesterday, from what I saw. Read More

Video: 1

Related Articles: Walkout Update | | sergeant fender's badge number | Olympia SDSer Arrested!

Other Actions: All hopped up

From the open publishing newswire: KOIN, KGW, and KPTV have announced that only 300 hundred protesters (while really it was more like 1,300 protesters) "boycotted school." They mentioned that there were accounts of people fighting the police. And that "juveniles" were arrested for being in the street when we were on the sidewalk.

Fuck the corporate media. You slimy bastards.

From the open publishing newswire: Over the past 5 years, the student movement has been growing in Portland. The youth of America are the ones who will feel the true scorns of the war, as we are the ones expected to pay off this debt, our education is being cut, and we are the ones fighting this war. On March 20th, at 11 AM hundreds of students city wide, and thousands nation wide will be walking out of school, directly resisting our planned day to day events. By walking out, students not only take a stand against the war, but also assert our own power as a community determined to enact change. Students are willing to disrupt our education for one day to take a stand against five years of mounting death tolls.

We as students also believe that anti-war efforts have been too moderate and passive to make a difference. This protest (starting at 1 PM by the elephant in the North Park Blocks) has not been registered by the city of Portland, as we do not wish to host a parade. We wish to start a movement that is no longer about feeling good about yourself, but making a change in the world. Patting yourselves on the back after marching in a permitted area is not likely to directly affect war profiteers or anything for that matter. This is why we feel it necessary to make this stride.

From the open publishing newswire: As part of a nationwide day of action to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, students in the Portland metropolitan area will walk out of class on March 20. Students will walk out at 11:00 to converge in the North Park Blocks for a rally and march beginning at 1:00.

The event will address student-specific aspects of the Iraq War, and emphasize the responsibility that each citizen has to respond to this illegal and immoral war. As a group, students are adversely affected by the war in that we lack legislative representation, are targeted for military recruitment, and experience the loss of resources that comes from an inflating war budget. By walking out, students not only take a stand against the war, but also assert our own power as a community determined to enact change. Acknowledging that silence gives consent, students are willing to disrupt our education for one day to take a stand against five years of mounting death tolls.

From the open publishing newswire: Community is gathering to share crafts, food, and fun while supporting a democratic school focused on self-directive learning.

The Village Free School is partway through its third year serving youth five to eighteen in the Portland area. The school has grown from 24 students to 47 in just over two years and continues to move towards becoming a stable and significant contributor to the independent, alternative, and democratic community minded spirit of Portland.

With a commitment to be financially accessible to families, the school relies on local donations to subsidize its costs. On Sunday, November 25th, local artisans, crafters, musicians, foodies, and families from around Portland will meet up for a first ever Craft Bazaar at Liberty Hall.

Admission will be free, but the event is hoping to generate community relationships and donations.

Local music showman Professor Banjo (aka Paul Silveria) will play for kids (and adults too) from 2 - 3pm.

This fun can be found at 311 N. Ivy - one block south of Fremont, one block west of Vancouver. Near the 4, 44 and 33 bus lines.

 http://www.villagefreeschool.org
503-545-6586

From the open publishing newswire: Today religious leaders from every corner of Oregon wrote to Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Gordon Smith asking that both the federal and state government do more to address the growing number of homeless students in Oregon seeking an education. A report issued this month by the state Department of Education documented that Oregon schools served over 15,000 homeless students at the same time that the federal government cut funding to support this population group by 10%.

"No child should be homeless in a nation as rich as ours." - Oregon Religious Leaders