From the open publishing newswire: Out on the edge of Cascadia, there is a pirate raft being built from recycled material, that will ferry people up and down the Columbia. There's an eco village with a composting toilet and a kite powered water pump. There's a thrift shop/ media center/ potlatch. And if you're looking to start a new life, there's an open invitation to you:

Get thee out to Ilwaco.

There, the Nutrinos and friends are laying the groundwork for a community on the water, centered around activism, anti capitalism, egalitarianism, hard work, and fun. Lots and lots of fun.

From the open publishing newswire: The Portland Police Bureau has continued its criminalization of houselessness, by sweeping 50 folks from under and atop the Burnside Bridge on 6/24, and sweeping almost 50 more folks from the Hawthorne and Morrison Bridges the following night. Their possessions were confiscated and thrown away. The Portland Coalition Against Poverty is hosting a demonstration to demand an immediate end to police harassment of poor and houseless people. It is on Wednesday, July 9th, at 5pm, in the North Park Blocks.

From the open publishing newswire: Rising Moon Organics (RMO) has served the finest ravioli and desserts at the Oregon Country Fair (OCF) since 1992. RMO was formerly one of many food booths producing mountains of trash over the 3 day festival, but changed their approach in 1993 to pursue a trash-free mission.
As a result, RMO has saved over 100,000 plates, cups and forks from going to the landfill. RMO marked its 15th year at the Oregon Country Fair in 2006, by becoming a not-for-profit booth donating all profits to local organizations.

RMO has been instrumental in creating a sustainable fair with less trash that supports the OCF in furthering its trash-free mission. The process began in collaboration with the Fern Ridge School District to wash most durables off site. And that was just the beginning for greening the practices of feeding thousands of hungry fair goers.

From the open publishing newswire: Last Thursday on Alberta, attendees discovered that the usual street fair there had become a temporary carfree district. But definitely not on the initiative of city officials...

More pictures here

From the open publishing newswire: The Iraqi Children's campaign efforts to put up a prominent billboard in the Portland Metro area ran into a roadblock last week when Clear Channel refused to allow the billboard. The proposed billboard is on our website and features a frightened Iraqi child with the words, "Every child matters!" www.iraqichildrenscampaign.org

This billboard is tasteful and simply shows a frightened iraqi child and conveys the message that every child matters regardless of their nation of origin. But Clear channel has decided that the people of Portland don't need to be reminded of the pain and suffering of children in their name. They claim that the design is "not right for the market at this time" which is of course utterly absurd.

From the open publishing newswire: On sunday afternoon two guerrilla artists brought ladders and a message to dixie mattress company store front on se belmont: they covered the two confederate flag emblems flanking the entrance with two metal sheets spray painted with portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the phrase "I have a dream" amidst onlookers.

From the open publishing newswire: Come join us at the Earl's Den to say goodbye to the 4th Amendment. There will be two ceremonies---- one at high noon at Rep. Blumenauer's office and the second about 2:15-2:30 at the fed building. Many of us will join members from Veterans for Peace and Code Pink at the fed building.

Congress, as a whole, has abandoned us for whatever reason---fear, power, money, or just plain stupidity, I don't care what the reason is, they all have to go. That will be my rallying cry from now until November. When people see that a politician has the word incumbent after his/her name they will get sick at the thought of voting for them.

The action starts at:

729 SE Oregon St. (Earl's Den)
@ high noon
2:15-2:30 we will be at the fed building to show that we loved the 4th Amendment and want to pay our respects.

4th Amendment:
- Protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

From the open publishing newswire: Indiana June 24- Resistance to I-69 has been rapidly heating up in the past month. While the first protest camp set up was quietly evicted in early May, a tree-sit and occupation created in the path of a proposed onramp later that month lasted five weeks.

During that time, participants also built an elaborate ground camp, while simultaneously carrying on intensive organizing with local families threated by the road, culminating in a community picnic in Oakland City attended jointly by landowners and eco-activists. Exciting demonstrations and solidarity actions happened throughout the month - in Bloomington, Louisville, Maryland, and beyond.

From the open publishing newswire: The Lane County Coalition Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) are hosting a rally and a march on Sunday, June 29th from the EMU on the University of Oregon Campus. They intend to draw awareness to the impact of the Olympics on the poor and homeless communities locally and globally.

From the open publishing newswire: On Friday night, June 20, a group of about a dozen protesters headed to the restaurant Ten-01, at 1001 NW Couch. The owner of this restaurant (who ironically also owns the veg restaurant Nutshell) had previously told protesters in person that he would take foie gras off the menu and never serve it again - at which point an earlier protest was cancelled, and protesters with signs in hand walked away from the establishment. However, he has once again put it on the menu.

To produce foie gras (fatty liver) ducks and geese are force-fed two to three times per day using metal pipes shoved down their throats. Their throats and esophagus' are scratched and wounded with the insertion and removal of the pipes, sometimes causing mortal infections... Some animals are too sick to even stand. The production of foie gras is banned in many places, including the UK, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Israel, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Argentina, on grounds of animal cruelty. For more information and video, see http://www.goveg.com/feat/foie/

Managers and employees at Ten-01 taunted us, saying they would never take foie gras off the menu, and that we were only letting potential customers know that foie gras was served there, thus helping their business. However, we saw a number of parties turn away and go elsewhere, once they were shown that foie gras is served at Ten-01. The valet told us that business was slower than usual... At one point an Elmer Fudd looking dude who identified himself as "block security" and was wearing an "official t-shirt" told us that we had to move on.... Fortunately, what remains of the First Amendment dictates that it is legal to peacefully protest. Message to Ten-01: you do not in fact own the public sidewalk.

From the open publishing newswire: I interviewed Clifton in the neighborhood near where he was assaulted on Saturday 6-12-08. He told me on camera how he was assaulted by two assholes coming out of a bar on SE 48 and Belmont street here in Portland Oregon around 7pm at night. This happened as he was waiting for a bus to go to work on an evening shift...the job he lost due to be taken to jail and missing work.

Hear Mr Brooks tell "his version" of how he lost his job due to being on city street in Portland waiting for his bus to go to work and then being jumped by two drunks ... and if thats not enough having the portland police come long and shock the shit out of him and take him off to jail? [ Read More | Video: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV | joe-anybody.com ]

From the open publishing newswire: Acting in solidarity with the call out for a decentralized day of action on June 21st, an ad hoc group of Portland residents intends to establish a temporary autonomous zone in downtown Portland. The space created by our action intends to

-Challenge the Sit/Lie Ordinance through community power
-Create a conversation surrounding the criminalization of poverty
-Demonstrate that commodified and (para)militarized urban areas can be re-imagined through creative transformations.
-Uphold the demands of the United Poor People (UPP).  http://homelessliberation.wordpress.com/
-Recognize that listening and cooperation requires attention to systematic modes of oppression and privilege related to race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

From the open publishing newswire: Briana Waters was sentenced to six years in prison and three years probation. She did receive the terrorism enhancement. The judge recommended her to Dublin. Judge denied appeal bond and also the ability to self surrender.

Judge Burgess commented on the over 250 letters he received on Briana's behalf. Neil Fox, Ms. Waters' attorney, argued that the average of both Washington and Oregon cases was one and a half years per arson. Mr. Fox argued for five years with serving one and half suspending three and a half. The prosecution argued for ten years.

Briana Waters spoke eloquently today on her behalf. There were a dozen supporters for Briana Waters in the court room.