We captured this on our way from the libert forum in Nahsua to the fox news debate gathering at the manchester toll booth at 293 and 101. This puts an end to any questions of whether Ron Paul supporters have achieved liftoff with airborne banners that are huge and quite good quality. The First of many sightings to come.
Ron Paul Revolution
Last Updated ( Monday, 07 January 2008 04:14 )
Green Tree Voted Portlands Green Business Professional!
Written by AdminPost
Sunday, 18 November 2007 00:00
Step Up To The Plate...and get a beer mug By Justin Ellis Portland Press Herald Blog October 04, 2007
The League of Young Voters billed Wednesday night's "Step Up To The Plate" awards as "not your typical awards ceremony. Which in some ways was true, but in others was only sort of true.
The League of Young Voters billed Wednesday night's "Step Up To The Plate" awards as "not your typical awards ceremony. Which in some ways was true, but in others was only sort of true.
Wednesday’s occasion, which was also co-sponsored by the Bollard, was to recognize the work of the many people around Portland who do work to change people’s lives in ways big and small, or generally just make living here generally pleasant.
In feting the city's best young social entrepreneurs, the League came up with eight unique categories:
Green Professional Start-Up Business Person Urban Ecologist Artist Service Worker Technology Maven Activist City Employee Healthy Lifestyle Educator
The nominees, and voting, were all done online, beginning with nominations in the August.
Walking away with honors - in this case a sweet engraved beer mug to drink with class and pride - Wednesday night were Forrest Keever of Green Tree Clothing and Mainely Masters Art Gallery, who won green professional.
Keever gave a nod to the League for bringing together so many community-minded people in one room, saying it takes people to talk about things like sustainable living and community action to bring about change.
"I see this award as shared. You can have a drink out of my cup any time," he said raising his mug to applause.
Kim Anderson and Anna Maria Tocci of the North Star Music Cafe won for start-up businessperson(s) of the year, start-up organic farmer Sarah Bostick won urban ecologist for her work creating community gardens around the city, and Vanessa Torres and Touching Ground took the artist award for their socially conscious music.
Saul Amedee took the technology maven award for his volunteer work educating on computer disposal and e-waste, Jill Barkley, organizer of the Dyke March (style?...just say queer and relationship violence advocacy) took activist honors and Heather Chandler, creator of the "Sunrise Guide" won healthy lifestyles educator.
Shana Paradis was recognized as the best city employee for her work as an English teacher at Deering High School. Paradis said she was flattered by the award, but told the audience she could not accept it without acknowledging the work being done by countless other teachers within the Portland schools.
"I want to say thank you to all the teachers and 'this one's for you,'" she said.
The regular fingerprints of the League were all over this event, to get in you could pay your age or on a sliding scale, there was no shortage of love for local hip-hop as SayLove! provided the evening's beats and the dress code was less than stiff.
But like I said in the beginning, saying it was "not your typical awards ceremony" was only half true.
After all, there were the obligatory cash bar and steamer trays filled with delicious finger food. There were more than a few politicians working the room, from City Council candidates such as John Anton, Jill Duson and Dan Skolnik, to candidates for Democrat Tom Allen's First District Congressional seat, including the Democratic state senator from "Handsometown" himself, Sen. Ethan Strimling of Portland.
There was also a high profile guest, in this case the made-in-Maine beefcake and Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott. Now I don't want to knock the first guy to win a gold medal in snowboard cross, but Wescott's remarks were rather short because he took more than a few minutes to screen a video on why snowboarding is his passion, which was odd. Still, as an entrepreneur and someone socially active himself, Wescott said finding what you are passionate about and following it is important, especially if it can benefit the community.
In the end I think it means something, because in the few (ok, four) years I've been working here, the League has gone from being an almost-outlaw group with a name we weren't completely able to spell out in print, to renting out one of the largest function rooms in the city - podium and all.
They went from an upstart group desperately trying to rally the skaters, graffiti punks, hip-hop heads and other smart, motivated and socially conscious people around town who have been otherwise snubbed by traditional politics and the party system.
Parties is something they largely did without, unless of course it meant bringing in a DJ, some breakdancers and having some Geary's, which I think everyone is okay with.
Now the League is working shoulder to shoulder with lawmakers (more than a few, including Rep. Herb Adams, D-Portland, were in attendance) to create laws, such as Opportunity Maine, and bring young voters into the political mix - see last month's local candidates debate.
Justin Alfond, statewide director for the League, told the audience young people are finally being seen as an integral part of Portland's community, and rising up in business and politics. Alfond said the League, through its voter education, community events and activism is supporting the next generation of Portland's leaders.
It's not exactly going from the outsiders to the political establishment so much as it is making a whole new scenario all together.
In the end, maybe the advertisers at Virginia Slims said it best: "You've come a long way, baby."
Mike Sutherland * Director of HIA Passes
Written by AdminPost
Thursday, 20 September 2007 00:00
It is with great sadness that we pass along the news of the death fo a true warrior to the hemp community. Michael Sutherland, 41, founder of Peopleshemp and a Director of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), was killed August 26 in a whitewater rafting accident in China. Read the interview that Michael did with The Alternative Consumer for an excellent perspective of who he was and how he did business.
APPLETON — The son of former Appleton Mayor James Sutherland was killed Aug. 26 in a rafting accident in China, the elder Sutherland confirmed Saturday.
Michael Sutherland, 41, was among three killed when a whitewater raft overturned.
He had attended Appleton West High School until 1983, when the family moved to California.
James Sutherland, now 72, was mayor from 1972 to 1980, when he lost to Dorothy Johnson.
Contacted at his home in Santa Barbara, the former mayor said his son had settled in China and had lived there for more than 10 years, operating a hemp textile business. He was single and had a Chinese girlfriend.
“He was the outdoors type and had an adventuresome spirit,” said Sutherland. “Some years earlier he had biked through China, India, Nepal and Pakistan.”
Sutherland said Michael joined up with an American who teaches whitewater rafting safety in the U.S.
He and Michael, Michael’s girlfriend and four other Chinese went rafting on the Nanpanjie River about 100 miles south of Michael’s home in Kunming on Aug. 26.
There was one person in a kayak and Michael and the other five were on a raft.
“They got to this very rough stretch of river where it went through a gorge,” said Sutherland.
Both the kayak and the raft capsized.
“The man in the kayak was not able to right his kayak and the raft threw out all six people and four got to shore,” said Sutherland. “Michael’s girlfriend’s body was found hours later and it was several days before they found the bodies of Michael and the Chinese man about 100 kilometers downstream.”
They were all wearing protective gear and lifejackets.
“There was an eyewitness report that Mike was apparently last seen attempting to save his girlfriend. He was a very good swimmer, but it was obviously very rough water at that point,” said Sutherland.
A memorial service was held Friday evening in Kunming for Michael Sutherland.
Governor Can Help California Economy and Environment
Written by AdminPost
Thursday, 20 September 2007 00:00
Governor Can Help California Economy and Environment by Signing New Industrial Hemp Farming Bill
SACRAMENTO, CA — Vote Hemp, the nation's leading grassroots organization working to revitalize U.S. industrial hemp production, urges California editorial writers to support AB 684, The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act. This landmark, bi-partisan legislation is now up for the Governor's signature and would establish guidelines for farming the non-psychoactive plant which is used in a wide variety of everyday consumer products, including food, body care, clothing, paper, auto parts and bio-fuel.
AB 684 was authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine). Thanks to their leadership, this is the second time in two years that a bi-partisan hemp farming bill has passed the legislature. AB 684 is very different from AB 1147 which was vetoed by the Governor last year.
California Industrial Hemp Farming Act Changes from 2006 to 2007
AB 684 takes careful and measured steps toward industrial hemp cultivation with a 4-county pilot program that will sunset after 5 years. Near the end of the pilot program the Attorney General will report to the legislature on law enforcement impacts, and the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) will provide a report on the economic impacts.
The 4 pilot counties include Imperial, Kings, Mendocino and Yolo. These counties were selected based on their agricultural conditions and local support for industrial hemp.
New requirements include the reporting of crop GPS locations, tighter controls on THC test samples, a five-acre crop minimum, and prohibitions on the pruning or tending of individual plants, which is indicative of marijuana cultivation.
Another difference is the support of the Merced and Imperial County Farm Bureaus, as well as the neutrality of the California State Sheriffs Association and the California District Attorneys Association.
Industrial hemp is not a partisan issue. The legislature in North Dakota unanimously passed a hemp bill similar to AB 684 earlier this year. In California last February, the highly respected social research firm Zogby International polled 800 likely voters on the issue of industrial hemp. 71% said they support "changing state law so that California farmers can grow industrial hemp." 60% of Republicans and 67% of rural voters said they support allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp.
The goal of AB 684 is to carefully assess if industrial hemp will be a profitable new crop for California farmers and if it can be grown without impacts on marijuana enforcement. This is a reasonable and careful step forward on this long-debated issue.
Hemp is a versatile crop, and its sales are growing as an organic food and body care ingredient. Imports of hemp seed from Canada grew 300% between 2006 and 2007. Today, more than 30 industrialized nations grow industrial hemp and export it to the U.S. Hemp is the only crop that is illegal to grow yet legal for Americans to import.
California businesses spend millions of dollars each year importing hemp from Canada, China and Europe. Demand for hemp products has been growing rapidly in recent years. The U.S. hemp market now exceeds an estimated $300 million in annual retail sales. From natural soaps to healthy foods, there are a variety of "Made in California" hemp products that could benefit from an in-state source of hemp seed, fiber and oil.
For the environment, the agricultural benefits are not limited to the versatility of uses. Industrial hemp is an excellent rotational crop because its dense growth smothers weeds without herbicides. Hemp requires less water and agricultural chemicals than other crops, has deep roots that leave the soil in excellent condition for the next crop, and is proven to increase yields. These benefits save farmers money and reduce the amount of pesticides, defoliants and chemical fertilizers that run into our waterways.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 September 2007 15:09 )
Chinese hemp products are struggling in the EU markets because of the green barrier, the import restrictions on the grounds of environmental and safety issues. However, this September, China is focusing on the African market for exports of hemp products.
Although EU has not imposed any quota limit on Chinese hemp products, the country has two green technique standards in the hemp textiles and clothing, the ‘ecology label’ and ‘ecology textiles certification’. These are the major standards for inspecting all eco-friendly textiles, and thus, applicable to Chinese hemp products.
Some hemp products could reach the standards set by the EU even after the technology improvement, even though the prices are low compared to the merchandise exported by other countries.
Recently, the Government has decided to grab the market share in Africa where the demand for hemp products is upbeat.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - China
Ron Paul ••• Hemp For America
Written by AdminPost
Thursday, 06 September 2007 00:00
This awesome mini film from the Ron Paul Campaign on Hemp.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 06 September 2007 15:41 )
