• A beach clean-up day in the Florence area is planned for 10:30 am Sunday, Nov. 25, by the Surfrider Foundation. See oregon.surfrider.org/events or email jonandjaine@bmi.net or call (800) 743-SURF.

• A petition From Cascadia Wildlands at wkly.ws/1e0 urges the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain federal protections for wolves in the Pacific Northwest. Wolves, even those with collars, are being hunted and killed in Northwestern states. See more information at the Forest Web of Cottage Grove Facebook page.

• Quaker peace and justice activist Peg Morton will sign her new book Feeling Light Within, I Walk from 4 to 6 pm Sunday, Nov. 25, at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette; and distribution of pre-purchased books will be from 2 to 5 pm Saturday, Dec. 1, at 510 Van Buren St. Morton can be reached at 342-2914.

• EmX funding still has more public process to go through and the deadline for written testimony is Dec. 2 for pending action by the Central Lane Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO will be looking at whether to earmark Oregon Lottery funds to help finance EmX expansion. Send comments to mpo@lcog.org 

• EWEB commissioners will hold the second of two public hearings on proposed rate increases at 7:30 pm Tuesday, Dec. 4, at EWEB’s North Building. The rate hikes for both water and electricity would take effect in 2013. The electric rate hike would be 4 percent and would go into effect next May. The water hike would be 20 percent and would go into effect in February. For more information on rates, see www.eweb.org/rates2013