Activist Alert 1-16-2014

• A Grupo Latino de Acción Directa (GLAD) public safety forum is planned for 5:30 to 7:30 pm Thursday, Jan. 16, at César E. Chávez Elementary School, 1510 W. 14th Ave. Speakers include Police Chief Pete Kerns, District Attorney Alex Gardner and others. Find the event on Facebook.

• “What to Do About Kesey Square” is the topic of City Club of Eugene at noon Friday, Jan. 17, at the Downtown Athletic Club, third-floor ballroom. Speakers include Rob Bennett, John Rowell, Craig Opperman and Ben Brubaker. $5 for non-members. The City Club’s first program of the year Jan. 10 overwhelmed the DAC kitchen, but we hear the food service should be better this week. Lunch orders can be placed a day earlier with payment online at cityclubofeugene.org.

• A fundraiser for Friends of Civic Stadium featuring Kelly Thibodeaux and Acoustic Etouffee will be from 7 to 10 pm Sunday, Jan. 19, at Cozmic, 199 W. 8th Ave. $5 donation requested. See friendsofcivicstadium.org.

• Numerous Martin Luther King Jr. Day events are being planned for Monday, Jan. 20. See a listing in our Calendar section this week. 

• Public hearings on Eugene city budget options have been scheduled for 5:30 pm Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Harris Hall and 5:30 pm Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Eugene Public Library. Community members will be asked to respond to a list of Budget Committee options or suggest their own. Five of the six current options being put forward present different combinations of service reductions, while the sixth option calls for a citywide across-the-board reduction of 2 percent for all departments. See eugene-or.gov/budget.

• Local climate recovery activists and affiliated groups are forming a new 350.org group with a meeting at 7 pm Thursday, Jan. 23, at First United Methodist Church (small chapel), 1376 Olive St. The group is “intent on preventing catastrophic climate chaos by reducing atmospheric CO2 to 350 ppm,” and will use grassroots organizing, online campaigns and peaceful, mass public actions in 188 countries. Email marydemocker@gmail.com or call CALC at 485-1755.