A listing of activities in September (as of Aug. 28)

Wednesdays, Sept. 3, 10, 17, and 24: UCC-Congregational, 6th Street and and Kellogg Avenue in Ames will hold a bell ringing and Benedictine prayer for peace at 12:10 p.m. The ceremonies are public witnesses of a quest for peace.

Wednesdays, Sept. 3, 10, 17, and 24: Unity Church of Ames, 226 9th St., will hold peace meditations at 6:30 p.m. No charge.

Wednesdays, Sept. 3, 10, 17, and 24: Ames Alliance for Global Justice and Time for Peace will hold peace vigils at the corner of Welch Avenue and Lincoln Way in Ames from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Join friends and neighbors in demonstrating in a peaceful manner opposition to the war in Iraq and current and future wars everywhere. Signs provided or bring your own.

Wednesday, Sept. 3:    Signature ad listing activities and sponsors donated by  the Tribune. Donated Web page dedicated to 11 Days of Global Unity on www.Ames365.com. Announcements and coverage begins in other news outlets.
 
Saturday, Sept. 6:    Musician and Songwriter Chris Foster will present a ‘Peace Expressing Concert” at 7 p.m. at Unity Church of Ames, 226 9th St. A reception will follow. The concert is open to the public. A ‘love offering’ will be taken.

Sunday, Sept. 7:    Unity Church of Ames, 226 9th St., will hold a ‘Peace Expressing Sunday Celebration’ at 10:30 a.m. featuring Chris Foster as guest musician and speaker. Open to the public. No admission fee.

Monday, Sept. 8: The Story County Juvenile Justice Committee, a consortium of social agencies, law enforcement, educators, elected officials and citizens concerned with juveniles in the community will meet  at 11:45 a.m. at Pizza Hut, 436 S. Duff Ave., Ames, for a discussion on substance abuse. No charge, lunch can be purchased.

Tuesday, Sept. 9 (tentative): Mayoral proclamation for 11 Days of Global Unity and presentation of a peace pole to the City of Ames during the Ames City Council meeting at 7 p.m. in the Ames City Council chambers, 515 Clark Ave.

Wednesday, Sept. 10: Ames Citizens for Clean Energy, Oxfam and the Ames Public Library will present a showing of Sisters on the Planet, a series of short films about women in both rich and poor countries who are determined to stop climate change, at 7 p.m. at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave. No charge.

Thursday, Sept. 11:    The 11 Days for Global Unity committee will host a kickoff breakfast from 7 to 8 a.m. at First  United Methodist Church, 516 Kellogg Ave. Ames. Program and entertainment to be announced later. No charge.

Thursday, Sept. 11 and Friday, Sept. 12: Family Days at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave., will feature  Global Unity: All One World for Family Craft Storytime at 10 a.m. on Sept. 11 and 12, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sept. 11. There will be a half-hour storytime followed by a craft activity. Free. Families with children of any age are encouraged to attend.

Thursday, Sept. 11 (tentative): Ames mayor protem Riad Mahayni will preside over a dedication ceremony for the peace pole donated by the 11 Days for Global Unity Committee to the city Sept. 9 at noon in the Ames City Council chambers, 515 Clark Ave.

Thursday, Sept. 11: Two agencies offering substance abuse counseling and treatment in Story County, Community and Family Resources, and Youth and Shelter Services, will hold a celebration of recovery from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Community and Family Resources, 1619 S. High St. in Ames. Refreshments, entertainment and speakers will be present. No charge.

Thursday, Sept. 11:     People from faiths throughout the community will gather for an Interfaith Peace Service at 7 p.m. at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave. Faiths represented will be Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Native American and Unitarian Universalist. Open to the public. No admission fee.

Sunday, Sept. 14, and Monday, Sept. 15: The Iowa Water Center, and ISU Landscape Architecture and GEAT Departments will sponsot the Ames Clean Water Festival at 2 p.m. on Sunday and at 6 p.m. on Monday in the public open space behind 5031 Emerson Dr. in Ames. Celebrate and learn about Ames’ streams and urban groundwaters - how the two are interrlated and what you can do at your own home to protect both resources. No charge.

Thursday, Sept. 11: Ames Public Library’s Non-violence Book Club will discuss The Politics of Nonviolent Action by Gene Sharp at 7 p.m. in the Founder Suite, Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave. No Charge.

Sunday, Sept. 14:    Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1015 N.  Hyland Ave. in Ames will sponsor Meditations on Peace from 6 to 7 p.m. Participants will join in sitting and walking medications. No charge, no meditation experience necessary.

Monday, Sept. 15:     Third Stanza, a group of Ames area poets, will present a Poetry Reading and Open Mic recitation at 6:30 p.m. at Cafe Diem, 229 Main St., Ames.  Come to listen.  Come to read.  Themes include: Self, Compassion, Relationships, Diversity, Neighborhood/Community, Restorative Justice, Environment/Sustainability, Nation, Human Rights, World, Global Unity. No cover charge, food and beverages available for purchase. 

Tuesday, Sept. 16:     Unity Church of Ames, 226 9th St., will hold a Drumming Circle for Peace and Harmony at 7 p.m.  No charge.

Thursday, Sept. 18:    The Main Street Cultural District in Ames will present the second Music Walk, a celebration of music in the community, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. in the downtown Ames area. Local businesses will host individual performers and small acts. Ames365.com and Scott Richardson State Farm Agency will host the main stage with multiple bands at the corner of Main Street and Duff Avenue. Exact times, performers and locations to be announced later.

Friday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, 21:     The community of Story City and the Story City Greater Chamber Connection present STORY! Celebrating the Art of Storytelling at 512 Broad Street. National and local storytellers will give concerts, hold workshops and share campfire stories. All activities are open to the public. Admission fees vary by event. Visit www.storyfestival.net for complete schedule.

Saturday, Sept. 20: A coalition of organizations from Central Iowa will sponsor Building Bridges for Peace from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Court Avenue Bridge in Des Moines. This peace fair will feature over 30 peace and justice organizations in conjunction with the weekly downtown farmers market. There will be music, children’s activities, dancing, displays and information. No charge.

Saturday, Sept. 20: The Iowa Citizen Action Network will kickoff a nationwide petition program, Million Doors for Peace, calling for an end to the war in Iraq at 9 a.m. on the Court Avenue Bridge in Des Moines. The goal is at least one million signatures. No charge.

Saturday, Sept. 20: The Iowa Citizen Action Network and Working Families Win, 2625 Lincoln Way in Ames, will kickoff the local effort to get signatures on the Million Doors for Peace petition drive. 

Sunday, Sept. 21:    Soul of the Prairie, 30062 JJ Ave., Hubbard, will hold A Sacred Walk for Peace from 1 to 3 p.m. The afternoon will include time for individual labyrinth walks and prayer and a community time of prayer and ritual on the prairie labyrinth. Visit www.souloftheprairie.com for more information. Goodwill offering.

Sunday, Sept. 21:    Ames native Carol Montag, vocals, piano and guitar, will present a concert as part of the Ames Public Library’s APL Unplugged series at 2 p.m. at the library, 515 Douglas Ave. No charge.

Sunday, Sept. 21:     The 11 Days to Global Unity Committee will hold a Family Festival in Ames in observance of International Day of Peace. There will be a community potluck, entertainment, peace quotes and a call to action. No charge. Location to be announced.

Wednesday, Sept. 24: The Alliance for Global Justice, Ames High Progressive Club and Ames Public Library will present War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death, at 7 p.m. at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave. The film explores the news media and glamorization of the pro-war messages of presidents. No charge.

Saturday, Sept. 27:    A Mid Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS) and the City of Ames will present an environmental forum to learn how to live a more sustainable life,  “Ames, Be Cool”    from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  at the Ames Middle School.  It is free for Ames residents, but preregistration is required. To pre-register, go to the City of Ames Web site at
www.cityofames.org.  Look for the green leaf and click on the application.  Or call 515-296-0481.   Each participant will receive a free lunch, compact fluorescent light bulb, and a workbook including tips on conserving resources.

Saturday, Sept. 27: Central Iowa Barn Dance will hold a dance at 8 p.m. at 130 S. Sheldon Ave. in Ames. Dances include contra and square; dancing will be done to live music. Everyone welcome. $5 general admission, $3 for students.

Wednesday, Oct. 1: Today is the deadline to register for a Community Conversation on Diversity in October or November. Groups of 8 to 12 may register to arrange their own conversation. Individuals may register to be assigned to a conversation group. Each group will be asked to provide ideas for future activities to make Ames a more welcoming community. The committee  organizing the conversations will provide a trained facilitator. To register, e-mail AmesCommunity Conversations@gmail.com or call the 382-6551.