If News Hits were to give out green-freak awards to local folks who are doing their darndest to forward the Green Party’s agenda, Tom and Sue Ness would take first place. Hands down.
The couple did their bit for the party and the people when Tom ran for Congress as a Green candidate last election, giving voters an alternative to the status quo. Though he was “soundly beat,” as Tom puts it, he and his wife have not given up.
Last year the couple turned their Ferndale campaign headquarters into the Green House, where the mission is to “grow the party” by educating voters, says Tom. To achieve that goal, they’ve been inviting a host of speakers to their modest digs each month to talk about issues ranging from animal rights to supporting mass transit to lifting the sanctions against Iraq.
But coming up with the green to keep this little political oasis from withering away isn’t easy. So far, the Green House has managed to stay afloat financially with donations from private folks who want to see the project continue. To supplement its shoestring budget, the Green House is having a fundraiser this Sunday, July 22, 3-9 p.m. Of course, the Nesses don’t expect you to plunk down a little change without getting something in return. A hemp-fueled car, which is touring the country, is scheduled to make a stop at the Green House fundraiser touting the merits of this environmentally friendly fuel (see related story). Singer-songwriter Bob DuRivage will talk about the potentially deadly West Nile virus that hit New York two years ago and is apparently making its way toward Michigan. And Andrew Laird from the National Forest Protection Alliance will talk about, you guessed it, protecting our national forests.
Whether you support the Green Party or are just a fan of keeping the public informed, drop in at the Green House at 22757 Woodward, Suite 210, Ferndale. If you like what you hear, you may want to give them a little green.
For more information call 248-336-9241 or go to www.greenhouseonline.org.
Ann Mullen contributed to News Hits, which is edited by Curt Guyette. He can be reached at 313-202-8004 or [email protected]