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The City of Hamilton is once again throwing good planning to the, ahem, cats, as the McMaster Innovation Park becomes the latest long-term planning project being tackled by a desperate search for a stadium site to house the Pan Am Games/new home for the Hamilton Tiger Cats.Will McMaster trade this planned job creation and innovation nexus for a football stadium with 10 home games a year and a massive parking lot?Jane Jacob's warning against "Cataclysmic" money is a fitting caution for this quick turn-around involving millions of dollars. Perhaps Panic Planning is not conducive to good decisions. What do you think?City, Cats must deal with Mac Wade Hemsworth September 1, 2010 THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR Now that the city and the Tiger-Cats have agreed to explore the idea of building a Pan Am stadium on a key piece of McMaster's research park, it's time to ask the university what it thinks of the proposal.The answer is far from certain.Given that it's only two weeks before the city has to submit a stadium plan to Games organizers, McMaster is expecting to hear from the city soon, something that had yet to happen, at least formally, as of late yesterday.Until there is a clear, detailed request, the university is reserving judgment on how it will respond.Spokesperson Andrea Farquhar said McMaster is ready to work with the city, but also made it clear the university already has plans for the site."We're happy to sit down with them and find out more about what their ideas are, and then balance those off with the intentions and goals of MIP," she said. "We don't have enough information right now."McMaster Innovation Park includes roughly equal pieces of property on both sides of Longwood Road South, between Highway 403 and Aberdeen Avenue, site of the former Camco appliance complex that closed in 2004.McMaster, which bought the 37-acre property in 2005, has been busy on the east side of Longwood, renovating the former administrative headquarters into a multi- tenant complex now known as the Atrium and building a new federal materials research lab on the former factory site next door. The $65-million lab is set to open in October.Next year, McMaster's medical school is planning to build a $40-million primary care centre, also on the east side of Longwood, at Aberdeen.McMaster is also trying to reach a deal with a hotel developer to build a long-stay facility immediately north of the Atrium building.Farquhar said the parcel about to come under examination -- the warehouse and parking lots on the west side of the road overlooking Highway 403 -- is important to the larger, integrated plan for the park.The building, familiar in its interim uses as steel-storage and trade-show space, is slated for an interior and exterior makeover, with about 50,000 square feet going toward a new automotive resource centre planned for opening in 2011.In May, McMaster announced it had recruited an international star in hybrid engine research, Ali Emadi, to lead a new lab to anchor the centre.The park's mission is for partners in education, government and private business to turn research into commercial products and services.The property in question:Roughly half the 37-acre McMaster Innovation Park, on the west side of Longwood Road South, between Hwy. 403 and Aberdeen Avenue.Former use: appliance warehouse, shipping depot and employee parking lot.Interim use: private-industry steel storage, trade shows and parking.McMaster's current plans: Renovate one third of the 150,000 square-foot building to accommodate a $30-million automotive resource centre that would open in 2011. McMaster is waiting to hear back on grant requests for renovation funding.

A few years back, OPIRG McMaster, Hamilton Action for Social Change and others brought Staughton Lynd to McMaster where he addressed hundreds at a public talk at Ewart Angus Centre. His views on "accompaniment - professionals using their skills to assist workers and the unrepresented" speak to students interested in pursuing social justice as they grow into careers and life after University.The following article appeared recently in Z Magazine. Suddenly Staughton Lynd is all the rage. Again. In the last 18 months, Lynd has published two new books, a third that's a reprint of an earlier work, plus a memoir co-authored with his wife Alice. In addition, a portrait of his life as an activist through 1970 by Carl Mirra of Adelphi University has been published, with another book about his work after 1970 by Mark Weber of Kent State University due soon.In an epoch of imperial hubris and corporate class warfare on steroids, the release of these books could hardly have come at a better time. Soldier, coal miner, Sixties veteran, recent graduate - there's much to be gained by one and all from a study of Lynd's life and work. In so doing, it's remarkable to discover how frequently he was in the right place at the right time and, more importantly, on the right side.Forty-six years ago, during the tumultuous summer of 1964, Lynd was invited to coordinate the Freedom Schools established in Mississippi by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The schools were an integral part of the Herculean effort to end apartheid in the United States and became models for alternative schools everywhere.That August, Lynd stood with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party at the Democratic Party convention. Led by Fannie Lou Hamer, the M.F.D.P. had earned the right to represent their state with their blood and their remarkable courage. Instead the party hierarchy supported the official, albeit illegal, delegation, a pathetic band of reactionaries who - the irony is toodelicious - supported not Democrat Lyndon Johnson but his opponent, Republican Barry Goldwater, for president. This back-stabbing was carried out by liberal icons Hubert Humphrey, Walter Reuther and Walter Mondale and endorsed, alas, by Martin Luther King.In early 1965, Lynd spoke at Carnegie Hall in one of the first events organized in opposition to the U.S. invasion of Vietnam. A short time later, Students for a Democratic Society asked him to chair the first national demonstration against the war, where he was again a keynote speaker. That April 17, a crowd of 25,000 that was five times larger than even the most optimistic organizers had anticipated turned out in Washington, and what would become the largest anti-war movement in U.S. history was born.That summer, Lynd helped organize the Assembly of Unrepresented People at which peace with the people of Vietnam was declared. It proved prophetic, for in a few shorts years, a majority of people in the U.S. had declared peace with Vietnam.Lynd would continue as one of the seminal figures of the 1960's. He was both a tireless organizer and the author of numerous articles in important movement publications like Liberation, Radical America and Studies on the Left. With co-author Michael Ferber, he documented the movement against the military draft in The Resistance, one of the best books about Sixties organizing.Lynd was an enthusiastic supporter of the New Left and embraced precepts like participatory democracy and decentralization. Ex-radicals of his generation like Irving Howe, Bayard Rustin and Michael Harrington, by contrast, spent much of the Sixties attacking S.N.C.C. and S.D.S. He spoke for many when he mocked their enthusiasm for Johnson and the Democrats as "coalition with the Marines."This, too, proved uncannily prophetic. Within a year of being elected in 1964, Johnson 1.) ordered a massive escalation in Vietnam; 2.) sent an invasion force to the Dominican Republic to overthrow a democratically elected government; and 3.) armed and funded an incredibly violent military coup in Indonesia in which over a million people were killed. The Peace Candidate indeed.At the end of 1965, Lynd made a fateful trip to Hanoi where he witnessed the carnage inflicted by U.S. bombers. Up to that point, he was one of the most promising new scholars in the country. Upon his return, however, his career in academia was essentially at an end. A tenure track position at Yale suddenly disappeared. Department heads at other universities offered teaching positions, only to be overruled by higher-ups.Lynd never looked back. He became an accomplished scholar outside the academy and one of the most perceptive and prolific chroniclers of "history from below", with a special interest in working class organizing. From a series of interviews, he and Alice produced the award-winning book Rank and File, which begat the Academy Award-nominated documentary film Union Maids.Lynd moved to Ohio in 1976, became an attorney and, when the mills in Youngstown began to close, assisted steelworkers in an unsuccessful attempt to take them over. In a book he wrote about the effort, Lynd explored the biggest little secret of all, one that people everywhere would do well to heed: We who do the work can build a better world, and we can best do it without the parasitic super-rich who contribute nothing and weigh us down like a monstrous ball and chain.Lynd is eighty now. The step is slower and his eyesight isn't the best. Two years ago he had open heart surgery - "an affair of the heart," he calls it. "My cardiac surgeon said I came as close to becoming permanently horizontal as one can come without actually doing so," he says in his Ohio home.He talks of how deeply he misses dear friend Howard Zinn, who died earlier this year. He talks of driving through Mississippi at night, hopelessly lost, just days after civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner had been abducted and murdered. He talks of his remarkable life's work with great humility and not at all wistfully, but in search of lessons it might hold, especially for the young. A teacher extraordinaire, he is guided by the principle that a teacher is also a student and all students teachers.Lynd has seen more than his share of colleagues come and go. Some flamed out after a brief period of frantic busyness; others moved on to different lives and nice- paying gigs. Still going strong, Lynd offers long distance running and accompaniment - professionals using their skills to assist workers and the unrepresented - as alternatives. He also believes as passionately as ever that a better world is indeed possible.Andy Piascik writes for Z Magazine and www.zmag.org

Hamilton Centre for Teaching Peace (HCTP) is pleased to announce its plans for the evening programme of the Conscious Communities Conference in November 2010 in Hamilton, Ontario Canada.On the evenings of November 11, 12, and 13th HCTP will be hosting free, public short-form presentations from champions of peace, education, social justice, and community development. Each speaker will be given 15 minutes to share inspiring ideas and stories with the audience.Talks will be held at the downtown Sky Dragon Community Co-Operative, in addition to other venues yet to be announced.Call for nominationsWe are seeking nominations from the public for speakers. Who do you know that deserves 15 minutes of the undivided attention of a public audience? Do you know somoene who's quietly (or not-so quietly) enabled positive social change in a community?Nominees should be from the Hamilton/Halton/Niagara region, aware of the nomination and willing to present on one of the evenings. All ages are encouraged -- we especially love hearing from youth and elders alike!For more info visit www.peacecafe.ca To nominate, please email conference (at) peace-education.ca with the subject line "Speaker nominee" and the presenters name, email or phone number, and around 250 to 350 words about why they should be featured.Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.

WHAT IS A WORKING GROUP?Working groups are semi-autonomous groups of students and community members who organize around specific issues relating to the environment and social change. OPIRG engages students interested in critiquing, researching and acting on pressing social/environmental issues.Working Groups receive funding from the OPIRG office, as well as ongoing support and training.Working Groups use a CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING model to ensure equal access to power within groups, and are expected to take an ANTI-OPPRESSION workshop, offered for free each term.EXAMPLES OF OPIRG MCMASTER WORKING GROUPS For the current list of working groups, view the sidebar menu under Working Groups at opirg.ca and click on the group name to view a detailed description and contact information. Previous and ongoing working groups include  Transportation for Liveable Communities, Freeskool, Recycle Cycles, Food Not Bombs, Guatemala, Community Volunteer Action, Fair Trade, and many others.START A WORKING GROUP!OPIRG accepts applications for Working Groups in the fall and again at the start of the winter term. Applications are reviewed by our Board of Directors who meet with applicants to ask questions about the proposal before deciding which groups will be accepted. Start by reading the OPIRG McMaster WORKING GROUP POLICY (Read it here) Fill our our online application here. (Please read the working group policy before applying.) You will meet with our Board of Directors for an interview, after which the Board will approve or deny your proposed groupIMPORTANT DATES 1st term application deadline – Monday, September 27, 2010. Fill out the online application 2nd term application deadline - January  2011 - application form here ANTI-OPPRESSION WORKSHOP: Saturday, September 25, 2010, in Togo Salmon Hall room 719, 10am to 12pm.  Free, but please pre-registration required with randy(dot)opirg(at)gmail(dot)com or 905-525-9140 ext. 26026 CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING WORKSHOP, Saturday, September 25, 2010, in Togo Salmon Hall room 719, 1pm to 3pm  Free, but please pre-registration required with randy(dot)opirg(at)gmail(dot)com or 905-525-9140 ext. 26026 WORKING GROUP ORIENTATION (for approved groups) Sunday October 17 - Working Group Orientation 11:30am room MUSC 230To find out more, please contact the OPIRG office in the Student Centre room 229, randy(at)opirg(dot)ca or call 905-525-9140 ext. 26026.

Glad to see McMaster has finally fixed this sidewalk in front of Life Sciences- no more puddle jumping! For McMaster cyclists, our friends at TLC are reporting a new bike lane on Longwood.Coming to Mac in the fall? Bring your bike!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITYPhotographer - OPIRG McMaster's first annual Alternative Welcome Week is looking for snap-happy photographers who will take pictures of the various activities planned and post them on the facebook page if you can help out between September 13-19, 2010) -(with the consent of the photographed subject) - contact brian@opirg.caFor more volunteer opportunities, check out www.opirg.ca/volunteer

ORGANIZATIONAL, RESEARCH and VOLUNTEERCO-ORDINATOR OPIRG-Brock is a student funded and directed, non-profit organization, which is committed to facilitating the active participation of volunteers in addressing critical social and environmental issues of public interest.  OPIRG endeavours to foster a non-hierarchical working environment by following consensus decision-making processes.The Role of Term StaffOPIRG has a high turnover of volunteers. Term Employee: Any Employee who is hired on contract to temporarily replace a Bargaining Unit Member on leave of absence, in whole or in part, as approved in writing by the Union. Said contract may not be renewed without consent of the Union. Term employees are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1281.The Organizational and Research Co-ordinatorThe primary responsibilities of the Organizational and Research Co-ordinator are:Organizational/Board Development, Public Interest Research and Provincial Board.  There are also expectations of participation in areas of Shared Responsibility.A. JOB DESCRIPTION:i. Organizational/Board Development·      Coordinate strategic planning, the development of annual goal plans and budget, and staff/board recognition ·      Assist with regular, special and committee meetings of the Board, elections and participate in meetings as appropriate and/or required  ·      Assist the Board of Directors in board recruitment, orientation, placement, training, policy development, and local AGM preparation and facilitation.·      Establish and maintain systems that support organizational learning and memory (e.g overall filing systems, archives, operating manuals, computer systems) ·      Grant-writing and administration·      Manage community memberships and opportunities for involvement·      Supervise grant staff as required and/or appropriateii. Public Interest Research/Research for Credit -       Assist students in the identification of research projects relevant to the goals of the organization.  -       Provide direction and assistance for students in the completion of such research projects.-       Promote research projects with students and faculty.  iii. Provincial OPIRG Network -       Serve as OPIRG-Brock’s staff representative to the Provincial OPIRG board. -       Attend Provincial staff meetings.  -       Participate in the provincial network activities (policy development, joint projects) as appropriate and/or required.  -       Assist in the planning and implementation of provincial functions as appropriate and/or required.  -       Participate in CUPE 1281 as necessary and/or needed-       Participate in hiring’s at other locals when required and/or necessary.  -       Prepare the OPIRG-Brock Annual Report.  -       Assist with budget and funding formula development.  iv. Volunteer Co-ordination:         Management of the volunteer program including:Orientation and Placement·      Ensure each participant in OPIRG receives adequate orientation to the organization and is placed in a suitable volunteer role.  A variety of methods should be employed including: meetings, personal interviews, introduction to other volunteers, documentation etc.  Training·      Establish training needs of volunteers and develop training opportunities and methods.  Training is provided in a variety of ways: workshops by skilled facilitators, OPIRG staff or volunteers, one-on-one instruction, documentation and by example.  Facilitate training to meet organizational anti-oppression goals. Facilitate participation of volunteers in the Provincial Public Interest School.Tracking·      Review the activities of volunteers and working groups to offer assistance, determine needs, ensure adherence to the organizational policies and procedures and to evaluate the volunteer program; maintain the volunteer database.Support·      Provide on-going assistance to volunteer/working group initiatives via: development of volunteers guides and documentation; attend working group meetings as needed; assist with literature production; networking assistance; ensure office support (e.g. filing, reference, record keeping, and communication materials); assist with goal planning and budget development, evaluations, group dynamics, research, troubleshooting and record keeping; assist in application for Provincial Networking Meeting funding; assist with logistics (e.g. room bookings, equipment rentals); assist with networking and providing sources of information (e.g. media contacts, campus groups, community groups, web page management, community events listings); facilitate communication between volunteers and working groups; facilitate co-sponsorship requests as required and/or appropriate supervise volunteer placement positions as required and/or appropriate.   v. Shared Duties Financial Administration:     Support staff in the creation of the annual budget as appropriate and/or required. Office Administration: Participate with other staff and volunteers in the maintenance of regular office hours, cleaning, maintenance, and improvements. Resource Centre:          Assist with acquisitions and processing new materials.  Assist resource centre users.Volunteer Program:     Attend volunteer appreciation events as appropriate and/or required.  Assist volunteers as appropriate and/or required. Communications:         Participate in general communications (mail, phone, fax, email) and organizational networking as required and/or appropriate.   Staff:                           Participate in regular staff meetings.  Participate in an annual performance review.  Participate in job description, performance review, work plan development, and hiring as appropriate and/or required.  Acquire training for professional development as appropriate and/or required.  Board:                          Attend regular, committee and special meetings of the Board of Directors as appropriate and/or required.  Implement board policy as it relates to work responsibilities.  Participate in organizational planning.         Programming:              Support and assist staff in fundraising/programming/coalitions as appropriate and/or required. Participate in programming to meet organizational anti-oppression/anti-racism goals as required and/or appropriate.Provincial:                   Attend Provincial staff meetings and participate in provincial network activities as appropriate and/or required. B. QUALIFICATIONS:_______________________________________________________·      Strong administration level experience·      Demonstrated organizational and grant writing skills·      Candidates should have a strong background, understanding and analysis of anti-oppression issues.·      Candidates must demonstrate an ability to apply this analysis to systems and structures in society as well as to individual and group dynamics·      Solid knowledge and demonstrated experience with popular education techniques·      Self-motivated, creative, demonstrated organizational skills, communication skills and leadership·      Dedication to social justice and environmental issues·      Excellent ability to write and speak English; experience with other languages is an asset·      Some familiarity with activist/political organizations on campus and/or in the community·      Ability to use off-the-shelf computer software, including word processing, email, internet browsing, and spreadsheets, to increase work efficiency.·      Ability to work flexible and irregular hours if necessary. ·      Ability to manage numerous tasks simultaneously and take initiative while working in a group. C. OTHER:___________________________________________________________________i. Job SpecificsThis is a unionized position for a one year contract. There is a 6 month probationary period.Work hours: 30 hours per week.Wage: 19.44 per hour.Application deadline: August 17th, 2010Start Date: August 23rd, 2010. ii. Application ProcessInterested applicants should send or deliver the following materials to OPIRG-Brock no later than August 17th .• A resume• A cover letter (approx. 1 page) that relates their experience to the job qualifications and duties.• An essay (please see details below).• Three references (with phone numbers)Applications may be submitted by email, mail, or in person. It is the responsibility of the applicant to follow up with a call to ensure that the application has been received.All applicants must include an essay/piece of writing (not to exceed 500 words) that answers one of the following:1. The relevance of anti-oppression work in social change organizations2. The most pressing issues facing our community today3. The role of public interest research in society4. The role of students in social changeApplicants that do not include this written piece will not be considered for short listing.Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.Send Application Materials to:Attn: OPIRG Hiring Committeeemail: opirgbu@gmail.comOPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our organization, and invites aboriginal people, people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, queer-oriented people single parents, members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and people with disabilities to apply. We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences they, as individuals who identify with marginalized communities, would bring to the OPIRG organization in their cover letter. All applicants are asked for a brief statement on their views of power and oppression. OPIRG is  currently wheelchair accessible

The Hamilton Civic League is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with a goal to increase voter participation. We are conducting a Citizens’ Values and Priorities Survey which must be completed during the month of August. We have hundreds of volunteer opportunities immediately. Volunteers can register at www.WeVote.ca or call Kim at Volunteer Hamilton at 905-523-4444 and will receive a volunteer package and training. Disclaimer: this is not an official opirg mcmaster sponsored event, and is posted for information purposes only. Please contact the event organizers with any questions or concerns.

In case you haven't heard, there is opposition to the planned multi-use path from the Kirkendall area, around the Chedoke Golf Course, across the 403, and out towards the Brantford rail trail. (crossing the 403 without traffic! Imagine how important being able to do that would be for promoting cycling!)Some of the people who own property adjacent to the Golf Course, that the new trail would be beside, are opposed to the planned path. Those of us who support the trail can do so with the following online petition:http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supportthetrail/We'll be able to bring the names from the petition with us as support at the Niagara Escarpment Commission hearing, where the opponents are appealing the NEC's approval of the plan.Please take the time to add your name and let others know about it. If the NEC is even willing to delay the trail as a result of the appeal (even if they eventually uphold their decision to approve it ) this would increase the likelihood of it not being constructed this year. And with an election in October, there is no guarantee that the next city council won't reverse its decision to build it next year. This is one where it just might make a difference to sign a petition, and it only takes a small amount of time.Thanks so much,derek.

Alternative Welcome Week 2010 - Programming call-outFor the first time ever, OPIRG McMaster will be having an Alternative Welcome Week from September 13-19.  Alternative Welcome Week will be educating and agitating on themes of Environmental and Social Justice. There will be adventures, workshops, discussions, performances,and joyous times had by all. We are still working on programming and are looking for ideas and proposals. If you or your group/organization have an idea for a workshop, performance, or event and would like to be part of the week's activities, please contact brian@opirg.ca.Themes that we are currently exploring for the week are:-Indigenous sovereignty/anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti-apartheid-Environmental Justice, local and global action for the planet-Economic Justice/Gentrification, Sex workers, migrant workers, poverty and labour-Gender Justice/Women's, Queer and Trans Issues-Transforming the University - Challenging the Academic Industrial Complex, McMaster-specific issuesWe are open to all sorts of ideas, so get creative!  Soft deadline for proposals is July 30th.OPIRG McMaster follows anti-oppressive principles in our work and programming proposals should reflect this.