Wed. Jan. 27. 7-9 PM, Fremont Public Association, 1501 N. 45th, planning meeting of Local Housing Needs Local Laws, a group working to repeal state law RCW 35.21.830 restricting cities from implementing any type of rent regulations. Participants include the Tenants Union and the Seattle Displacement Coalition. Info: Judy Nicastro 206-595-4938 or judynicastro@mailcity.com.

Thurs. Jan. 28. 6-9 PM, Filipino Community Center, 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. Public hearing on Sound Transit's planned light rail, commuter rail and express bus service. This is your chance to comment on the project draft Environmental Impact Statement and route options. Info: 1-800-201-4900.

Fri. Jan. 29. 5:30 PM, Westlake Park, 4th & Pine. Critical Mass, an organized coincidence of bicyclists who ride around Seattle en masse. Create post-car culture! More info http://www.oz.net/~nic/cm.html.

Sat. Jan. 30. Noon, Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP), 722 18th at Columbia, Seattle Progressive Coalition meeting, a group working to place progressives on the Seattle City Council in the 1999 election. Info: Curt Firestone at 206-329-1048 or Charlotte Carroll 206-324-9712.

Sun. Jan. 31. 1-4 PM, Group Health Central, Corner of John St. & E. 15th, East Wing Room D618, meeting of Red Dot Girls, a group working to address the concerns of Over-40 Lesbians, includes sensitivity symposium, skills bank update, dessert potluck. Info: 206-559-3992 or RedDotGirl@aol.com.

Sun. Jan. 31. 3-5 PM, 4010 Woodland Park Ave. N. Apt. D., planning meeting of Local Housing Needs Local Laws (see Wed. Jan. 27 above). Info: Judy Nicastro 206-595-4938 or judynicastro@mailcity.com.

Tues. Feb. 2. 6-8 PM, Seattle Central Community College, Broadway at Pine St., Local Housing Needs Local Laws holds a forum on Rent Control/Stabilization. The State House of Representatives will hold a hearing on rent control in the first month of the legislative session, show legislators why cities need local control of rent laws. Tell representatives what's really going on in the rental housing market! Info: Judy Nicastro 206-595-4938 or judynicastro@mailcity.com.

Tues. Feb. 2. 10 AM-3 PM, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, 16159 Clear Creek Rd. Poulsbo, near Bremerton, next to Trident Submarine base at Bangor. Ground Zero Community and the Center for Contemplation and Nonviolence host a day of reflection including shared silence, brief presentations on nuclear weapons and disarmament, & lunch. Suggested donation: $10-20, includes lunch. Info and registration: 206-329-2115.

Tues. Feb. 2. 6 PM, locations vary, Seattle. GABRIELA Network-NW, solidarity group with GABRIELA-Philippines, an alliance of over 100 women's organizations in the Philippines. Get involved in solidarity work around Filipina and Asian Women's issues globally and domestically. Info: 206-824-8229.

Tues. Feb. 2. 7 PM, upstairs at 4759 15th Ave. NE, meeting of Citizens For Overt Action (CFOA), educating the public about the threat to democracy here and abroad by covert action. Info: 206-547-7735.

Tues. Feb. 2. 7 PM, University Baptist Church, NE 11th and 47th NE, 3rd floor. Monthly Business Meeting for the very same independent print and electronic weekly you're reading right now, Eat the State! Come opine, meet, volunteer. How do we do it every week? People like you! Come be one of them! Info: 206-215-1156.

Thurs. Feb. 4. 7:30 AM, Jobs with Justice office, 3rd and Cedar, Musician's Union Bldg., enter on Cedar, coordinating committee meeting for International Women's Day event on Sun March 7 at Seattle Center House, all interested people are invited. Info: Carol at 206-328-9637 or femme2@scn.org or http://www.scn.org/basecamp.

Thurs. Feb. 4. 6-8 PM, The Dome Room in the Arctic Bldg., 700 3rd Ave., downtown, WA National Abortion Rights Action League presents the 8th annual Chocolate for Choice with celebrity judges including Dan Savage, Tracey Conway of Almost Live, King County Executive Ron Sims, and Attorney General Christine Gregoire. Mouthwatering chocolate desserts! $25, $50 or $100. Info and tickets: 206-624-1990, wanaral@earthlink.net or http://home.earthlink.net/~wanaral/.

Sat. Feb. 6. Noon gathering at Puyallup Nation Tribal Grounds, off I-5, exit 135 north, State Route 164 in Tacoma, about a 1/4 mile on the right hand side of the road, annual International Day in Solidarity with Imprisoned Native American Activist Leonard Peltier, March to the Federal Court House in downtown Tacoma, and Rally. Info: bayou@blarg.net or P.O. Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415-0464, or http://members.aol.com/TurquoisWm/JusticeforLeonardPeltier.html.

Sat. Feb. 6. 2-4 PM, Roanoke House at St. Pat's Parish, 2702 East Broadway, steering committee meeting of Northwest School of the Americas Watch, working to close the "School Of Assassins," training ground for torturers and murderers financed by our taxes. Planning, lasagna dinner follows at 4 PM with sharing of experiences by those who visited SOA in Georgia. RSVP: Sheila McShane at McShane@u.washington.edu or 206-367-3567.

For an excellent and much, much longer compilation of upcoming and ongoing progressive events in Seattle, check out Jean Buskin's Peace Calendar: http://www.scn.org/activism/calendar/ or e-mail her at bb369@scn.org.

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