Oklahoma Green Jean McMahon has been doing outstanding work in a very unique way: attending public events in a polar bear costume. The outfit dramatically illustrates the issue of global warming and gets lots of notice wherever Jean wears it.

Today it was the Tulsa Run, for which Jean has been training for over a month. “As soon as I arrived at the starting line,” Jean reports, “Mayor Kathy Taylor came trotting over to say, ‘Hi, remember I saw you at the climate report at TU (University of Tulsa)’.”

Jean and fellow Green Huti Reynolds also collected 42 signatures for the Oklahoma Ballot Reform initiative.

The Tulsa World reports that an Edmond man won the race. We suspect that the polar bear running and petitioning through the city’s streets won a few points from onlookers and run participants alike.

Meeting in the middle of the state at the legendary Rock Cafe on historic Route 66, the Green Party of Oklahoma’s held its annual meeting for 2007. Members of the party’s coordinating council discussed a number of issues, but the current ballot access petition drive was the primary consideration. Special guest at the meeting was Sean Hough, a Libertarian who is in the state courtesy of the national Libertarian Party, and who is assisting Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform, the coalition group that is conducting the drive.

Read the minutes from the 10/21/2007 GPOK Annual Meeting.

The next meeting of the Coordinating Council, to which any Green or interested person is welcome, will be following the Peace Fest in Oklahoma City on Nov. 11.

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The Green Party of Oklahoma will have its annual meeting on Sunday, October 21 at 3pm at the Rock Cafe in Stroud.

Anyone interested in the Green Party, its values and positions, is welcome to attend, whether official members of the Green Party or not.

The Oklahoma Greens are currently engaged in a petition drive to ease requirements for placing third-party candidates on the ballot. They are working with the Oklahoma Libertarian and Constitution parties, as well as Oklahoma Independent voters to change what many academics and activists call the strictest ballot access laws in the nation. More info about the coalition campaign, Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform, can be found at okvoterchoice.org.

The annual meeting agenda will include a report on the ballot access campaign, proposed changes to the state party organizing structure, outreach projects and election of officers.

This year is the 6th Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Greens, which was established in 2002 and received recognition from the Green Party of the United States in 2005.

Greens are committed to environmentalism, non-violence, social justice and grassroots organizing, working to renew and expand democracy without the support of corporate donors.

The Rock Cafe is located at 114 West Main Street. A map to the site can be found at www.rockcaferoute66.com/map.html

For more info about the Green Party of Oklahoma, see okgreens.org or call (405) 205-6048.