Source: The Record

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MzYyNzY3

On April 5, 2003 The Record reported that a "controversy that brewed after a shopkeeper attempted to stage a Wiccan festival in borough parks provided some of the impetus behind portions of a new ordinance, Borough Attorney Anne Marie Rizzuto said. Disputes that arose from soccer groups jockeying to...

Source: The Sun

http://www.sunspot.net/bal-ca.pagans01apr01.story

On April 1, 2003 The Sun reported that "gathered in the cramped but comfortable basement of a Finksburg church on a recent Friday night, the pagans joked about the difficulties of raising children and staying married. They riffed on contradictions they've found in the Christian Bible. They shared frustrations about growing up overweight, gay and apostate... Outside, not a single protester walked the dark,...

Source: School Library Journal

Source: The Boston Globe

On March 23, 2003 The Boston Globe reported that "months of walking down a cold, dirty, traffic-clogged stretch of Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge transformed Christopher Penczak into an urban pagan... Already a practicing witch, Penczak, like most pagans - those who practice earth-based religions - deeply reveres forests and pastures, not trash-littered sidewalks and MBTA bus depots. His spirit felt trapped by the concrete, but his brain had no intention of abandoning a hard-won job at a city recording studio. So he decided...

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/112965_aboard18.shtml

On March 18, 2003 the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that "it is here... abroad the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf... on folding metal chairs, that shipmates utter private secrets and confessions, gather in Wicca circles for meditation, study Bible verses, offer up devout prayers to Allah, work their rosary beads, celebrate the Jewish Sabbath... The number of...

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On February 22, 2003 the St. Petersburg Times reported that "a pagan couple have sued school officials in Union County, Tenn., after they claimed their daughter was harassed for not playing the Virgin Mary in a school play... Greg and Sarajane Tracy say the school district promoted religion, denied their daughter's right to free exercise of her own religion and failed to protect her from verbal and physical abuse... The parents said their daughter, India, was reprimanded for not wanting to play the Virgin Mary in a school play,...

Source: The Leader-Herald

http://www.leaderherald.com/news/story/029202003_new01_wiccans0209.asp

On February 9, 2003 The Leader-Herald reported that "locally, Wiccan worshippers aren't making their religious practices known because of their fear of persecution, they say. Some are open about it, but the majority of them practice in solitude... Jessica Henry, a Johnstown [NY] resident and Fulton-Montgomery Community College [NY] student, said she began...

Source: East Bay Express

On January 15, 2003 the East Bay Express reported that "the mission statement of the Interfaith Pagan Pride Parade defines 'pagans' as: 'Those who follow indigenous, tribal, polytheistic, Nature-based, and Earth-based beliefs.' For anyone who enjoys world music and other international folk arts -- especially from the undeveloped world -- and the spirituality that comes from nature, the 'interfaith pagan' belief system might not be that much of a leap, says Berkeley's Micha Dunston... There are many other pagan orgs around...

Source: Rocky Mountain News

http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_1672617,00.html

On January 14, 2003 the Rocky Mountain News reported that "Wiccans, pagans, tarot-card readers and spiritual advisers turned out in force Monday night to give the [Wheat Ridge, CO] City Council some advice: Ditch an ordinance regulating where 'psychic advisers' can locate businesses within the city... But after nearly three hours of debate...

Source: Star-Telegram

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/4934945.htm

On January 13, 2003 the Star-Telegram reported that "a former atheist who is now president of the Unitarian Universalist Association will push to put the word 'God' into a new statement of principles of the Boston-based, liberal church group, he said Sunday... 'God' was not mentioned in a statement of principles approved in 1984, the Rev. William Sinkford said at First Jefferson...