Reviewing: Satmar and Lubavitch, by Rabbi Chaim Dalfin, Hardcover: 336 pages, Jewish Enrichment Press ISBN-10: 0997909919, 2017.

Drawing on sociological studies such as Kranzler, Williamsburg: A Community in Transition, primary archival documents such as real-time interviews and a vast treasury of personal experience, this excellent book in part explores the similarities and differences and specific characteristics of the Hasidic Chabad-Lubavitch and Satmar communities so that the readers come to admire the distinctiveness, uniqueness and ennobling aspects of each religious group; not just pointing to their fascinating demographics, political, social, economic and cultural aspects, Rabbi Dalfin also gives the reader the tam (taste) for what makes these groups tick, their mission, raison detre and special visions for the Jewish people and its unfolding on the stage of eschatological history.

That is to say, it is one important thing to know the laws of Shabbat; it is quite a different level to viscerally experience Shabbat and taste its delights. He offers the reader a wonderful taste of the two communities and offers insights about their importance. He not only puts the two communities in historical context, for example, drawing the influence of communism and fascism historically on their development, but as is characteristic of many of his important studies he looks at their leaders and the machers, plumbing the depths of what makes for charismatic inspiring leadership. Although the two communities both consist of extremely devout Jews, this does not mean that its members share the same mentality or specific set of values. As the introduction notes, the book deals with the Satmar-Lubavitch relationship from 1946 until the present day. It is not a formal, detached academic tome. Although Dalfin is capable of writing academically he has chosen to offer the reader the perspective of an insider. The book is the product of a passionate Lubavitcher, born into a Lubavitcher family, who has reached across the aisle and investigated, researched and analyzed many of the voices in the current-day Jewish community from an objective yet anecdotal, personal perspective.

Wearing the hats of a masterful Hasidic sociologist and historian, Rabbi Dalfin is foremost an insider, in observing these two communities from the inside rather than an outsider looking in. He successfully accomplishes in this book reaching out and beginning the process of healing rifts and bringing the reader closer to appreciating what the two communities share rather than what separates them. He understands that all Jews are vulnerable when the Jews are divided, and rather than engage in polemics, he seeks to find mutual respect and common ground uniting Jews.

This recalls and brings to mind Rav Menachem Mendel Gluskin, av beth din of Minsk, saying, Let us not engage in polemics and fight over our differences, but rather let us go and sing at the Shabbos table together in harmony. Foremost it is love and devotion for Torah that guides both religious communities and respect for Chasidut. Rabbi Dalfin does not remain at the level of superficial surfaces, stereotypes and unthoughtfulness; rather, he gets to the roots of the dynamics of the two vibrant communities. For example, Rabbi Dalfin shows that the simplistic, dualistic category of classifying Satmar as anti-Zionist and Chabad as pro-Zionist does injustice to the complexity of the two religious groups vision for the ultimate destiny of the Holy Land and its central place in messianic history and praxis.

As the book sums it up best, since 1946, the year the Satmar Rebbe arrived on American soil, one realizes that mistakes, misunderstandings and at times intentional accusations were at the center of the two groups. Today, Satmar and Lubavitch enjoy a healthier relationship. This book will dispel, clarify and organize what is what, who is who and when is when, and most importantly show that the Lubavitcher and Satmar Rebbes wanted their followers to be respectful of each other although they had some serious differences. Simultaneously, they had some strong similarities.

One thing is for sure: the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, were great, stellar leaders.

By David B. Levy

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Understanding Satmar and Lubavitch as Distinct Communities - Jewish Link of New Jersey

[Editors note: This is the first in a Q&A series conceived and named by Rodney Blu, creator of AlreadyDTX.Hell sit down with a visiting artist of note long enough for them to drink two beers. We have David Redmon and Ashley Sabin of Carnivalesque Films to thank for this pilot, as David happened to be following Harris around for a forthcoming documentary on Sunday and offered us the footage.]

New York City writer and filmmaker Brandon Harris removes the political correctness, the new artisanal cupcake shop, and the glitz and glamour from the g-word gentrification in his new memoir Making Rent In Bed-Stuy: A Memoir Of Trying To Make It In New York City. Of course, images from Spike Lees Do the Right Thing move right alongside Harris story, and he introduced a screening at the Texas Theatre on Sunday. The landmark buildings in the center of a reimagining by developers thats sent home prices soaring.

I noticed Harris walk out of the theatre soon after the film started and followed him to the bar.

[Do The Right Thing] is, I think, more meaningful today than it was when it was made, Harris said. Were coming to a crisis point concerning the ways in which the police treat African-American men, the way in which African-American communities can or cannot grow depending on the desires of others who are from outside of those communities to control them economically, socially, and politically.

Your book tour has landed in the gentrification capitol of Dallas, pretty much, I offered.

Thats intentional, brother. That was intentional, man, and trust me, I adore this cinema, I adore the men that run it. I think they have nothing but good intentions, Harris said. Obviously its restoration and the type of individuals that normally come here are a harbinger of, in our current climate, in our current societal groundwork or framework, the harbinger of a change that will push people out of this neighborhood, that have called it home or made it their home.

Where is each of our culpability, and how do we change that? I think a lot of people are looking for answers to those questions. Certainly we can say that from the state, help has not been coming. One in four Americans that qualify for housing assistance get it. The majority of housing subsidies in this country go to people who make over $100,000 a year, through tax incentives and tax purposes and the benefits of home ownership in general.

Our hourlong conversation grew from that question Buggin Out asks Sal about the Wall of Fame in his pizza shop: Why are there no brothers on the wall? You can watch an excerpt of our talk in the video below.

Later, we looked on the Texas Theatres own Wall of Fame, and Harris had a lot to say about the different ways Black filmmakers make their mark.

Blu: As a culture, you know, we are concerned with creating things that hopefully open the eyes of those who are either intentionally or unintentionally a part of the system of oppression, we create things that hopefully have meaning and move someone to change as opposed to creating capital we want to inspire change in the hearts and minds of people

Harris: Have you read any Ishmael Reed? Do you know who he is?

Blu: No.

Harris: I think hes like the greatest black avant-garde novelist of his generation. Mumbo Jumbo is his most well known book, nominated for a National Book Award. Hes a guy who always fought against the cultural nationalists, who felt like they had to make art that was like, woke, or somehow important, somehow meaningful. Ive sympathized with that. I dont, as an artist who identifies as African-American, feel like I have to indulge in any sort of work thats like, trying to change anybody. I just want to make stuff thats meaningful to me, and to people who both identify as black and not, and naturally that work will speak to my experience

Blu: And our shared experience

Harris: I mean, look at Lemon over there. Motions to movie poster. I dont know if you know about that sister [Janicza Bravo], or her work. But its just a remarkable film, thats about, you know, that dude, that Jewish dude whos a bad guy thats not a film that if you looked at Janicza youd think, oh, shed make that movie. Looking at this wall over here. Motions to Wall of Fame, scans the photographs. Id want to make movies like Melvin [Van Peebles]. Thats a great picture of Melvin.

I once interviewed him and he was wearing white jeans and pink suspenders with no shirt smoking a cigar in his home. He has this paper mache hot dog in his living room, which is like massive, that Mario, his son, made when he was in high school. Hes got, like, the ass-end of a VW van and it opens and inside is a bed. It, like, juts into the wall.

Hes 80 years old, too, and hes got this massive apartment near Lincoln Center thats all paid for by Wall Street speculation money. People dont know this but he was one of the first black traders in the early 80s on the New York Stock Exchange while he was a film director he has this fascinating career, you know. He made movies in France because he couldnt make movies in the United states, no one would finance the movies in the United States, right.

So he made these shorts, and Amos Vogel, who [co-]founded the New York Film Festival, took Melvin to a festival in France, and then Melvin just stayed there. He just moved to France and stayed there for five years. These are, like, the prime years of the Civil Rights movement, mid-sixties, Melvin was in France. And he realized he could get financing from the state for movies if he just wrote French novels. So he wrote for like these French comedic magazines. He taught himself French, became a writer, published five novels in France, and if you published a certain amount of novels, you could get a card.

You had to get a card in the French system. The New Wave people were often working against that, they thought, like, the whole system of French filmmaking was too credentialist. And so Melvin got the card that also enabled him to get state financing for his movies by writing books. And then he made his first feature, The Story of a Three-Day Pass, which is the story of this black GI and his affairs with this white woman over a weekend, and how the U.S. military looks down on this, and what have you. Its a good movie, it might actually be his best movie.

By the time he got back to the states, there was this expectation that he should make black movies why should you feel obliged to make [blaxploitation precursor]Sweet Sweetbacks Baadasssss Songand not The Story of a Three-Day Pass?I would hope to have the freedom as a filmmaker and would hope filmmakers of my generation would feel the freedom to engage in any number of stories.

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Two Brews With Rodney Blu: Brandon Harris On Spike Lee And 'Making Rent' - D Magazine

TISKILWA Plow Creek Fellowship, an intentional Christian community established in 1971, a mile southeast of Tiskilwa, is announcing the close of its operations at the end of 2017. At its peak, the community had up to 100 participants in worship and common meals.

Plow Creek Fellowship has been widely known for its u-pick strawberries and its sales of garden-fresh produce at area farmers markets.

Plow Creek Fellowship members shared in a common treasury. It was closely affiliated with Plow Creek Mennonite Church, a member of the Mennonite Church USA. The fellowship was guided by a commitment to share life, needs and resources, according to the teachings of Jesus and the practice of the early church as told in Acts 2-4.

Peace-making and solidarity with refugees gained the community both respect and criticism. Over the years, many weary city-dwellers took retreats at Plow Creek, appreciating the natural beauty of its woodland trails, starry nights, campfires and good potluck food. Plow Creek Fellowship was the site of several summer camp meetings for Shalom Mission Communities of which Plow Creek Fellowship was a member. One camp meeting in 2008 hosted a music festival with inspiring teachings for more than 700 campers.

One of Plow Creek Fellowships most well-known members was writer and pastor, Rich Foss, who for a decade, wrote a weekly column in the Bureau Valley Chief until his death in January 2017. Richs passing, plus the deaths of David Gale and Jim Harnish in late 2016, left only a dozen members who concluded it was time to close up community operations and pass the property on to another non-profit ministry. This turned out to be Hungry World Farm, an offshoot of Willow Springs Mennonite Church.

Hungry World Farm is a new organization applying for not-for-profit status. It will receive the Plow Creek Farm and transition it into a new ministry utilizing the facilities and farmland.

The idea of Hungry World Farm began through local conversations and a review of other farm-based ministries that teach about growing and consuming healthy food. Dennis Zehr of Coneflower Farm, Tiskilwa, and Calvin Zehr, pastor of Willow Springs Mennonite Church, Tiskilwa, created a proposal which Plow Creek Fellowship accepted.

Hungry World Farm will focus on the following activities: Educating people about food production, distribution, and consumption; addressing spiritual hunger in peoples lives; training local and international interns in farming techniques; and providing retreats for holistic growth and health. The transition will officially take place at the end of 2017. If you would like to explore ways to partner in this new organization, or for more information, contact Cal Zehr, 815-646-4819, hungryworldfarm@gmail.com.

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Plow Creek Fellowship to close - Bureau County Republican

Profession: Executive director, Interactive Resource Center

Highest degree earned: Attended UNC-Greensboro

Leadership experience: I have led nonprofit organizations in both Greensboro and Los Angeles. I worked for the State Energy Office overseeing a state-wide energy conservation program. I am the 2016 News and Record Woman of the Year, having been recognized for my contributions to the city.

Civic involvement: I currently serve our community in the following roles: Human Relations commissioner, Police Community Review Board member, United Way Family Success Center Design Team member, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Housing Access and Services Working Group member.

What experience qualifies you to serve on the City Council? I know how to work with diverse populations. I have an extensive track record of creating change and advocating for solutions to benefit communities over my career. I crafted the citys winter emergency shelter plan in 2015. I have worked for nearly a decade alongside City Council and city staff to address the needs in our community.

Name one area of responsibility that belongs to the Greensboro City Council and one that belongs to the county commissioners. Housing services that ensure the stability of and access to our housing stock including code enforcement, zoning and affordable housing are the responsibility of the City Council. Mental health services are a responsibility of county commissioners.

Four initiatives were passed in the 2016 bond referendum community & economic development, housing, parks & recreation and transportation. Which one do you think is most important and will you take the lead on it? What actions would you take?What became the bond referendum was originally designed to be a housing bond to address the lack of access to safe, decent, affordable housing in our community. While other areas are important, housing was, and for me, remains the most critical of the bonds. I serve on the housing access and services working group to help determine best use of those funds.

What do you believe is the greatest obstacle to Greensboros success and what is your solution? As a city, we must develop a strategic development plan to lead us into the future. Public infrastructure investments, land use and zoning changes must have community benefit considerations. Intentional, legitimate participation of impacted communities, beginning at the very earliest stages of planning and throughout implementation must be institutionalized. The fate of neighborhoods should be decided by the people who live there.

What specific plan do you have to bring living wage jobs to economically challenged areas of Greensboro? Incentives should not be considered in any part of Greensboro unless they are attached to living wage provisions for workers. Local hiring components within development projects must be championed to ensure that local workers have access to living wage jobs. I support living wages for all city workers, including temporary and part-time workers coupled with local provisions to encourage the same in the private sector.

What is the most pressing issue the council will face in 2018? Issues of economic equity will play a central role over the next year. Affordable housing, living wage employment and the need for community benefits as part of an equitable development plan will all be critical issues to be addressed. The need for accountability and transparency regarding those and other issues has never been greater than it is now.

What would you do to improve the relationship between Greensboro's City Council and the North Carolina Legislature? City Council has a responsibility to be the voice of the citizenry and to ensure that their concerns are brought to the attention of those within the state legislative body. In instances where Greensboro is the direct target of divisive action at the state level, City Council has a responsibility to protect the rights of Greensboro and should act as tireless advocates in that regard.

What is the best way for the city to address the large and growing problem of food deserts and food insecurity in Greensboro? Improving healthy food access will require comprehensive solutions. Renaissance Community Co-op serves as one shining example that addresses both food insecurity and local hiring. Zoning regulations could be eased to provide access to abandoned lots for use as urban agriculture sites or community gardens. Bus stop farmers markets are another strategy to connect food to people who use our public transportation system.

How would you improve police-community relations in Greensboro? Accountability and transparency at all levels of city government are crucial. To the extent allowable by law, body camera footage should be made available to the public. I support the creation of a citizen review commission that includes monitoring and subpoena power. Further, to increase public trust, this body should issue regular independent reports related to police interactions in Greensboro.

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At-large: Michelle Kennedy - Greensboro News & Record

Fall is a time of renewal at a university, including the arrival of a new class of students full of promise and possibilities. At Western Kentucky University, a strong class of 2021 has begun its higher education journey, and we stand at the ready to ensure that journey is successful.

The quality of our incoming class remains strong. Fifty-two percent of our first-time, first-year students have already earned college credit. In fact, a record 170 students are entering as sophomores, 29 as juniors and one as a senior! This is important as we strive to ensure students graduate in four years.

The class has an average ACT score of 23, three points higher than the state average, and an average GPA of 3.3.

One incredible statistic is that 33 percent of all first-time students are the first in their immediate families to attend college. Access to education is important as members of each generation strive to make a good living for themselves. But access without success is access to nothing.

At WKU, our mission as a student-centered university is to help them succeed in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the workplace, in the world and in their lives. That means that once they arrive on the Hill, we must work to ensure that they persist and earn a degree in four years. To that end, we are implementing several new initiatives proven to increase student success:

In the future, we will shift our freshman year programming to the bottom of the Hill, to include a first-year village concept as we replace older residence halls with new living space. This is an intentional move to more fully embrace living learning communities in our residence halls and to construct facilities with student success and connectivity to campus life in mind. The time our students spend outside of the classroom is as important as the time spent in class.

We also want our students to graduate with as little debt as possible. There has been an intentional shift in financial aid strategy during the last couple of years to reach a broader group of students. That review will continue and we will be placing a priority on private fundraising to support our financial aid initiatives.

WKUs impact extends far beyond the Hill. In conjunction with the steps weve already taken what I call strategic doing we are engaging all of our stakeholders in the formation of a roadmap to guide WKU for the next 10 years strategic planning. All of this the doing and the planning is focused on our core mission as a student-centered, applied research university: to inspire innovation, elevate communities and transform lives.

Tim Caboni is president of Western Kentucky University.

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New initiatives, programs at WKU all have advantages - Bowling Green Daily News

This past Friday night, as thousands milled around downtown in their Old Spanish Days getups, smashing cascarones on each others heads and getting smashed on margaritas, a very different scene took place at El Centro, a volunteer-run community center nestled within the lower Westside, which describes itself as a radically inclusive space for the community, by thecommunity.

The event, which kicked off at 4 p.m. and lasted till 10, was many things at once: an art session, a barbecue, a birthday celebration, a send-off, and a powerful and packed open mic. It also coincided with the approximate one-year anniversary of El Centro, the end of Escuelita youth-oriented summer program, and the inauguration of an enormous mural. For five weeks the students of Escuelita had added fresh paint to the wall, manifesting the themes they had learned that week in workshops, ranging from Gentrification to Intersectionality to Chumash Ecological and SocialPractices.

El Centro is big on radical organizing and de-Colonial teachings, but instead of an anti-Fiesta demonstration, it was holding its own remembrance of history. Kids were painting large green and violet leaves onto a dark purple wall (soon recruiting passing reporters with paintbrushes), while other youngsters raced around a group of teenagers who sat laughing in a circle on the lawn. Outside, men grilled ribs and chorizo next to a spectacular array of torta fixings, salads, fruit, and cookies. One womans exploratory toddler was passed between at least five different sets of arms throughout the night, bathed in coos andkisses.

Delineations between friend, family, neighbor, and collaborator were indiscernible. Nearly everyone held some role: board member, youth mentor, organizer, resident poet. Boardmember Simone Baker explained that this is very intentional: Each community member has something to give to the space. Citing a principle central to the Black Lives Matter movement, for which she is also a local cofacilitator, Baker explained, We are dedicated to having a low-ego and a high-impact. Its intentionally not about just one person or one identity but rather community andyouth.

Vivid murals border El Centro: a beautifully detailed dark-skinned woman with brown wavy locks and bright red lips lined with yellow roses and a blue hummingbird, next to her a yellow sunset behind green and blue trees, and an adjacent purple wall detailed with white, green, and lavenderleaves.

Fem God, responded youth art and mural instructor and El Centro boardmember Gabriel Cardenas when asked who the woman was on the wall. He circles back to earlier Mexican muralism where women arent portrayed in a dominant role following traditional patriarchal standards. We try to use the space to get in touch with our cultural roots, Cardenas said. Growing up with his mom and sister, Cardenas was motivated to give thanks to the women in his life by creating this mural also representing her as Mother Earth and showcasing what she gives to the world. Along with local rapper and activist ALAS, Cardenas was one of the Noche de Poetrys featuredpoets.

About a year ago, Boardmember Chelsea Langhorne, a program advisor at Santa Barbara City College, and other local organizers began the process of reclaiming the vacant building, which had previously been managed by the county, to create a community center that would respond to the needs of the lower Westside, a mostly Latino neighborhood that Baker described as underserved and overworked. Initially, SBCC students utilized the space for youth to access often-overlooked artistic resources. Organizers then formed writing circles for formerly incarcerated folks, which expanded to encompass people of allidentities.

Noche de Poetry y Open Mic Night grew about half a year later an event that welcomes individuals of all backgrounds and languages. Poetry is an important aspect of El Centro since it is seen as a connecting force within the Santa Barbara community. Jonathan Gomez, research assistant at the UCSB Center for Black Studies Research and boardmember of El Centro, describes the night as a space where people can speak out loud about the things that people demand and need. El Centro is now the regular home for danza azteca classes, a pop-up bookstore and caf, and local justice group meetings. Community is not found, its forged, its created, Gomezsaid.

Most recently El Centro hosted Escuelita, an educational and cultural program designed to fill the gap in locally relevant ethnic studies programs in Santa Barbara schools. Organizers went door to door in the surrounding neighborhoods to get the word out to parents and kids. They modeled the five week summer program after a volunteer-run, independent Saturday School in Los Angeles called Escuelita Aztln and the Freedom Schools of the civil rightsmovement.

Youth mentors and partner organizations (Future Leaders of America, Ethnic Studies Now, Black Lives Matter, CAUSE [Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy], Just Communities, and the Museum of Contemporary Art) led educational workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays, cultural food and danza classes on Wednesdays, and arts sessions on Fridays all free of charge and accompanied by ameal.

While more than a few open mic performers called attention to the brutal colonial history that Fiesta celebrations happily brush over or even reinforce it also became clear that the event was not about being in opposition to anything, but rather a celebration of the community that El Centro hasbecome.

We at El Centro are more than what we are against. We are for each other, which means we also spend time investing in our own communities, Baker affirmed. This is resistance aswell.

Read more here:

Across Town from Fiesta, El Centro Celebrates Community - Santa Barbara Independent

I think we have been doing a lot of excessive urban sprawl. Since 2003 weve been building and building. Has anyone read up on permaculture urban growth or intentional communities? See http://www.ic.org. (These folks arent a bunch of hippies get past the prejudices and read on.)

Home arent built well, with not enough insulation in the walls or attic. There is no whole-house fan (that arent noisy) put in besides air conditioning and where are the solar homes?

Have you ever been to towns in other areas of the United States or the world? Not everything is new. Its refurbished, recycled. There are more trees and natural grasses. Folks started pushing big in 2000 for this kind inconsideration. Why are we going in this direction? Homes being built on top of that former dump out there (Highway 32)? Come on.

The only thing thats changed is the council and those working for the city. How big do you want this town to be? Because the Bigger we get, the more costly it will be to maintain and we cant do that now.

The life has been sucked out of downtown. They cut down the trees and those replanted arent being maintained properly. Have some consideration, some ethics and morals. If we were truly supporting local folks, wed send them to SCORE or 3Core for their business education and plans for the next 3-5 years. That way theyd be successful and unique. Thats what made Chico special..

Elizabeth Daniels-Currey, Chico

Continued here:

Letter: Chico forgets what made it a unique city - Chico Enterprise-Record

She held the greeting card beside her like Vanna White showcasing a piece of jewelry on the gameshow "Wheel of Fortune."

"Remind you of anyone?" my West Coast gal pal wryly asked.

The card showed a scene from the 1930s of two stylish ladies raising their glasses in a toast, with one gal grinning profusely at the other, who looks a bit like she just swallowed a moth. The caption read, "Ever notice how the worst decisions make the best stories?"

I grinned profusely.

The events of the day actually began weeks before, when my West Coast gal pal began inundating me and her husband with information about "intentional communities" -- those planned residential communities designed with a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia.

"You mean communes," I said.

"They aren't communes," she disputed.

"They look ... like communes. I bet the little druggies sit in a circle, hold hands, sing Kumbaya and run around naked."

"No, they don't!" she protested. "They simply want to share things."

"I'm sure they do."

"If you're uncomfortable going, then I'll be uncomfortable, so why don't you just drop me off?"

"There's no way I'm just dropping you off at the Donner party."

"They aren't the Donner party! We've emailed several times, and they seem nice!"

Our banter continued until we pulled up to an old farmhouse surrounded by overgrown vegetation and a faded red barn. A friendly farmer greeted us. He showed us around the farmhouse, and then invited us to attend their business meeting, which was about to begin.

As we made our way down the dirt lane to the lighted pavilion, I noticed a weathered sign with an arrow pointing toward a pond. In yellow paint, it read "Clothing Optional."

Folks of varying ages made their way from all corners of the 300 acres to a wide circle of chairs. The facilitator passed a small empty bowl around the circle -- whoever had the bowl, had the floor.

"Like the conch," I said, alluding to the Lord of the Flies, and cringing a bit as I recalled how that book turned out.

The group was clad (thankfully) in cotton T-shirts, tanks and shorts, with hiking sandals and boots, and tousled hair and deep tans.

"We start by holding hands and praying for a peaceful meeting," the facilitator announced.

They shared about their week and discussed points of business regarding the property. One man told of his bike trip through Iowa on acid tabs.

"We don't all do acid," whispered a pleasant fellow.

"Duly noted," I replied.

After a tour of the off-grid cottages and blueberry and wildflower farms -- which were actually quite interesting -- my friend and I got back in the car and drove off into the noncommunal sunset.

"I am never going to live this down," sighed Pollyanna.

And thus is the story of how one gaudy, glittery greeting card is now prominently displayed in my little home. Someone's laughing, my Lord. Kum bay ya.

NAN Our Town on 08/10/2017

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Kum Ba Yah - NWAOnline

GleanerNow

Miles City Hosts Evangelism Weekend GleanerNow Members from North Dakota, Idaho, eastern Montana and Billings, Mont., young and old, came away from the weekend committed to being more intentional about witnessing in their communities and becoming more involved in the mission of their local church ...

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Miles City Hosts Evangelism Weekend - GleanerNow

Companies want customers to love them. Bosses want people to love their jobs. Yet many leaders will tell you, emotion has no place in business.

This is cognitive dissonance at best, dangerous at worst.

Lets start with the cognitive dissonance. To think you can strip emotion out of the workplace, and create a successful business is lunacy. Human endeavors are by their very nature emotional. Success depends on goodwill, cooperation, empathy, and other nuanced emotions, including love.

When Mark Zuckerburg talks about Facebook, hes emotional. Hes passionate; he cares about how Facebook is impacting the world at large. In a recent commencement address he said, The challenge for our generation is creating a world where everyone has a sense of purpose.

Without emotions, business becomes nothing more than a mere transaction. An exchange of money for goods or services with no loyalty or attachments, which is hardly a recipe for creating an engaging workforce or a lasting brand.

Instead of avoiding discussions about feelings, leaders like Zuckerburg leans into the emotional yearning we all have to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Zuckerburg has chosen the missionary path. His organization is going to make a difference and he knows that emotions play a big role.

Another organization leading with emotion is Procter & Gamble. Their recent ad campaign, Lets Talk About the Talk, featured snippets from different generations of African Americans talking to their kids about how to handle prejudice.

Some say its a not a consumer products companys place to wade into social issues. But if you read P&G purpose statement on their web site you see phrases like, improves the lives of the worlds consumers, now and for generations to come. P&G focuses on helping the communities in which we live and work to prosper.

As one of the worlds largest companies with 23 Billion-dollar brands, P&G touches the lives of consumers every day, serving over 5 billion people around the world. P&G has made a choice, theyre going to do more than just sell product. Theyre going to address the emotional issues of our time. Their ad campaign is the result of a long held focus on higher purpose, which includes embracing and promoting diversity.

Being driven by a noble purpose to improve lives (the missionary approach) causes leaders in organizations like P&G to make different decisions about what they pursue and what they dont pursue. Theyre intentional about addressing the emotional impact they can have on their clients, and ultimately the world.

It may seem safer to shy away from emotion. But the results indicate otherwise. Leaders unable to connect to the emotional needs of employees or customers create transactional organizations, solely dependent on the economic self-interest of the players involves.

Which leads us to the mercenary approach. Examples abound of organizations and leaders who lost touch with their people and clients, and saw their businesses fail. Without an emotional rudder, and without leaders who are intentional about what people often call the soft side, its easier for greed to prevail. One need look no further than the Volkswagen debacle and Wells Fargo scandal to see what happens when leaders fail to create a positive emotional narrative for the organization.

Emotions are messy and people complicated; ignoring this reality never works. If youre in business, its going to get emotional. Address it up front, and you create an organization will missionary zeal. Leave it to chance and you may get attacked by your own mercenaries.

Lisa McLeod is the global expert in Noble Purpose. She is the author of the bestsellers Selling with Noble Purpose and Leading with Noble Purpose.

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McLEOD: Is your business a mercenary or a missionary? - Gwinnettdailypost.com

Strategic work on economic development in Shawnee County pinpointed multiple issues, from a decreasing population to needed improvements in the communitys workforce, or talent pipeline.

City and county leaders track those and other factors as they set policies and goals for the community, said Matt Pivarnik, president and CEO of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and GO Topeka. Officials use more than 45 metrics to take Topekas pulse in wide-ranging arenas, from workforce to job creation to items that focus on quality of life.

I actually think metrics are the key to success, he said. Anybody can use activity to make it look like theyre busy or that theyre successful. I think metrics are something to aspire to. They will also be benchmarked against other communities and benchmarked against the economy.

The City of Topeka is working to create appropriate benchmarks for many of the numbers it tracks to keep an eye on how the city is faring, said Nickie Lee, Topekas director of finance and administrative services.

We dont have a formal benchmarking program right now, she said. Ive got a network of finance directors that around budget time, well say: Hey, were forecasting a growth of 2 percent. Where are you guys at?

Creating change through focusing on economic factors such as population growth can be a tough goal. Even in the Market Street report, the writers said population change is not a reliable indicator of a communitys success or future prospects. But fitting into the population growth category are like migration patterns, age dynamics and educational attainment. Each of those can be tracked and targeted with specific programs to effect change, Pivarnik said.

Under each pillar highlighted in the Market Street report are multiple metrics that move the needle on issues, he said, and its often those metrics that officials target as a way to make change. No matter what, theyre a way of taking responsibility and assessing progress.

Were looking to apply smart, specific, measurable, agreed-upon, realistic and timebound metrics, and I think it gives you as a reporter, our elected leaders, even our citizens, it gives them the ability to hold us and the community accountable for the plans that were implementing, he said.

Matt Pivarnik, president and CEO of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and GO Topeka.

Topeka interim City Manager Doug Gerber said metrics the city uses and tracks tie in to Momentum 2022.

I think you have to be intentional about everything you do, he said. Yes, youre intentional about attracting people, but you do that through other measures. Theres a big focus right now on quality of life, and what does that even mean. We can do things that impact quality of life, and thats one intentional way we can get toward population growth.

Metrics are tools that provide measures, goals and accountability; they have to be used as such, Pivarnik said.

Lets say we set a metric to create X number of jobs paying X dollars a year or higher. And then in 2019, we go into some deep, deep recession, Pivarnik said. Itll be important to look at that recession and look at that metric, and say: This was set in 2017 when we didnt anticipate a recession in 2019. So obviously, we need to do a mid-course correction and look at that. It gives you something to shoot for.

Quality of life and quality of place are consistent terms in Momentum conversations. Many of the economic measures and issues highlighted in the Market Street report can affect those elements, Pivarnik said.

Approaching concepts such as quality of life through the economic metrics that are part of city strategies, though, creates an interesting debate.

From a resource allocation standpoint, I think that is still a huge debate about how to put that concept into money, Lee said. Generally, its easy to say quality of place is great, we need to improve it. But when it comes down to it, are we as a city willing to spend more money on what you call quality of life issues than public safety, streets, kind of the basics of what cities have always provided? I think cities everywhere are having that philosophical debate is quality of life a basic city service?

The city of Topeka did add quality of life to the list of budget priorities, she said.

Theyve made that first step to say when we talk about what the city wants to do, were going to include it on the list, which goes a long way, Lee said. But have you put that to dollars?

The challenge is translating what (the numbers) show us and what the gap is into some sort of concrete action, said Gerber, adding that city staff are very in tune with numbers they track.

Weve been having a lot of conversations about our streets, he said. Thats one major way we can impact quality of life. Theres a lot of things from the city perspective that we can do to make sure that our buildings are safe, we have good public safety services, other code enforcement efforts are up to date. From a city perspective, its a really holistic approach as well.

Below are a few of the metrics area leaders use to effect change in the capital city:

Revenue indicators: Property tax, sales tax, franchise fees, water fees and waste water fees are all categories of revenue that Lee follows closely. While its important to make sure they all stay with positive growth, it can be challenging to actually change them.

Take, for instance, the franchise fee, which Lee said hasnt been growing at the rate projected, even though the category is up 1.98 percent as of the citys May 2017 report. The franchise fee is essentially a pass-through tax meaning its a tax collected by one entity and passed directly to another collected by utilities at the rate of either 5 or 6 percent, Lee said. Its volatile based on weather and utility rates.

But policies can effect revenue. The property tax can be affected by things like the Land Use Growth Management Plan, the citys plan for growth, Gerber said.

Thats an intentional strategy that was adopted at a policy level by the governing body that says this is how we want to grow, he said. You can really stretch that and say it ties into being good stewards of what we already have rather than extending services to places they dont necessarily need to be the ultimate environmental policy.

Building permits: Lee said the city tracks building permits and other licensing, and they can have an impact on several categories.

We can have a good process, she said. We can help that business get up and going so they can generate sales tax.

Business visits: Jackie Steele Carlson, vice president of business retention and expansion at GO Topeka, said she tracks and sets goals for how many businesses her department visits. Those arent just businesses shes trying to draw to the area, but those already in existence. The visits help her gather insights into what companies need, and shes able to bring that information and data back to elected officials and other leaders.

We look at what capital investments that the businesses are making, how many jobs are we creating, whats the average wage of that job, she said. The part thats probably hard to control is the target. We would like to have three expansion projects this year, which is kind of an unknown we cant really control.

Pivarnik said capital investment is an important number to know.

When you find a company that is making capital investments, it is actually probably the strongest indication of their commitment to a community, he said, adding that on-site company visits are critical to communication and helping companies work on potential issues they might have with expansions.

Average wages: Molly Howey, vice president of business development and attraction at GO Topeka, said shed like to move the needle on the countys average wage.

As we work with prospects and talk with them about their incentives, we do encourage them to pay competitive rates, she said. They have the data that shows what the averages are for their industries.

Steele Carlson said Kansas state government can play a key role in incentivizing people to increase their wages because their incentives are largely tied to income taxes.

The company can get a bigger incentive because theyre paying better, Steele Carlson said.

Education and workforce: The development of a top workforce to address business needs is critical, said Barbara Stapleton, vice president of workforce and education at GO Topeka. Although she tracks employment figures and unemployment, most of the focus is on education.

Were looking to train lifelong learners, she said, adding that her focus is cradle to career, from kindergarten to technical education to college. Such an extensive focus means everything from reaching out to high school students to introduce them to job opportunities to working with employers on workforce needs.

Forge, a new young professionals organization, is a workforce initiative, as is Included, a new diversity and inclusion initiative, said Pivarnik. Workforce is impacted by the same quality of life issues discussed previously.

Were trying to move a metric, and grow a population and grow our available workforce, he said.

Read more here:

Grow a diverse economy: Tracking metrics will help Topeka leaders determine the right path - Topeka Capital Journal

By Janet JohnsonSpecial to the Mariner

It was on a cool, rainy morning when guests arrived at the United Church of Christ in Norwell to attend a forum with clergy from numerous South Shore faith communities. Guests gathered to enjoy an early breakfast hosted by UCC Norwells Friends of Special Needs who believe that people with developmental disabilities thrive when they are fully included into their church community, thereby enjoying friendships and support beyond their daily work and activities. The purpose of the forum was to reveal a deeper understanding of the difficulties faced by families of children with disabilities. As people of faith, we believe it is our privilege and responsibility to develop and expand more intentional opportunities for engagement with all people in our homes of worship.

Several speakers were invited to share their experiences that helped to inform the forum guests. Emily Colson, noted speaker and author of Life with Max, shared the experiences and the challenges she encountered while being a single parent and raising her son who has autism. She spoke of her desire to attend church when Max was growing up, but found it almost impossible due to his often disruptive behavior. Emily also shared the heartwarming news that her church - North River Community Church of Pembroke never gave up trying to welcome Max in a way that would work for him. The ingenuity shared by a loving church community enabled Max and Emily to feel valued and loved, and to know that they truly belonged! This welcoming created a feeling of inclusiveness within the hearts of a loving church family and enriched everyones lives.

State Sen. Patrick OConnor, R-Weymouth,was invited to share his thoughts about how the special needs community is being served in Massachusetts. He reinforced his ongoing commitment to serve and advocate for people with disabilities and confirmed that his door is always open to his constituents.

Two participants at Friendship Home in Norwell, Martha Willson and J.R. Foley, who attend its social and work related programs, spoke of the positive impact that acceptance and welcoming in both the secular and the church community have had on their lives. Their desire, like those of so many people with special needs, is to be fully contributing members of their own communities and beyond. People soon focus on their abilities rather than challenges and learn and love the gifts that they share with others.

Jack Spurr, a business leader and long-time chairman of Friendship Home, shared how he became involved with people with disabilities many years ago and how he now is the proud grandparent of five children, one of whom is a 9-year-old boy who has Aspergers syndrome and legally blind. His relationship with people of differing abilities is powerfully meaningful and has added a very special dimension to Jacks life.

Thefinal speaker was Mary Kate Gallagher, a 2017 graduate of Notre Dame Academy, who at age 11 attended a Friendship Home Ice Cream Social and became friends with Sophie, a girl her age who has autism. Mary Kate was very moved and said to her mom, We have to do something for Sophie. Within a year, she and her mom, along with two dear friends, started the Friendship Home Middle School program which is now in its sith year. One young person made an incredible difference!

Toward the end of the mornings program, there was a time of open sharing among the guests when questions, personal experiences and future insights about moving forward were explored. As the closing of the breakfast forum drew near, it was clear to all that faith communities have a unique opportunity to be places of welcome and that we are called by our faith to do this. Expanding and moving this desire forward is what the Friends of Special Needs hopes to do. For anyone wishing additional information about this program, through August, please call Wilma Goodhue 781 659-7233 - after that, contact Reverend Leanne Walt, Lead Pastor of the United Church of Christ in Norwell at 781-659-2887. Leanne was instrumental in sponsoring this program and moderated the event. It is her belief that it is Gods will that everyone is welcome and that it is our obligation to make church a place of understanding, acceptance and loving engagement.

As the forum guests left, the rain had abated, the morning chill was gone and the sun was shining - a very good sign for the future!

See original here:

UCC Norwell hosts special needs forum - Wicked Local Norwell

By LISA MARIE PANE and KATE BRUMBACK , Associated Press August 01, 2017 - 2:30 PM

ATLANTA The Trump administration's tough talk on crime and the treatment of suspects has left black police officers worried that efforts to repair the fraught relationship between police and minority communities could be derailed.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday addressed a major black law enforcement group, just days after President Donald Trump said police shouldn't be "nice" to suspects by shielding their heads as they are lowered, handcuffed, into police cars. The comment, now described by the White House as a joke, angered some cops who said it only served to dial back progress they'd made with the people they serve.

In addition, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration said Saturday in an email to employees that Trump's comments "condoned police misconduct regarding the treatment of individuals placed under arrest by law enforcement." DEA chief Chuck Rosenberg said he thought it important to emphasize the drug agency's operating principles, which include rule of law, respect and compassion and integrity.

Sessions did not directly address the president's comments in his remarks Tuesday, but said police officers need the support of the community as they do a dangerous job.

"You deserve the support and respect of every American, and I'm here today on behalf of President Trump and the Department of Justice to say, 'Thank you.' I am proud to stand with you. The Department of Justice is proud to stand with you," Sessions said, drawing applause from the crowd. "We have your back. We are in this together."

Seattle Assistant Police Chief Perry Tarrant, president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, told reporters Sessions also spoke privately with the organization's leadership. Sessions didn't apologize for the president's comment and said he believes it was made in jest, but said he understands the effect such comments can have and underscored the Department of Justice's commitment to protecting everyone's civil rights, Tarrant said.

When asked if he believes Trump was joking, Tarrant said, "Whether intentional or unintentional, it was heard around the country by the folks, by the very communities that we're trying to build relationships with and I believe it had an impact."

Other conference attendees approached by The Associated Press declined to discuss Trump's comments or Sessions' address.

Black police officers talk of straddling two worlds: the communities where they live, and the police departments where they work. They take seriously their oath to uphold the law and to go after criminals, but they also worry about their own friends, relatives and neighbors who fear the police.

"We live in some of the same communities that are affected by this disparate treatment. We go to church in those neighborhoods. We go to the barbershops. Certain things people don't realize: It's really hard being black and being a police officer when these things happen," said Clarence E. Cox III, former chief of Clayton County Schools in Georgia and incoming president of NOBLE.

Sessions has questioned the federal civil rights investigations that marked the Obama administration's efforts to overhaul troubled police departments, often after high-profile deadly police encounters with black men inflamed tensions and reignited debates over police-community relations.

"We cannot let the politicians and sometimes they do run down the police in communities that are suffering only to see crimes spike in those communities," Sessions said. "In the very neighborhoods that need proactive, community-based policing the most, we don't need to be telling police not to do their job in those communities."

Sessions has said aggressive federal intervention in local law enforcement can malign entire agencies and make officers less effective on the streets, but he has promised to prosecute individual officers who break the law.

Sessions has been traveling the country touting his tough-on-crime agenda. He believes rising violence and the nation's opioid epidemic require a return to tougher tactics, vowing to make fighting ordinary street crime a top priority for a Justice Department.

Tarrant has also expressed concern about Sessions' pledge to dial back civil rights investigations. While some effective interim steps can help address bad departments, he said, "at the end of the day if you have systemic issues in any organization, the Department of Justice has an obligation to intervene."

Trump's remarks came last Friday before law enforcement officers in Suffolk County, New York, during a visit to highlight his administration's efforts to crack down on a street gang known as MS-13.

He spoke dismissively of the practice of shielding the heads of handcuffed suspects as they are placed in patrol cars.

"Don't be too nice," Trump said. "I said, 'You could take the hand away, OK,'" he said.

His remarks were later denounced by the Suffolk County Police Department, which issued a statement saying it has strict rules and procedures about how prisoners should be handled and "we do not and will not tolerate roughing up of prisoners."

See the article here:

Black police concerned by Trump quips on handling suspects - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Aug 1 FEATURE SIDEBAR, Live Local, NEWS & VIEWS No Comments on LIVE LOCAL, LIVE SMALL: Remembering and thanking my community for the riches of life

There are obvious pieces: Lysistrata with Picasso illustrations, for example. Or anything signed by one of my heroes. Or really arcane theatre books. But there are books that stop me in my tracks and can absorb entire days of productivityand not because of any perceived monetary value.

A few years ago a large oversized paperback appeared in a box I was unpacking. I had seen another copy of it years earlierbut not another since. Yet, there it was in my hands: Communities Directory. What many people would think of as a commune (in the 60s sense) is described by the 100,000-plus people who live communal lifestyles as Intentional Community. The scale of shared life and possessions runs the gamut, from shared housing to no ownership of possessions, with each community deciding how they can best function. Published by Fellowship for Intentional Community, the book is an international listing guide for communities around the world. Besides such basic information as locationand whether they are open to visitors or notit also answers questions as to structure and focus: Co-housing? Sustainable? Religious?

I flipped through to the letter K. There it was: the listing for the community that took me in and changed my life over a decade earlier.

So, yes, that book went home with me. Periodically, I leaf through it when I need to take a trip down nostalgia lane or remind myself of values and priorities I have embraced and struggled to live for most of my adult life. What I didnt understand at the time was how I really found Utopia. But it was ephemeral, a moment in time I couldnt sustain and had not yet experienced enough of life to truly appreciate.

I lived on a beautiful organic farm on more than 300 acres of land in the Appalachian Mountains, with a greenhouse that covered a third of an acre, five smaller greenhouses, solar power, gravity-fed spring water, buildings as close to zero impact as possibleincluding designs based on Buckminster Fullers work. It was heaven on earth, people searching for something deeper, something more meaningful to belong to.

I left the farm when the land was sold and the dream had run its course. Ive heard myself say a lot of things about the farm out loud over the years:

It was easy to be vegan living on an organic farm, but when I went to college, it just meant eating junk food.

I learned permaculture by living it.

We were as close to off-the-grid and self-sustaining as we could get.

Living in that level of intimacy and honesty with a group of people is much harder than most would think.

I dont think I could go back to it now.

Kate Spring published a piece titled To Grow Love: A Farmers Manifesto in the most recent issue of Taproot magazine. Included was this gem:

Let that love grow a community; self-sufficiency is a myth. Become community sufficient, and you will find space and peace in the strength of many hands; you will have solace and support in the ugly moments.

It started stirring thoughts that had been slowly and quietly fermenting for the last few yearsbringing them to the surface and forming into words. Jock and I try to live centered around doing rather than ordering and putting things on a credit card. If something breaks, we fix itor learn how to. We continue to deepen our relationship with food, and we strive for more and more preparedness and sufficiency.

Years ago Jock impressed upon me that if the world fell apart for usand there were years we played foreclosure roulettethe real capital we had in our lives was not in the bank but among friends and neighbors.

I think I am realizing (though, I left the farm geographically) what really happened is the essence of the farmwhat I needed to learn from itis being lived in a larger geographic area. The intentional community I work with, struggle with and strive with isnt bordered by a mountain-ridge line, a driveway or any survey marker.

Do I still learn permaculture by doing it? Yes, and it will be a lifelong study. Permaculture is a fancy word for intentionally designed sustainable farming. I am slowlyvery slowlyworking on integrating food-producing plants into the landscape design for my house on Market Street. More days and hours than I can count have been devoted to planning, rethinking, replanning, reworking, and observing the yard, to try and develop something with thoughtful harmony as my guiding principal.

I still wrestle with food choices; the moral, ethical, political, and health impacts of those choices. Perhaps they frustrate me now more than when I was 17 and had the certainty and absolute convictions of adolescence. I used to be good at giving things up (dairy, sodas, coffee); all forms of denial made me feel like I was somehow achieving or contributing to the betterment of the worldor at the very least my body and life. Now, Im not so sure, and I wrestle, painfully at times. I am so lucky and privileged; there are so many people who would love to have the luxuries I take for granted: ice cream on demand, for example. That sounds foolish. But I am fortunate enough to be able to buy ice cream if I want it at 3 p.m. or 3 a.m., seven days a week. Thats not the case everywhere in the worldor even the country. A few years ago I startled Jock and a few close friends by experimenting with eating meat, something I hadnt done in over a quarter of a century.

Why now? Nini asked.

I just felt a need to revisit these choices that were made by someone who wasnt an adultby a child, reallyand see if they were still valid; if they were still the right choices for me. The unexamined life is not worth living.

One of the issues many communities face is the need for revenue to keep the resources flowing, taxes paid and wolves from the door. Twin Oaks, an incredibly long-lasting community founded in 1967 (inspired by the principals in the book Walden Two by B. F. Skinner), makes and sells hammocks, tempeh, garden plants, and seeds. Their off-shoot community, Acorn, sells seeds and was involved in a lawsuit against Monsanto.

The farm I lived on had no source of revenue that we all participated in. Everyone was responsible for their own finances. Though we contributed labor to the running of the farm (from producing food for everyone to maintaining the physical plant), we did not have a monetary fund to support our future endeavors; to invest in our future and shared growth. That, more than anything else, was what did us in.

I have labored lo these many years for the bookstore, the building and the renovation of the house on Market Street to open as a B&B, and I have felt guilt much of the time. That might be a surprising confession. But every time I say no to someone whose books we dont buy; every time I have to explain if you have an event at the bookstore the sales must go through the register because we have utilities, payroll, taxes, etc.; every time someone asks for a job and I dont have one available or the money to fund a position I feel guilty. Even though we make very little money in gross and rarely a little profit, I feel guilty. It is true. Just learning how to say no to myriad requests that would drain all the resources from the bookstore, bankrupt us and render the entire journey moot was hardvery hard. Sharing is not my problemnot giving away everything to the detriment and impovishment of my loved ones is my problem.

The only way I am able to say no and still get through the day is to realize it isnt about me. I have to say no to protect the interests of the staff who depend upon me for payroll, and a safe working environment, and the taxes paid, and the utilities turned on. There is a web of something bigger than me I am beholden to. But I still crumble a little when I cant say yes.

It is a pretty surprising and wonderful group that weaves in and out of our lives around the bookstore, the Market Street house and Full Belly. Without realizing it, Jock and I have found ourselves in the middle of something very similar to what people search for when they look through the Communities Directory. We live very sustainable lives with remarkably little environmental impact. We try to make choices about all the aspects of our lives: housing, food, transportation, clothing, luxuries, all based on something more than greed and gratifying an immediate want. We give back more than we receive, and in turn live lives of far greater wealth than we ever imagined.

Thank you. Thank you so much for every day.

appalachian mountainsB. F. SkinnerBuckminster FullerCommunities DirectoryFellowship for Intentional CommunityFull Belly ProjectGwenyfar RohlerJock BrandisKate SpringLive Local Live SmallLysistrataTo Grow Love: A Farmers ManifestoTwin OaksWalden Two

BREATHING THE FOURTH DIMENSION: Grey Pascal installs new multimedia show, prepares for performance piece on Friday THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Praising big-league intellectual excellence

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LIVE LOCAL, LIVE SMALL: Remembering and thanking my community for the riches of life - encore Online

When I was in middle school, I had a private (or so I thought) online blog that I used as a personal journal for myself. After a particularly I decided to write a post on my blog in which I basically just bashed all of my friends. I wrote a paragraph about each friend, detailing the qualities I didnt like, and ultimately questioned my friendships with each member of the group. Obviosuly, this was a bad idea. One of my friends found the blog post, forwarded it to the rest of the group, and suddenly I was experiencing a collective friend break-up with all of them. I cried and cried, feeling very much like my entire world was ending. How would I go to school the next day? Who would I sit with at lunch? Who would I spend time with on the weekends?

Not all friend breakups are this dramatic or have an obvious cause, but many friend breakups can feel like the world is ending or at least changing, in a painful and confusing way. In fact, friend breakups feel a lot like romantic breakups. And thats because, well, they really arent that different from one another.

Whether a friendship ends because of an emotional fight, a betrayal, natural growing apart, or a transition like switching schools, and whether or not you are the person who chooses to end the friendship, it hurts to lose someone who we trust and care about. So why arent friend breakups always taken as seriously as romantic breakups?

According to therapist Isaiah Bartlett , LCSW, We live in this culture that is so obsessed with romantic relationships and really belittles the importance of friendship. But the reality is that the majority of the relationships we experience throughout our lives are actually non-romantic.

The connections we make throughout our lives especially close friendships can still hold the same intensity, intimacy, and importance that we associate with romantic relationships. Depending on our family situation, or through particularly formative times in our lives, friendships can take on even more responsibility and initiate stronger attachment bonds than other relationships. So when those connections end, it hits us hard.

Those who are part of marginalized communities can have an especially difficult time processing and experiencing friend breakups, Bartlett notes. For queer people or anybody who experiences marginalization, the possibilities for friendship and creating intentional communities can give birth to so many different types of relating, he said. Friend breakups can be more intense and intimate for these folks because of the work that went into creating those relationships in the first place, along with being in a marginalized position already.

When I went through my big friend breakup in middle school, I remember feeling like my reaction was overly dramatic. As a closeted queer person, I was nervous that the emotional response I had to losing my friends (a group of cis girls) was abnormal. I didnt want to express how sad and hurt I was because I was afraid people would judge my feelings as indication that I was gay. There seems to be this idea, Bartlett shares, that if we fully experience the loss of a friend, that it must signify something more than a friendshipbut that is part of the patriarchal construct we live in, in which everything is organized around heterosexual monogamy. The truth is that we connect with others in a variety of different ways that greatly affect how we grow, understand ourselves, and relate to others, and which exist outside of heterosexual, romantic relationships, regardless of sexuality.

There isnt a dialogue around friend breakups, so there is shame that can be associated with the loss of friendship, Bartlett continues. People have this idea that a broken heart from a romance is what is supposed to be mourned, while a broken heart from a friendship isnt. But this doesnt make sense at all...and it means that people try to prematurely push themselves into feeling better when they are not yet ready to do so.

Bartlett recommends the practice of radical acceptance for anyone experiencing a friend breakup. Radical acceptance means that we accept our realities without judgement. In the case of a friend breakup, it means accepting that the relationship is over but also acknowledging that it was an important and meaningful relationship, which deserves to be mourned.

If you are experiencing a friend breakup, allow yourself to feel whatever emotions come up, without judgement, for however long you need to, and understand that what you feel is valid and part of your own personal healing journey. Create boundaries for yourself when necessary (and respect those that others involved may make), and make sure to reach out for professional help if you feel like you need assistance processing your emotions. Above all, know that friend breakups are a normal part of growing up for everybody.

Related: Breaking Up With a Friend Is Hard to DoBut Here's How (and Why Sometimes It's Just Gotta Happen)

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How to Handle a Friend Breakup - TeenVogue.com

By JULIET LINDERMAN , Associated Press August 04, 2017 - 2:10 AM

BALTIMORE Last week, the number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200, making 2017 a record-setting year for violence on the city's streets.

As the body count rises, the police department has reassigned 150 officers to the city's most dangerous areas, but is still struggling to curb the bloodshed amid internal turmoil and mounting criticism. Mayor Catherine Pugh said she's developed a plan to stop the violence, but hasn't yet made it public.

In the meantime, Baltimore residents are taking matters into their own hands, proposing a 72-hour cease fire that would go into effect Friday and last at least through Sunday.

___

"NOBODY KILL ANYBODY"

Erricka Bridgeford, a professional conflict mediator in Baltimore, is one of the organizers of the cease-fire, whose motto is "Nobody Kill Anybody."

Bridgeford says no individual or organization alone has taken credit for the event, and that's intentional: That way, she said, it belongs to every single Baltimore resident.

The idea is to persuade shooters to put down their guns for three whole days, and remember what it feels like to make a positive decision for themselves, and for their city.

"We understand that this is not what normal should be, and we deserve something better," Bridgeford said. "Looking at each other and saying, 'We deserve peace, for three whole days' that's powerful."

Bridgeford is no stranger to the effect of violence on communities: She first saw someone shot and killed when she was just 12 years old.

"I heard shots that woke me up out of my sleep (when) my friend Mike was shot. I saw him on the blacktop, I heard him crying not to let him die," she said. "I went to funerals all through high school."

She's lost friends and cousins to gunshots, she said. "So many cousins."

___

OPPOSITION TO VIOLENCE THROUGH ADVERTISING

As James Evans, a Baltimore-based advertising executive, watched the body count in Baltimore skyrocket earlier this year, he thought he might be able to help. How? By reaching the unreachable: those most likely to pick up a gun and pull the trigger.

Evans' firm, Illume, is behind the "Stop Shooting, Start Living" slogan used by a local chapter of the community-based anti-violence organization Safe Streets. Now, he's trying to combat the bloodshed with an advertising campaign.

As he does with any campaign, Evans said he treats his anti-violence pitch like a product he's selling. He said he's conducted focus groups with victims, active shooters and drug dealers to try to figure out how best to market the message. In one video, a fight breaks out and a man opens fire on a group, only to have his infant daughter caught in the crossfire.

"Humanizing the victims is really important," Evans said. "People talk about Baltimore city and crime, and they talk about it in the voice of fear, not the voice of empathy. The voice of fear suggests that crime just exists here, not that victims exist here.

"We're incentivizing kids not to become criminals in the first place. You could go from being a hardworking citizen, lose your temper, do the wrong thing and become a criminal in five seconds. When you're 18, you're living in an underserved community, you're frightened all the time. People don't understand how quickly these kids need to react. That is what we're trying to do: empathize with these young guys, and say, 'We understand that your situation is challenging; don't make it more so.'"

Evans created the campaign after discussing the idea with Daniel Webster, the director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.

___

"NO SHOOT ZONES"

Tyree Colion is on a mission to convert areas of gun violence into "No Shoot Zones."

He tries to create what he calls "invisible force fields" against violence by spray-painting messages on buildings and other structures where violence has occurred.

Those most likely to pick up guns recognize these zones and neutral areas: They respect the space, he says.

The messages "stop shootings, first and foremost," Colion said. "At worst, it looks like graffiti. But to different gangs, they know what this means: 'I don't fear police, I don't respect anything else, but I respect this.'"

He's christened 27 such zones in Baltimore city. The fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl Tuesday is what brought him across the line into Baltimore County for the first time.

He'd come to paint a brick wall behind a convenience store, near where the shooting had taken place.

The paint hadn't even begun to dry when four police cars and six uniformed officers showed up on the scene. The wall Colion had painted was privately owned, they said. Colion insisted he'd gotten permission from a store owner. After 20 minutes of back and forth, Colion was arrested and charged with destruction of property.

"You can't stop this," Colion said to an officer as he was being handcuffed, pointing his chin toward a memorial to the girl set up on a staircase and decorated with teddy bears and a big bunch of balloons.

"I can."

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Baltimore residents propose 3-day cease-fire - Minneapolis Star Tribune

KNOXVILLE (WATE) A Knoxville church is taking steps to address the drug epidemic in the community.

I think its getting worse every day, Knoxville Police Department Capt. Ronald Green said, because its just too easy to get these types of narcotics now and people just use it at will.

In Knox County alone, 183 people have died from drug overdoses in 2017. Thats compared to 237 people who died in 2016. Nationally, the CDC has reported a 140 percent increase in overdose deaths in the U.S.

Just in the month of July, Knox County has seen 19 overdose deaths, with only four days without at least one person dying from an overdose.

Buffat Heights Baptist Church leaders said it is time for them to do their part to help reverse this dangerous trend.

Weve had two overdoses in this church deaths, Donald Elkins, Transformation 180 coordinator at the Buffat Heights Baptist Church, said. We really feel that its not a physical problem but a spiritual problem, and its time for the church to get more intentional about helping our communities with this increasing addiction.

The church is launching a program called Transformation 180, where people can go and seek help.

We got to fill that gap, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said. We have people out there who think theyre going to kick these drugs just by sheer will power and I think that will lead to failure. Its important that the churches accept the responsibility that we are failing our communities and our kids and they need to step up.

Captain Green agrees that churches have the ability to make positive change in the drug epidemic.

I think its a huge step in the right direction, Green said. I think a lot of times people dont know where to go to get help.

With overdose death rates on track to nearly double in Knox County this year, church leaders say the drug crisis is no longer an isolated problem.

Its a community problem, Elkins said. These are our kids that are dying. These are our brothers and sisters that are dying so it is our problem. We cant just sit here and say everythings good when we know families are struggling.

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Knoxville church addresses drug epidemic rise in East Tennessee ... - WATE 6 On Your Side

Environmental racism is the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on people of color. The lead poisoning of children in Flint is only the latest example of environmental racism in the United States.

Unfortunately, Flints water scandal is a symptom of a much larger disease.The activist organization, Greenaction, has stated that Environmental Racism refers to the institutional rules, regulations, policies or government and/or corporate decisions that deliberately target certain communities for locally undesirable land uses and lax enforcement of zoning and environmental laws, resulting in communities being disproportionately exposed to toxic and hazardous waste based upon race. Environmental racism is caused by several factors, including intentional neglect, the alleged need for a receptacle for pollutants in urban areas, and a lack of institutional power and low land values of people of color.

Research has shown a higher incidence of emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other pulmonary diseases in these communities. Some link the asthma epidemic among African Americans to industrial toxins wafting over poor neighborhoods. Asthma affects twice as many black children as white, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control, and its rate among African-American kids doubled from 2001 to 2009.

Research by the Federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has shown that lead from plumbing, house paints and contaminated soils reaches many poor children of all races. But in an unexplained disparity, as far back as 1988, studies have concluded that black children, regardless of their families income, are much more likely than white children to have unacceptably high levels of lead in their blood.

Many health experts say lead is the most widespread environmental hazard in minority communities. The effects of lead poisoning can extend from headaches and nausea to permanent brain damage, especially in children.

In 1987,Toxic Waste and Race, (the seminal report that coined the term environmental racism) found race to be more important than socioeconomic status in predicting the location of the nations commercial hazardous waste facilities.

Even food, and where, and how, it is made available is subject to environmental racism.

Right now, in America millions of low-income people live more than a mile from a supermarket, and most dont have access to a vehicle. In these neighborhoods, food typically comes from fast food chains, convenience stores and drug stores, which often means decreased access to fresh fruits or vegetables and higher prices. Poor diets and obesity have been associated with these so-called food deserts, where obesity rates can be five times higher than in communities with access to fresh, healthy foods.

Most food literature on underserved communities focuses on poor nutritional quality of canned and pre-packaged food. Chemicals found in food packaging, however, are also harmful to our health. One of those chemicals is bisphenol A, or BPA. This chemical, banned from baby bottles and sippy cups nationwide, remains in use to line food cans. Intended as a protective barrier between the metal and the cans contents, BPA can actually leach into the food we eat. The effects of leaching BPA are likely most detrimental for pregnant women, babies and children. People of color living in underserved communities have been found to have higher levels of BPA in their blood relative to the rest of the population. One possible explanation is greater reliance on canned foods that are often less expensive and more readily available.

The most significant problem facing people of color is the institutional and cultural racism which results in discrimination in access to services, goods and opportunities. Institutional racism involves polices, practices, and procedures of institutions that have a disproportionately negative effect on racial minorities access to and quality of goods, services, and opportunities.

As economist William J. Kruvant described in a 1975 article:Disadvantaged people are largely victims of middle- and upper-class pollution because they usually live closest to the sources of pollutionpower plants, industrial installations, and in central cities where vehicle traffic is heaviest. Usually they have no choice. Discrimination created the situation, and those with wealth and influence have political power to keep polluting facilities away from their homes. Living in poverty areas is bad enough. Environmental racism makes it worse.

Ill close with a quote from writer,Vann R. Newkirk II. He feels that discrimination in public planning is to blame:The environment is a system controlled and designed by peopleand people can be racist.

Listen to Glenn, every Saturday at 9:00am (EST) on www. wurdradio.com, and Sundays at 8:30am (EST) on http://www.wdasfm.com. For more good health information, visit: http://www.glennellis.com

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VIEWPOINTS: Environmental Racism Exists - atlantadailyworld

What happens to a dream deferred, does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore, and then run?- Langston Hughes

Time and time again, there is a call to action that demands new voices and new perspectives to emerge in efforts to create new solutions. The evening of Friday, July 14th, was one of those times. A group of young black women, under the counsel of a community organization, a student movement, and two community driven activists, sought to impress upon their communities knowledge about an issue--Food Deserts. A message that is not new, just the voices speaking it. For the last ten weeks, the young ladies and those behind them have taken time to perfect the ageless teach-in. A product of young adults mobilizing, this form of demonstrating is meant to disperse information in a way that would allow for the audience to not only grasp what is happening, but also motivate them to become involved.These young ladies have devoted energy to this program and have found that the love for change isnt always reciprocated as promised.

In their attempt to make this impression, they experienced the ultimate suppression of their efforts. The ladies were understood that they would be able to share their knowledge on Food Deserts, in the form of a teach-in, to the youth at Black Expo via the Youth Leadership Summit program. They were intentional about communicating their plans with leadership of the event, they were diligent in the planning of the demonstration, and were passionate about bringing this much-needed information to the table for their peers to digest. When time came for the event, suddenly the plans changed on these young ladies. Their platform to speak was revoked, and their support from adult leadership within the Summit was met with a statement excusing the incident. Those in positions of leadership came forth and met the disappointed young ladies with statements that alleviated the leadership of all blame and preached a misogynistic form of agreement. Knowing that they had a message that needed to be heard, the young ladies were visibly upset, to which the reply to their dismay was a lesson on how to control their emotions, explaining that the feelings and emotions they had been facing in this moment were ones sent by god and that they needed to fester on them but remain calm in doing so. This was all in a tone that was unbefitting of anyone who is to be leading youth; the eyes of the young ladies filled with tears.

These young ladies understood this was not a moment to lie down in peace, for that would almost defeat the purpose behind ten weeks of action that demanded their presence in the first place. Instead of lying down, they took action, in the form of this letter. They wrote this letter to you in hopes that you might do three things. First, they wanted to raise awareness for the demonstration they'd prepared for over the course of ten weeks. Secondly, they wanted to express their dismay in the lack of content from the leadership within the Youth Summit. And lastly, these young black women wanted to convey how disheartening it was to experience such a distress at the hand of their own community. In life, these young women will face hardships beyond the events that occurred on the evening of July 14th. If we, as a community, cannot uplift them and nurture their dreams, how do we expect the world to?

What happens to a dream deferred, does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore, and then run?- Langston Hughes

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Letter to the Editor: Black Expo Youth Summit - Indianapolis Recorder (blog)

Rabbits pose for a picture to send to Aurelia, whos away at camp. Photo by Aaron.

Saturday morning I went out for my normal Ultimate engagement with my many friends who like to chase flying plastic, but had to sign a couple releases before I could play. Rae and Aaron, who play Ultimate with us now and again, as well as serving on our Outreach committee and running a private business engaged in the production and good use of video and audio content related to community, had arrived with gear. Rae with a digital camera took video from the sidelines as we played. A drone flown by Aaron took aerial footage at the same time, which required us to ignore a flying thing in a game focused on a different flying thing. I found this surprisingly difficult, but Im always excited to be able to review our play. Theyll be taking more footage of village activities over the coming days.

Ted here with the news from this past week at our fair ecovillage here in steamy northeast Missouri.

Ive lately come to realize that Ultimate (formerly known as Ultimate Frisbee, but then shortened owing to the specific brand-name reference) is a great reference for community living as a whole. I cant play Ultimate unless at least five other players show up, and that only gets us a three-on-three game, which is tiring owing to so much running (seven-on-seven is regulation). So for a fun game of any length, Im hoping for eight or more people to show up when we play. I rely on that many or more for an essential part of my happiness a couple times a week. And that is just in one realm- most other parts of my life also rely on others, like those that milk and tend goats at pasture, without which I could not make cheese. Thanks to all my compatriots!

For the second year, a group of students and their group leaders from Earth Dance Farm in Ferguson, MO came to Dancing Rabbit early this past week for a variety of learning sessions, including natural building and food preservation. I spoke with them for a couple hours Tuesday, during which we worked with a basic goat cheese at several different stages, and also made sauerkraut from start to finish, including the students harvesting the cabbage and walking away each with a pint-full of kraut ready to begin fermenting. Sort of like bringing home a pet, those ferments It was great to deepen that relationship with the organization and the students, and felt great to connect with them around the many things were trying to do to live lightly on the earth.

My own child Aurelia has been away at camp a week now, a place called Camp Kupugani in northwestern Illinois, which bills itself (and does feel very much like) a multicultural camp. That was one of our hopes for her first camp experience, and were pleased to find it not so far away.

In dropping her off there last weekend, there inevitably came the moment when I had to say goodbye for two weeks to my kid whod never been without some family or close friends for more than a day in her life. She started with whispers soon after arrival of Do I have to stay?, which soon became I dont want you to leave!, and ended at that moment we both knew was coming, when she tried hard to smile at me and say goodbye while crying as she stayed at her cabin and I started to walk away and I forced myself to keep walking away, looking over my shoulder a few times but never seeing her running after me as I half-imagined. I had a lot of time for thought and some tears driving home alone for five hours. Very excited to pick her up again this coming weekend and carry her home again, and to see what she carries home with her.

The camp posts several dozen pictures of the campers each day, so that weve been able to catch glimpses of Aurelia with a smile on her face, having fun, and know shes ok. She does not have the same ability to check in in return, but she seems like shes doing alright with that. I know I survived and loved going to camp (even though there was no internet in those days), and Im sure it is a good thing for her sense of independence, but I have new respect for my parents for letting me go back then.

At our Sunday meeting here in the village we gathered a bunch of us together for a photo to send Aurelia for the next mail day (which includes the ability to send emails with photos), and I wish I could be a fly on the wall when she receives these reminders of home.

The weather round these parts has been consistently warm, though I felt grateful this past week for a low-likelihood 2 rain that fell all night long, and a few nights in the mid-60s that allowed us to throw open all the windows during the dark hours and recharge the coolth of our homes interior mass. I shouldnt be surprised by hot summer weather, and indeed I do enjoy the relief of jumping in the pond to cool off most days, sometimes repeatedly.

Chelsea and Kelsey, Ironweed work exchangers through early August, helped me this week to get our four newer, bigger solar panels lifted onto the tracking rack we have behind the kitchen, taking down two smaller ones to make space. The rack passively tracks the sun through the day with the aid of sun-activated hydraulics, boosting the effective efficiency by up to 30%. Ive had to dig out some long-stored bits and pieces to get everything wired out and back, and meanwhile relied solely on the original eight panels we put up in 2004. We have acquired a lot of additional uses of power in the meantime the motivation to complete the wiring is high.

We also mixed up some earthen plaster, and they each worked on plastering some earthbag walls in our root cellar that had never been finished. It is one of the few places that feels truly cool without air conditioning on these hot days, so it was a good fit with the weather. Also in the cellar we built another set of tall and deep shelves for carboys, winter veggie storage, and more, significantly increasing the functionality of the space.

Saturday the 15th marked a year since our friend Dennis left the physical plane, to commemorate which we all gathered in the evening out on Mullein Hill where he is buried to remember him, to hold Sharon and each other, and to witness the unveiling of his grave marker. Thomas, in creative consultation with Sharon, has built a beautiful marker that incorporates a bicycle wheel (Dennis was a tireless bike advocate) into a carved wooden monument that perfectly meets the space and the need we each have to remember. We miss you, Dennis.

If all that wasnt enough for one week, Sunday morning a handful of folks met with an archivist from the University of Southern Indiana who is interested in acquiring historical materials related to the founding and growth of our ecovillage. USIs Communal Studies Collection already contains photos and documents from all kinds of communities historical and contemporary, and includes documents from both the Fellowship for Intentional Community and the Federation of Egalitarian Communities. Now our various decision-making bodies will engage in identifying all the sorts of things wed feel good about sharing with this research-oriented collection, with an eye toward preserving our documents for the long term and furthering the understanding of intentional communities in the wider culture.

To close out the week we held the second of two plenary meetings to select the community members wholl next serve on the Village Council alongside the three mid-term members Mae, Cob, and Tereza. Newer villager Christina will now join for the first time (cheers for new village governance energy!), and I will return for a second two-year term. We had a longer list of willing candidates this year than usual, which bodes well for our collective future.

Heres hoping July, historically our wettest month, chooses to drop some more substantive rain on the village to keep our gardens chugging along. Javi had the first tomatoes for sale at our weekly meeting on Sunday, and Im looking forward to ours. May your gardens also grow vigorously wherever they may be!

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community and educational nonprofit outside Rutledge, MO, focused on demonstrating sustainable living possibilities. We offer public tours of the village on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, April-October; the next is this Saturday, July 22nd at 1 pm. Reservations not required. Tours are free, though donations to help us continue our educational and outreach efforts are gratefully accepted. For directions, call the office at 660-883-5511 or email us at dancingrabbit@ic.org. To find out more about us, you can also check out our website: http://www.dancingrabbit.org.

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Relying on Others - Memphis Democrat