Category Archives: Intentional Communities

VRON, France In 1992, when Pope John Paul II released his apostolic exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis (I will give you shepherds), the Catholic priesthood was in serious decline. Seminary formation was in disarray, clergy were renouncing their vows, and new vocations were dwindling around the globe.

To address this crisis, John Paul outlined four major dimensions to aid in priestly formation: The human, intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral. The aim of the exhortation was not only to discern but also to accompany priestly vocations. Central to this was an elevation of the human dimension of the priesthood, which, according to the exhortation, is the basis of all priestly formation.

In some respects, this insight had already been realized by Monsignor Jean-Francois Gurin, a French priest who founded the Community of Saint Martin in 1976. For Gurin, the spirituality of the Community was an embrace of the renewal of the Second Vatican Council with a particular focus on the human development of its priests.

Originally founded in the diocese of Genoa, Italy, at the invitation of Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, the Community was born in a poor environment in a former Capuchin monastery. The humble setting formed the DNA of the community, with the Eucharist at the center and a commitment to Church unity as a direct response to what Gurin believed to be the crisis in identity of priests.

By 1979, the Community had its first ordinations and over the next decade another twenty followed. In 1993, the Community returned home to its French roots and opened its seminary in Cand-sur-Beuvron, France.

Today its motherhouse is in vron, France, where they relocated in 2014 after outgrowing their previous home due to an unprecedented uptick in new seminarians. Now under the leadership of Don Paul Praux, the Community boasts an enrollment of 100 new seminarians and 100 priests serving in dioceses in France, Italy, and Cuba and is one of the fastest growing religious communities in France.

Inspired by Saint Martin of Tours, the spirituality of the order is based on four aspects of the life of the fourth century saint. First, he was a hermit who understood the contemplative life and what can be gained from withdrawing from the world. Second, he founded a monastery, which is viewed as his recognition of the importance of community life.

Third, he was a pastor and a bishop who went out to the peripheries of his time and became the first to found parishes outside of cities. Finally, his constant devotion to the poor set an example of both spiritual and physical poverty, which the Community still tries to model.

According to Praux, Saint Martin gave us in the fourth century a model of what priests should be in the 21st century. In an interview with Crux, Praux couldnt help but to offer parallels between the spirituality of the Community and the vision of the priesthood offered by Pope Francis. Were trying to live the reality that Pope Francis asks of us, particularly a focus on the poor and the joy of the Gospel. We still see it as a call to conversion for us.

In its early days many of the bishops in France viewed the Community with an unfavorable eye, noted Praux. Today, however, the Community is represented in 20 dioceses and 35 other French bishops have asked for the Community to send priests their way, placing the Community in direct contact with 55 out of the 100 bishops in the country.

Rather than having specific assignment for its priests, the Community entrusts its members to bishops for a wide range of services, including work in retirement homes, boarding schools, and parish service.

The priests and deacons of the Community live and work in communities of at least three, but with an integrated approach that combines religious life with intentional interaction with lay men and women.

vron Abbey, which is located two hours southwest of Paris, traces its roots back to the 7th century when it was previously a Benedictine Abbey and then later the home of the Sisters of Charity in vron. With plenty of room for growth and an attractive bucolic setting, the Community is aiming for greater expansion in Europe and beyond.

Praux who has been head of the Community since 2010 and was just re-elected for another six-year assignment, has made future growth a key area of discernment for his next term. He anticipates immediate expansion into German speaking countries and has also been in contact with several dioceses in the United States.

In June of this year, another three priests were ordained to the community. Xandro Pachta-Reyhofen entered the seminary in 2010 and the Austria native was the first non-French native to enter the community. Just two weeks before his ordination, he reflected back on what for him was the most unlikely of vocations whose life was changed after meeting a priest from the Community while studying philosophy in Paris.

The most important thing is to see priests whose priesthood does not diminish their human fulfillment, Pachta-Reyhofen told Crux. Clear identity makes the priesthood attractive. You have to be able to imagine yourself in the role of the priest and in the role that is being modeled for you. These were men that I could also see having very successful careers as businessmen, lawyers, or doctors, but were also attracted to the priesthood.

With a motto of Taking God seriously, not yourself, the Community of Saint Martin is aiming to breath new life into the Church through traditional ways. In terms of its own liturgy, formation, and structures, the Community is undeniably rooted in established traditions. But in its daily ministry, its unquestionably focused outward on the modern world.

In considering the role of religious life in the 21st century, Praux isnt worried about being written off as outdated or irrelevant. Rather than complaining about a society that isnt open to us or doesnt like us, were called to encounter them and offer them a real vision of who we are. That work is up to us, he told Crux.

If a priest has the smell of the sheep, like Francis tells us we should, its because he carried them as well. Not just in liturgical celebrations, but in their daily lives knowing their needs and their sorrows too.

View post:

St. Martin Community seeks priests with smell of the sheep - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

News & Observer

Chapel Hill wants affordable housing, but creates an unaffordable town News & Observer ... consequence of many conscious decisions, which other Triangle communities should avoid. Chapel Hill boasts the highest all-in property tax rates in the state. It has the most expensive housing, caused by an intentional lack of supply of single ...

See the rest here:

Chapel Hill wants affordable housing, but creates an unaffordable town - News & Observer

Oregon's Reproductive Health Equity Act requires insurance providers to cover services regardless of income, gender identity, or citizenship

Republicans do not want women having control over their own bodies and their reproductive choices. This isclear, not only from theirviews on abortionin general,but also from the sheer number of laws they have attempted to pass in order to defund womens health programsnot just domestically but globally. They makeno secret of the fact that their views on women and sex are nothing short of puritanical and their obsession with our uteri is not only disturbing, its also dangerous and life-threatening. And with Republicans now in control of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives, reproductive justice for women seems very unlikely at the federal level.

Luckily, Democrats are taking up this fight in their respective states. Leading the way isOregon, which just passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act, requiring health insurance companies to cover a wide range of reproductive services. The bill is currently up for signing by the states governor and has a real shot at becoming law.

Democrats in the Oregon Senatepassedthe Reproductive Health Equity Act, a multifaceted measure that requires health insurers to cover a range of reproductive health servicesincluding abortions and contraception, prenatal and postnatal care, and screenings for cancer, sexually transmitting infections, and gestational diabetesat no cost to patients, no matter their income, citizenship status, or gender identity. (The legislation does include an exemption for religious employers that object to providing abortion and contraception coverage.) Should Roe v. Wade be overturned, the measure also prepares to insulate the state from repercussions by codifying a womans legal right to an abortion in the state.

Wow. Not only does this bill include comprehensive coverage, but its authors also thought about making sure thatthose who are poor,undocumented, or havenon-permanentimmigration status, and transgender and gender non-confirmingpeople were not excluded.This is not only hugeits a sign of what progressives can do when we are intentional about designing laws that matchour talk. Access to this kind of care will save many lives and will keep people from going deeply in debt if they cant afford these services.

Continue reading here:

Oregon passes comprehensive reproductive health bill that covers the most marginalized communities - Daily Kos

The Next Idea

Parents of children on the autism spectrum face significant challenges in getting the right education, support and other life tools for their kids. But the difficulties dont go away when these kids grow up. Can they live alone, support themselves, be a part of society? And what happens when their adult caregivers age out of watching over them?

Mary Douglass is one of many working to combat these challenges. Douglass is the president of Lansing Intentional Communities, or LINCS. The organizations goal is to promote the creation of spaces, called intentional communities, where adults with developmental disabilities live together.

Were putting these individuals in close proximity with each other so we can help them create community together and support them as they create community with their surrounding neighborhood, Douglass said. "Really the individual is making their own self-determined choices about where they live, who they live with, how they get supported, what the neighborhood looks like."

Douglass says there's no one model or format the communities must follow. LINCS recently bought its first house for three people, but several apartments, for example, could work just as well.

"It doesnt matter how we acquire that housing. What really matters is that were being intentional about keeping ourselves close together and creating community with each other.

LINCS then inserts what it calls a community builder, Douglass said, to live within the community. They might plan outings, or just help out when needed.

I like to think of it as an RA, like when you go to college, Douglass said.

The intentional community model is different from a group home. It purposefully has less of a rigid schedule to give as much independent choice as possible to individuals. This is a fluid model that can change and improve with different circumstances, Douglass said, but its a distinct improvement from the past.

Stateside's conversation with Mary Douglass, president of Lansing Intentional Communities (LINCS).

The Next Idea is Michigan Radios project devoted to new innovations and ideas that will change our state.

Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook, or let us know your Next Idea here.

(Subscribe to The Next Idea podcast on iTunes, or with this RSS link.)

Originally posted here:

Lansing group helps adults with disabilities live on their own, in community with others - Michigan Radio

Bridesburgs pool almost didnt open this year.

The basin had cracks in five different places and valves needed replacing. But rather than close for long-term repairs, derailing a swim teams season and the annual swim show, a tradition for 50-plus years, the city scrambled with concrete, patches, and a paint job to open in time for summer.

This community would die without the pool, said Jackie DeSanctis, 79,who has worked at the pool and recreation center since she was 21 years old, first as a recreation director and now as a volunteer. They were having a heart attack when they said it might close. Its a big part of the community.

Bridesburg Recreation Center, a brick complex dating back to 1956, is home to one of the most popular pools in the city. The center has 250 kids enrolled in swim lessons this summer, a day camp, a swim team, and one of the only remaining swim shows left in the city.

But its also one of the oldest pools in the citys fleet of 70 the most per capita of any big city, said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell. The city spends about $2 million annually to get its aging pools ready to open each summer. This summer all but one, a pool in Fishtown, areopen.

Many are at the end of their useful life, Lovell said.

She went on tocommend the Parks and Recreation staff: These guys pull rabbits out of their hats to get the pools up and running, whatever they can do, just to squeeze one more year of life out of these pools.

About 80 percent of the fleet needs some kind of work, and four pools, including Bridesburg, need a total overhaul. The department puts the estimated cost of needed repairs for all pools at $100 million.

Pools are eligible for the citys $500 million Rebuild initiative, which will target the renovation of libraries, parks, and recreation centers over the next six or more years. Lovell said the department will consider everything attached to a recreation center, including the state of its pool, in deciding on projects, but its unlikely every pool will be fixed through Rebuild.

There are no plans to downsize the number of pools in the city, a suggestion thathas sparked outrage in communities before.

People love their pools and I think theres a lot of value in pools for kids who are never going to get to a private swim club, Dorney Park, or Disney World, Lovell said. Having that experience is really important. You cant learn how to swim at a spray park.

All city pools are supposed to provide free swim lessons to children, and about 30 have swim teams.

At Bridesburg on Friday, the day started out cool and rainy, but about 70 kids still showed up to swim. By the time the sun had come out in the afternoon, the pool was full of day campers and visitors.

Attendance atcity pools has risen citywide up from about 830,000 visitors in 2015 to about 900,000 last year, though weather is a factor.

Bridesburg is old-school, with concrete bleachers for belongings and no towels or chairs allowed on the pool deck. Lately, some pools are softening the rules, adding a more swim club-like feel.

Last summer, the city spent $80,000 on a program it dubbed SwimPhilly to spruce up five city pools by adding umbrellas, chairs, palm trees, and other tropical decor. The same items are being reused this year at the pools at Lee Cultural Center in West Philadelphia, Lawncrest Recreation Center in the Northeast, Pleasant Playground in Mount Airy, OConnor Pool in Markward Playground, and the pool at Francisville playground.

Neighbors near Graduate Hospital this year raised $16,000 to bring a similar transformation to the pool at Marian Anderson Recreation Center. Other communities, like Northern Liberties, have expressed an interest in fund-raising to follow suit.

Lovell said shes glad communities want to get involved in tricking out their pools, but doesnt want to create a situation where poorer neighborhoods get left out. The city intentionally picked changing neighborhoods for the upgrades they funded, according to Lovell, as a way to build community.

Youre seeing the capacity to raise that kind of money in more affluent neighborhoods, and thats a little painful for me because we were really intentional to do [upgrades] in neighborhoods that were diverse from a socioeconomic standpoint, Lovell said. Were going to try to lobby to raise funds on our own to make sure we can keep a real sense of equity.

At Bridesburg on Friday afternoon, Recreation DirectorJohn McBride proudly showed off the freshly painted pool. It looked deceivingly good, but the cracks would be back, he said. The city plans to replace the pool, a project that will cost upwards of$1.8 million, after it closes this summer.

The face-lift they gave it, my hat is off to them, McBride said. But the community does deserve a brand-new pool. They know its coming; its a matter of when that first shovel strikes the ground.

Published: July 9, 2017 5:46 AM EDT

We recently asked you to support our journalism. The response, in a word, is heartening. You have encouraged us in our mission to provide quality news and watchdog journalism. Some of you have even followed through with subscriptions, which is especially gratifying. Our role as an independent, fact-based news organization has never been clearer. And our promise to you is that we will always strive to provide indispensable journalism to our community. Subscriptions are available for home delivery of the print edition and for a digital replica viewable on your mobile device or computer. Subscriptions start as low as 25 per day. We're thankful for your support in every way.

More:

Philly's aging, beloved pools need $100 million in repairs - Philly.com

Dovecote Cafes owners want to stay put in their Reservoir Hill digs, so theyre working to raise funds toward a down payment on their building.

The cafe launched an Indiegogo campaign Monday in a push to raise $30,000 for a down payment on their building at 2501 Madison Ave. Dovecote raised more than $10,000 in the first 24 hours of its campaign, and as of Friday, the fundraiser had amassed more than $20,000 from over 230 backers.

Its just been just so refreshing, co-owner Aisha Pew said. You hope that when you jump someone catches you, and its just been almost overwhelming to watch how quickly people showed up for us.

Dovecote Cafe opened in January 2016, offering baked goods, breakfast, sandwiches and coffee in a community-centered atmosphere.

When Dovecote Cafe opened in January 2016, the owners hoped to approach their landlord after a couple of years and express their intention to buy the building, Pew said. But earlier this year, the landlord gave them the chance to buy it.

We just knew that this was a huge opportunity for us, Pew said. We do a lot of work around intentional community building.

Pew and co-owner Cole, who goes by a single name, decided to crowdfund their down payment and use the fundraiser to highlight how ownership provides more security to small businesses that anchor communities. They wanted to demonstrate their vulnerability by getting stakeholders to picture their neighborhood without Dovecote.

We are very much a community anchor and the idea of us not being here I think really strikes a chord with people, Pew said. It was also kind of a way to tell a story.

The owners hope to build out a patio on the side of the cafe to host events, and bring whats happened inside Dovecote out, Pew said.

The building also includes five apartments.

In exchange for donations, Dovecote is offering perks such as mugs engraved with #TheDovecoteWay ($50), star-studded private dinners ($1,000) and parties with a three-course dinner for 50 people ($10,000).

The online campaign is open for a month.

We love our space. We love our community. We need to be here, Pew said.

The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

smeehan@baltsun.com

twitter.com/sarahvmeehan

MORE BALTIMORE DINER

100 essential food and drink experiences every Baltimorean must try

Map: 10 hot Baltimore restaurants

Dish Baltimore: Search Baltimore Sun-reviewed restaurants

Original post:

Dovecote Cafe owner says response to crowdfunding campaign has been 'overwhelming' - Baltimore Sun (blog)

St. Benedict the man who wasnt in The Benedict Option? (a href=https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/statue-san-benedetto-norcia-474808711?src=rDIbSNfCmsQmlp1UiO8Qaw-1-7>Antonio Nardelli/Shutterstock)

The Benedict Option, says George Demacopoulos, distorts the St. Benedict of history. Excerpts:

Surprisingly, Dreher says little about the historic St. Benedict. In his rendering, the saint lived when the Roman world was entering the dark agesbarbarian invasion spurred the decline of government institutions, which in turn led to widespread moral decay among the population. In response, St. Benedict is said to have deliberately left the Roman world behind in order to establish a new and independent community where the practice of Christian life could survive the trials to come.

The reasons for this ought to be clear in the book: because Im riffing off of Alasdair MacIntyres reference to Benedict as the founder of intentional religious communities in the sixth century, and how we need a new and very different St. Benedict in our time. Of course the analogy only goes so far! MacIntyre himself wrote:

It is always dangerous to draw too precise parallels between one historical period and another; and among the most misleading of such parallels are those which have been drawn between our own age in Europe and North America and the epoch in which the Roman Empire declined into the Dark Ages. None the less certain parallels there are.

An analogy doesnt have to be perfect in every way to be instructive and helpful.

I spent the whole book talking about the kinds of chaos and decadence this new and very different Benedict would have to deal with. Theres an entire chapter ona contemporary monastery of traditionalist Benedictines, who talked to me about how some of the core aspects of the Benedictine monastic life can be adapted to help lay Christians live in the contemporary world.

More:

Among other things, he asserts historical causality where there is no evidence for it. For example, he implies that the moral decay of Roman civilization in St. Benedicts lifetime was caused by the barbarian invasions. Im not sure how we are to measure moral decay in any society, especially a pre-modern one, but I dont know of a single Christian text from the ancient world that attributes moral decline among Christians to the presence of barbarians or the failure of the Roman government to respond to the barbarian challenge.

No. If anything, I would say that the barbarian invasions occurred because of the weakness of the Roman state and Roman civilization a weakness that was due to a number of factors. Historians still argue over why Rome fell, but the overall point is that it succumbed to barbarian invasion because it had become internally weak. MacIntyre says that today

the barbarians are not waiting beyond the frontiers; they have already been governing us for quite some time. And it is our lack of consciousness of this that constitutes part of our predicament.

My book is an argument not that barbarians are coming over the frontier, but that they have already been governing us (broadly speaking, to include media, entertainment, academia) for some time. They accomplished this because of our own moral weakness and religious infidelity.

More Demacopoulos:

Given the books thesis, an even more problematic assertion of historical causality lies in Drehers suggestion that St. Benedict established his monastery in order to escape a world that was collapsing both politically and morallyfor Dreher, the political and the moral are always intertwined.

In this regard, it is noteworthy that Mr. Dreher seems to have ignored the famousLife of St. Benedict, which was written by St. Gregory the Great, a great ascetic teacher in his own right. From a close reading of theLife of St. Benedict, one learns not only that Benedictine communities had widespread interaction with the world outside of their monasteries but that the saint himself routinely engaged with the Roman secular elite and even with barbarian warlords who had little interest in Christianity.

Well, lets go to the tape. From the prologue of the Life of St. Benedict, which I certainly did read:

There was a man of venerable life, blessed by grace, and blessed in name, for he was called Benedictus or Benedict. From his younger years, he always had the mind of an old man; for his age was inferior to his virtue. All vain pleasure he despised, and though he was in the world, and might freely have enjoyed such commodities as it yields, yet he esteemed it and its vanities as nothing.

He was born in the province of Nursia, of honorable parentage, and brought up at Rome in the study of humanity. As much as he saw many by reason of such learning fall to dissolute and lewd life, he drew back his foot, which he had as it were now set forth into the world, lest, entering too far in acquaintance with it, he likewise might have fallen into that dangerous and godless gulf.

Therefore, giving over his book, and forsaking his fathers house and wealth, with a resolute mind only to serve God, he sought for some place, where he might attain to the desire of his holy purpose. In this way he departed, instructed with learned ignorance, and furnished with unlearned wisdom.

He withdrew from the world precisely because he did not want to fall into that dangerous and godless gulf. As I say over and over in the book, the Benedictine monks could not have done so much to preserve and proclaim Christian civilization in the West if they had holed up and had no contact at all with the outside world. Never do I claim that they did that, or that we lay Christians today should do that. In fact, heres but one example from the book of what I actually advocate:

This is not just about our own survival. If we are going to be for the world as Christ meant for us to be, we are going to have to spend more time away from the world, in deep prayer and substantial spiritual trainingjust as Jesus retreated to the desert to pray before ministering to the people. We cannot give the world what we do not have.

To imply that I argue for total withdrawal indicates to me an eisegetical reading of the book. To put it diplomatically.

I dont mind critical reviews, but I do wish people would review the book I actually wrote instead of the one they believe I wrote, according to their own presuppositions. I know, I know, same song, seven-hundred-and-seventy-seventh verse

Go here to see the original:

St. Benedict vs. Dreher's 'St. Benedict' - The American Conservative

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Arizona Properties has added real estate sales executive Nikki Bernstein to its Scottsdale office. Bernstein, named the 2016 Rookie of the Year by the Arizona Journal of Real Estate and Business, sold $5.5 million in real estate last year and has already sold more than $6 million to date this year.

Nikki is one of the top-selling real estate sales executives in Scottsdale, and in the first six months of this year has already outsold her record-breaking numbers from last year, said Mark Stark, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties. She is ambitious and fun, showing up every single day for her clients and her team. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices family.

Bernstein has worked in both commercial and residential real estate, working with Himovitz Properties commercial portfolio from 2004-2015 and beginning her work in residential real estate in late 2015. She specializes in working with mid-market properties in the Scottsdale area.

Working with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices makes my team feel like we are standing on the shoulders of giants, said Bernstein. It matters to us and our clients to be affiliated with a company whose name carries such cache and fiduciary reputation of the Warren Buffett family of companies.

Bernsteins team, The NikkiB Group, now operates from its Scottsdale office at 14635 N. Kierland Blvd. More information on Bernsteins services and team are online at http://www.nikkibsellsaz.com/.

Bernstein holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Arizona State University. She volunteers with several community organizations including the annual Beach Ball for Phoenix Childrens Hospital. She is also involved with Gesher Disability Resources, an organization that serves people with disabilities, the Jewish Federation on its real estate and finance committee and the Jewish National Fund. She said Berkshire Hathaways commitment to its team and its communities was important in her intentional decision to join one of the worlds top brands.

This company has a bottom-up way of doing business, and its very meaningful, she said. Were invested in our businesses and our communities. Berkshire Hathaway is known for this and it shows in the success of their companies. There is a joyful energy here.

. TAGS:

Read the original here:

Nikki Bernstein joins Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Arizona Properties - AZ Big Media

There's an iconic painting at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona called "Washington Crossing the Delaware." When my mom and I visited the museum last year, a security guard sat down with us and pointed out a variety of important details. If it hadn't been for him, I would've missed most of what makes Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting so noteworthy. Instead of sitting down to study it thoughtfully, I would've briefly glanced and kept on walking, believing that since it was mildly familiar-looking, I already knew everything I needed to know.

It's easy to miss the more nuanced details of paintings and people and places that seem familiar. Thankfully, there are helpers who empower us to notice what we might otherwise miss.

My experience of Rochester has been similarly awareness-building as of late.

I moved to the area nearly a decade ago with a highly Mayo-centric perspective. Growing up in northeastern Iowa, the only thing I knew about Rochester was that really sick people traveled here hoping to be healed.

New dimensions of our region came to the surface when I served as a pastor in Stewartville, one of Rochester's neighboring communities. With each passing year, there were helpers willing to highlight the qualities that make this part of the country special. Farmers, business owners, quilters, nurses, community bankers, naturalists and museum curators: They each had unique insights to share.

Yet over these years, there have still been so very many details of southeastern Minnesota that I have missed. It's easy to fall back into my default, clinic-centered perspective. I'm grateful for helpers who point out the otherwise unseen details, layers, and connections.

At a recent tour of a downtown collaborative working space called Collider, I sat down with the community manager, Jamie Sundsbak. The room was buzzing with creative energy and entrepreneurs of all kinds. Sundsbak described his desire to nurture ideas and a Rochester community willing to invest in and support people who think outside the box. Prior to our conversation, I hadn't paused to consider how important it is to support spaces like Collider.

A few days later, I visited Dwell Local, a shop in the Cooke Park neighborhood owned by Paul Bennett. The store features the art, jewelry and furniture of more than 50 local artists and makers. Especially great was the opportunity to view the beautiful jewelry on display created by Amy, one of the techs from the Charlton Lab who regularly draws my blood. Prior to talking with Bennett, I hadn't thought much about what it would look like to make a stronger and more intentional commitment to buying local goods when possible.

Southeastern Minnesota is anything but one-dimensional. For this, we can all give abundant thanks. There are many elements and influences of Rochester and the surrounding region. Mayo Clinic is one profoundly important component of what makes this area great. Founded in 1889, the clinic's commitment to patient-centered service is a guiding force for all of us. But it isn't the only guiding force.

The mural depicting this region is large and complex and ever-changing. We can't just rush right by assuming we've already seen it all and know it all. We've got to keep looking at the painting; we've got to keep participating in its creation.

May we be helpers for one another, co-journeyers willing to sit down together to highlight the beautiful details we might otherwise miss.

Holy Everything is a weekly column by Emily Carson. She is a Lutheran pastor serving at the Southeastern Minnesota Synod Office in Rochester. Visit her blog at emilyannecarson.com.

See the rest here:

Holy Everything: Know it all? Even familiar sights can contain surprises - Post-Bulletin

Dear Sinclair board members, shareholders and decision makers,

We the people of Humboldt County, on the Redwood Coast of California, would like to welcome you to our community. With your recent acquisition of four local television channels, you are now a major part of our media landscape. We may be a small market demographically, but we support our local news outlets and we have high standards and expectations for corporations that control access to information in our communities.

As the comedian John Oliver pointed out recently on his show Last Week Tonight, Sinclair has earned a somewhat unsavory reputation for biased coverage and inflammatory must-run segments that routinely misrepresent facts in order to benefit right-wing political agendas (more on this at http://tinyurl.com/LWT-Sinclair). While this behavior may stem from a legitimate belief that you are doing the right thing, you should be aware that it often comes across as cynical manipulation and intentional distortion of the truth.

From past experience, we know that consolidated absentee ownership reduces competition, threatens media localism and harms information diversity. For example, when the digital television transition modified the transmission systems for local TV broadcasters, coverage in large swaths of Humboldt County was significantly reduced.

While Bonten has made substantial investments in local origination, Sinclair has a reputation for requiring their owned affiliate stations to air non-local editorial content during local newscasts. This must air practice reduces local origination of news and information programs that address controversial issues of public importance. To become a trusted local broadcaster, your policies need to provide reasonable opportunities for local and opposing views to be expressed.

Since we would like to give you the benefit of the doubt as a new player in town, we have developed a short list of suggested actions that would help to demonstrate your commitment to becoming a responsible provider of high-quality information:

Ensure localism with meaningful investments in local news and information programming to support public interests of local and tribal jurisdictions:

* Station broadcasts should identify must air non-local content on-screen.

* Provide equal airtime for local editorial content expressing opposing views.

* Ensure that Spanish language channel(s) include equivalent local program origination as other channels, and that tribes have in-language programming available on-air.

Promote universal access with investments in new infrastructure for our least-served people and places:

* Install and maintain additional translator/repeater facilities to ensure full multi-casting coverage over the entire Designated Market Area served.

Transparency and accountability to local jurisdictions through community-based participation in local programming:

Advertisement

* Maintain public files, including annual reports on compliance with contractual promises available at every local library location.

* Dedicate multi-cast channel(s) programmed entirely with locally originated non-commercial content from local jurisdictions. (Note: This could be accomplished in coordination with public-education-government access community media available now through the counties, cities and tribes served.)

While we would love to see all of the above actions incorporated into Sinclairs local operations, we dont hold out much hope that these issues will be addressed. After all, were just one small piece of a growing monopoly, and there is lots of money to be made through media manipulation and control. Still, we promise to do everything in our power to make sure that you deliver services that meet local needs and community interests.

The North Coast is a very special place to its residents, and we sincerely hope you will thoughtfully consider these and other ways that we can work together to develop and support community-based media. Think of this as a golden opportunity to improve your reputation and become a trusted and reliable source of news across the Redwood Coast region.

Welcome to Humboldt County, and rest assured that we will be watching closely and working tirelessly to help keep you accountable to the high standards of our community. Thats one piece of local news you can definitely count on.

Sincerely,

Access Humboldt

Sean Taketa McLaughlin is executive director of Access Humboldt, a non-profit community media organization managing local cable franchise benefits on behalf of the county of Humboldt, California, and the cities of Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, Rio Dell, Ferndale and Blue Lake. For more information, visit http://accesshumboldt.net. To read more about the Sinclair-Bonten deal, visit http://tinyurl.com/FCC-Sinclair-Bonten.

Continue reading here:

An open letter to Sinclair Broadcast Group - Eureka Times Standard