Dacia Toll (please see bio below) will be making a free public presentation on the evening of November 13, at the Capri Theater on Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. We anticipate starting at 6 or 6:30 PM - (final details soon) Her presentation is sponsored by the Hope Collaborative - a group of Twin Cities area parents, community members and educators. We appreciate the help of the Carolyn Foundation in making this presentation possible. Hope Collaborative previously brought to the Twin Cities an outstanding district public school principal, a lead person in the Boston Public Schools Pilot Schools program, and director of an outstanding group of charter public schools in Pueblo Colorado. Please see below for more info about Dacia. Sincerely, Joe Nathan Humphrey Institute University of Minnesota Dacia Toll Dacia Toll is the co-founder and Co-CEO of Achievement First, a non-profit organization which currently operates nine public charter schools in Connecticut and New York. Dacia led the founding team and served for six years as the Director of Amistad Academy, named Connecticut’s 2006 Distinguished School of the Year after posting the greatest performance gains of any middle school in the state. Under Dacia’s leadership, Amistad students – selected by lottery, 98% black and Latino, 80% free/reduced lunch – consistently made dramatic gains in student achievement, routinely scoring on par with students from some of Connecticut’s wealthiest communities. The success of Amistad Academy was the subject of a nationally-televised PBS documentary, “Closing the Achievement Gap.” Four years ago, Dacia co-founded Achievement First to replicate the successful Amistad model and began opening additional schools in New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT and in Brooklyn, NY. Achievement First currently serves more than 3,700 students. Achievement First Endeavor Charter School, only in its third year of operation, was recently recognized as the fourth highest-performing school in NYC out of nearly 1,100 K-8 schools on the NYCDOE’s 2008 Progress Reports. Within 5 years, Achievement First will educate more than 10,000 students, proving that Amistad’s gap-closing, life-changing student performance results are possible at scale. Prior to Amistad, Dacia worked as a teacher and management consultant. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, she received a Master’s from Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship and a teaching certificate and a J.D.
Dear all,
Fyi on Impact of econ. situation on Mn state budget from Rep. Lenczewski.
Food for thought and discussion.
Altho not a Bloomington resident (but darn close), received this tonight.
Signed up for her emails because I was very impressed with her knowledge when
neighborhoods fought for Neighborhood revitalization funding (NRP) at the state
this year. The budget research dept. pulled out incredible data on
state-widemunicipality impact(including Mpls{NRP} and St Paul {Riverfront} and
MOA disparity funding in Bloomington.
best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east, Minneapolis
" Dear Bloomington Resident,
I serve as the chair of the Tax Committee in the Minnesota Legislature and have
received a number of inquiries from around the state asking me how Minnesota's
state budget will be effected by our nation's poor economic situation. In
general, Minnesota, like every state in the nation, is anticipating a negative
state budget situation as the national economy continues to sour.
Today, I received an update from Minnesota State Finance Commissioner Tom
Hanson and Minnesota Chief State Economist Dr. Tom Stinson about Minnesota's
economy.
While state revenues currently continue on track, our state's economic outlook
has significantly weakened. I plan to hold hearings on the full revenue
forecast at the outset of the legislative session to deal with this serious
fiscal challenge.
I have provided a link to this information for your review. Page 2 and page 3
provide a good understanding of Minnesota's budget problem:
http://www.finance.state.mn.us/ffeu/updates/2008/0810update.pdf
I appreciate your questions regarding Minnesota's economy and I welcome your
suggestions. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ann Lenczewski
House Tax Chair
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 40B - Bloomington
Capitol office 651-296-4218
Home 952-881-8627
10306 Humboldt Circle
Bloomington MN 55431 "
I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder
to see them not ashamed.
--- Jonathan Swift
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 <b>HEADLINES</b> Book note: A literary genius goes <i>Incognegro</i> http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/15044 by Dwight Hobbes, TC Daily Planet It seems like every time someone black gets a burr under his or her saddle and puts it between book covers, he or she is heralded as a brilliant pen and a great shining voice of undeniable consequence. Usually, it’s some inept writer but a savvy hustler who made the right insider connections, got on the good side of a grant committee and, presto, ascended to prominence, a feted prize-winning darling of the “cutting edge” status quo. Thank God, every once in a blue moon, somebody comes along who isn’t selling a bill of goods. Minnesota Miracle hearings come to town http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15055 by James Sanna, TC Daily Planet You don’t often hear state representatives called “heroic” by members of the public, particularly when they propose to increase spending. At South High School on October 6, though, the members of the K-12 Education Finance Committee were bombarded with “bravos” for their efforts to craft the New Minnesota Miracle bill, which proposes to restore and simplify much of the public financing for schools that has bled away over the last 15 or more years. Independent media “not welcome” at Coleman “media availability” http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15056 By Paul Schmelzer, Minnesota Independent An Oct. 9 press release from campaign staffer Tom Erickson said that Sen. Norm Coleman would “hold a media availability” Friday morning. But when I arrived, Chuck Olsen of the citizen-videoblogging group The Uptake had already been refused entry. When I tried to walk in, Erickson barred me entry as well, stating that the event, held in Coleman’s campaign office was for “credentialed” media only. Health coaches criticized http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15036 by John Fabel, Minnesota Daily Medica, a Minnetonka -based health insurance company, is now offering health coaches to their customers and are implementing the University's own training techniques, but the occupation has recently been criticized. Fixing the nation's economy http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14989 by Batala McFarlane, Insight News Americans watched intently last week as Congress worked diligently, with pressure from constituents, to come to an agreement on how to address the financial crisis. <b>INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET</b> Voices | Attending to teen pregnancy: strengthening the Liberian family system http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14958 by Emmanuel Dolo, The Liberian Journal This week I received a phone call from a reader. She read my paper on weak family systems in Liberia and urged me to address the subject of teen pregnancy in a follow up article. She told me: “My teenage son is now a father. I am not working and many of his friends are also becoming fathers. The burden for caring for these children, then falls on the girls or their parents. I want you to please write something about this issue. But I do not want for you to address this issue like other people do. I want you to find a way and focus heavily on the boys and the men.” Political vision: Always clearer in hindsight http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14985 by Jeremy Stratton, The Bridge This month, as Americans vet the words of presidential candidates speaking at debates, town halls and interviews, an event and exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum will take a look back at the phraseology of past presidents. U stem cell research data deemed falsified http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15008 by Jake Grovum, Minnesota Daily Published data from a high-profile University stem cell research lab were found to be falsified, an investigative committee announced Tuesday. <b>NEW IN BLOGS</b> ARTS ORBIT | Weekend what's what 10/10-10/12: Dancing in the street http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/15046 by l'etoile magazine staff Just because it’s chilly out doesn’t mean you can’t take to the streets like nature intended, right? This weekend you’ll have plenty of reasons to pound the pavement with not only the new <i>l‘étoile</i>- sponsored dance night, Street Sounds, in the VIP Room this Friday, but also the St. Paul Art Crawl, the Mobilize the Youth event and so many more that will have you strollin’ on the party (or arty) side of the street! SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | Shameless plug of the day: <i>Touch</i>, Urban Samurai Productions http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/15042 by Matthew A. Everett <i>Touch</i> deals with those that live on after a loved one has been taken from them by an unspeakable crime. I know, not light and airy fare, but then again, neither is <i>Macbeth</i> or <i>The Laramie Project</i> and they’re popping up around town, too. THINK FORWARD | The Fertilizer Mafia? http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15057 by Ben Lilliston Costs for farmers around the world have gone through the roof— particularly for fertilizer. As the New York Times reported in April, rising fertilizer prices are limiting the production of farmers in developing countries trying to respond to the global food crisis. Is this just a case of tight supplies and growing demand, or is something else going on?
St. Thomas drops the curtain: Eliminates theater department, slates Foley Theater for destruction http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/15022 by Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet In recent weeks, the University of St. Thomas has announced that it will both close its 80-year-old Department of Theater and tear down the Foley Theater, an on-campus venue that hosted its first production in 1915. The administration is calling this a strategic decision to free resources for other programs with greater student interest, but students and faculty in the department are criticizing what they see as the university’s abandonment of an essential art. Minnesota's judicial races: Tingelstad runs for Supreme Court on mission from God http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15031 by Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent Tim Tingelstad's challenge to current Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson has flown under the radar in a year in which contentious presidential and congressional races in Minnesota have captured mainstream attention. Declaring that "judges must be God-fearing men and women," Tingelstad is running a quiet campaign to bring radical Christianity to Minnesota's Supreme Court. Contemplating a fair, equitable tax base http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15034 by Jeff Van Wychen, Minnesota 2020 From the FY 2002-03 budget cycle through the current FY 2008-09 biennium, real per capita state general fund total resources are projected to fall by seven percent and by another four percent the following biennium. At the same time that resources are falling, state leaders have shifted huge new funding obligations-such as general education-into the state general fund. These factors, combined with a floundering economy, have led to an anticipated $2.1 billion shortfall in the state general fund for the next biennium. Nigerians in Minnesota to build "Nigeria House" http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15009 by Swallehe Msuya, ANJ Online A town hall meeting convened by Nigerians resident in Minnesota heard many voices from a number of their community leaders endorsing the desire for Nigerians to build a "Nigeria House" to promote economic and cultural endeavors of the immigrant population. The meeting took place over the weekend at the Center for Families in North Minneapolis. The President of Minnesota Institute for Nigerian Development (MIND), Dr Richard Oni using MIND as an umbrella organization to unite Nigerian immigrants in the US issued a strong plea for contributions towards the setting up of a cultural and development center for Nigerians. U pulls tenancy from north Minneapolis center http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15035 by Devin Henry, Minnesota Daily Citing financial reasons, the University will not be a tenant in the North Minneapolis Child and Family Service Center as previously planned, Robert Jones, University Vice President for System Academic Administration, said in a statement . INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET NEWS YOU CAN USE | Building a 'citizen's archive' of the RNC http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15032 by Jeff Severns Guntzel, Minnesota Indpendent Nigel Parry wasn't arrested, harassed or gassed during the RNC. But he was affected. Bike commuting up in Minneapolis http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14955 by Briana Bierschbach, Minnesota Daily The number of Minneapolis residents who bike to work doubled last year, but not without a cost. Biking-related fatalities have more than doubled since 2007. Food and Restaurants Tuesday night at The Strip Club http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14941 by Brian Moen, East-Lake.net It was an outstanding meal and a great way to celebrate our anniversary. But it also put The Strip Club right up there with some of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. The food is awesome, everyone there is super cool, and the atmosphere is just perfect. Though next time I need to call ahead so we can get the front table with the perfect view of downtown St. Paul. Pop!! In Downtown St. Paul http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15024 By Jeremy Iggers , The Rake Okay, so, I just saw one of the best plays I have seen in ages, "Distracted," at Mixed Blood Theater, about a kid with ADHD and his family. But I cover restaurants, not theater, so I am trying to figure out a tie-in between "Distracted"--which is funny and moving and beautifully acted, and runs through October 19--and the restaurant I am going to tell you about, Pop!! at 6th and Wabasha in downtown Saint Paul, and I think I have come up with one: NEW IN BLOGS BLOG OF THE MODERATE LEFT | Bankers of the World, Unite! You Have Nothing to Lose But Your Ledgers! http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/15037 by Jeff Fecke So, we’re nationalizing the banks. GOING GREEN | Minnesota Green Jobs National Day of Action http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15026 by Dan Thiede On Saturday, September 27th a fired-up crowd gathered at the Minneapolis Urban League to help create a new clean, green, inclusive economy. CABBAGES AND KINGS | The "What's Going On Here?" Paragraph Explained http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14997 by Jeff Nygaard The daily news is typically limited to reporting on specific daily events. Since reporters are aware that no event makes sense without a context, they will often insert into an article what I call the "What's going on here?" paragraph. While the point of such paragraphs is to make the specific event (that is, the focus of the story) more understandable, they do not always succeed.
October 21 -- Tuesday --6:00 PM Battle Creek Recreation Center 75 Winthrop St. 55119 <http://maps.google.com/maps?q=75+Winthrop+St.+S.,%20Saint+Paul,%20MN%2055119> Parks officials feel there are problems which need to be addressed, and the solutions they have advanced so far would drastically change the off leash area as we have come to know and love it over the years. If you use the park with your dog(s), you would be well-advised to attend the meeting. contact me for more info at: <email obscured> Posted on behalf of Jan Carr
TCDP HEADLINES: OCTOBER 9th, 2008 Sholom Home site development stopped before it begins URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15001 by Dwight Hobbes, TC Daily Planet Anonymous attacks and fear-mongering have stopped a potential re-development of Sholom Home in St. Paul's Como Park neighborhood before it even got to the drawing board. RS Eden had asked for a community conversation on the possibility of redeveloping Sholom Home as supportive housing, but withdrew that request October 7 after an anonymous campaign divided the neighborhood. How Minnesota's eastern neighbor games NCLB URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15006 by John Fitzgerald, Minnesota 2020 If beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, then behold Wisconsin, the home of thousands of beautiful students. Nine of Forbes' richest Americans are Minnesotans; who are they supporting? URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14982 by Jeff Severns Guntzel, Minnesota Independent Nine Minnesotans made Forbes' richest Americans list this year. Most of them are peeling off small-fractions of their wealth to support political parties and candidates for national officeshoveling more than of $270,000 into the 2008 election cycle. Scary questions - part two: where would Minnesota be without trade? URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15003 by Lee Egerstrom, Minnesota 2020 For reasons both good and bad, export trade is helping keep the Minnesota economy together while economies around the globe tremble under the American credit market collapse. Now, this base of Minnesota strength is starting to shake and wobble. Debate on Sholom Home site heats up URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14812 by Roger Bergerson, The Park Bugle Although it's been on the market for about a year, the Sholom Home East property wasn't a hot topic of discussion in the Como Park neighborhood until a social service provider recently expressed interest in the site. INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET Views and Reviews Manga and anime at MCAD: Taking cartoons seriously URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14897 by Mark Weaver, TC Daily Planet The influences of manga and anime are everywhere, even if they're not always identifiable. Japanese artists often go unnoticed in the US because people often dismiss manga and anime as mere comics and cartoons. Despite this prevailing attitude, manga and anime are making significant and transforming inroads into the cultures and economies of the world. The Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits (SGMS) sessions that ran at MCAD from September 26 to 28 not only responded to the popular aspects of this phenomenon, but also provided a forum for a deeper and more profound look at the influence manga and anime are having over a variety of cultural forms and in various arenas around the world. Theater note: A far-out Jury URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14966 by Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet Off-Leash Area's The Jury aims to take the audience inside the head of a traumatized and reckless young woman. Dance is not always best experienced from close-up (I've been splashed with the sweat of a Nutcracker Prince, and believe me, it breaks the spell), but both Jennifer Ilse and Elena Giannetti can act as well as dance, and together they turn the garage theater into a searing little hothouse of emotion. Music note: Storyhill at the Cedar, as comforting as old friends URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14981 by Jennifer and John Hierlinger, TC Daily Planet As we rounded the corner to the Cedar Cultural Center we were surprised at the lack of conspicuous buzz. Where were the long lines we saw at previous Storyhill shows? Where were the mobs of people filling the seats long before the opening act? Had Storyhill lost their spark? It had been two years since we had seen last seen the duo in concertmaybe something had changed. Fortunately, as Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson took the stage with guitars in hand and opened with the dramatic "Good Rain," our fears subsided and we settled back into our seats. VOICES | Simon LeBon's cup URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14723 by Almostred, Rift Magazine Duran Duran circa 1988 was nothing more than a New Order tribute act, but you couldn't tell from the number of fainters we were pulling from the audience. Emotions ran high in a sold-out house full of twenty-something women and gay men trying desperately to recapture the lost innocence of an idealized past. Interview: Charmin Michelle, Minnesota's hardest-working chanteuse URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14604 by Dwight Hobbes, TC Daily Planet Jazz chanteuse Charmin Michelle must live on roller skates. The Twin-Cities-based veteran is either working, just finished working, or gearing to go to work. Consistently booked solid, week to week, month after month at local nightclubs and on tour, whatever the lady's doing, she is doing it right. NEW IN BLOGS KEEPING THE FAITH | U.S. Army at the RNC URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/15011 by Mary Turck, 10/8/08 Army Col. Michael Boatner admitted October 7 that active-duty U.S. military were sent to St. Paul for the Republican National Convention. Col. Boatner, the future operations division chief of USNORTHCOM, told Amy Goodman on Democracy Now that the army was "up there in support of the US Secret Service. We provided some explosive ordnance disposal support of the event." EYETEETH | Oh my. On stump, McCain addresses "My fellow prisoners" URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14998 by Paul Schmelzer At a rally today, John McCain addressed "my fellow prisoners." I mean, it's kinda true, but could that really be what he meant? SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | Review: "100," Workhouse Theatre Co. (Four stars) URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/15010 by Matthew A. Everett "100" starts with an intriguing premise. Four characters are dead and about to be, for want of a better word, processed back through the assembly line of souls and returned to the living world. They can only take one memory of their past life just ended with them. All other memories will be erased. ARTS ORBIT | Spotted at the W Hotel URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14994 by Ellen Dahl A stylish downtown denizen. CABBAGES AND KINGS | A picture of a neighborhood URL: http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14992/edit by Alec Timmerman in MN Blue My wife and I own a modest home in a Saint Paul neighborhood. I took the follow screen capture from an MLS search that allows you to view only foreclosed houses. Every home in this picture has been foreclosed, and this is only a partial listing that have made it onto the MLS so far. FROM THE SOAPBOX | Looking into the "soul" of the Republican Party URL: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14996 by Myles Spicer n 2001, President Bush met with Vladimir Putin, and exclaimed: "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul." Well, Thursday, Oct. 2, I watched the Vice Presidential debate, and looked into Sarah Palin's eyes, and saw the "soul" of the Republican Party. It wasn't as pretty as the "soul" Bush saw in Putin (which turned out to be pretty dark).
The Central Corridor Partnership in collaboration with the Metropolitan Council is holding three listening sessions in October designed to gain business and property owners’ input concerning business mitigation and construction mitigation planning along the Central Corridor Light Rail line. The sessions will be held: Oct. 17: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Hallie Q. Brown Center, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul (map; transit). Oct. 22: 5 to 6 p.m. at Episcopal Homes, Community Room, 1840 University Ave. W., St. Paul (map; transit). Oct. 30: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Vietnam Center, 1159 University Ave. W., St. Paul (map; transit) The Central Corridor Partnership was formed in 2004 by business, community and government organizations to ensure that the project be funded and constructed “on-time and on-budget” and that business and parking concerns would be mitigated in a way that allowed the business community a chance to thrive after construction completion. While the Metropolitan Council is responsible for construction mitigation, the Partnership has worked closely with the Council in addressing business concerns. The three listening sessions are designed to brainstorm and gather input concerning such issues as business resources, preferred communication methods, and programs that can assist businesses during construction. Members of the Business Advisory Council, which meets monthly, will also be in attendance. For more information, contact Karri Plowman, Director Central Corridor Partnership, (651) 265-2782 or by email.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 <b>HEADLINES</b> Credit card users beware: How the crisis will affect you and your bills http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14984 by Molly Priesmeyer, Minnesota Independent Ain't that America?<br><br>Just as Washington hands over the biggest bailout in history to Wall Street in what is ostensibly a way to free up credit markets, banks are looking for ways to collect more money from debt-submerged consumers. Along with adding climbing rates, inconspicuous charges, and adjusting credit-card terms, credit card companies like American Express are now penalizing customers based on where they shop and who holds their mortgage. Superintendent: Mixed report for MPS http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14990 by James Sanna, TC Daily Planet The past year has been a mixed bag of successes and setbacks for Minneapolis Public Schools, according to a report delivered October 2 by Superintendant Bill Green. Before a crowd of forty or so Minneapolis school district officials, reporters, and interested citizens at the Minneapolis Central Library, Green outlined developments in five key areas MPS will use to measure its progress in repairing the school system. Scary questions part one: where would Minnesota be without agriculture? http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14987 by Lee Egerstrom, Minnesota 2020 Farm commodity prices are falling, sending a dangerous warning that one of Minnesota's economic strengths - its agriculture - may be coming back down to earth. Hmong tutor program provides students with an alternative http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14988 by Holly Miller, Minnesota Daily Being able to read and comprehend her social studies homework is only a small part of the reason 10th-grader Kao Vang wants to learn English faster. The University District development moratorium http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14986 by Liz Riggs, The Bridge On Aug. 22, The City Council unanimously approved a moratorium on development in the University District area — the Cedar-Riverside, Marcy-Holmes, Prospect Park, Southeast Como and University neighborhoods. The moratorium would restrict the demolition, new construction or establishment of single- and two-family residential dwellings and multi-family residential dwellings with three or four units in nearly a dozen residential zoning districts in the area. <b>INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET</b> THINGS PEOPLE SAY | Racists for Obama http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14983 by Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent How badly is the campaign going for John McCain? Ben Smith reports that he's even struggling to hold on to the white racist vote. African Immigrants Unite for Wellness http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14915 by Swallehe Msuya, Mshale African immigrants in Minnesota have been urged to come together to address their common issues related to their wellness. Inner Strength For The Greater Good http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14884 by Bruce Cochran, Uptown Neighborhood News Like cell phone technology, exercise techniques seem to change way too often. Just when you've mastered the latest one, another one comes along. Exercise trends come and go. And with every new one comes the promise to "blow your fitness mind." Well, if you're looking for something different in fitness and tired of the same old big-box corporate chain gym, something new is now in Uptown. Bachmann withdraws pardon request that links her to unfolding Petters scandal http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14953 by Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent In 2007, Rep. Michele Bachmann sent President Bush a letter recommending he pardon a man who is a major contributor to her campaign even though he lives outside of her district. Last Thursday, Bachmannwithdrew that letter, written on behalf of Frank Vennes, after FBI, IRS and U.S Postal Inspection officials seized numerous items from Vennes' home in connection with the ongoing investigation of Vennes' business associate Tom Petters. <b>NEW IN BLOGS</b> ARTS ORBIT | SPCO finds new president right down the street http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14979 by Jay Gabler The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has just announced the appointment of a new president: Sarah Lutman, currently senior vice president of content and media at Minnesota Public Radio. Lutman, who will begin her duties at the SPCO in December, replaces Bruce Cappock; Cappock served as president for nearly a decade before retiring in July. In a press release, the SPCO quotes board chair Erwin Kelen calling Lutman “exactly the right person” to “take us to the next phase” in “achieving the goals set out in our strategic plan.” ENGAGE MINNESOTA | Accommodation is key to change http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14991 By Humaira Afzal Minnesota is global: We neither live nor work in an insular society. We are instead part of a growing and competitive economy that demands companies be more creative and more open to diversity. Our state’s Somali population, the largest in the nation, helps give Minnesota a competitive edge. THINK FORWARD | Canadian Groups Call For NAFTA Renegotiation http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14908 by Ben Lilliston Earlier this week, ten Canadian civil society groups called on political candidates running in Canada's October 14 election to "stop ducking Obama's NAFTA challenge." Specifically, the groups asked for candidates to respond to U.S. Senator Barack Obama's pledge to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if elected President.
A draft of the Met Council's 2030 Transportation Policy Plan is available at: http://www.metrocouncil.org/planning/transportation/TPP/2008/index.htm A schedule of meetings and open houses concerning the plan is at: http://www.metrocouncil.org/planning/transportation/TPP/2008/hearing.htm Online comments can be made at: http://mmsc.metc.state.mn.us/pls/mts/f?p=133:1:597557985974215
I would very much encourage SPIFers (and anyone else you know) interested in budgeting or capital expenditures to apply for either the St. Paul Public Schools' Citizen's Budget and Finance Committee or the Capital Expenditure Advisory Committee. This is legitimate, interesting, and meaningful work, and the committees really do contribute to the Board's decision making. Below are links to more information and applications. Citizen's Budget and Finance Advisory Committee (CBFAC) focuses its work on strategic school district issues with budgetary impact. Members are nominated each year by the Board of Education. For background information and an application go here: http://www.businessoffice.spps.org/CBFAC.html. Capital Expenditure Advisory Committee (CEAC) reviews and comments on major capital expenditures planned by the district which are referred to this committee from the superintendent, the administration or the Board of Education. Click <http://www.spps.org/sites/dd77441e-b117-423c-90a1-6fcbdcc68b6f/uploads/CEAC _ApplicationU.pdf> here to download the application form for this committee. (http://www.spps.org/sites/dd77441e-b117-423c-90a1-6fcbdcc68b6f/uploads/CEAC _ApplicationU.pdf) Please take a look and consider these -- and if you're interested, get your application in right away. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions. Anne Carroll St. Paul Board of Education 651-690-9156 <email obscured>
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7 The Daily Planet now has a Twitter account dedicated exclusively to the arts! Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/artsorbit">ArtsOrbit</a> for the up-to-the-minute scoop. <b>HEADLINES</b> Muslim charity feeds St. Stephen's shelter residents during Ramadan http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14951 by Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet During the month of Ramadan, Saint Stephen's Shelter served catered meals every weekday evening after sundown. The program, which benefited the 44 men staying at the homeless shelter, was sponsored by the Zakat Foundation of America, an Islamic charity based in Chicago. Why the 20-point spread in KSTP, Strib Minnesota polls? They're BOTH outliers http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14952 by Steve Perry, Minnesota Independent As if to underscore what an erratic year it's been in political polling, the latest Minnesota numbers in the presidential and US Senate races come sporting a gap like none I can remember in any past contest here. Last week SurveyUSA and KSTP released numbers indicating a dead heat between John McCain (47 percent) and Barack Obama (46) and a 10-point lead for Norm Coleman (43 percent) in his race with Al Franken (33) and Dean Barkley (19). Over the weekend, the Star Tribune/ Princeton Survey Research Associates poll produced an almost diametrically opposed portrait of those races:Obama 55-37 over McCain, Franken (43) up by 9 over Coleman (34) and 25 over Barkley (18). SUSA/ KSTP was conducted on 9/30 and 10/1; PSRA/Strib on those two days plus 10/2. Safety walk: One step for Cedar Riverside http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14957 by Jon Collins and Karlee Weinmann, Minnesota Daily Seven people meet by the entrance of the Brian Coyle Center in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood Tuesday. VOICES | Is U.S. a financial basket case? http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14850 by Matthew Little, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder One would have to have an MBA from Harvard to comprehend fully the complexities and nuisances involved in this Wall Street-federal government debacle during the past fortnight that is so rapidly changing our entire monetary system. Community round-up http://www.tcdaiiyplanet.net/node/14959 TC Daily Planet Some shorter stories from around the Twin Cities metro area describe <a href="http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14876">a new block club sparked by a rash of burglaries</a> in St. Paul, and two October 11 events: <a href="http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14948">the Linden Hills Good Energy fair</a> and <a href="http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14950 ">Oktoberfest in St. Paul</a> bringing everything from bratwurst and beer to bed races. <b>INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET</b> Increase in safety should follow increase in cyclists http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14954 by Conrad deFiebre, Minnesota 2020 To "promote and increase bicycling as an energy-efficient, nonpolluting and healthful transportation alternative" has been statutory policy of the state of Minnesota for more than 30 years. A social neighborhood is a safe neighborhood http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14880 by Nancy Ward, Uptown Neighborhood News Walker's groups, also known as "Stroll Patrols", are happening in the ECCO neighborhood, and YOU are invited to join them. These groups of neighborhood residents are meeting and greeting and keeping eyes open for both regular and irregular activities as they walk and talk. 911 calls sent from a safe distance by these groups can prevent or interrupt unwelcome activity. Reports sent by Stroll Patrols to MPD provide information that enables them to provide better and targeted service. The more we know each other, the stronger the community, and the safer we all are. Volunteers cover the world http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14815 by Lisa Steinmann, The Park Bugle Britta Hansen, originally from St. Anthony Park, has spent the past year as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia, near the eastern edge of the Andes Mountains, training villagers in apiculture. Family and friends in Minnesota have directly supported Hansen's efforts by contributing funds to launch a beekeeping business in the village of Paredones. <b>NEW IN BLOGS</b> ARTS ORBIT | The Genius of iTunes http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14947 by Jay Gabler Though I’m an avid iTunes user, I normally don’t rush to download each new release—generally, the primary “improvement” with any given release of the free program is a feature that makes it more efficient for Apple to sell music and videos. That’s true of the most prominent new feature in the latest release (8.0), but the new feature has also changed the way I listen to the music I already own. HISPANIC FANATIC | Dogma vs. Cheese http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14960 by Daniel Cubias Among my numerous flaws is the fact that I’m not very charitable. Yes, I give money to worthy causes and all that, but I’m stingy with my time. My wife does volunteer work, which is one of the eight thousand things that I admire about her. Still, I’ve never found the energy to join her on her endeavors or to paint a dilapidated inner-city house or to devote a holiday to working in a soup kitchen or to do something else community-driven and altruistic. BY THE PEOPLE | A “citizen naturalist” on St. Paul’s East Side http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14962 by Ellen Tveit On a spectacular fall afternoon, Neil Cunningham led me through a planting of native Minnesota hazelnut and plum trees, grasses, and elderberry bushes—not the kind of scenery you’d expect to find across the street from a Burger King in a lower-income neighborhood.
From: Merritt Clapp-Smith [mailto:<email obscured>] Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 11:20 AM To: Merritt Clapp-Smith Subject: Ford Project Reminder: Oct. 6th Mtg on Fiscal Impacts Model Reminder about tonight's meeting... The Fiscal Impacts of the Ford redevelopment scenarios
NOTE: Tonight's presenters are from the Uptake.Org Tonights Workshop: Online Video / Citizen Journalism
MPS ditches charter students http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14923 By James Sanna (additional reporting by Mary Turck), TC Daily Planet Parents and students are "continuing to struggle with our late start time ... and finding people to watch their children and make sure they get on the bus," says Eliza Goodwin, principal of the Southside Family Charter School. A cost-cutting move by the Minneapolis Public Schools has forced Southside to delay their school starting time to 10:15 a.m. Somali students look at roots of violence http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14928 Jon Collins and Karlee Weinmann, Minnesota Daily The five young women in the office of the Somali Student Association in Coffman Union transition seamlessly from unaccented English to Somali.<br><br>Many, born in the United States, are fluent in both cultures. Even their clothes, a blend of hip American fashion and long skirts and hijabs, reflect this biculturalism. St. Paul science success http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14877 by John Fitzgerald, Minnesota 2020 Jim Schrankler is a modest man. His students just made the high water mark in the state science test and he's trying to spread the glory around. He's pointing his finger at the students, at the classroom teachers, at the computer specialist, at the parents. Relative homesteading increasing http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14878 by James Anderson , Minnesota Daily When Clare Cloyd and her friends were looking for a house for their junior year, Cloyd decided to go to someone she knew well — her father. Obama campaign attracts committed young voters http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14849 by Matthew Little, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder His political director in Minnesota considers the election outcome certain. INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET NEWS YOU CAN USE | Absentee voting: Let the voting begin! http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14934 by Mary Turck, TC Daily Planet Anyone who qualifies for an absentee ballot can vote now -- today -- at the county auditor's office in the county of their residence. Voting for the November 4 election has already begun. In Minnesota, voting started on October 3. Wellstone legacy: Mental health parity bill signed into law http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14927 by Kathlyn Stone, TC Daily Planet The Paul Wellstone-Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 was added to the financial bailout package, passed, and promptly signed into law last week. The mental health parity legislation was added to the package to win support after the House rejected the bailout legislation earlier in the week. The law requires health insurers to provide benefits, co-payments and treatments for mental health services and substance abuse disorders equal to traditional medical coverage. Dialogue with Lawmakers: Minnesota Korean adoptees meet with National Assembly members to discuss rights and roles of adoptees in Korean society http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14807 by Martha Vickery, Korean Quarterly Whether some strategic legislation would make the way easier for the hundreds of Korean adoptees who return to their birth country to live and work, or the thousands who visit there annually, was the topic of a meeting at the University of Minnesota of nine South Korean legislators with representatives of three Minnesota organizations of adult Korean adoptees. Riders in black honor victims of recent bike deaths http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14929 By Chris Steller, Minnesota Independenet Dressed in black and wearing orange armbands, 50 or more bicyclists crowded a traffic median on Snelling Ave. in St. Paul Saturday morning just a few blocks into a 14-mile memorial ride to honor four cyclists killed in collisions with motor vehicles last month. The group set off from Snelling and Summit avenues — near the site where the latest fatality took place a week ago — headed for Gold Medal Park in downtown Minneapolis. NEW IN BLOGS BLOG OF THE MODERATE LEFT | Battle without honor or humanity http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14935 by Jeff Fecke Johnny Maverick has decided, at this late date, to simply shred any last bit of honor he used to have, and go for broke KEEPING THE FAITH | Guns and bombs and things that go boom in the night http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14890 by Mary Turck Over the past month, both Sheriff Bob Fletcher and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman referred to "guns and bombs" that "anarchists" brought to the RNC. The massive local, state and federal security presence is credited by both men with saving the city of St. Paul from the people with guns and bombs. But who were these people and how many guns and bombs did they bring? THINK FORWARD | A Chance to Do the Right Thing http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14907 by Allison Page The Phillips neighborhood (comprised primarly of people of color and low-income households and including a federal superfund site for arsenic) provides a stunning example of what environmental justice means.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 <b>HEADLINES</b> McCain Care could be a hard sell to Minnesotans concerned about health care costs http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14904 by Kathlyn Stone, TC Daily Planet James Kvaal, a senior fellow at the Washington, DC-based Center for American Progress was in St. Paul yesterday to issue a warning about Sen. John McCain’s “radical” plan for health care. Kvall was one of five Center staff members who are fanned out across the nation to outline the plan, which has received little national attention. Ellison defends bailout vote http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14912 by Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent Monday's House vote on the proposed $700 billion bailout package resulted in some strange political bedfellows. Perhaps most surprising was Rep. Keith Ellison — widely viewed as the most liberal member of the Minnesota delegation — aligned with staunch conservative Rep. John Kline in supporting the measure. The proposal was ultimately defeated by a 228-205 margin as many legislators bulked at bailing out Wall Street investment firms for their reckless behavior. Franken bashes bailout package http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14913 by Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent Al Franken stated today that he would have voted against the $700 billion bailout package passed by the Senate last night and harshly criticized the legislation. "I hope nobody in Washington felt any pride or sense of accomplishment," the Democratic Senate candidate said at a press conference at the Capitol. "Because this bill didn't fix an economy that isn't working for middle-class families. … It is in fact the exclamation point on eight years of the worst stewardship of our economy since Herbert Hoover, a terrible end to a terrible presidency." Radio K turns 15 http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14846 by Keith Hovis, Minnesota Daily After 15 years, Steve Nelson can still remember exactly what was said at 6 a.m. on Oct. 1, 1993 in a studio on the top floor of the Rarig Center. VOICES | In the Swagger: College introduces the world of Korean America to one adoptee http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14805 by Megan Lynn Wetzel, Korean Quarterly I'm currently aboard a flight destined for Rochester, Minnesota, where my parents live, and home to the Mayo Clinic, a slice of middle-class America. <b>INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET</b> A string of sugar crystals: Greenway inspires a new model for urban development http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14881 by Jason Ericson, Uptown Neighborhood News Before Tina Nelson started working for the Midtown Greenway Coalition back in 1999, she worked for years as a community organizer in the Seward neighborhood. She toyed with the idea of going back to school for urban planning, but remained uncertain. NEWS YOU CAN USE | Green means go http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14882 by Bruce Cochran, Uptown Neighborhood News <i>"Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance <br>Everybody thinks it's true" - Paul Simon</i><br><br>Well, yes and no. Not everybody likes the sound of the southwest light rail project but most are coming around to support it. This is the current thinking of citizens in the Southwest, confirmed by Gail Dorfman, Hennepin County Commissioner, at the last Southwest Transitway Project Public Meeting. At Calhoun Square about 40 people gathered to listen to details and ask questions of Dorfman and Project Manager Katie Walker. Interview: "Rasta Bard" David Daniels makes <i>Magic</i> at the Acadia Café http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14840 by Dwight Hobbes, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder David Daniels has to be one of the most unlikely success stories imaginable. He crafts ingenious performance theater; he is a capable playwright and compelling spoken-word orator. However, Daniels prevails despite himself. 'Gently into the reach of the night' http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14879 by Jon Collins and Karle Weinmann, Minnesota Daily Less than a half-mile from the University's West Bank campus last Monday, Ahmednur Ali, an Augsburg College student and tutor at the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood's Brian Coyle Center, was shot to death. <b>NEW IN BLOGS</b> BLOG OF THE MODERATE LEFT | Dee-Bate! http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14905 by Jeff Fecke Well, the debate is over. And Joe Biden won it, though Sarah Palin defied expectations by speaking in complete sentences almost throughout the entire debate. ARTS ORBIT | Illin' ullieann http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14899 by Cyn Collins Direct from Ireland, masters of the uilleann pipes are bringing us Piperlink, a multifaceted experience all about uilleann (pronounced “illan”) pipes. KOLET INK | Give me liberty or give me...? http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14895 by Colette Davidson What does it take to get a girl excited these days? I’m feeling so seriously jaded. Call me ungrateful, a cynic, a snob. Maybe I am. But the more I see of the world, the more it looks the same. Is it just me, or does each Mediterranean palm tree seem to sway in the same direction? And I’m sure that those public squat toilets are just as gag-inducing whether it’s France, India or Korea (although China probably wins as the most disgusting). Restaurant servers are rude in Paris just as they are in New York (maybe it’s a big city thing) and dogs are everywhere--whether on a leash or running wild towards your inviting, rabies shot-free leg--and they want you. ARTS ORBIT | 20 years of Cinema Lounge http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14896 by Paul Clark Believe it or not, IFP Minnesota’s Cinema Lounge, the Twin Cities’ original short film screening series, is turning 20. While technically still not old enough to drink (ha!), that hasn’t kept us from ushering the masses into the venerable Bryant-Lake Bowl theater on the 3rd Wednesday of each month to partake in film and refreshments, the latter usually being alcoholic and the former always indie, always local.
LISTEN and TALK WITH TOM HAYDEN on TRUTH TO TELL OCTOBER 8 at 11AM KFAI and at Metropolitan State University Oct. 7th and 8th (see events below): Tom Hayden changed America, wrote national correspondent Nicholas Lemann in The Atlantic. He was the single greatest figure of the 1960s student movement, according to The New York Times. Tom Hayden, founder of Students for Democratic Society, is an American social and political activist and politician, most famous for his involvement in the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s. Haydens continued influence in American culture spans fifty years. He was a famed sixties radical, then a long-term California state senator, an acclaimed author and teacher at many universities, formerly married to actress/activist Jane Fonda. Today, he is passionate opponent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the polluting quest for oil, and sweatshop conditions across the planet. He not only writes about these subjects, but works toward their realization as a close adviser to many politicians, peace and human rights groups.
Somalis mourn killings http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14875 by Abdifatah Shafat, TC Daily Planet There doesn’t seem to be a let-up in the series of murders that has struck the Somali community in the Twin Cities this year. As I was collecting information about the violent death of one young man, I got a call from a friend while I was on my way to Cub Foods to buy gifts for Eid about the killing of yet another one. Abdihshakur Adan Hassan became the sixth Somali man to be murdered in the metro area since December 2007. Killing frost hits Minnesota credit markets http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14845 by Lee Egerstrom, Minnesota 2020 A killing frost seems to have blanketed the Eastern seaboard from Wall Street to Washington and it has frozen the credit markets here in Minnesota as well. Deeper than blue http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14851 by Michele St. Martin, Minnesota Women's Press When she thinks back, Matthea Little Smith realizes she has experienced depression off and on for more than 40 years. Smith, 58, first heard about the symptoms of depression from a teacher when she was in high school-and recognized herself in the description. "I thought, that sounds like me," Smith said. "I had those symptoms. I also thought, aw, it's not a big deal. And it wasn't-until I was about 38." St. Cloud State students denounce recurrent hate crimes http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14847 by Charles Hallman, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Speak Out participants challenged school's administration to do more This week's community round-up http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14864 by staff, TC Daily Planet Some shorter stories from around the Twin Cities metro area. INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET Music note: Rosalie Sorrels releases tribute to Utah Phillips http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/13634 by Dwight Hobbes, TC Daily Planet On hearing Rosalie Sorrels had a new album out on nationally-lauded, St. Paul-based Red House Records, yours truly hurried up and got nosy. Turns out Rosalie Sorrels has got a thing and a half for her fellow folk legend, the late Utah Phillips. Food and Restaurants Local food's toughest customers http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14811 by Brian DeVore, Land Stewardship Project On an overcast fall day, I got a tour of the Meat Center of Appleton (population: 2,871) in the heart of western Minnesota's wild goose and domestic corn country. If an extensive local food system is to take root throughout the Midwest and beyond, its reach can't be limited to hip urban neighborhoods and earnest college campuses. It also has to catch on in places like Appleton — and it starts with people like Alyce Fust. Mango Thai Cuisine http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14816 by Jeremy Iggers, The Rake Strictly speaking, I am not sure the dishes I sampled the other day at Mango Thai Cuisine at Selby and Dale in St. Paul really qualify as authentic Thai cuisine. I don't remember seeing any western-style broccoli the last time I was in Bangkok, and I am pretty sure I never saw a seafood salad served over baby field greens in an oversized martini glass, or raad na noodles topped with curled strands of carrot. Ditto the crab avocado rolls, and the mango spring rolls, and the pan-grilled tuna wasabi salad. The Average Joe's response to Betty Crocker: the homebrewing revival http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14779 by Leah Ritz, Minnesota 2020 With markets across the board looking unsteady these days, Minnesotans are returning to their agricultural roots in an effort to re-cultivate Minnesota's heritage and revitalize local business. With today's food prices on the rise and a little extra free time to spare on new hobbies, traditional homegrown pastimes have expanded to new frontiers. However, instead of home-canned tomatoes and other produce familiar from the heyday of Betty Crocker, this time it's the Average Joe's of Minnesota brewing and bottling their own beer with homegrown ingredients. NEW IN BLOGS ARTS ORBIT | Get your toady whipped on West 7th http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14873 by Jay Gabler This Friday night at St. Paul’s Mad Hatter Tea House, Rick Griffith will be kicking off the Halloween season with his annual “Magic Lute Show.” That’s right, folks. We’re talking authentic live lute music, readings from Renaissance-era sources on witchcraft and alchemy, and, Griffith promises, “a few choice bits of legerdemain and mental chicanery.” GROUND ZERO | Fear Itself: Turning an hour of economic danger into an hour of political opportunity http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14870 by Rich Broderick Today, the whole elaborate system of easy short-term credit that keeps our version of capitalism afloat is on the verge of a shutdown. And soon. ARTS ORBIT | Vandalia Street gets good wood http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14887 by Jay Gabler You know the Twin Cities have a great theater scene. You know that our bands are the coolest. You may even know that we have an exceptional number of exceptional dance companies. But did you know that the metro area is a national hub of woodcraft? BLOG OF THE MODERATE LEFT | The times, they are a-changing http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14885 by Jeff Fecke Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO speaks bluntly about fighting racism, how it’s used to divide workers, and why it’s very wrong to vote against Barack Obama because of the color of his skin: ARTS ORBIT | Weekend what's what 10/2-10/4: Dance dance...revolution? http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/14871 by l'etoile magazine staff As the leaves begin their slow autumn turn and the noticeable chill sweeps in, the political climate heats up! While the bulk of this weekend holds an abundance of the fantastic art, music and parties that you’ve come to expect, Thursday is really the perfect chance to flex your revolutionary muscle. With a handful of thoughtful events that will definitely inspire and entertain, your thinking cap has never looked so stylish! EYETEETH | D'oh: Homer tries to vote for Obama http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/14886 by Paul Schmelzer In its annual Halloween episode--this year falling just two days before the presidential election--"The Simpsons" will feature a segment where Homer heads into a "double-wide" voting booth in an attempt to cast his vote for Barack Obama.
A few responses: 1) Charley Swope is the forum manager for the Announcements forum --not I. (I manage the St Paul Issues and Feedback forums) 2) Members who have complaints about posts should send a private e-mail to the manager of that forum. (That's in the rules, Mitch) 3) Generally members are able to post without prior review. Thus if Charley feels that Andy's post is off-topic, he can only address it after the fact unless the member is placed on moderation. (Folks who want to discuss use of moderation on SPIF and/or Feedback can do so via private e-mail or the Feedback forum) ...... Original Message ....... On Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:30:41 -0700 (PDT) Mitch Berg <<email obscured>> wrote: >And why on *earth* does Rick Mons, who is utterly punctilious about enforcing rules against everyone else (mainly the forums' tiny community of conservatives) not only allow, but seemingly encourage Driscoll to use the "Announcement" forum as his own personal discussion venue, with no repercussions - ever?