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Blog Categories promo New Promo: Chris Maragoth - Burning June - (Melodic Metal)
New Promo: Chris Maragoth - Burning June - (Melodic Metal) Wednesday May 12 2021, 5:07 AM
Magdeburg, Germany – On June 6, 2021 solo artist CHRIS MARAGOTH released his new Single called "BURNING JUNE" on all major streaming services, media stores and on Bandcamp.
FFO: Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold
"BURNING JUNE" is a fast-paced melodic metal song that was actually written in 2013 for Chris Maragoth's former band. After leaving the band the song sat in a drawer for years, but was reworked and finally recorded by Chris during the Covid19-lockdown in end of 2020 and early 2021. The title "BURNING JUNE" was originally only a work title but was kept because of its good sounding. It refers in particular to the month June in the year 2013 where the song was written. It was a really hot month in Germany with temperatures way above 35 degrees Celsius. Despite it's title origin story "BURNING JUNE" is about a protagonist who did evil things in his life. God or a godlike entity (free for personal interpretation and depending on personal belief) is going to punish him now for his actions. A supernatural fire is coming to the protagonist to burn him alive, cleansing and freeing his soul. The protagonist knows there is no escape anymore as the flames are coming nearer and nearer and start to blind his eyes. He is accepting and welcoming his fate, seeing this fire as a possibility of repenting his sins.
Purchase it out on Bandcamp!
Burning June by Chris Maragoth
Check it out on Spotify and add it to your playlists!
Follow Chris and support at these links:
Bandcamp: https://chrismaragoth.bandcamp.com/
Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/6M46w3Y2xjhX5lrZbfNcv8?si=04861cbf33034c9f
Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/de/album/burning-june/1566671818?i=1566671822
Link Tree: https://artist.link/maragoth
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChrisMaragoth
Website: https://www.maragoth.info/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisMaragoth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_maragoth/
chris@maragoth.net
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Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 4p to 4a
photographer: Krissy Arnold
johnny azari (kristen arnold photos) (5 of 11)
johnny azari (kristen arnold photos) (10 of 11)
johnny azari (kristen arnold photos) (1 of 1)
Krissy was an amazing soul. A photographer, a musician, a computer wizard, and a true rebel. She took these photos of me at the top of my 2016 tour and passed shortly after. If she could make my ugly ass look this cool, she could run the world. Love n miss you, Krissy.
ps- all shot on Large Format (yeah I capitalized that, what ). No digital BS here. That's light on silver.
photographer: Zach Gold
Zach is founder and co-curator of PLAYGROUND, an independent collective that explores and celebrates the experiential relationship between fashion and art through exhibition, installation, and custom artwork collections. Playground launched at Anna Kustera Gallery in New York. Subsequent hosts of Playground included Colette in Paris, Selfridges in London, and the MOCA Museum in Los Angeles. Two copies of Playground 1 are in the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Playground also recently curated an installation at the Museum of Art and Design in New York for their paper ball.
www.zachgold.com
photographer: Gerald Forster
Photographer & Editorial Curator of 'the new yorkers' | Born and educated in Germany, Gerald works and lives in New York since 1997. His photo and video installation have been nationally & internationally exhibited. When he is not working on a personal art project or on an editorial assignment, he can be seen windsurfing in Hookipa or is exploring new territories in adventures countries like Yemen,Mongolia, Syria or Ethiopia. Gerald is thefounder of 'here we go now'
www.geraldforster.com
www.herewegonow.com
photographer: Jeff Forney
Raised in the East Bay of Northern California, Jeff's influences ranged from the characters he encountered to the wide array of music that permeated the Bay's airwaves. After completing a degree in Sociology at the 'sedate' campus of Chico State University he landed in NYC.
Jeff spent a bit of post-graduate time in front of the camera doing ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Guess, and Jil Sander, as well as commercials with well-known directors including David Lynch. With a camera in hand Jeff grew to love its ability to tell a good story and the composition that harnessed it.
He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: How to display "heavy" images in a RecyclerView? I need to display some images in a RecyclerView.
These images should be rendered "on the fly" as user is scrolling the list. Rendering each image takes a long time: 50-500ms. Before the image is displayed to the user, a progress bar is displayed.
Due to the long rendering time this part is placed into an AsyncTask.
See the code below:

class MyAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<MyAdapter.ViewHolder> {

    class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
        ImageView myImg;
        ProgressBar myProgressBar;

        public ViewHolder(View view) {
            super(itemView);
            myImg = view.findViewById(R.id.myImg);
            myProgressBar = view.findViewById(R.id.myProgressBar);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(@NonNull ViewHolder holder, int position) {
        holder.myProgressBar.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
        AsyncTask.execute(() -> {
            Bitmap bitmap = longRenderingFunction();
            holder.myImg.post(() -> {
                holder.myImg.setImageBitmap(bitmap);
                holder.myProgressBar.setVisibility(View.GONE);

If the user is scrolling the list slowly, e.g. 1-2 screens per second, the images are loaded correctly. Sometimes one can notice the progress bar, which quickly disappears.
But if the user is scrolling very fast, the images appear and then are replaced, sometimes two times:

In general it is clear, that on fast scrolling:

*

*Many onBindViewHolder are called and multiple AsyncTasks per recyclable item ViewHolder are started.

*Even a new onBindViewHolder is triggered for the same item, the old AsyncTask keep running

*Then AsyncTasks for the same ViewHolder are completing one after another.

*Each AsyncTask puts its own resulting bitmap to the ImageView.

My intentions would be:

*

*minimum: do not setImageBitmap from the outdated AsyncTasks

*maximum: to stop already outdated AsyncTasks as soon as possible to save system resources

I would appreciate to hear some hints or maybe solutions for this problem.

A: Here is the solution I came up with.
Stop flickering
The first part is pretty simple:
A simple index was introduced:
int loadingPosition;

At the beginning of onBindViewHolder the current position is saved:
holder.loadingPosition = position;

Before switching the bitmap the current position is checked against the last started. If a new task has been already started, the index was changed beforehand, then the image will not be updated:
if (holder.loadingPosition == position) {
    holder.myImg.setImageBitmap(bitmap);

Improve performance
To prevent the task to run further when not needed a Future object was introduced. It allows to manage the started task, while AsyncTask does not:
Future<?> future;

Start the async task via ExecutorService instead of AsyncTask:
holder.future = executor.submit(() -> { ...

Stopping the running task, if it is still running:
if ((holder.future != null) && (!holder.future.isDone()))
    holder.future.cancel(true);

Complete code
The whole code looks like that:
class MyAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<MyAdapter.ViewHolder> {

    private ExecutorService executor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();

    class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
        ImageView myImg;
        ProgressBar myProgressBar;
        int loadingPosition;
        Future<?> future;

        public ViewHolder(View view) {
            super(itemView);
            myImg = view.findViewById(R.id.myImg);
            myProgressBar = view.findViewById(R.id.myProgressBar);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(@NonNull ViewHolder holder, int position) {
        holder.loadingPosition = position;
        if ((holder.future != null) && (!holder.future.isDone()))
            holder.future.cancel(true);
        holder.myProgressBar.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
        holder.future = executor.submit(() -> {
            Bitmap bitmap = longRenderingFunction();
            holder.myImg.post(() -> {
                if (holder.loadingPosition == position) {
                    holder.myImg.setImageBitmap(bitmap);
                    holder.myProgressBar.setVisibility(View.GONE);

Maybe using the both methods is a little bit overkill, but it provides some level of insurance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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SHE'S ON BOARD: Dyche named United Coaches vice president
Jan 14, 2021 | Amateur, College, Youth |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Heather Dyche has been elected to the United Soccer Coaches' board of directors, it was released during the organization's digital convention Wednesday.
Dyche will serve a six-year term on the board. She will hold the title of vice president for four years, before serving one year each as president and immediate past president.
"I'm thrilled to be elected to the United Soccer Coaches board of directors and thankful to all those who entrusted me with their vote," Dyche said in a statement. "Serving the membership is such an important task and I'm looking forward to getting started."
Dyche has been a United Soccer Coaches member for 13 years and serves as the head women's soccer coach at the University of New Mexico, a position she has held since 2015.
She has been a National Staff Instructor for U.S. Soccer since 2011, a member of the Concacaf Instructional Staff since 2013 and the FIFA Instructional Staff since 2016. She has been the owner and head coach of L.E.A.D. Soccer Academy (Leadership and Empowerment through Athletic Development) since 2012 and previously served as the Associate Technical Director of the New Mexico Youth Soccer Association from 2009-15.
Dyche officially will join the board Friday, Jan. 15 at the conclusion of the convention.
The United Soccer Coaches board of is led by the following 10 members of the association, including six individuals elected by the membership, three at-large representatives, appointed by the president, and the Advocacy Council Chair.
Immediate Past President: Kevin Sims
President: Dr. Missy Price
First Vice President: Ashlee Fontes-Comber
Second Vice President: Dr. David Carr
Third Vice President: Rusty Oglesby
Fourth Vice President: Heather Dyche
At-Large Representative: Andy Haile
At-Large Representative: Haroot Hakopian
At-Large Representative: Dr. Nefertiti Walker
Advocacy Council Chair: Sue Ryan
United Soccer Coaches CEO Lynn Berling-Manuel is a non-voting member of the board.
PreviousMOVING ON: Sarachan departs NCFC as coach
NextFORWARD, MARCH: Concacaf men's Olympic qualifying in Guadalajara March 18-30
UP A NOTCH: Adelphi men move to third in D2 poll
DRAWN TOGETHER: Hofstra men ties Drexel, 1-1
D'ARPINO SCHOLARSHIP: ENYYSA awards Farmingale's Barresi
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SUIT: College Point goalkeeper sues USSF, referee, player, coach


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Q: Command : \noindent not working I'm want a simple paragraph in my document with no indentation. I'm using the command \noindent at the beginning of the paragraph, But its not working. Here's the code I'm using
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\paragraph{Para \\}
\noindent
Blah blah blah ...
\end{document}

Can anybody tell me why its not working. I'm using 'Texworks'

A: The image you show is not generated by posted code, in article class \paragraph is an inline heading so produces
Para Blah blah
The word Para is not indented so it is hard to guess what effect you intended \noindent to have. Note that \paragraph is a section head and should only be used in the sequence \section, \subsection, \subsubsection, \paragraph. \noindent should rarely (arguably never) be used within the document and certainly never applied to a heading.
If you want to redefine \paragraph to be a display heading rather than inline, then
\documentclass{article}
\makeatletter
\renewcommand\paragraph{\@startsection{paragraph}{4}{\z@}%
                                    {-3.25ex \@plus -1ex \@minus -.2ex}%
                                    {1sp}%
                                    {\normalfont\normalsize\bfseries}}

\makeatother
\begin{document}

\paragraph{Para}
Blah blah blah ...
\end{document}

but as noted above \paragraph should only follow \subsubsection


A dynamic, energetic, and highly entertaining look at how we can discover the essential elements for success as educators and leaders of young people. If we believe certain people "have it" and others "don't" -- then a dangerous myth is preventing us from being our best. Success is most accessible when we focus on choices instead of qualities, and this session demonstrates why and how with specific, practical tools and examples we can use every day. Recharge yourself with a fresh look at enthusiasm and excitement as professional skills. Expect to laugh, to think, to add new techniques, and to rediscover the real power we have as unique professionals.


Taking time to do the "extra" is usually not one of the priorities with regards to our training regime but it is one of the most important!
What is the "extra"? It's taking and making time to take care of our bodies, stretching protocol, foam rolling, massage, physio and sleep are all examples of the "extra"! How often do we hear or say, I just didn't have time after a run, ride or workout, to do the "extra"? The answer, to often!
Lets all get to bed early and use this as a reminder to make the time, we will all feel better!
cabin, wheither its sunny, raining or snowing there will be lots of exercise options.
The key is to keep it short and sweet.


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Allison's Book Bag
Interviews & Extras
Recommend Books!
Interview with Christy Jordan-Fenton
Interviewed at The Masquerade Crew!
The Issue of Residential Schools
Posted by: Allison Helps Cats on: June 25, 2014
In: Current (After 1999) | Grades 3-5 | Native American or Indigenous | Nonfiction | Northern Canada | Teasers
My name is Olemaun Pokiak—but some of my classmates called me "Fatty Legs". They called me that because a wicked nun forced me to wear a pair of red stockings that made my legs look enormous. But I put an end to it. How? Well, I am going to let you in on a little secret that I have kept for more than 60 years: the secret of how I made those stockings disappear.
The above introduction comes from Fatty Legs, a true story by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. If you look the book up on Annick Press page, you'll find that it won awards from the Canadian Children's Book Center, the Cybils (Blogger Literary Award), USBBY (International Book List), to name a few notable categories. Christy is the daughter and Margaret the mother-in-law in this writing pair duo. Together, they have now written four books about Margaret's difficult childhood as a young Inuit child growing up in Canada's Northwest Territories. I'll review them this month.
Christy Jordan-Fenton, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Photo from Coastal Reporter
http://www.coastreporter.net/entertainment/arts-entertainment/tales-of-the-true-and-traditional-1.1052662
As I was unable to find other sources, what follows is a paraphrase of the biography of Christy Jordan-Fenton from Annick Press: Christy grew up on an Alberta farm, where it was common for her to find lambs, calves, and foals in the bathroom on early spring mornings. She has always loved horses and the mountains. Brandings, cattle drives, and rodeos were regularly attended events. Camping remains a favorite activity.
During her teens, Christy moved to Ontario to live with her aunt and uncle. There, she attended a rural high school composed of students who came from six different communities. Her greatest accomplishments were secretly "composing volumes of poetry during math classes and reading nearly every book by Mordecai Richler during lectures".
For several years, Christy fell under the travel bug. In her final semester of high school, Christy joined the infantry reserve and spent the next few years at different bases. Christy was then accepted to a university in Vermont to study Peace, War, and Diplomacy. While there, she was "part of the Mountain Cold Weather Special Operations Company, played rugby, and often road crazy carpets down the school's ski hill". During her senior university year, Christy was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study at the University of Queensland in Australia. When she returned to the United States, she developed a leadership challenge program for disadvantaged youth as well as taught wilderness survival. Next, she headed off to South Africa, where "her fondest memories are of reading stories to street children at night".
Eventually, Western Canada became home to Christy again. She and her husband now live on a farm in British Columbia, which they share with her mother-in-law Margaret, three children, three dogs, several horses, and even a llama and some rogue rabbits. A desire to raise her children with a healthy sense of self-esteem rekindled her passion for Native issues. Christy expresses gratitude that her mother-in-law not only shared her residential school experiences with her but also gave her the chance to write about them.
The only biographical information I was able to find on Margaret Pokiak-Fenton also comes from Annick Press. Margaret was born on a tiny island far north of the Arctic Circle. She spent her early years on Banks Island. When she was eight years old, Margaret travelled to the mainland to attend the Catholic residential school in Aklavik, Northwest Territories, events of which have been described in Fatty Legs and subsequent books. In her early twenties, while working for the Hudson's Bay Company in Tuktoyaktuk, Margaret met husband-to-be. Together, they have raised eight children. Margaret can be found most Saturdays at the local farmer's market, where she sells traditional Inuit crafts, along with bread and bannock.
CULTURAL SETTING
Teachers interested in using Fatty Legs and subsequent books with their students should be aware of the local context with regards to residential schools. According to The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, residential schools for Aboriginal people in Canada date back to the 1870s. Over 130 residential schools were located across the country, with the last school closing in 1996. During this era, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools often against their parents' wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture.
On June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government of Canada, delivered a formal apology in the House of Commons to former students, their families, and communities for Canada's role in the operation of the residential schools. According to The Contemporary Church History Quarterly, during 1991-1998, all of the churches involved in the schools also issued formal apologies for their respective roles in the schools. The churches have continued to work toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
As further background to the issue of residential schools, you are encouraged to read the article: They Came For The Children. Published by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission Of Canada, the report is divided into several chapters which investigate the reasons behind the Canadian government's initiative to implement the residential school system. It provides detailed accounts of the experiences lived and witnessed by several former residential school students. Furthermore, the report examines the long-term implications that the residential school system carries for the aboriginal community.
There's a general consensus with Stephen Harper's apology that there needs to be education and this needs to be in the curriculum, but there's really just been so few resources out there.
–Christy Jordan-Fenton, The Tyee
The Tyee has posted an article about the authors, the books, and even information about residential schools. It's called A Residential School Story Kids Will Love.
The Edmonton Regional Consortium has a two-part webinar, along with handouts and resources at: Fatty Legs Webinar Series The first webinar introduces the authors. The second webinar presents a teacher who shares how she has used the book with her grade-seven students.
Quill and Quire
Review of Fatty Legs
Review of When I was Eight
Review of A Stranger at Home
Review of Not My Girl
Tags: A Stranger at Home, Allison's Book Bag, Christy Jordan-Fenton, Fatty Legs, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, Not My Girl, reviews of books for young people, When I was Eight
Allison's Book Bag will no longer be updated. Thank you for eight years!
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Newbery Project reviews of Newbery Books
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Cultural & Regional Reviews
365 Days of Books Canadian and Newfoundland Picture Books
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2011 Stats for Allison's Book Bag
4-H Dog Agility is all about Having Fun Published October 2012 online and in an insert.
A Girl, A Cat, and A Fairy Published June 2010 on the Aurora Wolf Ezine. Available in print in the Aurora Rising Anthology.
A Heart for Homeless Cats My article about the work of a local rescue group that helps homeless cats appears on page 18.
Adventures in Publishing My response to the question: "What genres are you sick of seeing?"
Adventures in Publishing My response to the question: "How has blogging changed how you read?"
Barnabas, Son of Encouragement Published May 2015 as a guest post in Open Theism.
Blogger Love interview and guest review at Nightly Reading
Canada-A New Homeland Published July 2013 as a guest post in Open Theism.
Collaboration produces pet ownership curriculum A news report about one of a series of educational plays that I wrote for Hearts United for Animals
Customer Snapshot blurb about me at Lincoln City Libraries site
Deadline near for Lincoln Animal Ambassadors' The Mighty and the Tiny' Project Published August 2016 online and in an insert.
Freedom Published July 2014 as a three-part guest post in Open Theism.
Having fun competing at highest levels of dog agility Published December 2012 both online and in an insert.
Lincoln Animal Ambassadors My educational blog posts committed to improving the lives of animals.
Lincoln Animal Ambassadors Honored at Homeless Coalition
Lincoln Animal Ambassadors, The Cat House raise over $7,500 at Meow & Chow Published November 2016 online and in an insert.
Lincoln Animal Ambassadors' Food Bank Moves to Bigger Location
Meow & Chow is just around the corner Published October 2016 online and in an insert.
Nominated for Liebster Award!
Students Help Local Animal Shelter A news report about one of my Community Learning Center clubs: "Writers to the Rescue".
The Masquerade Crew interview with me about Allison's Book Bag
Their Daughter Rose Published April 2010 on the Enchanted Conversation Ezine.
Three Ways to Help Animal Ambassadors Published April 2017 online and in an insert.
Volunteers Needed for Lincoln Animal Ambassadors Published December 2017 online and in an insert.
YA Promo Central interview with me about Allison's Book Bag


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5 Best Things to Do in Daejeon on a Small Budget
Enjoy Daejeon Culture without Breaking the Bank
Daejeon is full of museums and art galleries with affordable admission fees. Lee Ungno Museum itself is a sight to behold and perfect for enjoying a spot of tea at a cafe. Uam Historic Park is built on the same space where philosopher Uam Song Siyeol taught his pupils. There, you can appreciate the refreshing scenery and the elegance of traditional landscaping. Below are some spots where you can experience Daejeon without worrying about your budget.
Daejeon Metropolitan Museum
The Daejeon Metropolitan Museum is home to artefacts that give you a glimpse into the rich history and culture of Daejeon. Some of those on display reflect the lives of upper-class aristocrats, such as Confucian scholars and noblewomen, and there are also artefacts related to the famous artist and writer Sin Saimdang. Notably, there are plenty of activities in which children can participate, so it's a great destination for an outing with the whole family. Being a municipal museum, the admission fee is quite affordable.
Location: 398 Doan-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
Open: Daily from 10 am to 7 pm. Closed on Mondays, New Year's Day, Lunar New Year's Day and Chuseok (closed the following day if Monday is a public holiday).
photo by Trainholic (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
Dunsan Prehistoric Site
In Dunsan-dong, you can find a prehistoric site where ruins were excavated. Prehistoric huts contrasting against a backdrop of tall modern buildings create a unique and fresh landscape. The excavated relics now reside in the Gongju National Museum, and the excavation site has since been built into a park. It's a great place for a walk while imagining how things may have been in the past. You just may end up reevaluating that which once seemed familiar.
Location: Wolpyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
photo by Yoo Chung (CC BY-SA 2.5) modified
Daejeon Travel Guide
7 Best Places to Go Shopping in Daejeon
10 Best Local South Korean Foods to Try in Daejeon
Daejeon Skyroad
Daejeon Skyroad refers to a massive LED video arcade built along Euneungjeongi Culture Street, which is often compared to the bustling shopping district of Myeong-dong in Seoul. Skyroad, which represents a balance of cutting-edge science, technology, culture and art, is a shopping and cultural centre and fits well with the energy of the young people in the area. The content displayed on Skyroad changes daily, and we recommend visiting at night as the display is much more dazzling after dark.
Location: 83 Junggyo-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
photo by *Youngjin (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
Uam Historic Park
Uam Historic Park is a harmonious blend of traditional Korean hanok structures, green lawns and surrounding mountains. Namganjeongsa was once a village school building where scholar and philosopher Song Siyeol taught, which was designed to enjoy the beauty created by drawing water from a nearby valley stream into the pond on the grounds. The artistry of Korean ancestors is on full display here. Comfortable shoes are recommended as you have to do a bit of walking up gentle slopes and along a stone path.
Location: 53 Chungjeong-ro, Dong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
Open: Summer: Daily from 5 am to 9 pm. Winter: Daily from 6 am to 8 pm
photo by Yoshi at Flickr (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
Lee Ungno Museum
At the Lee Ungno Museum, you can see various works by Korean-born French painter Lee Ungno for an affordable admission fee. The structure itself is also a work of art, inspired by Lee's works. Even those without a great interest in art will find the cafe with its huge window appealing. Looking out at the sculpture park covered in lush green grass will make just about anyone feel at ease.
Location: 157 Dunsan-daero, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
Open: November–February: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm (until 9 pm on Wednesdays). March–October: Daily from 10 am to 7 pm (until 9 pm on Wednesdays). Closed on Mondays (the following day if Monday is a public holiday), New Year's Day, Lunar New Year's Day and Chuseok
photo by Rickinasia (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
10 Best Things to Do in Daejeon
6 Best Family Things to Do in Daejeon
5 Great Restaurants in Daejeon
7 Places Where Locals Love to Eat in Daejeon
5 Best Bars in Daejeon
Goseong
Yangyang
North Gyeongsang
North Jeolla
South Gyeongsang
South Jeolla


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About the CIW
Campaign for Fair Food
Anti-Slavery Program
Sustain Fair Food
Fair Food Store
The birth of Worker-driven Social Responsibility: 1/16-12/16
Expanding the Fair Food Program: 11/14 – 12/15
"A brilliant model" at work: 11/13-10/14
Fair Food Program to the Fore: 11/12-10/13
Fair Food Takes Root: 01/12-10/12
A New Day in the Fields: 09/10-12/11
A Year to Dine with Dignity: 05/09-08/10
A Year of Victories: 05/08-05/09
Burger King: 04/07-05/08
McDonald's: 03/05-04/07
Taco Bell Boycott: 04/01-03/05
Rolling student fast of 2017 takes its place in storied annals of fight for Fair Food…
Posted on May 16, 2017 August 20, 2017 by CIW
Weeklong fast at Ohio State University tapped into Dr. King's "power in the universe that works for justice" and inspired a month-long movement on over a dozen college campuses;
Fast forges new leaders for the fight ahead, lays the groundwork for a student-led surge in the Wendy's Boycott this fall!
A little historical context…
Following the Montgomery Bus Boycott victory in 1956 — a year-long campaign that marked the first significant triumph of Dr. Martin Luther King's methods of creative non-violence — Dr. King was invited to speak at the University of California at Berkeley. The speech he delivered that day, June 4th, 1957, laid out the theological underpinnings of Dr. King's new, and startlingly effective, philosophy of social change. That philosophy would come to guide his life's work over the next decade and help the Civil Rights Movement successfully mine a deeply-buried vein of enduring justice that laid below the layers of brutality and exploitation comprising America's awful history of racial oppression. Here is an excerpt from his speech, entitled "The Power of Non-Violence":
… SOME POWER IN THE UNIVERSE THAT WORKS FOR JUSTICE
I am quite aware of the fact that there are persons who believe firmly in nonviolence who do not believe in a personal God, but I think every person who believes in nonviolent resistance believes somehow that the universe in some form is on the side of justice. That there is something unfolding in the universe whether one speaks of it as a unconscious process, or whether one speaks of it as some unmoved mover, or whether someone speaks of it as a personal God. There is something in the universe that unfolds for justice and so in Montgomery we felt somehow that as we struggled we had cosmic companionship. And this was one of the things that kept the people together, the belief that the universe is on the side of justice. (emphasis added)
The bolded sentence in the excerpt above is the theme of today's post. The power to which Dr. King referred of non-violent protest to tap into a sort of universal instinct for justice — and, doing so, vastly multiply its impact beyond the immediate reach of the action itself — is real. It is the thread that ties the sacrifice and struggle of the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the many fasts undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi in his lifetime to challenge colonial rule and promote Hindu-Muslim unity in India decades before it, and to the remarkable rolling student fast in support of the Wendy's Boycott that took place on over a dozen college campuses this past spring, decades after it.
And it is the power that will propel that nascent student-led movement to new heights this coming fall, to the booting of Wendy's restaurants off campus after campus in the school year ahead, and, ultimately, to a Fair Food agreement between Wendy's and the farmworkers whose exploitation has fueled the fast-food giant's profits for far too long.
A fast begins…
OSU student fasters during the March 26th Parade for Human Rights in Columbus, Ohio
On March 20th, 19 students and community allies launched a weeklong fast to pressure Ohio State University administrators to honor their promise to students and cut the university's ties with Wendy's until Wendy's joins the Fair Food Program. Here's an excerpt from our report on that first day of what would become a national, rolling student fast that lasted more than a month and spread to over a dozen campuses:
Earlier this month, we shared a breaking announcement of a major escalation in the Wendy's Boycott: Students from The Ohio State University and community members from across Columbus declared that they would launch a weeklong fast in the lead up to the Parade for Fair Food on March 26th.
Today, those dedicated students and allies are launching their fast, and in so doing they are launching perhaps the most powerful action to date in the national Wendy's boycott. These 19 fasters will be bringing the demand for farmworker justice both to the doorstep of OSU President Michael Drake and to the Wendy's Headquarters itself, with the moral force of nonviolent action that has shaped movements for social change for over a century…
On their first day, the fasters visited the offices of President Michael Drake, leaving a message for the President (who the fasters reported was present but unwilling to meet) in the form of tomato seeds that, in the fasters' words:
… represent the choice the administration has to make: OSU can nurture the growing respect for human rights in agriculture by aligning the university with the award-winning Fair Food Program, or the administration can ignore its responsibility to the students it represents and allow the potential fruits of justice to wither by continuing to do business with Wendy's while Wendy's continues to turn its back on human rights.
The OSU students' fast would continue until the following weekend, when they joined forces with hundreds of farmworkers from Immokalee and Fair Food activists from around the country in an unforgettable march through downtown Columbus, Ohio, to the OSU campus, where they broke their fast (below) in a moving ceremony:
The torch is passed, a movement is born…
Gandhi, in a reflection during his fast to end violence between India's Hindu and Muslim communities in Calcutta in 1947, said of the power of his protest (from "Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr The power of nonviolent action" a UNESCO publication, pg 74):
'The function of my fast', Gandhi interpreted, 'is not to paralyse us or render us inactive', but 'to release our energies.'
Though their fast ended without a commitment from the administration to cut Wendy's lease, by the measure set forth in Gandhi's reflection on his own efforts, the OSU fast was an undeniable success. At the same ceremony where the OSU students broke their fast, students from the University of Michigan stepped up to be the first to take the torch and carry the OSU campaign forward.
OSU students pass the white armbands that symbolized their fast on to students from the University of Michigan at the conclusion of their weeklong fast.
From the University of Michigan, a national, rolling student fast took off on college campuses from Florida to Indiana, and the growing protest movement picked up several significant endorsements from leading religious organizations along the way, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), the National Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM), and T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.
Students at New College in Sarasota, Florida, held their own 5-day fast, an action that would move fully 10% of their fellow students — and even New College President Donal O'Shea (below) — to join them:
When faced with this simple question from his students — will you align the institution you lead with a pioneering, Presidential Medal-winning human rights program and the farmworkers who built it — New College President Donal O'Shea responded with a resolute and resounding "Yes!"
"I am very proud of the fast," President O'Shea added, and committed himself to a day-long fast alongside his students (setting an example of leadership and empathy for the community that he leads that President Drake and his fellow administrators at Ohio State University would do well to follow…).
From there, the fast spread to three more colleges throughout the Tampa Bay region, as the cry for justice from the 19 OSU fasters sparked powerful actions — and profound reflections — among an ever-growing circle of students far from the Columbus, Ohio, campus. Here's an excerpt from our report on the Tampa area fast:
This week, the Tampa Bay student fast — a collaborative action among undergraduate and graduate students at the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, and Eckerd College — hit the ground running after taking up the torch from students at New College of Sarasota and Valencia College (fasters pass on the symbolic white arm band below)
Having started the week with 8 committed fasters, the three universities now count 16 students taking part in the rolling fast, and over 30 more students who took part in 24-hour solidarity fasts throughout the week!
"Wendy's refusal to join a proven solution to farmworker poverty and abuse is unacceptable," USF student Sarah Zaharako said in a written statement. "We're fasting to support the Wendy's boycott and current student campaigns to cut Wendy's contracts until the fast food holdout joins the Fair Food Program, because consumers have the power to bring Wendy's to the table. In the end, the struggle for farmworker rights is part of the greater struggle for human rights." ("Tampa Bay area college students are fasting to pressure Wendy's into joining Fair Food Program," Creative Loafing, 4/18/17)
Following a protest at a Tampa area Wendy's, the student fasters, joined by the CIW's Leonel Perez (in blue, top left), gathered on the sidewalk outside the restaurant for a final reflection. Below is a sample of their thoughts on their role in the growing movement:
Sarah Zaharako: "This experience is so impactful, something I'll remember for the rest of my life. all the other people on campus committing to the 24-hour fast… we have a class together, Katie [another faster] and I. And almost the entire class is doing a 24 hour fast with us… they were all wearing their little buttons, I was so happy! Being able to educate others on that and having them align with our views was very humbling."
Suzanne Young: "I'm inspired and impressed that we were able to come together as this Tampa Bay coalition of universities. I was happy to be a part of it and meet amazing USF students, and people from UT and Eckerd that I had never met before. It keeps my spirits up to know that we have this community here and that we're all coming together to support CIW."
Samantha May: "When you're hungry, it's something you know and it's not something you can really ignore. That's been reflective as well, because every time you get that hunger pain, or every time you wake up in the middle of the night, you're reminded of why this work matters, and why you're doing it. And, how important it is that corporations like Wendy's actually take responsibility for the violations they're responsible for.
Leonel Perez: "Our community in Immokalee knows about the fasts that are taking place. In the past few weeks, when we go to the fields to educate workers about their rights as a part of the Fair Food Program, that's one of the things we open with: We're not alone. There are students fasting, students protesting, students flyering and delivering letters. With your support, tens of thousands of workers now live with respect in the workplace. And in just a few weeks, workers will move to other states, and their rights will travel with them under the expanding Fair Food Program."
From Tampa, the fast spread like a wildfire across the Fair Food Nation, sparking solidarity fasts at Vanderbilt University (where the school, like OSU, has its own contract with Wendy's) and Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN, at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Barry University in Miami, and John Carroll University back in Wendy's home state of Ohio.
A Vanderbilt University faster is helped up steps to a meeting with administrators during the seven-day fast there.
The Vanderbilt Political Review published an op-ed by student faster Ania Szczesniewski (pictured below). In her hard-hitting piece, Ania called out Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos for his unacceptable failure to heed students' calls for justice and cut ties with a fast food company that has willfully evaded its responsibility to protect farmworkers' human rights. Here is an excerpt:
Vanderbilt students: "Food without justice is no food at all…"
"Whereas the Fair Food Program has nearly ended modern day slavery in Florida and empowers workers to defend themselves from sexual assault, physical intimidation, the deleterious health effects of unprotected contact with pesticides, wage theft, and other human rights violations, Wendy's continues to source from farms without such protections, fetching a lower price for produce. Their search has transported their sourcing out of the US and into Mexico where there is no comparable program in existence or even forming on the horizon. In fact, egregious human rights violations, from child labor to slavery, have been widely reported on Mexican farms where Wendy's is currently purchasing…
…As someone who has had hundreds of conversations with different students about the Wendy's campaign, there's no denying that a large share of the student body is disturbed by Chancellor Zeppos' tolerance of Vanderbilt's complicity to human exploitation." Read more
After more than a month of inspiring student action, one thing was clear beyond any shadow of a doubt: The OSU fasters had found the "cosmic companionship" that Dr. King spoke of in Berkeley; they had "released their energies," in Gandhi's words, and the power of their fast was felt across the Fair Food Nation.
Where does the student movement go from here?…
Students in the Tampa area pose with a protest sign at a tabling event to show their support for the fasters.
In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Dr. King said:
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
The rolling student fast of 2017 was in no way defeated. While it is true that the students at Ohio State University have yet to succeed in moving their administration to cut ties with Wendy's, their courageous and loving action was an earthquake that not only shook the ground beneath their own Columbus, Ohio, campus, but caused tremors on campuses more than a thousand miles away. Unlike an earthquake, however, the forces they unleashed were not destructive, but rather their fast released the constructive power of what Dr. King called "soul force," the power that drives lasting social change by tapping into our shared and abiding belief in an ever more perfect justice.
Though OSU and Wendy's remain today in an uncomfortable embrace, that embrace was only ever possible under the cover of darkness, the darkness of ignorance. The light cast by the students at OSU, and by their fellow students across the arc of the rolling fast, on the immoral labor conditions in Wendy's supply chain and the company's unconscionable refusal to support a more humane agricultural industry will ultimately break OSU, and other schools, from their support for the fast-food giant. In Dr. King's words, "unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality."
In the meantime, the student fasters continue to deepen their own education on the unprecedented advances for human rights under the Fair Food Program and their commitment to its expansion. Students from the OSU fast traveled to Immokalee earlier this month to visit fields where workers enjoy the Program's benefits, and they are already leveraging their own experience to spread awareness and build resources for the urgent fight ahead:
The rolling student fast of 2017 has imbued the Wendy's Boycott with a fierce new urgency. The college year is over now, but countless students will spend this summer planning and organizing for the school year ahead. Come the fall, students will redouble their efforts to uproot injustice on their campuses and do their part to reinforce and expand the remarkable new human rights protections under the CIW's Fair Food Program. Together with workers from Immokalee, those students will write the next chapter in the long history of the fight for Fair Food, and what comes next will surely be studied by, and inspire, future generations of students when it is their turn to grab the great arc that Dr. King so often evoked and bend it ever further toward justice.
ACTION ALERT! The Wendy's shareholder meeting is just days away and the Fair Food Nation needs your help!…
REMINDER: Join the mobilization for the Wendy's Shareholder Meeting next week!
HOT OFF THE PRESS: The 2018 Fair Food Program Annual Report is here!
CIW receives Presidential Medal for Extraordinary Efforts in Combatting Modern-Day Slavery at White House Forum!
Time's Up leader Alyssa Milano narrates powerful new Fair Food Program video!
CNN Freedom Project on the Fair Food Program: "... the most comprehensive social responsibility program in U.S. agriculture..."
UN expert: FFP "must be considered an international benchmark" in fight against modern-day slavery!
2019 TEDMED TALK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rtUy1apCWU
2017 MacArthur Fellowship
2015 Presidential Medal
2014 Clinton Global Citizen Award
2013 Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom From Want Medal
Together, we fought to make the dream of enforceable human rights for farmworkers a reality. Now, we need your support to bring these critical human rights to thousands of workers in new crops and regions.
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT FAIR FOOD TODAY!
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'Large gaps' remain in Brexit negotiations as Boris Johnson jets to Brussels for crunch talks
Both parties agreed that a "firm decision" must be made by Sunday
Harriet Line, PA Deputy Political Editor, in Brussels
Kirstie McCrum
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen meet for a dinner (Image: 2020 Getty Images)
There are 'large gaps' between the UK and European Union as they work to reach a Brexit deal, Downing Street has said.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen met for dinner in Brussels tonight (December 9) in an attempt to hammer out a deal.
During the crunch talks, over a dinner which lasted three hours, the duo agreed that a "firm decision" about the future of the negotiations should be made by Sunday.
In a statement, a senior Number 10 source said it was "unclear" whether the differences between the two sides could be bridged.
They said: "The PM and VDL had a frank discussion about the significant obstacles which remain in the negotiations.
See the latest news where you are with InYourArea :
"Very large gaps remain between the two sides and it is still unclear whether these can be bridged.
"The PM and VDL agreed to further discussions over the next few days between their negotiating teams.
"The PM does not want to leave any route to a possible deal untested.
"The PM and VDL agreed that by Sunday a firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks."
Supermarkets are stockpiling food due to threat of shortages in no-deal Brexit
More than a quarter of businesses 'unclear on Brexit readiness'
In a statement after the meeting, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: "We had a lively and interesting discussion on the state of play across the list of outstanding issues.
"We gained a clear understanding of each other's positions. They remain far apart.
"We agreed that the teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these essential issues.
"We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend."
Earlier, Mr Johnson tweeted a picture of himself boarding the plane to Brussels.
He said: "A good deal is still there to be done.
"But whether we agree trading arrangements resembling those of Australia or Canada, the United Kingdom will prosper mightily as an independent nation."
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We are delighted to announce that Diana Yu has won £500 for her measured drawing of the shop front at 56 Artillery Lane, London. The judges were unanimous in agreeing that the care and attention taken in recording the details and presenting them in such a beautiful hand coloured drawing made her entry the worth winner. We also liked the use of hand drawn and computer aided techniques in producing the final presentation drawing.
Computer generated shadow study used to inform the rendering of the final water-coloured piece.


After opening with an hour of prayer in the sanctuary, the elders went back to room 119 to share where each was in his/her own processing and discernment about the pastoral search. After everyone had shared, it became clear that there was consensus candidate. And, as all in the room felt comfortable – after a great deal of time, tears, discussion, and prayers – in taking an official vote, the question was called.
In answer to the question "Are you prepared to call John Ulrich as the new senior pastor of Grace Community Church?" the final vote was 10 to 3 in favor of the motion. As importantly, although the three elders in the minority were simply not at that moment in a place in which they could affirm John above all the other candidates, each of the three was completely supportive of the vote and confident that John was indeed the one God was calling to Grace!
After a couple of tries, we were able to get hold of John, who accepted our offer on the spot. It was then decided that we would immediately try to set up a meeting in Greensboro the next day with the Phillips (which did, in fact, take place) and that Chris Latta would contact the other three candidates (Bill, Gary, and Michael) on Wednesday as well.
As soon as all the candidates were informed, the staff and the PSC would be told of our decision, and a church-wide email would be sent (it went out Thursday 12/23).
The meeting began at 7pm with a devotion by G Walker.
Minutes from the November 9 meeting were approved.
Approval to change Finance Committee membership from one elder member and three At-Large members to two elder members (one from each class) and two at-large members.
There is still concern that the giving is under budget. We still need to have strong giving in December. We have not used the line of credit this year and do not expect to.
The board prayed over finances.
Skip and Linda White will be hosting the staff Christmas party this year.
Affirmed staff roles and responsibilities will remain as they are as we head into 2011.
The board prayed over Personnel.
The meeting dates of December 13 and December 21 have been added to the current schedule.
Carla Starr presented the AVA personality profile process and to-date results for the candidates.
The board prayed over the Pastor Search process, candidates, and congregation.
Special programming for the services on December 12, 19, 24 and 26.
The staff reports were handed out.
The meeting began at 7:30pm with a devotion led by Elizabeth Voiers.
Present: All active elders, Brian Worley, and all six soon to be new elders.
Approval of minutes from meeting on October 12, 2010.
Finance update from Mark Cates: The finance committee is preparing for the creation of the 2011 budget as well as lease and healthcare negotiations in January. There is still concern about the current cash balance and we need a strong November and December in giving. Several people will be speaking in worship on stewardship over the next few weeks.
Worship planning from Brian Worley: Preaching is covered through the end of the year. Details are still being worked out for Christmas Eve services. Katie Henry will be our interim worship leader beginning November 28.
Pastor Search: Entire board discussed the past candidate weekend and any changes that needed to be made in the format for future weekends. Finalized candidate weekend invitations and elder follow up meetings.
Liaison reports: Mission report from Alicia Ross – The elders and staff have been invited to participate in the Advent devotion being designed by the mission committee.
Facilities report by Jim Salisbury- Many lights have been changed in the building and there is a need for more ushers.
Doug Bergeson closed the meeting in prayer at 10:37pm.
Meeting was called to order by Doug Bergeson at 7pm.
New Elders for 2011-2012 were introduced to the board: Todd Boersma, Kay Gamble, Pat McInnes and Drew Turner in attendance and Joe Toomey, Kathy Starkey who were absent.
Devotion was presented by Jim Salisbury, followed by the opening Prayer.
Approval of 9/7/10 Board Minutes read into record.
New members were presented and approved by the board. New members were introduced as Julie and John Diets, Greg Roberson and Lisa Spears.
– Year to date attendance was reported to be up 9.1% over last yr.
– Stewardship Sundays announced for November 7 and 14.
– Discussion on the emphasis of the message to the congregation was made.
– Next year's budget process to start in November by finance committee.
Chris Latta was recommended for next year's moderator and approved by the board and accepted by Chris.
– Board was presented a letter of resignation from Adam Herrod effective November 1, 2010.
– A day of celebration for Adam's contributions to Grace was set for the congregation on October 31st.
– Love offering for Adam was discussed and approved.
– Children and Youth programs are strong and vibrant, with a good number of first-time visitors.
– A discussion on who will fill preaching and music until the end of the year was made.
Murry Haber presented his report and expressed concern on the MDF (Ministers' Discretionary Fund) that had only $700 left in it. A discussion was held on ways to convey the need to the congregation and seek donations. Murry and Elizabeth will strategize on ways to advertise the purpose and need of the MDF.
Brian Worley recommended the board consider the use of Katie Henry to help fill the music minister role for November. It was agreed and Brian was to ask Katie to do so.
Personnel reported they are working on documents that will describe the Senior pastor's role, job description, nature of reporting to the board along with hiring and firing procedures.
Time was spent reflecting on the joint Elder/PSC meeting on Tuesday October 5.
A couple of elder liaison reports were given.
Meeting was closed with corporate prayer.
Doug Bergeson called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm, followed by a devotion and prayer by Michelle Starbuck.
Minutes from the August meeting, approved via email, were read into the minutes.
Bill Johnston gave the financial report. He stated the while giving is still trending down, our expenses are also trending down. Giving for the year is 5.7% under budget. He recommended that a communication to the congregation go out this fall to help explain the full financial picture and to make the congregation aware of our financial situation.
There was a discussion on the need to communicate about stewardship to the congregation on an ongoing basis.
We had a time of prayer for our finances and for effective communication on stewardship.
John Berry came to the meeting to discuss his concerns and questions about the announcement of Robin's stepping away from the ministry while he is a candidate in the senior pastor search process. He expressed his frustrations, from a congregant's perspective, of having an "invisible wall" between the congregation and the elders.
The elders, PSC and staff addressed his questions and concerns. He stated he appreciated the time and clarification.
A letter from the elders, to more fully address the need and reasons for asking Robin to step away from ministry, will be sent to the congregation this week. Also, a proposed date of Oct., 8, 2010 was made to have a churchwide prayer vigil dedicated to this season in our church, details to be worked out by Mary Mason and Michelle Starbuck.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all Board of Elders meeting are open to the members of Grace.
The PSC presented an update of where the pastor search process was to date. They also stated that the elders would now officially enter the process alongside the committee. In order to help the elders better appreciate the breadth of this process, three members from the PSC shared their personal journeys and experiences. A timeline with dates and procedures was discussed. A full application was handed to every elder with the directive to become familiar with and understand more fully how the PSC has been conducting interviews. The elders will now begin meeting with the PSC as the final phase of the search process begins.
We had a time of prayer for all aspects of the search for our next senior pastor.
A slate of the 2011-2012 class of elders (consisting of Todd Boersma, Kay Gamble, Pat McInnes, Kathy Starkey, Joe Toomey, and Drew Turner) was presented and approved.
Grace will hold its annual meeting at the beginning of the 9:15 service on Sunday, Sept 26, 2010 with the express purpose to elect the next class of elders.
A recommended change to how we have historically conducted the elder nominee "vetting" process was also discussed and approved.
After excusing any staff present, G Walker led a personnel discussion which was private as it dealt with a compensation issue.
The two new member classes, which will be held at Grace Sept. 12 & 19, will each be attended by four elders who will be there for support and questions.
Staff reports were distributed by Brian Worley.
Meeting was adjourned at 11:30pom.
Our accountant representative was present to give the overview of the audit of our Financial Statements years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008. All was found to be sound and accurate.
Alicia Ross opened our meeting with a devotion and prayer.
Meeting notes from 7/6/2010 were approved by a majority of elders via email and that approval was read into the minutes and so noted.
Bill also reported that to date we have not had to draw on the line of credit. Cash available was sufficient as of now, but we are as of the end of June, 7.0 % under budget, or $48,728.
A discussion ensued on the best way to approach this deficit. It was agreed that the financial committee would review and recommend actions that may be taken to improve the shortfall.
Bill also announced that he and Pat would be moving to Florida and therefore he must resign his position. He is more than willing to work remotely and be present for future meetings as needed in the interim of Personnel deciding on a recommendation for replacement.
We then entered into a time of prayer for the gifts Bill has brought to his position and for blessings upon Pat and him as they enter this new season in their lives.
Doug B. updated the board on the Nominating process. Nominations deadline was slated for August 15, 2010 and the Nominating Committee would hold their meeting on Monday, August 16, 2010 to bring forth a slate on candidates for approval at the September Elder's meeting.
We then entered into a time of prayer for the Nominating Committee process.
A New Member Class for September 12 & 19 was presented. Elders were asked to commit to attending one of the meetings to meet, greet and answer questions. Becky Crenshaw will contact and handle the elders who can attend.
Chris Latta updated the board on the pastoral search process. Chris explained that it was the PSC's desire that candidates would be presented to this year's board before the end of term for the 2009-2010 class. He was very encouraged at the quality and number of candidates and reported that they had already engaged in several Skype interviews.
A discussion then ensued about a congregational-wide prayer process for the pastoral search. Mary Mason agreed to come forth with a proposal on how best to organize and date this very important event.
A discussion and review of proposed elder letter to the congregation which describes some of the process, the level of interest and quality of the candidates, as well as addressing our approach with Robin becoming a candidate if he and Cathy so choose. The letter also attempts to address the concerns we have of maintaining the confidentiality of the candidates and seeks to preserve Robin's privacy in the process as we move forward.
The letter was approved to go out by email and snail mail.
There was also a discussion about having an opt in or opt out of snail mail communication by all in the congregation as an opportunity to cut down on postage and printing expenses. It was agreed that this was a good idea and Brian ??? agreed to look into how this might be accomplished.
We then entered into a time of prayer for all aspects of our search – for the PSC, for the candidates, for our congregation, for wisdom in how to communicate effectively, for God's hand and direction in all that we are doing.
Brian then presented his staff reports. He presented the redesign and fix up of Grace Hall and Atrium area as the estimates had come in to the committee working on this proposed project. Reports were discussed and Alicia R. suggested that if we do proceed with any form of this project that for every dollar we spend "on ourselves" we commit to spending on an outreach endeavor (or "someone else"). All were appreciative of the need and value of the proposed updates and improvements, but concern was expressed, in general, about the wisdom and timing of doing anything expensive given our present budget shortfall.
No decision was made on the project or how to fund it. Further discussion will take place at future meetings.
Brad G reported that the Gymsox reunion was scheduled for Sunday August 15, 2010 along with a Youth missions fundraiser BBQ to take place that morning and early afternoon.
Alicia R. reported that the Mission and Outreach Committee had scheduled a planning retreat for September 19 and 20.
Bob Herrick then presented his concerns over the proposed building fix up as well as the reduction to Murry Haber's hours. Much discussion ensued over both of these topics. Elders thanked Bob for his concerns, encouraged him that the "fix-up" was only in the proposal stage and no decision had been made. As far as his concern over Murry, several elders, including those on the Personnel committee, assured him that Murry was treated in all fairness and encouraged him to speak directly with Murry.
We then closed the meeting at 10:21 in prayer.
Doug Bergeson, moderator of the Board of Elders, called the meeting to order at 9:15am as there was a quorum (10%) of the membership present.
The purpose of the meeting was stated: for the membership to elect a new nominating committee which will serve a one-year term through June 30, 2011. It was further stated that the primary responsibility of this committee will be to bring forward for congregational approval a new group of six elders which will serve a two year term starting in January.
The moderator presented to the membership the following slate of candidates approved and recommended by the board of elders (each stood as their name was read): Les Crenshaw, Holly Cook, Brad Gwinn, Mary Mason, Alicia Ross, Jim Salisbury, Hope Tharrington, and Tony Voiers.
A motion was made and seconded to approve the slate as presented. A vote via raised hands was taken and all approved with no votes opposed. According to the by-laws and policies of the church the moderator declared the slate of nominees approved. A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.
The moderator closed the meeting with prayer at 9:20am.
Doug Bergeson called the meeting to order at 7pm followed by a devotion by Chris Radtke.
The minutes of the June 2010 meeting were approved by all present.
The slate for the Nominating Committee (Les Crenshaw, Holly Cook, Brad Gwinn, Mary Mason, Alicia Ross, Jim Salisbury, Hope Tharrington, and Tony Voiers) was approved by all present.
The communication for the July 18, 2010 "Special Congregation Meeting" was approved by all present.
Bill Johnston briefed the elders on the giving and attendance. The Finance Committee expressed concern about the relationship between attendance and the trend of downward per capita giving. The majority of funds needed to pay for trips have been paid. We are presently 7.2% under budget for this year. Preaddressed and stamped envelopes are available in the Atrium and already several people have used them.
Doug Bergeson, G Walker, Bill Johnston and Ashley Parr-Henderson have met to discuss several issues concerning the Parents Morning Out (PMO) and Preschool programs. The focus of this meeting converged on three primary areas: organization, personnel, and finance and budget.
Under the organizational realm, it was recommended that the budget for these unfunded two programs should be moved out of the Designated Funds and accounted for under the Children's Ministry Account.
Concerning personnel, it was recommended that since the individuals involved in these programs are considered employees of the Church, the Personnel Committee should take ownership of the personnel issues and ensure that these individuals are treated as any other employee of the Church. This would include performance reviews and salary evaluations when they occur.
In the area of finance and budget, it was recommended that the Board of elders consider a tuition increase in September 2011 to ensure that the true costs of operation are covered.
All three of these recommendations were affirmed by the Board of Elders.
Bill gave us an update on the lease negotiations and after discussion it was decided to table the issue and see if re-negotiations with the landlord could release us from signing on for a longer term lease to benefit from a rent savings in the first two years. The finance committee will again take a look at this issue before signing a lease.
Bill has looked into the possibility of electronic giving capability with TransactU, a part of ServiceU with whom we already use for online registrations. There is a 3% transaction fee for all electronic giving. Jim Salisbury is looking into the possibility of an alternative that eliminates the transaction fee.
Bill discussed the question of whether to post our financial updates on the new website, but he felt that since these updates are in the bulletin every Sunday, they can be left off the website. The elders affirmed this recommendation.
The Children's Ministry discussion has been postponed to the August elder meeting.
Michelle Starbuck reported for the personnel committee that there is still no money available for raises and/or bonuses. This will be reviewed again later this year.
Two directives have been moved from the Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care and Adult Discipleship position to the Assimilation Ministry. These directives are: new member/guest oversight and community life/small groups. These will now be under the responsibility of the Interim Associate Pastor of Staff and programming.
Chris Sasser's position will become Director of Youth and Their Families, overseeing all aspects of high school and middle school ministries, staff and interns. There are 4 support positions under this ministry. The elders affirmed the recommendation that we consider Clark Rinehart for a high school internship position.
Murry presented a proposal for an adult discipleship team consisting of several church members to review and vet all classes presented at Grace. The elders felt that this may become cumbersome and have entrusted that task to Murry.
Chris Latta reported on the progress of the pastoral search committee. Three applicants have been interviewed via Skype and several more are scheduled for August. 345 people have inquired about this position so far, of which 73 are applicants. The PSC will be meeting weekly in August to do more interviews via Skype. The end date for receiving applications is being discussed.
Consideration of Robin in the application process was discussed and pending approval of the elders absent from the meeting, the board has affirmed the recommendation by the PSC to invite Robin in at some point in the process and to relate this to Robin.
Brian reported via Skype that the redesign team is now working on the design flow and price structure. Doug Funk should have something in writing by Friday, July 9. A discussion ensued about the cost of this project and how it will be paid for. Jim Salisbury expressed concern about asking the congregation for donations now when we might need to ask them again in a few years if we outgrow our facilities. Brian felt that this is the cost of doing ministry.
The Shame Off You conference is set for October 9 and the plan is to partner with other churches. The administrator will be sending documentation on price structure and details.
Robin continues to meet with Craig every other week in the summer and is hoping to have a time of reconciliation with the congregation on August 29.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 after a time of prayer.
Bill Johnston not able to attend.
Doug called us together at 7:05pm and opened our meeting with a note from Karen Reardon, thanking us for the use of Grace hall for a piano recital.
Prayer and devotional by Mary Mason.
Approval of May 4 meeting notes.
Elizabeth moved to hire the three part-time workers for the middle school positions; salaries had already been approved in the 2010 budget. Positions to begin this summer and continue until June of 2011.
Michelle and Cindy Hays have met with Sass and discussed his thoughts on high school ministry.
Mark Cates, attending in Bill Johnston's absence, reported that we are behind budget by a little bit — about 2%.
Finance is discussing rent reductions as we have been approached by landlord to rent for 2 more years with a promised rent reduction that would go until 2/2013. Our lease is due to be renegotiated in Feb, 2011. The offer was for a reduction of about 2 1/2 %, it was suggested that we ask for a greater reduction as commercial space is widely available at this time.
Mark will report back on these discussions.
They had used stock footage – we desire real pictures of our church – pictures have been taken for this usage.
The site calls all kids and youth – students. The site needs to better define the age groupings.
The logo does not have the cross in it for now; we may go through the summer without it, they are researching the desirable cross to be used.
The site launch is hopefully June 4.
All staff will manage their own space on the site and make changes as they need to.
Chris Latta reported that we are still in the early stage of the search but we have already received 270 resumes for our position of senior pastor. The original list of 160 have been narrowed down to 64 that will move onto application stage. The next meeting of the committee will be spent working to narrow down the 110 new resumes received.
We all need to pray for the large job that the pastoral search committee is doing. Many hours have been spent and many more will be necessary to complete their task. They will need prayer for endurance, discernment, for committee members to not let individual personalities get in the way, for the right person to be evident – one with a clear understanding God's grace in our lives.
Chris reported that they are also sending out "no thanks" (denial letters) to those that are not selected for application stage.
Discussion of Robin/Cathy Phillips, their future plans, and our search.
There will be a meeting with Craig this Thursday evening (6/3) for those elders that wish to meet with him and may have relevant issues with him.
Keep the program closed at 11:00 until further committee discussion.
Open back up programming at 11:00.
Leave it as is until the elder board discussion on this issue and possibly reopen programming in early 2011.
We reviewed Doug Funk's wish list for the redesign of Grace hall and the atrium. John Bradford's company will measure out the building and layout the redesign ideas. There are no monies in the budget for this dream- it will need financing. The idea is to create an environment that embraces and invites folks into the building and gives good directions for activities.
Shame Off You conference – done by Robin's pastor in a Saturday conference form 9 am to 3 pm. Grace might sponsor it with conference fees charged and special funding.
The "Defining Worship" discussion has been delayed until the fall.
Trips- locally and international this summer- all need prayer.
Youth will be holding a fundraiser on 8/15 to cover their trips.
Facilites group has met and will begin preparing a comprehensive list of building use as to who, what, when, repairs needed and how much moving of stuff is done on a regular basis.
Adult discipleship reported on the Bible/ book studies available for all this summer on Sunday mornings and Wednesday mornings and evenings.
Missions – held their first "Missions Moment" – very successful.
Are trying to find out where the $$ for missions are spent.
Working on building a team of the whole church for missions.
ABRO group will arrive June 15.
Adult mission trip will be in October. If Mexico is still unstable the monies for building the houses will be sent so that the work can continue.
We closed the meeting with community prayer for all our discussions and for Brian's summer ministry trips.
Approval of 4/6 minutes, Tom Proctor as Treasurer and Lura Pieringer as at-large finance member.
Finances and Attendance – Bill Johnston: Sunday May 2, our 10 anniversary was a great success with 855 in attendance. Giving was at $36,590. Audit will start Monday 5/10.
Middle School Proposal: Brian Worley talked about plan for fall for middle school. Kim Polston, Jenna Carter and Matt Berry would lead on a weekly basis. Asking for a 10-month commitment. Would start June 1 (Matt) and August 1 (Jenna and Kim). Personnel Committee is having staffing discussions around Assimilation and High School Ministries.
Brian shared with elders about the new website which looked great and will launch by June 4.
Talked about different options that the website would have.
Can the logo be changed at a later date with out incurring a cost?
Met with Doug Funk about updates to the atrium and repainting the purple wall a new color.
July 6 deadline to make list and team to make this happen by 8/15.
Prayer for the search process and who we might hire?
Decided for the 11:00 service children ministry would end mid-May until mid-September.
Mission: Has been approved to have someone from missions more prominent during worship once a month. Lynn (Doug Bergeson's sister) will be here in May.
Jim Salisbury: How can we help the unemployed at Grace? Jim plans a meeting on June 6 on how to proceed with this task. Suggestion from Mark Cates to send them to St. Andrews because of their existing program for the unemployed.
Thanks to all of the people who helped to make it a great day.


There's a huge and growing problem with obesity in the United States these days. It's been estimated by doctors and dieticians that one out of every three adults are clinically obese. While this may be off the mark due to factors such as issues with the BMI and a recent change in how obesity is figured, it's still true that more adults could stand to get a bit more exercise.
To that end, there are a number of home exercise devices that have hit the market. You'll find equipment such as ellipticals and treadmills being sold at sporting good and department stores. Some of them are cheap, some of them are expensive, and not all of them are actually worth buying. Into this market comes the Merit Fitness brand 715t model treadmill. Is it any good? Or is it one of those treadmills that you're better off ignoring?
First, the specs. The 715t treadmill made by Merit Fitness comes with a 2.5 THP motor, which is a fairly high powered motor for the price. What this means in practical terms is that it can go quite fast, and what's more it can go fast even when there's a lot of weight on it. This makes it especially good for those who have actually hit the morbidly obese category. In specific speeds, it can go from one MPH all the way up to 10 MPH. Chances are, if you're purchasing a treadmill you're not going to run faster than 10 miles per hour. People who hit that speed are generally training for athletic competitions.
On the programming front, it doesn't quite measure up. It only has four programs, weight loss, intervals, rolling hills, and manual. While that will generally cover at home workouts, it would be nicer if the treadmill had a few extra settings. Even one more, a cardio setting, would make it a little more versatile. Still, the main use of treadmills is for weight loss, and losing weight will generally help your cardio as well. So while it doesn't have quite as many programs as one might want, it still has as many programs as a person might need.
Set up is quite simple. It boasts a folding metal frame, which means that after it's set up, you can fold it down and store it away. This helps keep it from becoming a space hog, forcing you to set aside a specific area for a home gym. Thanks to the folding ability, you can haul it into your den or living room and easily watch television while you're exercising. This makes it leaps and bounds above many other treadmills, which do not fold and thus are difficult to store.
The incline also leaves a little bit to be desired. It has a three position incline, going from 0 to 5%. Similar to the programs, this is enough for you to get a decent weight loss workout, but not enough to really push yourself. However, if all you want the treadmill for is to lose weight, then it gives you plenty by way of incline. It's a matter of what you're looking for.
In summary, the 715t treadmill by Merit Fitness is a good, solid treadmill for those looking to lose weight at home. If you're looking for something to help you train for athletic competitions, then it's probably not the treadmill for you. However, its easy storage, high horse power motor, and relatively inexpensive price makes it absolutely fantastic for anyone who wants to lose some weight and doesn't have easy access to a gym membership. So if that's what you're looking for, this treadmill can meet your needs.


As many as 85 percent of survey respondents believe the culture of IT can differ from the overall culture of a firm, according to a recent report by Forrester Research entitled "Does your IT culture need an overhaul?"
In fact, IT department culture is probably not a match with overall corporate culture in about half of all businesses, Forrester analyst Marc Cecere estimated. The research firm interviewed 15 CIOs in depth and surveyed 41 IT decision makers for the study, which defines corporate culture as the way individuals feel themselves to be part of a company's identity.
"Sometimes your IT is organized around efficiency and your business is organized more around responsiveness," Cecere said in an interview.
A distinct IT culture may evolve in a firm due to the different ways each department measures success. And, in a large company where leadership varies among departments, cultural gaps are almost inevitable, Cecere noted.
-- Too IT-centric, insular or fearful - When IT doesn't have a healthy relationship with the rest of the enterprise, it's in danger of forming what Forrester calls "an us-versus-them culture where IT hunkers down behind the technologies they manage, problems they solve, and metrics like help desk tickets served, system capacity, uptime, and volumes."
-- Too heroic, free range or autonomous - The dangers inherent in this style are a tendency to firefighting and working extreme hours to solve problems for customers. This can also spawn a tendency to developing workarounds, rather than understanding and fixing the underlying issues.
-- Too bureaucratic - IT departments can isolate themselves from the business if they set up too many formal processes that customers must follow. In the interests of comprehensiveness or security they may ask customers to submit overly complex requirements definitions and the like, but this can create unnecessary barriers between business needs and IT solutions, according to Forrester.
Cecere believes a company operates most effectively when the cultures between IT and other departments are in sync.
"At a minimum, the cultures shouldn't be in conflict with each other," he said.
So, how does a CIO go about overhauling IT culture?
The first step, Cecere said, is to clearly identify the cultural gaps, examining differences in decision-making styles and levels of risk between IT and other departments.
Once identified, strong leadership and clearly defined metrics of success will aid in closing those gaps, as will a strong network of people within IT who share information with the CIO on a regular basis.
"It's what I call institutionalizing communication," he said. "It's more than just communicate, communicate, communicate, which you hear all the time. It's actually being very disciplined and very organized about it."
Performing such an overhaul, though, requires patience, as Cecere admitted a cultural shift is "a long process."
"You can change systems quickly compared to how fast you change culture," he said, "because culture is a lot about how people act when you're not looking at them."