Podcasts about community right

Looking for a change of lifestyle? Are you considering a retirement community. This podcast will address your questions and concerns about retirement communities and if they are right for you.   Sponsored by Good Patriot Realty - A Salute to Home Ownership   Stephen Theard Good Patriot Realty Broker/Owner CA DRE 01700019 GoodPatriotRealty.com #RealEstate #HomeOwnership #usa #goodpatriotrealty #homesales #homebuyer #realestatemarket #homeseller #realestate #california #sellertips #buyertips #retirement #retirementliving

A look at Haiti, from those settling here in Massachusetts, to unrest in the country itself. We check-in with three local non-profits on what aid looks like right now, and what could be done to support the community in the future.

In this episode, Andy and Larry discuss the case of Does v. Raúl Labrador, attorney general of Idaho, which involves a challenge to Idaho’s Sexual Offender Registration Notification and Community Right-to-Know Act (Idaho SORA). The plaintiffs in the case are six individuals who were charged or convicted before 2006 and are required to register for […]

Amanda and Shannan have a gorgeous conversation about building community where you are. They talk about Shannan's book "Start With Hello" which is all about community with neighbors. Shannan has so much knowledge and love to share within her stories that she shares in the interview. You'll find so many takeaways from this talk on how to build your own community right where you are, imperfect and all. You can find Shannan on instagram @shannanwrites or on her website www.shannanmartin.com Thank you so much for listening to this episode. Please rate and review the podcast to help it reach more mamas that could use this information.

Welcome to another episode of the Build In Public Podcast.Today's episode features Gina Bianchini, who has always been on the forefront of the online community business and has led over 3 million people from her journey at the pioneering platform, Ning.Now as a founder of the successful “network effect” platform, Mighty Network and author of highly actionable book “Purpose: Design a Community and Change Your Life”, Gina delves into her take and insights on topics such as:●     Community vs. Audience vs. Network●     The importance of being in a community and belonging to its culture●     How building in a community helps founders●     Most valuable aspects of being in a social network●     Gina's recent book, and how it would help readers create impact●     How founders should transform mindset from being a hero to host●     How community building is easier than building a social media audience●     The 5 elements of community designBuild In Public Podcast is an interview show where KP chats with ambitious startup founders, CEOs, and top Internet creators to unpack their stories, insights, and lessons.Share your thoughts in the comment section.Thanks for watching this video!Links:Gina's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ginabMighty Networks website: https://www.mightynetworks.com/KP's Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisiskp_KP's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarthikPuvvadaKP

My guest this week is Stephanie Flies, who is passionate about building local communities. She is the Founder & Director of City Mom Collective, growing the network after founding its original site, Scottsdale Moms Blog, in 2009. Now living in the greater Minneapolis area, she oversees the national network by spearheading growth strategies, sales initiatives, and shepherding and encouraging an ever-increasing number of moms managing individual local parenting websites. She is married to Alan and is the mom to three girls, Nora, Elsie, and Audrey. 4:02 – Stephanie 101 Stephanie has a passion for gathering people. Even in middle school, she wanted to help people get together. Her girls are 13, 11 and 9. 11:42 – A social introvert A few years ago, Stephanie was feeling down and not herself. She realized she wasn't seeing her close circle of friends very often and wasn't serving others with her gifts. Service of community, while we're serving other people, it refills us back. Stephanie calls herself a social introvert. 19:35 – Connecting during the pandemic When the pandemic began, they were still connecting people online. Local events changed a lot, and they followed local rules for gathering. 23:35 – Deep roots of happiness People often think they will be happier when they get (fill in the blank). But you need deep roots and family. Social media fuels wanderlust. Stephanie's business uses social media for good. The only people you don't have a lot of choice about is your neighbors and your birth family. Those are usually the most intentional people God put into your life to love. 33:09 – Get to know your neighbors Take the first step and put yourself out there. People will feel loved if you take the one step to make them feel welcome. Find out what energizes you and use that to serve and connect with your neighbors. 43:29 – Get to know you Something memorable that happened in past year? Her daughter turned 13, and they let her pick and plan a trip. Something we'd never guess about her? That she's introverted. FEATURED QUOTES I read somewhere that the only people you don't have a lot of choice about is your neighbors and your birth family. Those are usually the most intentional people God put into your life to love. I've always had a passion for gathering people. Service of community, while we're serving other people, it refills us back. Everyone needs community to some extent. CONNECT: https://www.momcollective.com/ Thank you to our partners of the show! Are you looking to clean up your household cleaning products this year? MamaSuds would like to help! The best way is to simply start with one product. Every time you run out of a specific cleaning product, replace it with a non-toxic one. Another tip, purchase a product that has multiple uses. The MamaSuds Collection has many multiple use products (castile soap or the toilet bombs are just a few!). Their blog has lots of great tips and a castile soap recipe that you can print and make a lot of your own effective cleaners! Give them a try at www.mamasuds.com and don't forget to use the coupon code MOLLY for 15% off your order! I'd like to thank our other partner of the show and that's Tradlands. Tradlands is an INCREDIBLE sustainable fashion brand that believes in clothing that you can live in NOW and love forever. Clothing that not only makes you feel like your best self, but also fits in a way that flatters. Their gorgeous dresses, pants, tops, and more are designed to move with you throughout your busy days. Their Nico dress is my dress in a love language —not only does it have sleeves, but also POCKETS and you know how I feel about dresses with pockets. I love how comfortable and stylish each piece - and they come in colors like classic neutrals or vibrant hues. One of the things I love most about Tradlands is their focus on sustainability and creating small batch clothing that lasts… they never over produce what they make and focus on only the highest quality materials. And you know how much I love supporting small businesses, too. Check them out at https://tradlands.com/businesswithpurpose and use the code MOLLY20 for 20% off!

How can you build a community? Where (if at all) does it fit into the funnel? How can you track engagement? We put all these questions and more to Zapnito's CEO and co-founder Charles Thiede to unpack what makes a successful, ever-evolving community. Charles and David discuss setting aside the sales pitch to create value, making full use of private spaces for deeper conversations, what it takes to be a stand-out community manager and if the Metaverse is worth the hype. If you'd like to find out more about Propolis, click here: https://www.b2bmarketing.net/en-gb/propolis-homepage?&utm_source=editorial&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=propolis&utm_term=episode_69:_strength_in_numbers_-_is_a_community_right_for_me?

Episode 003 - In this episode we talk about the new content featured in the Sumeru preview video that released the other day, the state of Kuki Shinobu from our perspective, and our take on how much you should let the Genshin Impact community tell you how to play your game! Join to hear our thoughts, and comment so we can respond to you! (Basically the end!) Our show is very new, and we will be testing different segments and changing things as we go, so please let us know any feedback you may have or any things you want to see in the comments/review sections! Also Follow us on @GenshinGuysPod for more info! We hope you enjoy!

Raise your hand if you've ever felt as though God was tugging your heart in a different direction than the one you wanted to go in. Maybe in your business, or maybe even a physical direction that wasn't a part of the plan you had for your life. Today I'm chatting with my friend Allee Cyrus.Allee was raised in small-town Kentucky and got her start in marketing within opportunities with sports marketing and Coca-Cola. After feeling called higher, she fundraised her way to a residential entrepreneurial program in Silicon Valley when she was 23.Since then, she has paid rent in San Francisco, Scottsdale, and Los Angeles all to settle back into her Southern roots in North Carolina in 2021. She has started multiple companies, worked in ministry at Propel Women + Christine Caine Ministries, is a nationally recognized digital strategist with her agency Malibu Media and is the founder of Right Up Your Allee events and media, a company for women ready to bloom in business.She now spends her days business building, coaching, and focusing on cultivating transformation in the lives of women ready for more in life, faith and business. She is passionate about teaching women how to make incredible profit from life-changing businesses that bring Heaven closer as they flourish. If you are ready for a no crap woman to call you higher, teach from experience, laugh with you, and believe in you bigger - Allee is your person.This episode is a flippin' bomb of the encouragement and permission you need to start living like the women you want to be – the women you already are. I can't wait for you guys to meet her! Let's get into it.Follow Along with Allee: https://rightupyourallee.com/https://rightupyourallee.com/podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/rightupyourallee/ Show Notes: Click here.Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/575983123455968/Follow Along: https://www.instagram.com/thebalancepod/https://www.instagram.com/adisonchilders/https://www.instagram.com/aminastudio.co/

Paul Bredwell, executive vice president of regulatory programs for USPOULTRY focuses on the needs of poultry industry members and providing guidance on what could be the next regulations from state or federal officials. The association is currently looking at the remand of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and how it affects a variety of poultry operations around the country. The EPCRA requires reporting of releases of hazardous substances that meet or exceed reportable quantities within a 24-hour period. The purpose of the notification is for federal, state, tribal, and local officials to evaluate the need for an emergency response to mitigate the effects of a release to the community. For this podcast, Paul examines the EPCRA and how it falls into similar categories of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Bredwell describes how companies, state agencies and federal regulators work when it comes to these emergency planning issues. USPOULTRY is also monitoring the issue of responding to emergencies and non-emergencies at poultry operations. Lastly, Bredwell discusses his work with USPOULTRY over the last 15 years and how he researches various rules and regulations. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/meatpoultry-podcast/message

Vincent Harinam is a data scientist, law enforcement consultant, and frequent writer on the modern dating market for publications like Quillette. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, where he currently teaches. In this episode, we chat about unsettling dating statistics, the manosphere, what (wo)men find desirable, and the bridge between data science and law enforcement. www.petersonacademy.com _____________ Articles by Vincent: https://quillette.com/author/vincent-harinam Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vincentharinam _____________ Follow Me On _____________ All Platforms: https://linktr.ee/mikhailapeterson Facebook: https://facebook.com/mikhailapete​rson Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikhailaAleksis​​ Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikhailapeterson Telegram: https://t.me/mikhailapeterson​​ _____________ Chapters _____________ [0:00] Intro [3:35] Harinam's Career & Personality [5:59] Data Science & Law Enforcement [11:08] Husband-Outearning Women [14:02] 'Dark Gentlemen' [16:38] Agreeableness, Wage-Gaps, & Personality Tests [19:38] IQ & Marriage [23:08] Desires vs. Availability [24:34] Relationship Backlash [26:39] Changes in Mate Selection [28:16] The Red Pill, Manosphere, & Rollo Tomassi [32:54] Fixing the Sexual Marketplace? [37:33] Simps, etc. [41:07] Game Theory [42:57] Understanding Statistics [43:14] Replication Crisis [43:50] Geeks vs. Nerds [46:17] Vincent the Crime Solver [46:59] Inside Healthy Relationships [59:35] Top 2 Things Humans Have [1:00:53] The Future of Western Dating? [1:03:03] How Societies Decline [1:06:32] Outro #Dating #IQ #Data #DarkTriad #RedPill #Statistics

The ThinkPod is here to help you lead your family in defending the Christian message, by answering current cultural challenges with timeless, biblical truth. In this BONUS episode of the ThinkPod, Pastor Matt Trewhella lists six ways you can make a difference in your community right now. The world is a big place. God has only given you influence in a small corner of it. Don't waste that. Make the most of it. Here's how. DO NOT MISS THIS VITAL EPISODE. The landscape of apologetics is changing. It's no longer enough to handle intellectual questions and objections. We need to be equipped both to respond and to live in light of extreme ideological and systemic opposition to the Christian message. This episode will help you do this. This is the conclusion of the two-part series. For more on County Before Country, go here: https://countybeforecountry.org Matt Trewhella's Links: https://Defytyrants.com matt@lessermagistrate.com https://mercyseat.net Listen to the ThinkPod: https://anchor.fm/the-think-podcast Watch on YouTube: http://youtube.com/thethinkinstitute If this blessed you, consider supporting us: https://thethink.institute/partner Facebook: http://facebook.com/thethinkinstitute Twitter: http://twitter.com/thinkinst Mewe: http://mewe.com/i/thinkinstitute Gab: http://gab.com/thinkinstitute Minds: https://www.minds.com/thinkinstitute/ Catechize your kids: http://thethink.institute/catakids. Book Joel Settecase to speak: https://thethink.institute/booking Sign up for the email newsletter: http://thethink.institute/think-updates Join a course: http://thethink.institute/hammerandanvil Music Credits: Synthwave Intro 03 by TaigaSoundProd Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7299-synthwave-intro-03 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Driving to the Night by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8085-driving-to-the-night License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-think-podcast/message

Scotland's land is one of our greatest assets in so many ways, but decades and even centuries of mismanagement have held Scotland back. Rob Gibson was an MSP in the Highlands for 13 years and served as convener of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment committee. A well-respected author, Rob has written many books about Scotland's land and the reform it so desperately needs. 83% of Scotland's population currently live in 2% of the land mass. This has led to a huge imbalance and vast areas of Scotland are occupiable yet unoccupied. Conversely, densely populated areas struggle with overpopulation. So, what can be done to help fix this? The Scottish Government's Land Reform (Scotland) Act has strengthened rights across the board. As a result, communities now have new routes to purchase land for sustainable development via ‘Community Right to Buy'. Evidence shows that when communities are given more power over the decisions being made locally to them they flourish, and residents become more engaged and involved. This is why independence matters. Scotland needs the full powers to control the land here in Scotland. This is just a brief summation of Rob's points he puts across in this podcast. Listen to the full episode now. For more of Rob's work, click here. Listen to other Scotland's Choice episodes here.

Police are searching for multiple suspects after 37-year old taxi driver Rossana Delgado was killed last month. WXIA 11 Alive reporter Paolo Suro tells us what we know about Delgado's murder and the investigation. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Police are searching for multiple suspects after 37-year old taxi driver Rossana Delgado was killed last month. WXIA 11 Alive reporter Paolo Suro tells us what we know about Delgado's murder and the investigation.

Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of Saint Sabina Church joins The Roe Conn Show to explain why he’s offering a $15,000 reward leading to the arrest of those responsible for the shooting outside of the Rhodes Funeral Home that resulted in 15 people shot. Follow your favorite Roe Conn Show characters on Twitter: Follow @RoeConn Follow […]

"In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist" ~ Angela Davis About Episode 29: In this episode, host, Akeshi Akinseye shares her take on what's going on in the world right now and 10 things you can do to support the black community right now. So if you like many others are wondering the right thing to do right now, I rounded up 10 things you can do: I hope this episode inspires you. PS! If you loved today's episode, share with your friends and tag me on Instagram, facebook or twitter @keshevents. I would love to connect! If you would like to featured as a guest on the "Let's Talk About It Podcast" or have feedback or have questions, send an email to info@keshevents.com Are you part of our community Creatives Corner? Creatives Corner is my monthly online business coaching membership experience created for event planners and floral/event designers. To learn more, visit https://www.thekeshexperience.com/creativescorner

A recent U of T graduate posted a heartwarming video of her family reacting to her name popping up on the screen during her virtual convocation. New cases of COVID-19 in the province dropped by more than 100 in one day. Plus, Toronto writer Imani Walker speaks with local artist and activist Keosha Love about how the Black community is feeling right now, how they can protect their mental health, while still fighting for their lives, and finally, what can non-Black people do to be better allies?

Is an Active Adult Community Right for You? Host Debbie Miller discusses what you need to know if you are considering this lifestyle. What questions should you ask? What are the pros and cons of living this lifestyle?

Is an Active Adult Community Right for You? Host Debbie Miller discusses what you need to know if you are considering this lifestyle. What questions should you ask? What are the pros and cons of living this lifestyle?

Hayley, Kyle, and Vince discuss “shoulds” and false “right” pictures of community, American metaphors vs New Testament metaphors for community, practical ways to do community right now in the midst of shelter-in-place, and obscure references from the show Friends.

Hayley, Kyle, and Vince discuss “shoulds” and false “right” pictures of community, American metaphors vs New Testament metaphors for community, practical ways to do community right now in the midst of shelter-in-place, and obscure references from the show Friends.

Brands such as Glossier, Peloton, and Sephora have shown that community can be a potent marketing tool. But building and maintaining customer communities isn’t as easy as it looks. On this week’s What It Means, Principal Analyst Emily Collins talks about what it takes to make community-building successful.

Brands such as Glossier, Peloton, and Sephora have shown that community can be a potent marketing tool. But building and maintaining customer communities isn’t as easy as it looks. On this week’s What It Means, Principal Analyst Emily Collins talks about what it takes to make community-building successful.

In our sixth episode, our Senior Policy Lead Jenny Bloomfield chats to Peter Peacock - former Policy Director of Community Land Scotland - about the Community Right to Buy campaign which featured in 'Charities, Scotland and Holyrood: Twenty Years Delivering Change' - SCVO's limited edition book which celebrates two decades of the voluntary sector working with the Scottish Parliament.

Chemical storage facilities exist all over the country and one of them recently caught fire, poisoning the residents Houston, Texas for three days. In this episode, learn about a Department of Homeland Security program - the CFATS program- designed to protect us from terrorist attacks on dangerous chemical storage facilities like the one in Texas and also discover what needs to be done to ensure that CFATS actually protects us from the threats these chemical facilities pose. There is still work to be done. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! House Homeland Security Committee Committee Members How to Contact: For Senators: firstname_lastname@lastnameofsenator.senate.gov (underscore between first and last) For Representatives: firstname.lastname@mail.house.gov Hearings Securing Our Nation's Chemical Facilities: Stakeholders Perspectives on Improving the CFATS Program, House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation, March 12, 2019. YouTube 370 views Witnesses: John Morawetz: Health and Safety Representative ICWUC Health and Safety Representatives International Chemical Workers Union Council Dr. Mike Wilson, Ph.D, MPH: National Director, Occupational and Environmental Health Program, BlueGreen Alliance Pamela Nixon: President, People Concerned About Chemical Safety Kirsten Meskill: Director, Corporate Security, BASF Sound Clips: 13:00 Chairman Cedric Richmond (LA): Since CFATS was established, the number of ‘high risk’ chemical facilities has dropped by half. 13:10 Chairman Cedric Richmond (LA) I believe - and DHS agreed - that there is an opportunity to take the data on how facilities are reducing risk and use it to develop voluntary best practices that other facilities could use to reduce risk. 13:20 Chairman Cedric Richmond (LA) Also, it is not clear to me that CFATS facilities are including employees in the development of site security plans, vulnerability assessments, or inspections – as they are required to by law. 13:30 Chairman Cedric Richmond (LA) Finally, if CFATS is going to be successful, we need to be sure that the program is taking all relevant factors into account to assess risk. Otherwise, we can’t trust that CFATS is truly capturing the nation’s highest risk facilities. For example, right now, DHS does not consider whether the facility is located near a hospital, a school, a residential area, a military base, a power plant, or close to other chemical facilities. Any of these factors could make a facility a more attractive target, or make an event even worse for the surrounding community. 21:00 Dr. Mike Wilson: In the area of emergency response, CFATS gives authority to the secretary to provide information to local governments and I quote "to help ensure that first-responders are properly prepared and provided with the situational awareness needed to respond to security incidents at covered chemical facilities," endquote. This is useful but it's not sufficient if the objective is to give firefighters the ability to respond effectively to an industrial chemical incident. As we know from the experience of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, or EPCRA, firefighters need much more than chemical information. They need to talk to the people who run the facilities in their jurisdiction. They need to get inside those facilities regularly to see how chemicals are stored and processed in order to imagine what could go wrong. They need to train side by side with facility operators. This is pre-fire planning and it's crucial to a safe and effective response and it requires an ongoing commitment by industry. That commitment however needs to be explicitly required under CFATS, more so than what is currently recommended within the non mandatory risk based performance standards because the fact is that except in an emergency, many facilities are reluctant to invite firefighters and other responders in to look around their property, let alone to pull out their equipment and conduct training. I speak to this based on my own 13 years of work as a professional firefighter, EMT, and paramedic. During which time I responded to about 10,000 emergency calls including to industrial chemical releases and fires. I can tell you that to do their job, firefighters need both information and access, and they're like, they're more likely to get these if facilities are required to provide them on a routine basis under CFATS. 22:30 Dr. Mike Wilson Our second recommendation pertains to the role of frontline workers in site security. The existing CFATS language on employee input is helpful but too generic to be effective. Depending on the inclinations of the facility, the term employee input can mean everything from a manager checking the box to get workers sign off on a fully executed site security plan, or it could mean a real seat for workers at management's decision making table. In any case, the right of workers to participate meaningfully in site security decision making needs to be explicit in CFATS because just as they are reluctant to give routine access to firefighters, many facilities are reluctant to seriously involve frontline workers in decision making and yet industry itself recognizes that workers have a great deal of knowledge and experience to contribute. We suggest that you consider language from the 2017 process safety management regulations in California, which require oil refineries to involve workers throughout all phases of process safety decision making. If adopted by CFATS this type of language will help ensure that the insights of frontline workers are genuinely integrated into site security. 23:15 Dr. Mike Wilson Finally, our third recommendation pertains to risk reduction. CFATS is based on a risk management framework, which assumes that dangerous chemicals used at a facility cannot be reduced or eliminated, so they have to be surrounded by layers of protection. Industry is far more innovative and clever than this, of course, and DHS has reported that under CFATS, thousands of facilities have voluntarily taken action to reduce their use of dangerous chemicals by consolidating them from multiple sites into one or two sites, replacing a hazardous chemical with a less hazardous one, reducing the total quantity held on site, or switching to a less concentrated form. These approaches can make a facility much safer, and they have the effect of reducing the desirability of the facility as a target of opportunity. CFATS could do more to encourage or require facilities to implement these types of approaches, and we encourage you to make these changes during reauthorization. 36:45 Kirsten Meskill Over the past four years, the Department of Homeland Security has significantly improved it's administration of the CFATS program and has had a positive impact on enhancing security at chemical facilities. 37:30 Kirsten Meskill While industry was pleased that Congress passed the short term extension in January to avoid a complete shutdown of CFATS, I think we all agreed that it is not the best solution going forward. Longer authorization periods provide important stability for planning security investments and allow DHS to operate the program efficiently and effectively. 38:30 Kirsten Meskill Recently, DHS has been implementing a risk based performance standard at 200 high risk facilities, those that are at tiers one and two. This requires facility operation operators to collect sensitive personal information from thousands of employees and contractors for DHS to vet against the terrorist screening database. DHS is now planning to extend the program to an additional 3000 low risk tier three and four facilities. This will expand vetting to tens of thousands of more employees and contractors. ACC and its members are concerned that was such an expansion is unnecessary and will put personal information at risk. Furthermore, it is unclear what benefit is associated with the additional vetting given the cost. 58:30 Kirsten Meskill At BASF, and I think at many of the companies of our size, many of our facilities, we have worked to reduce our risk. And so we are now down to either three or four tier levels. And so, as I mentioned earlier, this is an enormous number of folks that we have to do the additional screening on, but perhaps the more complicated would be the contractors and visitors that we have on site. And that's where it gets a little bit, a lot more complicated to ensure that all those individuals that are coming onto our site day in, day out, have gone through the screening process. And it's costly. It's very expensive, needless to say for us, as well as for the contractors that support us. 1:07:30 Kirsten Meskill: Our concerns are exposing personal data of thousands more thousands and thousands and thousands of employees and contractors for this terrorist database screening. And whether the value actually is there for the cost and for the, the potential risk of exposing this personal data to cybersecurity risks. Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY): But don't you think that's one of the core ways to ensure security at these facilities? Meskill: Well, we are conducting our own background screening anyway, which includes, you know, criminal background checks also. So it seems duplicative. Yes. Rep. Rice: So have you communicated that? Meskill: Yes. Rep. Rice: And are there any questions that they include in their review or their background check that you do not? Meskill: I cannot answer that question. I don't know the answer to that. Rep. Rice: Okay. Thank you. Mr Chairman. Security Our Nation's Chemical Facilities: Building on the Progress of the CFATS Program, House Committee on Homeland Security, February 27, 2019. YouTube 649 Views Witnesses: David Wulf: Director, Infrastructure Security Compliance Division, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security Nathan Anderson: Acting Director, Homeland Security & Justice, US Government Accountability Office Sound Clips: 2:30 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): Through CFATS, DHS works with chemical facility owners and operators to make sure they have safeguards in place to prevent a bad actor from gaining access to dangerous chemicals stored onsite. In the past, this program has enjoyed broad, bipartisan support on and off the Hill. Officials in the Bush Administration, including former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, were among the first to call for a federal rule to secure chemical facilities. And, officials from the Trump Administration are among the most recent. Last November, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen wrote to Congress urging us to reauthorize CFATS: “[W]e continue to face one of the most serious terrorist threat environments since 9/11. Foreign terrorist organizations are urging recruits to use simple weapons, including toxic chemicals, to target public spaces and events.”Clearly, this threat has not abated. Yet, the Department’s authority to carry out CFATS came very close to lapsing last month that caused this Committee to pass a short-term bill extending the program until 2020. For eight years, CFATS was tied to annual appropriations cycles. Lacking the certainty of a multi-year authorization, DHS struggled to keep staff, develop long-term policies, and work with a regulated community that did not know if the rules would apply the following year. In 2014, Congress worked on a bicameral, bipartisan basis to finally put an end to this pattern by passing a multi-year authorization. I had hoped to work collaboratively in the last Congress, as we did in 2014, to give CFATS a long-term reauthorization. Unfortunately, that did not come to pass, and we once again found ourselves with no alternative but to pass another short-term extension. As Chairman, I do not intend to let that happen again. 5:30 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): Six years ago, there was a fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas that caused catastrophic damage and took the lives of first responders who had been called to the scene. On the screen above you is a picture of that scene where volunteer firemen went to that location not knowing what they were going to and they lost their lives. So we need to close that loophole because as a volunteer fireman myself, those public spirited first responders did not know what they were going to until it was too late. So if CFATS had been in place those individuals probably, given the information available, would not have approached it in the same light. 6:45 Rep. Mike Rogers (AL): Now, before I begin, I would like to express my extreme disappointment that the majority staff denied the minority's requests for a witness at today's hearing. Under rule 11 of the rules of the house, the minority is afforded at least one witness at each committee hearing. If denied a witness, the minority is entitled to a separate hearing to take testimony from its witnesses. So pursuant to rules of the house, I'm providing the chairman with a letter signed by the Republican members of the community, formerly invoking our right to a separate hearing of the full committee to hear from minority witnesses. 8:40 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): Consistent with the rules that we adopted for this committee, similar to the rules we've had before, we offered a government witness to this government panel and from my understanding, that was not accepted. But you could have had a government witness and we will respond in writing, but the rules we apply are the same rules that this committee has always operated under. 18:30 Nathan Anderson: I will speak first to the department's efforts to identify high risk chemical facilities. Just identifying the universe of facilities that should even be regulated under CFATS has been and may always be a huge challenge. There's no one complete data source of facilities that have chemicals. In 2014 we found that DHS used self reported and unverified data to determine the risk of facilities holding toxic chemicals that could threaten surrounding communities if released. We recommended that DHS should better verify the accuracy of facility reported data. Dhs implemented this recommendation by revising its methodology so it now calculates the risk of toxic release rather than relying on facilities to do so. 20:15 Nathan Anderson: A key quality assurance function involves actions to ensure compliance. And in 2015 we reported that DHS had conducted compliance inspections at 83 of the roughly 1700 facilities with approved security plans. At that time, we found that nearly half of the respective facilities were not fully compliant with their approved security plans and the DHS did not have documented procedures for managing facilities compliance. We recommended that DHS document procedures for managing compliance. As a result, DHS revise CFATS procedures, which we are currently reviewing to determine if they sufficiently document the processes being used to track on compliant facilities and ensure facilities implement plan measures as outlined in their security plans. On a positive note, DHS recently told us that they have conducted more than 2000 compliance inspections. 23:00 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): You saw the picture on the screen earlier about the 12 first responders in West, Texas who unfortunately lost their lives because they were basically responding to an incident that we could possibly cover under CFATS. Now the law requires DHS to share such information as is necessary so Mr. Anderson, you indicated in your testimony that GAO surveyed first responders and emergency planners last year about whether such critical information is getting shared. Tell us what you found in that survey. Nathan Anderson: Of course. As part of our work, we looked at 13, or interviewed 13 or 15 local emergency planning committees. These committees cover about 373 high risk facilities. And 13 of those 15 local emergency planning committees did not have access to the information in CFATS that could potentially be useful to first responders and emergency planners. 27:30 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): So the majority of the information that was available just was not being shared. Nathan Anderson: I think it's a situation of access. DHS has stood up something called the IP Gateway, which is a forum and a vehicle for communicating that kind of information to first responders. I think this is a situation where the first responders either did not have access or were not familiar with how to use the IP Gateway system. Rep. Thompson: So Mr. Wulf, can you provide the committee with, what do you see as the way forward in this respect? David Wulf: Absolutely, Mr Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity. So obviously, sharing of information with first responders is of the utmost importance and it's something that we highly prioritize as a result. Those who may be called upon to respond to incidents at facilities, high risk facilities or other facilities holding chemicals, need information about those facilities. They need information about the chemical holdings so they know what they are walking into when they attempt to save lives and property. So we have redoubled our efforts over the past couple of years to reach to local emergency planning committees. In fact, in 2018 we visited more than 800 of those local emergency planning committees and we are right now in the midst of a push to reach committees, emergency planning committees, associated with the highest populations CFATS covered facilities in the various counties, the top 25% of those counties across the country. I think another important thing to remember is that CFATS and our chemical security inspectors across the country promote sharing of information with first responders and do that in a way that connects them directly with the facilities. So one of the CFATS risk based performance standards, RPBS nine, was focused on response and it requires that every high risk facility reach out to make contact with their local first responders. And in many cases, our inspectors - our CFATS team - facilitates that contact and that communication. So I think that is another important way in which we are continuing to get the word out and we're pushing, as well, information about that IP Gateway and signing more and more folks up every day to give them access to the portal. Rep. Thompson: Before I lose my time, you know, there was this requirement that at least 25% that you referenced in your comments would be done by the end of March. Where are you percentage wise with hitting that target? Wulf: We're on track to have that done by the end of March. Rep. Thompson: And after that, what's the next target? Wulf: We will continue, you know, circling back and we have, we have met with literally thousands of local emergency planning committees and we're committed to continuing to, to ride that circuit and to ensure that relevant folks, those who have a need to know information about chemical facilities and chemical holdings because they may be called to run into those facilities, have the information. Rep. Thompson: Well, the reason I say that, as I look at the membership of the committee present, a lot of us represent volunteer fire departments in our respective districts. So I think it's really incumbent upon us to push this information out to those departments so that those first responders - who are unpaid doing their civic duty - would not be put at risk simply because the information that's available is not being shared. Can you give the committee some kind of a guesstimate as to when the process can be completed? Wulf: Well, I would say that it's going to be an ongoing, kind of continuing effort. I don't think we will ever stop the outreach, but we will get through those 25%, sort of highest density counties in the next month. I would, I would suspect that, you know, toward the end of this calendar year, we will have gotten to most of the other LEPCs across the country as well. 45:00 Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (NM): In the questions that Chairman Thompson asked, we, I'm glad to hear the DHS is on track for the March 2019 a deadline for doing the outreach to the, uh, high risk chemical facilities. Does that information sharing, uh, include the specific chemical holdings stored, uh, on the sites that the first responders will be responding to? David Wulf: Yes, it does. So first responders who have a facility in their sort of area of jurisdiction can have access and we want them to have access to that information. 47:30 Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (NM): We also discussed a little bit the outreach that's done to employees of facility plans, so the training and exercise and drills that are done, but also limiting access on a need to know basis. I'd like to know a little bit about the input requirement, that there's a requirement to get input from at least one employee, where applicable, or a labor union representative in forming the facility plan. Do inspectors confirm that that input requirement has been complied with? David Wulf: Inspectors will raise that issue during an inspection and will hear from facilities to what extent they have involved employees and or as, as kind of relevant, resident bargaining unit members in the process. So, yup, those discussions happen during inspections. Rep. Torres Small: Are inspectors required to speak with those employees or union representatives? Wulf: It is not a requirement. Rep. Torres Small: And if it is determined, even if they're not speaking with the employees or labor unions that there was not an employee or labor union representative consulted, does that result in disapproving of the security plan? Wulf: It does not. It does not. We sort of leave to the discretion of those who are responsible for the security of the facility, the extent to which it actually is practical to involve, you know, however many employees in the process. Rep. Torres Small: Even though the CFATS Act requires that input? Wulf Well, the CFATS Act talks about involvement to the extent practical. Rep. Torres Small: Thank you. 55:00 Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI): I'm from Michigan and we have a large number of these facilities including two in my district and then just outside my district, in Detroit, we had a big chemical fire in years past. So this one's really of interest to my community. I'm guessing my first question, Mr. Wulf is just on accountability. So how would a member of Congress know after March whether the facilities in his or her district have communicated effectively with local law enforcement that there's a shared understanding of kind of the risks? Like how would I know that after March? David Wulf: Are you talking about the communication with the first responders? Rep. Slotkin: Yeah. Because we had this Detroit fire years ago, years ago, but my understanding is we did not have full awareness by the first responders and we didn't lose anyone, but it certainly was a potential risk. So how would I feel comfort that my local responders have been informed with what they need? Wulf: So I think, um, I can tell you with confidence that all facilities within the CFATS program, all facilities covered by CFATS, will have made connections with their relevant local first responders. It is a, it is a requirement of the of the program. It is the focus of one of our risk based performance standards - number nine of 18. It is something that we verify and facilitate, so you can rest assured that that is happening across the 3,300 highest risk chemical facilities and their relevant first responders across the country. 59:30 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): Mr. Wulf, can you provide the committee with how many actions you've brought on facilities inspected that have been found in noncompliance? David Wulf: Sure. And I guess it's kind of a two part answer because of the way the CFATS program and our enforcement processes work. Of course, you know, we strive to work with facilities to bring them into a compliance and by and large facilities have done a good job and are in compliance with their plans. In upwards of 80 cases we have had to resort to our enforcement authorities and to issue, um, a, an administrative order that per the law, um, gives facilities a certain amount of time, um, to get their act together and, and, uh, alleviate whatever the issue might be. We've gotten to the point with five facilities where we have had to issue a civil monetary penalty. Uh, and that has proven in those cases to be the additional impetus facilities needed to come into compliance. Rep. Thompson: So everybody's in compliance. Wulf: Everybody is currently in compliance. We have, you know, it's, this is a dynamic population, right? So facilities are in different stages of perhaps working on their site security plans, getting them to approval. But facilities against which we have been forced and issued civil penalties have come into compliance. 1:00:15 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): Those two facilities in Ms. Slotkin's district, is there a directory that she can go to or is there a way that she can get with you and you can say these two facilities are compliant? David Wulf: Yes, absolutely. If they're CFATS facilities we're glad to sit down and talk through what exists. Rep. Thompson: That was really what she was trying to get to. Wulf: We're glad to get you that information and talk. Rep. Thompson: Thank you. 1:04:00 Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX): Director Wulf, back to you. Should the risk based performance standards be modified to reflect the evolving threat from drones or other unmanned aerial vehicles? David Wulf: Yeah, so the, uh, the drones question, uh, is a, is an important one for sure. And it is a continually evolving sort of threat vector. Uh, I think as they stand the risk based performance standards, uh, account for and we certainly engage with facilities, um, on the reporting of significant incidents. Uh, and we do take in, um, you know, a decent number of reports associated with overflight or flights nearby, high risk chemical facilities of unmanned aircraft aircraft system. So I think we have the tools in place from an incident reporting standpoint. Um, our counterparts at the Federal Aviation Administration I know are working toward a broader framework, uh, and we are working with them on that for critical infrastructure. Rep. Crenshaw: Because it's prohibited under federal law to, to, to interfere with the operation of a drone right now. So is that, is that part of the conversation? I mean, to allow essentially facilities to defend themselves. Is that conversation ongoing?. Wulf: That is probably a part of the broader conversation for sure. And you know, it's, it's an issue that, um, that we had the department are, um, are looking at, not just from a chemical facility angle, but across all critical infrastructure, uh, infrastructure sectors. 1:08:30 Rep. Val Demings (FL): Mr. Wulf, my questions are for you. When DHS is considering whether a facility is high risk, do you include in that methodology or whatever process you use, would you factor in if the facility would be located to a elementary school for example, or a nursing home or hospital? David Wulf: Yes, so we factor in - it's a good question - we tier for a couple of major different threat streams, one of which focused on theft and diversion of chemicals, the other which is focused on facilities where there could be a release into a surrounding community. In those cases of release, we absolutely factor in the surrounding population. One of the things we were able to make some significant headway on, as we kind of basked in the stability that was afforded by long term authorization, was a complete retooling of our risk assessment methodology. So we're now more accurately able to model those surrounding populations and tier more accurately. Rep. Demings: Also studies show that chemical facilities tend to be concentrated in low income and minority communities. In determining facility risks, does DHS consider whether a facility is in close proximity to other chemical facilities that could exacerbate the impact of an attack on an already vulnerable population? Wulf: We certainly consider what is in the surrounding area by way of, by way of population as we do our tiering. Rep. Demings: And so when you consider the proximity to those populations, those low income already very vulnerable areas, what do you factor into? What is it exactly that you were considering or looking at? Wulf: Well, we are considering where the population is located in proximity to a facility and we are kind of modeling, you know, were there to be an incident that caused a release of chemicals, what part of that population would be impacted and what number of fatalities could potentially occur as we're thinking about the tiering. Rep. Demings: Okay. So when you say where the population is located, what exactly does that mean? Could you help me with that? Wulf: It means like how many people are located either, you know, during the day or at night in their homes and their businesses and in the schools and how close they are to the facility and then we look at what type of chemical we're talking about, what quantities of chemicals we're talking about, what the prospect is for release of those chemicals, what quantity could be released. And then there's sort of a plume modeling effort designed to get us to a place where we can kind of model what the consequences would be of a release of chemicals caused by a terrorist. 1:30:30 Rep. Max Rose (NY): Moving on in terms of the voluntary participation of the private sector, it seems as if this is actually a great case in which we have been very successful in that regard. What type of lessons learned can we draw out of this to transfer it to issues of cybersecurity, general counter terrorism.... Where we have to involve the private sector but we're often struggling to get them to come forward? What type of lessons learned can we glean from this? David Wulf: In this case, we do have a regulatory framework, so there's, you know, there's an obligation for facilities and companies that operate facilities that have threshold quantities of chemicals of interest in our regulation to report information to us and if they're assessed as high risk, to be part of the program, to develop site security plans and be subjected to inspections. But I would say that on a purely voluntary basis, the chemical industry writ large, and that cuts across a variety of critical infrastructure sectors, has been fully committed and bought in to this program and has helped us to drive forward key improvements to the program. So one of the ways that happens is through something we call the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council Framework. So we bring together, sector councils, of chemical industry or as the case may be, oil and natural gas industry folks, to talk about ways in which we can continue to enhance our respective critical infrastructure protection and or chemicals security efforts and I do think that is a good model and it's one that the department is also using on the cybersecurity front and across other… Rep. Rose: I take it that the best model in this case was that this was mandatory with private sector involvement. That was the pathway to success then. Wulf: The regulatory framework I think has, has helped for sure. Rep. Rose: Thank you. 1:40:30 David Wulf: CFATS is focused, you know, I think appropriately as a risk based program, and it's targeted at America's highest risk facilities. So those facilities at the highest risk of terrorist attack or or exploitation, that's less than 10% of the facilities that submit top screens for risk assessment by us. 1:42:00 David Wulf: Well, you know, CFATS is a non prescriptive program. We can't require any specific measures. 1:48:30 Rep. Al Green (TX): The CFATS Act of 2014, which requires DHS to create an experimental new program. DHS has performed diligently and the program has been implemented and it seems that as of June 2018 only 18 facilities have taken advantage of this program. And my query is, does it make good sense to keep a program that appeals to 18 facilities? I'm sure that there are some other projects that merit our attention. There are some other goals that we should review in the area of Cybersecurity, first responder outreach, and DHS probably has a lot of energy that it has put into this, that may have been used otherwise. So quickly, if you would please give me some sense of why a program that has accommodated 18 facilities at some, some great expense should be maintained. David Wulf: I appreciate the remarks and that is a fair question. You're referring to the expedited approval program that enables, on an expedited basis, the certification of facility security plans where those facilities adhere to a prescriptive list of security measures. I think it is fair to say, as you noted, that a very small number of facilities have taken advantage - have availed themselves of the program. Rep. Green: If I may, just so that we may understand the size of the language. When you say "small", how many could have taken advantage of it and juxtapose that to the number that have. Wulf: Yeah. So it applies to three, tier three and four facilities, so that would be 90% of our regulated universe could have taken advantage. So upwards of 2,500 facilities could have. Rep. Green: And of the 2,500, 18…? Wulf: 18 have. Yes. I think some of that owes itself to the fact that most facilities were well through the process of developing their site security plans a through the normal process at the time the expedited approval program was rolled out, though we certainly, you know, did our best to publicize it's availability and the fact that most facilities appreciate the contact that they're able to have with inspectors throughout the normal process of developing their site security plan. It tends to improve those plans. So, you know, although we've had a few additional facilities since the reach hearing of facilities occurred within the last couple of years that have availed themselves of the program, the overall number is very small. And the fact of the matter is that our online system through which facilities develop their SSPs is now significantly more streamlined, significantly more user friendly, so this is certainly less incentive to use this other program. Rep. Green: I don't mean to be rude and unrefined but I have to ask him because I have another question. Is it time to review this other program so that we can ascertain whether or not it is something that we should continue with? Wulf: I would say yes, certainly time to, to take a hard look at it. Green: Okay. 1:51:30 Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO): Because the EPA no longer updates a list of the locations these facilities, chemical facilities, it's difficult for me to just pinpoint exactly where they are. 1:57:45 Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS): A couple of takeaways. Mr. Wulf, I think based on what I heard, I think it would help us if you could provide us a with a master list of the facilities that have been regulated. I think that would help a lot. Sound Clip Sources Article: The day after Mueller, The Intercept, March 27, 2019. News Report: Timeline: ITC chemical tank fire in Deer Park, KHOU 11, March 25, 2019. News Release: Statement from the US Chemical Safety Board on recent tank fires in Deer Park, TX, CSB, March 21, 2019. News Report: Manifold leak blamed as initial cause of massive storage tank fire in Deer Park, KHOU 11 Investigates, March 19, 2019. Video: West TX plant explosion, KTBC Fox 7 Austin, April 18, 2013. Video: West Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion with FD EMS PD Radio Traffic, Alertpage, YouTube, April 18, 2013. Music Video Clip: Can I Get a Witness by Marvin Gaye, Vlipsy. Additional Reading Report: Regional emphasis program for fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate (FGAN) and agricultural anhydrous ammonia facilities, OSHA Regional Notice, U.S. Department of Labor, October 1, 2018. Article: Remembering, healing together: Five years after blast, West is rebuilt but emotional tripwires remain by J.B. Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald, April 16, 2018. News: CFATS personnel surety program expanding to tier 3 and tier 4 high-risk chemical facilities, Roberts Law Group News, Chemical Security Gropu LLC, December 27, 2017. Report: West Fertilizer Explosion and Fire: Final Report, CSB, January 29, 2016. Article: Former Oregonian Mariano Saldivar, killed in Texas plant explosion, will be laid to rest Monday by Stuart Tomlinson, The Oregonian/Oregon Live, April 25, 2013. Report: Death toll in West, Texas, fertilizer explosion rises to 15 by Bill Chappell, NPR, April 23, 2013. Resources BASF: Statement of Income, BASF Report 2018 H.R.251: Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program Extension Act H.R.4007: Sponsor and co-sponsors of the CFACTS Act of 2014 Homeland Security: CFATS and the Executive Order 13650 Homeland Security: CFATS Expedited Approval Program Homeland Security: CFATS Tiering Methodology Homeland Security: Risk-Based Performance Standards (RBPS) Homeland Security Publication: Risk-Based Performance Standards Guidance: Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, May 2009. GovInfo.gov: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Register, December 27, 2017. LinkedIn Profile: David Wulf, Director, Infrastructure Security Compliance Division, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Website: CSB.gov Community Suggestions See Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Is a Life Plan Community Right for You? Host Debbie Miller discusses the concept of Life Plan Communities. What is a Life Plan Community? How is it different from a CCRC? What questions should you ask as you consider this type of retirement?

Is a Life Plan Community Right for You? Host Debbie Miller discusses the concept of Life Plan Communities. What is a Life Plan Community? How is it different from a CCRC? What questions should you ask as you consider this type of retirement?

Liberty’s experts Dave Coyne and Jon Wickstrom recount the Bhopal chemical release, the Wade Dump fire and other incidents involving toxic releases in the era before community and first responder ‘Right-To-Know’ reporting. The experts discuss the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and its reporting requirements such as TRI and Tier II, and the ways that environmental consultants advise their clients today in complying with these regulatory programs.

Liberty’s experts Dave Coyne and Jon Wickstrom recount the Bhopal chemical release, the Wade Dump fire and other incidents involving toxic releases in the era before community and first responder ‘Right-To-Know’ reporting. The experts discuss the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and its reporting requirements such as TRI and Tier II, and the ways that environmental consultants advise their clients today in complying with these regulatory programs.

On this week's Beltway Beef podcast, NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel Scott Yager issues a Halloween warning about the Zombie WOTUS stalking 22 states. He also provides an update on changes to EPCRA - the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. To view the Zombie WOTUS video discussed in the podcast, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BeefUSA/videos/2150809811904613/

On this week's Beltway Beef podcast, NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel Scott Yager issues a Halloween warning about the Zombie WOTUS stalking 22 states. He also provides an update on changes to EPCRA - the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. To view the Zombie WOTUS video discussed in the podcast, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BeefUSA/videos/2150809811904613/

The growth of Development Trusts across Scotland has been an undoubted success story. Over 40,000 people have been involved in buying land or property since the Community Right to Buy Legislation was passed in 2003. They now own assets worth almost £90m and have brought in £25m in regeneration funding. With a collective turnover of over £50m, they are economic success stories too. The trusts have transformed areas, especially rural ones, across the country. But as we know, the law was updated to allow for local communities to acquire buildings in towns and cities as well with of course Bellfield being the first to succeed. Bellfield had a major advantage in that Ian Cooke, director of the Development Trusts Association Scotland, lives in Portobello, just up the hill from the new community centre. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder started by asking him about his involvement.

Jessamyn West is a member of mlkshk, an online community that’s closing. She’s part of a community-led effort to build the next place where this group of people will get together. Best known for her work in the library space, she’s also an experienced online community practitioner, having spent 10 years on staff at MetaFilter, leaving as director of operations. Building on our recent discussions about the thoughtful way to close a community, we look at mlkshk as an example of a group that has done it right. Plus: The differences and similarities between dying and being banned from an online community Why it’s easy for community members to love new ideas, but hard to get them to commit to helping make them real The disconnect between wanting to be a moderator and actually being good at it Big Quotes “One of the things that happens with hobbyist communities, as opposed to giant corporate communities, is the person who’s running it has to kind of love being there as one of the primary things in their life.” -@jessamyn “I like to joke that I’ve created 20, 30, 40 online communities just by banning people, where they get mad and they say, ‘I’m going to create a new community.’ I’m like, ‘Okay. That’s fine. Create your own thing. That’s great. We just can’t do that thing here any longer, because it’s not what we’re about.'” -@patrickokeefe “For some people, I really do feel like the internet kind of flattens who we are to a certain extent. Not in a negative ‘the internet isn’t real’ way, but just in a ‘the internet can’t tell you certain things about people you interact with, and some of those things may matter’ way. It’s hard to say it without sounding really judgmental.” -@jessamyn “It’s so important for [some people] to not be judgmental about personality problems that you wind up with people who are borderline sociopaths, who are unmoderatable, just because people are like, ‘Well, that’s just how that person is.’ You’re like, ‘Well, how that person is, is that they harass female Wikipedians.’ You’ve got to make a choice, right? You just have to make a choice.” -@jessamyn “If you make a decision to leave [our community], that’s your choice, and maybe you’ll come back. You’re welcome, even as a non-member, to talk to us about what the issue is. But for people within the community, they’re like, ‘The goal is that nobody leaves.’ To me, that’s like saying the goal is that nobody dies. Sure, that sounds like a good idea at some level, but realistically, if nobody died, there would be huge problems and, if nobody left the community, you would wind up with a stagnation that would be difficult in its own way, that the community is not supposed to be everything to everyone.” -@jessamyn About Jessamyn West Jessamyn West is a librarian and community technologist who writes a column for Computers in Libraries magazine. She consults with small libraries and businesses in Central Vermont to help them use technology to solve problems and runs a regular drop-in time to help digitally divided people use technology. She is the author of Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide and is a frequent public speaker at library conferences throughout North America. She has a library newsletter and a blog. Related Links Jessamyn on Twitter Computers in Libraries magazine, which Jessamyn writes for Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide, Jessamyn’s book MetaFilter, an online community where Jessamyn was a member of staff for 10 years, resigning as director of operations TILT-Y MAIL, Jessamyn’s librarian-themed newsletter librarian.net, Jessamyn’s blog David Lee King, digital services director at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, mutual friend of Jessamyn and Patrick Community Signal episode with David Lee King Nashua Public Library, one of Patrick’s libraries as a kid Community Signal episode about the IMDb message board closure with Timo Tolonen Community Signal episode with Gail Ann Williams mlkshk, an image sharing community Andre Torrez, application engineer at Slack and founder of mlkshk Matt Haughey, founder of MetaFilter, who works in editorial at Slack Amber Costley, design lead at Begin and founder of mlkshk “Beloved Image Sharing Site mlkshk Saunters Off Into the Sunset” by Matthew Panzarino at TechCrunch, about mlkshk’s plans to close in 2014 Post from mlkshk’s blog about why they didn’t shut down in 2014 Discardia, a book by Dinah Sanders, that provides “a flexible, iterative method for cutting out distractions and focusing on more fulfilling activities” Josh Millard, who currently runs MetaFilter Paul Bausch, known as pb on MetaFilter, who previously served as the community’s sole developer and technical administrator Greasemonkey script that enables you to see, on MetaFilter, who has been marked as a librarian by Jessamyn Ask MetaFilter, the community’s question and answer section “mlkshk Shutting Down”, about the site’s forthcoming closure GitHub, a development platform where some current members of mlkshk are collaborating to build the next place they will hang out at “holdkris99’s Death Was a Hoax” by Josh Millard, about a MetaFilter user who faked their own suicide Community Signal episode with Matt Haughey, where we talked about the fake suicide “A Member of Your Online Community Lies About Committing Suicide: What Do You Do?” by Patrick, which Jessamyn left a comment on Wikipedia page for Godwin’s law LearnedLeague, the online trivia league that Jessamyn is a member of “Jeopardy! Contestant Who Died Before Show Aired Keeps Win Streak Going” by Keith Allen for CNN, about a former member of LearnedLeague LearnedLeague’s in memoriam page, created at Jessamyn’s suggestion Community Signal episode about managing a cancer community with the online community manager of Breast Cancer Network Australia’s online community Details about MetaFilter’s “brand new day” policy, which allows banned members to return ColdChef, a MetaFilter member who is a third-generation undertaker and funeral home manager Jessamyn’s consulting website Jessamyn’s personal blog Transcript View the transcript on our website Your Thoughts If you have any thoughts on this episode that you’d like to share, please leave me a comment, send me an email or a tweet. If you enjoy the show, we would be grateful if you spread the word. Thank you for listening to Community Signal.

There was excitement in the air around the former Bellfield Church. Action Porty's application to the Scottish Land Fund has been successful! The Land Fund Committee has approved a grant of £647,500 which includes some £570,000 towards the purchase of the church and halls. The final part of the Community Right to Buy process will involve a ballot of Portobello residents. The ballot papers go out at the end of March - so get involved!

Guests include a technical expert from EPA, Region 7 Headquarters (probably Steve Wurtz, the Toxics Release Inventory Coordinator from the Chemical Risk Information Branch, Air & Waste Management Division) Our […] The post Community Right to Know: Informing Citizens about the Chemical Industry appeared first on KKFI.