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Supervised Visitation
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Our Philosophy & Purpose
Each family and individual is unique and will be treated with respect and dignity.
Parents will be accepted as playing a vital role in their children's lives and will be encouraged to parent their children freely and without judgment.
Children are valued and deserve to feel safe throughout their interaction with parents.
Visitation should occur in as natural settings as possible to allow for "normal" family activities and encourage positive interaction while controlling for safety concerns as the need is determined.
Litigation should be the last resort in the continuum of conflict resolution.
Participants should be encouraged to resolve issues on their own when possible.
Mediation, parent coordination, and or co-parent coaching are available to assist parents with resolving disputes when they are unable to do so on their own.
Common Ground Family Services subscribes to the standards and ethics of the State of Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Board and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
Chris Derry, MSSA, LISW-S is an independently licensed social worker in the State of Ohio with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Kent State University and a Master of Science in Social Administration degree from Case Western Reserve University. In June 2012, Mr. Derry took over Common Ground Family Services, LLC, formerly known as Family Visitation and Mediation Services. As the owner and director of CGFS, Mr. Derry brings with him over twenty-five years of experience working with families and children in Northeast Ohio, including fifteen years as a Guardian Ad Litem with Summit County Domestic Relations Court, over seventeen years in Child Protective Services in Stark and Summit Counties, and over five years in the mental health field. In addition to overseeing the Supervised Visitation program, Mr. Derry is a trained Mediator and Therapist.
The friendly and knowledgeable staff at Common Ground Family Services are independently contracted professionally licensed social workers who have experience working within the family court system. Our Visitation Specialists are familiar with issues involving domestic violence, substance abuse & chemical dependency, reunification, and parental alienation and are trained to ensure that all clients are provided with a safe, positive visitation experience. Visitation Specialists also have education and expertise in assisting parents with understanding their children's development, improving communication and learning new parenting skills.
For the past twenty years, Common Ground Family Services has been dedicated to providing quality professional social services to individuals and families within Summit and surrounding Counties. Founded in 1994, Common Ground Family Services was previously known as Family Visitation and Mediation Services. The agency's original founder and former director, Carol A. Miller (ACSW, LISW), retired in May, 2012. Since taking over the agency in 2012, Mr. Derry relocated the agency to its current site and also changed the name to better reflect the overall mission of Common Ground Family Services.
Located at 12 Southwest Avenue in Tallmadge, OH; our new facilities offer a more family friendly environment with greater visibility and within walking distance of several restaurants, shops, & a local community park with a fenced in playground.
Our supervised visitation rooms are clean, organized, decorated and designed as child centered family rooms with easy access to many toys, games, books, crafts, and family oriented activities. There is also a large outdoor recreational area with access to sports and other outdoor play equipment and activities.
Off-site supervised visits can also be arranged at community sites and/or in parents' or relatives' homes as determined by CGFS and depending on Court orders.
Our hourly fees for supervised visitation services are $50 per hour. Monitored exchanges are a flat rate of $25 per exchange (pick-up or drop-off). Insurance does not cover the cost of visitation services.
The cost for counseling services is $125 per hour. A reduced fee is available for clients without insurance coverage based on verified income. The sliding scale ranges from $50 – $90 per hour.
The cost of a Home Evaluation is $75 per hour with a minimum deposit of $300.00 prior to the evaluation beginning. Additional fees may be charged based on the hourly rate of $75.00 if the time required exceeds four hours including the drafting of any reports.
The cost for Mediation and Parent Coordination services is based on an hourly rate of $90 and requires a minimum retainer deposit of $450 prior to the onset of services. Additional fees may be charged at the $90 per hour rate once the initial deposit is consumed. Costs are usually shared equally between the two involved parties unless otherwise ordered by the Court or mutually agreed upon by the parties.
Check, cash and credit/debit cards are accepted.
Services are provided by appointment only and typically occur between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
We are open 7 days per week except for major Holidays. Hours are flexible, and evening and weekend appointments are available.
–J.A. from Cuyahoga Falls As a father, going to Common Ground was intimidating at first. I didn't know what to expect and some of the thoughts that went through my head involved two-way mirrors and therapists constantly judging my every move. This was not the case at all. In my opinion, the only goal Chris and his team have is to help
Common Ground Family Services
12 Southwest Avenue
Tallmadge, OH 44278
Email: info@cgfsohio.com
Copyright Common Ground Family Services. All Rights Reserved.


Design, Procurement, Installation and Commissioning of 50 km, 161kV HVAC Over Head Transmission Line with OPGW from Volta — Achimota - Mallam and from 161 kV Kumasi Substation (K1BSP) — 161 kV Anwomaso Substation (K2BSP).
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has received a loan from the Agence Fran�aise de D�veloppement (AFD) towards the cost of the construction of the 330kV Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission Line Project as part of the WAPP Inter-zonal Hub Transmission Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds of the Credit Facility for eligible payments under the contracts for the Re-construction and Commissioning of the Transmission Lines from Volta (Tema)-Achimota-Mallam in the Greater Accra Region and 161 kV Kumasi Substation (K1BSP) to 161 kV Anwomaso Substation (K2BSP) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana as well as associated Substations termination Works.
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) therefore intends to prequalify contractors/or firms for the transmission line works for the execution of the Project.
• Reconstruction of the existing 12km of single circuit 161kV line between the 161 kV Kumasi Substation (K1BSP) and 161 kV Anwomaso Substation (K2BSP) with a 161kV double circuit line using twin bundle TERN conductors.
The Works shall include all relevant designs, procurement, installation and commissioning of 161 kV HVAC Overhead Transmission Line as well as all associated surveys, engineering, civil works and relevant substation termination works. The new lines would be constructed within the existing ROW. The works involves the replacement of the existing towers with suitably designed lattice towers to carry twin bundle TERN conductors as well as OPGW and Alumoweld Shieldwire.
It should be noted that the 161 kV Transmission Lines project works will be spread over 12 month and construction of all the lots will run concurrently.


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Politics of Monday, 17 October 2016
Source: kasapafmonline.com
Buffer Stock CEO is NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Afram Plains South – Nketiah
The General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has declared the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Buffer Stock, Eric Osei-Owusu as the party's parliamentary candidate for the Afram Plains South constituency.
The pronouncement of the Akatamansonians' Chief Scribe brings to an end the brouhaha surrounding the party's representation for the area as far as the parliamentary seat is concerned.
On the deadline of submission of nomination forms for parliamentary candidates, two stalwarts from the NDC filed to contest the Afram Plains South seat following the resignation of the incumbent MP, Joseph Appiah Boateng, to contest for a second time.
The two, Mark-Oliver Kevor, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the NDC and Eric Osei-Owusu are all said to have filed their nomination at the same time but the Returning Officer for the area announced the former as the candidate for the Akatamansonians after scrutinizing his forms.
Kevor, according to inside sources, was given the mandate to file on the ticket of the Akatamansonians by the National Chairman of the NDC, Kofi Portuphy.
However, Eric Osei-Owusu who contested the incumbent MP but lost, according to party officials, was also given the mandate to file by Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, popularly known as General Mosquito.
The two candidates have been campaigning simultaneously as the NDC parliamentary candidate for the area.
Party officials in the Afram Plains South have for the past three weeks, been putting pressure on the National Executives of the party to settle matter as soon as possible or risk losing the seat to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Joseph Appiah Boateng on Thursday, October 13, 2016 gave the EC a 48-hour ultimatum to publicly announce the candidate who filed to contest on the ticket of the NDC. Failure to do so, he added, will see the EC being dragged to court.
But Mr. Nketiah commenting on the issue in an interaction with sit-in host, Kwaku Owusu Agyei, on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Monday, said Eric Osei-Owusu is the candidate the party has sanctioned to represent the Afram Plains South.
"If you go to the records of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, the one who has filed in the name of the NDC and who has been given the power to represent the party is Eric Osei-Owusu," he announced.
Asked whether he is aware that Mr. Portuphy has also sanctioned the candidacy of Mark-Oliver Kevor, he retorted "We don't have such in the records of the NDC."
When asked whether he is also aware of the threat by the incumbent MP to campaign against the candidacy of the Eric Osei-Owusu, General Mosquito answered "if he dares to campaign against the NDC and the candidate, it means he has sacked himself from the party."
He added "All that we have done is within the law. The system that we are running is rule of law and not rule of persons. So that settles the matter."
Zanetor affirms NDC's commitment to peace
Dr. Grace Ayensu- Dankwa promises to deliver Essikado-Ketan seat for NDC
Yamoah Ponkoh runs away from 'bloody election' claim
Mahama declares Akufo-Addo ministers useless
NDC begs for cash in bid to win 2020 election

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Mark 3 Bible Commentary
McGarvey and Pendleton
<< Mark 2 | Mark 3 | Mark 4 >>
(Read all of Mark 3)
3:6 And the Pharisees went out1, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him2.
And the Pharisees went out. Here the Synoptists first tell of the counsel to put Jesus to death, and we should note that, like John, they described the anger of the Jewish rulers as arising because of this Sabbath question. Their real motive was envious hatred, but their pretext was a zeal for the law. That it was not genuine zeal for the law is shown by the fact that they consulted with the Herodians or the adherents of Herod Antipas, as they also did afterwards (Matthew 22:16
And straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. They needed the secular power of the Herodians to secure the death of Jesus. Its efficacy for such ends had just been shown in the imprisonment of John the Baptist. But the Herodians were no friends of the Jewish law; in fact, they were real perverters of that law which Jesus merely correctly interpreted. This party and its predecessors had flatteringly tried to make a Messiah of Herod the Great, and had been friends of Rome and patrons of Gentile influence. They favored the erection of temples for idolatrous ends, and pagan theaters and games, and Gentile customs generally. Unlike Jesus, the Pharisees grew angry and sinned, for it was against their conscience to consort with the Herodians.
3:7 And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea1: and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and from Judaea, JESUS HEALS MULTITUDES BESIDE THE SEA OF GALILEE. Matthew 12:15-21; Mark 3:7-12
And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea. This was the first withdrawal of Jesus for the avowed purpose of self-preservation. After this we find Jesus constantly retiring to avoid the plots of his enemies. The Sea of Galilee, with its boats and its shores touching different jurisdictions, formed a convenient and fairly safe retreat.
3:8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea1, and beyond the Jordan, and about Tyre and Sidon2, a great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him.
Idumaea. Idumea was the land formerly inhabited by the Edomites. It is a Greek word from "Edom", which was another word for Esau (Genesis 25:30), and means "red". This land was originally the narrow strip reaching from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea, lying between the Arabah on the west, and the desert on the east, being about one hundred miles long and fifteen or twenty broad. During the Babylonian captivity, however, the Edomites took possession of the southern portion of Judea, and Strabo says that they encroached as far as to the city of Hebron. They were conquered by John Hyrcanus, one of the Asmonean princes about 120 B.C., and were by him made subservient to the law and incorporated with the Jewish people. As before noted (Matthew 2:1; Luke 1:5), Herod the Great sprang from this people.
Tyre and Sidon. Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean seacoast, westward from the Lake of Galilee. Also see Matthew 11:21.
3:10 for he had healed many; insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him1.
As many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him. Literally, the "fell upon him"; such was their eagerness to be healed by touching him. Compare Luke 6:19.
3:11 And the unclean spirits1, whensoever they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
The unclean spirits. See Mark 1:23.
3:12 And he charged them much that they should not make him known1.
And he charged them much that they should not make him known. Because this was not the right time, nor were they the right witnesses to make him known.
3:13 And he goeth up into the mountain, and calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him. AFTER PRAYER JESUS SELECTS TWELVE APOSTLES. (Near Capernaum.) Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16
3:14 And he appointed twelve1, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
He appointed twelve. We cannot think that the number twelve was adopted carelessly. It unquestionably had reference to the twelve tribes of Israel, over whom the apostles were to be tribal judges or viceroys (Luke 22:30), and we find the tribes and apostles associated together in the structure of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12-14). Moreover, Paul seems to regard the twelve as ministers to the twelve tribes, or to the circumcision, rather than as ministers to the Gentiles or the world in general (Galatians 2:7-9). See also James 1:1 1 Peter 1:1. The tribal reference was doubtless preserved to indicate that the church would be God's new Israel.
3:16 and Simon he surnamed Peter1;
And Simon he surnamed Peter. For the surnaming of Simon, see John 1:41,42. Peter, by reason of his early prominence, is named first in the four lists. His natural gifts gave him a personal but not an ecclesiastical pre-eminence over his fellows. As a reward for his being first to confess Christ, he was honored by being permitted to first use the keys of the kingdom of heaven; that is, to preach the first gospel sermon both to the Jews and Gentiles. But after these two sermons the right of preaching to the Jews and Gentiles became common to all alike. That Peter had supremacy or authority over his brethren is nowhere stated by Christ, or claimed by Peter, or owned by the rest of the twelve. On the contrary, the statement of Jesus places the apostles upon a level (Matthew 23:8-11). See also Matthew 18:18; Matthew 19:27,28; Matthew 20:25-27 John 20:21; Acts 1:8. And Peter himself claims no more than an equal position with other officers in the church (1 Peter 5:1,4), and the apostles in the subsequent history of the church acted with perfect independence. Paul withstood Peter to his face and (if we may judge by the order of naming which is made so much of in the apostolic lists), he ranks Peter as second in importance to James, the Lord's brother (Galatians 2:11-14,9). See also Acts 12:17; Acts 21:18. Again, James, in summing up the decree which was to be sent to the church at Antioch, gave no precedence to Peter, who was then present, but said, "Brethren, hearken unto me . . . my judgment is" (Acts 15:13,19)--words which would be invaluable to those who advocate the supremacy of Peter, if only it had been Peter who spoke them. So much for the supremacy of Peter, which, even if it could be established, would still leave the papacy without a good title to its honors, for it would still have to prove that it was heir to the rights and honors of Peter, which is something it has never yet done. The papal claim rests not upon facts, but upon a threefold assumption: (1) That Peter had supreme authority. (2) That he was the first bishop of Rome. (3) That the peculiar powers and privileges of Peter (if he had any) passed at the time of his death from his own person, to which they belonged, to the chair or office which he vacated.
3:17 and James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder1:
And them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder. Why James and John were called sons of thunder is not stated, but it was probably because of their stormy and destructive temper (Mark 9:38; Luke 9:51-56). The vigor of the two brothers is apparent, for it marked James as a fit object for Herod's spleen (Acts 12:2), and it sustained John to extreme old age, for Epiphanius says that he died at Ephesus at the age of ninety-four, but Jerome places his age at a hundred. No change is noted in the nature of James during the brief time which he survived his Lord. But the gracious and loving character of the aged John showed the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. But even to the last this son of thunder muttered in portentous strains against Diotrephes (John 3:9,10), and his denunciation of sins and sinners is very forceful, including such epithets as "liar", "antichrist," "deceiver," "children of the devil" (1 John 1:6; 1 John 2:4,22; 1 John 3:15; 2 John 1:3-11). It is also worthy of note that except in this verse in Mark, which applies the name "Son of thunder" to John", neither the word "thunder", or any of its derivatives is found anywhere in the New Testament save in the writings of John, by whom it and its derivatives are used eleven times, a fact which causes Bengel to remark,
"A son of thunder is a fit person for hearing voices of thunder."
3:18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew1, and Matthew2, and Thomas3, and James the [son] of Alphaeus4, and Thaddaeus5, and Simon the Cananaean6,
Bartholomew. As noted in John 1:45, Bartholomew is usually identified with the man whom John calls Nathanael, in which case his full name would be Nathanael Bar Tolmai.
Matthew calls himself the publican (tax collector). None of the others apply that term of reproach to him. Matthew doubtless assumes it in remembrance of the riches of Christ's grace toward loving him while he was yet a sinner. Exposing the sin of his own past life, he is silent as to the past lives of the others, not even noting that the first four were humble "fishermen".
Thomas. Thomas is also called Didymus, the first being the Aramaic and the second the Greek word for "twin" (John 11:16; John 20:24; John 21:2).
James the [son] of Alphaeus. Matthew's father was also named Alphaeus, but it was another Alphaeus. This was a very common name. In its Hebrew form it is Chalphai. So in the New Testament we sometimes find it Alphaeus, and again Cleopas, or Clopas. The apostle James is thought by some to be our Lord's brother, and by others to be his cousin; but he is probably neither. For an additional note and chart, see Matthew 10:2. This apostle is also called James the younger, probably because he was younger than the son of Zebedee. He must not be confounded with James the Lord's brother, who, though called an apostle by Paul, was not one of the twelve apostles (nor was Barnabas) (Acts 14:14). James the Lord's brother is mentioned at Matthew 13:55 1 Corinthians 15:5-7; Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:9,12; Acts 15:6-9; Acts 21:18. He wrote the epistle which bears his name, and his brother Jude (who also must not be confounded with Judas Thaddaeus, the apostle) wrote the epistle which bears his name.
Thaddaeus. We do not know the James who was the father of Judas, and of Judas himself we know very little. He seems to have been known at first by his name Thaddaeus, possibly to distinguish him from Iscariot, but later (for Luke and John wrote later than Matthew and Mark) by the name Judas (Luke 6:16; John 14:22).
Simon the Cananaean. "Cananaean" means the same as zealot. It comes from the Hebrew word "kana", which means "zealous". The Zealots were a sect or order of men much like our modern "Regulators" or "Black Caps". They were zealous for the Jewish law, and citing Phinehas and Elijah (Numbers 25:7,8; 1 Kings 18:40) as their examples, they took justice in their own hands and punished offenders much after the manner lynchers. It is thought that they derived their name from the dying charge of the Asmonean Mattathias when he said, "Be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers" (1 Mac. 2:50). Whatever they were at first, it is certain that their later course was marked by frightful excesses, and they are charged with having been the human instrument which brought about the destruction of Jerusalem. See Josephus, Wars 4:3.9, 5.1-4; 6.3; 7:8.1. Simon is the least known of all the apostles, being nowhere individually mentioned outside the catalogues.
3:19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him1. And he cometh into a house2.
And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Judas is named last in all the three lists (Matthew 10:4; Luke 16), and the same note of infamy attaches to him in each case. He is omitted from the list in Acts, for he was then dead (Acts 1:13,18). As he was treasurer of the apostolic group, he was probably chosen for office because of his executive ability. He was called Iscariot from his native village of Kerioth, which pertained to Judah (Joshua 15:25).
BLASPHEMOUS ACCUSATIONS OF THE JEWS. (Galilee.) Matthew 12:22-37; Mark 3:19-30; Luke 11:14-23
And he cometh into a house. Whose house is not stated. See Matthew 13:1.
3:20 And the multitude cometh together again1, so that they could not so much as eat bread2.
And the multitude cometh together again. As on a previous occasion (Mark 2:1).
So that they could not so much as eat bread. They could not sit down to a regular meal. A wonderful picture of the intense importunity of people and the corresponding eagerness of Jesus, who was as willing to do as they were to have done.
3:21 And when his friends heard it1, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself2.
And when his friends heard it. These friends were his brothers and his mother, as appears from Mark 3:31,32. They probably came from Nazareth.
They went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. To understand their feelings, we must bear in mind their want of faith. See John 7:3-9. They regarded Jesus as carried away by his religious enthusiasm (Acts 26:24; 2 Corinthians 5:13), and thought that he acted with reckless regard for his personal safety. They foresaw the conflict with the military authorities and the religious leaders into which the present course of Jesus was leading, and were satisfied that the case called for their interference. Despite her knowledge as to Jesus, Mary sympathized with her sons in this movement, and feared for the safety of Jesus.
3:22 And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub1, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons2.
He hath Beelzebub. Beelzebub is a corruption of Baalzebub, the god of the fly. There was a tendency among the heathen to name their gods after the pests which they were supposed to avert. Thus Zeus was called "Apomuios" (Averter of flies), and Apollo "Ipuktonos" (Slayer of vermin). How Beelzebub became identified with Satan in the Jewish mind is not known.
And, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons. In opposing the influence of Jesus and corrupting the public mind, these Pharisees showed a cunning worthy of the cultivated atmosphere, the seat of learning whence they came. Being unable to deny that a miracle was wrought (for Celsus in the second century is the first recorded person who had the temerity to do such a thing), they sought to so explain it as to reverse its potency, making it an evidence of diabolical rather than divine power. Their explanation was cleverly plausible, for there were at least two powers by which demons might be cast out, as both were invisible, it might appear impossible to decide whether it was done in this instance by the power of God or of Satan. It was an explanation very difficult to disprove, and Jesus himself considered it worthy of the very thorough reply which follows.
3:23 And he called them unto him1, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan3? Mark 3:23-26
He called them unto him. Thus singling out his accusers.
And said to them in parables. We shall find that Jesus later replied to those who sought sign. He here answers his accusers in a fourfold argument. See notes at Matthew 12:27,28; Mark 3:27.
How can Satan cast out Satan? The first argument. The explanation given by the Pharisees represented Satan as divided against himself; robbing himself of his greatest achievement; namely, his triumph over the souls and bodies of men. Jesus argues, not that Satan "could" not do this, but that he "would" not, and that therefore the explanation which supposes him to do it is absurd. We should note that Jesus here definitely recognizes two important truths: (1) That the powers of evil are organized into a kingdom with a head (Matthew 13:29; Matthew 25:41; Mark 4:15 therefore, says Abbott,
"constitutes an incidental but strong argument against sectarianism."
See 1 Corinthians 1:13.
3:27 But no one can enter into the house of the strong [man], and spoil his goods1, except he first bind the strong [man]; and then he will spoil his house2.
But no one can enter into the house of the strong [man], and spoil his goods. The fourth argument. Satan is the strong man, his house the body of the demoniac, and his goods the evil spirit within the man.
Except he first bind the strong [man]; and then he will spoil his house. Jesus had entered his house, and robbed him of his goods; and this proved that, instead of being in league with Satan, he had overpowered Satan. Thus Jesus put to shame the Pharisees, and caused the divinity of his miracle to stand out in clearer light than ever. The power of Jesus to dispossess the demon was one of his most convincing credentials, and its meaning now stood forth in its true light.
3:28 Verily I say unto you1, All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme2:
Verily I say unto you. Jesus here explains to the Pharisees the awful meaning of their enmity.
All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme. Blasphemy is any kind of injurious speech. It is the worst form of sin, as we see by this passage. This does not declare that every man shall be forgiven all his sins, but that all kinds of sin committed by various men shall be forgiven. The forgiveness is universal as to the sin, not as to the men.
3:29 but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness1, but is guilty of an eternal sin2:
But whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness. But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is in its nature an eternal sin, for if one rejects the evidence given by the Holy Spirit and ascribes it to Satan, he rejects the only evidence upon which faith can be based; and without faith there is no forgiveness. The difference in the two sins is therefore in no way due to any difference in the Son and Spirit "as to their degress of sanctity or holiness".
But is guilty of an eternal sin. The punishment is naturally eternal because the sin is perpetual. The mention of the two words is, as Morison says,
"just an extended way of saving "never"."
Some assert that the Jews would not know what Jesus meant by the Holy Spirit, but the point is not so well taken. See Exodus 31:3; Numbers 11:26 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:20; Psalms 137:7; Psalms 143:10; Isaiah 48:16; Ezekiel 11:24.
3:30 because they said, He hath an unclean spirit1.
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. We see by Mark's statement that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit consisted in saying that Jesus had an unclean spirit, that his works were due to Satanic influence, and hence wrought to accomplish Satanic ends. We cannot call God Satan, nor the Holy Spirit a demon, until our state of sin has passed beyond all hope of reform. One cannot confound the two kingdoms of good and evil unless he does so maliciously and willfully. On unclean spirits, see Mark 1:23.
3:31 And there come his mother and his brethren; and, standing without1, they sent unto him, calling him. CHRIST'S TEACHING AS TO HIS MOTHER AND BRETHREN. (Galilee, same day as the last lesson.) Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21
And there come his mother and his brethren; and, standing without. Jesus was in a house, probably at Capernaum (Mark 3:19; Matthew 13:1).
3:32 And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee1.
Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. Jesus had four brethren (Matthew 13:55) Finding him teaching with the crowd about him, they passed the word in to him that they wished to see him outside. To attempt to lay hold of him in the midst of his disciples would have been rashly inexpedient. The fact that they came with Mary establishes the strong presumption that they were the children of Mary and Joseph, and hence the literal brethren of the Lord. In thus seeking to take Jesus away from his enemies, Mary yielded to a natural maternal impulse which even the revelations accorded to her did not quiet. The brethren, too, acted naturally, for they were unbelieving (John 7:5). We learn at Mark 3:21 that they came to lay hold of him because they thought that he was beside himself. It was for this reason that they came in a body, for their numbers would enable them to control him. See Matthew 12:47.
3:33 And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren1? Mark 3:33-35
Who is my mother and my brethren? In this answer Jesus shows that he brooks no interference on the score of earthly relationships, and explodes the idea of his subserviency to his mother. To all who call on the "Mother of God", as Mary is blasphemously styled, Jesus answers, as he did to the Jews, "Who is my mother"?
3:34 And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren1!
Behold, my mother and my brethren! Jesus was then in the full course of his ministry as Messiah, and as such he recognized only spiritual relationships.
3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God1, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
For whosoever shall do the will of God. By doing the will of God we become his spiritual children, and thus we become related to Christ.
The same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. Jesus admits three human relationships--brother, sister, mother--but omits the paternal relationship, since he had no Father, save God. It is remarkable that in the only two instances in which Mary figures in the ministry of Jesus prior to his crucifixion, she stands forth reproved by him (Matthew 12:50; Luke 8:21; John 2:4). This fact not only rebukes those who worship her, but especially corrects the doctrine of her immaculate conception.
B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary
John Lightfoot's Bible Commentary


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Tennis Dec 13th 2019 - 6pm
Tennis: Plenty to honor again for Osakis
Columns Jan 22nd 2020 - 12pm
Makin' Waves column: Are we loving our lakes to death?
Outdoors Dec 31st 2019 - 6pm
Stories of the Decade: Chronic wasting disease tops the list of biggest outdoors stories since 2010 in Minnesota and North Dakota
Events Jan 8th 2020 - 7am
Remembering veterans during holidays
Commentary: First Amendment under fire
Written By: Joe Spear | Sep 4th 2019 - 2pm.
By Joe Spear, Mankato, MN
After completing a year as the president of the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists, I find First Amendment freedoms remain under fire from numerous directions in Minnesota and elsewhere.
My year as president started with a bang last August when MNSPJ and the Committee to Defend the First Amendment found ourselves holding a press conference to challenge a city of Minneapolis investigation against those who leaked and published an embarrassing report on the use of a deadly drug.
Our groups petitioned the city of Minneapolis and Mayor Jacob Frye to end an ill-advised investigation into the leaking of a report on the dangerous drug ketamine that was being given to people without their knowledge in police actions and emergencies.
A great story by Andy Mannix of the Star Tribune uncovered the mess.
The result of our petition was the investigation into the leaker was quietly dropped.
In November, MNSPJ challenged the public officials blocking reporters from their Twitter accounts. We filed a request with the Minnesota Data Practices Office asking if this blocking violates the Data Practices Act or other First Amendment rights. From our reading it did.
The Data Practices office agreed to "negotiate" or "communicate" our concerns to the chief violator in this case, Minneapolis city councilor Alondra Cano.
In March, we issued a statement calling on all public officials to cease and desist from blocking reporters on social media. Our case was made stronger when a federal appeals court case in June ruled President Donald Trump violated First Amendment freedoms by blocking people from what he said was a personal Twitter account.
The city of Minneapolis in response to our petition approved a new policy for employees and councilmembers in using social media that direct them to city-maintained accounts for city business and prohibits them from blocking people. But Cano told the Star Tribune she was not planning to unblock reporters from her "personal" Twitter account saying the new city policy did not apply.
In October, MNSPJ challenged the secrecy policy of St. Louis County as it denied the Star Tribune access to requested emails for commissioner and congressional candidate Pete Stauber. St. Louis County continued its denials in spite a ruling from the Data Practices office that said the emails were public. A judge finally overturned the county after a DFL lawsuit.
In March, MNSPJ joined with other media partners in challenging proposed severe restrictions by a judge on viewing of the public records in open court of the murder trial of Mohamed Noor, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing a woman attempting to report a crime. The judge eventually ruled in favor of disclosure noting she had to follow the law like everyone else, even though she didn't like it.
At the end of the trial, the judge proposed restricting trial information further, but again, relented when challenged by media organizations.
MNSPJ was part of another media coalition that fought for the release of the Jacob Wetterling investigative file, which was finally released last September. Attorneys for the Wetterlings attempted to call into question Minnesota law that has long required investigative files be public once a case is closed.
In less than one year there were half a dozen significant threats to First Amendment freedoms in Minnesota and dozens more that didn't rise to the level of a legal response.
From my 30 years as a journalist, I know there are hundreds of challenges newspapers large and small make every year for public records from public bodies who don't think the public has a right to know.
There will likely be no shortage of threats to First Amendment freedoms going forward. We can only hope there will be no shortage of journalists challenging those threats.
Joe Spear is the editor of The Free Press in Mankato. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.
Remember When, 1970: Streaks make big comeback
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225 7th Ave E, Alexandria, MN 56308


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Transformation of Conscionsness
Local&Global Economies
Jobs&Job Culture
The Call to Create – Spring, 2019
"We are told by those who have studied the processes of nature that creativity happens at the border between chaos and order. Chaos is a prelude to creativity. We need to learn, as every artist needs to learn, to live with chaos and indeed to dance with it as we listen to it and attempt some ordering. Artists wrestle with chaos, take it apart, deconstruct and reconstruct from it. Accept the challenge to convert chaos into some kind of order, respecting the timing of it all, not pushing beyond what is possible—combining holy patience with holy impatience–that is the role of the artist. It is each of our roles as we launch the twenty-first century because we are all called to be artists in our own way."
~from Creativity by Matthew Fox
This is the call to create.
I belong to an artisans' guild. At our last gathering one of the members announced the date of a protest that was in response to the aggressive gentrification in an African American community in Philadelphia. Further discussion about the people in the community, and the gentrification of the area, revealed that this was not the first protest. For the past 5 years, the community has launched protests and filed complaints about being uprooted and lacking the resources to secure adequate housing in a city where the average rent for a one bedroom, 798 sq. ft. apartment is about $1400.00/month (Rent Café, April 2019). Letters have been written to city council members and congressional district leaders, but all to no avail.
Now this essay is not about gentrification or the relationship between politicians and developers. It's about the nature of our reactions to continued and systemic injustices that are perpetuated upon those who have little or no political clout (money to contribute to campaigns), those who have been historically marginalized, or most often ignored, because of race and gender. At least that is the official version for why gentrification continues; then, there is the unofficial version: protests and protesting are a part of the same system that permits systemic injustices to occur. They are completely within the framework of the system, and are welcomed and easily accommodated.
The world never witnessed mass protest like the one that occurred after George Bush Jr. announced that the U.S. and its allies would go to war with Iraq. According to BBC News, between 6 and 11 million (other estimates suggest between 8 and 30 million) people from 60 countries took to the streets denouncing the U.S., and suggesting that Iraq, under the leadership of Saddam Hussein, was the political creation of the U.S. But the point here is the war went according to U.S. plans and there remains, as of March, 2019, five thousand, two hundred U.S. troops in Iraq.
Now I am going out on a limb here, but it's okay because I don't have any sponsors for my blog. It is essentially what I do as a result of my "calling." But protesting, in my opinion, is part and parcel of the pathology of the belief in separation. It is this unexamined and unchallenged assumption that some people (mostly rich white men) have the power to make changes, mostly because they have all the money, and the rest of us, women, people of color, poor folk, must persuade them, or prove to them, through means they have established, that suffering is occurring on their watch. We're talking a few white men, and the suffering of millions of humans and non-humans. What a mind job!
Let's look at Ron Finley, an artist, designer and urban gardener in South Central L.A. Living in a food desert, Finley said that one day he decided that he was tired of getting in his car, driving forty-five minutes round trip to get an organic apple. He looked out his front window and decided to plant a garden on the curb in front of his house. Now, Finley didn't make a call. He didn't ask his neighbors to get together and protest the lack of healthy food or the overabundance of fast foods in their neighborhood. He didn't write one letter to any politician asking for permission to grow a garden. The gardening spaces that Finley eventually occupied remains, today, "illegal" under L.A. city code. But the project has gotten world-wide attention. Finally, Finley "created" the "Ron Finley Project," teaching the South Central Community about nutrition and benefits of growing their own food. End of one food desert.
There are thousands of people, all over the world, like Ron Finley. And it could be any challenge or any chaos, to use Fox's words, that awakens us, such as living day in and day out in a food desert, the pain of living with dis-ease in the body, the pain of observing suffering. But in the end it is always the eternal awareness that we are, that will call to us, amidst the voices of chaos or nestled in the routine tasks we perform or often grapple with, day to day, simply to stay afloat during these challenging times.
Buckminster Fuller was correct when he said, "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
But I would also add that you cannot change things with the consciousness that produced the existing reality along with the need to change it. And that is what we do when we protest and ask "them" to change how this planet operates. Creating the New Earth is our creative response to the way that this planet is being managed.
Books Quotes Articles	Spring 2019 edition Fi...
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About Akilah
© 2012 - 2020 - Akilah t'Zuberi


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"The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey" Comes to the Englert
Events, Features, Theater and Performing Arts: Eastern Iowa
by Source Staff
James Lecesne (Photo by Matthew Murphy)
From the writer of the Academy Award-winning film Trevor comes The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, the riveting new play written and performed by James Lecesne, directed by Tony Speciale, with original music by Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik.
Absolute Brightness, based on a young adult novel, is about the disappearance of Leonard Pelkey, a 14-year-old boy who dared to be different, and the small New Jersey town that will never be the same without him.
Leonard was an orphan, a cousin who Phoebe never knew she had. When he came to live with Phoebe's family, he upset the delicate balance of their lives. He was gay and confident about who he was. He inspired the people around him. He saw people not as they are, but as they hoped to be.
When Leonard goes missing, Phoebe's family—and her community—fight to understand what happened, and to make sense of why someone might want to extinguish the beautiful absolute brightness that was Leonard Pelkey.
The writer and star of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey poses with one of his toughest Off-Broadway critics, Iain Armitage of Iain Reviews.
Addressing such dark and heartbreaking subject matter, it's a show that "should not, logically speaking, leave you beaming with joy. And yet that's the paradoxical effect of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey," wrote Charles Isherwood of The New York Times, who awarded the play with his Critic's Pick. "BRAVO! … Mr. Lecesne has the channel-changing virtuosity to portray a hardened New Jersey detective, a withdrawn teenage girl, her abrasive but warmhearted hairdresser mom, the British proprietor of a dance-and-drama school, and at least half a dozen equally distinctive characters. Each is drawn with the precision of a fine engraving and a dollop of a great cartoonist's comic expressionism. But Mr. Lecesne is also a writer of wit and keen observational skills, who here unfolds a dark tale that shimmers with needling suspense."
"When I left the theater, I felt brighter. Mr. James … not only was he a really great actor, he's a really good man." —Iain Reviews
In addition to being an American actor, author, and screenwriter, James Lecesne is a LGBT rights activist who co-founded The Trevor Project, the only nationwide 24-hour suicide prevention and crisis intervention lifeline for LGBT and questioning youth.
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey comes to the Englert Theater on Sunday, November 11, at 7 p.m. Contact the Englert for tickets and details.
This one-night special event is co-sponsored by Summer of the Arts and Iowa City Pride; proceeds benefit both organizations.
Zine Takeover at the Des Moines Art Center
Cider House 1949: A Room with a View
Source Staff November 7, 2018
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Wednesday, July 17 • The Dollipops. High-energy, interactive concert for…
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On a quest to be healthier and find healthier alternatives for body products, I discovered Castile soap and I honestly fell completely in love. I use it on my hair, face and body. It is a 3-in-1 product and saves me space in the shower.
I recently discovered Dr. Jacobs Naturals and their castile and bar soap and I couldn't be happier. Their scents are AMAZING!!
I received the Castile Liquid in Almond Honey, Peppermint, Shea Butter and their new Charcoal.
And I received their bar soaps in Coco Loco Lemonade, Citrus Crush Cocktail and Minty Cucumber Mojito.
The liquid castile soaps are the miracles. They can be used on your entire body and clean everything perfectly and well, plus you'll be cohesive with scent so you'll smell the same all over your body.
Castile soap is very different than regular soap and shampoo. Shampoo sits in your hair, after you rinse it still leave a residue. But castile washes out CLEAN and your hair will not feel silky smooth at all, but this is GOOD!! Your hair will finally be cleansed of buildup and will be the hair it should be.
And your hair will likely be more greasy, but again, this is GOOD as most people overproduce oil (and our shampoo causes this).
But over time your hair will be gorgeous and lustrous and will feel smoother. I promise, but give it a few weeks!! Don't give up!!
My favorite has been the Almond Honey, but also the Charcoal as it's good for cleansing of toxins.
The bar soaps are awesome because they are loofah exfoliating castile soap bars.
Again they will wash and rinse clean so your skin may feel 'grippy' (best I can describe) and not silky smooth, but once you're dried off you'll feel fine and it's more moisturizing to your skin than traditional soaps are. They can be drying, but castile doesn't do that.
I'm in love with all my new products and am confident that I'm using the best possible products for my body/hair and health!
Castile: Citrus, Coconut, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rose, Sweet Tea Tree and Unscented.
I love using Castile soap. I put it in my foaming soap dispenser. I know I would love Dr. Jacobs products. The scents seem wonderful.


Fabulous location for this 1273 sq ft Rancher plus 524 sq ft Studio/Office! This 2 bed, 2 bath home is easy care on a single-level. The bright kitchen has wood cabinetry & large pass-through to the family room with vaulted ceiling & skylights, and a natural gas fireplace insert. Both rooms access the outdoor patio & secluded, fully fenced, south facing yard. The Master bed has 3 pc ensuite with skylight, glassed shower & spacious open closet area. The living room features a mantled, natural gas fireplace & California blinds. Well laid out, open floor plan, bright & welcoming, this home flows! The Office/Studio has 100amp service on a separate meter. Full of light, with 2 enclosed office/studio spaces, a 3 pc bath, new fully functional kitchenette and seating area, you will be amazed! Can't forget the 1 car garage and home heating & cooling supported by the heat pump. This .2 acre property is in an ideal location in downtown Parksville, just steps away to the beach & all amenities.


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The History of the NYSFRW!
The New York State Federation of Republican Women encompasses all 62 Counties, informing and involving Republican women, and providing grassroots support of the Republican Party, its candidates and electeds throughout the state. Many of our members are candidates and electeds, most receiving their political knowledge and experience through their involvement in federated Clubs.
While the New York State Federation of Republican Women has been so named since 1937, its roots reach back to May 1919 when the New York State Party Chairman called a meeting of 19 women representing different parts of the state to form the Republican Women's State Executive Committee . In 1929, the name was changed to the Republican Educational League. The stated objective was:
"To unite all Republican women for work in general for the Party."
With a goal of working for and supporting responsible leadership in its great state and nation, the New York State Federation currently has 24 clubs.
A New York State Federation Woman of the Year Award is offered most years. It is named in honor of Henrietta Wells Livermore, the first vice chair of the New York Republican State Committee. She gained her political initiation in the suffrage movement pre-dating the vote.
The New York State Federation of Republican Women advocates crucial issues to positively impact our nation, strengthen our Republican Party through recruiting and training candidates, and empower women of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds in the political process. We believe our strength comes from diversity of opinion, experience and culture.
The National Federation of Republican Women is one of the largest and most influential women's political organizations in the country with a grassroots membership of 100,000 women and 1,800 local units nationwide. We advocate crucial issues to positively impact our nation, strengthen our Republican Party through recruiting and training candidates, and empower women of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds in the political process. We believe our strength comes from diversity of opinion, experience and culture.
Founded in 1938, the NFRW is a grassroots organization with 100,000 members and 1,800 local units nationwide. Members come together as a collective force to advance the power of women through political access and participation. Our mission is to help women from all walks of life become players at the political table nationally, statewide and locally.
We strengthen the Republican Party by recruiting, training and electing candidates; advocating the Party's philosophy and initiatives; and, empowering women of all ages, ethnicity's and backgrounds in the political process.
The NFRW Executive Committee is a powerful team of women leaders, each of whom brings unique qualities to the Federation and offers extensive grassroots and national political experience, professional accomplishments, and community involvement.
Access to the programs, information, opportunities and privileges is just one of the benefits bestowed on women who become members of the National Federation of Republican Women - either through their local Republican woman's unit club or through a National Associate membership.
2020 CONFERENCE!
I am a Republican


Chapter Activity submissions are accepted year round and processed at each of the following deadlines.
Activity Topics should describe singular chapter events in one of these categories: Community Service, Convention/ Conference, Fund-raising, Induction Ceremony, Meeting/Speaker Event, Recruitment, and Social Event. Up to three Activity Topics from each chapter may be published per Eye on Psi Chi issue. Additional submissions are welcome and may be "rolled over" to future issues at the discretion of the editor.
Write 40 to 100 words for each Activity Topic submission.
Include activities that have already occurred—no future plans, please.
Attempted solutions to chapter problems are appreciated, both effective and ineffective.
Use complete paragraph form (no calendars or lists) and third person (e.g., "the chapter sponsored" instead of "we sponsored").
Only upload high resolution JPEG images (300 kb or higher, 8 MB maximum per image).
Include captions with all photos.
We will not publish out-of-focus photos or dark images from candlelight ceremonies.
See our recent magazine issues for recent activities!


When will be When the Whistle Blows next episode air date? Is When the Whistle Blows renewed or cancelled? Where to countdown When the Whistle Blows air dates? Is When the Whistle Blows worth watching?
A light-hearted comedy about the rough and tumble world of heavy construction workers. The team also features a female member. The workers have a great time on the job and grab for all fun and excitement that life can offer once the whistle blows.
EpisoDate.com is your TV show guide to Countdown When the Whistle Blows Episode Air Dates and to stay in touch with When the Whistle Blows next episode Air Date and your others favorite TV Shows. Add the shows you like to a "Watchlist" and let the site take it from there.


‡ I'm sure you must be having a wonderful time at this Christmas season. Make sure you keep that happiness in your mind for the rest of the year as well.
‡ This is the perfect time of the year to wish peace, love and joy to one another. These are my best Christmas wishes to you.
‡ Merry Christmas my dear friend. I believe you may feel the love on this special day.
‡ Christmas is special and spending your time with loved ones can make it even more special! Make you sure have it!


Christopher H. Bovis, JD, MPhil, LLM, FRSA, H.K. Bevan Chair in Law, Professor of European Business Law, University of Hull.
European States are changing their role and their responsibilities in the process of delivering public services. Recent developments have shown that public services require state intervention for their provision, organization, and delivery. Public services often emerge and interface in a sui generis marketplace that does not correspond to private markets. This axiom implies the relative inability of anti-trust law and policy to regulate this marketplace, alongside an overwhelming need for safeguarding the principles of transparency and accountability. The aforementioned principles underpin modern EU public sector governance. The notion of partnerships in delivering public services has been gaining intellectual credibility and has been attracting regulatory momentum over the last decade. This Article focuses on the conceptual insights of instruments such as public-private partnerships, concessions, and public forms of cooperation in the format of public-public partnerships and in-house arrangements. The objective is to elaborate on a new era in public sector management in the EU that links the concept ofpublic service with current and future principles ofpublic sector management.


An apartment that is located in a central area in Manama, fully furnished and has various amenities.
This flat is available for rent in Umm Al Hassam area. It comprises 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen and a car parking lot.
The apartment offers a number of amenities to its residents like a swimming pool, sauna, and a steam bath.
The rental price is BHD375.
This property costs 30.0% less than the average 2 Bedrooms Apartments in Um Al Hassam area.


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PCGSD
Mission Statement & By-Laws
Commission Agendas (Opens in a new window)
The mission of the Millersville University President's Commission on Gender and Sexual Diversity (GSD) is to foster a university climate that promotes equity, inclusion, and affirmation for all people representative within the spectrum of gender and sexual expression (e.g. are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender/transsexual, questioning/queer, intersex, allies/androgynous/asexual (LGBTQIA), etc.) at Millersville University. The Commission actively supports policies, practices, and programs that pursue this goal for students, staff, faculty, administrators, and the general public with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
I. Purposes and Functions
A. To explore, facilitate, and advocate ways to ensure equity among all people representative within the spectrum of gender and sexual expression at Millersville University including but not limited to the areas of employment, recruitment, academic life, student life, and academic offerings.
B. To monitor the efforts of Millersville University and to assist it in achieving equity and inclusion with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
C. To advise the President on all matters pertaining to issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
D. To serve as an important partner to the President's Commission on Cultural Diversity and Inclusion and the President's Commission on the Status of Women in areas of shared interest.
E. To serve as a liaison to and supporter of any State System (PASSHE) initiative(s). The Commission shall be responsible for the appointment of representatives to said initiative(s).
II. Membership
A. On or before February 1 of each year, the Commission shall submit recommendations to the University President for appointment to the Commission.
B. Appointment to the Commission is at the sole discretion of the University President.
C. Membership shall consist of a minimum of fifteen (15) voting members—including the Commission Chairperson(s)—with representation from among administrators, faculty, staff, students from the university, and members from the surrounding community.
D. Minimum representation from the following divisions of the university should be as follows:
1. Administration – 2
2. Faculty - 3
3. Staff - 3
4. Students - 3
5. Community members - 2
E. Ex-officio members shall include: the Vice-President of Student Affairs or their designee, the Director of the Office of Diversity & Social Justice or their designee, the Faculty Advisor for the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (Allies), the President of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (Allies) or their designee, a member of the President's Commission on Cultural Diversity & Inclusion, and a member of the President's Commission on the Status of Women. These positions shall be counted as it pertains to provision D.
F. Terms of Membership
1. Members shall be appointed by the University President to serve overlapping terms of three years, except for students and community members, who will serve one-year renewable terms. Student members are eligible for term renewal as long as they maintain their active enrollment status.
2. No member shall serve more than six years in succession.
3. The anniversary date of terms shall be June 1.
4. Should a member resign prior to the expiration of their term, the Commission shall submit a list of recommendations from which the President shall select a replacement to complete the remainder of the term of that member.
5. In the event of chronic absenteeism (attendance at fewer than three regularly scheduled meetings in one year), the Commission Chairperson shall consult with the member to determine whether or not a permanent replacement shall be named. If a replacement is to be named, the Commission shall submit recommendations to the University President for appointment.
III. Officers
The officers of the Commission shall be Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Chairperson shall be appointed by the President for a term of two years. All other officers shall be elected by the Commission and serve for a one-year term, commencing on June 1 each year. Officers may serve for at most 3 consecutive terms in a single position.
A. The Chairperson shall be responsible for setting meeting agendas and conducting meetings, as well as acting as liaison to the University President.
B. The Vice-Chairperson shall assist the Commission Chairperson, and act in their absence.
C. The Secretary shall be responsible for production and distribution of accurate minutes of Commission meetings.
D. The Treasurer shall make regular reports regarding the financial status of the Commission.
IV. Subcommittees
A. The Commission shall consist of the following standing subcommittees with the indicated duties and responsibilities:
1. Executive Committee. This committee shall consist of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Director of the Office of Diversity and Social Justice, and at least one, but no more than 3, member(s) of the Commission at large (selected by the Commission officers). Its responsibilities shall include: budgeting, planning, recommending and reviewing Commission goals and programs; nomination of new members; bylaw revisions; managing social media accounts, and marketing materials; and acting on behalf of the Committee for emergencies between regularly scheduled meetings. The Commission Chairperson shall chair this subcommittee.
2. Safe Zone Committee. Its responsibilities shall include: in conjunction with Human Resources and any other appropriate University Departments for development and presentation of a Safe Zone training curriculum; management of a Safe Zone program and website as well as management of a Safe Zone participant's registry.
B. The Commission shall appoint such other committees as it deems appropriate. In addition, the Executive Committee is empowered to appoint ad hoc task forces as needed.
C. All committee chairpersons must be nominated by the Executive Committee for annual election by the Commission.
D. Each committee must submit annual budget and committee reports of activities by May 30.
V. Rules of Procedure
A. Commission Meetings
1. Regular meetings shall normally be held monthly during the academic year. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or at the request of the President or three or more members of the Commission. The Secretary shall be responsible for assuring that all Commission members are notified of special meetings.
2. A majority of current members shall constitute a quorum.
B. Committee Reports
Each committee shall submit an annual report of its activity by May 30. The Executive Committee shall submit an annual report incorporating all committee reports to the President by August 30.
C. Voting Procedure
1. Motions
A. A simple majority of those attending, providing a quorum is present, shall be needed to pass a motion.
B. The usual method of voting on motions shall be viva voce.
C. After a voice, any member may call for division; this call shall require that the vote be registered by a show of hands and that the count be recorded.
D. Voting by other methods:
1. Roll Call: shall require a motion, second, and a majority vote.
2. Ballot: shall require a motion, second, and a majority vote.
E. Any member may request their vote be recorded in any vote or division.
2. Applicability of Robert's Rules of Order
A. The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the Commission in which they are not incompatible with these rules of procedure.
B. These rules may be suspended by a majority vote of the Commission at any session, provided that the safeguards or rights as explained in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, under the heading "suspension of the rules" shall always be adhered to.
3. Amendment of the Bylaws
The bylaws shall be amended by a majority vote of the members and approval of the University President.
LGBTQIA Campus And Community Resource Listing (Opens in a new window)
MU Preferred Name FAQs
MU Allies (Opens in a new window)
MU Title IX Office
MU Single-Use Restrooms (Opens in a new window)


Like many house hunters, Meaghan and Chris Moe were looking for their new home by browsing real estate listings on popular websites. As luck would have it, one day Meaghan came across a home online that seemed to be just what the couple was looking for, but something was off. "We saw it on Zillow and it was listed at the wrong price," she recalls. Describing her husband as "picky," Meaghan says Chris was looking for a custom-built home and was keeping the option open to build from scratch as well. "But we found this one, looked at it and said, 'This is it,'" she says. After they learned the correct asking price, and after negotiations, the Portsmouth home with a view of the Sakonnet River was theirs.
Meaghan, who grew up in Portsmouth, says the home has a "Southern vibe" with its wraparound porch – the perfect setting for afternoon sweet tea or mint juleps in the summertime. "My husband was born in New York City, but he thinks he's a good ol' Southern boy," she says with a laugh. Though Aquidneck Island is home to Meaghan's family, including her parents and sisters, she does have some Southern roots, which may have also played a role in the couple's fondness for the five-bedroom home.
Unlike many new homeowners, the Moes found nothing they wanted to change when they first toured the home. The kitchen's top-of-the-line appliances, including the Sub-Zero refrigerator, Wolf stove and double ovens, easily wooed the couple, who are both avid cooks but admit to having different tastes. "Chris would make everything wood," Meaghan says with a laugh. "Our kitchen is cherry. It's not my favorite; I would have white, but you have to pick your battles sometimes." Meanwhile, the open floor plan has made entertaining in the home a pleasure. "We just had a party with 60 people. People always end up in the kitchen, but people also used the family room; we have a fireplace there," she says. Food for the party was elegantly set on the couple's custom dining room table, which can seat 16, while the attached living room and dining room allowed a seamless flow of guests to mix and mingle.
Meaghan worked with an interior decorator to create the "Asian beach" aesthetic throughout the living room and dining room. "I didn't want it to be too kitschy, but I wanted to incorporate 'coastal living,'" she explains. She was also inspired by furnishings her grandparents had given her from Taiwan, where they had been stationed years ago. To achieve the look, Meaghan and her designer included various animal prints in furnishings and details, including an antelope-print runner on the stairs.
Though they adore every inch of the house, Meaghan says her favorite room is the master bedroom, which enjoys panoramic views. "You can lie in bed and look at the water," she says.


Stas Chocolatier's Tunbridge Wells pop up shop, Easter sorted.
'The Local View' loves these delicious Stas chocolate eggs.
They're available in a 'pop up' shop in the mall in Tunbridge Wells, or currently at National Trust properties, Knole, Chartwell and Ightham Mote.
Based in Erith, Dartford, Stas are a local business grown out of a passion for good chocolate and over fifty years of experience. Originally importing Belgium chocolates, the Stas family then trained in chocolate schools (Yup, no-one told me about them either…) in France, Belgium and Switzerland. That inspired them in the late '80's to start making fresh cream chocolate and truffles. Initially supplying independent chocolate shops and hotels, they started to supply Harrods. Now their range includes Easter Eggs, Christmas figurines and chocolate novelties supplying John Lewis, Waitrose and Harvey Nichols.
If you're not heading into Tunbridge Wells in the next few days the eggs are also for sale at some beautiful local National Trust properties. Knole House in Sevenoaks, Ightham Mote (near Shipbourne), Chartwell (near Westerham) and the Redhouse in Bexleyheath. Why not combine a sunny day at a National Trust property with your egg purchase?
Groombridge Farm Shop also sell Stas chocolate all year round and Stas have a good website that takes orders. staschocolate.co.uk . All products are made in the Stas factory in Kent and are gluten free.


SEATTLE—The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) announced new inductees into its Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Inductees include author J.K. Rowling, comic book writer/publisher Stan Lee, adventure video game series The Legend of Zelda, and television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The new inductees will be featured in MoPOP's Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame exhibition later this year.
The Legend of Zelda™ is an adventure video game series known for its exploration-based gameplay, mind-bending puzzles, memorable characters, and beautiful fantasy setting. Often cited as one of the first "open world" video games, the franchise includes 19 installments and has sold more than 80 million units.
is a leading-edge, nonprofit museum dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture. With its roots in rock 'n' roll, MoPOP serves as a gateway museum, reaching multi-generational audiences through collections, exhibitions and educational programs, and using interactive technologies to engage and empower its visitors. At MoPOP, artists, audiences and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation and scholarship to the popular culture of our time. MoPOP is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set amid the backdrop of the Seattle Center. For more information, visit MoPOP.org.


How'd the run go? Did you and the shirt hold up OK in the cold?
I am laughing at you tricking your son about New Years last year. How'd it go this year?
Jan--The run went well, but I'm really sore!
Niri--Oh man, he fell asleep right before 11, in front of the TV. I tried to wake him and couldn't. I took him up to his bed, tried to get him out of his jeans and failed. He came up to my room in the morning, furious at me for not waking him up. He was really sad and upset. I was proud of myself for not taking any of his feelings personally, but I felt really bad for him.


text:
A Change in Approach could Resolve Conflict between Vendors and Authorities
Analysis and Comment | Human Rights
Accountability Lab Zimbabwe
The last two decades have seen a severe contraction of Zimbabwe's economy, with agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors suffering mainly from poor policy decisions, resulting in massive unemployment. It is estimated that 90% of the Zimbabwean population ekes out a living in the informal sector, vending in open urban marketplaces. Among these are the municipal markets in Mbare – a low-income suburb of Harare. Mbare is home to the largest informal market place in Zimbabwe, where trading space is expensive and oversubscribed. To create access to the market, informal traders have resorted to setting up illegal stalls in open spaces.
Recently, Harare City Council backed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police demolished vendors' market stalls and tuckshops in Mbare. Demolishing vending stalls and tuckshops has become a regular feature of urban life. This approach has not solved the continued disorder of sprouting informal businesses that subsist in Mbare, nor the infrastructural challenges that arise in overpopulated but underserved urban areas.Government says the demolitions are meant to pave the way for Mbare's massive makeover that will see the upgrading of the area into a state of the art marketplace.
The incidence of demolitions without proffering an alternative marketplace for informal traders raises questions around Harare City Council's effectiveness in managing and regulating public resources, including access to space, as well as raising questions with regards to its capacity to run a well- developed city. Furthermore, the government's plans to renew the area are implemented without consulting the affected community, calling the government's intent into question.
Similar conflicts have emerged in other urban centres with different results. In Goromonzi, a majority of informal sector traders operated from unregistered sites resulting in conflict with authorities and the loss of livelihood. Accountability Lab's partner VISET implemented the CivActs model to promote engagement and dialogue between stakeholders and the affected community. CivActs is a citizen feedback, dialogue and community voice platform to ensure accountability in development. In the process communities select a dedicated group of volunteers to gather information on critical problems, feeding this back to communities and facilitating critical conversations about key local concerns and working with partners to solve problems.
In Goromonzi Ward 16, VISET found that the issue of adequate market stalls was a critical challenge affecting the community. Through engagements with local stakeholders, including the municipality and vendors, the community was able to resolve the issue, with the municipality constructing informal traders market stalls and solving the challenge. Critical to the success of this process has been citizen participation in uncovering the challenge and identifying solutions, as well as engagement with the authorities and power holders.
Unquestionably, the recent wave of demolitions which has resulted in multitudes of vendors losing their goods and access to the marketplace illustrates the conflict over the right to access and use of the city, pitting informal traders against municipal and state authorities. The demolition of vending stalls goes against the principles of natural justice, including the right to an effective remedy, and is a pointed reminder of the excesses of state power in regulating urban planning and informality. The manner in which vendors are removed from their vending sites without the provision of a clear alternative is a flagrant violation of human rights. Section 64 of the Zimbabwean Constitution, highlights that citizens have a right to freely choose a trade or occupation. It is clear that policy intervention is also limited as local government vandalises vending stalls without investing in public infrastructure to ease the emergence of 'illegal' vending sites.
Source: Accountability Lab Zimbabwe
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Following on from a successful week in Dunedin at the SGCNZ National Shakespeare School Production 2018, Ruby Anderson has been selected to attend Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand Youth Shakespeare Company for 2019. This is a company of 24 students from all over NZ selected to go to London in July 2019 to perform on the Globe stage and attend workshops led by world class tutors. Ruby follows in the footsteps of SMC alumni Tigerlily Perry – congratulations Ruby!