The
American Psychiatric Association has long held that sexual orientation is not a
"choice," and that lesbian and gay parents are just as successful as their
heterosexual counterparts.
Yet
Judge Southwick disregarded widely accepted science in favor of his personal
bias. This man MUST NOT be given the responsibility to protect the basic
rights of gay and lesbian Americans.
Help protect GLBT civil rights by
writing your Senators today.
If approved to the
Court of Appeals, Southwick's appointment would be for life.
That's why I'm asking you to take action today - and when you're done, please
forward this message on to everyone you know.
From: Human
Rights Campaign,
www.hrc.org
[top]
NEW: Children's Healthcare/Medicaid
By a mostly
partisan vote of 225-204, the House of Representatives passed
the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act (H.R. 3162).
The bill provides $50 billion over 5 years to reauthorize the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and makes significant changes to Medicare and
Medicaid. The legislation will be financed by a 45-cent increase to the federal
excise tax on tobacco products and a decrease in reimbursements to Medicare
Advantage (private managed care insurance). Independent experts have estimated
that Medicare Advantage plan reimbursement rates are approximately 12% more than
traditional fee-for-service Medicare reimbursement rates.
By a vote of
68-31, the Senate passed the
State Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (S. 1893).
Eighteen Republicans and 2 Independents joined 48 Democrats in supporting
the bill. All weakening amendments were defeated. The Senate bill provides $35
billion to reauthorize SCHIP over 5 years and does not include any changes to
Medicare. It is financed by a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on
tobacco products. The President has threatened to veto both the Senate and
House bills as currently drafted. Senate and House Committee staff will do
preliminary work to reconcile the bills during the August recess.
[top]
NEW: Housing
By a vote of
45-23, the House Financial Services Committee passed the
National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007 (H.R. 2895). All
committee Democrats and eight Republicans voted for the legislation. All
weakening amendments were defeated. The legislation will create a dedicated
source of funding for the production, preservation and rehabilitation of 1.5
million affordable housing units over 10 years.
[top]
NEW:
Civil Rights
In a close vote of
225 to 199, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed H.R. 2831, the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 , aimed at
fixing the May 29, 2007 Supreme Court decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear
that weakened protections against wage discrimination.
In the decision, the Supreme Court held that workers cannot sue for the
later effects of past wage discrimination. A district court
had originally found in favor of Lilly Ledbetter,
a 19-year employee of Goodyear Tires who decided that she had been paid
unfairly, and filed suit against her employer. The court awarded her $223,776
in back pay, and over $3 million in punitive damages, but the judge cut the
award to $300,000 because of a 1991 law that limited a company's liability for
damages. Goodyear appealed the decision, and the
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh
Circuit reversed the lower court's decision stating that Ledbetter
could only sue for allegations regarding pay decisions that occurred less than
180 days before her beginning the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
process. Ledbetter then appealed to the Supreme Court that heard the appeal and
ruled against her. The Senate has a counterpart bill, the Fair Pay
Restoration Act. Although the Supreme Court case was about sex discrimination,
the decision, and the pending legislation has broader implications for all
antidiscrimination laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the
Rehabilitation Act. HR 2831 amends the timeliness standard for pay
discrimination claims under those laws as well.
[top]
ND Workers'
Comepensation Review Ccommittee
The ND Workers’
Compensation Review Committee invites injured employees with
compensation-related issues to apply for review of their claims. The Committee
cannot adjudicate claims, but is seeking information that may lead to changes in
North Dakota’s workers’ compensation laws.
Click here for additional
information from George Keiser, Chairman, Workers’ Compensation Review
Committee.
Click here for online
application forms.
[top]
Help Secure Funding for the Independent Living Program, Centers for
Independent Living
On June 7, 2007 a House panel
approved a proposal to “flat” fund the Independent Living (IL) Program, which
provides services that enable people with disabilities to live in their
community and make choices about their own lives. Freedom Resource Center has
not seen an increase in federal funding for four years and in 2006 we had a 1%
cut in federal funding. Currently only 20 out of 87 counties are covered by
Centers for Independent Living in Minnesota; 13 out of 53 counties are covered
in North Dakota. You can help us increase funding for the Independent Living
Program (Title VII Chapter 1 Part C) which will help move us towards statewide
coverage for independent living services in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Please contact your congressional representatives listed below.
If you have any personal
stories on how Centers for Independent Living have affected your life, someone
you know and/or your communities please relay those stories. We have enclosed
talking points if you would prefer to use those.
What do Centers for Independent
Living do for Minnesota and North Dakota?
· We assist in breaking down barriers that
frustrate people with disabilities.
· We are partners in making the community more accessible to all persons
with disabilities.
· We promote personal empowerment for people with disabilities.
· We serve people with all types of disabilities of all ages who strive to
live independently in their communities.
· We ensure that every person has the opportunity
to contribute to the social and economic well being of the entire state.
A strong network of Centers
for Independent Living, along with related support services, will assure quality
community living opportunities for the citizens of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Call, write or e-mail:
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)
320 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5641
coleman.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
<http://coleman.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm>
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
302 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3244
klobuchar.senate.gov/contact.cfm <http://klobuchar.senate.gov/contact.cfm>
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
530 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
conrad.senate.gov/webform.html <http://conrad.senate.gov/webform.html>
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
322 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2551
senator@dorgan.senate.gov <mailto:senator@dorgan.senate.gov>
Congressman Collin Peterson
(D-7th District MN)
2211 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2165
<http://collinpeterson.house.gov/zipauth.htm>
Congressman Earl Pomeroy
(D-ND)
1501 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2611
<http://www.house.gov/formpomeroy/zipauth.htm>
Thank you for your assisting the
Centers for Independent Living in Minnesota and North Dakota.
[top]
3 New Publications from
North Dakota KIDS COUNT
We invite you to access the new 2007 data from North Dakota KIDS COUNT
available in three new publications on our website:
www.ndkidscount.org.
• The 18th annual report on child well-being is now available in the 2007
National KIDS COUNT Data Book released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The
goal of this publication is to provide policy makers and citizens with factual
data for making decisions that affect the futures of all children. This year’s
essay examines the child welfare system and challenges the country to make
lifelong connections for children and youth in foster care a national
priority. A brief analysis of North Dakota data on pages 128-129 in the Data
Book gives a comparison of our state to the national trend data. This year
North Dakota ranks 8th highest in the nation in child well-being.
• The 2007 North Dakota KIDS COUNT Fact Book (published electronically and
available at
www.ndkidscount.org/factbook.htm) provides
state, regional, and county profiles based on seven categories of data
representing multiple indicators of child well-being. A wide range of factors
include population, family composition, economic condition, child care,
health, education, and children at risk. The North Dakota Fact Book
indicators are available on the CLIKS (Community-Level Information on Kids)
website:
www.kidscount.org/cliks. CLIKS offers
trends, graphs, maps and rankings for North Dakota counties as well as for
other participating states.
• In conjunction with the above releases, the new Inform Fact Sheet offering
highlights of both books, entitled "2007 Annual Updates on the Well-Being of
North Dakota's Children." In addition, a new page on our website entitled
"How To Help" is now available.
[top]
Human Services and counties
coordinate cooling assistance for low-income households (Through August
31, 2007)
Please forward freely:
News from the ND Dept. of
Human Services
Contacts:
Ron Knutson, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Administrator,
701-328-4882,or Heather Steffl, Public Information Officer, 701-328-4933 or
701-527-7445
Record
temperatures can be life threatening – especially to individuals with medical
conditions who cannot go to cooled buildings and cannot afford air conditioning
in their homes. In response to record high temperatures, the N.D. Department
of Human Services is implementing a cooling assistance program with the help of
county social service offices.
Eligible low-income individuals with a medical need will receive a voucher
of up to $300 for the purchase and installation of one window air conditioning
unit per household or floor and window fans.
To participate, a household must include at least one individual with
a verified medical need making them vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, and
the household must also meet the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program's
financial guidelines.
A three-person household earning up to $34,459 per year may qualify if
their assets - not counting their home and one car - meet the program
requirements. To apply, individuals should contact their county social
service office.
The emergency cooling assistance program will end August 31, 2007.
Program administrator Ron Knutson said, "States can implement emergency
cooling assistance programs if they have unusually severe weather conditions
such as we are experiencing, and have funding available."
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is funded entirely by the
federal government and typically helps North Dakota households pay for heating
needs. This past heating season, the program served just over
15,000 households in the state.
[top]
The ADA Restoration Act has been introduced.
The bill number is H.R. 3195.
A link to the general info on the bill:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-3195
To see the actual bill:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-3195
There are currently 144 co-sponsors on the
bill. Neither Pomeroy (D-ND) or Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) are currently
co-sponsors. Doesn't mean they won't vote for it, but are not currently signed
on in support. Has been referred to the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
Hope it gets sent to Judiciary.
From ADA Watch:
ADA RESTORATION ACTION CENTER
Powered By ADAWatch.org
After years of being weakened in the courts, Congress is coming to the rescue of
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the bipartisan civil rights
protections signed into law in 1990. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and
Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the ADA Restoration Act of
2007 on July 26, the seventeenth anniversary of the ADA. Senator Tom Harkin
(D-IA) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) have introduced the bill in the
Senate.This vital legislation will restate and clarify the intent of Congress in
order to keep the promise of the ADA. Please take action now to encourage
members of Congress to sign-on and pass this legislation which was drafted with
the support of a broad coalition of disability organizations.
[top]
Job
Opportunity with North Dakota Peace Coalition
The North
Dakota Peace Coalition is looking for a new
Director of Peace Studies-West,
which is a part-time position with possible opportunities for advancement.
It's a rewarding job requiring about eight hours a week, working with
committed volunteers to nurture peace culture in North Dakota. For more
information, please contact the current directo, Karen Van Fossan, at
kivanfossan@yahoo.com or 701-258-6667. If
you or someone you know would like to apply, please send a resume to my email
address. Start date is August 15th. Location is Bismarck/Mandan area.
[top]
Community Organizer position opening with
PEPP
People Escaping Poverty Project (PEPP) has an immediate opening for the
position of Community Organizer. This is a full time, permanent position (40
hours per week +). The starting wage for this position is equivalent to $12.50
and hour with an attractive benefit package of Health Care and paid leave. For more information, visit
www.pepp.org,
http://www.pepp.org/organizer/, or contact PEPP directly.
People Escaping
Poverty Project
116 12th St. S
Moorhead, MN 56560
218-236-5434
To be considered for this position, submit a cover letter and resume
postmarked no later then Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 to the PEPP Hiring Team,
116 12th St. S. Moorhead, MN 56560. Or send the requested information by
e-mail to pepp@pepp.org.
[top]
Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living
seeking applicants
Freedom Resource Center for
Independent Living, a disability rights organization, is looking for an
energetic and organized person to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers for
peer mentoring and civic engagement activities. This person will engage
volunteers to assist the organization in accomplishing its various activities as
well as attending and organizing community events. Preferred qualifications
include experience with disability issues, volunteer coordination, grass-roots
advocacy, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Some computer
application knowledge and travel are required. Letters of application and
resumes should
be send to: Assistant program
director, Freedom Resource Center, 2701 9th Ave. S. Ste H, Fargo, ND 58103.
Position open until filled. Persons with disabilities strongly encouraged to
apply. Contact Scott Burlingame, Assistant Program Director, Freedom RCIL,
scottb@freedomrc.org
or (701)478-0459
[top]
Hundreds of thousands of “War is Not
the Answer” yard/window signs have been distributed across the country.
Concerned families are expressing their support for our troops and for
peaceful resolutions to today’s international conflicts. Now there is real
change going on in Congress. The process is very fluid. Yard signs
everywhere will help to change the political environment in North Dakota
toward peace. “War is Not the Answer” yard/window signs, with stakes, are
immediately available in Bismarck-Mandan from Larry Spears (258-1899).
Please make a contribution of $5.00, if you will, to Bismarck Quaker
Meeting, 15160 Sundown Dr, Bismarck, ND 58503-9206.
[top]
Nonprofit Leadership Program begins in
September
Moorhead, MN.
Minnesota State University Moorhead, in partnership with The United Way of Cass
Clay and the Otto Bremer Foundation, will host a nine-month leadership program
on "The Essentials of Nonprofit Administration" beginning Sept. 12, 2007.The
class meets the second Wednesday of each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the MSUM
campus.
Each month a
different topic is covered, such as nonprofit governance, fundraising, human
resource administration, financial management, marketing programs and services,
strategic planning, program development, legal issues and leadership. Presenters
are academic and nonprofit professionals recognized as experts in their fields.
Program cost is $300 per participant. Space is limited, so early registration is
encouraged. For more information on this leadership program, contact: MSUM
Customized Training Coordinator Kathleen Paulson at 218.477.5051 or
paulsonk@mnstate.edu
[top]
PEPP: Voter Collaborative Recruitment
Why do you care about who is running? Why should we have a voter
collaborative? Why do you vote at all?
We are looking for new folks to help with the voter collaborative. We are
also seeking past collaborative members to join in the efforts for the Get
Out The Vote campaigns and Candidate Forums for the 2007 Moorhead City Council
and school board elections. We will also start to talk about 2008 and
elections happening in June for Fargo and Cass county leading us into the
November elections.
Our first challenge together will be to craft a message that will move even
the most apathetic person out there to at least think about getting to the
polls. If you are interested, please call the PEPP office at 218-236-5434.
[top]
NDHRC & Professional Issues Conference
present: Jennifer Baumgardner & damali ayo
Mark your calendars today! NDHRC
and the Professional Issues conference are collaborating on a conference,
"The Human Rights Umbrella: Removing Barriers to Full Participation," scheduled for
Fri.-Sat.,
Oct. 19 & 20. The conference will feature tracks focused on human rights, GLBT,
disability, and New American issues. In those tracks, presenters will cover
topics such as education, law, diversity issues, activism, health & human
services, and spirituality.
Two keynote speakers!
We’re proud to bring you two keynote speakers for
this year’s conference. First is damali ayo,
a conceptual and performance artist known for her work on contemporary race
relations, who will address our Friday evening reception. Her work spans the
media of painting, web art, performance, sculpture, audio and video.
Jennifer Baumgardner,
best-selling author and
former Fargoan, will speak Saturday over lunch. The author of “Look Both Ways:
Bisexual Politics,” “Grassroots” and “Manifesta” will touch on a variety of
human rights issues, including her work on sexuality, feminism and activism.
Watch for e-mail updates or click
here for details
(updated as information is available).
** Online Registration Coming Soon! **
[top]
NDHRC Presents: Death Penalty Photo Exhibit
NDHRC will be bringing a photography exhibit on the death penalty by Langley
Creations Photography, created in partnership with Amnesty International USA, to
cities in North Dakota in 2007 and 2008. The first exhibit will be at the
North Dakota State University Memorial Union Gallery in Fargo, during our
annual human rights conference in October, 2007. We’ll ask people knowledgeable
about the death penalty to conduct presentations during the exhibits; Judge
Ralph R. Erickson, the U.S. District Court Judge who presided over the trial
of Alfonso Rodriguez will speak at NDSU in Fargo in October.
* NDSU Memorial Union Gallery, Fargo: October 17-21; Judge Erickson will
speak October 17 (time TBA)
[top]
NEW: 'Streamlining the Mortgage
Approval Process in Indian Country'
The workshop, will be taking place on Thursday,
August 23rd, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at
the Ramkota
Best Western Hotel (2111 North LaCrosse Street, Rapid City, South Dakota).
The BIA, HUD, and USDA will be exploring ways to improve the loan and leasehold
approval process on Indian reservations by examining the primary reasons for
loan delays and considering methods to address them.
The workshop is free of charge - if you
haven't already registered, please consider attending what is intended to be an
informative and productive session. We would also like to encourage you to
spread the word to people in your networks who may be able to contribute to, and
benefit from, the workshop.
Find out additional information about
the workshop, as well as register for it, by clicking on one of the links below:
http://www.frbsf.org/community/resources/events.html
or http://web.memberclicks.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=48943&orgId=cddfrb
[top]
North Dakota Disabilities Advocacy Consortium Conferece
UPDATE: Congressman Pomeroy has
committed to opening the NDDAC conference at 1:00 PM on Monday August 20.
**Stipend available for registration & lodging.**
Will be held August 20-21 in
Bismarck in coordination with the Road to Freedom Tour to celebrate
passage of ADA. The brochure and registration info is at:
http://www.ndfhc.org/Events/2007%20NDDAC%20Conf.%20Brochure-Forms.PDF
The third annual North Dakota
Disabilities Advocacy Consortium Conference will be held at the Kelly Inn on
Monday and Tuesday, August 20 and 21 in Bismarck. Breakout sessions
include representatives from Fair Housing of the Dakotas, Family Voices, North
Dakota Homeland Security, AARP, ND Centers for Persons with Disabilities and
more. Stipends are available for individuals with disabilities. For more
information or to register, call 1-877-766-6907 or 701-328-3924 or e-mail
jimmoench@nddac.org
Find links to information below:
Dakota Disabilities Issues Brochure with Registration Form
Application for Stipends
Application to Exhibit
Registration Form
[top]
CHARISM is hosting a seminar called
“Caring for Torture Survivors: Building Networks of Support” on
Thursday, August 23rd from 8:30am-4:30pm. The seminar will be at
the Fargo Holiday Inn (I-29 & 13th Ave.-Fargo, ND), and has the capacity
to seat as many as 150 people and up. Please help us to publicize this
conference by sharing it with your colleagues, contacts, and friends.
Registration Deadline: August 13th, 2007. Please contact CHARISM
at: 701-241-8570 or cpeplinski@charism.org for additional information.
[top]
Waking the Sleeping Giant - Coffee
Conversations
Because the coffee conversations have
gone so well by allowing people to attend that could otherwise not attend the
large group meetings, we have decided to have some more. Remember, coffee is on
PEPP! We will be moving the work on the community Stewardship fund forward. The
recent news on the proposed Cass county 1/2 cent sales tax increase has added a
different dimension to the conversation. If you can join us for any of the
following dates, please do:
August 21st at 10:30 at Atomic
Coffee in Moorhead (115 4th Street South)
Mission of Waking the Sleeping
Giant: To influence local, state and federal health and human service policy by
strengthening community and uniting Cass and Clay County nonprofits.
[top]
Inaugural 5K Race to Celebrate Life
of Dru Sjodin and Fight Sexual Violence
Proceeds from Dru Sjodin Purple Elephant 5K to
benefit Gamma Phi Beta Scholarship at University of North Dakota
A life will be commemorated and a cause supported at
the first annual Dru Sjodin Purple Elephant 5K Run/Walk on August 18, 2007 in
Pequot Lakes, Minn. The race is intended as a fun, healthy way for the
community to recognize, raise awareness, and uphold intolerance for sexual
violence against women and children in honor of Dru Sjodin's life. Sponsored in
part by Clif Bar, Inc.'s LUNA Bar, all race proceeds will benefit the Gamma
Phi Beta Scholarship Fund at the University of North Dakota, where Sjodin
attended school.
Race
Information and Registration: The race
entry fee is $20 before race day and $25 on the day of the event. More
information and race pre-registration are available at
www.runfordru.com. Cheers to the Bright Spirit of Dru! Shelle Michaels-
(218) 779-7271
[top]
Free Grant Writing Training in Fargo August
28 and 29
Faith based
and community based organizations can learn how to become more competitive for
federal and local grants from instructors with federal and local organizations
at a workshop held at the Holiday Inn, 3803 13 Ave S, Fargo, August 28 and
29. Registration will be 7:30 – 8:30 am with the program from 8:30 am – 5:00
pm the 28th. The day begins at 8:00 am on the 29th. Lunch and
refreshments will be provided at no cost. There will also be training on
securing 501c3 and the organizational structure necessary to secure government
and local funds. This information will prepare you to apply for public,
corporate and foundation funds. Workshop topics will include Grant Proposal
Writing Techniques; How to Access Government Funds; How to Access Foundation
Funds; HUD/SBA/DMF Programs Available to Faith/Community Based Organizations;
Coalition Building; Budget Creation; Working with Local Governments; and
Capacity Building.
This training
is sponsored by Dakota Medical Foundation/Impact Foundation with U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Small Business Administration, and USDA
Rural Development. Space is limited and reservations are accepted until
August 22. If you need special accommodations and/or services please
indicate this on your reservation. For more information contact Oswald at
701-293-2831. Register at
http://wwwhud.gov/event_registration/index_2.cfm?eventID+654.
[top]
FM Funders Sponsor NPO Financial Training
Day September 19
Nonprofits should
Save the Date of September 19. A Coalition of Area Nonprofit Funders is
sponsoring an all day training session on financial programs for Nonprofits in
the area on Wednesday, September 19. The day will feature Kate Barr from
the Nonprofits Assistance Fund in Minneapolis. Topics covered are Calculating
True Program Costs, and Measuring Nonprofit Financial Health. Each
workshop topic will be a half day presentation. The day will begin at 8:45 and
end at 4:30 with a box lunch served during the noon hour. Cost for the day is
$35.00. Save the date now and look for more information in the near future.
[top]
PFLAG National Convention in Washington D.C.
Registration is now open for the national convention.
Register or learn more about PFLAG (Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians &
Gays) at
www.pflag.org. From October 11-14, 2007 in Washington,
D.C., PFLAG National will give you the support, education and advocacy training
that you need to make your goals a reality. Simply put, whether you are just
getting started or are a seasoned leader, there is no better way to gain
valuable new perspectives and powerful tools than to join us this October.
Join us for the 2007 PFLAG National Convention, presented by IBM, to be
part of the family voices moving equality forward.
Early Bird registration rates extended through June 30!
[top]
Minnkota Center GLBT Social/Discussion
Group
The Minnkota Center hosts bi-monthly social/discussion groups that are open to
men who identify as Gay, Queer, MSM, or Bisexual and to women who identify as
Gay, Lesbian, Womyn Loving Womyn, or Bisexual. Groups are held on the first and
third Wednesday of each month at the PEPP Building (116 South 12th Street,
Moorhead, MN).
For more information, please contact Katie at 287-4636 or toll-free
at 1-877-871-4636, or by email at:
katie@pepp.org
[top]
NAACP chapter in ND:
A group out of Grand Forks has laid the
groundwork for a North Dakota chapter of the NAACP. North Dakota is one of only
two states in the United States without a chapter of the organization. Stay
posted for notices of future meetings and events. Right now, the group needs
members in order to get a charter from the national NAACP. The membership is
$30.00, and checks can be made out to, and sent to: Northern Lights Chapter of
NAACP, P.O. Box 12142, Grand Forks, ND 58208-2142. The Mission Statement of the
NAACP: "...to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality
of rights for all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial
discrimination."
[top]
The Arc of Bismarck & The ND
Protection & Advocacy Project staff are collaborating to offer training and
support to groups or individuals wishing to participate in the legislative
process. For more details or to schedule a workshop that includes information on
how a bill becomes a law and how to draft and deliver legislative testimony,
please use one of the contact points listed below to schedule an appointment.
Please share this in your circles - Thank you! 701-258-7949.
joyce@apsimail.com
#
arcbis@midconetwork.com #
tlarsen@nd.gov
[top]
Nonprofits Assistance Fund Launches Blog
A newly launched blog by Kate Barr, Executive Director of the Nonprofits
Assistance Fund, can be found
here . The blog focuses particularly on
nonprofit organizations, large and small, that must work to raise funds each
year. In a weekly one-pager, Kate shares her thoughts and insights on nonprofit
management. The subscription is
free and you’ll find very practical, relevant information on what all
NPO’s face every day to help make your organizations successful.
[top]
The Local chapter of the
national campaign for the creation of a cabinet level Department of
Peace is looking for a few good men and women volunteers, across the
state, to team up to lobby for this bill. Please contact State Coordinator
and District Team Leader Paddy McLaughlin to see how you might become involved
with this powerful bill for peace. Meetings in Fargo at the Center,
every 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month, 8 p.m. Call
701-232-0694 for details.
www.thepeacealliance.org
Local Peace Circle takes place
every Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. at The Center for Peace,
411 11th St. N., Fargo, ND. Please join us as
we meditate on, prayer for and envision the conditions necessary for healing and
peace on Earth. Contact Paddy McLaughlin, 701-232-0694
[top]
UND: Committee works to fine-tune
president job profile
By Joseph Marks, Herald Staff Writer - 08/15/2007
The search committee that will field candidates to be UND's next president
debated Tuesday how to present the issue of UND's Fighting Sioux nickname
lawsuit against the NCAA to presidential candidates ... Committee member Rick
Burgum, president and CEO of Arthur Companies in Arthur, N.D., said he worries a
draft job profile for the president's position overstates the importance of the
nickname to the next president's work.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/?id=47024§ion=homepage
[top]
UND
president hunt eyes nickname
By Joseph
Marks, Grand Forks Herald - Published
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The
search committee that will field candidates to be the University of North
Dakota’s next president debated Tuesday how to present the issue of UND’s
Fighting Sioux nickname lawsuit against the NCAA to presidential candidates.
http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/175101
[top]
Dorgan decries services to Indians
Associated Press,
Published Thursday, August 16, 2007
CROW AGENCY, Mont. – Sen.
Byron Dorgan decried American Indian health services in the U.S. as scandalous
during a congressional field hearing Wednesday, saying care is often denied
unless life or limb is threatened ... “We are rationing health care to Native
Americans,” Dorgan told officials from the federal Indian Health Services
agency. “Stop telling us things are pretty good and tell us exactly what is
happening.”
http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/175187
[top]
Standing Rock money 'a long time coming'
By Tony Spilde, Bismarck
Tribune - Aug 10, 2007 - 04:04:07 CDT
FORT YATES - In a halting, measured
Lakota prayer, tribal elder Vernon Iron Cloud proclaimed Thursday a "Red Day"
down here on the reservation ... That's a very good thing ... Good to the tune
of about $2.5 million ... The quiet old man's prayer was followed by a
boisterous round of hugs and handshakes among a satisfied crowd that
overflowed the large meeting room at Standing Rock's tribal headquarters. Many
of those in attendance received checks on Thursday that they said were a long
time coming.
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/08/10/news/topnews/137563.txt
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Plans for local global market still in works
Melinda Rogers, The Forum -
Published Monday, August 13, 2007
A local immigrant
group has launched a capital campaign to pursue its dream of establishing an
international marketplace in Fargo-Moorhead … The Immigrant Development Center,
a Fargo-based nonprofit designed to assist new American entrepreneurs, is
seeking donations to build a $3 million plaza that will host ethnic shops,
restaurants and other businesses.
http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/174869
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Slope County ‘whitest’ in
country
Associated Press - 08/10/2007
BISMARCK – Jamie Barnes is doing
his part to make the “whitest” county in the U.S. more diverse ... Barnes, 22,
who is part Lakota Indian and part white, moved back to his hometown of
Marmarth in Slope County this spring, after joining the Marines. He brought
with him his fiancee, who is Hispanic, and their young son ... Barnes said he
and his family are likely the only minorities living in Slope County, in North
Dakota’s southwest corner.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=174492
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Talk planned to mark Indian
independence
Forum and wire reports, Associated Press - 08/09/2007
Prem Jauhar will talk about India’s
past, present and future at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Fargo ... The presentation –
“India’s Glorious Past, the Present Struggle and Where is the Country Going” –
will be in the conference room of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service’s Northern Crop Science Lab.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=174403§ion=news
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Please send related news items to
mitchmarr@ndhrc.org
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Rock 102 billboard has
created controversy elsewhere
Brittany Lawonn, The Forum - 08/10/2007
This isn’t the first time
controversy has popped up surrounding a young woman in her underwear promoting
a radio station ... The same KRWK/Rock 102 advertisement in Fargo that has
recently come under fire by some who say the billboards objectify women and
are too risqué also appeared in 2003 in St. Cloud, Minn., and Regina,
Saskatchewan, where they received similar criticism.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=174481§ion=news
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Risqué billboard to remain
– no ifs or ands, but definitely butts
By Brittany Lawonn, The Forum - 08/09/2007
FARGO - The young woman whom some
say is dressed too risqué for a billboard will stay in her underwear hanging
above Fargo streets until an advertising contract ends late this month, a Rock
102 station official said Tuesday ... The decision comes despite efforts by
the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center to get advertisers with KRWK/Rock 102 to call
for the billboards' removal, saying they are harmful to women.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=46395§ion=News
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Board defers Frokjer
decision
By Nikki Voigt, Herald Staff Writer - 08/09/2007
BISMARCK - The North Dakota State
Board of Dental Examiners decided in a unanimous vote Wednesday to defer its
final decision about the professional fate of Dr. Greg Frokjer, a Grand Forks
oral surgeon ... Board members postponed their decision to give them more time
to look over the recommendation from Administrative Law Judge Allen Hoberg. In
his July 20 recommendation, Hoberg said the complaints against Frokjer should
be dismissed and no administrative sanctions should be taken against him.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=46405§ion=News
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Judge says Frokjer's exams
met standard
By Stephen J. Lee, Herald Staff Writer - 08/09/2007
Editor's note: The following story
originally ran July 28 ... The written ruling by an administrative law judge
in Bismarck obtained by the Herald gives a more complete look at the judge's
recommendation that all complaints brought by the North Dakota Board of Dental
Examiners against a Grand Forks oral surgeon be dismissed.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/includes/printer.cfm?id=46407
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VA establishes hot line
to address mental health
By Staff Reports,
Argus Leader -
Published: August 9, 2007
The Department of Veterans
Affairs has established a national suicide prevention hot line to ensure
veterans with emotional crises have round-the-clock access to trained
professionals ... The toll-free number is 800-273-TALK (8255). It will be
staffed by mental health professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Hot line professionals also will work closely with local VA mental health
providers to help callers from anywhere in the country.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007708090340
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Disability education aim of
awareness day
Forum Staff Reports, The Forum - 08/10/2007
“Arc Awareness Day” for The Arc of
Cass County will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at 215 N. University Drive.
Activities during the event include
face painting, a cake walk and learning about disabilities ... Lunch can also
be purchased, and sales will be held at both thrift stores. The Arc is a
nonprofit organization that aims to educate about developmental disabilities.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=174502
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By Dan Feldner,
Staff Writer dfeldner@minotdailynews.com
Golf isn’t normally a game that’s associated with the gleeful laughter of
children, but there was plenty of laughter and many smiles Wednesday evening at
the Jack Hoeven Wee Links Youth Golf Course during the first ever Golf for Kids
with Unique Abilities event ... It is the brainchild of Reed Argent, who sits on
the board of the Minot Junior Golf Association, which is helping to sponsor the
event. Argent said he decided on the name because he doesn’t think of the kids
who participate as having disabilities.
http://www.minotdailynews.com/include/articles.asp?articleID=13412
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Laney: Jail doesn’t favor
single church
Helmut Schmidt, The Forum - 08/10/2007
The Cass County sheriff says a
former inmate’s charge that the jail favors one religion over others is
untrue, and that if other denominations in the metro area want to offer
programs, he’s open to their ideas ... Sheriff Paul Laney said the programs
run by Fargo’s First Assembly of God church are the only faith-based offerings
available for work release inmates. But, Laney said, that’s because the church
has been the only group to step forward to create a secure program with jail
staff. The church provides transportation to and from the jail.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/printer.cfm?id=174477
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N.D. kids on public coverage better off
Erin Hemme-Froslie, The Forum -
Published Sunday, August 12, 2007
Having
health insurance is a key predictor to whether children receive medical care, a
report released last week shows.
That's one
reason why health-care and social service leaders want to see more money
funneled into the State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP).
http://www.in-forum.com/News/articles/174823
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Editorial:
World’s Best Medical Care?
New York Times, Published:
August 12, 2007
Many Americans are under the
delusion that we have “the best health care system in the world,” as President
Bush sees it, or provide the “best medical care in the world,” as Rudolph
Giuliani declared last week. That may be true at many top medical centers. But
the disturbing truth is that this country lags well behind other advanced
nations in delivering timely and effective care.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/opinion/12sun1.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
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WHAT WE THINK: program
deserves support
(Editorials are the
opinion of Jamestown Sun management and the newspaper’s editorial board) , The
Jamestown Sun
Published Friday, August 10, 2007
The Sexual Assault Response Team
is an essential tool in the city of Jamestown that deserves community
support ... The program provides crisis intervention to victims of sexual
assault.
http://www.jamestownsun.com/articles/index.cfm?id=52881§ion=Opinion
[top]
Warden Says Execution Went Off as Planned in S.D.
By Dirk Lammers, Associated
Press Writer - Aug 15, 2007 - 04:03:47 CDT
SPRINGFIELD, S.D. - The warden at the
South Dakota State Penitentiary says the state's first execution in 60 years
went according to plan ... Doug Weber told the South Dakota Corrections
Commission on Tuesday that the state followed good policy and procedures during
the July lethal injection of Elijah Page, avoiding problems that have plagued
executions in several other states.
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/08/15/news/state/137789.txt
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Talk prompts Gibbs trial move
By Brittany Lawonn and Dave Olson, The Forum - 08/11/2007
Security concerns and comments made
on a Grand Forks, N.D., talk radio show have led a judge to move the second Moe
Gibbs murder trial to Bismarck just over two months before its Oct. 22 scheduled
start ... Comments relayed to Southeast Judicial District Judge John Paulson
about what was said on a radio station made him believe the former Barnes
County, N.D., jailer would not receive a fair trial in Grand Forks for the Sept.
13, 2006, death of Mindy Morgenstern.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=174619
[top]
By Jill Schramm,
Staff Writer - jschramm@minotdailynews.com
UNDERWOOD – Michael Grosz was working as an accountant at an Idaho power plant
when he learned about Blue Flint Ethanol near Underwood.
http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=13583
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Web site created for man
convicted in riot
The Forum - 08/08/2007
A Web site has been created for a
Fargo man who says he was wrongly convicted early year of engaging in a riot
while armed at the Red River Valley Fair last summer ... Mevludin Hidanovic,
28, who is serving an 18-month sentence for the felony conviction maintains
his innocence and is trying to get the conviction overturned.
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=174339§ion=Daily%20Update
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