Greetings Earthlings. On Tuesday it’s day 18 of the Fukushima nuke disaster and a day after the 32nd anniversary of the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown. Why are we boiling water with deadly radioactive material we don’t know how to dispose? This is the real March Madness, yes? Former Valley resident and nuclear activist, Harvey Wasserman calls in with updates and Citizens Awareness Network‘s Deb Katz returns to connect the dots to Vermont Yankee. D.O. waxes poetic with his take on Pluto Rising and we report back on the recent Vermont Yankee action in our E-Valley-uation segment. Time permitting we’ll also have a peak into The Enviro Show Echo Chamber and over at the Fool-on-the-Hill, but first it’s time for…Revenge of the Critters! Whale commandeers yacht, demand passage to new planet! (OK, so we lied about that last part).

“Shut ‘em Down” means it’s time for another E-Valley-uation: was last week’s anti-nuke vigil at Vermont Yankee effective? When will the state shut it down? Post your thoughts on the blog.

This week’s Fool-on-the-Hill is Congressman Ron Paul,(Repugnican,TX), who seems to feel that much of the reaction to the nuclear power crisis in Japan is “overblown”. Paul stated: “Nuclear power is very dangerous, but it is also the safest form of energy we have.” Say what?? Maybe Ron worships the Invisible Hand of the Free Market. That might explain his….er..incongruity?

D.O. is all freaked out about plutonium these days. Just because it’s THE most toxic substance known to the human race and may be escaping into the atmosphere from Japan, why get all worked up about it?? Anyway, he does the spoken word on it.

In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber we bring you a Blog Bonus: Vermont Yankee license renewal? No way! Seabrooke renewal? HA!. So, why is no one talking about how bad Fukushima could be? Also this: Beyond Nuclear asks YOU to act now, but just signing a petition is not enough. Everyone needs to get active. Remember the old saw: “Better active today than radioactive tomorrow”. It looks like Physicians for Social Responsibility is active: they just called for a nationwide moratorium on “new nuclear reactors in the United States and a suspension of operations at the nuclear reactors with a similar design as those involved in the disaster in Japan”. And, get this: Germany set to abandon nuclear energy. Macht den Menschen!

Following our interviews with Harvey & Deb it’s on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 7:00 pm. The Committee for the Leverett Peace Commission sponsors a Community Talk, “Fear or Consciousness: Dare We Change?” with Penny Gill, Professor of Politics, Dean of the College at Mount Holyoke at Leverett Town Hall. In her talk, Penny will address some of the obstacles we have inherited from the post-industrial capitalist structures of our world. These barriers inhibit our confidence in our ability to create the changes we all so long for – a peaceful world, a sustainable economy, and stable climate. Call: (413)367-9520

April 4, 2011, a day to stand in solidarity with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and dozens of other states where well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King gave his life for. It’s a day to show movement. A day to be creative, but clear: We Are One! Call: (413)732-7970

Tuesday, April 5, 6:30 PM plan to attend the public hearing at Duggan Middle School, 1015 Wilbraham Road, where the state will present its draft air permit for the PRE biomass incinerator proposed for Page Boulevard in Springfield. This is the final permit the developers need before they can put a shovel in the ground. Please prepare to speak, submit written comments or just come and show support with your presence which really does matter! Call 455-3829 or 734-4948.

Friday, April 8th. PENTAGON ACTION FOR PEACE “DISARMAGEDDON”. Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia Metro entrance Arlington, VA. Local contact: (413)522-7505

Saturday, April 9, 2011, 12:00 pm “Bring the Troops Home Now!” Union Sq. to Foley Sq./ Broadway and 14th St. New York, NY. Call: 518-227-6947

Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 6-8pm. Bi-monthly meeting of the Springfield-Area Sustainable Energy Association. Topic: Organic Landcare. Hear about a how to care for your lawn and garden using anon pesticide, petro chemical fertilizer approach. Help learn how you can stop the pollution of our waterways and still have a healthy vibrant green space. Western New England College (WNEC), Sleith Hall, Rm S101, 1215 Wilbraham Rd, Springfield. Call: (413) 883-3144

OK then, next time we get back to that canceled on acount a’ snow show: “Shad for a Brighter Future” with Karl Meyer. Until then remember: Listen to your Mother!

Tags: Collectives, Education and Social Issues Collective, Events, Fukushima, nuclear power, nukes, Programmer's Notes, The Enviro Show

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Greetings Earthlings. The Earth has shifted on its’ axis, Japan is not where it used to be, and nukes are melting down. Japan’s NHK broadcaster reports that the cooling issue at Fukushima Unit 2 could lead to the same type of explosion that occurred at Unit 3 on Monday and Unit 1 on Saturday. We think that qualifies for the Ides of March, no? The sins of Old King Coal was to be the theme of this show but life got in the way. Deb Katz from the Citizen Awareness Network calls-in with the latest on nuclear meltdown, radioactive exposure and official obfuscation. The Fukishima Nuclear Power Plant is a General Electric (GE) Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) with a Mark 1 containment, the same type of creaky old nuke as Vermont Yankee. Did we mention that the Nuclear Recommendation…err…Regulatory Commission just granted VY another 20 year opportunity to meltdown right here in the Valley? In any case, we’ll truly have a full house ‘cuz: Jeff Biggers, activist and author of Reckoning at Eagle Creek also calls in from Coal Country while here in the not-so-large studio Peter Vickery joins D.O., Glen & Jean to tie-in that funky old Mt. Tom coal burner looming over the Valley. Peter has been working with Mass Sierra Club in an effort to get Mt. Tom to switch to cleaner burning natural gas. Of course gas drilling comes with its’ own host of ills and in our Enviro Show perfect world we’d rather see corporados in treadmills producing power, but hey, it’s not exactly the 19th century, right? If time allows we’ll tumble into some of our usual segments like The Enviro Show Echo Chamber, the Quote of the Week, Fool-on-the-Hill and whatever, but first it’s time for…..Revenge of the Critters! Yellow sack spiders driving people crazy!

Our Fool-on-the-Hill this week is Rep. John Shimkus, Repugnican chair of the House Subcommittee on Environment and Economy who actually believes the climate crisis exists but that there’s no reason to worry, since God promised Noah after the great flood that he wouldn’t deluge the world again. “I do believe in the Bible as the final word of God,” he said. “And I do believe that God said the Earth would not be destroyed by a flood.” Whew! That was a close one.
Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week is way on theme: “Football is a game designed to keep coal miners off the streets”. – Jimmy Breslin
In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we checkout the biomess over in the UK where some would have you think biomass incineration as an answer to the ills of burning coal for power. Also, Chris Hedges takes the long view regarding empires and the environment. Is there hope that enviros will get it together and have the kind of mass action we’ve been talking about for years now? Rainforest Action Network, 350.org and others FINALLY take the plunge! And this: March on Blair Mountain! Witch side are you on? (sorry). A march to preserve Blair Mountain, abolish mountaintop removal in Appalachia, strengthen labor rights, and invest in sustainable job creation for all Appalachian communities, June 6 to 11. Some good news here: the proposed biomass incinerator for Pownal, VT just over the border has been put on hold. Finally this: a list of Koch Industry products to boycott.

“Which side are you on” that old-time union coal workers tune sung by Natalie Merchant takes us to our interviews. Then it’s on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturday March 19 from 9 AM – 10PM. Equinox and the Making of a Sacred Landscape. At the University of the Wild’s Center, Earthlands There is a deposit for Saturday’s programs, please make reservations to assure your place and meal, at office@earthlands.org

Monday evening, March 21, at 7:00 pm, “COUTDOWN TO CLOSURE and a Green, Nuclear-Free Future” will take place on at the Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St. in downtown Brattleboro. March 21 is exactly one year before the scheduled shutdown of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. All are welcome. Call: (413) 624-8858

March 22, 2011 is World Water Day. Declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993

April 4, 2011, a day to stand in solidarity with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and dozens of other states where well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King gave his life for. It’s a day to show movement. A day to be creative, but clear: We Are One! Call: (413)732-7970

Tuesday, April 5, 6:30 PM plan to attend the public hearing at Duggan Middle School, 1015 Wilbraham Road, where the state will present its draft air permit for the PRE biomass incinerator proposed for Page Boulevard in Springfield. This is the final permit the developers need before they can put a shovel in the ground. Please prepare to speak, submit written comments or just come and show support with your presence which really does matter! Call 455-3829 or 734-4948

Next time: Amherst’s proposed Gateway Project with Mary Wentworth, Until then remember: Listen to your Mother!

Tags: climate, Collectives, Education and Social Issues Collective, Events, Fukushima, Mt. Tom, nuclear meltdown, nukes, Programmer's Notes, The Enviro Show

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The Enviro Show Quote of the Week comes from our own Rachel Maddow: “If the Democrats do not hold together in Wisconsin, then the place that gave us the weekend, the place that gave us unemployment benefits and worker‘s compensation and the eight-hour workday and the 40-hour workweek, and the nation‘s biggest public workers union and one of the first collective bargaining agreements for those public workers, the state that has seven towns named Union, the state that gave us all of that, the state where the Super Bowl champs are collectively owned—it‘s going to be the start of the end of all of those rights for workers that Wisconsin earned for the country. And it‘s going to be the start of the end of the Democratic Party‘s electoral chances in not just the next election but every election the rest of our life times.”

You think this has nothing to do with the environment? Checkout the man behind the curtain! In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we cut right to the chase in Madison: it’s not simply about union busting, about a monstrous power grab and the destruction of the Dems by fascist corporados and their trolls, they also want to privatize state-owned power plants & utilities while they’re at it. Corporate privatization, who knew! Of course, the Imperial Walker and his Wisconsin State House minions aren’t thinking this stuff up on their own. No, these guys are up to their nostrils in a mongo pile of Koch, brothers (and sisters)! AND, the Koch brothers ((big time owners of oil refineries, pipelines, gasoline supply terminals, coal companies, and the Georgia-Pacific Corp!) are up to their eyeballs in climate crisis disinformation. Surprise!

OK now, the dots from Koch have spilled into our Fool on the Hill segment where we find the Man from Koch (R-Koch), Rep. Mike Pompeo (not to be confused with the doomed town, but doomy enough, thank you), introducing an amendment to sharply cut funding for an EPA program that collects data on greenhouse gas emissions. Soooo, Enviro Show listeners, do we recall who was number 10 on the UMass, Amherst Political Economy Research Institute’s Toxic 100 Air Polluters? You guessed it! Koch Industries.

Now, Meet the New Boss: will that hopey changey guy in the White House come to the aid of the workers? How about the planet?? Well, you could petition Obama to oppose a House budget that guts the Environmental Protection Agency and cripples critical public programs, but leaves billions in handouts to the oil companies reporting record profits, but will he (even if you ask nice)? However, please don’t interrupt him while he’s dancing with the bosses in Ohio. That’s the state whose governor Repubnican John Kasich plans to roll back employee pension benefits and collective bargaining rights. The governor who, you may recall, used to be managing director at Lehman Brothers? Surely you haven’t forgotten Lehman Brothers!

Then we have the next big bubble that will put even more of the people in dire straights and impact the biosphere as a result. Word has it that commodities will be the next playground for the banksters and their corporado buddies. Our Enviro Show Blog Bonus takes you to Public Citizen’s action page.

Our favorite corporate power song with Noam Chomsky takes us to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday March 2, 11:45am-12:15pm. DEFENDING THE PUBLIC SECTOR FROM WISCONSIN TO MASSACHUSETTS Rally outside Student Union, 12:15-1pm, All-Campus Meeting in Cape Cod Lounge, UMass Amherst. Sponsored by all the UMass Amherst unions, UMass and Western Mass. SLAP (Student Labor Action Project), Western Mass. Jobs with Justice, and more. Call: (413) 627-5268

Saturday, March 5, 1:00 PM. : Intro to Animal Tracks. Introduction to Animal Tracks and Signs with Naturalist Dawn Ward. Aimed at novice trackers (adults and families with kids age 8 and over), the program will be both indoors at the Leverett Library (exploring Dawn’s extensive collection of animal skulls, etc.) and outdoors, weather permitting, searching for tracks and signs. Supported by a grant from the Leverett Cultural Council. Call: (413)548-9343

Sunday, March 6, 1pm. Save Food for Thought & the Planet! A fundraiser for Food for Thought Books featuring author/activist Brian Tokar on climate justice and genetic engineering. Musician & bardic insurgent Tom Neilson. Also, Ben Grosscup & friends, poetry by some guy from The Enviro Show, entertainment & more! Sponsored by The Enviro Show! Food for Thought Books, 106 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Call: 413-253-5432

Monday, March 7,7pm “Future of the Northampton Rail Trail Network” at the Northampton Friends Meetinghouse (43 Center Street, 2nd floor). More information can be found at http://www.fntg.net

Monday, March 7, 6:30 pm (snow date: Thu March 10). Exit 19 PAC public meeting. Bridge Street School, Northampton. Do you use the Norwottuck Rail Trail? Do you ride on Bridge St. (Route 9) to and from the trail or the Coolidge Bridge? Do you want to see improved public transit along the Northampton/Hadley/Amherst corridor? Please attend this meeting and share your thoughts. Presentations and reports from the PAC are posted here: http://www.interchange19.org/

Wednesday, March 9, 6:30pm. Greening Greenfield’s next Monthly meeting. NESEA offices on Miles St, Greenfield. Call: 413-773-7004

Monday, March 14, 7-9 pm. Talk on MA Clean Energy and Climate Plan. 114 Main Street in Greenfield. What is our state government doing to create jobs, keep money in our state,
and improve the environment? Come hear David Cash, Undersecretary for Policy in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, talk about Governor Patrick’s vision
of the future, and the nationally-ground-breaking Clean Energy and Climate Plan. For info call: (413)774-5667

And we are out of here, into the streets for the (dare we say?) revolution. See you there and remember to listen to your Mother!

Tags: Collectives, corporate rule, Education and Social Issues Collective, Events, koch industries, labor, Madison Wisconsin, pollution, Programmer's Notes

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Greetings Earthlings. It’s just shy of April Fools…umm…Fission Fools Day? Also known as Fossil Fools Day (take your pick! choose both!!). Deb Katz of Citizens Awareness Network returns to The Enviro Show to update us on that God-awful leaky old nuke just over the border in Vermont (did we mention The Valley is just downwind & downstream from there?). Also, we finally get to that E-Valley-uation segment that got away from us last time, and we checkout The Enviro Show Echo Chamber for the news of the week. Did we say “week”? How about the Quote of the Week! We may even get to the Bus Stop Billboard, but first it’s time for…. Revenge of the Critters! Bird bombs Hadron Collider with Baguette!

In our E-Valley-uation segment it’s the old good news/bad news schtick. First the good: you can get rebates for all those old clunker appliances through Mass Save. Sorry, broken down old nukes don’t qualify! The bad comes from Greenfield’s Mayor Bill Martin who seems to think he can qualify the town for Green Community designation while still promoting a dirty biomass incinerator! You might want to contact him and deter him from his folly! Also, please take a moment to sign the petition asking the Massachusetts Legislature to act on the Act to Repower Massachusetts – a bill that calls for a real clean energy portfolio that excludes biomass incinerators! Yes, biomass INCINERATORS, like the wee pellet-burning one now proposed for Pelham……next to the school and library……and another in Greenfield….(groan).

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we replay Evo Morales’ Questions for a Global Referendum on Climate Change. Also, it’s back to the bad news with an international death sentence for the Bluefin Tuna. And speaking of death sentences at the hands of us two-leggeds, how about the deaths of rare tigers at a Zoo in China; you know, the place where they use tiger parts to cure themselves of what? sickness??

Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week is all about those critters we abuse:

“The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not bretheren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the Earth”
– Henry Beston

“The Great Unknown” by our own Dar Williams takes us to our interview with Deb. We have never been so close to shutting that leaky old Vermont Yankee nuke down. What can we do to put it out of OUR misery? Stay tuned!

Lastly, it’s time to visit the The Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday, March 31, Noon. Picket Bank of America! Monarch Place, corner of Main Street and Boland Way, downtown Springfield. The reckless greed of big Wall Street banks helped wreck the American economy, kill American jobs, and divert money away from safe, sustainable energy. Other area BOAs may be picketed as well. Call (413) 732-7970

Wednesday March 31, 4:30 pm. Helen Caldicott returns to Vermont! “In Our Backyard: The Health Risks of Nuclear Power”. Moore Hall, Filene Auditorium, Dartmouth College. Call the Sierra Club, 802- 885-4826

Tuesday, April 6, 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Come see the Greenfield Public Library’s rain garden, and learn how you can beautify your yard or community, while attracting butterflies and birds, restoring streams, ponds, and water supplies, and reducing human health risks. For more information see below or call 774-5667.

Tuesday, April 6, 4:30-5:30pm. Pioneer Valley Planning Commission ABP Bicycle and Pedestrian Outreach Meeting. Conference Room, 1st Floor, 60 Congress Street
Springfield, MA. Contact Bryan Slack at 508-929-3818 Bryan.slack@state.ma.us

Wednesday, April 14th, 11 am to 4 pm. Westfield State College energy fair.

That’s it ’til next time. Peter Vickery returns to talk about that other power plant by Mt. Tom (speaking of shutting down!). Until then, remember: listen to your Mother!

Tags: biomass, climate, Collectives, Education and Social Issues Collective, environment, Events, no nukes, Programmer's Notes, The Enviro Show

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Tags: Collectives, Collectives, Music Collective, valley-free-radio, vfr

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1. Emily Miller and her show CCD from Monday from 2-4 PM to Monday 10:00- noon effective immediately (my mistake on this Monday- didn’t contact her- mucho busy this weekend)

2. TRGGR radio currently broadcasting from WMUA to upload their show and we will play it as automated syndication on Sundays 2:00 PM- 4:00PM

NEW SHOWS:

Andy Sewell- RadioHodgePodge hour show with segmented interviews with local artists and personalities, cultural events and creative audio content. Monday 9:00-10:00 AM beginning January 19th. Selected Arts & Culture collective

Sidra Eisman- Real Estate Radio- focusing on such things as green architecture, energy efficiency, feng shui, music, interior design, together with artist and design interviews. Assigned to Fridays 8:00 AM- 9:00 AM subject to slot remaining open after Sidra completes her training, sit-in’s and volunteer work. Selected to Public Affairs collective

Samuel Bass- Inside The Urban Bottom Line- issues of urban life and culture, cultural dynamics, quality of life issues, education, arts and entertainment. One hour interview and talk. One hour music – R&B Soul. Assigned to Monday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM subject to training etc- see Sidra, above. Selected Arts & Culture collective.

Donn Henry- The Beat Clinic- Hip-Hop from birth to the present. Assigned to 11:00 PM- 3:00 AM Monday, subject to training etc, again, see Sidra above.

Soul Alive- Tabani Abdullah- eddie Kennedy will follow up through music collective.

Parenting Possibilities- Shana Hiranandani- Education and Social Issues- Keeley will discuss with Derek.

POLICY

Programming committee agree that collective individuals need to get more involved with programming duties, as for example, taking on work requirement enforcement and using easy logs software, as well as calling collective meetings and facilitating. In that way the collective will become more of a collective effort as opposed to leaving it all to the programming liaisons.

next meeting February 12th

Tags: Agendas, Arts and Culture Collective, Collectives, Collectives, Education and Social Issues Collective, Latest Station News, Liaisons, Meetings, Minutes, Minutes, Music Collective, News, News and Politics Collective, Programming, Programming, vfr

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Here’s the Enviro Show Quote of the Week: “There is nothing more important in the culture of man [and we'd add: woman]than to resist the dangers of commerce” -Ralph Waldo Emerson. <p>

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we celebrate the end of the road for the <a href=”http://www.grist.org/news/2008/06/03/hummer/?source=daily#comments”>Hummer</a>. Toooo bad! Instead, according to the Washington Post, <a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/02/AR2008060201545_pf.html”>Travelers are turning to public transportation</a>. Meanwhile, the International Herald Tribune tells us <a href=http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=12874048>bike sales are up</a>. AND this from Reuters: <a href=”http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL03622524″>Pact needed to save biofuels</a> (what? Crops for food, not for fuel? How last year is that??) AND finally, though we’re not big Thomas Friedman fans, we can’t help but echo some of the sentiment he expressed in <a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/opinion/28friedman.html”>this piece</a> in his New York Times column. <p>

There it is again! That god-awful theme music. Glen, tell us when it’s FINALLY over! This just in: In a report long delayed by partisan squabbling, the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday accused President Bush and Vice President Cheney of taking the country to war in Iraq by exaggerating evidence of links between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. SURPRIZE! Also, Bush regime crony says goal for rich countries to curb greenhouse gases are <a href” http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0337238320080604”>”frankly not do-able for us”</a>. No? Did you check that with Darth? <p>

Speaking of Darth and the boy emperor,“Petroleum Bonapart” by Jim Page, longtime enviro troubadour, takes us to our interview with George Huber. Word has it that his daughter will be sitting in with us so we’ll try to behave like adults……maybe.<p>

Then we’ll browse the Bus Stop Billboard for the latest:

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 from 7 – 8 PM. CITIZENS UNITED FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE GENERAL MEETING. Toxics Action will be giving a presentation on Zero Waste in the Social Room of the Unitarian Society, 220 Main Street, Northampton (please walk down the driveway and use right side door, the meeting is downstairs). The proposed Northampton Regional Landfill expansion over the Barnes aquifer threatens the public drinking water supply in our area. If it goes forward, it would exempt a landfill in a Water Supply Protection District for the first time in Massachusetts.

Thursday, June 12, 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ZONING ENFORCEMENT APPEAL City Council Chambers & Planning Director’s Office, Puchalski Building and Northampton City Hall Room 10, 212 and 210 Main Street Northampton MA.
5:30 p.m. ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS meets in the Council Chambers to hear an appeal of the Building Commissioner’s decision on alleged zoning violations of the Northampton Regional Landfill and seeking discontinuance of use as regional sanitary landfill. Citizens United for a Healthy Future. Stop the Northampton landfill expansion. www.savingparadise.info

Wednesday,June 18, 7 pm. NUCLEAR POWER: AT WHAT COST? Bangs Community Center, Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA (behind the Unitarian Meetinghouse, Kellogg and N. Pleasant Sts.). The Enviro Show is a proud co-sponsor, btw. Call 256-1760

June 20-21, TAKING CHARGE OF OUR ENERGY FUTURE. UMass Amherst Campus Center, Amherst, MA. The Summit will be a hotbed of activity helping to create a network of thriving local communities – urban and rural – working together across race and class -building a way of life and an energy future that is sustainable and just.

Wednesday June 25. 5:30-7:30pm, ARE “GREEN JOBS” UNION JOBS? Pioneer Valley CLC, 640 Page Blvd, Springfield. Green Jobs are all the rage now – for good reason, especially in Western Mass, where retrofitting buildings could provide a lot of jobs and we have the expertise. But not everyone is talking Green Jobs as Union Jobs and the possibility of Scabby Green Jobs looms large here. A Working Group on the Green Economy will discuss the issue. Info: Jon Weissman, 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org.

So much for this week. Next time it’s Chris Cuomo with some climate crisis observations from way up north. Until then remember: listen to your Mother! ]

Tags: climate, Collectives, Collectives, Education and Social Issues Collective, Education-and-Social-Issues-Collective, Enviro Show, Events, george_w_bush, interviews, News, Nicholson, programmer, programs, valley-free-radio

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If you are programmer and/or member of the station you can now post station news, meeting agendas and minutes, show announcements, play lists, or other program news on the website. AND it’s pretty damn easy. If you aren’t familiar with WordPress or blogging, even you should have very little problem. If you are now blogging on any kind of system, there is absolutely NO reason for you not to be taking advantage of this new resource.

To get started, first watch this video I created to demonstrate the registration process:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Then watch this video (that I didn’t create) on how to write a post:

Click here to view the embedded video.

When you watch these videos you will notice that our system looks different than what you see in the videos . . . it only LOOKS different; there was a major upgrade to WordPress in the last couple of weeks that hasn’t been reflected in the videos. There is little to no change in the nomenclature, just in the appearance and where you will find some of the things. If you have no experience with WordPress it should be no problem (old hacks like me have the problem!).

There are a couple of things you need to know about the VFR WordPress set-up.

First, for your post to appear in the correct places it must have some specific categories selected: Collectives, Collectives > Your Collective, AND Programmer’s Notes. If Programmer’s Notes is not chosen your post will not appear under Programmer’s Notes on the home page, natch. If you are currently a podcaster you must still additionally choose the Podcast category, in addition to the above. PLEASE, if you look at the bottom of the category list and find “vfr” selected, unselected it; it’s the default category and isn’t necessary.

Do not add more categories under any circumstances. For you to further categorize your posts use the Tags feature. You can find more info about Tagging in the video about posting and in this blog post: http://blogs.msdn.com/jmeier/archive/2008/03/10/tags-vs-categories.aspx

If you would like to podcast your program there are some other things we need to discuss and you should contact me directly.

The other thing to note about posting has to do with station news of a more official variety: meeting agendas, minutes, etc. This is stuff that you find under Station News on the home page. If you have such an announcement you also have to choose the right categories to make it appear in the right spots. If you have a meeting agenda you’d like to post you could possibly choose five different categories: Meetings, Meetings > Agenda, Committees, Committees > Programming [for example], and Latest Station News. “Latest Station News” is the kicker in this example; that’s the category that makes the post appear under Latest Station News on the home page.

Other website news . . .

You can now comment on posts and subscribe to have email notification when a post has been commented upon after you comment (there is also an rss feed for the post and comments). These comments are unmoderated at this time, though I have installed 3 different spam filters and turned off “trackbacks” (if you know what those are). I am working on installing a “notify the administrator about this comment” feature if we start to have problems.

When writing posts you can embed either YouTube or Google Videos into your posts; you’ll find the buttons when you start to write a post. BTW, for formating purposes, please keep the video near the bottom of your post (write some text first)

Anyone that begins to post will automatically have their own page on the site along with their own rss feed. If you click on the author name of a post you can find that page.

There is a new logo/header in the works; what you see on the website is not the finished product.

If you have any suggestions or comments please let me know. I’m sure I’ll have other news about the site in the coming weeks.

Tags: Collectives, Committees, Latest Station News, News, programmer, Web, youtube

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Saturday, Nov. 18 – Lunch Money & Uncle Rock will play a live family show at the community arts space Flywheel Collective in Easthampton at 5:00. Lunch Money (http://lunchmoneymusic.com), an indie rock trio from South Carolina featuring members of the Verna Cannon, salutes roller coasters, pet dogs, helium balloons, and dizziness, while Uncle Rock (http://unclerock.com), who toured as part of the Fleshtones, draws inspiration from Woody Guthrie and Shel Silverstein. This family concert is $6 per person or just $10 per pair or family, complete with kid-friendly buffet. This show is part of Flywheel’s “Pancake Mountain” series.

For more information, and more about upcoming family music events, visit the show’s website at http://sparetherock.com or listen on Saturday mornings from 8 to 10 on Valley Free Radio 103.3. Flywheel is online at http://flywheelarts.org.

Tags: Childrens, Collectives, Collectives, Events, Events, free_radio, great_music, Latest Station News, Latest Station News, Music Collective

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PLEASE RETURN THEM!

And when checking them out, please leave your name, dates you will have the recorders, and contact information on the signout sheets posted on the side of the shelves where the kits reside–even if the signout sheets are dated! (ie even if the sheets are for August, just add your signout information to the margins.)

Being a non-hierarchical, democratic organization provides rights (use of equipment) accompanied by responsibilities (signout equipment, return it in good time for others to use), including holding ourselves and each other accountable. Please breath life into the wonderful spirit of VFR’s vision!

Tags: Collectives, Collectives, Latest Station News, Latest Station News, Site-Tech, Site-Tech

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With new music from Robbi K, Miles of Smiles, and more!

Tags: Childrens, Collectives, Collectives, Music Collective, Podcast, Podcast

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The Valley War Bulletin (August 2006) has a couple of articles of note: “Finding Freedom at 103.3″ are brief interviews with five volunteers and programmers; there is a re-print of the tribute Tim Scott wrote for Ed Charla on this site; and there is a reflection on the one year anniversary of VFR written by Tim Scott.

Also in the news, Bill and Ella Childs (of “Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child”) were profiled this past week in a Hampshire Life article (in the Daily Hampshire Gazette).

Tags: 103.3-radio, Collectives, Collectives, Dance-Music, Latest Station News, Latest Station News, LPFM, LPFM, vfr, War-&-Peace, year_anniversary

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It has been almost one year since Valley Free Radio has been on the air, and in light of our collective experience and expertise, we make the following challenges and/or recommendations to the Board:

* Enforcement of the Mission Statement and the Program Policies (as they currently read)
o Address violations of the MS, PP and/or other station rules, i.e., drinking on premises, leaving the station in a total mess, etc. (Immediately)
o Clarify station priorities and organize lines of communication with programmers, i.e., send to Programming Committee, update contact info and lists. (As soon as possible)
o Create a plan/model that will foster relationships between white and non-white programmers (by November??)
* Eliminate and/or mitigate competitive and hierarchical structures where possible
o Collective structure and organization
o Station Manager/officer issues
o Email/communication issues
* Board review of programs and schedule
o Survey programs produced by non-whites and whites
+ Develop recommendations, based on this review, to the Subcommittee on Scheduling or whatever body is responsible for revising and/or reviewing the schedule
+ Send recommendations to scheduling committee

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Please note that each VFR DJ is responsible for volunteering at least two OFF AIR hours per month. Until now we have not been intentional about this aspect of the Program Policies. Volunteering two hours per month is a small yet significant way to contribute to the overall health and survival of Valley Free Radio. Your prompt attention to this matter is highly recommended. Beginning in August, each member will be expected to participate in OFF AIR volunteer activities. Missing more than two consecutive months shall result in the loss of ON AIR TIME. Programmers will have the responsibility of logging volunteer hours and presenting their log to the Programming Committee.

VFR depends on volunteers to keep the station running and growing. We invite you to consider the following suggestions for volunteer activities:

• Assisting/leading orientation
• Acceptance/sorting program proposals
• Being a collective liaison
• Joining a working subcommittee
• Adopting a committee task (could be done by a collective)
• Maintaining the bulletin board in the studio
• Making phone calls as follow-up to a meeting
• Taking and transcribing meeting notes
• Facilitating a programming or other committee or collective meeting

Tags: Collectives, Committees, Latest Station News, programmers, Programming, Programming, volunteer

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• Arts and Culture Collective
• Education and Social Issues Collective
• Music Collective
• News and Politics Collective

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