Monday Mailing
Year 24 • Issue 07 30 October 2017 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 12.
Quote of the Week: Always remember that the future comes one day at a time. ~Dean Acheson Oregon Fast Fact: The John Day River has more miles of scenic waterway than any river in the United States. The river's total length is 281 miles.
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2017 Bicycle Friendly State Ranking Here Is Everything You Need To Make Your Conference Calls Not Suck The Power of Introverts – TED Talk How Will 'Really Big One' Earthquake Shake Out? Researchers Run 50 Simulations The 5 ‘Cs’ Of Community Planning Mobilizing Community Partnerships in Rural Communities: Strategies and Techniques Webinar: How does Organic Mitigate Climate Change? - Thursday, Nov 2, 12:00pm - 1:00pm Recorded Webinar: NCI Charrettes + Design Thinking for Strategic Planning and Policy Work The Barriers Stopping Poor People From Moving to Better Jobs Solar Farms Coming to Mid-Willamette Valley as Part of Nearly $1 Billion Development Spree Unified Effort: City, County Collaborate on Planning Codes
1. 2017 Bicycle Friendly State Ranking The Bicycle Friendly State ranking provides a ranking for all 50 states based on four public data sources and a Bicycle Friendly State survey that is answered by each state's Department of Transportation and/or a statewide bicycle advocacy organization. To access the 2017 rankings, click here. 2. Here Is Everything You Need To Make Your Conference Calls Not Suck The phrase many remote workers dread the most: “Let’s jump on a conference call.” That’s because for most, conference calls can be a frustrating and awkward experience. Despite having their mobile or headset pressed tight to their ear, closed off in a quiet room, the remote worker calling in often has trouble hearing the people huddled in the conference room on the other end. “Poor sound in a distance meeting makes it hard to keep concentration levels up and leads to unnecessary tiredness. In the worst case, it can even lead to misunderstandings that have financial consequences,” says Stefan Eriksson, Marketing and Communications manager, Konftel. To access the full story, click here. 3. The Power of Introverts – TED Talk In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated. To access this TED talk, click here. Page 1 of 3
4. How Will 'Really Big One' Earthquake Shake Out? Researchers Run 50 Simulations A University of Washington research project simulates 50 ways an earthquake of epic proportions -dubbed "The Really Big One" -- could shake out in the Northwest. The project ran simulations using combinations of three factors: The quake's epicenter, how far inland it would rupture and which parts of the fault would produce the most intense shaking, according to the university. Such an earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which runs from northern California to British Columbia, would cause widespread destruction. To access the full story, click here. 5. The 5 ‘Cs’ Of Community Planning The source of most conflicts and confusion I see occurring when cities update their Community Plans is due to the confusion over the scale and size difference of a ‘Community’ versus a ‘Neighborhood’ unit. A community is defined as, “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” Many places have different communities inhabiting them, such as an elderly, or arts, or ethnic community living and/or working in close proximity to one another. Even the internet can be considered a place inhabited by many diverse communities. So the scale, parameters, and character of a community-scaled planning effort is difficult to define. To access the full story, click here. 6. Mobilizing Community Partnerships in Rural Communities: Strategies and Techniques This Report describes how rural communities can develop and maintain organizational and community partnerships with local health departments, community health centers, healthcare organizations, offices of rural health, hospitals, and non-profit organizations. To access the report, click here. 7. Webinar: How does Organic Mitigate Climate Change? - Thursday, Nov 2, 12:00pm 1:00pm A groundbreaking study performed by the National Soil Project at Northeastern University and The Organic Center examined just that question. The study shows that soils from organic farms are better at sequestering carbon, effectively locking away carbon in long-term reserves that would otherwise be in the atmosphere. Dr. Tracy Misiewicz will present information related to these discoveries. The webinar will provide a background on the science supporting organic agriculture as part of the climate solution and dig into the methods, results and implications of the new study. To register for this webinar, click here. 8. Recorded Webinar: NCI Charrettes + Design Thinking for Strategic Planning and Policy Work In this 30-minute webinar, Bill Lennertz, NCI Executive Director, shows how NCI is combining the accelerated collaborative charrette workshop process with design thinking ideation exercises to tackle "non-physical" design problems. NCI charrettes typically achieve collaboration by design through the use of architectural and urban design drawing. But how do you achieve the power of collaboration when the problem doesn't lend itself to drawing? How do you get beyond flip-chart brainstorming to more creative exercises? This webinar will show how NCI is engaging stakeholders in strategic planning projects using design thinking exercises that achieve innovative solutions.
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Key Learnings: • The connection between NCI Charrette System™ and Design Thinking • How to leverage the power of NCI Charrettes and Design Thinking to solve strategic planning and policy issues To access this recording, click here. 9. The Barriers Stopping Poor People From Moving to Better Jobs MERCED, California—Seccora Jaimes knows that she is not living in the land of opportunity. Her hometown has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, at 9.1 percent. Jaimes, 34, recently got laid off from the beauty school where she taught cosmetology, and hasn’t yet found another job. Her daughter, 17, wants the family to move to Los Angeles, so that she can attend one of the nation’s top police academies. Jaimes’s husband, who works in warehousing, would make much more money in Los Angeles, she told me. But one thing is stopping them: The cost of housing. “I don’t know if we could find a place out there that’s reasonable for us, that we could start any job and be okay,” she told me. Indeed, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Merced, in California’s Central Valley, is $750. In Los Angeles, it’s $2,710. To access the full story, click here. 10. Solar Farms Coming to Mid-Willamette Valley as Part of Nearly $1 Billion Development Spree A national solar energy company is betting nearly $1 billion on an Oregon development spree, including five new solar farms in Marion and Polk counties. Cypress Creek Renewables, a developer that sells electricity to utility companies and already operates seven solar sites in Oregon, is building farms near Salem, Silverton, Gervais, Turner and Grand Ronde. Cypress Creek, which operates in 15 states, has its largest group of farms in North Carolina, where more than 100 are either operating or under construction, company officials say. To access the full story, click here. 11. Unified Effort: City, County Collaborate on Planning Codes City and County officials have begun working together to improve their code enforcement policies, with both sides saying such cooperation is a change for the better. During a joint workshop last week, the Klamath Falls City Council and Klamath County Board of Commissioners detailed a plan to update their individual codes and, while they’re at it, find ways to make city and county policy more uniform. “They’re two teams working together moving toward the same direction,” said Commissioner Donnie Boyd of the opportunity to combine efforts. To access the full story, click here.
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