Notes from the Electronic Cottage 1/14/21: Big Tech & First Amendment

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

In the wake of what many are calling an insurrection in our nation’s Capital (and Capitol), Twitter, Google and other big tech companies removed the accounts of Donald Trump and others for, in the judgement of the tech companies, fomenting violence. Can they do that? Doesn’t that violate the right to free speech under the First Amendment? There is a lot of confusion about that and about what the law is and is not when it comes to free speech on the web. Let’s start at the beginning and sort things out because we are going to be hearing a lot about proposed laws in the next little while that will affect what we all can – and cannot – say online. Here’s chapter 1.

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Talk of the Towns 1/13/21: Celebrating 30 years of the Waldo County Fund & Maine Community Foundation

Producer/Host: Ron Beard

What were the origins of Maine Community Foundation, its mission and areas of focus
What led to creation of County Funds as a strategy to engage local people both as donors and, with county fund support, as community builders.

How does the county committee concept work in your case… your role with encouraging donors and with identifying non-profit organizations whose work you choose to support.

What is the mission of Waterfall Arts, its current range programs… with stories of program participants and instructors

What are the origins, mission and current programs of Restorative Justice Project, with stories when the RJ approach has made a real difference in the lives of those involved

How do donors and potential grantees make connections with the Waldo County Fund and Maine Community Foundation

Guests:
Mary Leaming – chair of the Waldo County Committee, Unity
Betty Schopmeyer – Waldo County Committee advisor, Searsport, artist
Kim Fleming – Executive Director, Waterfall Arts
Sarah Mattox – program staff, Restorative Justice Project
Leslie Goode – Senior Program Officer, MCF, staffs the Waldo County Committee

About the host:
Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

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BoatTalk 1/12/21

Producers/Hosts: Mike Joyce & Alan Sprague

a)taliskers whisky atlantic challenge and vendee globe updates
b) visit with repair of classic wooden boat
d) jon johnansen has been carefully visiting a few boatyards

guests:
Wayne “Coolie” Rich boat carpenter
Jon Johansen roving reporter

About the hosts:

Alan Sprague a.k.a. Flounder of the Soul Show, has been a programmer at WERU since the glaciers receded. For thirty years at community radio he has worked his way from being an unpaid volunteer to being an unpaid volunteer today, and he says he’s worth every cent of it. In 2003 he and Mike Joyce started the monthly call-in show Boattalk which has become a boating related show without piers (pi). Mike and Alan met many years ago while both were working at the Hinckley Company. Alan was the head service carpenter at the Hinckley skunkworks called Bass Harbor Marine or sometimes Kibbee’s Kennels. He worked there for nearly thirty years and saw yachts of stories to tell yawl. As part of Boattalk they organize the annual WERU Boattalk Cruise in late June for a fun pot-luck trip up Somes Sound, America’s former fiord. Quite cunning Mike and Alan are to work a free scenic boat trip with fine food for themselves.

Mike Joyce bio to follow

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