The Civic Commons Podcast

Hydraulic fracturing is a complex issue. Is it more like Satan's ploy to ruin the environment or God's answer to structural unemployment?

The Cleveland International Film Festival starts March 22, here's the low down on the cool documentaries.  

When life gives you sludge, old medical equipment and poop...make nature preserves, life saving supplies and energy.  

Sustain or die. Some folks think it's pretty simple.

An earthquake rocked Youngstown, and now everybody wonders if it has to do with fracking. 

Sometimes you want to get up in the grill of certain politicians and shout, "Get over it! Collaborate or get the hell out of the way!" But then you realize that angrily shouting in an elected official's face might just land you on a watch list somewhere. So don't indulge, just take the biblical view of things...as in you reap what you sow. Elected officials who decide to trust and build relationships with fellow pols will increase their support with smart-minded voters like Civic Commons Radio listeners. And will be rewarded both here and the hereafter, or at least possibly reelected for another term or two.

Trash talk isn't just for sports--it's for everybody who ever uses anything anywhere. Because there is no "away" when it comes to garbage, it always has to go somewhere, and how we deal with it is a measure of our commitment to our natural world and each other. So grab your bottles and cans, throw the coffee grounds on the compost heap and join Dan and Noelle as they talk all things trash with bureaucrats, students and an eco-conscious auto mechanic who doesn't like driving cars. Guests: Jenita McGowan, Cleveland's Chief of Sustainability; Ivan Henderson of Cleveland Public Power; Ron Owens, Commissioner, City of Cleveland's Department of Public Service; Sam Bell, owner, The Lusty Wrench and John Carroll University students Caitlyn Falsaco and Chris Razek. .

Fresh off the smashing success of the Civic Commons on-line forum that featured candidates vying to be the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor and citizens who wanted to know what they stood for (www.http://goo.gl/5af5v), Dan and Noelle bring a bunch of new perspectives to prosecute in the studio. Well, really they just had some great conversation. Guests: Jonathon Witmer-Rich; Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Russell Johnson; Richmond Heights City Council, Michael Jones; Breaking the Cycle, Jim Dixon; Citizen's League, Felicia Haney; The Call & Post; Wes Millican; The Akronist.

Back in show #2 we decided that "civility" is an action word, and now, a year later, we take our act to Akron to see some more of it in action. Join Dan and Noelle as they learn about the stellar efforts of Akronites to make their community more civil, more inclusive and more affirming. There are positive vibes bouncing throughout the Rubber City, and not all of it is emanating from the nationally celebrated rock music of Akron's own The Black Keys. But they are helping.

Well, in part 1 we figured out how incubators, accelerators and certain marketing companies create jobs but we're still left with lots of questions. Join Dan and Noelle as they continue on their quest for knowledge about just where jobs come from, and what we all can do to make more of them.

Perhaps this query is not quite as sensitive as the one having to do with reproduction but still...the mechanisms that create actual jobs can be mysterious and complex. This is true despite all the political pontificating about "my jobs platform," and claims to be "the jobs candidate," or even the tried and true, "putting America back to work" declarations. Join Dan, Noelle and Luke in part 1 of an examination of the oh so simple it's convoluted topic of job creation.

Let's start the new year with Another Listen to a wonderful show from last Fall...Join host Noelle Celeste, Civic Commons’ good friend Jill Miller Zimon and nationally syndicated columnist Connie Schultz for a very special show featuring three smart women sharing their personal and political passions. Connie even explains the Jack & Jesus wall found in her childhood home.

The Civic Commons is active civic engagement with an attitude. It is information and analysis delivered straight to the head and heart. Take a listen to Civic Commons' President Mike Shafarenko as he sits down with Dan and Noelle and describes the work and the mission of The Civic Commons. Navel gazing? So what, sometimes navels do need gazing--especially when there's lots of important content to be found inside.

You know, you'd think that after 40 shows we'd have a bunch of brilliant and intriguing interview excerpts from fascinating guests to share with you in one of those "looking back on the year" cliche-ridden programs proliferating during these last weeks in December. Well, we do. Join Dan, Noelle and Luke as they reminisce and 'remember when" 2011 because, well, tis the season.

Civic Commons Radio is all about citizen voices, so we created a regular segment on the show called “Glad You Asked.” Citizens rock the mic with their own short commentaries on just about anything from art & bikes to budgets & zoning. And to a person, they were glad we asked. Here’s a few of the voices of 2011's asking. Mix produced and edited by Luke Frazier and Mark Krieger. Music by Dee Jay Doc.