Category Archives: Intentional Communities

The tragic destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in March 2001, which was broadcast across the globe, led to a global recognition of the need to protect cultural heritage at risk.

The empty niches of the giant Buddhas in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan are a perpetual reminder of our duty to protect cultural heritage, and what future generations stand to lose if we do not. Today, these niches are inscribed on the World Heritage List as part of the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley World Heritage property.

Although the destruction of heritage and the plundering of artefacts has taken place since antiquity, the destruction of the two Buddhas of Bamiyan represented an important turning point for the international community. A deliberate act of destruction, motivated by an extremist ideology that aimed to destroy culture, identity and history, the loss of the Buddhas revealed how the destruction of heritage could be used as a weapon against local populations. It highlighted the close links between heritage safeguarding and the well-being of people and communities. It reminded us that defending cultural diversity is not a luxury, but rather fundamental to building more peaceful societies.

Since the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the Afghan authorities and the international community, including UNESCO, have worked tirelessly to safeguard the rich cultural and natural heritage of Afghanistan, which testifies to millennia of exchanges between different cultures and peoples. In 2003, the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley was inscribed simultaneously on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, in light of the extreme fragility of the niches, the lack of a management framework, and concerns over safety and security.

Since then, thanks to solid and lasting international cooperation, more than USD$27 million have been invested in the conservation and stabilization of the Bamiyan World Heritage property, the empowerment of local communities, the revitalization of intangible cultural heritage, and the construction of a Cultural Centre for Bamiyan dedicated to creativity, among other activities. International partners have remained engaged in this endeavor through operational projects, in particular six successive phases of a project to stabilize the niches that were in danger of collapsing. After more than 15 years, the consolidation of the eastern Buddha niche has been completed, while urgent work is progressing to safeguard the western niche, thanks to funding from Japan. This cooperation has also been extended to seven other component sites in the Bamiyan Valley, including caves covered with murals, remarkable expressions of Indian and Chinese influences along the Silk Roads, and Shahr-e Gholghola Fortress, which marks the origin of the settlement of Bamiyan. These endeavors are supported financially and technically by Japan and Italy. UNESCO has also been pleased to partner with the European Union, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland and others on its work on Bamiyan.

An international conference in 2017 highlighted the need for further studies on any possible reconstruction of the Buddhas. UNESCO and Springer recently published The Future of the Bamiyan Buddha Statues: Heritage Reconstruction in Theory and Practice, a collection of scientific papers on this extremely complex issue. When we consider heritage reconstruction, each case is unique, and this situation calls for an approach with a deep respect for local communities. UNESCO and its partners have continued to work on this topic, notably through the "International Conference on Reconstruction: The Challenges of World Heritage Recovery", held in Warsaw in May 2018, which resulted in the Warsaw Recommendation on Recovery and Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage.

Tragically, since Bamiyan, we have seen the further intentional destruction of cultural heritage in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Mali and elsewhere. Yet the international community has not stayed silent in the face of these acts of violence. In the wake of Bamiyan, UNESCOs Member States adopted the Declaration on the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage on 17 October 2003. Following the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Timbuktu in 2012, the intentional destruction of cultural heritage was recognized by the international community as a war crime. In 2016, the International Criminal Court found a defendant guilty of war crimes for the directing the 2012 destruction of mausoleums in Timbuktu, the first such ruling by the court. In recent years, UNESCO, including through its Heritage Emergency Fund, has supported reconstruction and emergency preparedness and response efforts in over 60 countries.

As we mark 20 years since the destruction in Bamiyan, we at UNESCO reiterate our support to the Afghan people and reinforce our commitment to stand together with people everywhere to safeguard cultural heritage as an embodiment of our common humanity.

Ernesto Ottone R.UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture

Originally posted here:

Commemorating 20 years since the destruction of two Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan - UNESCO.org

Id like to thank our City Commissioners for your leadership and unwavering commitment to our city: Vice Mayor Anthony Dorsett, and Commissioners Brandon Smith, Marvin Price, and Joy Smith. I also pay tribute to the past leaders of this city who served with me, for without them there would be no us now. To the members of our City staff familythere is no better team in any City! From the bottom of my heart, it is an honor to work alongside you every day to serve our residents. Your tireless works and deeds dont go unnoticed.

I would be remiss if I didnt thank every healthcare worker and first responder (police and fire) on the front lines of COVID-19. We also recognize in this moment all those in our city battling with COVID-19, and extend our sincerest, heartfelt condolences in memory of West Park residents who have succumbed to COVID-19.

Oftentimes, a State of the City Address is an opportunity for celebration. As we gather today in this, the 16th anniversary year of our founding, I would like to begin by looking back, not for the sake of nostalgia, but for fostering a better understanding of where we are today. Cities do not exist independently of their histories. More often than not, our current hopes and dreams stand in no small part on the shoulders of decisions made in prior decades.

Over the past year, simultaneously we have had a health crisis, social crisis, and economic crisis, yet the state of our city remains strong. We planned and we managed. Although a massive challenge, we are proud to report that during this pandemic we were able to provide Temporary Rent, Mortgage and Utilities Assistance to 53 families, equaling $98,708.56; and Mom & Pop Small Business Grant Assistance which included distribution of personal protective equipment to non-profit and religious institutions in the amount of $26K.

This was a tremendous feat, and we are thankful to be able to bless our residents, small businesses, non-profit organizations and religious institutions in the grand total amount of $124,708.56. Along with this, from April 2020 up until this past weekend, we have been able to feed close to 6,000 families with our free food distributions.

We have progressed immensely in the past 15 years, and the City of West Park is positioned to aggressively advance and continue boldly building our legacy. So now tonight, we get to work! Because our citys future will be set by those coming together to build community and create opportunity.

We are going to be strategically intentional as we continue to build. Today I will share a plan to deliberately focus on three areas: Service, Equality and Empowerment. Focusing on S.E.E. will allow us to keep your needs in mind, ensure we support and serve all residents in the City of West Park, and empower our residents with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in and out of West Park for generations to come for the eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. They are kneeling with hands clasped that we might act with restraint, that we might leave room for the life that is destined to come.

BOLD NEW ERA: SERVICE

There is a hunger for a fresh approach to our most persistent problems. With new ideas, an emphasis on strategic planning, and a commitment to a more transparent, inclusive city government, we can overcome some challenges. As a city, we are here to serve the community in a professional manner. That means our business culture is all about creating peace of mind for our residents. We do this by building a service-minded city by always keeping our residents and business communitys needs in mind.

The pandemic has turned the world outside our doorsteps into a newly formed wilderness.

Public spaces are now areas to be ventured into sparingly, so for most of us our worlds have shrunk to the size of our homes. Since this is our new normal, how might we design our citys tomorrow so that the outdoors doesnt become a consistent no-go zone, but remains a safe and habitable space? Further, how do we provide the same level of service while protecting residents? I am proud to say that we have already made great strides in this area, but we will continue to push the boundaries that have been set for West Park.

West Park is, and will continue to be, a city that delivers high quality public services to all people in all areas. We will work hard to create opportunities for residents and businesses that prioritize community participation and inclusion for all, and make policies and decisions that create a stimulating and enjoyable life for residents. We are looking at how to retrofit our buildings and public spaces for social distancing, as well as creative ways to virtually deliver services. In this bold new era here are a few ways we will provide service:

Safe Reopening of Parks

While we are cognizant that parks are widely recognized as critical for health and wellness, reducing anxiety, stress, and depression, and improving physical health during this public health emergency, it continues to be our collective responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of our residents and city staff. With that being said, we are diligently working to find solutions within our means to fully open our parks in a COVID safe manner. In the meantime, McTyre Park and Mary Saunders Park remain open for you to exercise and walk, Monday through Saturday, 8-10 am and 4 pm to sunset.

Youth Programs

For our youth, we recognize that staying physically active is one of the best ways to keep their minds and bodies healthy. Park access is now more important than ever as our children have transitioned to total virtual learning. Right now we have our virtual after school program that runs Monday-Friday from 2-4pm. We are currently working on developing experiences for the youth that emulate the present and future of our parks and recreation that will develop character and team building. With this in mind, in the near future we will be reaching out and surveying our youth to ensure we meet their needs and further, to include them in the decision making process.

Senior Programs

Senior citizens are of most importance to West Park for without them there would be no us.

We have always taken care of them. We also know that they are our most vulnerable population during this pandemic. Our senior program provides an opportunity for fellowship, it soothes and consoles them, relaxes and restores them, and reduces their anxiety, depression and stress. It is our utmost goal to help everyone, particularly our seniors, get through this as safely as possible.

At the same time, it is critical to take precautions. It is our commitment to ensure our senior citizens are safe, protected, and nourished within our parks and recreation program.

As we navigate through the pandemic, our senior citizen programming will continue to provide virtual experiences for our seniors until we can transition back to an in-person, safe setting. In the meantime, we will continue to provide weekly food distributions, social services assistance, and weekly check-ins.

New Amphitheater

There is something powerful about seeing a dream come to fruition. A year ago, while doing legislative work in Tallahassee, the then commission celebrated an end to a grueling yet fulfilling work week over dinner. After dinner we noticed this massive yet beautiful structure. In awe, we walked around it, sat down in it, we dreamed and planned what we could do in it. We saw the seniors, we saw the youth of all ages, we saw entertainment filled community events and the inter-city/inter-county interaction. To say the least, that night was magical. We saw the vision, now we are making it plain. With childlike anticipation in the coming months, we aim to bring a new dimension to our city with the addition of an amphitheater at McTyre Park.

Economic Development

An unprecedented collapse of small businesses will require new services to help businesses sustain themselves in the near future. West Park will continue to develop programs that support our local businesses. This will be accomplished by providing small business grants, featuring new businesses that come to our city in the Community Newspaper, as well as providing highlights of existing local businesses. Our Community and Economic Development Department will continue to develop creative programs that will attract new businesses, and when they do, we expect our residents to fully show our buying power.

Lastly, to provide growth and development support to our businesses, we will work to restore our West Park/Pembroke Park Chamber relationship.

BOLD NEW ERA : EQUALITY

We all recognize that 2020 was an unexpected year. Through all of the challenges and trials we faced, West Park forged ahead. Through all of it, you have proven that the collective character of our city comprises love, care for our neighbors, incredible resilience in the face of unexpected hardship, and a desire to be a part of making this community stronger and better for generations of West Park to come.

As a city, we will ensure that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. We will ensure that we create inclusive and equitable opportunities for all the residents of West Park. We will harness our growth for the good of all residents and we will make certain that everyone has the same opportunities and receive the same treatment and support.

We Love Our City Lets Beautify Our City!

Your city, your community, your street, your neighbors, all of the places and faces that you connect with, are what make West Park so great. Be a kind neighbor. Be a friendly face. Volunteer your time. Support the city. Encourage others to do the same. And because we love our city and take full responsibility for it, we must keep it clean, safe, and resilient, Block by Block. We expect West Park to be aesthetically pleasing, clean, and safe. The end goal is to make West Park the most attractive city to invest in, work in and live in. We accomplish that by assessing, educating and empowering each other to keep our city beautified.

As residents we need to know what we can and cannot do. For example, are we getting the necessary permitting for work done on our homes, are we putting our bulk trash out when we are supposed to, are we being good neighbors by keeping our property clean, and if we see trash, are we picking it up? Also, if we need assistance, are we asking for help through the Community Benefits Program that assists with minor home repair and tree trimming grants, etc.?

In the coming months, you will be introduced to the Love Your Block initiative which will include incentivizing residents with a Holiday Home Decorating and Community Cleanups amongst other things. It is my hearts desire that every resident from the young to the seasoned will have a grand calling of caring for and loving our city.

Community Partnerships

To improve West Park, to make it a place where residents are healthy, safe, and cared for, takes a lot of work. I do know we cant do it alone. There is an old African proverb that says, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. The issues facing communities today are many and complex and exist on a wide range of scales. But a community partnership is the collaborative answer to address shared objectives. Being a strong community partner is an important role. A partnership is a give and take relationship that leads to long term cooperation and collaboration.

By working together effectively, we can expand our community impact. West Park is committed to partnerships with nonprofit organizations, community groups, churches and businesses whose goals align with our mission, vision, values and that provide additional benefit to our residents. Some of our partners include our area churches; Hispanic Vote; Broward College Broward Up Program; Childrens Services Council for youth afterschool programming; Aging And Disability Resource Center for senior programming; Florida Department of Law Enforcement for safety programs; Broward Community & Family Health Center to keep our community safe; and Florida Municipal Insurance Trust for safety programs.

Traffic Calming

The road to recovery from this pandemic runs along our streets. We will reclaim and reset our streets and do it safely, affordably, and easily, no matter where you live in the city. Without any doubt it is our desire to reduce traffic speed, reduce motor vehicle collisions, and improve safety for residents. To date, we have completed 31 traffic calming projects throughout the city 9 projects in Carver Ranches, 17 projects in Lake Forest and 5 in Miami Gardens.

So many think that the city can just put up a Stop sign or construct speed bumps. But its just not that simple. So that we are transparent, let me share with you the 7 steps involved in this process:

1) Public participation2) Identification of a problem3) Quantification of a problem4) Development of a traffic calming plan5) Approval of a plan by Broward County6) Implementation of the plan and7) Evaluation.

We have done all these, and are at Step 6, which includes securing funding, preparing engineering designs, environmental reviews, and constructing. To date, we currently have 70 proposed projects, 21 projects in Carver Ranches, 24 projects in Lake Forest, and 25 in Miami Gardens. We are continuing to prioritize and locate funding models to fully complete the implementation phase. The abovementioned summary was extracted and analyzed from the Neighborhood Traffic Calming studies performed for each area approximately 8 years ago.

BOLD NEW ERA : EMPOWERMENT

Knowledge is power. The transferring of knowledge from one to another is the essence of empowerment. Knowledge is produced through the exchange of information. Providing knowledge for all residents, and empowering them economically and socially is what we call information exchange. Residents play an important role in this information exchange. We welcome your support at city events and activities, etc. Supporting the entire community will be paramount. Our plan for 2021 and moving forward is an ambitious one. Its also one that I believe will help us shape the future of our city that is full of opportunity, equity and strength. I know its possible, more than ever, because of what I have seen us achieve over the past 15 years.

Information Exchange

Communication has three partsthe sender, the message, and the receiver. Messages can easily be distorted or changed when noise interferes with them. Through information exchange, we are here to cut through the noise and get clear, effective messages across to the residents. We recognize that you want communication thats available, honest, responsive, and genuine. We also recognize that strong communication creates trust in residents. Lastly, your concerns matter. Our hope is that from this day forward all residents will be inspired to become more involved in your city. How can this happen?

We are enhancing the city website to further make it more user friendly, and in an effort to further enhance communication, from today forward, a digital archive of meetings will be available for viewing through the city website which also provides an option to Subscribe / Sign Up For Notifications to get firsthand information alerts via texts and/or emails. Most importantly, the Citys official governmental Facebook page is found under the name The City of West Park. In the near future, every household will receive a Helpful Numbers postcard containing not only the entire Commissions contact info but all departmental numbers also.

As a way to better engage and communicate out to residents, we recommend that residents read the Citys Community Newspaper which is published every other month. Take pride in your newspaper as it includes pictorial features of local schools, daycare centers, the Carver Ranches Boys & Girls Club, church activities, contests, celebrations, local business spotlights, safety tips, the City calendar, and so much more.

Economic Sustainability

When you exit I-95 onto Hollywood Blvd and head west to 441, what do you see? There are banks, gas stations, restaurants, pharmacies, florists, etc. But when you exit onto Pembroke Road, Hallandale Beach Blvd, and you ride west to 441, you dont see that level of development. It is important to know this West Park is open for business! Cities will come back stronger than ever after the pandemic, and West Park will be at the front of the line. And when we do, it will be driven by a new model of growth that emphasizes inclusivity, sustainability, and economic opportunity.

In our efforts to improve quality of life conditions for residents, the Commission has supported several economic assistance programs that benefit residents. Also, our goal is to provide future internship opportunities for college students to learn employability skills right here at home. And the best news is, when this happens, these community benefits will reinvest right back into our community enabling us to help families with other programs such as the Childcare Assistance Grant.

Multigenerational Engagement

Five generations of residents now live in West Park. While there are generational differences, the core need to feel valued and recognized is similar across generations. We recognize the old concept for a new generation may not work with Millennials (Generation Y) nor with Digitals (Generation Z). We recognize you are great entrepreneurs and are extremely resourceful. Not to mention, you are our citys future community builders, business owners, public servants, and families.

My commitment is to engage with you to provide a sense of identity and belonging, create stronger ties for a sense of importance in West Park, and provide an avenue to listen to your point of view to ensure that you know your voice matters. I am open to hear your motivations and share our citys capacity to create better opportunities inclusive of you, with possible activities such as a small business fair/expo.

CALL TO ACTION!

We are in our 16th year of incorporation as a city, and while we are all hoping to put COVID-19 in our rearview mirror as quickly and permanently as possible, may we never forget what we learned about ourselves and each other; may we be cognizant of the COVID-19 aftermath of fiscal storms that will plague West Park; may we become more frugal and vigilant about the future impacts to our budget and address those budget challenges; and most importantly, may we be concerned about the fragility of life and the need to re-dedicate our own to making our City whole, vibrant, and vital.

West Park: Alone, we can do so little but together, we can do so muchso, as we close, and officially celebrate our 16th Anniversary, Id like to share the importance of the number 16.

16 represents the following traits: wisdom, independence, introspection, intuitiveness, analytical, sound arguments, tendency to look for and find answers within from wisdom, demand of itself, self-determination, confidence with inner wisdom, perceptiveness, ability to analyze problems to find viable solutions, intrinsic talent, decisive goals and a desire to pursue them, and solution focused for others.

Biblically, 16 is symbolic of love.

These are the very attributes of a progressive city our city, West Park! As we write chapter 16 together, and when the final page is turned, I want everyone to feel we persevered by uniting as one against any adversity for a citys greatness isnt measured by whats has been accomplished but, rather, by what has yet to be achieved.

For we are stronger together progressing; the winds of change are in our favor. Together is how we build a stronger future. Our city will continue to progress, and because of you we can proudly declare that the state of our city is strong, unified and ready to take on the future!

Let us work together as a team for a city whose legacy we can clearly S.E.E. (Service, Equality and Empowerment).

We are carving a stone, erecting a column, or cutting a piece of stained glass in the construction of something much bigger than ourselves. We are #OneWestPark!

Thank you. May God bless each of you. And may God bless the City of West Park!

Connect To Your Customers & Grow Your Business

See the original post here:

The State of the City address | Miami's Community News - Miami's Community Newspapers

At their March 9 meeting, Internal Auditor Patricia Rosenberg presented the Equity and Inclusion Assessment findings to Asheville City Council.

The assessment began as a request from Black AVL Demands, City Council and the broader community in the interest of transparency, accountability and advancing racial equity in Asheville, and provides a comprehensive overview for the community about equity and inclusion initiatives happening at the City of Asheville.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion was established in fiscal year 2017-2018 as a result of the City Councils goal of an inclusive, diverse community. Many of the offices initiatives have been informed by training and best practices from the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), of which the City of Asheville is a member. This includes deployment of the Citys Equity Core Teams and its use of the Racial Equity Toolkit.

The first initiative was the creation of Equity Core Teams with representatives from most City departments to serve as ambassadors for equity in their departments. According to the assessment, the Equity Core Teams have been instrumental in creating guidelines in embedding equity and inclusion throughout the City through the development of the Equity Action Plan and Equity Budget Tool.

The assessment also noted the Citys use of the GARE Racial Equity Toolkit to incorporate equity into decision making at all levels of the organization. Employees who have used the Racial Equity Toolkit have noted its demonstrable influence in shaping policies and decisions for the City to embrace what is most impactful for Black, Indiginous, and People of Color communities in Asheville (BIPOC). It has been used for the affordable housing land disposition policy, noise ordinance revisions (still in progress), and the Urban Centers initiative, to name a few.

Another advance noted in the report was the Citys adoption of a Business Inclusion Policy, effective January 1, 2021. This policy moves the City from race- and gender-neutral orientation to a race- and gender-conscious one when making contracting and procurement decisions which means being intentional about the use of BIPOC businesses in the procurement of goods and services.

Also of note, the City this year is using Advancing Racial Equity as a focal lens in the 2021-2022 Operating Budget planning process.

The assessment also identified the following recommendations for improvement.:

Incorporating equity and inclusion into daily operations is a process. We will continue to build capacity to expand this work through more policy analysis, training, and practice, said Assistant City Manager Richard White, who is serving as the Interim Equity and Inclusion Director.

GIS mapping through an equity lens is now used to help prioritize equity for sustainability, road resurfacing, and neighborhood sidewalk prioritization. In addition to the budget process, these are other examples of how equity and inclusion are being embedded to better serve our entire community.

Here is the original post:

Equity and Inclusion Assessment presented to Asheville City Council - The City of Asheville

Press Releases

03/10/2021

(HARTFORD, CT) Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is forming a working group with the goal of increasing diversity, racial equity, and inclusion within Connecticuts agriculture industry. Administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Connecticut Agriculture Working Group will focus on engaging and supporting current and future farmers and those in the industry who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

We need to do a better job of supporting diversity and inclusion within all sectors of our economy, including agriculture, Governor Lamont said. We want this working group to collaborate on the barriers that prevent people from entering this sector and create recommendations for what the state and agriculture service providers can do to better support diversity and inclusion within Connecticuts agricultural community.

As Connecticut continues to grow and foster its agricultural infrastructure, its critical that we create opportunities that allow our Black and Indigenous residents and people of color to become farmers and thrive, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. This starts with embracing and implementing initiatives that promote racial equity and inclusion across food and agriculture. Through the launch of this working group, we can ensure that the agriculture field better represents our entire population and we are better equipped to combat food insecurity in our underserved communities. This working group, under Commissioner Hurlburts leadership, will serve as a model nationwide that will encourage other states to commit to supporting policies that allow everyone regardless of their race, age or zip code to make a healthy difference in other peoples' lives by working in the agriculture sector.

Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said that there are significant barriers and issues of access to enter and remain in agriculture, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and persons of color. While there is deep, meaningful work that is being done by community groups, there is a need for institutional support for current and future individuals of color entering professions throughout the agriculture sector, he explained.

"In agriculture, we usually talk about the diversity of our farm commodities and types of production, Commissioner Hurlburt said. While diversity is easily seen at a farmers market or in the field, it is not usually represented by those around the table. Through intentional inclusion of BIPOC individuals and organizations and others, we will work to move the needle towards true diversity, equity, and inclusion in Connecticut agriculture. This initiative will ensure that Connecticut agriculture better reflects our population by identifying resource gaps, providing support for businesses to grow, and supplying a connection to markets. I am excited to launch into this endeavor and know we will make a positive difference.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work Group is a necessary addition to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes said. Across Connecticut, Black residents, Indigenous residents, and residents of color are working to ensure our agriculture industry is robust, resilient, and a driving force in combatting food insecurity. BIPOC leaders in agriculture deserve to be part of the decision making. This working group will ensure their voices are heard. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the chair of the Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee, I look forward to working with the task force on federal legislation to support their crucial work.

The structure of the working groups will be one main working group and five smaller topic subgroups, which will include:

The Department of Agriculture is inviting Connecticut farmers, service providers, nonprofits, educators, and others to participate in the working groups. Nominations must be submitted to the agency by April 4, 2021, and appointments will be identified in mid-April. Nominations are strongly encouraged from individuals of all backgrounds. Working groups will meet monthly, or as determined necessary, for approximately a year and a half. Individuals can express interest in multiple subgroups but will be appointed to only one. To submit a nomination, click here.

Questions can be directed to Cyrena Thibodeau at Cyrena.Thibodeau@ct.gov or Jaime Smith at Jaime.Smith@ct.gov. More information is available at http://www.ctgrown.gov.

Excerpt from:

Governor Lamont Announces Creation of Working Group To Encourage Racial Diversity and Inclusion in Connecticut Agriculture - CT.gov

At the peak of a Virginia summer, the difference between the sun and shade is stark. High urban temperatures can be dangerous in the capital city of Richmond. Trees can provide substantial cooling, pull pollution from air and water, and beautify neighborhoods. But in Richmond and other U.S. cities, the racist housing policy of redlining has resulted in less tree canopy for many neighborhoods with predominantly Black residents, making them now hotter in the summer.

In lower-income areas where people of color live, environmental gentrification is a concern.

Southside, an urban region south of the James River and within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, contains formerly redlined tracts. Through the Greening Southside Project, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is spearheading a multisector tree-planting initiative, hoping to cool the local climate, address longstanding inequities, and reduce water pollution.

A National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant funds CBFs two-year mission to engage locals to plant hundreds of trees at parks, schools, churches, and residences. CBF previously worked on similar initiatives in this area and now taps into a growing local environmental justice movement through community partnerships.

In the 1930s, federal officials marked Black neighborhoods as risky red investments on maps, effectively blocking potential home buyers from receiving mortgages and other kinds of credit.

Underinvestment meant fewer trees and parks were protected or established, and more roads, industrial sites, and paved surfaces were builtincluding in the economically distressed Southside of Richmond, much of which continues to be characterized by vacant buildings and asphalt.

A 2020 study by researchers from Richmond and Portland, Oregon, found formerly redlined neighborhoods are up to twelve degrees warmer in the summer. These once-redlined tracts are now more likely to be lower-income and have Black or Latinx residents, who also suffer from related health disparities.

People who are not within an acceptable distance to [green] spaces are not given the same opportunities to exercise, play, breath clean air, enjoy shade, grow food, and change their scenery, Southside ReLeaf co-founder and lifelong Southside resident Amy Wentz says.

Southside ReLeaf, which organizes community members to address local environmental inequities, is partnering with CBF for Greening Southside. Unfortunately, Southside residents in certain communities suffer greatly from heat-related illnesses at larger percentages than other areas of the city, Wentz says. They also have higher cases of asthma, diabetes, obesity, and other illnesses that lead to shorter life spans.

In 2020, Wentz ran for Richmond City Council to represent the 8th District, where she lives. Her platform aimed to tackle local high rates of health problems and evictions, and to improve food access, and youth and adult education.

Though she wasnt elected, Wentz brought renewed public attention to Southsides challenges and promise. Along with Greening Southside, she is involved with two tourism platforms that feature local Black culture: BLK RVA and the Virginia Black Restaurant Experience.

Richmonds master plan, released in 2020, strongly focuses on revitalizing Southside neighborhoods through investments in streetscapes (including new greenery), transportation, commerce, and housing improvements and expansions. The plan references redlining and proposes to increase tree cover and reduce pavement in the hottest communities.

Along with Southsides racially-motivated lack of trees, the fact that the area lies within the Chesapeake Bay's watershed was a key motivation for CBFs new plantings. Some creeks there are polluteddue, in part, to the extensive pavement and resulting stormwater runoff. These creeks feed the James River and, in turn, the Chesapeake Bay.

Trees can reduce Southsides runoff and erosion, benefiting the watersheda potential win-win for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which strives for clean water and environmental justice.

To zero in on Southside neighborhoods, CBF used the Richmond Office of Sustainabilitys Climate Equity Index map to identify tracts lacking tree canopy, and with more pavement and heat vulnerability. Black and Latinx residents make up 86 percent of the population in the identified areas.

Along with cooling temperatures and improving air quality, trees and green spaces have been proven to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Jeremy Hoffman, co-author of the redlining study and chief scientist at Richmonds Science Museum of Virginia, says, Planting and maintaining new trees is a long-term investment in generating natural air conditioning and other benefits for these neighborhoods.

Hoffman adds that shorter-term strategies are important, too, such as shade structures at bus stops, pedestrian-only areas and cultivating shaded public pocket parks on unused land. And, while tree plantings are not a cure-all for climate changeemissions reductions and other approaches are also essentialresearch continually upholds our tall neighbors essential role in cooling and saving the planet.

Trees are also increasingly recognized as a powerful instrument of environmental justiceAmerican Forests created a Tree Equity Score to guide localities, which also mentions redlining's harmful legacy. But, like most simple solutions to complex struggles, planting trees is not a complete remedy for environmental inequities, and advocates say some greening strategies are more just and sustainable than others.

There are a few ways that tree planting can be equitable, including ensuring that planning follows community lead from the beginning, acknowledges history, integrates tree planting with other investments, and accounts for future climate impacts, says Marissa Ramirez, a senior manager with the Natural Resource Defense Councils (NRDC) Healthy People and Thriving Communities Program, who is not involved in Greening Southside.

Wentz, of Southside ReLeaf, says her organization centers local voices, [especially] voices of the underserved and marginalized communities that often have change happen to them instead of with them. Our neighbors know what they would like to see shaping around them for their benefit, they just need organizations to listen to the already amazing ideas they have. She says CBF has sought to collaborate with community members. That effort does not go unnoticed by our neighbors, and that intentionality is so necessary, Wentz says.

For several years, CBF has worked with Southside communities to establish new trees, rain gardens, and community gardens. Second Baptist Church in the Broad Rock neighborhood now has a fruitful community garden, growing peas, okra, basil, tomatoes, and more. Previously, CBF also offered neighborhood walks and river rides to help residents better understand pollution and local waterways, designated local environmental stewards, engaged neighbors in debris removal and other restoration activities, and funded resident leadership training.

While planning Greening Southside, CBF Director of Outreach and Advocacy Ann Jurczyk reviewed resident input from the citys master plan and conferred with Southside ReLeaf, and Richmond Parks and Recreation. Another partner is Groundwork RVA, a nonprofit with experience in community greening in Southside, which will engage youth in ongoing tree maintenance. Richmond Parks and Recreation, and Richmond City Public Schools will also help care for some trees.

CBF also collaborates with local churches, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and Friends of Swansboro Park, among others. Jurczyk says this Southside Park Friends group was started by moms who live near and take their kids to the park, so as the parks primary users, their voice is a top priority.

But Jurczyk says the pandemic and related city regulations for in-person volunteering are now limiting how much face to face contact we can have with community members. The kickoff was a Zoom meeting instead of a potluck, and the first plantings will take place at a reduced place at the Swansboro Playground on March 13.

Along with Southside ReLeaf, other local groups have emerged to support green equity in Richmond, including RVA Thrives and its umbrella organization, Virginia Community Voice (VACV). VACV, Southside ReLeaf, Groundwork RVA and others have held community conversations about Southside priorities like jobs, transportation, greening and beautification, some of which CBF also attended.

Jurczyk says members of Southside ReLeaf, like its other cofounder, Sheri Shannon, ensure theres a local and known face to the grant among community members who dont know me personally.

VACV is currently drafting a Greening Master Plan for Southside which, according to its website, intends to ensure those impacted by racial inequities are at the center of plans to create a greener and more beautiful South Richmond.

CBF plans to collaborate with VACV for upcoming tree plantings. And, if Greening Southside is wildly successful and [shows] deeper community engagement, improved water quality and a healthier Southside, Jurczyk would love to see CBF apply for a second grant for 2023-2024 that is directly driven by the [VACV master plan], assuming [it] identifies potential greening projects that also improve water quality.

In lower-income areas where people of color live, environmental gentrification is a concern. Community improvements can impact the housing market, leading local residents to be priced out of their homes. The Progressive asked the city of Richmond how it will seek to avoid gentrification, which is already a local issue, and ensure affordable housing near new green spaces.

Sustainability Manager for Richmonds Office of Sustainability Alicia Zatcoff says the city partners with community-based nonprofits to facilitate meaningful engagement with residents who live near these projects, including Southside ReLeaf and VACV. She says the city follows an Equitable Affordable Housing Plan and has an interdepartmental team that coordinates the alignment of affordable housing and new green spaces in an intentional way to reduce inequities by using tools like the Climate Equity Index (CBF also used this index to plan Greening Southside).

Along with CBF, other major nonprofits have their eye on Richmonds canopy; American Forests is partnering with TAZO Tea and singer SZA to launch the TAZO Tree Corps.

This endeavor aims to grow a paid tree planting workforce to help combat climate change and create new jobs in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities of color. It will launch in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and other U.S. cities in 2021, and branch into Richmond in 2022. It plans to partner with grassroots tree groups in each area, which could very well include Greening Southside partners like Southside ReLeaf, Groundwork RVA, and VACV.

Shannon of Southside ReLeaf, who previously worked with American Forests, said the Tree Corps sounds like an amazing opportunity Planting more trees is only part of the solution. We always need community buy-in, funding, and people-power to maintain those trees in the long term. Developing a skilled workforce with members from Black and brown communities is essential in this process.

More here:

A Tree Grows in Richmond: Southside Moves from Redlining to Greening - Progressive.org

Buy Photo

Anissa Weier is seen here being led into a courtroom for her sentencing hearing in December 2017. Weier, who has spent more than three years in a state mental hospital, said in order to become a productive member of society a judge should grant her conditional release.(Photo: Michael Sears/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Anissa Weier, one of the Waukesha girls convicted in theSlender Man stabbing, says she has learned to forgive herself for her role in the crime and wants the chance to prove that she can be a "productive member of society."

In a letter filed with the court at a hearing on Wednesday, Weier, now 19 years old, asked a judge for her conditional release from a state mental hospital, nearly seven years after she and her friend set out to kill a classmate when they were 12 years old.

A decision won't be made until at least another two months after the state and defense have time to respond to reports filed by doctors who evaluated Weier in recent months.

In December 2017, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren committed Weierto the maximum of 25 years to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute after a jury foundhernot criminally responsible for her role in the near fatal stabbing of Payton Leutner, who was her sixth-grade classmate at the time. The crimegained worldwide coverage after Weier and Morgan Geyser said they committed the act to appease a fictional online horror character named Slender Man.

As part of her plea in 2017, Weier agreed she wouldn't request her release for at least three years.

Weier, who petitioned to be released in November, briefly spoke in court on Wednesday when asked two questions by Bohren. Her letter portrays someone who is remorseful, has taken her treatment seriously, and accepted her part in the crime while understanding she isn't a finished product.

"I am not saying I am done with treatment," Weier said. "I am saying that I have exhausted all the resources available to me at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. If I am to become a productive member of society, I need to be a part of society."

Weier's statementswill be used when the state formulates its brief to the court, due by March 26, Waukesha County deputy district attorneyTed S. Szczupakiewicz said.Szczupakiewicz said hehas been in contact with Leutner and her parents on how the state is proceeding.

The defense will then have until April 9 to respond. Aconditional release hearing is scheduled for June 11.

The state and defense don't plan to call on the psychologists and psychiatrists who evaluated Weier to testify on their reports, which Bohren said are "lengthy and thorough."

Maura McMahon, Weier's attorney, said in a message to the Journal Sentinel the doctor's reports "all find Anissa qualifies for conditional release."

"Arguments oftentimes in very serious matters and complicated, sophisticated matters can oftentimes be best presented by written arguments that can be amplified through oral arguments," Bohren said Wednesday.

Bohren must decide whether Weier poses a significant risk to herself or others or ofseriously damagingproperty if conditionally released.

If she is released, Weier would be assigned case managers through the state's Department of Health Servicesthat would provide services to her until she is 37, the length of her commitment. She was credited with the 3 years she served at the West Bend Juvenile Detention Center as her case played out.

If Bohren denies Weier's request, she would return to Winnebago for continued treatment. She would have to wait another six months before petitioning the court again.

RELATED: Here's a question-and-answer on what we know ahead of Anissa Weier's release hearing

Bohren has denied many requests made by Weier and Geyser over the years, including having the case moved to the juvenile court system.

"It was a planned murderby kids," Bohren said at Weier's sentencing hearing. "We can't forget the goal was to kill."

Doctors have testified that Weierwas suffering from a shared delusional disorder that was magnified by her friendshipwith Geyser, who had the early stages of schizophrenia, and their belief that Slender Manwould harm them or their families if they didn't kill someone. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times in a wooded park on May 31, 2014, in Waukesha with Weier telling her to "go ballistic." They told authorities they planned to live with Slender Man in a mansion hundreds of miles away and become his proxies. Police arrested Weier and Geyser hours later on the side of a road.

Anissa Weier, who has been committed for 25 years for her role in the 2014 Slender Man stabbing, said in a letter filed on Wednesday that "I hate my actions on May 31, but through countless hours of therapy I no longer hate myself for them."(Photo: C.T. Kruger / Now News Group)

Leutner was found by a passing bicyclist and survived the attack but would have a long recovery.

"I hate my actions on May 31, but through countless hours of therapy I no longer hate myself for them," Weier wrote. "I have forgiven myself for my participations in those events, and I ask that anyone affected forgive me as well. I have learned that forgiveness is a process of healing that helps release the pain of the past. I no longer want to be a source of pain in my community, and that is why I ask for forgiveness."

Charged initially with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, Weier eventually pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentionalhomicide. Ajury later accepted her insanity defense by finding her not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, which avoided her prison time.

TIMELINE: How the Waukesha Slender Man stabbing case played out over the years

The Slender Man stabbing case, centered on Morgan Geyser (left) and Anissa Weier, has ended. Geyser and Weier were 12 when they were charged as adults after nearly stabbing their classmate, Payton Leutner, to death in May 2014.

Geyser, whoseschizophrenia was diagnosed while she was in jail,reached a plea with the state to avoid a trial.Geyser receiveda 40-year commitment to a state mental hospital.

During a "20/20" special in 2019, Leutner said she doesn't fear for the eventual releases of Geyser and Weier but that she still slept with a scissors under her bed.

"I am sorry and deeply regretful for the agony, pain and fear I have caused not only Payton and her family, but my community as well," Weier wrote.

Weier said when she's released she wants to get "someformof higher education" and that she's committed to her health and using this "negative situation and publicity for something good." She impliedthis could be through helping others with mental illness.

Weier said in her letter she has "taken care of" her mental health by participatingin all aspects of hertreatment, and maintaining 100% medication adherence,though she admits she's far from a perfect person.

"Sometimes I take my medications a little late because life gets in the way. Sometimes I lose my way and down seems up, though only for a short period of time because Ive learned to talk about whats going on so I dont become a danger again," Weier wrote.

ContactChristopher Kuhagen at (262) 446-6634or christopher.kuhagen@jrn.com. Followhim on Twitter at @ckuhagenand our newsroom Instagram accounts at MyCommunityNow and Lake Country Now.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/waukesha/2021/03/10/slender-man-stabbing-anissa-weier-requests-conditional-release-waukesha-county-judge-bohren/4633888001/

Read the original here:

A woman requesting her release in the Slender Man stabbing asks for forgiveness and chance to be a 'productive' member of society - Milwaukee Journal...

Greater Accra Regional Hospital Accra Ghana, photo by Mark Herboth. Image Courtesy of Perkins&Will Share Share

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Whatsapp

Mail

Or

For the architects and designers at Perkins&Will, the profession is full of women who deserve to be celebrated. While gender inequity in architecture remains a serious problem, in March 2019 the firm set out to shift the narrative. For the last three years over the course of Womens History Month, they have highlighted the amazing designers, researchers, managers and professionals who are building a move inclusive world.

+ 30

This year for International Womens Day, ArchDaily is featuring a week of curated content, with exclusive interviews and thought-provoking editorials. This interview features a range of women working at Perkins&Will, including Zena Howard, Yanel de Angel, Pat Bosch, Ming Ming Ong, Gabrielle Bullock and Dahmahlee Lawrence. They each shared their thoughts and perspectives on topics shaping practice today.

Why did you choose to study design?

Gabrielle Bullock: I was drawn to architecture at the age of 12 when I recognized the distinct disparity in living conditions between middle income and lower income communities, particularly communities of color, in New York City. I chose to focus on revitalizing public housing in Harlem as my senior thesis at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Pat Bosch:Being the daughter of architects, I knew I could use my profession as a platform to tell untold stories, effect change, and be of relevance to a society that could be informed and transformed by the power of design. The ability to reflect peoples lives and culture, and provide solutions within an interconnected global platform. Leaving things better than I found them.

Yanel de Angel:I chose to study architecture because I dreamed to be the change I wanted to see in the world. Growing up in Puerto Rico I became keenly aware of the impact the built environment could have on the health of people and the Planet. It was evident that socio-economic disparities and access to education had a direct impact in the health and success of communities. Back then, I did not understand how complex and constructed the equity problem was, but I could see the differences from one neighborhood to the other.

My most concerning priority at the time was sustainability. I spent a lot of energy understanding passive design to live with less use of resources. For example, how daylight could penetrate deeper into space, how could natural ventilation be controlled to provide a pleasant environment and how material health had consequences on people and nature. Today sustainability is important in my work, but equity and access are now layered as a priority because without policies that support change, is hard to get to justice.

Zena Howard:As a child I learned how the built environment profoundly impacts ones quality of life and social well-being. I was intrigued by how design can help create shared experiences and nurture positive change.

What are some recent projects youve each been working on at Perkins&Will?

Dahmahlee Lawrence:I am currently working on a project for the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHoP). The 17-story facility is a Physician and Administration Office Building that will allow CHoP to house many of their physicians in one location while a new patient bed-tower is constructed. My primary role as one of the project architects is specific to the execution of the below-grade, faade, and roof documentation and construction. The nuances of the project allow me to work closely with various Perkins&Will colleagues and an array of consultants, fabricators, and the contractor. Together, we are bringing the design intent to reality. Challenges for me arose during the documentation phase, as this is the most complex faade and foundation I have ever worked on, stretching my limits of using Revit as a design and documentation tool.

Luckily, I had support from my Perkins&Will colleague Helen Gorina, a digital practice manager, who taught me how to use the program in novel ways. This allowed me to provide useable contract documents to our consultants for engineering, fabrication, and construction of the enclosure system. I am grateful for what I learned along the way. The process challenged me, but also taught me how to improve my communication with my internal and external team, even while working remotely because of COVID-19. We are now at a place where the building is out of the ground and we can see the fruits of our labor. While my contribution to this project is a mixture of seen and unseen elements, I am looking forward to seeing its completion.

Gabrielle Bullock:Destination Crenshaw is a free outdoor public art and cultural experience in the Crenshaw District of South Los Angeles: The open-air experience will tell the countless and too often overlooked stories of the social, cultural, and economic contributions African Americans have made to Los Angeles and the world. Unlike traditional museums, Destination Crenshaw will not be contained by walls: It will run along a 1.3-mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard, anchored by permanent and rotating art installations, large-scale murals, sculptures, exhibits, new streetscapes, and 10 new parks. The experience will build on the communitys long-standing reputation as a creative incubator, while dramatically transforming Crenshaw into a global destination for economic growth, education, culture, and American history.

Zena Howard:Remembrance Design, an urban and architectural design process that engages historically under-served and negatively impacted communities to redress painful issues, bridge diverse experiences, inspire resilient communities, and infuse culture into projects. This process embraces cross-disciplinary collaboration as an essential design tool to integrate a broad range of experience and specialized knowledge, such as urban design, public policy, art, history, economics, and anthropology, into the architectural process.

The Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza was created to redress the leveling of a neighborhood targeted by urban renewal. Through a community engagement process that included a group of former church members, we designed a commemorative space that honors the history of Sycamore Hill and gives room for residents to collectively heal and reclaim a piece of that heritage. Towering stained glass walls rise from the ground on the original footprint of the church following the pattern of the original walls, windows, and bell tower.

Nearly half of all architecture students are women, but they make up about 20 percent of licensed architects and 17 percent of partners or principals in architecture firms. What accounts for the disparity?

Gabrielle Bullock:The architecture profession has historically been male-dominated. It is also a profession that is slow to change. The gender disparity we see today is a result of maintaining this status quo over decades. While gender balance may be more easily achieved in academia, it has not fully transferred to professional practice and the board room. It will take a deliberate and intentional focus by firm leadership to recognize and address the systemic challenges women face, including gender pay inequity. It will also require a public recognition of the value of womens perspectives and talent in design and practice. Beyond firms, clients are more diverse than everin age, gender, race, and ethnicityand are expecting their hired teams to be just as diverse. Until we all challenge the status quo and are deliberate and intentional in advancing equity, the disparities will continue to be perpetuated in the profession.

Ming Ming Ong: Many women leave the profession after having children; long hours and demanding responsibilities from our profession can be challenging to balance work and needs of family. Another reason for this low number is the lack of opportunity or being pigeon-holed into limited roles that made work unrewarding. The lack of female mentors/champions also make it difficult for women to get out of their limited roles. Women need to speak up for themselves or put themselves out there and work harder than men to prove themselves in this profession.

Perkins&Wills We Are Women, We Are Here platform shared many great stories from my co-workers, about what keeps them inspired and what keeps them going in this profession. It is great and reassuring to see that a great number of us are (still) here; all of these women are an integral part of our teams, all while having different roles and responsibilities and supporting each other as we create our work together. From within the office, it is easy to forget, overlook, or even connect with the imbalance in our profession as shown in the statistics.

I would also like to share an experience during the construction of a residential tower project at 1700 Webster Street in Oakland, California. During one of the construction coordination meetings with Suffolk Construction, we realized that all the participants in the room were women! That was an empowering moment for all of us. It was also a good reminder for me that there are many women out there. in similar male-dominated professions, working alongside me, who whose efforts may not be recognized or celebrated. I wish women from all other professions could have similar platform to share their stories.

Pat Bosch:Opportunity for growth in the industry, and the acceptance of flexibility and diversity. We dont all need to deliver or grow within the same metrics or imposed structure. The industry should accept a more diverse definition of success, growth, and leadership. As an industry, we are still bound by old-school conventions and perceptions. It seems womens best course for success is often to have their own business with their own name on the door in order to control their destiny. Corporate structure and criteria for growth are still, in many firms, one size fits all.

Yanel de Angel:The gender disparity in licensed architects and partner-level leadership exists is because the female designers path is full of challenges, preserved inequities, and access control. The few that traditionally had the privilege to hold the gate keys can control access and therefore have the responsibility to open the gates.

At different points in the career path of any individual, there will be challenges. But women face some unique challenges. They must break social norms or expectations, such as being a working mom, or choosing to concentrate on a career rather than a family. Or they must break through misconceptions like women make great project managers because they can multitask. Often, they must work harder to be noticed or prove themselves more to get to the same level of recognition or salary than a male counterpart. And, while many of these norms, expectations, and misconceptions are finally changing, we must still focus on building a support system to mentor and coach with intentionality; Opportunities need to be offered, too, because it can be tiring to continually knock-on closed doors without a response. It takes a lot of energy to persevere.

So, what can be done? Listen and respond to womens unique needs with empathy. Be equitable when offering support, flextime, mothers rooms, and access to leadership programs, mentor-mentee programs, and client-facing opportunities. Identify individuals who want to progress to a leadership position and craft a plan that can be revisited year after year to keep everyone accountable. Then, when the time comes, position, elevate, and lead by exampleopen the gates.

Changes due to COVID-19 have been swift. How do you think the pandemic will shape design?

Dahmahlee Lawrence:I hope this pandemic will democratize design. Democratization is often talked about as an aspirational goal that is always limited by funding or factors. Perhaps now, we in the design industry can work with policymakers to ensure all persons in the U.S. have access to proper housing and medical facilities in their neighborhoods. We should not limit our designs to specific buildings; we should include habitable and safe outdoor spaces, toowhich means we need to work with Landscape Architects and Urban Designers/Planners. There are some firms and entities that do an outstanding job of generating holistic spaces for all users, but we have a long way to go before this kind of approach is universal. I hope that the design industry understands that it is our responsibility to build for humanity, ensuring equality for all in the spaces we create. And from a design to construction standpoint, architects need to look toward integrated design delivery methods with our partners in fabrication and construction.

Ming Ming Ong:The impact of COVID-19 will be long-lasting. To cater to the future (unforeseen) needs, design of built space and structures will need to be adaptable. The structural design of new buildings (column spacing, floor to floor heights, construction types, etc.) should be planned and designed for multiple uses. This is typically avoided due to inefficiencies in design and front-end hard costs. However, doing so will allow for the flexibility to repurpose a building without major demolition and be able to respond quickly to new economic and social demands. I also think there will be desire for interior infrastructure/components to become moveable and adaptable kits of parts to cater to different operational and functional needs when program is changed without requiring major rework.

COVID-19 has required us to take a hard look at the sizes of our residential units. In small apartment units, especially studios, units are unable to provide a dedicated space to support work from home. As more and more people are now working from home, these units will need to increase in size. We will likely see unit layouts with bigger footprints and a dedicated den for work/study.

Zena Howard:The pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in our communities particularly related to food, shelter, education, and healthcare. Design will need to change to better support our most vulnerable populations by strengthening affordability, physical and social accessibility, and community partnership and engagement.

In some instances, pandemic life and social upheavals have accelerated the trends already underway across many sectors of the economy. For example, Ive watched museums flex their range even further to engage audiences. They are doing invaluable work right now, connecting people through culture into networks of curiosity, creativity, and learning. During social distancing and shelter in place, these community-building efforts have necessarily relied on digital communications and virtual experiences. It is likely that these experiments will spill over into hybrid environments now that people are starting to inch their way back to trusted shared spaces. I, for one, am exploring the possibilities for evolving in step with the places we design. As the architects and designers who partner with museums to shape their spaces, we have been drawing on our firms multidisciplinary strength to expand the traditional suite of services we provide.

Why was it important to tell your story via the We Are Women, We Are Here platform?

Dahmahlee Lawrence:It was important to tell my story because my story is a reality for many women of color. Sometimes you need to be able to see someone in a role you may want to pursue so that you know it is possible. It is important that Perkins&Will did answer and challenge the NY Times piece asking where we are. Implying invisibility among women in design when we are clearly present, competent, and working does women everywhere a huge disadvantage. Our numbers may be small, but our impact is large.

The response to my story from family, friends, and peers was full of pride, support, and great discussion. It is imperative that women understand our possibilities are endless. A few years ago, I doubt I would have been so candid to write about myself, but if doing so means I can inspire both women and men to be confident, to act to make our industry better, then sharing my story is my duty. We as an industry must continue to acknowledge that representation matters; as individuals, we must carve our own yellow brick roads to break down barriers.

Pat Bosch:I need to be, for others, the person I needed when I was starting my career. I need to break the barriers and pave the road so that my daughter and those after her can be empowered and live the change. I need to inspire and influence that army of unstoppable women out there, to help them know that design is a powerful platform for change, and that our success can be of consequence. Im emboldened by adversity and propelled by what many would consider obstacles. I see only opportunities via my determination and resilience. My story is the story of many, and it needs to be told.

Yanel de Angel:To me, it was important to participate in Perkins&Wills We Are Women, We Are Here campaign because sharing our stories empowers others to see they are not alone, and to feel inspired to advocate for the changes necessary to move forward. For a long time, I thought the challenges I faced were unique to me. I believed it must be me, there is something that I am not doing right. But when you hear the commonalities that many women face in the design industry, you are reassured that it is not you, but a system that needs to be deconstructed.

Telling my story was also liberating and therapeutic. I once kept secrets in an attempt to protect others from confronting their own wrongdoing. Now, I am open to putting my vulnerabilities and experiences on display--and in doing so, I have been able to heal, advocate for others, and stand up for something that needs to change. It takes time and a concerted effort to deconstruct decades of social norms and bias. But most importantly, it takes an empowered community of women, wingmen, and a culture of openness to enact change.

Zena Howard:It is important for me to share my insight via this We Are Women, We Are Here platform so that the next generation can visualize architecture as an accessible and successful career for women, particularly African American women.

As you look to the future, are there any ideas you think should be front and center in the minds of architects and designers?

Gabrielle Bullock: Yes! Designing for and with the communities we servewithout preconceived assumptions about what is best for them. Recently, I co-authored an AIA white paper with my colleague Bill Schmalz, FAIA, about creating and implementing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion programs within architecture firms. Its essentially a best practices guidea how-to to help firms get started. Id like to share an excerpt of that paper here, as it pertains to your question:

Diversity has become a buzzword in the profession, but its more than just the latest business fad. Its a new way of thinking about who we are, who we work with, how we design, and for whom we design. It means moving beyond barriers and stereotypes about culture, ethnicity, skin color, race, religion, age, sexuality, physical abilities, political opinions, and economic settings to form diverse teams of talented professionals to create excellent and culturally competent work. It means matching the diverse clients, users, and public we serve with equally diverse design teams. It means understanding how diversity affects architectural design. And it means making the kind of workplace that attracts a diverse talent pool. Understanding diversity will give firms the edge they need to thrive in future economies. In short, diversity helps make architectural firms competitive in todays global marketplace. It gives architects the opportunity to practice with integrity and to raise the standards of their profession.

Pat Bosch:We should focus on being futurists, on understanding the challenges ahead of us and responding to them now. Its about inspiring and influencing and creating the opportunities to better our communities and educate the next generation. Its about permanence. Not the short-term goals, but the more global long-term drivers and principles, too. Most important, we are a diverse global society; it is in embracing this fact that the solution lies. When we work together and understand the synergies between cultures and traditions, race and religion, we enrich our dialogue and thus facilitate a more integrated and equal society. Designers are great synthesizers, critical thinkers, and problem solvers; we have the key to lead by example.

Zena Howard:Collectively, Perkins&Will has recognized the importance of having robust community engagement at the core of our design process and have done so for quite some time. Every year we have committed to strengthening this and believe that this should be front and center for all architects and designers.

For me personally, a key factor in my work is telling stories through the built expression. Every site has a story - that unique blend of physical, cultural, and historic character that differentiates one place from any other. Leveraging this narrative involves this substantive engagement with the people and communities that the design serves; often people who have historically been denied a voice in the design of their own environments. This is critical in creating designs that are meaningful, relevant, and enduring.

Read the rest here:

The Women of Perkins&Will Designing the Architecture of Tomorrow - ArchDaily

This story is co-published with The GroundTruth Project.

MARIPOSA, Calif. Rain falls on the 300-year-old oaks on a cold midwinter morning as a group of nearly 60 gathers here on what was once southern Sierra Miwok land.

Some have returned year after year. Others are here for the first time, eager to learn what Californias oldest residents have long known about land management after the most destructive fire season in the states recorded history.

We are here to make an offering to the land, said Ron Goode, the North Fork Monos tribal chairman, who organized the event. Mother Earth supports us. By putting fire on the ground, we support her.

Rakes, clippers, shovels and chainsaws in hand, the group heads out to assemble the dead vegetation into burn piles. Using drip torches red tin canisters with mixtures of diesel and gasoline they delicately light the piles on fire in slow, deliberate motions, painting the land in strokes of orange and red.

It is the years first cultural burn for the North Fork Mono. For more than 10,000 years, tribes used small, controlled fires to open pasture lands and clear out underbrush, promoting new plant growth and reducing the risk of large, dangerous fires.

But when Western settlers took over Native American lands in the 18th and 19th centuries, they began barring many traditional practices, including cultural burning. In 1850, the U.S. government passed the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, which prohibited intentional burning. After over a century of this strategy left the nations forests choked with dry underbrush, Californias fire officials are now beginning to reimagine fire and land management, drawing upon Native American tradition and perspective.

North Fork Mono tribal members are teaching the group of university students, ecologists, journalists and, notably, officials from the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) how it might help curb the states fire crisis by clearing out highly flammable vegetation before the dry, hot summer.

Ed Kashi/VIIOfficials from Cal Fire and the Forest Service were present at the burn, marking a shift in the way the states land managers are imagining fire fighting.

Goode, a state-certified burn boss, runs several burns a year to rehabilitate meadows across California. This 369-acre property became an unofficial educational site when he opened it up to university students nearly two decades ago, and for the past six years hes invited the greater public. Interest surged within the past three years, he said, attracting hundreds of participants at each burn, including a growing number of officials from Cal Fire and the Forest Service. (Due to the pandemic, those numbers are currently limited.)

People are interested in whats happening, Goode said. But it takes disasters for people to start waking up.

In 2020, wildfires ravaged 4.2 million acres of California, including Big Basin in Santa Cruz, the oldest and one of the most beloved state parks in California. Over the past decade, the state known for its lush forests and rich natural resources has seen hundreds of lives lost and tens of thousands of structures destroyed, entering, as fire historian Stephen Pyne put it, the fire equivalent of an ice age.

The disaster has awakened Californias land managers, who, after a century of promoting fire suppression and rejecting Native American controlled burn techniques, are now trying to figure out what to do with the abundance of dried shrub and brush that, along with a warming climate, fueled the current fire emergency.

On this February morning, Goodes 11-year-old nephew, Harlon, uses a chainsaw for the first time to take down a dying white oak. He watched it fall in awe.

One day, Im going to take over for my uncle and be the burn boss, Harlon said.

The event took months of meticulous planning, including permits, funding and accommodating the pandemic restrictions. But they could not plan for the weather, and the forecast was for near-constant rain.

Whether we get much burning done or not, I am fulfilled, said Goode, gesturing toward the group huddled under tents to keep dry. Look at all of you.

So is Jonathan Long, a research ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service who attended the burn.

Theres some really bad history of labeling Native people as ignorant or superstitious, of actively arresting people and putting them in jail if they were trying to carry out traditional practices like cultural burning, Long said. Most people would now say: Yes, if we kept burning in the frequency, in the ways Native Americans burned, we wouldnt have the fires we are having now.

Corbis via Getty ImagesA park ranger in an office with a plethora of posters about preventing forest fires, most of which feature Smokey the Bear.

History Of Suppression

For most of the last century, the Forest Service pushed a vigorous campaign of fire suppression, rooted in the belief that fire threatened commercial timber. In 1910, five years after the Forest Service was established, a series of fires known as the Big Blowup burned 3 million acres across Montana, Idaho and Washington, convincing lawmakers, Forest Service administrators and the general public that the solution to fires was more staff and equipment to prevent and suppress them.

Through the Weeks Act of 1911, the Forest Service offered financial incentives to states to fight fires, which dominated the national strategy. In 1935, it implemented its10 a.m. policy the notion that every fire should be suppressed by 10 a.m. the next day following its initial report. The Forest Service then created its iconic Smokey the Bear campaign, the longest-running public service announcement campaign in the country, further cementing the nations fire fear.

This strategy, though, only made California more prone to fast-moving mega-fires.

Tribes such as the North Fork Mono had long taken a different approach to managing land. Regular, light burning, mostly in the fall and winter before the springs bloom and the summers dry heat made the risk of spread too high, would clear dead undergrowth and invasive plants. It was also key to maintaining wildlife habitat, pruning native plants to grow back stronger and healthier. By burning grasslands and opening up pastures, tribes drew herds of deer and elk to the protein-rich new growth each spring. They would then burn the woods each spring to push the cattle back to the prairie. The thinned-out forests lend more visibility for precise hunting and allow spring water to more freely flow to the river, in turn making the land more tolerant to drought.

Its part of a larger system of traditional ecological knowledge that seeks a holistic understanding of the land and has been passed down through generations but was largely ignored in Western science.

The government wants us to prove everything were doing with scientific studies. Weve been here for minimally 8,000 years, Goode said. We know how the land works.

Recent decades have brought about more efforts to address the systemic oppression of Indigenous communities, beginning with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, which protects Native Americans rights to exercise religious freedom, including ceremonies like cultural burning. But how it has shaped environmental practices and contributed to the fire ice age is only beginning to be understood.

It wasnt until the late 1970s that the U.S. Forest Service began to change its tune. After research surfaced showing the positive role fire plays in forest ecology and preventing mega-fires small and low-risk fires are integral to the evolution of flora and fauna, promote the sustainability of natural ecosystems and can prevent larger wildfires the Forest Service implemented a policy to let natural fires burn when and where appropriate. This began by allowing fires that start from natural causes, such as lightning strikes, to burn in designated areas. From this evolved the let-burn policy, and since around 1990, efforts and policy related to fire suppression have considered exurban sprawl.

William Ryerson/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesSmokey the Bear, the symbol of the nation's fire prevention efforts, stands watch at Togue Pond headquarters behind new crew awaiting transportation to fire lines of a forest fire in Millnocket, Maine, in 1977.

Some state agencies have since made prescribed burning a more regular part of their land and fire management plan. In Florida, where officials have pushed to return to prescribed burning since the 1970s, landowners now intentionally burn more than 2 million acres annually, maintaining the health of its abundant wetlands.

Yet fire fear still drives much of the decision-making in California. The state only intentionally burns a fraction of what the Southeast does each year, and state and federal land managers, who control 57% of Californias forests, are bound by tight environmental and air quality regulations, as well as competing management rules and oversight.

But the recent increase in destructive wildfires, along with growing research that supports Native practices as a form of land management, is changing things. Long and other forest ecologists are working to fill the hefty gap between traditional Native knowledge and published science.

Theres a growing recognition from agencies and desire from the tribes to see their values promoted as part of land management, Long said. They want to understand from the tribal perspective what they wanted to do and why.

Goode warns that although the idea of prescribed burning might be taking root among government agencies, Native cultural burning is different. The process is not just about burning up flammable material but also fortifying the land in more holistic ways, which is a hard concept for the Western mind, he said.

We are in a relationship out here in the land. These plants are related to the animals. The animals are related to us. We are also related to the plants. When we burn, all of a sudden well have medicine plants come up, Goode said. These medicine plants treat the animals. If these medicines arent there, thats when we begin to have ill wildlife. Thats when we see species depletion. Its all a cycle, and its not just about preventing fire.

More than anything, cultural burning is a spiritual practice: a ceremony beginning with a blessing of the land and a prayer. Fire holds great meaning in Native American culture. Around the fire, they share stories, memories and sacred rituals.

Goode and other tribal partners fear that the agencies are missing this wider range of objectives.

Fire without any other tending or gathering or hunting wont solve the health crisis of our overgrown forests, said Helen Fillmore, a hydrologist and member of the Washoe tribe in Northern California. But ensuring that Indigenous people have proper access is a huge first step in beginning the process of mending the broken pieces of our ecosystems.

Illustrating the interconnectedness of the practice, Goode cites the southern Sierra Pacific fisher, which was deemed endangered in 2020. The fisher eats gray squirrels. Gray squirrels eat acorns. Millions of white oak trees are not producing acorns because they havent seen fire in hundreds of years due to the suppression of intentional burning. And so the gray squirrels suffer, too, he explains.

Thats the cycle, and thats the circle that we are a part of, Goode said. We have to come to understand that. We are only a part of that.

Ed Kashi/VIIStephanie Beard, the communication specialist for the conservation nonprofit Pepperwood, throws more dried brush on a flaming burn pile.

Fighting Fire With Fire

Last August, the state of California and the Forest Service signed an agreement to thin or intentionally burn 1 million acres of woodland per year by 2025. That is still significantly less than what Native Americans historically burned but double the amount of land intentionally burned in previous years.

And on Jan. 8, California Gov. Gavin Newsoms Forest Management Task Force issued an action plan and a billion-dollar budget to mitigate wildfire risk, which will largely go toward fuel reduction, including prescribed burns.

After the Creek Fire burned nearly 400,000 acres and destroyed more than 850 structures between September and December in Fresno County the fourth-largest wildfire in the states history the Forest Service increased its efforts and funding for the initiative.

Weve been talking about cultural burning for years, said Jeff Erwin, a forest archeologist at the U.S. Forest Service who attended the burn. Im here to learn, to take this knowledge back, use it and apply it.

Cal Fires main focus is now on education getting more people to understand the significance of prescribed fire and precisely how it works. This requires heightened collaboration with Native tribes, according to Len Nielsen, the prescribed fire staff chief and tribal liaison for Cal Fire.

Ed Kashi/VIISmoke lingers among the oak trees after two large brush piles were burned. Fire smoke also has a purpose in traditional Native land management: By reflecting sunlight, it cools nearby streams and rivers and promotes aquatic life.

Its a science and an art, Nielsen said. Tribes have that. They dont do the science so much because its a handed-down tradition. But the science is inherently there. They know the conditions in which it will be successful to accomplish their goals and objectives. Thats something we need to get into the hands of more people.

And promising policy developments are in the works: On Feb. 8, the state Senate introduced legislation to allow highly trained prescribed fire practitioners outside of Cal Fire to put good fire on the ground. And a novel California state-certified burn boss program was approved in January, a 40-hour course for experienced prescribed fire practitioners, greatly increasing the pool of those legally able to run prescribed burns. The Prescribed Fire Council plans to begin courses this year.

Ed Kashi/VIIOnce the rain stops, a rainbow forms over the property in Mariposa, California, as volunteers finish up the first day of work.

California needs some radical changes in its fire policy. This bill would be a total game-changer if its passed, said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, the director of the Northern California Prescribed Fire Council. While there could still be more incentives to increase participation, she said the interest in prescribed fire is unprecedented.

Though Goode is hesitant about the governments ability to adopt truly Native land practices, he finds the recent increase in interest heartening.

I am elated, he said. People have come here to learn, to understand our traditions and rituals.

The rain curbed their burn that weekend, with much of the brush too damp to ignite. But fire, Goode emphasized, is just a small piece of this work.

Mother Earth knows what were doing to help her, Goode said. What we do to Mother Earth, we do to ourselves.

Michael Karam contributed to this report.

Calling all HuffPost superfans!

Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter

See the original post here:

Living With Fire: What California Can Learn From Native Burns - HuffPost

Bills introduced in the Florida House and Senate would offer differing levels of COVID-19 liability protections for assisted living communities and other long-term care settings.

The Senate legislation, SB 74, would require plaintiffs to provide sufficient detail that a provider was grossly negligent or engaged in intentional misconduct in causing death or harm in COVID-19-related lawsuits. The bill also would provide immunity for claims related to supplies or personnel not readily available or not available at a reasonable cost to comply with COVID-19 standards.

In addition to assisted living communities, the legislation also would protect other healthcare providers, such as adult family care homes, companion and homemaker services, home health agencies, nursing homes, home medical equipment providers, adult day centers and hospices.

The House bill, HB 7005, would require an affidavit signed by a physician attesting that the claim is a result of a provider acting grossly negligent or with intentional misconduct. Plaintiffs also would be required to prove that providers did not make a good faith effort to substantially comply with public health standards or guidance in effect at the time of the action.

The House version would eliminate the protections after a year. Claims would need to be brought within one year of COVID-19-related death, hospitalization or diagnosis.

Jason Hand, vice president of public policy and legal affairs for the Florida Senior Living Association, told McKnights Senior Living that COVID liability protections are the No. 1 concern of the groups members during this legislative session.

Assisted living communities should be protected, Hand said, because they were not licensed, designed, staffed or trained to house residents with communicable diseases. For the past year, however, they were asked to ignore that rule to keep hospital surge numbers down, he added.

Although hospital staff members have been held up as heroes, assisted living staff members, Hand said, are being demonized for going outside of their swim lane at the request of the federal and state governments.

They did everything they could with what they had, he said. They want to know the states going to have their back. At the end of the day they are looking for some protections from frivolous lawsuits.

Kristen Knapp told McKnights Senior Living that the Florida Health Care Association supports these two bills as part of its top legislative priorities this session.

Given the overwhelming and nationwide impact of the pandemic, the initial shortages of PPE and testing, the lack of scientific certainty about treatments and methods of transmission, and the fact that long-term care providers were being forced to step outside of their intended scopes, we believe our frontline healthcare workers and their care centers should not be held liable for the spread of COVID-19 or care directly impacted by the crisis if they made a good faith effort to comply with government issues and standards, said Knapp, FHCAs director of communications.

The association, she added, is advocating for preventing the threat of excessive litigation through sue and settle tactics that could push the long-term care sector to an economic breaking point and drive up defense and claims costs. The plaintiffs bar is already positioning itself to profit from this tragic situation by organizing tort actions, she said, adding that three of FHCAs member companies collectively are facing more than 112 potential lawsuits.

If providers are going to recover and continue meeting residents care needs into the future, weve got to ensure their resources arent diverted from the care center floor to the courthouse steps, Knapp said. We need to keep them invested in our workforce, technologies and training, as well as infection prevention supplies, to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the residents entrusted to their care.

LeadingAge Florida President and CEO Steve Bahmer said that the bills strike an appropriate balance that ensures that COVID-19 claims can be filed where legitimate actions of gross negligence or intentional misconduct may have occurred.

SB 74 and HB 7005 preserve the rights of residents and their families to sue, while extending limited liability protections to healthcare providers who did everything in their power to comply with federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances, Bahmer said. Reasonable liability protection makes sense for long-term care providers, and we look forward to working with the Florida Legislature and other key stakeholders on these important bills.

Legal teams for both long-term care operators and the residents and families affected by the pandemic are gearing up for lawsuits alleging neglect and wrongful death as a result of the virus. Many industry leaders have been advocating for federal protections for the senior living and care industries against COVID-19 related lawsuits.

COVID liability laws also are topping the 2021 priority lists for legislators in Alabama, Missouri and Nebraska.

To date, 21 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some level of COVID-19 liability protections, according to the American Tort Reform Association. From March to December 2020, $34.4 million was spent on TV advertisements for legal services and / or soliciting legal claims mentioning COVID-19 or coronavirus.

Florida accounted for approximately 20% of all legal service TV ads and spending on ads mentioning COVID-19 or coronavirus, at $6.6 million, according to the ATRA. During that same time period, 7,734 lawsuits related to COVID-19 were filed in the United States.

Excerpt from:

Bills would protect assisted living communities as operators look for state to 'have their back' during pandemic - News - McKnight's Senior Living

Buy Photo

Anissa Weier, seen here with her attorney Joseph Smith Jr. during a hearing in 2017, is petitioning a judge to be conditionally released from a state mental health facility. She will appear before Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren on Wednesday, March 10.(Photo: C.T. Kruger / Now News Group)

One of the women involved in the Slender Man stabbing will soon appear before the Waukesha County Circuit Court judge who sentenced her to 25 years in a state mental facility to request her release.

Anissa Weier, now 19 years old, has spent the last 3 years at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute after a jury found her not criminally responsible due to a mental disease in the stabbing that nearly killed a classmate in a sensationalized crime that gained worldwide coverage.

Weier was 12 when she and Morgan Geyser lured Payton Leutner into the woods, stabbed her 19 times and told police they did so to appease a fictional internet horror character named Slender Man.

Weier received the maximum sentence in December 2017 after more than three years of mental evaluations, failed attempts to get the case moved to juvenile court and after she eventuallypleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide, a lesser offense than she was originally charged.

TIMELINE: How the Waukesha Slender Man stabbing case played out over the years

Now, on March 10, Weier is seeking her conditional release into the community.

Here are 10 answers to questions about what we know ahead of the in-person hearing at the Waukesha County Courthouse.

According to court documents and previous testimony, Weier plotted for months with Geyser when they were in sixth gradeto kill Leutner after becoming enthralled withSlender Man through the Creepypasta Wiki website.Weier and Geyser said in order to become proxies of Slender Man they believed they had to kill someone or face retribution. They would execute theiract during Geyser's 12th birthday party on May 31, 2014.

Weier told police they planned on stabbing Leutner in a park bathroom but that plan fell through. They then ventured into the woods for a game of hide-and-seek at Weier's suggestion. The two would then pin Leutner down. Weier had the knife, but she gave it to Geyser and issued instructions for Geyser to stab Leutner."Go ballistic, go crazy," she told Geyser.

Weier and Geyser left Leutner to die. Weier said she told Leutner to be quiet so she wouldn't draw attention to herself. A passing bicyclist found Leutner and she was rushed into emergency surgery.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren will determine whether Anissa Weier still poses "a significant risk" of bodily harm to herself or others or ofseriously damagingproperty if conditionally released.(Photo: Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren has presided over the case since the beginning. He has since moved away from the criminal division but has stayed with Weier's and Geyser's cases.

Based on Wisconsin Department of Health Services' conditional release program, Bohren will consider whether Weier poses a danger.

If Bohren finds "clear and convincing evidence" that Weier poses "a significant risk" of bodily harm to herself or others or ofseriously damagingproperty if conditionally released, he would deny her request.

During the early parts of the case, most notably when the girls were attempting to get their cases transferred out of adult court, Bohren maintained that "longer-term control" over Geyser and Weier was "necessary" to ensure protection to the public.

If they were tried in juvenile court, they would have beenincarcerated for three years and had community supervision with treatment until they were 18. In adult court, they faced the possibility of decades in prison. Since Weier and Geyser were initially charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, they were automatically tried as adults.

At Weier's sentencing hearing in December 2017, Bohren said that although he sawWeier as remorseful and mature, a report of Weier talking about making aOuija board at the West Bend Juvenile Detention Center and of it unleashing spirits was "startling."

"It was a planned murderby kids," Bohren said. "We can't forget the goal was to kill."

"Anissa could not conform her conduct to the requirements of the law," Melissa Westendorf, a forensic psychologist, tells jurors as she testified for the defense during the trial of Anissa Weier in Waukesha County Circuit Court in 2017.(Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

During the conditional release hearing, Bohren will listen to medical professionals who evaluated Weier in recent months.

Weier'sdad said he didn't see any signs of mental illness leading up to the stabbing.

But psychologists saidWeier suffered from a shared delusional disorder due to Geyser's undiagnosed schizophrenia, preventing Weier from conforming her conduct to the law.

Michael Caldwell, a staff psychologist at Mendota Mental Health Institute, believedWeier also suffered from persistent depressive disorder and schizotypy, a condition along the schizophrenia spectrum.

RELATED: What the Lifetime movie 'Terror in the Woods' changed and didn't change about Waukesha Slender Man stabbing

Psychologist MelissaWestendorf said Geyser's medical condition, along with her own belief in Slender Man, created a "perfect storm" of events.

Westendorf was again assigned to evaluate Weier ahead of her conditional release hearing, along with psychiatristRobertRawski and forensic psychologist DeborahCollins.

Weier will return to a secure mental health facility, likely at Winnebago. Weier can petition every six months for her conditional release.

Weier would be assigned case managers that would provide services to her to become "successful and productive" in society, according to DHS' conditional release program.

Bohren would set terms of Weier's conditional release, but she would be monitored until she is 37 years old, the length of her commitment (she was credited with the 3 years she served at the West Bend jail).If she would violate terms, her conditional release could be revoked.

As part of her plea with the state in 2017, she agreed that shewouldn't request her release forat least three years.

The state's conditional release program is meant toprovidesupport to people living with a mental illness who have committed a crime. Most of these people, like Weier,have committed a felony, DHS said.

In her petition to the court late last year, Weier said she "would not pose a significant risk of bodily harm to self or others or cause serious property damage, if released under specific conditions."

Payton Leutner, left, is interviewed by ABC's David Muir for the news program, "20/20," in 2019 about the Slender Man stabbing five years earlier. As a 12-year-old, Leutner was stabbed 19 times by her former classmate and friend in Waukesha.(Photo: Associated Press)

In an interview with the ABC news program "20/20" in 2019, Leutner said she doesn't fear for Weier's and Geyser's eventual releases.

"If they ever come near methey're going right back in," Leutner said. "When they get out I don't think it's going to change my life at all."

But she and her mother in letters to the court and in TV interviews have said that the scars both physical and emotional remain. Payton's mother, Stacie, wrote to the court in 2017 that Payton agreed that treatment in a secure hospital was the best place for Weier and Geyser, though she wouldn't feel safe if they're released without supervision.

Geyser is serving a 40-year sentence the maximum at a mental health facility.

She worked out a plea agreement with prosecutors in which she avoided trial and pleaded guiltyto attempted first-degree intentional homicide but that her mental illness was the cause.

Geyser'splea deal allows her topetition for conditional release every six months. She has not done sobut had been fightingBohren's ruling that juvenile court was the appropriate venue and that her statements to police the day of the stabbing were a violation of her rights and should not have been used in court.

ContactChristopher Kuhagen at (262) 446-6634or christopher.kuhagen@jrn.com. Followhim on Twitter at @ckuhagenand our newsroom Instagram accounts at MyCommunityNow and Lake Country Now.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/waukesha/2021/03/04/slender-man-stabbing-anissa-weier-requests-her-release-what-we-know/6894513002/

See original here:

A woman involved in the Slender Man stabbing is requesting conditional release. Here's what to know. - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel