Pets, strays and how to help them

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For hours Maia Rumpho-Stellpflug scouted the alleys of Northeast Minneapolis in search of Willy, a wiener dog who’d escaped from his foster home.It was early October and Maia, director of the Columbia Park-based nonprofit Pet Project Rescue, began to notice another species out on the loose.”There were cats everywhere,” she remarked.The author is a volunteer foster parent with Pet Project Rescue.From dogs who have puppies because their owners can’t afford to have them fixed, to homeless outdoor cats that constantly procreate, there are more unwanted animals across the city than there are homes for them, Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) Manager Dan Niziolek said.Spay and neuter resourcesNeed to have your dog or cat fixed, but have a limited income? The Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Project may be able to help. Visit their website  for more information, or call 612-720-8236.The Minnesota Spay/Neuter Project may be able to help, too. Call 952-996-9292 orvisit their website.To learn more about Pet Project Rescue or to donate to their upcoming spay/neuterclinic, visit their website, writeinfo@petprojectrescue.com or call 612-207-0602.Between January and October of this year, 2,588 animals were brought into MACC after being surrendered by their owners, brought in as strays, or acquired for other reasons by Animal Care and Control officers.Of these, 721 were dead. Of the living ones, 994 — or 38 percent — were eventually euthanized. Sixteen percent were adopted by new families or taken in by rescue groups, while 15 percent were returned to their owners, according to Niziolek’s figures.Niziolek said the dogs who end up at MACC tend to fare better than cats in terms of finding homes. Continue Reading

At Fall Media Forum, stories were “the breath of life”

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If the heavy snow and winter storm advisory kept you away from the Twin Cities Media Alliance’s Fall Media Forum, you can now watch highlights of the event online on the Twin Cities Daily Planet. The forum, Storytelling and Beyond: New Tools for Participation was held November 13 at the Hennepin County Library Central Branch downtown Minneapolis, followed by a Happy Hour and Story Slam at the Old Pub. To see any of the highlights, click on the hyperlinks below.National Story Slam champ Nancy Donoval started the program by telling a powerful and painful personal story to illustrate how storytelling can be used as a tool for advocacy.”Stories—our stories—are the breath of life,” Nothando Zulu, of the National Association of Black Storytellers, said during the opening session. [For those who missed the forum, MTN’s video of the presentations is now on-line.] It’s those kinds of stories, the ones that can be difficult to tell, that are the most important to put out for an audience, Zulu said. “Because when those hard stories come out, for those others that need to be able to hear that, and know that they’re not the only one — that gives life,” she said.Photographer Wing Young Huie, internationally famous for his Lake Street and University Avenue Public Art Projects, presented photographs from his many projects that are open to cultural interpretations, inviting participants to reflect on how their own points of views are formed.  Spoken word artist and storyteller Tish Jones combined storytelling and performance to explore ways to use new media tools to engage individuals and communities in telling their own stories.Placeblogger.com founder and MIT Media Lab fellow Lisa Williams took participants on a guided tour of the new lands beyond narrative — works that “break the story box” by bringing in hundreds, or even thousands, of voices.The afternoon workshops featured* MNs Originals web producer Chuck Olsen and Allison Herrera on how to produce engaging short videos, using technology ranging from your cell phone to high-end digital cameras.* Tish Jones discussing copyright, privacy and legal issues related to working with young adults,* Twin Cities Daily Planet arts editor Jay Gabler on Blogging your Story, and* Nancy Donoval on using storytelling to reach a larger audience when advocating for difficult social issues.The forum was followed by a Happy Hour and Story Telling Slam at the Old Pub. Continue Reading

Storytelling and Beyond: Digital video

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Chuck Olsen and Allison Herrera of MN Originals discuss video storytelling at the 2010 Fall Media Forum.Miss the forum? Don’t worry — you can watch Nancy Donoval tell her National Story Sam-winning story here, thanks to video coverage provided by Nate Mains of Minneapolis Television Network. Mains also documented: Social media aficionado and Placeblogger founder Lisa Williams presenting “A guided tour of the new lands beyond narrative” Photographer Wing Young Huie, known for his public art projects on Lake Street and University Avenue, talking about his art and career in “Photographing the cultural landscape” Daily Planet arts editor and inveterate blogger Jay Gabler discussing the ins and outs of “Telling your story through blogs” Spoken word artist, storyteller and teacher Tish Jones talking about “Sharing stories across the Internet and other media” Videographers Chuck Olsen and Allison Herrera, of the TPT weekly news series Minnesota Original, teaching the crowd about “Digital video.” Continue Reading

Storytelling and Beyond: Sharing stories across the Internet and other media

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At the 2010 Fall Media Forum, Spoken word artist and storyteller Tish Jones combines storytelling and performance to explore ways to use new media tools to engage individuals and communities in telling their own stories.Miss the forum? Don’t worry — you can watch Nancy Donoval tell her National Story Sam-winning story here, thanks to video coverage provided by Nate Mains of Minneapolis Television Network. Mains also documented: Social media aficionado and Placeblogger founder Lisa Williams presenting “A guided tour of the new lands beyond narrative” Photographer Wing Young Huie, known for his public art projects on Lake Street and University Avenue, talking about his art and career in “Photographing the cultural landscape” Daily Planet arts editor and inveterate blogger Jay Gabler discussing the ins and outs of “Telling your story through blogs” Spoken word artist, storyteller and teacher Tish Jones talking about “Sharing stories across the Internet and other media” Videographers Chuck Olsen and Allison Herrera, of the TPT weekly news series Minnesota Original, teaching the crowd about “Digital video.” Continue Reading

Storytelling and Beyond: Photographing the cultural landscape

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Photographer Wing Young Huie, internationally famous for his Lake Street and University Avenue Public Art Projects, presents at the 2010 Fall Media Forum photographs from his many projects that are open to cultural interpretations, inviting participants to reflect on how their own points of views are formed.Miss the forum? Don’t worry — you can watch Nancy Donoval tell her National Story Sam-winning story here, thanks to video coverage provided by Nate Mains of Minneapolis Television Network. Mains also documented: Social media aficionado and Placeblogger founder Lisa Williams presenting “A guided tour of the new lands beyond narrative” Photographer Wing Young Huie, known for his public art projects on Lake Street and University Avenue, talking about his art and career in “Photographing the cultural landscape” Daily Planet arts editor and inveterate blogger Jay Gabler discussing the ins and outs of “Telling your story through blogs” Spoken word artist, storyteller and teacher Tish Jones talking about “Sharing stories across the Internet and other media” Videographers Chuck Olsen and Allison Herrera, of the TPT weekly news series Minnesota Original, teaching the crowd about “Digital video.” Continue Reading

Storytelling and Beyond: Telling your story through blogs

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Twin Cities Daily Planet arts editor Jay Gabler at the 2010 Fall Media Forum on Blogging your Story — how to use new media tools to engage the audience you want to reach.Miss the forum? Don’t worry — you can watch Nancy Donoval tell her National Story Sam-winning story here, thanks to video coverage provided by Nate Mains of Minneapolis Television Network. Mains also documented: Social media aficionado and Placeblogger founder Lisa Williams presenting “A guided tour of the new lands beyond narrative” Photographer Wing Young Huie, known for his public art projects on Lake Street and University Avenue, talking about his art and career in “Photographing the cultural landscape” Daily Planet arts editor and inveterate blogger Jay Gabler discussing the ins and outs of “Telling your story through blogs” Spoken word artist, storyteller and teacher Tish Jones talking about “Sharing stories across the Internet and other media” Videographers Chuck Olsen and Allison Herrera, of the TPT weekly news series Minnesota Original, teaching the crowd about “Digital video.” Continue Reading