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CFF SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester St., Ferndale, MI 48220

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/20/14; Contact (248) 515-7803

Citizens For a Fair Ferndale to Hold Candidate Forum
On Saturday, October 25, 2014, Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) will hold a School Board Candidate Forum at the Ferndale Library at 1:30 pm. The event will also be recorded and submitted to WFRN for airing until Election Day. The public and the media are encouraged to attend.
CFF has invited all declared candidates: Nan Kerr-Mueller, Jennifer LaTosch, Karen Twomey, and Keith Warnick.
The format is simple:
1. All declared Candidates for School Board are invited to participate.
2. Candidates are at a table in the front of the room.
3. Each Candidate will have an opportunity to give a 3 minute introduction.
4. As people come in, they are given 3 x 5 cards. These are gathered periodically and brought to the moderator. The moderator then poses the questions to the candidates. Each Candidate has 2 minutes to answer each question. The order of response changes so each has a chance to be first.
5. There is a timer to help you pace answers.
6. Each Candidate will have an opportunity to give a closing statement.
Click here for CFF’s complete Forum Guidelines
CFF’s mission is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental ability.

Contact us for more information:
CFF48220@gmail.com or (248) 515-7803

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale Call for Good Neighbor Nominations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2014                                                                    
Contact:  Kat Bruner James, Chair
248-515-7803,CFF48220@gmail.com              

FERNDALE: Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) is seeking nominations for its Good Neighbor = Strong Community Awards. The public is invited to nominate individuals, organizations and businesses in our community who are outstanding examples of “good neighbors,” and who are committed to building, preserving and improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods and community.

Nominations will be accepted through March 14, 2014. About 10 honorees will be selected and celebrated at a special event in May. Past winners have represented a diverse group of individuals ranging from well-recognized community leaders to quiet, unsung heroes who all make a difference daily through caring for others, speaking out against injustices or making people feel included in the community.

“Good Neighbors are what make Ferndale such a special place to live and do business,” said Kathryn Bruner James, CFF chair. “The Good Neighbors = Strong Community Awards are an opportunity to honor those who generously give so much to others through care, support and advocacy.” Previous honorees have include a selection of diverse individuals, organizations and businesses celebrated for good works in the community. They include community leaders and local businesses as well as those “unsung heroes” deserving of recognition.

Nomination forms can be found at www.fairferndale.org/?page_id=152. Submissions can be made online or mailed to Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester, Ferndale, MI 48220.

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, established in 2003. CFF is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability.  The group hosts forums and community workshops, encourages dialog to dissolve barriers and recognizes local residents who support its mission.

CFF meetings are held the second Thursday of every month at the Ferndale Public Library. For meeting information please contact Kat Bruner James at 248-515-7803. Everyone is welcome!

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Miss Representation Screening at Ferndale High School- Monday, Oct. 28

Last year, CFF coordinated carpooling to a screening of Miss Representation at Oakland University. We also donated two copies of the film to the Ferndale Public Library.

Ferndale High School and Ferndale Youth Assistance are sponsoring a screening right here in Ferndale on Monday, October 28 at 6 p.m. at the Ferndale High School Media Center.  We encourage you to watch the film and get in on the discussion about how media imagery of women affects how women and girls view themselves.

Click the following link to view a flyer for the event: MissRep Flyer

Learn more about the film at MissRepresentation.org/the-film/

2013 Candidate Questionnaires & Ballot Proposal Information

Election Forum video now available online at YouTube.com/FerndaleMi

Click the names below to open a pdf version of each completed Candidate Questionnaire.

Mayoral Candidates:

City Council Candidates:

Library Board Candidates:

Also, click below for information regarding Proposal A:

Confirm your voter registration and view a sample ballot at the Michigan Voter Information Center.

CFF TO HOST CANDIDATE FORUM

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester St., Ferndale, MI 48220 www.fairferndale.org

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/8/13; Contact (248) 515-7803

 Citizens For a Fair Ferndale to Hold Candidate Forum

On Saturday, October 26, 2013, Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) will hold a Candidate & Ballot Proposal Forum at the Ferndale Library (12:30-2:00 p.m. for the Mayoral Forum, 2:15-3:00 p.m. for the City Council Forum, 3:00-3:45 p.m. for the Proposal A Forum, and 3:45-4:00 p.m. Library Board Candidates). The event will also be recorded and submitted to WFRN for airing until Election Day. The public and the media are encouraged to attend.

CFF has invited all declared candidates, plus one participant presenting each side of the question presented to voters in Proposal A.

The format is simple:

1. Candidates are at a table in the front of the room.

2. Each Candidate will have an opportunity to give a 3 minute introduction.

3. As people come in, they are given 3 x 5 cards.  These are gathered periodically and brought to the moderator.  The moderator then poses the questions to the candidates.  Each Candidate has 2 minutes to answer each question. The order of response changes so each has a chance to be first.

4. There is a timer to help you pace answers.

5. Each Candidate will have an opportunity to give a closing statement.

CFF’s complete Forum Guidelines can be found at http://fairferndale.org/?p=248

CFF’s mission is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability.

Learn more about CFF at www.fairferndale.org

Contact us for more information:
 CFF48220@gmail.com or (248) 515-7803

Good neighbors

We are so excited about our new Good Neighbor project! Hopefully, you have heard about the community discussions held over the past year (formerly known as “the Civility Project”), which has led to the development of the Good Neighbors Civility Pledge that we are launching at this year’s DIY Street Fair.

Stop by our booth near the front of the Library, and the question How will you be a Good Neighbor?  We will even take your picture as you proudly show your answers.  The uploaded pictures will be on rotating display in the booth all weekend.  Imagine the wonderful community collage these pictures will create!  Visitors can also review and sign on to …

The Ferndale Good Neighbors
Civility Pledge
.

Ferndale Good Neighbors (a Committee of Citizens for a Fair Ferndale) believes in building community and strengthening our democracy. The best way to do this is to develop our capacity for quality communication around difficult issues. Communities like ours have taken conscious steps in this direction by adopting resolutions that define the qualities of civility and by encouraging individual pledges to uphold those qualities. We offer the Civility Pledge to help all of us as community members reflect on the quality of our own behavior and to work to engage each other in even more productive ways. By taking this pledge, you are committing to promoting civility in Ferndale and beyond. Please check each item to signify your commitment to the stated principle; then sign at the bottom.

  • I will work to PAY ATTENTION (Be aware of and attend to the world and people around me)
  • I will work to LISTEN (Focus on others in order to better understand their points of view)
  • I will work to BE INCLUSIVE (Invite all groups of people to work for the greater good of the community)
  • I will work to BE TRUTHFUL (Act in good faith; speak with accuracy and integrity)
  • I will work to AVOID GOSSIP (Be discrete; don’t participate in destructive communication)
  • I will work to SHOW RESPECT (Honor other people and their opinions, especially in the midst of a disagreement; don’t assume bad intentions in others)
  • I will work to SEEK COMMON GROUND (Look for points of agreement; don’t contradict just to do so)
  • I will work to REPAIR DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS (Be sincere; apologize and forgive)
  • I will work to USE CONSTRUCTIVE LANGUAGE (Be mindful of the impact of the words I choose)
  • I will work to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY (Practice accountability in language and actions)

Click here for a printable copy of the pledge.

Please support those who support us!

Thank you to our many sponsors. In particular we are thankful to 2013 Good Neighbor Award Sponsors: Kim Beebe (Fashion Consultant & Stylist: 248-561-4228); Mayor David Coulter, Craig Covey, Jeannie Davis, Lori Davis (Remax: 248-548-4400), Bridget & Kevin Deegan-Krause, City Councilmember Dan Martin & Sherry Kruzman-Martin; Greg Pawlica, Mayor Pro-Tem Melanie Piana & Jim Piana, and the businesses and organizations below that have been so generous in helping us with our efforts.


cff-wab

cff-fpl

cff-western

cff-go

cff-blumz

cff115

cff-pinwheel

cff lenny's copy shop

cff-sherry

cff-davis

cff-ferncare
cff-diy2013

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Revised Forum Guidelines

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale

Candidate Forum Policies and Procedures

Adopted 4/13/10 – Revised 8/9/2012

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) will hold candidate and/or issues forums for any and all local (including city, county, and/or state) elections, including any and all offices and/or ballot questions, at the discretion of the CFF Forum Committee.  CFF recognizes that, due to volunteer time constraints, not all elections can be covered.  However, in an effort to provide as much information as possible to potential Ferndale voters, CFF will strive to cover a wide range of local elections, particularly those not already covered by the League of Women Voters.

To that end, CFF has promulgated the following policies and procedures, in an effort to provide clarity and uniformity in future Forums:

  • CFF Forums are not “debates.”  CFF hosts these Forums in order to educate the community so that viewers can make an informed decision.  Candidates will be provided the opportunity to state their own position on a variety of issues.  Candidates should refrain from commenting on the qualifications or positions of the other Candidates.  Personal attacks are, of course, not acceptable.
  • CFF Forums will include all elections for offices within the city of Ferndale, including uncontested races.
  • All candidates whose names will appear on the ballot for citywide elections and write-in candidates who have been properly approved by the City Clerk’s office will be invited to participate in CFF Candidate Forums.
  • CFF Forums may include local or statewide ballot questions, at the discretion of the Forum Committee.
  • When CFF holds a ballot question forum, representatives of any ballot question committees that have filed with Oakland County will be invited to participate in the Forum. In the event that no such committee has filed with the County, the CFF Forum Committee will use its discretion to invite Participants to represent the “yes” and “no” side of a ballot question.
  • The Moderator will be selected by the CFF Forum Committee.  The Committee will make every effort to choose a Moderator who does not have a deep personal interest in any Candidate.  The Moderator is not prohibited from promoting a Candidate in their free time, but should not be a member of any Candidate’s campaign, family member, or otherwise stand to personally gain by any Candidate’s election.
  • Prior to the Forums, candidates will be provided with a Questionnaire.  The Questionnaire contents will be uniform for candidates for a given office.  Candidates who provide written answers one week prior to the Forum will have their answers provided to the audience and posted on www.fairferndale.org.  Questionnaires will be accepted and distributed regardless of whether or not a Candidate attends the Forum.
  • CFF Candidate Forums will customarily be held on a Sunday afternoon 9 days prior to an election.  Date/time/location is subject to change; however, the Committee will make every effort to announce this information one month prior to the event.
  • Each Candidate is allowed to bring one piece of campaign material to distribute at the Forum – the material may not exceed one page (8 ½” x 11”).
  • Electronic devices may not be used by Candidates during a Forum.
  • Each Candidate will be allowed to make a 3-minute opening statement.
  • The Moderator will then facilitate questions from the audience, which each candidate will have 2 minutes to answer.  Questions will be offered round robin style.
  • Questions will be submitted in writing.  Questions are subject to omission at the discretion of the Forum Committee.
    • The audience will be given the following guidelines for questions: Questions must be focused on issues within the purview of the elected office (not personal or irrelevant issues).  Questions should be directed to all candidates; candidates should not be singled out.
    • Questions that do not conform with these guidelines may be omitted.
    • Questions may also be omitted or grouped according to subject matter by CFF Forum Committee Members, in order to avoid redundancy and to address related topics together, when possible.
  • If there are not enough questions from the audience to fill the allotted time, the Moderator will ask questions of their own discretion.
  • Candidates will be given 2 minutes at the end for closing remarks.

CFF welcomes participation by the community in these Forums.  Please contact us with your ideas on how CFF can better serve Ferndale through its Candidate Forums.