Today I got a call from… Kurt Bench. Kurt is a vegetable farmer. He is a staple at your local farmer’s market and is often wearing his “Who’s your farmer” shirt. I find his story to be fascinating and his work to be admirable. I love hearing about his family and the incredible risk they took to give the Toledo region the gift of Shared Legacy.  New to the podcast this week! Make sure to listen all the way through to the end too. I am going to be sharing a few things from my work in the community at the end of each episode, as well as asking a question to think about or even offer a few thoughts on how today’s topic connects to our city and how you can be involved. The common good is definitely a group project so I thought the podcast should reflect that.

A Call From... Kurt Bench

Behind the scenes on my campaign for Toledo City Council - District 5.     *Paid for by Friends of Sam Melden

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Introducing: the Run With Sam Podcast!

Today I got a call from Toby Hoover. Toby has been working tirelessly in the fight against gun violence for over 40 years. She founded the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence and has proven to be synonymous with this fight in the Toledo region. I have enjoyed getting to know her so much over the past few months. She is one of the most passionate people I know and she energizes me in my interest in working toward a more peaceful world. While the topic is intense, we even played a game at the end! In “Did You Know _____ about gun violence in Ohio?” Toby helps us understand some of the lesser known realities of gun access and rights in our state. And, at the end, she talks about what makes a “good guy” and what makes a “bad guy.”  Also, please hop over to Facebook and check out our event “Guns to Gardens” happening on October 29th. I would love to see you there.

A Call From... Toby Hoover

This week I got a call from… TEDx Toledo! So, TEDx Toledo can’t technically call me but this episode is pretty close. My good friends Will Lucas and Molly Luetke stopped by the podcast to help me preview this year’s TEDx Toledo. I have enjoyed organizing this event with Will and Molly for the past few years and as I thought about this year, I realized that 3 of our speakers this year have already been guests on the podcast! So, I decided to give a little preview of this year’s event. Amelia, Scott and Adam’s TEDx talks will certainly be different from these conversations, but this is a great primer for Thursday.  And, of course there is still time. Get your tickets at www.tedxtoledo.com

A Call From... TEDxToledo

Today I got a call from Frank Szollosi. Frank, an environmental organizer who works for the National Wildlife Federation, has served on City Council and was a perfect candidate to close out our water series. In this episode, Frank helps us understand more about the political facets to this problem as well as how we can use our unique political geography to voice our concerns. Then at the end of the episode we discussed how a communal approach to advancing the common good is always the best approach.

A Call From... Frank Szollosi

Today I got a call from Warren Henry. Warren has vast work experience throughout his career and in August 2014 was brought in as the new Water Program Manager for the City of Toledo. I was excited to have him on the podcast in our 3rd week of talking about water. While it is definitely important to talk with politicians and policy makers and dreamers and activists… and sometimes, you need to talk to the one overseeing the nitty, gritty details.  When it comes to drinking water in the city of Toledo, Warren Henry is that guy. In this episode we talk about some of the real improvements made to our water system.  Also, at the end of the episode I mention a few upcoming events I am a part of, and I would love to have you involved!  Mentioned in this episode: TEDxToledo Guns to Gardens. (No link yet, more info coming soon!)  To reach me, email sfmelden@gmail.com

A Call From... Kurt Bench

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