Update, 2/10/10: Montana and Dakota’s listings are no longer available on Petango.

I’m a little strapped for time this week, so I decided to borrow one of Wayside Waifs’ “Waifs of the Week” for this week’s Featured Adoptable post. Normally, Wayside Waifs highlights younger, more “adoptable” animals in its newsletter. This week, though, they (kinda sorta) broke with tradition and included a senior beagle named Montana (alongside Demi, a one-year-old Belgian Malinois Mix and Espresso, a ten-month-old kitten).

It appears that Wayside Waifs no longer relies on Petfinder as its primary adoption listing source; instead, its newsletter links to Petango (which is new to me!). Here’s Montana’s listing:

Name: Montana
Animal ID: 7894997
Breed: Beagle / Mix Learn more
Age: 9 years 2 months
Gender: Female
Color: Brown / Black
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Size: Medium

This sweet girl is Montana! She is a nine year old Beagle, and true to her breed, she is interested in following her nose wherever it takes her. Montana is easygoing and gentle, and she loves a good walk. She loves to check out everything around her. Montana came into Wayside as a transfer from another shelter with her best friend, Dakota. They’ve been together for a very long time, and they need to go home with each other. These two would be a great pick for a first time dog owner. They are both relaxed, social, and have great doggie manners. They are affectionate with everybody who stops along their walk to say hello! If you have room in your heart and home for these two sweethearts, come down to meet them today! Montana is currently in foster and is not at the shelter. If you would like to meet Montana and Dakota, please call Sarah Little at 816- 256-9310.

In addition to being an older lady, Montana is one half of a bonded pair; as you may recall, this can make it even more difficult for Montana (and her dog friend) to find a forever home. If you have room in your heart and home for two senior girls, please consider adopting Montana and Dakota.

And what about Dakota, hmmm? Let’s find out more about the second senior lady, shall we?:

Name: Dakota
Animal ID: 2838312
Breed: German Shepherd / Mix Learn more
Age: 9 years 5 months
Gender: Female
Color: Brown / Black
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Size: Medium

This sweet girl is Dakota! She is a nine year old Shepherd mix. Dakota is easygoing and gentle, and she loves a good walk. She loves to check out everything around her. Dakota came into Wayside as a transfer from another shelter with her best friend, Montana. They’ve been together for a very long time, and they need to go home with each other. These two would be a great pick for a first time dog owner. They are both relaxed, social, and have great doggie manners. They are affectionate with everybody who stops along their walk to say hello! If you have room in your heart and home for these two sweethearts, come down to meet them today! This dog is in foster and is not at the shelter. If you would like to meet Dakota and Montana please call Sarah Little at 816- 256-9310.

How can you resist those smiley dog faces?

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Hey all,

One of our moderators, Brooke, is stepping down after three years of helping to moderate Kansas City Freecycle. We thank her for all the help she’s given us over the years, and wish her well. Now comes the hard task of finding a replacement. Or two or three! She was that good, really.

So here’s the deal. We’re looking for at least two - preferably three - members to help us moderate the list. If you’re interested, keep reading; below I’ve outlined the “qualifications” we’re looking for in potential moderators, as well as the duties of a moderator.

If you’re not interested, we respectfully ask that you bear with us while we make the transition. We’re already stretched a little thin, and finding and training new moderators will no doubt take up more of our time. Please be patient while we get everything settled.

MODERATOR DUTIES

Moderators must be able to dedicate one day, possibly two, to moderating the board. By this, I mean: reading each message that’s posted to the board; reading and approving pending messages; sending out reminder emails as needed; and dealing with any questions or concerns that arise during the day. We don’t expect moderators to be glued to the computer throughout the day, but we would prefer that each moderator check the board periodically during his or her day - at least three times a day, ideally more.

Each moderator has his or her set day(s), during which s/he is expected to watch the board and answer emails; if a moderator is unable to perform his or her duties during his or her set day, we just ask for some advance notice so we can find someone else to cover that day.

Occasionally, moderators may be asked to pick up extra duties or days, such as when another moderator is busy, on vacation, etc.

Also, we ask that moderators check their email and the special, dedicated Yahoo group for KCF moderators every day or two, in case any issues or questions pop up among the moderators.

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Please note: this post is “sticky” and will remain at the top o’ the page until I say so. Scroll down for newer posts.

If your membership to Kansas City Freecycle is still “pending” and you don’t know why, please go see our brand-spanking new Application page for more details: www.kcfreecycle.org/application/

In short, we require pending members to return an “application” before we approve new membership requests. Until then, you’re stuck in pending member limbo…for approximately two weeks, at which time Yahoo auto-expires your membership request and you have to go through the whole rigmarole again.

If you didn’t receive a copy of the application, most likely it’s in your spam folder, or otherwise eaten by the internets. No problemo; you can find a copy here!: www.kcfreecycle.org/application/

If you did receive a copy of the application and returned it - but your membership request is still pending - then it’s quite possible that we didn’t receive your reply. (Those intertubes be hungry, yo!) Please resend it, to all four email addresses listed in the application (i.e., kcfreecycle-owner [at] yahoogroups.com, ann [at] kcfreecycle.org, kelly [at] kcfreecycle.org, craig [at] kcfreecycle.org). This will help to ensure that it’s not lost a second time.

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Hey folks,

We’ve had this issue come up a few times in the past week, so we thought a clarification might be in order.

We welcome resellers on KC Freecycle, since reselling items fits in well with our mission - namely, keeping usable items (and even so-called “unusable” items) out of the landfill. However, not everyone wants to give their items to resellers; some would rather give them directly to the people who will be using them. Again, that’s fine with us - members are free to do what they want with their stuff. So all we ask of resellers is that they disclose their intentions up front, without first being asked. If you’re a reseller, this means stating this clearly on concisely in your “wanted” or in your reply to someone else’s “offer”.

We consider “scrappers” a form of resellers. Thus, if you plan on selling an item obtained on KCF as scrap metal, you must tell the offeror, up front, in your initial “wanted” email or your reply to their “offer”. The offeror is free to decide *not* to give you the item based on this info.

Again, we don’t have a problem with resellers or scrappers; but some members do, and we want to respect their wishes.

We have updated the list rules (www.kcfreecycle.org/rules/) to reflect this.

Thanks,

Kelly G.
KCF list owner
kelly [at] kcfreecycle.org

Note: this post is “sticky” and will remain at the top of the page until I say so. Scroll down for the newest entries.

The Problem

Hey there Freecycle members (pending, new and old)! Here’s the problem, in brief. Whenever you email the list moderators at our “generic” yahoo email address (kcfreecycle-owner [at] yahoogroups.com), Yahoo “reroutes” that email and sends a copy to each moderator at his or her personal email address. Lately, Yahoo seems to be having some problems with their email system, so that some of the email sent to kcfreecycle-owner [at] yahoogroups.com never makes it to our personal email addresses. Hence, we’ve had a number of emails go missing, especially the applications that require pending members to return before we approve their memberships.

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Hello Green Friends,

Your moderators hereby challenge all of you to find one thing in your possession that you can offer here between now and this Saturday, April 26th.

Anything! Big, small, pretty, ugly, working, in need of fixing, children’s items, adults’ items, pet goodies, anything.

Sometimes people list an item to give and say something like “pick up today or it’s going in the trash tomorrow!”

Let’s avoid that by offering it tonight or tomorrow.

Has your spouse been nagging you to get rid of something? Do your kids think you’re hanging onto an eyesore? Are you tired of the astronomical amount of toys cluttering the house?

Here’s your chance. Take the Earth Day/Week Challenge right now.

It’s so easy to do; just sweep through your house and you’ll probably find something in the first room you visit.

I double dare you all to meet this challenge.

Yes, all 11,196 of you could keep 11,196 items out of the landfill this week by offering something to your neighbors now.

Let’s go!

Shelly, KC Freecycle List Moderator
shelly [at] kcfreecycle.org

Hey all -

I just wanted to make everyone aware of a possible problem we’re having with Yahoo. We’ve had a number of pending members say over the past few weeks that they returned the “application” they’re required to fill out before we approve their memberships. However, none of us moderators are able to find the missing emails in our KC Freecycle mail folders!

Since all email sent to kcfreecycle-owner [at] yahoogroups.com is forwarded - by Yahoo - to each individual moderator’s email address, I suspect that something is happening on Yahoo’s end so that the email is not being forwarded to us.

So, if you need to contact a moderator; are waiting for your pending membership to be approved; or know of someone who’s having trouble getting into the group, please CC the individual moderators’ email addresses when you’re attempting to contact us.

Here are the email addresses, in a block, that you should use.

kcfreecycle-owner [at] yahoogroups.com, brooke [at] kcfreecycle.org, craig [at] kcfreecycle.org, danielle [at] kcfreecycle.org, shelly [at] kcfreecycle.org, sheree [at] kcfreecycle.org, kelly [at] kcfreecycle.org, shane [at] kcfreecycle.org

(Just replace the [at] with @ in order to make each email address valid.)

We’re very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused, but trust me when I say that Yahoo’s sub-par performance has been insanely frustrating for us mods as well.

Kelly G.
KC Freecycle list owner
kelly [at] kcfreecycle.org

——————

Tagged: kcfreecycle yahoo email admin pending members pending memberships

Hey fellow freecyclers -

Your holiday moderator here, with a general reminder about requests for information and other intangibles. Keep in mind that this email is NOT directed towards any one individual, but rather is being sent to the list as a whole as a general reminder.

As always, requests for “intangibles” - such as information (”Does anyone know where can I buy this widget?”) and services (”WANTED: Ride to Colorado”) - are not allowed on Kansas City Freecycle. Requests that involve money or trading, even if indirectly (again, such as asking where an item may be purchased) are not appropriate for a Freecycle list, either. Copied below are the relevant rules that explain why this is.

When in doubt, please read through the list rules (www.kcfreecycle.org/rules/) and Netiquette (www.kcfreecycle.org/netiquette/). If you’re still questioning whether a post is acceptable, please email the moderators. All our contact info is available on the main Yahoo group page (groups.yahoo.com/group/kcfreecycle/).

And, of course, never assume that something is ok just because you saw another list member do it. Most of the list is unmoderated, meaning that these members’ posts are sent to the board without first being reviewed by the moderators. Rest assured that we handle all incorrect/inappropriate posts as they come to our attention.

Thanks for another year of freecycling. Here’s to a happy, clutter-free 2008!

- Kelly G.
KC Freecycle list owner
kelly [at] kcfreecycle.org

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Update, 11/1/07:

Also, please be aware that teflon can be toxic to birds, as well as some other commonly kept pets.

See, for example, Teflon Toxicity (PTFE Toxicosis) in Birds.

Birds are susceptible to a respiratory condition called “teflon toxicity” or “PTFE poisoning/toxicosis.” Deaths can result from this condition, which is due to the noxious fumes emitted from overheated cookware coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This chemical is found on most non-stick cookware and appliances, some stain repellant products, and other household items.

(Or just Google teflon and birds.)

Thanks to list member Michael for the reminder.

———————-

Hey folks,

Just passing along an email from a concerned list member regarding teflon pans. As always, we urge you to use caution when giving or receiving items via Freecycle, whether it’s a car seat, dog food, baby toys, etc.

For more info, please see our Safety Tips at www.kcfreecycle.org/safety/. We also have a list of recall and safety links on our website at www.kcfreecycle.org/ (look to the right hand sidebar).

- Kelly G., KCF list owner
kelly [at] kcfreecycle.org

—– Original Message —–
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 10:05 PM
Subject: Kc Freecycle Concern

I know its a common practice to give away used teflon pans but it really worries me that people are not informed about the danger of the practice of using a teflon pan that the coating has been damaged or is peeling off.

I can be toxic and can make someone seriously ill. I have seen these given away lots of times on here but I just wanted you all to get together and decide if a warning to others should be issued, so that they could make an informed decision before offers or recieving.

Here are a few links I searched out for you, so that you could see for yourselves and make a choice. At least, I feel better knowing that I tried to get the word out to others of the potential danger this poses to their health.

www.care2.com/greenliving/dangers-of-teflon.html
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070226232707AAQ5eOG
www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200507/ea20050713.html

Thanks for listening.

———————-

(Read this ADMIN message on Yahoo…)

———————-

Tagged: kcfreecycle safety teflon pans freecycle recycle reuse

(Crossposted from the KC Freecycle Yahoo Group.)

Greetings, KC Freecycle Members! After a short time off for maternity leave, I am pleased to announce my return, and I’ve brought someone along with me to help out as new moderator.

I would like to introduce my husband, Craig, as one of the new moderators to KC Freecycle. He will be handling Fridays and helping
me with problem resolution, among other things.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please e-mail ALL the mods at kcfreecycle-owner [at] yahoogroups [dot] com OR personally at:

Ann: ann [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org
Brooke: brooke [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org
Danielle: danielle [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org
Dawn: dawn [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org
Sheree: sheree [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org
Shelly: shelly [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org
Craig: craig [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org

Shelly, KC Freecycle™ Co-Moderator
shelly [at] kcfreecycle [dot] org