Willits Economic LocaLizationThe WELL Bucket

Volume 2 – Issue 21 October 3, 2007

The Village Lives- Creating a Vital Social Commons that Encourages Community Friday, October 12 at the Willits Community Center - 6:00 Presented by Mark Lakeman of The City Repair Project A 1.5-hour slide presentation that shares the story of The City Repair Project, in Portland, Oregon. As both an organization and a larger movement, City Repair inspires and guides the transformation of the grid infrastructure of the typical American city into a vital social commons. This presentation compares the historic settlement patterns of village societies with the dominant forces of Western colonization as a context for describing City Repair's work. As a multidisciplinary culture, City Repair combines architecture, urban planning, anthropology, community development, public art, permaculture and ecological design in projects that transform space and transfer power at local levels. Through a restorative process in which citizens re-imagine and literally re-build their own commons, we are engendering relationships that revitalize the fabric of our local community within the existing context of social isolation. By re-asserting localized village patterns in the city grid, City Repair establishes both the physical and social foundation for sustainable culture.

WELL Plenary Meeting – October 22 Willits Community Center – 6:00 pm This is an important meeting, please attend. We will be voting to accept (or not) the Amended Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation which will complete our journey to becoming our own Non-Profit Corporation. Please see these documents on line: Meeting Procedures, Restated Articles of Incorporation, and Bylaws Of Earthmind. Note that if they are voted in the dates on these last two draft documents will be changed to October 22, 2007. We will also be voting for new members for the Coordinating Committee. Jason Bradford’s term will continue to March 2008. The six candidates for the six open seats are: Mary Zellachild, Kimbal Dodge, Michael Hackleman, Tim Gregory, Michael Stewart, and Madge Strong. According to the proposed Bylaws, to be elected each candidate must receive the vote of at least 60% of those voting members present at the meeting. Please be there to let your vote count.

Dues are Due WELL first accepted members in September of 2006. Many of you have renewed your memberships already, some of you have not. WELL annual dues are $10 per year. You can mail it to our P.O. Box or bring it into the office. We will also have a membership table at the Speaker Event on October 12. If your dues are up to date you may vote in this month’s election. If you are not certain when you signed up, call the WELL Office at 707-459-7076 and we will be glad to let you know. If you are not a member of WELL, but you live in the Willits Zip Code (95490) and support our goals, please drop by the office for a Membership application.

Schedule of Events October 3 - Brock Dolman “The Future of Water: Thinking Like a Watershed” Little Lake Grange – 6:30 pm October 9 Willits Briarpatch meetingYum Yum Tree Restaurant 1:30 pm October 12 - Mark Lakeman Portland City Repair ProjectWillits Community Center 6 - 9 pm October 18 – Now & Then Films “Hemplands Conspiracy”Little Lake Health Center 7 pm October 20 - Our Healthy Community Regional Conference Golden Rule Church at Ridgewood Ranch - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm October 22 –WELL Meeting: Merge Vote & ElectionsWillits Community Center - 6 – 9 pm October 23 Willits Briarpatch meeting“Meet the Local Briarpatch” Yum Yum Tree Restaurant 1:30 pm October 26 - Local First Harvest Moon CelebrationDowntown 4 - 8 pm October 28 - Mendocino County Railway Society Meeting: Rail Revival The Future of Local RailLittle Lake Grange 11am-3pm November 5 Coordinating Committee MeetingWELL Office - Noon November 5 Elder Talk IVLittle Lake Grange 6:30 pm November 6 Willits Briarpatch meetingYum Yum Tree Restaurant 1:30 pm November 26 WELL Plenary MeetingWillits Community Center 6:00 pm

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Mervin Pinches & Gene Suhpbert on horseback

Now And Then Film Series – In the last few years the Now and Then Film Series has shown over 30 films on economic and environmental sustainability, showcasing not only the problems but solutions as well. Films have been screened at the library, the Health Center, and the Community Center. We are hoping to continue to collect some dollars at each showing in order to purchase some equipment. The Little Lake Health Center has been generous in allowing the use of their conference room and screening equipment for our monthly shows. As Now & Then grows in popularity, we will be looking for a larger and more centrally located venue." Some of our best attended films include Taken for a Ride, Our Daily bread, and Most recently – Tesla. We are thinking of serving coffee, chocolate and "seasonal snacks" for movie night – would you like that? We would love your input and film suggestions – and especially, if you have a film you would like to share or ask us to air. Please call RJ at 459-6362. About Us…. Richard Jergenson- Chair of the N&TFS Committee – has been showing films locally for over 30 years – he is a film buff and videographer, former theater owner, and deeply knowledgeable on transportation, alternative energy and other topics of sustainability Continued Pg 6 – Now & Then Films

Elder Talk IV Little Lake Grange

November 5 - 6:30 pm In the Fourth Elder Talk, we will hear from Community Elders - MERVIN PINCHES and HANK STROCK. Learn about how the Northwestern Pacific Railroad was operating in the 20th Century... More stories of early years in Laytonville and North County including agriculture, ranching, horses, wild foods, transportation and more.

WELL MidWIFE Fund Grants On October 1 WELL Granted $7,000 to 10 projects that help our community move closer to an enduring local economy. In those cases where the applicant is a Non-Profit Corporation or under the auspices of one, we directly gave them a check. In those cases where the applicant does not have Non-Profit Status, WELL will either take the project under our own Non Profit umbrella or otherwise allow them access to the money in a way that the IRS allows. The ten projects we supported are:

1) $600 to the Willits Watershed Mural, to be installed on the side of the new Trinity Crafts Store.

2) $1,000 to REDI to expand the HELP program outside Willits City Limits.

3) $750 to the Willits Area Health and Healing Arts Professionals Directory.

4) $700 to Brookside Farm to build two Solar Food Dehydrators to be used in conjunction with the Grateful Gleaners.

5) $1,000 to the Little Lake Grange to acquire a Lavalier (lapel) Microphone and a large screen for their main hall. In addition, WELL will purchase two more Lavalier Microphones which will be available for various local groups to borrow as needed.

6) $400 to Brookside Farm to build root crop storage bins. 7) $250 to Phoenix Certified Hospice of Mendocino County toward a

fountain or reflecting pool in their new Bereavement Garden. 8) $750 to a Dry Land Grain Demonstration which will be a joint

project of WELL and Post Carbon Institute. 9) $800 to the Herbalist Mentoring Network, which teaches Willits

youth about the cultivation, preparation, and use of medicinal herbs.

10) $750 to the Medicine Chest Garden project. Many of these projects can use more support than WELL had to give them. If you want to support them you may contact the project managers directly or contact the WELL office for more information. The next round of MidWIFE Fund Grants will be distributed March 1, 2008 with an application deadline of January 15, 2008. As of now, our budget for that distribution is set at $3,000. If you want to contribute to the MidWIFE Fund, send a check to WELL with ‘MidWIFE Fund’ on the note line.

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Whole Lot of Speakin’ Goin’ On WELL is pleased to direct your attention this month to several events that we are not producing. It is exciting to us that so many of the individuals and organizations in Willits are working on the subjects that are near and dear to us.

October 3 – The Future of Water: Thinking Like a Watershed Little Lake Grange, 291 School St. – 6:30 pm A Slide Show presented by Brock Dolman, Director of the WATER Institute at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. This talk will discuss how biologically diverse ecosystems are dependent upon hydrologically intact watersheds and how this relates to human development patterns and ecological restoration. Brock’s insights on water management from an engineering perspective are sure to help land managers in planning projects to be more efficient and realistic. Brock is a Sonoma County Fish & Wildlife Commissioner, an active board member of the Russian River Watershed Council, an occasional advisor to various water control agencies as wells as a nationally recognized permaculture instructor and consultant. He has a great deal of experience in water processes and land improvement methodologies.

October 10 - Dollars & Sense Energy Forum

Grateful Gleaners Still Going Strong

Fruit and nuts are hanging on the trees;the last berries are hanging on the vines. This locally grown produce is waiting to help feed us now and in the winter approaching. The Grateful Gleaners are still hard at work picking produce that would otherwise go to waste. They distribute it to Our Daily Bread, the Willits Food Closet, the Senior Center, Willits area schools, the recent Harvest Festival Dinner, and wherever else they can. With the new Solar Food Dehydrators being built at Brookside Farm, they will be able to preserve more of this produce for use in other seasons. If you have a tree you want them to glean, or if you want to join the fun of gleaning, Call 459-5490 x555 to leave a message.l

Location Willits High School Auditorium - 7:00PM Arrive early if you would like to see the electric vehicles Speakers: Steve Heckeroth - Peak Oil; Electric, Gas, & Hybrid vehicles; & Solar - Overview Richard Jergenson - Light Rail Sara O'Brian - Energy Conservation Ralph Pisciotta - Solar Installations Brian Corzilius - County Energy Usages Questions & Answers moderated by Ron Orenstein Sponsored by: Soroptimist, Lions, Nuestra Alianza, & Willits High School Science Teachers For Information contact Jane McCabe 456-9067

October 20 - Our Healthy Community: Planning Designing & Building for Health Ridgewood Ranch - from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm The built environment — the design of our towns, streets, sidewalks, homes and businesses — affects rates of obesity with attendant cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers. The design of our communities also affects traffic collisions, asthma rates, levels of crime, family violence and even depression With the beautiful and historic Ridgewood Ranch as a backdrop, discuss how to promote healthier communities through changes in land use and community design. Keynote speaker Dr. Richard Jackson, Professor of Environmental Health Continued Page 4 – October Events

October 26 - Local First Harvest Moon Celebration Downtown 4 - 8 pm Join Local First! for a community-wide celebration as we welcome in the fall season! The businesses will be open late, and there will be entertainment, prizes. There will be booths for artists, crafters, farmers and local organizations in downtown Willits. For more information call 707-459-7910. This event is sponsored by Local First and follows up their wonderful event onMonday evening during Frontier Days.

Jason Sampling Product – Photo by Ree Slocum

Willits Economic Localization (WELL), P.O. Box 42, Willits, CA 95490 (707) 459-7076 Fax (707) 459-7077 New Office: 713 South Main Street, Suite A, Willits, CA 95490

E-Mail: office@willitseconomiclocalization.org Website: http://www.willitseconomiclocalization.org

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Harvest Festival Thank You’s!! Dear Willits, The 2nd Annual Harvest Festival at the Little Lake Grange was a great success - we fed 150 people on local organic food, all gathered and prepared by volunteers. The day was filled with interesting demonstrations and events. So many people helped that we cannot properly thank them all here, but there are some volunteers who worked long hours to bring you the Festival, and they deserve a special mention. A very special thanks goes to Ellen Bartholemew and Ridgewood Ranch for their generous donations of time, food, veggies and especially locally grown grains for our dinner! Food contributions also from Mariposa Market, Frey Vineyards, Richard Jeske, Karina MacAbee, Wendy Wilmes, Mendocino Queen, and Shamrock Artisan Goat Cheese have our heartfelt appreciation. The Grange also purchased a share of the Brookside Farm CSA, which contributed much of the food used for the dinner. Head Chef Karina MacAbee deserves a medal for her long hours and several days of prepping and cooking. She was helped by Erika Bruce – Head Food gatherer, plus Patty Rede, Ed Bruce, Joyce Diane, Adrienne Arant, and others, plus the children who cracked all the walnuts. We apologize for not getting the names of the solar cooks who shared a number of interesting and delicious dishes, but can mention that George Bono, Wolfgang, Sammy and Wendell, Jordon and Ayla were among them. The winners of this years Solar Cookoff are:

• Wolfgang Ronneveldt - sponge cake with a lovely pear sauce • Jordan and Ayla Yager - Apple pies, cookies, baked apples

Thanks to Sue Morganti for the Solar oven workshop, and thanks to her students and all the people who brought their many solar ovens. Donna D’Terra and Diane Smalley gave a well attended herbal salve class. The Grape/apple press was manned all day by Richard Jergenson, helped by Jolly Roger, Michael Stewart, Miranda, Richard and others…. Al Rosen took very wonderful videos all day in every sector. Children’s Activities were planned by Ellie Bruce, Miranda and Richard. Other classes and exhibits were wonderful additions, and we thank you all. Special appreciation to Mary Zellachild who organized exhibits and demonstrations, Richard Jergenson as Outdoor Coordinator, Erika Bruce – Logistics and Planning, Anne Weller – event coordinator. Thanks to All who came for the day and the dinner - please participate again next year! Sincerely, Little Lake Grange #670 Event Committee

October Events – Cont. from Page 3 and of City & Regional Planning at UC Berkeley, former California State HealthOfficer, will speak on "What's Good for the Planet and the Economy is Good For Health". Local breakfast and lunch catered by Tamara Frey. To register, send a check for $10 by October 5th to the Willits Community Development Department at 111 East Commercial St. Willits, CA 95490. Questions? Contact Cathy Sanders at 459-7128 or cathys@willitscity.com October 28 - Mendocino County Railway Society Meeting: Rail Revival The Future of Local Rail Little Lake Grange 11am-3pm Are you interested in the Future of Local Rail? *MCRS Membership signup & updating ($20 membership), A Memorial for Hanna Burkhardt, Discuss Light Rail for Willits and the County, Skunk Train Concerns and Future of the Redwood Groves on the Line. This meeting follows the Grange Pancake Breakfast. Eat breakfast at 10:30, stay for the meeting! For information call Richard Jergenson 459-6362.

J

What Others Are Saying:

Dollar crunch puts gold centre stage http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/10/01/ccview101.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox

Chip Ward, How Efficiency Maximizes Catastrophe http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174826/chip_ward_how_efficiency_maximizes_catastrophe

uicing at Harvest Festival 2006

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2006 March 4 & 5 - Workshop:

"The Future of WELL"

WELL Meetings – A Change At the September 10 meeting we passed the talking stick and we heard the concerns and suggestions of those who participated. One of the concerns is that there isn’t enough communication from the membership to the Coordinating Committee because there aren’t enough mechanisms to allow it. The Coordinating Committee looked at that issue and decided that we need to change the format of the plenary meetings we have, and to have them more often. The Plenary meetings will now be scheduled at 6:00 pm on the fourth Monday of each month (we will probably move it off schedule in December, rather than holding it on Christmas Eve). A Coordinating Committee meeting will be held on the First Monday of each month at noon at the WELL Office. At each plenary meeting there will be a sheet on which members may write agenda items they want discussed at the Coordinating Committee. The format for the plenary will be as follows: 6:00 to 6:30 pm –

• Nosh (local finger food potluck) • Tables for Projects to display what they are doing and recruit • Short project meetings

6:30 to 6:45 pm • Community Announcements

6:45 to 7:15 pm • Brief Project Reports

7:15 to 8:00 pm • Large Circle Open Forum, using a talking stick format

8:00 to 8:30 pm • More Nosh • Finish up conversations

8:30 pm • Clean up and lock up

With the addition of the voting process, which will include ballots at the Membership Table, this will be the format of our Plenary Meeting on October 22 and those following.

Mayor’s Water Conservation Challenge Tip: Use full loads in your Dishwasher and in your Clothes Washer,

it’s less water per item.

Now & Then Film Series Presents Hemplands Conspiracy The Story of America’s Most Controversial Crop The colonists grew it. George Washington grew it. Farmers grew “hemp for victory” in WWII. Why isn’t this valuable crop of many uses grown in the United States today? This revealing documentary features archival footage and insightful interviews with hemp advocates.

7:00 pm, Thursday, October 18 Little Lake Health Center 45 Hazel St.

Enter by back door in parking lot

Free Admission! Everyone Welcome!

Suggested Donation of $5 to Help Build WELL Film Library

October & November Briarpatch Meetings: Do you own a local business? Are you thinking of starting one? Are you interested in a sustainable approach to business? Are you looking for a network of local business people that help each other? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to attend a Willits Briarpatch meeting. “Our purpose is to support local businesses, and small business owners, by meeting every other week to share information about what are working in our businesses, help each other solve problems, bring in guest speakers of mutual interest, and network with other individuals and organizations.” For further information contact Jed Diamond (459-5505 or by e-mail at Jed@MenAlive.com)

Tuesday: October 9, October 23, November 6, November 20 Tuesdays 1:30 – 2:30 pm at the Yum Yum Tree Restaurant

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Articles in this issue of the WELL Bucket..................................................................................... PageNovember Schedule .............................................................1r Project Slide Show..............................................................1ber Plenary Meeting ............................................................1ue...........................................................................................1IV ............................................................................................2

IFE Fund Grants .................................................................2hen Film Series .....................................................................2leaners....................................................................................3 of Water................................................................................3ense ......................................................................................3y Community.........................................................................3on Celebration .....................................................................3stival a Success....................................................................4 of Local Rail.........................................................................4rs Are Saying.........................................................................4 Consipiracy.........................................................................5

tings – A Change ..................................................................5servation Tip .........................................................................5

n Films – Continued from Page 2 osinger – A background in graphics and fine arts, Photographer and Vctions, Board of Directors of Channel 3, has shot video for over 2 decad

rs Weller – Community event coordinator, community activist, amateur producer.... Sustainable Living studies for 30 years, esp Food and Nutritio.

omic Localization (WELL), P.O. Box 42, Willits, CA 95490 (70New Office: 713 South Main Street, Suite A, Willits, C

e@willitseconomiclocalization.org Website: http://www.willi

Willits Economic LocaLization P.O. Box 42 Willits, CA 95490

Joint Statement For A Local, Sustainable Economy

p://www.willitseconomiclocalizationorg/JointStatementPhoto by Sue Coop

ideographer, formerly of Boosinger es hotographer and videographer, n, has lived in Mendocino County

7) 459-7076 Fax (707) 459-7077 A 95490 tseconomiclocalization.org