Joining forces?

[saraistevens]

Hello,
My name is Sarai Stevens, and I am a member of the Chuckanut Transition Core group. A group of eight people, in the Samish Bay Watershed area, who are committed to acting as a catalyst to get the community rolling towards greater resiliency. Seems to me we have identical goals.
Our presentation/participation event at the Alger Comm Hall has been posted in the news section, and we would love to see some of you there. If the 23rd doesn't work, we meet the first Monday of every month.
We have a wordpress site www.chuckanuttransition.wordpress.com that is still very much under construction, but I plan on making a link to this forum. Great start! It will be fun to see the project grow.
Hope to make a connection,
Sarai

[LynRogers]

Hi Sarai,

I followed your lead in using my real name instead of the online nick I've used for years. It makes sense, I have no excuse for not doing it sooner.

I'm also CLResil, though that account is limited to more formal needs, particular in relation to running the forum itself.

I have only read a little about the Transitions movement. I look forward to the presentation to learn more about it, and what Chuckanut Transition itself is working on.

I will admit that I do not have a clear goal in mind. I hadn't even intended to start up a forum until next year. So I'm mostly working by flexibility of the moment. Which, I know, isn't such a great way of going about something like this. But if it does become an active forum, then its users can help make decisions about where to take it and how to get there.

The idea in my mind was to create a place where locals could get to know each other and to create a local directory of what's available around here.

I chose Cain Lake in the name, to cover the residents up and down Cain Lake Rd and its offshoots.

I chose Resiliency in the name, because I'm concerned about how well this area can cope with economic pressures. Gas prices are rising, many homes are up for sale, and we're significantly far enough from the main towns that economic pressures do impact our residents. Even one of the nearby CSA farms isn't doing a CSA this year. I figure that at least with a forum and some local connections, we'd be able to talk about these pressures, and how we each are learning to cope with them. No need for each of us to reinvent the wheel.
(I've come to the conclusion, though, that I would have done better if I'd left off the term 'Resiliency'.)

I added Network in the name to help make it more clear what this forum's aim is.

I had not seen a notice that would suggest that something like this was already in effect. But then, I've been rather limited to the Glenhaven Store Corkboard. I certainly don't want to step on another group's toes. If our efforts can compliment each others', then win-win.

I know nothing about politics. And though I've lived in this house for about 6 years, I'm still not familiar with the geographical area. (I had to look up Samish Bay Watershed area.)

I am certainly open for learning, open for ideas, and open for making connections. Did you have something more specific in mind?

Meanwhile, I suppose one of my first steps is to start attending events at Alger Community Hall (now that I know it exists) and Glenhaven Lakes Club meetings.

Another first step will be to find a way of actually getting the directory going.

I am sorry that I missed the Monday meeting (is this held at Alger as well?). But I look forward to the one on June 23rd at 6:30pm.

Lyn

[saraistevens]

Lyn,

I appreciate the organic "flexibility of the moment". It is a great way to root out what is actually needed or wanted.

I also appreciate the term "resiliency". It is exactly what our neighborhoods are missing but understand it is a term that people are not used to hearing.

The Bow Little Market is our project with similar goals to the forum, but it is the "meat space" version.

Transition is a process meant to inspire new activity and glue together existing energy. No toes to be stepped on. Hope we can be mutually supportive. It is also a non-political, leaderless entity. Our main goal is to begin to network so we may re-imagine how our households work with our neighborhoods, glad you're willing to connect. It is a dream that each smaller area within the greater watershed area begin to function more like independent villages within a greater network and that we become less dependent on the cities. Would love for you to share the process you have gone through to start this forum.

This year, besides the market, we plan to hold free or low cost classes and workshops, like passive solar hot water systems, water catchment, edible mushrooms to name a few. There will also be a children and dogs costume bike parade in Bow in August. We hope to develop more fun ways to incorporate children in community building.

Not to worry, the directory will grow.

Chuckanut Transition meetings are rotated around to the various member's houses. We'll make sure and get your email on the 23rd so we may keep you in the loop.

Glad to make the connection,
Sarai

[LynRogers]

I love the image of this area eventually functioning like a little village. One of the things I hope to get going eventually is a time and place for locals to meet in person. I will probably be asking you lots of questions about what ya'll did to get the Bow Little Market going.

I look forward to meeting with you and jamin next Wednesday afternoon.

Lyn