MEETING MINUTES (2/22/10)
Hi Lake Neighbors!
Okay, first… OUR NEXT MEETING IS SUNDAY MARCH 14th @ Jessica & Rich Berman’s (319 East 17th Street between 3rd & 4th) at 6:30pm (potluck!). Let's have a strong turnout and be ready to get involved. Take a look at some of what we have sofar at the end of this email. If there is something there that is missing, suggest it – if you want to do something that someone has already taken on they more than likely would like help!
We’re learning what works and what doesn't re: turnout for meetings as time goes by. It seems there are certain factors that really cut attendance down...one is rain (we had that going on this last meeting on Tuesday, so...check), and the other is if we meet too far out from a center point of Regen/Luckys area (check again, we were over on Lakeshore).
SO...as you can guess we had only a few of us there on Tuesday. For more consistency and to get back to normal higher turnout, we would like to keep our Tuesday evening meetings at Regeneration Church (always at 6:30), and our Sunday meetings (always at 5:30) at either me & Hectors or the Berman's which are both only 1/2 a block or less from Lucky's.
I know the feeling was to be in more of eachother's homes, but the turnout is just not making that viable. Great idea, though – and our events will always make that still happen.
We had a guest -- the Director (Fania E. Davis) of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) – They work with youth in the juvenile justice system who have been given a diversion option and some of what they do is to connect them with the community. We have been talking for a long time about getting youth more tied in here to what the needs of the neighbors are and if she has youth in her programs that live here or have gotten into crime here, we would like to make strong connections with them – that is what RJOY does among many other things.
OKAY…upcoming dates/events to put down:
MARCH 7th (Sunday) -- we are setting this morning at 8:30am to make a group showing to work in Regeneration's soup kitchen. If you have warm coats or new socks (white is most preferred) it is always appreciated, but just bringing yourself to work and connect is first.
MARCH 13th (Saturday) -- don't forget to make it to the showing of FRESH and the fair and art show they will be having there -- it will be a big, great event...volunteers are needed and it should be a lot of fun to get involved from that angle, too. (see below of info)
MARCH 14th (Sunday) -- Lake Neighbors Regular Meeting…at Jess & Rich’s 319 East 17th Street between 3rd & 4th Ave’s…at 6:30pm (potluck!)
MARCH 24th (Wednesday) -- Woody’s movies: @ 7pm Sita Sings the Blues, 8:30pm Barbarella! (Across from the Parkway)
MARCH 30th (Tuesday) -- Lake Neighbors Regular Meeting…at Regeneration Church on the corner of 3rd Ave & E. 15th (in their Cafe unless signage there indicates otherwise) at 6:30pm (potluck!)
APRIL 18th (Sunday) – Lake Neighbors Regular Meeting…at Hector & Sasha’s 1704 3rd Ave. at E.17th (right across from Lucky’s) @ 5:30pm. Potluck.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Local Currency Project
Hi Sasha, you want to forward this email to the group so we can start evaluating how viable a local currency might be. Thanks!
So to follow up on the meeting minutes email, I thought I'd send out some info on the local currency idea. The most important factor in creating a currency is you have to have people willing to trade in that currency, so this email is primarily to find out who would be interested in offering goods/services in exchange for a local currency.
But I should give a little background on the project. First, I imagine most people probably wonder what exactly is a local currency and what's the point of creating one?
The main purpose of most local currencies is to encourage people to get the goods and services they need from their neighbors and people in their own community. Local currencies can take the form of paper bills, or on-line accounts, or just about any other method that allows people to keep track of what has been spent and received. Because local currencies can only be traded with people willing to accept the currency, this keeps the money in the local community with all the benefits that entails (stronger community ties, your money stays in your community where your friends and neighbors continue to benefit, less environmental impact when goods aren't transported long distances, etc.). Another important benefit is local currency can serve as a back-up means of exchange in the event of a major disaster or economic depression that cuts off access to the supply of traditional dollars. During the Depression, and in other nations and times of significant distress and upheaval, there are many examples of communities using local currencies to keep the economy functioning and keep goods and services flowing from people who have them to people who need them. There are other minor benefits as well (thieves would generally have no interest in such a currency, for example).
That's the generalities of a local currency. Here's what I'm thinking about for a local currency here...absolutely subject to change, revision, input, etc. at this point.
I'm thinking about the name LakeShare for our unit of currency. In essence, a unit of currency simply represents a share of the economy that trades in that currency. Owning a LakeShare entitles a person to a share of the goods and service offered by those in the Lake Merritt vicinity who are willing to accept LakeShares. I think the way we can issue new LakeShares is by offering a certain amount to people willing to perform some sort of public service. So, for example, we could get our LS economy started by providing 100 LS to everybody who comes out to spend a day cleaning up a public area. These would then be traded among everybody offering goods/services. Periodically, we could offer new LS for different community projects. Like dollars, LakeShares would continue to be spent over and over again, so in time the supply of LakeShares would grow. Hopefully the goods and services that are available to buy with LS would grow, too, so the LS would keep a fairly consistent value. Initially we'll try to keep the value of a LS fairly close to the value of a dollar so that people will be able to place a reasonable value on items they want to offer or buy. In time, it could probably change...since one of the reasons to have a local currency is a back-up to the accepted currency, LakeShares will not be "pegged" to the dollar; so the dollar could experience runaway inflation without necessarily impacting the LakeShare.
OK, so that's the background, now for the important part:
Who would be interested in offering a good or service as part of our local community economy? You might be a professional already offering products services to the general public, and that's great. But even if you're not, that's OK too. Maybe you can offer something similar to what you do for work to your friends and neighbors. Or maybe you'd simply be willing to baby-sit, walk dogs, or provide something else that you may not do professionally but are perfectly capable of doing. Maybe you're willing to sell art or items from your garden. I'm sure everybody has something they can offer if you're willing and have some imagination.
I've talked with the founder of a pretty successful local currency (evolving into a regional currency) in northwest Washington state, and he's observed the "magic number" for people participating in the local economy needs to be about 35 for a local currency to have sticking power. So it may take awhile for us to amass enough people (which is fine since I'm certainly not going to have time to get this off the ground until after tax season ;-), but that gives us a bench mark to shoot for. But if you have something you'd want to offer your friends and neighbors in exchange for what they have to offer, send me an email so I can start compiling a list. As we start approaching 30, we can meet to hash out some of the specifics, but for now I'd just like to start putting the building blocks in place. Without people willing to offer goods and services, no currency can be successful.
Thanks for reading this fairly lengthy email,
Devin
PS For more information on how a local currency might work, you can visit www.fourthcornerexchange.com for information about Life Dollars in the Pac NorthWest. There's links on that site to the following video: "Money as Debt"--http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2550156453790090544#. It's about 45 minutes long, but it's a useful background on how currencies work in general, how our current national currency works, and what a viable alternative might look like. I find it a little over the top in attributing dark and sinister motives to the architects of our current financial system, but the description of our currency reserve system is pretty accurate. I really like the alternative system described at the end and conceptually it is almost identical to what I've had in mind for our LakeShare currency. Just a little extra info for anybody who might be interested.
--
"The greatest obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents, and the oceans was not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge."
-Daniel J. Boorstin (Pulitzer Prize winner)
"I've learned how to live without knowing. I don't have to be sure I'm succeeding, and (...) I think my life is fuller because I realize that I don't know what I'm doing." - Richard Feynman (Nobel award winner)
So to follow up on the meeting minutes email, I thought I'd send out some info on the local currency idea. The most important factor in creating a currency is you have to have people willing to trade in that currency, so this email is primarily to find out who would be interested in offering goods/services in exchange for a local currency.
But I should give a little background on the project. First, I imagine most people probably wonder what exactly is a local currency and what's the point of creating one?
The main purpose of most local currencies is to encourage people to get the goods and services they need from their neighbors and people in their own community. Local currencies can take the form of paper bills, or on-line accounts, or just about any other method that allows people to keep track of what has been spent and received. Because local currencies can only be traded with people willing to accept the currency, this keeps the money in the local community with all the benefits that entails (stronger community ties, your money stays in your community where your friends and neighbors continue to benefit, less environmental impact when goods aren't transported long distances, etc.). Another important benefit is local currency can serve as a back-up means of exchange in the event of a major disaster or economic depression that cuts off access to the supply of traditional dollars. During the Depression, and in other nations and times of significant distress and upheaval, there are many examples of communities using local currencies to keep the economy functioning and keep goods and services flowing from people who have them to people who need them. There are other minor benefits as well (thieves would generally have no interest in such a currency, for example).
That's the generalities of a local currency. Here's what I'm thinking about for a local currency here...absolutely subject to change, revision, input, etc. at this point.
I'm thinking about the name LakeShare for our unit of currency. In essence, a unit of currency simply represents a share of the economy that trades in that currency. Owning a LakeShare entitles a person to a share of the goods and service offered by those in the Lake Merritt vicinity who are willing to accept LakeShares. I think the way we can issue new LakeShares is by offering a certain amount to people willing to perform some sort of public service. So, for example, we could get our LS economy started by providing 100 LS to everybody who comes out to spend a day cleaning up a public area. These would then be traded among everybody offering goods/services. Periodically, we could offer new LS for different community projects. Like dollars, LakeShares would continue to be spent over and over again, so in time the supply of LakeShares would grow. Hopefully the goods and services that are available to buy with LS would grow, too, so the LS would keep a fairly consistent value. Initially we'll try to keep the value of a LS fairly close to the value of a dollar so that people will be able to place a reasonable value on items they want to offer or buy. In time, it could probably change...since one of the reasons to have a local currency is a back-up to the accepted currency, LakeShares will not be "pegged" to the dollar; so the dollar could experience runaway inflation without necessarily impacting the LakeShare.
OK, so that's the background, now for the important part:
Who would be interested in offering a good or service as part of our local community economy? You might be a professional already offering products services to the general public, and that's great. But even if you're not, that's OK too. Maybe you can offer something similar to what you do for work to your friends and neighbors. Or maybe you'd simply be willing to baby-sit, walk dogs, or provide something else that you may not do professionally but are perfectly capable of doing. Maybe you're willing to sell art or items from your garden. I'm sure everybody has something they can offer if you're willing and have some imagination.
I've talked with the founder of a pretty successful local currency (evolving into a regional currency) in northwest Washington state, and he's observed the "magic number" for people participating in the local economy needs to be about 35 for a local currency to have sticking power. So it may take awhile for us to amass enough people (which is fine since I'm certainly not going to have time to get this off the ground until after tax season ;-), but that gives us a bench mark to shoot for. But if you have something you'd want to offer your friends and neighbors in exchange for what they have to offer, send me an email so I can start compiling a list. As we start approaching 30, we can meet to hash out some of the specifics, but for now I'd just like to start putting the building blocks in place. Without people willing to offer goods and services, no currency can be successful.
Thanks for reading this fairly lengthy email,
Devin
PS For more information on how a local currency might work, you can visit www.fourthcornerexchange.com for information about Life Dollars in the Pac NorthWest. There's links on that site to the following video: "Money as Debt"--http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2550156453790090544#. It's about 45 minutes long, but it's a useful background on how currencies work in general, how our current national currency works, and what a viable alternative might look like. I find it a little over the top in attributing dark and sinister motives to the architects of our current financial system, but the description of our currency reserve system is pretty accurate. I really like the alternative system described at the end and conceptually it is almost identical to what I've had in mind for our LakeShare currency. Just a little extra info for anybody who might be interested.
--
"The greatest obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents, and the oceans was not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge."
-Daniel J. Boorstin (Pulitzer Prize winner)
"I've learned how to live without knowing. I don't have to be sure I'm succeeding, and (...) I think my life is fuller because I realize that I don't know what I'm doing." - Richard Feynman (Nobel award winner)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
East Bay Concerts
On February 20th I am hosting a concert in Oakland, and we're trying to get as many folks out as possible. I'd appreciate it if you could forward this to your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors - in short, anyone who loves live music. Also, please let me know if you need paper copies of flyers or posters to help us get folks out to the event. We're going to be doing quite a bit of marketing, but the best way to get a good crowd is through word-of-mouth.
Thanks!
------------
2/20/09
8:00 PM
Oakland Music & Art Extravaganza
The Warehouse
416 26th St. between B'way and T'graph
FIVE EAST BAY BANDS LIVE!!!!
Beatworm
The Careerers
Million Star Hotel
Measures
Lunch
+
DJ "Don Guapo"
***Featuring exhibits from local artists***
Cover $5-$8 (sliding)
www.warehouse416.com
Thanks!
------------
2/20/09
8:00 PM
Oakland Music & Art Extravaganza
The Warehouse
416 26th St. between B'way and T'graph
FIVE EAST BAY BANDS LIVE!!!!
Beatworm
The Careerers
Million Star Hotel
Measures
Lunch
+
DJ "Don Guapo"
***Featuring exhibits from local artists***
Cover $5-$8 (sliding)
www.warehouse416.com
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Pancake Valentine's day Block Party
FUN: We have a block party planned for Valentines Day! Valentines Day falls on a Sunday, so keep it open – more details to come, but I hear it may be a cookout brunch kind of deal – pitch in you ideas, they are welcome.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
MTG: 02-13-10
MEETING MINUTES
First, our meetings schedule…
LAKE NEIGHBORS REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE THROUGH APRIL 2010
NEXT ONE! à Tuesday, February 23rd, @ 6:30pm w/guest speaker from Restorative Justice (Fania E. Davis)
@ Betsy & Nico’s Home (Address: 1500 Lakeshore, # 4 (RIGHT across from the lake,
about the length of a block or 2 from E.18th in the direction of Laney)
Sunday, March 14, @ 5:30pm (Location – TBD)
Tuesday, March 30, @ 6:30pm (Location – TBD)
Sunday, April 18 @ 5:30pm (Location – TBD)
What happened in the meeting last Sunday? Well, first, thank you to Devin and Skye for hosting…and actually mostly what we did was talk about how to get us all assigned into the actions we are interested in…so people chose roles.
A few neighbors have said that they don’t know where they would get the time…I thought about that a little and just wanted to give this point of view – the one I use, which is that I see this as part of what is needed to take care of where you live just like we have to get the dishes and the laundry done…and yes, with so much to do it can get delayed, but you do get to it and I feel it is important to not pressure one another about deadlines because we all know what it is like.
Also, make sure you pick something that resonates for you – there is so much to choose from, so don’t take something that you have an aversion for in any way. If you have something in mind that is not listed, put it out there to be added.
But imagine what it would be like here if every single person on this list took on SOMETHING for the neighborhood as their house-chore to-do deal? Regardless of whether you can attend the meetings in person, sign up for something. It will make this all dramatically improve and grow.
ANYWAY…onto what we did in the meeting…just a few new sign ups for positions…here are the current responsibilities (some taken, some still need more people to partner up and some are still un-held)…They have been sorted into the 3 prongs we are using to address safety and neighborhood improvement goals we have as a group.
IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE (prong 1)
1) Neighborhood Watch Coordinator & neighborhood block captain: JESSICA B
2) Community Currency Manager: DEVIN (HE IS ASSESSING THIS AS A VIABLE OPTION FOR US)
3) Police contact/crime activity monitor to build and continue strong positive contact with OPD
__________________________ OPEN
4) Emergency prep responsibilities (e-team established and growing)
OTHER ROLES TO ADD?:
STRONG ONGOING POSITIVE EVENTS & OTHER POSITIVE CHANGES IN NEIGHBORHOOD (prong 2)
1) City related improvements (facilitating action/progress around issue ie: street lighting, whatever the group or neighbors deem as necessary in meetings. Follow delegated issues (RICH B)
2) Neighborhood Improvement ARTS: (DAVE KIM, )
Consider Neighborhood beautification plans via all the artistic ability/creative wealth in all our neighbors...painting garbage cans? Sidewalks? Something related to the history of our area? Cool signage (ie: mosaic tiling)?
3) Outreach: (DAVE KIM, SEAN)
4) EVENTS Point Person: (BETSY, SKYE)
Valentine’s Day Block Party update BLOCK OF LOVE! POTLUCK!
FRESH update by Betsy?
Next movie, happy hour in the hood, block party/potluck…other ideas?
Regen’s soup kitchen 8am Sundays
5) Webmaster: JESSICA B (she may want some back up!)
6) Communications manager (funnels info/emails): SASHA
7) Computer/technology manager: HECTOR and NICO
8) Meetings manager: SASHA
9) Database manager: SASHA
10) Community gardens: what are the titles for this? (Daphne, Betsy…)
Update? Woody’s coffee grounds received? Needs?
11) Fundraising Person: ______________________(OPEN)
OTHER ROLES TO ADD?:
HEALING THE CAUSE INSTEAD OF TREATING THE SYMPTOM BY CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE BEING CAUGHT IF POSSIBLE (prong 3)
Neighborhood Improvement Bridging/humanifying w/ people who have done negative things here: ____________________ (OPEN, Sasha doing this for now)
(all the events and art improvements can be in this category as we are able to involve/include and support ideas from the people from this category as we hope to)
OTHER ROLES TO ADD:
Also we decided to put out a day for all of us to come and support Regeneration Church’s soup kitchen on Sunday March 7th at 8am…it will be great to work together and also to get to know many more of everyone who lives here. If you have any new (white) socks you can offer or a warm jacket, that is always welcome.
Okay, so that is it for now. See you all at the next meeting on 5/23 (and maybe also tomorrow - sunday 2/14 - at the Valentine's Day block party on E. 17th between 3rd & 4th -- 11 to 1pm!).
MUCH Friendship!
Sasha
First, our meetings schedule…
LAKE NEIGHBORS REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE THROUGH APRIL 2010
NEXT ONE! à Tuesday, February 23rd, @ 6:30pm w/guest speaker from Restorative Justice (Fania E. Davis)
@ Betsy & Nico’s Home (Address: 1500 Lakeshore, # 4 (RIGHT across from the lake,
about the length of a block or 2 from E.18th in the direction of Laney)
Sunday, March 14, @ 5:30pm (Location – TBD)
Tuesday, March 30, @ 6:30pm (Location – TBD)
Sunday, April 18 @ 5:30pm (Location – TBD)
What happened in the meeting last Sunday? Well, first, thank you to Devin and Skye for hosting…and actually mostly what we did was talk about how to get us all assigned into the actions we are interested in…so people chose roles.
A few neighbors have said that they don’t know where they would get the time…I thought about that a little and just wanted to give this point of view – the one I use, which is that I see this as part of what is needed to take care of where you live just like we have to get the dishes and the laundry done…and yes, with so much to do it can get delayed, but you do get to it and I feel it is important to not pressure one another about deadlines because we all know what it is like.
Also, make sure you pick something that resonates for you – there is so much to choose from, so don’t take something that you have an aversion for in any way. If you have something in mind that is not listed, put it out there to be added.
But imagine what it would be like here if every single person on this list took on SOMETHING for the neighborhood as their house-chore to-do deal? Regardless of whether you can attend the meetings in person, sign up for something. It will make this all dramatically improve and grow.
ANYWAY…onto what we did in the meeting…just a few new sign ups for positions…here are the current responsibilities (some taken, some still need more people to partner up and some are still un-held)…They have been sorted into the 3 prongs we are using to address safety and neighborhood improvement goals we have as a group.
IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE (prong 1)
1) Neighborhood Watch Coordinator & neighborhood block captain: JESSICA B
2) Community Currency Manager: DEVIN (HE IS ASSESSING THIS AS A VIABLE OPTION FOR US)
3) Police contact/crime activity monitor to build and continue strong positive contact with OPD
__________________________ OPEN
4) Emergency prep responsibilities (e-team established and growing)
OTHER ROLES TO ADD?:
STRONG ONGOING POSITIVE EVENTS & OTHER POSITIVE CHANGES IN NEIGHBORHOOD (prong 2)
1) City related improvements (facilitating action/progress around issue ie: street lighting, whatever the group or neighbors deem as necessary in meetings. Follow delegated issues (RICH B)
2) Neighborhood Improvement ARTS: (DAVE KIM, )
Consider Neighborhood beautification plans via all the artistic ability/creative wealth in all our neighbors...painting garbage cans? Sidewalks? Something related to the history of our area? Cool signage (ie: mosaic tiling)?
3) Outreach: (DAVE KIM, SEAN)
4) EVENTS Point Person: (BETSY, SKYE)
Valentine’s Day Block Party update BLOCK OF LOVE! POTLUCK!
FRESH update by Betsy?
Next movie, happy hour in the hood, block party/potluck…other ideas?
Regen’s soup kitchen 8am Sundays
5) Webmaster: JESSICA B (she may want some back up!)
6) Communications manager (funnels info/emails): SASHA
7) Computer/technology manager: HECTOR and NICO
8) Meetings manager: SASHA
9) Database manager: SASHA
10) Community gardens: what are the titles for this? (Daphne, Betsy…)
Update? Woody’s coffee grounds received? Needs?
11) Fundraising Person: ______________________(OPEN)
OTHER ROLES TO ADD?:
HEALING THE CAUSE INSTEAD OF TREATING THE SYMPTOM BY CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE BEING CAUGHT IF POSSIBLE (prong 3)
Neighborhood Improvement Bridging/humanifying w/ people who have done negative things here: ____________________ (OPEN, Sasha doing this for now)
(all the events and art improvements can be in this category as we are able to involve/include and support ideas from the people from this category as we hope to)
OTHER ROLES TO ADD:
Also we decided to put out a day for all of us to come and support Regeneration Church’s soup kitchen on Sunday March 7th at 8am…it will be great to work together and also to get to know many more of everyone who lives here. If you have any new (white) socks you can offer or a warm jacket, that is always welcome.
Okay, so that is it for now. See you all at the next meeting on 5/23 (and maybe also tomorrow - sunday 2/14 - at the Valentine's Day block party on E. 17th between 3rd & 4th -- 11 to 1pm!).
MUCH Friendship!
Sasha
Thursday, February 4, 2010
17Y Bella Vista Group
Here is the link they have for their site: 17Y Bella Vista NCPC
Also, Patrick invited us to join the Facebook group "Friends of Bella Vista - 17Y Bella Vista NCPC", and here is
the link for that, too.
To see more details and confirm this group invitation, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1786030501&k=ZXMZY4W5U6TF6BD1QD43VWQSZPIB424LTQAUJ&oid=130538484671
Also, Patrick invited us to join the Facebook group "Friends of Bella Vista - 17Y Bella Vista NCPC", and here is
the link for that, too.
To see more details and confirm this group invitation, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1786030501&k=ZXMZY4W5U6TF6BD1QD43VWQSZPIB424LTQAUJ&oid=130538484671
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