Posted in community, economics, shelter, tagged Bresee Foundation, gentrification, Rayfield on February 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Watch this video, by Jerold Kress of the Bresee Foundation, to see the recent protest at the Rayfield building, located at the northwest corner of Bimini and 2nd Street. According to Bresee Community News:
…protesters gathered in our park to mount a protest against gentrification they claim is happening at the [Rayfield]. The protesters are upset that Latinos are being targeted for eviction and replaced by more affluent renters. (more…)
Posted in community, energy, learning, media, transportation on February 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Having a birthday lunch with my neighbor Dale today, he told me about this article that he caught in yesterday’s LA Times, and that he’d posted the hard copy on our bulletin board. Couldn’t wait to get home to read it, especially when Dale indicated that he really understood what Dave’s research was about from this article, something that’s always been a bit too fuzzy for me. But Lopez did clarify it for me. Nonetheless, the critical part is about the simpletons that think they belong to the same species as we do but don’t want a rapid bus lane in their neighborhood. Really strange, I agree. How about an 8 lane two direction critical mass bike ride three days a week through those hoods till they cry “Uncle!” Here’s the article (link to original):
Peering into a post-petroleum world
As protests in Egypt underscore the hazards of relying on imported oil, a bus and bike-riding scientist at UCLA is working on clean fusion energy that could wean us from foreign fuel.
By Steve Lopez
Dave Auerbach relaxing at home in LAEV courtyard
February 2, 2011
The story of how I ended up in the basement of a UCLA physics building, getting a tour of a plasma facility with a young scientist working on the development of clean fusion energy, begins with the uprisings in the Middle East.
On Monday morning, I headed west on Wilshire Boulevard with a couple of items on the agenda. First, I wanted to see if I could find any demonstrators left over from the weekend. People were still marching in the streets of Cairo, demanding the ouster of longtime U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak, so I thought there might still be a few protesters carrying signs in front of the West L.A. federal building.
I also wanted to meet with a UCLA student who had e-mailed me to say that he was ticked off about opposition to the proposed bus-only lane for Wilshire Boulevard. David Auerbach, a doctoral candidate who has no car and commutes by bicycle and bus, called the piecemeal scaling back of the bus plan “a great example of the typical L.A. governance.” He didn’t mean that as a compliment. (more…)
Posted in art, community, economics, energy, events, food, learning, livelihood, shelter, transportation, water, tagged Diana Leafe Christian on January 31, 2011 | 3 Comments »
If you haven’t heard Diana’s talk before, don’t miss this one. OR if you have heard it, you won’t want to miss this one either, because it’s new and better than ever!
Ecovillages: Where They Are, What They’re Doing, Why They’re Important
Diana Leafe Christian (in person)
Diana Leafe Christian
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 7:30 pm
at L.A. Eco-Village
117 Bimini Pl, LA 90004 directions
Fee: $10 to $5 (sliding scale)
Reservations required: crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254
With over 400 photos, this slide show demonstrates how ecovillages worldwide integrate ecological, economic, and social/cultural/spiritual sustainability, through:
• Permaculture design
• International peace activism
• Natural building
• Service to populations in need
• Renewable energy/off-grid power
• Local currencies
• Alternative technology
• On-site cottage industries
• Sustainable agriculture
• Participatory decision-making
• Earth-restoraton projects
• Conflict resolution & communication skills
WHY people are devoted to developing ecological settlements.
HOW ecovillages are beneficially influencing the wider culture.
HOW ecovillages will probably affect patterns of human settlement in the near future.
Posted in community, economics, shelter, tagged Cooperative Resources and Services Project, CRSP, Ecological Revolving Loan Fund, housing on January 12, 2011 | 7 Comments »
Eco-Village is looking for some investors. Eco-Village’s non-profit parent, the Cooperative Resources and Services Project “CRSP,” has utilized an innovative Ecological Revolving Loan Fund “ELF” to crowd-source purchasing property for permanent ecological and affordability benefits.
Help crowdsource Eco-Village's purchase of additional housing!
In 1996, CRSP purchased our initial 40-unit apartment building at 117 Bimini Place. In 1999, we expanded by purchasing the adjacent 8-unit Bimini Terrace. These two apartment buildings have been instrumental to the success of the eco-village project. They’re where we live, garden, gather, dine, host, even give birth. They’re where we’ve planted fruit trees, spread compost and mulch, harvested rain, installed solar and greywater, where we steward bees and chickens, where we helped incubate the Bicycle Kitchen, Cafecito Organico and CicLAvia.
Both of these buildings were purchased with no bank loans. Really. No bank loans. Through the Ecological Revolving Loan Fund, eco-village borrowed money from from friends and supporters. By cobbling together more than 20 loans from $3000 to about $100,000, CRSP was able to purchase Los Angeles real estate. Using rental income, these loans were all paid back, with modest interest. I can vouch for this. In 1998-99, I loaned the eco-village ELF $3000 at 3% interest per year. I received semi-annual interest checks, and the principal was repaid in 2002-03.
Los Angeles Eco-Village and CRSP, working through the Beverly Vermont Community Land Trust are working on another property purchase in the eco-village neighborhood. We’re looking for some investors to loan money to the CRSP ELF. Here’s a message from eco-village founder and CRSP executive director Lois Arkin:
January 12, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Friends of L.A. Eco-Village,
A Happy and Healthy New Year to all. Of course, never before in the history of our species have so many bad things been happening so fast. But it is also the case that never before have so many good things been happening so fast. You are all among those whom I know to be making a difference on the good side of this challenging equation.
So here is another opportunity, a rare one that doesn’t crop up often for us. We here in L.A. Eco-Village–specifically CRSP and the Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust–are in escrow on our third building in LA Eco-Village. (more…)
Posted in community, shelter, tagged Betsy Morris, cohousing, Raines Cohen on December 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Join us this Friday night for an evening of questions, dialog and exploration of the complex issues in established and emerging communities:
Betsy Morris and Raines Cohen - photo from East Bay Cohousing
The Cohousing Experience: An Evening of Exploration
with Raines Cohen and Betsy Morris
at 7:30 pm
this Friday, December 10th 2010
Los Angeles Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, L.A. 90004
Suggested donation: $7 (sliding scale ok)
Reservations requested: crsp [at] igc.org or (213)738-1254
Raines Cohen has visited over 100 cohousing neighborhoods. He is a board member of the Fellowship for Intentional Community. Betsy Morris has served as Research Director for the Cohousing Association of the United States. Together, they advocate for cohousing and intentional community formation in the San Francisco Bay Area, including working with Cohousing California and East Bay Cohousing. Raines wrote the chapter Aging in Community in the book Audacious Aging.
Posted in community, tagged community, consensus, Decision making, facilitation, Meetings, nonprofit consulting, Ron Milam, workshop on September 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
(photo from a recent meeting Ron facilitated using small groups)
I’m leading another Advanced Facilitation Workshop on Wednesday, September 15th at the LA Eco-Village (117 Bimini Pl), from 7 to 9pm and invite you to attend. This workshop explores more sophisticated tools and strategies that facilitators use to ensure groups effectively reach decisions. Participants will have the opportunity to practice facilitating challenging situations and receive feedback from the instructor and training participants. Recommended pre-requisite: Intro to Facilitation or some facilitation experience. Fee: $35 (sliding scale available) Reservations required: crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254. For those interested in learning more about facilitation, consider attending Beatrice Brigg’s upcoming “Leading Effective Meetings” training on September 30th through October 2nd.
Posted in art, community, media, tagged African-American, Black, community, Fatherhood on July 24, 2010 | 2 Comments »
“Seen Also In Men” needs funds! We are showing (unofficially) the film and asking for your support to help us send it to festivals!
This film tells the story of three black fathers who are choosing to be there for their kids even though their fathers weren’t there for them. It’s about a growing movement to break a cycle and stereotypes in the African-American community and create a positive change. This film truly deserves a wider audience. Please come and tell your friends! Suggested donation $5-$25.
For more info:
http://seenalsoinmen.tumblr.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seen-Also-In-Men-Documentary/136268776398482?ref=ts
http://twitter.com/VelissaRobinson
Posted in community, events, transportation, tagged 4th Street, bicycle, Bicycle Boulevard on July 21, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Come Walk and Bike for a Safer 4th Street - This Saturday Morning!
This Saturday, explore 4th Street – and learn about plans for it to become a “bicycle boulevard.” There’s an easy bike ride and a short walk, all designed to make folks more aware of the changes proposed for the future of 4th Street. They’re taking place this Saturday July 24th 2010. The above flier is available in Spanish and Korean, below.
Come on down, meet neighbors and discuss how to make our streets safer for everyone! It’s free, and there will be refreshments, courtesy of Larchmont Bungalow restaurant.
Get on your Cha-Jan-Go and ride 4th!
Posted in community, events, food, tagged banana bread, quick bread, recipe, soccer, World Cup on July 11, 2010 | 1 Comment »
2010 World Cup whole-wheat banana bread - recipe below
This doesn’t have a lot to do with eco-village, though it’s somewhat in the flavor of how we share meals together. A handful of us, mostly Julio, Julio, Somer, Becca, Eric, Doran and me, have been watching the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament. For the final today, we and another half dozen eco-villagers crammed in to Julio’s apartment. That’s where the best television at LAEV is located - and it’s probably one of around a dozen total TV’s in our 48 apartments.
Posted in art, community, events, tagged Arturo Aranda, Camilo Otero, Maybe Fridays on June 30, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Announcement below from Eco-Village’s Arturo Aranda, playwright and host of Maybe Fridays. Some more event information at Facebook.
Camilo Otero
QUE ONDA?!?! BUENAS!! SALUDOS!!!
Los Super Amigos present
“El Rescate!!”
a benefit show for Camilo Otero!
Dear friends, please join us
SATURDAY JULY 31ST 7PM @ L.A. ECO-VILLAGE
for a special fundraising event to help out the homie, Camilo!
Our friend has been diagnosed with cancer
and he needs the help of his friends.
There will be refreshments, a not so silent auction,
and special musical performances from the following locos!:
DJ LANO, LAEV’s own TELEMATIQUE, FITTER, and more tba!
All funds go to help out the homie Camilo in his recovery!
We will be asking for a suggested donation of $10 at the door.
None shall be turned away for lack of funds!
LAEV is a welcoming community
so no need to worry about the fuzz, the cheese, or the man!
Please spread the good word!
L.A. ECO-VILLAGE is located at:
117 Bimini Place, LA 90004
Vermont & 1st, south of 101 fwy, east on 1st Street
Metro: Vermont Avenue or 3rd Street buses or Red Line Beverly station
PEACE AND BLESSINGS!!!
“We are eternal. All this pain is an illusion.” – Tool
Posted in community, economics, events, transportation, tagged Adonia Lugo, bicycle, CicLAvia on June 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
CicLAvia is a car-free streets festival coming to Los Angeles on September 12th 2010! There’s lots of walking and bicycling and Angelenos getting to know their place in public space.
Click to the watch the CicLAvia video at Kickstarter - featuring eco-village's Adonia Lugo (speaking from the LAEV bike room) and Joe Linton
Eco-Villagers Bobby Gadda, Adonia Lugo, and Joe Linton (yours truly) have been working hard to make this happen. Click on the image above to watch a video about CicLAvia – and you feel moved, please make a contribution larger or small to make it happen here!
To learn more about CicLAvia, to volunteer, discuss, debate, explore, etc. go to CicLAvia.org.
Posted in art, community, events, learning, tagged facilitation, Meetings, participation, Ron Milam, workshop on June 15, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Photo of a Food Lobby Coop Meeting that occurred at the LA Eco-Village
Tonight (Tuesday, June 15th), from 7pm to 9pm, I’m leading a Running Effective Meetings Workshop at the LA Eco-Village, and I invite you to attend. To rsvp, contact crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254. $35 sliding scale.
Many of us spend much of our times in meetings. Having attending numerous meetings as a facilitator and participant, I’m happy to share the following 10 quick tips for running effective meetings with you:
1. Designate a Facilitator: Whether it’s a member of the group such or your group decide to bring in an outside facilitator, the facilitator’s role is to help keep the group focused and moving forward.
2. Develop an agenda before the meeting: At the core of a good agenda are items that require the group to make decisions. Project how much time each item will take and assign the outcome you hope to accomplish.
3. Stick to the agenda during the meeting: Many temptations exist to stray off topic. Stay focused to get the work done you need to get done and record other ideas brought up at the meeting for future meetings.
4. Record decisions made: Have a notetaker at every meeting to take minutes and have them record each decision, who is responsible for implementing it and if any future actions need to happen.
5. Start and end on time: When groups slide from starting and ending on time, people loose motivation for attending meeting.
6. Set groundrules: Groundrules help ensure civility between members. Some examples: test assumptions, share all relevant information and focus on interests, not positions.
7. Address conflict when it comes up: Dealing with conflict can be challenging but not dealing with it and letting it fester can potentially be worse.
8. Use graphics: Have someone scribe notes on a dry-erase board or poster paper to visually record people’s thoughts.
9. Evaluate: Occasionally ask what about the meetings work well and what could be improved…experiment with ways to improve meetings.
10. Thank people for attending: If folks feel appreciated and valued, they are more likely to show up at future meetings, especially if they are a volunteer.
If you’re group needs an outside facilitator to make your meetings more effective, please contact me.
Posted in community, learning, tagged Decision making, facilitation, nonprofit consulting, Ron Milam, workshop on June 8, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
LA Eco-Villager Julio Santizo presenting at a Beverly Vermont Community Land Trust board meeting that Ron Milam facilitated
Tomorrow night (June 9th), Ron Milam will lead an Advanced Facilitation training at the LA Eco-Village. The following week on June 15th, he’ll lead a Running Effective Meetings training. You are welcome to attend one or both of these trainings.
Here’s more information about the trainings:
Wed, June 9, 2010 from 7 to 9 pm at L.A. Eco-Village directions
Advanced Facilitation
This workshop explores more sophisticated tools and strategies that facilitators use to ensure groups effectively reach decisions. Participants will have the opportunity to practice facilitating challenging situations and receive feedback from the instructor and training participants.
Recommended pre-requisite: Intro to Facilitation or some facilitation experience.
Fee: $35 (sliding scale available)
Reservations required: crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254
============================================
Tue, June 15, 2010 from 7 to 9 pm at L.A. Eco-Village directions
Running Effective Meetings
This workshop explores the key components necessary to ensure meetings are effective and result in decisions that help an organization move forward. These components include: developing an agenda, knowing people’s roles and responsibilities, having a decision making process, facilitation and good listening skills.
Fee: $35 (sliding scale available)
Reservations required: crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254
For more information Ron Milam’s work as a facilitator, click here.
Ron will also lead another Introduction to Facilitation training on July 28th from 7pm to 9pm at the LA Eco-Village.
Posted in community on June 7, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Well, there is sometimes some debate about where the boundaries of neighborhoods lie in this city of overlapping ethnicities, immigrant communities, and traffic everywhere, but the LATimes has maps and data about their ‘official’ boundaries, drawn from a questionnaire filled out by thousands of LA residents and LATimes readers:
http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/neighborhood/koreatown/
Posted in art, community, events, tagged Bangladesh, Boishakhi Mela on May 24, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Lots of yummy Bengladeshi food booths. These women were selling sweet pastries. My favorites were ones with coconut filling.
Apologies for my meager cell phone photos which don’t quite capture the vivid visuals of this great event. Last weekend was the annual Bangladeshi New Year celebration – Boishakhi Mela 1417. Eco-village blog previewed the event here.
Posted in community, energy, events, learning, tagged Eco-Home, Julia Russell on May 18, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Eco-Home's Front Porch - Photo from Homegrown Evolution
After 22 years and hundreds of tours and countless inspirations, our near-neighbor Eco-Home will be closing its doors at the end of June 2010. Eco-Home has been a labor of love for its founder Julia Russell. Located a couple miles north of L.A. Eco-Village, Eco-Home is a single-family that has been retrofitted to conserve energy and water, grow food locally, and much more. (See below for info on the final Eco-Home tours!)
Posted in community, events, transportation, tagged fundraising, L.A. Streetsblog on March 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
ok - so the flier I designed is way tooo dark!
And if you read L.A. Streetsblog, then you’ll want to come and support it. Ron Milam, Deborah Murphy, Ivy London, Julia Russell and I are hosting a fundraiser for L.A. Streetsblog coming up in two weeks – Friday April 9th 2010 to be exact. There are lots of details here; you can rsvp via facebook here – or just plan to show up. It’s a suggested donation $25, but it’s really pay-what-you-feel-moved-to.
Posted in community, learning, tagged facilitation, Meetings, trainings, workshops on March 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Ron Milam facilitating a session at the recent LA Streets Summit (photo taken by Drew Reed)
As a resident of the LA Eco-Village and professional facilitator, I’m pleased to invite you to the following three trainings scheduled to take place at LA Eco-Village over the next few months:
|
Introduction to Facilitation, April 1, 7pm to 9pm |
| Facilitators play a key role in helping a group make decisions. They help create a safe environment where everyone feels like their input is valued. In this workshop, you’ll explore the benefits of facilitation, explore the group decision making process, explore various tools a facilitator uses, and have the opportunity to practice facilitating a group (and receive feedback on your efforts). |
| Advanced Facilitation, May 19, 7pm to 9pm |
| This workshop explores more sophisticated tools and strategies that facilitators use to ensure groups effectively reach decisions. Participants will have the opportunity to practice facilitating challenging situations and receive feedback on from the instructor and training participants. |
| Running Effective Meetings, June 15, 7pm to 9pm |
| This workshop explores the key components necessary to ensure meetings are effective and result in decisions that help an organization move forward. These components include: developing an agenda, knowing people’s roles and responsibilities, having a decision making process, facilitation and good listening skills. |
Posted in art, community, events, transportation, water, tagged L.A. Streetblog, Los Angeles River, Rock the Boat on March 8, 2010 | 3 Comments »
L.A. Eco-Village frequently hosts speakers, workshops, and, yes, benefits to help raise funds for causes that eco-villagers get involved in. Here’s a quick preview of two benefit events coming up soon. More details closer to the events:
6pm Friday April 9th 2010
Fundraiser for L.A. Streetsblog
at L.A. Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, L.A. 90004
Come support streetsblog – a phenomenal local resource for news on transportation and livability issues for Los Angeles, California and the nation. Some more details and flier here… more information to come.
7pm Saturday May 8th 2010 – RESCHEDULED to 7:30pm Friday May 21st!
Fundraiser Screening for Rock the Boat
at L.A. Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Place, L.A. 90004
Come support the completion of the documentary Rock the Boat – a chronicle of a 2008 kayaking trip down the Los Angeles River. A dozen boaters took a three day trip down the 50 miles of the river to prove that it is navigable and that it deserves protection under the federal Clean Water Act. Eco-Villager Joe Linton was one of the kayakers – to read his account of the trip, check out L.A. Creek Freak.
Come watch a 30+minute rough cut of the feature documentary (preview above), and contribute to its completion. More details soon!
Posted in community, transportation, tagged bicycle, Jimmy Lizama, LAPD, police on February 26, 2010 | 12 Comments »
El Jimmy
Here’s a contribution from eco-villager “El Jimmy” Lizama – one of the founders of the Bike Kitchen, proprietor of the Bike Morgue, messenger, wrenchista, poet, and generally considered to be the sexiest man in the two-block eco-village neighborhood.
(I’ve linkified it a little bit… but all the words are Jimmy’s)
For a Traffic Violation?
by Jimmy Lizama
I am livid, but I could conceivably be much more upset and in a heap of more trouble, but that’s exactly what the problem is. Let me explain: Every morning I get up early and ride Jeanmichel, my partner’s 8-year old boy, to school on our tandem. Today was like any other day; I dropped him off, put his helmet in the pannier and rode to Cafe Tropical. I took Santa Monica Blvd. to Sunset, there by Sanborn, with that funny little light. The cops say I took that red light — I don’t really remember doing that. Their word against mine.
They pull me over at Maltman, in front of Madame Matisse, a french restaurant with the best pancakes anywhere. The first officer, I’ll venture to say the dominant of the two, gets out and asks, “Hey, did you know you took a red light back there?”
