Harbin Healing Event and fundraiser held at the Grange

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The event held at the Grange on Wednesday, 9/23, was based on the “Healing Village” type of environment, with a beautiful alter in the center and many works of art all around. We created the altar to have a place for those who lost their homes and livelihood to pour their grief out.

We also had many healers come and go throughout the day and give sessions. We had many types of bodywork, acupuncture, counseling and sound healing represented. Fire victims received free healing services; local supporters paid $20 for a 20 min session to raise funds. We also had a silent auction, beautiful sound healing and live music by Eostar and Mathias. Some brought beautiful art to share. A dance topped off the evening into the late night. We had Harbin’s own DJ Omer there, in addition to DJ Feral for the wonderful dance part of the event. The room was full.

The day was truly profound. I will not soon forget how it felt to see so many of the Harbin folks that were scattered to the winds after the fire, reuniting there in that room with tearful hugs and many stories to tell. I believe this was the first time they were all in the same room since their loss. This event was primarily for giving a space to begin the healing process after such a loss. In their case, it is not just a loss of home and work, it is also a loss of a very tight-knit community.

There were many who generously came to help. Some of the healers were there all day, giving, giving, giving! This community rocks.

There were many, many tears, sobs, healing, hugs and the room was palpable with love and care. We said prayers for everyone’s recovery and for Harbin’s next life.

Even though the priority of the event was for giving the fire victims healing and support, we raised over $1000! This money is going into a special fund created just for Harbin residents.

There are pics and names of the healers/helpers from the event if anyone wants that info. You can go to the facebook page to see them

A big thank you to Gary and Jerry and the Grange for making it so smooth and easy to have this event at the Grange.
Thank you to the Grange!
I love you!

Many of us want to have another one at some point, so stay tuned!

be well, all
Julia Bystrova

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More than $18K raised for Wildfire Victims at Sebastopol Grange

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FireBenefitOn the evening of Sept. 17, while thousands fled the devastation of Lake County’s Valley Fire that has so far consumed hundreds of homes and over 70,000 acres, our humble Grange Hall in Sebastopol, just sixty miles south of the inferno, overflowed with farmers, chefs, local food advocates, Grangers and caring citizens who together raised over eighteen thousand dollars to aid victims of the wildfire.

Four hundred of us.

Read the story here.

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Bread & Puppet Theater to perform at Sebastopol Grange on West Coast Tour

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For the first time in fourteen years, artist Peter Schumann and his Bread and Puppet Theater will tour the West Coast, from Los Angeles to Seattle, with a series of performances, workshops, lectures, exhibits and parades. Bread and Puppet Theater will be performing its original play, FIRE, which catapulted the company to international acclaim 50 years ago.

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 7:00 pm. 

Bread & Puppet Theater: Performance of FIRE
followed by a Bread Reception at Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave, Hwy 12, Sebastopol.
The Bread and Puppet Theater will tour the Bay Area, performing its original play, FIRE, which catapulted the company to international acclaim 50 years ago. Tickets are $20 or donation. (No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.)
Tickets -http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2227275

–“Humans wage war against each other and their own mother: Nature. Essentially war is the ferocious stupidity that insists on the application of brutality for problem solution, whether the brutality is directed at humans or mountaintops. “FIRE” is a chapel against war, where you sit down to witness the effects of war while contemplating its opposite.” –Peter Schumann

In 1965, Schumann and his troupe presented FIRE, a hard-hitting piece about the Vietnam War, to critical acclaim at the Nancy Theater Festival in France. FIRE shows six days in a Vietnamese community, followed by a bombing raid and ending with a self-immolation. Dedicated to three Americans who immolated themselves in protest against the Vietnam War, FIRE is performed with life-size puppets that resemble their masked manipulators. (This show may not be appropriate for young children.)

Founded by Peter Schumann in the early 1960’s, Bread and Puppet was enmeshed in the radical counterculture and earliest demonstrations against the U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia, becoming a familiar presence in the protest movement. Meanwhile, the puppets grew bigger and bigger—some up to 18 feet high—leading processions that spanned blocks and mobilized hundreds of people. Bread and Puppet became a seminal part of the avant-garde movement that included companies such as the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Living Theater and Robert Wilson.

Full details on the Bay Area parades, happenings and exhibits:
http://blog.archive.org/2015/09/02/peter-schumann-and-his-critically-acclaimed-bread-and-puppet-theater-tour-the-west-coast/

BreadPuppets

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Sebastopol Grange Ping Pong Launch! Sept. 12th

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Ping Pong Launch

Everyone is invited to take part in this FUN fundraiser on

Saturday September 12 , 3 – 9pm

  • Tournament: 7:30pm
  • Lots of tables – everyone can play!
  • Outdoor family games
  • Food trucks
  • Beer, wine & drinks
  • Ice cream, desserts
  • Live music by Driftwood 4:30-6pm
  • Fire pit & music after dark
  • 50/50 raffle

Admission:  Adults $15; Seniors $10; Children Over 12 $5.
(No one refused for lack of funds.)

Don’t miss the fun!

For more information, contact Emily: emilyshistory@gmail.com    824-0870

The Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Avenue (Highway 12),  Sebastopol CA

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Sept. 11: The Baker Family Concert at The Sebastopol Grange!

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Friday, September 11, 2015

7:30 concert, 6:30 doors open

“Jaw dropping good, not to be missed!”

This acclaimed, award-winning Missouri family of exceptional musicians will perform their bluegrass, gospel, and classic country music here at the Sebastopol Grange!

Watch the Baker Family perform!

And take part in an auction conducted by Shawn Baker, Baker family dad and professional auctioneer. “He is so good,” Gary says, “he can sell you the clothes you are wearing for twice what you paid for them….he is that good….really. “

Tickets: $15 in advance, $10 seniors and youth 12 -17, $5 under 12.
Tickets will sell out. Buy yours online now through Brown Paper Tickets!

Proceeds benefit the Sebastopol Grange Scholarship & Building Funds.

Sponsors

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The Farmer Olympics celebrates the champions of local food!

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Farmer Olympics - John Burgess - Press Democrat

The Farmers Guild BBQ and Farmer Olympics at the Sebastpol Grange on July 7 featured competitions that included potato sack races, wheelbarrow races, T-post driving, drip tape unraveling and more, along with a meal cooked by Estero Café of Valley Ford with ingredients provided by local farmers. The Hubbub Club brass band performed in festive fashion.

About 250 people came to share in the fun, both farmers and the general public.

“It was all about celebrating not just our farmers but those we call our ‘Food Champions,’” Wiig said.

“They are the people who buy our food, like restaurant owners and chefs, and the people at farmers markets. They support our new generation of farmers.”

Read more about the event on the Press Democrat.

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Permaculture film event draws crowd

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Inhabit panelThe June 19th screening of the film “Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective” and discussion by a panel of leading permaculture experts drew a standing-room-only crowd at the Sebastopol Grange.
(Back) Event organizers: Gary Abreim, Dean LaCoe, Hrieth Anet Pezzi.
(Front) Panel: Emmett Brennan, Penny Livingston-Stark, Brock Dolman, Starhawk. (Not pictured: Erik Ohlsen) Photo by Kerry Brady.

Humanity is more than ever threatened by its own actions; we hear a lot about the need to minimize footprints and reduce our impact. But what if our footprints were beneficial? What if we could meet human needs while increasing the health and well-being of our planet?

The documentary film “Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective,” presented Friday, June 19, by the Sebastopol Grange, explores the many environmental issues facing us today and examines solutions that use “permaculture” to help shift our impact from destructive to regenerative. Permaculture is an ecological design process based on the replication of patterns found in nature. “Inhabit” provides an intimate look at permaculture peoples and practices ranging from rural, suburban, and urban landscapes. Permaculture Magazine calls the new documentary “the best film ever made about permaculture!”

A panel discussion by leading permaculture experts followed the screening, which included: Starhawk, Earth Activist and renowned author; Brock Dolman, Co-Founder, Occidental Arts and Ecology; Penny Livingston-Stark, Visionary Teacher and Designer, Commonweal; Erik Ohlsen, Executive Director, The Permaculture Skills Center and Emmett Brennan, Inhabit Assistant Director & Producer.

“A movement is brewing here in West County and we at the Sebastopol Grange are proud to play host to it! Like a permaculture design, that hall is made of thoughtful channeling of resources—not just of water and nutrients, but of our neighbors. We hope you’ll join us every last Tuesday of the month for our free community potluck and contribute to the regenerative process that is the Grange.”
Evan Wiig, Grange Lecturer.

Inhabit at Sebastopol Grange

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Feb Presentation ~ SR Plain Historical Ecology

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Laguna WetlandSpeaker Bio – Dr. Chuck Striplen has worked as an Environmental Scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) for 13 years, specializing in the fields of historical ecology and cultural landscapes.
SFEI is a non-profit research and monitoring organization working at a state-wide level, and staffs a Joint Powers Authority called the Aquatic Science Center (ASC). Dr. Striplen received his MS and PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley. 

The topic of discussion will be the “Santa Rosa Plain Historical Ecology Initiative” – through which, in partnership with the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, we’re working to develop historical information on the form and function of the SR Plain’s creeks, wetlands, and terrestrial environments to inform management and restoration of these important systems.laguna estuary

Historical ecology has come to represent an important contribution to watershed planning and restoration across the state – providing critical information about our watersheds’ underlying physical processes and patterns, often masked by the passage of time and dramatic historic changes.

The SFEI/Laguna Foundation team is working closely with local agencies and archives to compile this information, and local residents are welcome to contribute their own history, photos, maps, and narratives to the process.

The Laguna de Santa Rosa (Laguna) watershed spans 256 square miles and supports a unique complex of biologically diverse ecosystems.

Containing the urban centers of Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Cotati, Rohnert Park, and Windsor, the Laguna watershed encompasses one of the largest floodplains in California.Laguna map

Historically the Laguna watershed supported a diverse ecosystem consisting of oak savanna/vernal pool complexes, riparian forest, emergent and off channel wetlands, and open water.

The Laguna has been intensively modified, yet it still supports 19 species federally listed as threatened or endangered including the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii), and Chinook and Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Laguna main channel and surrounding floodplain were recently designated as a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Convention), joining less than 30 other sites in the nation to receive this significant global recognition. The Laguna watershed is a critical ecological, economic, and recreational resource in the region. Typical of many communities in the San Francisco Bay area and throughout California, the watershed faces the challenges of sustaining agricultural production, accommodating expanding populations, promoting watershed and wetland conservation, and mitigating historic and continued anthropogenic impacts. A range of efforts are currently underway to preserve and enhance the natural heritage of the area.

Additional Background info: 
He is also currently a Visiting Scholar in Anthropology at Cal.An avid student of landscape history and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Dr. Striplen adds another layer of complexity to the Historical Ecology Program’s analysis of the physical and ecological characteristics of the region’s wetlands, creeks, and terrestrial habitats prior to major Euro-American colonization. Through the use of early historical documents, oral histories, and other ethno-ecological sources, Dr. Striplen is currently developing a Cultural Landscapes focus area at SFEI, and contributes analyses of Native Californian resource management that shaped the landscape first encountered by European explorers. Dr. Striplen joined SFEI’s Historical Ecology Team in 2002.

From 2011, comes an interesting article written about collaborating with a local tribe, in the Pinnacles area.

SFEI collaborates with local Tribe and National Park Service to Reintroduce Native Fire to the Pinnacles

Date: Dec-05-11
Source: Bay Nature web magazine
Author: Alison Hawkes

Hundreds of years before Pinnacles National Monument became preserved open space, it was heavily used as a resource for basket-making. The native deergrass and white root sedge were valuable materials to the Amah Mutsun tribe, who charred the landscape with controlled fires to promote the re-growth of longer and straighter flower stalks used in coiled baskets.

Read the entire article here.

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Jan Talk: Hospital Re-Opening

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Raymond Hino
Raymond Hino

Our General Meeting & Potluck, on Jan 27th, hosted a presentation Raymond Hino, the newly hired CEO for Sonoma West Medical Center and the hospital foundation. He called the proposed facility a “modern, 21st century hospital” that “emphasizes top-of-the-line high quality outpatient surgical and medical services.” It was an interesting and well received overview of what is in the works.

Here is the article that covered much of what was said at the meeting, except we had the pleasure of actually meeting, visiting, and talking with some of the principles.

Before the presentation, the new CEO Mr. Hino & Dr. Powers applied and joined the Grange, along with 6 other new members. Reaching out to each part of our community to connect and build bridges is a core theme we embrace, and are happy to welcome them all.


Palm Drive Hospital officials targeting April 6 reopening

BY MARTIN ESPINOZA
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
January 21, 2015, 8:49PM

An effort to reopen Palm Drive Hospital in Sebastopol in April is ramping up.

Details of the proposed new hospital are emerging as the hospital board has given approval for a local hospital foundation to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs to ready the facility.

“It’s clear that we are progressing and moving the ball down the field, and we’re working together,” said Dennis Colthurst, one of two new board members elected in November.

Read the entire article here.

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Localizing Requires Connections

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It’s one thing to say, “Buy Local”, but it actually means more than just going down to the local store and buying it there.

Of course, the preference is to support local businesses because that keeps local people small business heart of economyemployed, ya da, ya da. BUT… think about the next step.  Buying locally produced items.

Buying something Made in China, but purchased locally, is sometimes unavoidable. The USA has stopped making most things. It can be a real challenge to find stuff not made overseas. Sometimes we can find those items and then comes the next crisis. Actually, we have a hard time paying USA prices.

We want to have our cake, and eat it too.  Inexpensive (or a very modest increase in price) and locally produced; at least produced in the USA.  If you factor in a decent wage and a small profit for the business owner (so he can stay in business)… you have to think at least $20/hr wage + benefits = not a trivial cost. It IS the REAL cost, though.  Not one produced by slave labor at $1-5/hr.

I went down to Target to buy some pillowcases.  Looking for organic cotton. Hmmm, would you believe it? THEY HAD THEM.  $38 for a pair of king pillowcases?  OMG, the budget could not handle that one. Guess I’ll have to do without organic.  The next feasible option, reuse… Goodwill, here I come. If I have to save my dollars for organic, it will be organic food.

As Americans, at the top of the pyramid, we have been terribly spoiled.  Only 10% of our income channeled to food purchases, unlike most of the rest of the world.

How can we rewrite the story?  The Grange will begin to offer a “service directory” for it’s members (and maybe for others?) that list services & items that can be purchased, bartered, or traded.  To buy local, we need to find out just what IS local, and where to get it.  The Locastore run by Susan Butler (Grange Member) is an awesome step along the path of relocalizing. She provides a venue for local producers to vend their products at a convenient crossroads, Hwy 116 & Bloomfield Rd., Sebastopol, CA
Locastore’s Open!  Giant beets, leeks & cabbage. Still have peppers, tomatillos & zhuchinni in December!  Tuscan winter squash.  Local dried seaweeds.  Bargain kiwis & persimmons .25 each.  Sonoma Sprouts.  Sweet Dumpling squash.  Greens, flowers, wreaths, gifts & toys. Locally wild-crafted evergreen trees.  Container edibles.  House plants. Come see! 

1830 South Gravenstein Hwy 116 at Bloomfield Road Sebastopol 95472
www.locastore.net

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