Solutions

The future is bright Gillian Fryer posted 4 months ago

I've spent a lot of time here, pointing out our problems. I think it's time to start looking at solutions.

We are a diverse and eclectic group of people with bountiful skills. We all bought here because we believed in off-the-grid living. Maybe we were duped by the ‘Garbage Warrior’ into thinking Earthships were THE answer… but we’re here now and we need to make it work despite the deception and double standards.

So what is the answer? The answer is US! All of us put together, are way more resourceful, determined, and capable! Why? Because this isn’t just a job or just marketing, it’s our lives, it’s our homes, its our investment and it’s our future! We have way more at stake than Reynolds.

It’s time to look at all that we DO have and how we can work together with our neighbors to grow our community. That can be a simple group of neighbors getting together to discuss our issues, how to solve them and then work together on solutions. It can be as organized or not, as we want, but I think for now, we should keep things simple.

Honestly, the issues the board is currently addressing have been around for the past twenty years… the SAME issues. We can’t be any LESS effective than they have been, and I expect we can be substantially MORE effective if we have common goals and we give everyone who wants a voice, a chance to speak.

This is a quick list of issues that probably concern all of us:

Food production
Water resources
Storage
Carports/garages
Litter: trash on the roads, blowing building supplies
Security/safety
Roads: potholes, washboard bumps, speeding
Changing the LUC
Income generation

Do you have anything to add to this list? Do you have any other ideas?

I believe these are all issues that we can discuss and solve ourselves.

Farmers don’t just quit working as winter approaches: they prepare for the spring. As the days get shorter, and we spend less time outside, we can use our time to reconnect with our neighbors, share some food and conversation… and plan our spring.

I think you’ll be impressed with what we can accomplish when we pool our resources and work for the common good. Then we will begin to realize the community we were looking for.

What do you think?

And thank you everyone, for listening here.

Hello, my name's Isaak and I recently bought a house in the gravel pit. I like the idea of a public online forum - I'm wondering if, in addition, theres any place in the greater world that could be used as a physical space for neighborhood assembly? A kind of public square, if you will? That would be really cool - if only to see everyone face to face

Isaak Yansane commented 3 months ago

Hi Isaak! Welcome!

We used to have board meetings at various buildings owned or rented by Michael Reynolds. But that meant that he controlled the conversation.

Your disclosure statement actually says there will be a community center once the community nears completion, but in 25 years, that hasn't happened.

We do hold small get togethers at member's homes, but those are limited, since none of us have the space to accommodate a lot of people. We have held a couple of meetings outdoors.

Going forward, I think we will likely have more small meetings that eventually grow in size.

Gillian Fryer commented 3 months ago

It’s your turn! Gillian Fryer posted 3 months ago

It’s your turn to speak up.

I’ve told you about the winding path that brought us here.

One way or another, we’ve been deceived. But most of us love our homes and, despite everything, we still love the Earthship concept.

It’s now up to us to take the reins and make this OUR COMMUNITY.

What do YOU want?

What are YOUR concerns?

Greater World, Inc and it’s board will fade away. We still live here and we still need to address our issues.

In the past few weeks, a few more people have spoken up, but we need more of you. I know you are out there, silently reading what I type. I know you have opinions that don’t always jive with mine. This is your opportunity to stand up and express yourself. If you don’t start soon, you never will, and then you’ll be pissed off because someone else made a choice for you. I’ll listen. I always have. This is a safe place to say whatever you want. I’ll make sure of it. That’s my solemn promise to you.

Every community has issues, and resolving them doesn’t always take money.

These are some items of concern off the top of my head…

Water
Food production
Security
Road repair
Garages
Storage
Cleaning the community
Income generation
Earthship maintenance
Community center
Tour busses
Support for children - education, skill development
What can each of us contribute to build this community?
Support system for single residents
Emergency preparedness

What do YOU care about? Now is your chance to speak up!

So, several community members have gotten together and suggested the idea of forming Community Neighborhood Association. This is a voluntary organization that addresses community issues. We meet, and discuss issues and how to resolve them. We get as formal as we want… or not. You can become involved in the formation of the organization, or sit out. Whatever we form, we will bring issues to you to discuss. This website already exists, so it makes sense to continue this as a repository of information. I’ll try to move things around a bit, to make it easier to find specific items.

You decide how much to be involved, and what you care about, but we always treat everyone as an equal and we bring each issue to everyone for comment and voting. There are no second class citizens or members not in good standing. And everyone’s vote has equal weight.

We become that autonomous collective, that rules ourselves.

In the next few weeks, we will come up with some meeting proposals and an initial agenda. Most likely we will meet at someone’s home, and have a zoom meeting as well, so that everyone can join in.

Please chime in about what concerns you and when would be the most convenient time to meet. If you want to do so privately, please email me directly at [email protected]

Please join me! Everyone is welcome!

Thanks, Gillian. Looking forward to meeting and moving forward. My concerns are getting the well to provide water and having a delivery truck, growing food in greenhouses, emergency phone tree, reclamation of EB's mining around the well...let's make a difference to one another, together.

Diane Eriksson commented 3 months ago

If you have a meeting I will be there! Thanks for all your efforts to improve our community. ;)

Alicia Bomhoff commented 3 months ago

Appreciate your leadership Gillian. Let's make this community a truly sustainable community in all respects: food,water, mutual assistance and cooperation, planning for the future and community security. As Diane says, lets make a difference to one another, together: a true grass roots or perhaps sage roots movement.

Nicole Leduc commented 3 months ago

I think my first comment on this forum was regarding the common lands. I wish to comment again on the common lands, but I want to consider the subject from the standpoint of a community neighborhood association before writing.

I just got off the phone with a representative for New Mexico's Secretary of State. I was told that Peg and I can most certainly appeal what we believe to be a wrongful lien on our land in Greater World to the Office of N.M. Secretary of State, attention UCC filings. I was so surprised to have my phone call returned that I forgot to ask about the outcomes which might result from our appeal. Is anyone familiar with potential outcomes? Does the New Mexico Secretary of State have the authority to enforce outcomes arising from our argument that gwinc. placing a lien on our land in Greater World is a wrongful lien? Thank you

Wallace Hammond commented 3 months ago

Thank you Gillian ..

Danny Diaz commented 2 months ago

For some reason, I am seeing this thread for the first time. Yes, thank you Gillian for posting a vision for our community, an autonomous collective, that communicates and works well to get essential supports in place. I am in full agreement with Diane about water access from the well for all - if we don't have water, we cannot sustain ourselves or our food supplies. The list Gillian provided is a great start to open discussions about action plans to make it happen!

Nicole, your "sage roots" movement is perfectly stated for our bottom-up governance!

Again, thank you so much, Gillian, for your leadership and guidance for mutual respect as we move forward as a community.

Jan Baucom commented 2 months ago

I've a lot of thoughts but... here's a couple of smaller dreams I have for GW:

I think it would be really cool to build a small park next to the swing set right near and slightly out of the gravel pit?

Also... a bulletin board somewhere central!

And, as a dream: a small outdoor amphitheatre for an assembly...

Isaak Yansane commented 2 months ago

Isaak I love ALL those ideas.

Also just mentioning here too that there is a Little Free Library on Earthship Way full of books. You can make an exchange or just take what you want!