Throughout the summer we will have updates about work remaining on VBC projects:

CommUnity Arts Garage-

Last week we had so much fun plastering we thought we’d do it again! Join us as we put a second coat of natural plaster on the walls of the CommUnity Arts Garage this Saturday, July 26th! We are especially hoping for volunteers who have done some plastering before as this will most likely be our final coat. Please RSVP to Emily at 503-481-8951 to let us know that you’ll be there. We plan on working from 10am until around 5pm.

Also, this Wednesday night at 7pm, July 23rd, we will be hosting our first “Art-Luck”! This is an opportunity to get together and inspire each other by creating beautiful works of art to be auctioned off at the Garage Grand Opening Block Party Extravaganza on 888, Friday, August 8th! We would love to have you attend the Art-Luck by RSVPing and bringing along some crafty supplies and something to snack on or drink.

Contact us to get more involved in the plans for this exciting event and don’t forget to put it on your calendar as this is not to be missed! The T-Horse, The Underscore Orkestra, stilters, performers and more=85

Hope to see you soon!

CommUnity Arts Garage

3969 NE Rodney Ave

503-481-8951

garagearts@yahoo.com

garagearts.blogspot.com

Oregon City Trail’s Crossing Bench-

We are holding open cobbing work parties every Tuesday

throughout June and July. All are welcome, RSVP by email or phone

(503-650-4447) appreciated. Our address is 772 Division St., Oregon

City, and we are on bus line 32.

Zenger Farm-

To whom it may concern,

Our VBC project out at Zenger Farm went and continues to go splendidly. Ov= er the course of the VBC in May we had many eager and enthusiastic volunteers and were able to get a good amount of work done and turn a lot of folks on to natural building in the process. The work continues and we hope to come close to finishing the wall this coming weekend when we’ll be holding a Saturday work party. Once the walls are finished I will begin installation of a living roof and probably start plastering as well. Overall I think the project was a huge success and helped to bring together a lot of folks with similar interests and allowed them to develop fruitful new connections.

Zenger Farm 11741 SE Foster Rd

Contact Bobby Wilcox at 50.yr.storm@gmail.com or Jackie Fuller at Jackie@zengerfarm.org.

We want to announce and welcome Rebecca Pillsbury and Gary Marschke to City Repair staff. Rebecca and Gary will function as a team of Fundraising Coordinators. We are so glad to have them in the community.

From Rebecca:

I am a recent transplant to Portland, originally from Wisconsin. I graduated from college in 2003 with a degree in Communication Studies, and subsequently moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career in the music industry. A year in the business left my soul unfed, however, and I ended up seeking fulfillment in the non-profit industry. I worked for two years as Volunteer Coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, and simultaneously as the Membership/Fundraising Coordinator for the Music City Blues Society. Additionally, I was an active volunteer in English as a Second Language tutoring, as well as a community garden developer. My thirst for a more progressive community led me to Portland in May 2007, when I began teaching ESL at a language college for adults. When the entire staff got laid off in December, I took advantage of my freedom and travelled to Argentina, where I volunteered for three months through WWOOF. It was there that my passion for organic gardening, permaculture communities, and connecting and building relationships with local communities thrived. I returned to Portland this May, just in time for my first-year attendance at the Village Building Convergence. My mind was blown away by seeing all the principles I had just come to fully understand shared by such a large and dynamic group of people. Change felt inevitable, and I am so excited to do my part via joining the City Repair fundraising team.

From Gary:

Non-profit consulting focused on building sustainable infrastructures through Community Outreach, Marketing, Development, Fundraising, Collaboration Strategies, Training, and Facilitation currently engaged with the following organizations:

Portland Literacy Council

North/Northeast Business Association

Southeast Uplift

Multnomah County Citizen Involvement Committee

Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs

Children’s Education Coalition

Portland Public Schools-Emerging Leaders Program

Oregon Women in Trades

Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization

Community Non-profit Resource Group

Elders In Action

VisionPDX-Vision Into Action Coalition

Multi Cultural Family Resource Center

Metropolitan Diversity Conference

NE Coalition of Neighborhoods

Our United Villages

City Repair

Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations

In the near future look for introductions of other new City Repair folks including our new Bookkeeper, Technology Coordinator and Intern.

Are You Looking for Office or Studio Space in a Creative-Action

Incubator? The City Repair Project organization of Portland, Oregon is bringing together a new eco-action incubator in the building which formerly housed the Portland Women’s Temple. There are several extremely beautiful 200 to 250 square foot spaces available. Each space is unique, with gorgeous windows, a balcony, and garden views.

We want to share this unique and wonderful place with people who are creative and dedicated to promoting healthy and sustainable communities, including: Non-profit community organizations, creative activists, health practitioners, professional designers, artists, architects, and many other kinds of people who would thrive in this environment! No live/work option.

Each space will have access to: A location within a beautiful cast stone building, centrally sited at 3125 NE Burnside. Upstairs spaces surround an open stair-court, which is a very unique feature. There is a 50’ x 100’ vegetable, herb, and fruit tree garden that is part of the building, and it includes a wonderful and mysterious cob tea house that is available to all co-occupants of the building. There is also a fire pit and another more intimate garden on the north side of the building as well as a small front garden. The front porch of the building also features a community-made cob sculpture. A large, shared kitchen with all appliances necessary to cook for groups. There is also a lovely shared bathroom overlooking the garden. The address is located on important bus lines. There is plenty of on-street parking, and several restaurants, coffee shops, and stores nearby. First and last month’s rent will be required.

Please call Bruce at 503-459-7322 or email bruce.podobnik@gmail.com for more information or to visit the building and see it with your own eyes.

First Planning meeting for City Riparian on Wednesday July 23 at 6pm, CRHQ (3125 E.Burnside)

City Riparian is an annual event that focuses on the localization of our food systems by planting in underutilized and neglected areas Through education, direct action, conversations, hands-on workshops we aim to celebrate, nurture, empower and educate the citizens of Portland on all things food. City Riparian’s intention is to raise awareness about how and where we get our food from and how simple and fun it can be to reconnect with the land and other people. If you are interested in participating in organizing City Riparian or want more information contact Hindi, 503.267.2973 or hindi@cityrepair.org or come to the meeting.

We will be discussing

*setting of the date

*Options and scope

• Sites

• Entertainment

• Workshops

• Food

*Budget and FR

*Intentions

*Timeline

*Publicity and Marketing

*Community Partnerships

Help plan this year’s City Riparian. Help us pick the date and narrow our focus and intention for this year’s event.

Looking to reduce your water consumption this summer? The Portland Water Bureau can help!

The Portland Water Bureau provides conservation devices to its retail customers free of charge such as low-flow showerheads, sink aerators, toilet displacement bags and much more. To request any of the devices you can order online, http://www.portlandonline.com/WATER/index.cfm?c=3D29618#cid_126188, or call 503-823-7439.

Greetings aspiring Natural Builders!

Time is running out to sign up for the Load Bearing Straw Bale workshop! The workshop is from August 1st (starts that Friday evening with registration and a natural building presentation) and runs thru the 9th of August-9 am till 6 pm each day. We will building a 220 sqft. load bearing straw bale studio from the ground up! An excellent opportunity to learn from a professional for the novice and contractor alike. The workshop is hands on with some discussions and demonstrations. Facets of construction to be covered are: passive solar and appropriate design, earth bag foundation, framing for straw-clay insulation, straw bale wall design and installation, bond beam construction, roof construction, earthen plasters and floors, and straw clay infill!

This workshop is designed to provide hands on experience for folks interested in building thier own bale homes and for those interested in expanding thier construction portfolio. It is designed for the novice and professional builder alike. Please call 503 975 4232 to sign up or register on line at www.theflyinghammer.com

The cost of the workshop is $500 and includes vegetarian lunches

The workshop is instructed by Lydia Doleman of Flying Hammer Productions. She has 12 years of experience in the Straw Baled field with having constructed the first three permitted straw bale residences in Multnhoma, Clark and Washinton COunties. She is both an educator and a licenced contractor.

Group discounts are available for groups of 5 or more.

Join us THURSDAY, JULY 31st for the monthly City Repair Community Dinner

Join us at the Temple (CRHQ) for this month’s community potluck. It will take place 6:30-8:30pm at 3125 E Burnside Street.

Come share your thoughts on community building, our collective future, meet a few new friends and celebrate all that is summer with us on this beautiful evening during the peak of summer.

Please bring a dish (appetizer, entree, dessert...) to share with everyone. We’ll be outside in the courtyard enjoying (hopefully) the sunshine.

Questions/Comments? Contact Matt (matt@cityrepair.org)

We look forward to sharing an evening with you, our community4312 SE Stark Street, Portland

Come scout for edible sources this Wednesday!

When: July 23rd @ 6pm

Where: Colonel Sumners’ Park (SE 18th & Taylor)

All that’s required is your bike (or feet for walking teams) but any

of the following would be helpful: notepad, identification books,

audio recorders, GPS, iPhones, water, bags/cartons for harvesting,

clippers, and so on. This will be an easy excursion open to all

knowledge levels.

If you have any leads on edibles in the area or route ideas, please share!

Hope to see you there!

Michael

*Summer greetings from the Portland Fruit Tree Project!*

As the trees fill with fruit, we are getting ready for another bountiful harvest season! This year, we will expand the number of harvesting parties, workshops, and volunteer opportunities. There are many ways to be involved, so please join us!

*PFTP 2008 Launch Party & Benefit!*

*Saturday, July 26th, 6-10pm*

*1905 NE Going St. *

Food! Drinks! Live music!

Goats, Chickens and Garden tour - 7pm!

Find out what’s in store for PFTP in 2008, and how you can be involved! 8pm

Win great stuff! Silent Auction closes at 9pm.

$5-25 sliding-scale donation

*See event flyer for more details!** (please feel free to print & distribute)* <http://portlandfruit.org/WebPages/LaunchParty.html>