[Dialogue] [SPAM] Re: Letter to Alumni of the kemper building communitiesof the last few decades

Fri Jun 13 22:49:45 EDT 2008

1)

I'm a former resident of 4750 North Sheridan Street, Chicago 60640 (a memory for nostalgia and trivia, although I prefer "historian" and archivist"!)- July 1978 to September 1979, and then an occasional visitor from September 1979 to May 1980.  I applaud what you Kemper folks are working on.  

The other day I was wondering about our high-rise-residential work from long ago.  I remember seeing references to Doxiadis in the old Ecumenical Institute publication ie.  And references to some high-rise development in Hong Kong - early 1970s?  

As an apartment dweller I'm looking into (a) continuing to network with the neighbours (including a few refugees from Sudan and Nigeria) and (b) AeroGarden as a way of growing vegetables for myself (but maybe it uses too much electricity to be a good idea).

Cynical and/or observant friends will ask "What happened to the book collection?"  That is to be established as a two-level library and work centre in a storage garage - unless an attractive benefactor takes a shine to me and can revive my Willunga Garden Village dream of the 1990s.

2)

I remember Jane Jacobs' book being on the bookstall at the Australian S/69 - January 1969 - at Nunyara Conference Centre and nearby sites.  For those Aussies who remember, and Carol Pierce and the Allerdings, and the Busses - Nunyara is still going as a Uniting Church (Methodist back then) conference centre - with that wonderful view over Adelaide from the hills.  St Barnabas College, one of two Anglican seminaries in Adelaide, closed about 10-15 (?) years ago.  Retreat House next door - run by an Anglican female order, clsoed too.  An Anglican primary/secondary school took over the two sites.

I remember how these sites and Nunyara vaguely (maybe less vaguely) formed points of a wedgeblade - never let a chance go by!  The Barkers, the Bishops, the Hutchinsons, the Whites, the Banks, the Rees, the Oakleys, the Robins, the Martins, Raymond Spencer (and various offspring) were there - who have I left out, of our currently active colleagues?  I still remember Jim Bishop conducting a "Being forum" at 3.00 am - or was it after Daily Office at 3.00 am?  Daily Office had an audio montage of "sounds of the city" playing as we gathered.  Margaret Piper was there, but I haven't seen her since shortly after I returned to Down Under in mid-1980.

The role of St Barnabas was taken over by the non-residential Adelaide College of Divinity (Anglican/Catholic/Uniting - although students come from many other traditions).  Ditto for the other Anglican seminary, St Michael's House at Mt Lofty, run by the Society of the Sacred Mission - the SSM guys with the triple red belt.  This building, and its library - the largest private library in Australia - was burned to the ground in the Adelaide Hills bushfires of 1983.

Cheers

Frank Bremner

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> Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:17:47 -0700> From: jfwiegel at yahoo.com> To: dialogue at wedgeblade.net> Subject: Re: [Dialogue] [SPAM] Re: Letter to Alumni of the kemper building communitiesof the last few decades> > Not having been in meetings of this group, but from> informal contact, I agree that Ed "at least sometimes,> and maybe every now and then provides, not only> modicums of wisdom, but also good stories.> > Jane Jacobs, who wrote the death and life of great> american cities years ago, wrote a more recent book> (she died about a year ago) a couple of years ago in> which she pointed out that the predominant suburban> development pattern in North America almost ensures> there is not enough mass of people close enough> together to create urban community, and pointed out> that what will likely happen is similar to what took> place a century or more ago in older cities, where the> huge single family houses were cut up into multiple> units, first, for extended family, then for renters,> etc. and that is how mass was created.> > I was listening to the radio and concerns about both> the foreclosure epidemic and expectations of heating> oil price increases in the Northeast, and it occurred> to me that creating a humane and fulfilling image of> moving in together could quickly change our reality.> > Please paint a clear and viable picture of what you> all are working to create.> > Jim Wiegel> --- ed feldmanis <edfeldmanis at gmail.com> wrote:> > > George,> > > > Somebody told me it might be possible, that maybe,> > at least sometimes,and> > maybe every now and then Ed Feldmanis, formerly> > order member, provides at> > least a modicum of wisdom.> > > > On Fri, Jun 13, 2008 at 8:02 AM, George Packard> > <george.packard1 at rcn.com>> > wrote:> > > > > Mary et all;> > > Not sure whether you found a misspelling or are> > asking the KEUC mission.> > > Assuming the latter -- There are two or three> > persons from the days of the> > > Ecumenical Institute still in residence (Carol> > Pierce, Marge Philbrook,> > > Laura Spencer); and they do provide wisdom and> > advice in meetings and> > > discussions. However the forefront of energy and> > initiative is in a> > > relatively new influx of 20 or so singles who> > arrived in Chicago as Lutheran> > > or Jesuit volunteers, Peace corps grads, or> > working with Chicago Aids groups> > > or Not for profits. they have taken on an> > understanding of demonstrating an> > > *ecological* alternative to living in the urban> > area. In addition,> > > coincidently, there is a diverse religious> > spectrum within their current> > > membership> > > Hope that helps> > > George> > >> > > ------------------------------> > > *From:* dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:> > > dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] *On Behalf Of> > *mhampton at att.net> > > *Sent:* Monday, June 09, 2008 7:38 AM> > > *To:* Colleague Dialogue> > > *Subject:* [SPAM] Re: [Dialogue] Letter to Alumni> > of the kemper building> > > communitiesof the last few decades> > >> > > ecological or ecrumenical? Both?> > >> > > Tricky depending.> > >> > > mary> > >> > > -------------- Original message from "George> > Packard" <> > > george.packard1 at rcn.com>: --------------> > >> > > The following is a letter to all who have had> > residential experience in> > > one of the many community manifestations of the> > last 45 years or so in the> > > Kemper building or to any interested. I am sending> > this as a current board> > > member and with the help of various colleagues of> > the present group> > > described below under the letterhead with a> > request for your assistance.> > >> > > thank you for your consideration,George Packard> > >> > >> > >> > > Keystone Ecological Urban Center> > >> > > 4750 N. Sheridan Road, 7th Floor, Chicago,> > Illinois 60640> > >> > > phone 773-305-2827, e-mail keystoneeuc at yahoo.com> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > June 5, 2008> > >> > >> > >> > > Dear Colleagues,> > >> > >> > >> > > I am writing to you as former or> > present members of the OE,> > > the E I, and the ICA; and as former members of the> > RCX, and its successor,> > > the Keystone Community. I am writing to you as> > present or former> > > colleagues in village development who have given> > over large portions of our> > > lives in promoting and carrying into the future> > values dictated by our> > > varied concerns for the world.> > >> > >> > >> > > *The Targeted Audience*> > >> > > The targeted audience for this e-mail> > letter consists of those> > > of you who are progenitors of KEUC the Keystone> > Ecological Urban Center the> > > latest incarnation of the RCX and the Keystone> > Community. We the members> > > of KEUC are the present manifestation of our> > lifelong community of people> > > who care for the earth, a community which all of> > you helped to create and> > > carry into the future. Though some of us are well> > into extended middle> > > age or beyond and related as board o! r aff iliate> > members rather than> > > residential members, we are modeling our> > developing residential> > > membership on young adults interested in lives of> > service.> > >> > >> > >> > > *The Intentional Community*> > >> > > The Keystone Ecumenical Urban> > Community, NFP occupies the 7thand 8> > > th floors of the ICA (Kemper) building, and is> > recruiting young people> > > dedicated to greening the cultural practices of> > the urban world environment.> > > The residential core are but a few, at present,> > but one should never doubt> > > that a small group of committed people can change> > the world -- indeed, it is> > > the only thing that ever has. Specifically, we> > are currently recruiting> > > among such groups as the Catholic Worker Movement,> > the Lutheran Volunteer> > > Corps, AmeriCorps, City Year corps, and local> > seminaries. Generally, we> > > are on the lookout for individuals with an> > interest in ecology, such as> > > graduate students in Ecological Studies programs,> > city planning,> > > anthropology, and students of intentional> > communities or other people> > > looking simply for green communities to join.> > >> > >> > >> > > *Our Mission*> > >> > > Our mission is to research, develop,> > demonstrate, and> > > replicate ways in which individuals singly or in> > small groups can decrease> > > their ecological or carbon footprints in order to> > promote environmental> > > consciousness, protect and improve the urban> > environment, and promote the> > > creation and restoration of diverse, compact, and> > vibrant urban communities.> > > Pilot projects to date include bicycle maintenance> > and safety classes as> > > promotion of cycling as viable urban> > transportation, and raising red-worms> > > as soil composting agents to provide soil rich in> > nutrients for urban> > > gardening.> > >> > >> > >> > > *What We Hope To Achieve*> > >> > > Our intention is to become a part of> > the urban green movement,> > > promoting environmental stability in densely> > settled, urban neighborhoods.> > > Our particular interest is in developing and> > enhancing practices and> > > methodologies which can be accomplished within the> > often shelter-skelter> > > scheduling of artists, craftsmen, and> > professionals sometimes living alone> > > or in loosely affiliated groups and frequently> > working independently or on> > > contract.> > >> > >> > >> > > *Our Website*> > >> > > Our website is now under construction.> > Developing both the> > > website and many of the programs that will be> > described on it has taken a> > > back seat to legal and organizational matters> > including our IRS filing for> > > 501))(3) tax-exempt status, which we expect to> > receive shortly. A link to> > > the present website is> > http://www.geocities.com/keystoneeuc.> > >> > >> > >> > > *How You Can Help*> > >> > > Like any startup venture, we need> > backing in the form of> > > emotional support, ideas, and cash. The timing of> > our startup was> > > dictated by unforeseen external circumstances, and> > startup expenses were> > > particularly onerous because circumstances beyond> > our control required us to> > > absorb a number of unexpected financial costs. In> > order to maintain our> > > present housing accommodations at 4750 N. Sheridan> > Road, we were required to> > > absorb significant legal costs traditionally> > absorbed by the landlord. Some> > > $10,000 in legal bills remain outstanding, and our> > present circumstances do> > > not allow payment of t! hese and certain other> > operating costs in a timely> > > manner.> > >> > >> > >> > > Our Board of Directors and certain of> > our members already have> > > contributed more than their fair share of capital,> > and any additional> > > monetary contributions from alumni of the OE, EI,> > ICA, RCX, and Keystone> > > Community would be greatly appreciated. Indeed,> > the start-up costs require> > > that we invite the wider base of support.> > >> > >> > >> > > KEUC is a membership organization, and> > we hope to have the> > > costs and benefits of affiliate membership soon> > published. Anyone who> > > contributes in the meantime will receive full> > credit toward membership, and> > > when we receive notification of our tax-exempt> > status such contributions> > > should also be deductible. Checks may be made> > payable to Keystone EUC and> > > addressed to Travis Downs, Treasurer, 4750 N.> > Sheridan Road, 7th Floor,> > > Chicago, IL 60640.> > >> > >> > >> > > We are poised at the beginning of a> > new leg of the journey we> > > began over 40 years ago. This time, perhaps the> > most critical leg, in> > > that the very survival of human life on planet> > earth hangs in the balance.> > > We realize that as we begin, we are the> > beneficiaries of the wonderful> > > legacy which you, as present and former community> > members, have bestowed.> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > It is with sincere respect for the> > past, enthusiasm for the> > > present, and hope for the future that we would> > like to reconnect with you,> > > our alumni, as we embark on this new journey. We> > value your wisdom and> > > support, and hope you will make this journey along> > with us, as least in> > > spirit. We are enthusiastic about the> > possibilities, and hope you will be> > > as well.> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > Sincerely,> > >> > > > > George> > > R. Packard> > >> > > > > KEUC> > > Board and Affiliate Member> > >> > > > > Santa> > > Fe, NM> > >> > > > > June> > > 10, 2008> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > _______________________________________________> > > Dialogue mailing list> > > Dialogue at wedgeblade.net> > >> >> http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net> > >> > >> > > _______________________________________________> > Dialogue mailing list> > Dialogue at wedgeblade.net> >> http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net> > > > 401 North Beverly Way > Tolleson, Arizona 85353-2401> +1 623-936-8671> +1 623-363-3277> jfwiegel at yahoo.com> www.partnersinparticipation.com> > Strangely enough, this is the past that somebody in the future is longing to go back to. Ashleigh Brilliant> > > > > _______________________________________________> Dialogue mailing list> Dialogue at wedgeblade.net> http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/dialogue_wedgeblade.net
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