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July/August 2003 NW Newsmakers
Community News

Unitarian Universalism and Real Zen

Weekend retreat led by: Unitarian Universalist Minister and Zen Teacher James Ford.

James Ford’s Zen practice as well as his teaching bridge the various disciplines of the Soto and Rinzai schools. While James was originally ordained as a Zen priest and continues to consider the possibilities within the ordained life, his primary focus today, and the focus of the Zen Community of Boston is in the various ways Zen can manifest within lay life, the ordinary lives of ordinary people.

He currently serves as senior minister of the First Unitarian Society in Newton, Massachusetts.  He is the author of In This Very Moment: A Simple Guide to Zen Buddhism (Skinner House Books).

The retreat will be held July 25 – 27, 6:00pm Friday – 1:00pm Sunday at Great Vow Zen Monastery (79640 Quincy-Mayger Rd, Clatskanie OR). Cost: $100. Contact the Registrar at 503-728-0654 or registrar@greatvow.org for more info.

Human Energy Field Demonstrations

The Learn Foundation Practitioners will demonstrate and lecture on Human Energy Fields including the Aura (with computer photos), Reiki, Chakras, Meridians, Dowsing (lay lines of the Body & Earth) on August 7, 2003 at Portland State University, Smith Union - Room 296 from 11 am - 2:00 pm.

The Learn Foundation is an Educational not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the enrichment, empowerment, and wellness of all humankind. The practitioners will demonstrate and explain practical self-healing techniques for attendees to use on themselves. This will be preceded by a short scientific explanation of the Human Energy Field.

The Human Body is made of energy, come and learn to release and re-charge it. Personally experience the energies of these modalities: Reiki, EMF, ARCH (Hawaiian Huna), Chakras, Dousing, Aura Photos, Muscle Testing (kinesiology July 11-13, 2003 11am to 7pm each day), Reflexology, Acupuncture, Acupressure points, and more.

Presented by the Learn Foundation free of charge; accepting donations to fund future public access & education.

Oregon Country Fair

In its 34th year! World class entertainment, hand-made crafts, delectable foods, educational displays and magical surprises at every turn of the path. We invite you to join us in our wooded setting, 13 miles west of Eugene near Veneta, Oregon, for an unforgettable adventure.

The Fair is much more than a three-day festival of the best fun you'll ever have. We support our community year-round with various philanthropic activities and offer opportunities for educational displays during the Fair. Our ecological projects work to preserve and enhance our environment. Our summer camp is fast becoming renown as a chance for youth to learn use their voices and energy to help build a better world. The Community Village is dedicated to education, information access, and networking for progressive social change.

The Oregon Country Fair, in collaboration with Eugene BioSource (www.eugenebiosource.org), has arranged to power all of its diesel equipment with 100% Biodiesel, a renewable fuel derived from vegetable oil which burns cleaner than petroleum diesel.
 Tickets are available for purchase at all Ticketswest outlets in Oregon and Washington.

Econest in the Northwest

Have you dreamed of creating a home that is a sanctuary nurturing your body, mind, and spirit? Discover the joys of building a home in harmony with nature and yourself when Econest Building Company comes to Oregon. Your classroom will be an Econest construction site. Everyone has the opportunity to try every technique and use every tool. Evening lecture activities tie-together what you learned during the day. You can ask "nuts and bolts" questions about specific methods including earth plastering and earth floors. We will explore natural building in a broader context of health, ecology, sustainability, and living in harmony.

Robert Laporte is owner and founder of Econest Building Company (www.econests.com) is a leading expert in earth, straw and timber structures and has been designing and building natural homes for the past twenty years in Canada and the United States. He has researched natural building extensively in Europe and has been a major influence in the introduction of straw clay building to North America as he is an exceptionally skilled teacher. Paula Baker-Laporte has headed a prolific and wide-ranging architectural practice based in Santa Fe since 1986. She is primary author of Prescriptions for a Healthy House, Inword Press, 1997, Second Edition New Society Publishers, 2001 and multiple featured articles. For the past ten years, Paula has extensively researched and dedicated her practice to the precepts of environmentally sound and health enhancing architecture. Paula’s and Robert’s homes and techniques have been featured in "Natural Home" (July/August 2001 and March/April 2002) and "Fine Homebuilding" (Summer, 2002).

Timber Framing - July 16-19, 2003, Sandy, Oregon. 
You will craft a timber frame and learn wood selection, layout and cutting joinery, safe use of hand and power tools, timber assembly and raising. $400.00

Straw Clay Construction - July 30-August 2, 2003, Sandy, Oregon.
Straw clay walls have been used in Europe for centuries and create weatherproof and porous walls that "breathe" and provide a unique combination of insulation and thermal mass. You will build breathing walls and learn ecological clay harvesting, soil testing, making clay slip, mixing straw and clay, formwork, loading, and tamping. $400.00. For More Information Call Christy at 503-705-2933

Letters to the Editor

Elderly Couple Needs Help

There is an elderly couple, 80 years old plus who need yard help, home repair help, cleaning help, and transportation help but so far, I have only been able to get them to accept yard help. They like to give help but not take it! Their address is 7604 NE 127th and their name is Leiby. They can afford nothing yet they have helped me when I became unemployed due to a layoff when my own children were afraid that I just wanted to live off them. They are great and loving people so I am really afraid someone will want to take advantage. It would be ever so wonderful if someone would just go and take care of their yard and then I will work on getting them other help.
Thanks!
Paula Lindsay,
Plindsayi@aol.com

Disillusioned 

I am not pleased with the recent tax increases both property and income. I believe there is no higher priority than securing a stable future for our children, however I do not believe a lack of funding is the real challenge we face. I FIRMLY believe it is in our leaders proven wasteful shortsighted choices and the lack of ability to manage the funds they currently have. Please understand I am very aware that the crisis we face now is not the result of any one person or group but simply the result of many, many band-aid measures being taken in the past when we need surgery. I believe the people pushing these ballots have disillusioned voters by taking! issues out of context and attempting to use fear tactics to push their agenda. We need a governing system people can believe in and this is going to require active community progressive change. There are alternatives to fund our schools and social services; one is the investment in sustainability (conserving energy, and tapping the vast renewable resources this state has), the other is the commercialization of hemp (I’m not talking about the smoking part but the over 500,000 commercial uses of this sustainable product). I am working on my own ballot measure and sustainability projects in the city of Troutdale. If anyone wants to help, has a question call me 503 492-9895, or email me at specialmagic@yahoo.com. Working together we can make a difference.
Robert J. Shields
Troutdale

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness"

Those are some really cool words found in the Declaration of Independence.  The entire document was so profoundly well written that it has inspired freedom minded movements around the world ever since.  Great Britain's King George III could have averted America's revolt, but empire building was more important.  Now, America and the world is faced with the third  George to occupy our White House who is more concerned about empire building, world domination and relationships with wealthy suitors than he is with saving the planet.
I must admit, I too was duped into believing that our American way of life was the roadmap to future generation's happiness and well being.  Now that the veil has been dropped and I see the obvious relationship between Corporate and Government powers, our "American way of life" is no more than a euphemism for rapid extraction of the world's resources for the quick profits of corporate elites.  In other words, this American way of life is leading to the rapid destruction of our planet rather than the construction of a healthy eco-system for future generations.
I looked again at the Declaration of Independence and found those words so fitting for today's world events.  The United States of America has lost control to corporate elites who use our military power to dominate the world at what ever the cost.  Our national government is no longer answerable to "We, the People…"
Ron Walley, LCSW, semi-retired from public service in Oregon, now building a spiritual retreat center in Siskiyou County, northern California. Rmcwalley@aol.com