Announcement: 1999 Cohousing Conference!
From: Zev Paiss (zpaissearthlink.net)
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 13:40:26 -0500
Dear Cohousers:

The 1999 North American Cohousing Conference is to be held October 1-3,
1999 in western New England amid the color of fall foliage hosted
jointly by the two oldest cohousing communities on the east coast and
midway (more or less) between New View and Cambridge Cohousing to the
east and Cantines Islands and Eco-Village at Ithaca Cohousing to the
West. 

All previous Cohousing Conferences have been held in
conference/convention facilities and remote from actual cohousing
communities, for all the reasons related to finding suitable venues for
a conference of 200 to 250 attendees. 

The 1999 North American Cohousing Conference will be something special
and even extraordinary. It will actually be held at the Pine Street and
Pioneer Valley Cohousing communities - the venue and the conference
activities will be a cohousing experience all by themselves. In this
venue, attendees can prepare meals for a large group and then discuss
their experiences; they can experience and analyze issues and questions
that design building design and site plan first hand; they can talk
directly with residents with specific and tangible examples all around
them to ground the conversations. 

In Amherst we have a special opportunity with the unique situation of
two cohousing communities within walking distance of each other, a third
practically established across the river, and a town that is informed
and well disposed towards cohousing. Pioneer Valley Cohousing has
perhaps the best and most extensive array of common facilities of any
community in the county. And both Pioneer Valley and Pine Street
Cohousing have considerable amount of clear, level, and accessible open
space within their control that lends itself to vehicular parking,
camping, and large-scale activity. 

It will be a festive and memorable occasion - we intend the conference
be one involving at least as much singing, dancing, performances and
craft activity, timber framing and community gardening as it does
seminars, workshops and keynote speakers. A conference in such a session
would be loosely structured to allow much time for attendees to create
their own interactions and pursue their own interests. 

We are planning to accommodate the majority of the planned 250 attendees
in the two cohousing communities - either in the 40 houses, or in tents
on the properties. In addition, we have booked 30 rooms at a nearby
motel to ensure sufficient berths. At present we imagine a conference
registration fee of $180 will cover all conference events, food, and
onsite accommodation from Friday afternoon through Sunday lunch.

What would be most helpful at this early date, is to get a read from all
of you regarding your interest and availability to participate in this
event. 

How many of you are willing to travel to Amherst, MA October 1-3
(include September 30th if you want to be part of the Burning Souls day)
pay $180 to cover the program, food and onsite lodging, and experience
what will undoubtably be the most creative and experiencial North
American Cohousing Conference to date!  The final one of the century to
boot.

Please respond to me (Zev Paiss) at zpaiss [at] earthlink.net, and not to the
coho list.

Thank you in advance for your quick response,

Zev Paiss
Executive Director
The Cohousing Network


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