Cohousing-L Mailing List: More info on Maine cohousing conference

[Bob Morrison (morrison]

  I got the flyer on the cohousing conference to be held in Augusta, MA
on Sat. Nov. 11. Here is the info:

  Location: St. Paul Center, 136 State St.
  Sponsored by Midcoast Coalition for Affordable Housing.
  Registration is $25, which includes a vegetarian lunch. Groups of 3 or
more registering together, $20 each. Deadline is Nov. 1. 
  For more info, call Anne Greacen at C.E.I. Inc., 207-882-7552.
  For ride sharing info, call 800-280-7433.
  
Here is the program:

8:30 - 9:00  Registration  Java (coffee), tea, & juice

9:00 - 10:30  Keynote speaker: Bruce Coldham, "Cohousing, a sweat and tears
success story"

10:30 - 11:00  Break, refreshments

11:00 - 12:30  Concurrent workshops (choose one in advance):

A. Development; Bruce Coldham  Translating ideas into action

B. Financing and affordability; Michael Barber  Strategies geared to making
the money side of cohousing work for various income levels

C. Cohousing in Maine; panel discussion.  Who is doing it? How is it going?
What works?

12:30 - 2:00  Lunch; vegetarian soup, salad, bread; discussion tables

2:00 - 3:30  Concurrent workshops (choose one in advance):

A. Community through consensus; Marylyn Wentworth   Respectful, egalitarian
communication and consensus is at the heart of cohousing.

B. Getting started; Bruce Coldham   How to create and care for a cohousing
group.

C. Cohousing in Maine; panel discussion continued from morning.

3:30 - 4:00  Closing remarks


Presenters:

Bruce Coldham  (well known to readers of this list)

Michaell Barber  Founder of The Community Company, located in Augusta, ME,
which provides consulting and real estate development services for afford-
able housing and community development projects. Founding member of Kennebec
Valley Cohousing in Readfield, ME (12 miles west of Augusta).

Marylyn Wentworth  Lives on cooperative farm in Arundel, ME (small town 
between Kennebunk and Biddeford, not shown on maps). She works as a con-
sultant with schools across the country and the Partnership Teachers 
Network at the University of Southern Maine. Her focus is primarily in
supporting teachers and students in building community and consensus. 
Recently she facilitated 120 members of the Maine Green Party in reaching
consensus on bylaws and organizational development.

  The purpose of the conference is to catalyze interest in community
building and to actually stimulate the formation of more regional co-
housing groups in Maine.
  The goal of the conference is to reach out to those who might be inter-
ested in starting or joining a cohousing community. Besides potential co-
housing residents, those attending will include real estate professionals,
non-profit organizations, lenders, and others who are interested in serving
as resources for cohousing groups in Maine.

My comments: There is no mention of lodging, but there are plenty of in-
expensive motels in the area. This is the off season for Maine.
  I have not decided if I will attend. My main reason for posting this here
is to get the word out to others in New England who have not heard about
this. Also, holding a conference like this is an idea that might work in
other regions where cohousing conferences have not been held before. (I
think this is the first time this conference has been held in Maine.)

Bob Morrison

Home: Boxboro, MA               Work: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton, MA