Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: GROUPS BREAKING GROUND

[Judith Linton (jlinto01]

You'll probably hear from others in our group in Ann Arbor, MI.  We are proud
that we are getting close to breaking ground the end of May.  We have 34
units of the 40 planned spoken for so far.  We're trying to come up with
a name and, of course, the myriad of other decisions which have to be made
at this time.  Yesterday's Ann Arbor News had an article about us.

Judy Linton
jlinto01 [at] ype.gmpt.gmeds.com
Ann Arbor Co-Housing
> 
>                           COHOUSING-L Digest 120
> 
> Topics covered in this issue include:
> 
>   1) Re: Cohousing / Homeschooling
>       by DoULuvBks [at] aol.com
>   2) Re:Cohousing-L Tailing Off
>       by Steven Diamond <diamondz [at] nmia.com>
>   3) Fwd: "Unschooling" and Cohousing
>       by KChrysos [at] aol.com
>   4) Re:Hiring from Within
>       by TomMOENCH [at] aol.com
>   5) How many coho's built?
>       by Marti Major <marti.major [at] genetics.utah.edu>
>   6) 
>       by John Major <JMAJOR [at] mhz.com>
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 10:13:21 -0400 (EDT)
> From: DoULuvBks [at] aol.com
> To: Floriferous [at] msn.com, cohousing-l [at] freedom.mtn.org
> Subject: Re: Cohousing / Homeschooling
> Message-ID: <970406101320_-1201653945 [at] emout18.mail.aol.com>
> 
> In a message dated 97-04-05 11:07:54 EST, Floriferous [at] msn.com (Rob 
> Sandelin)
> writes:
> 
> <<  Since my kids are home, they get  much less exposure to "TV values", and
> thus don't seem to be influenced by  them.  >>
> 
> Ron, I haven't thought of it like that before but you certainly sum it up.  I
> notice that when my son plays with children whose play centers around their
> television viewing he becomes much more aggressive and focused on "hurting
> and killing" things.  
> 
> When he is at home and/or plays with children who do not watch television,
> his play is constructive and creative.  Their play centers around building
> things, "cooking" things, taking care of the babies, creating machines to fix
> things and doing art projects on their own.  
> 
> Thank you for bringing up this very important point!
> 
> D'vorah
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Sun, 06 Apr 1997 08:02:51 -0700
> From: Steven Diamond <diamondz [at] nmia.com>
> To: cohousing-L [at] cohousing.org
> Subject: Re:Cohousing-L Tailing Off
> Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970406150251.2e4f188a [at] pop.nmia.com>
> 
> To respond (belatedly!) to this little message thread, I'd like to assure
> the list moderators that there are a bunch of us (at least six adults here
> in Albuquerque) who regularly read the list.  We're a small just-forming
> group (temporarily calling ourselves the "Rio Grande Cohousing Group"), and
> I scan the Coho-L Digest daily and e-mail relevant or interesting messages
> to fellow members.  So a little goes a long way!
> 
> We especially appreciate the occasional "real-life/good-life" first-hand
> messages, e.g. Lori Llewelyn's March 29th message and Barb Andre's March
> 30th message (thanks Lori and Barb!).
> 
> Thanks y'all!
> 
> Steve Diamond
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> "Los Diamantes de Alburquerque"
> Steven & Mary Diamond, now living
> in =Albuquerque= New Mexico!
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 11:09:09 -0400 (EDT)
> From: KChrysos [at] aol.com
> To: cohousing-l [at] freedom.mtn.org
> Subject: Fwd: "Unschooling" and Cohousing
> Message-ID: <970406110908_2047849886 [at] emout18.mail.aol.com>
> 
> This message was sent to me, but Deb wanted it sent to the list.
> 
> -- Karen
> 
> ---------------------
> Forwarded message:
> Subj:    Re: "Unschooling" and Cohousing
> Date:    97-04-03 23:16:17 EDT
> From:    Deb Levine
> To:      KChrysos
> 
> There are as many ways to homeschool, and unschool as there are people.  It
> seems to me to be  natural to do it in conjunction with cohousing and both
> are a passion of mine.
> I'm a parent and a staffperson at a private school in Santa Clara, in
> Northern California.  This is a school modeled after Sudbury Valley School in
> Massachusetts -- students of all ages mix freely and are in charge of their
> own time and activities.  The school is run strictly on democratic principles
> of equality and respect, regardless of age (5 and 50 year olds have the same
> vote).
> I'd be delighted to discuss any links between co-housing and radical or
> naturalized  schooling.  They are both NEW PARADIGM ways of thinking about
> people and relationships.
> I also have another motivation in unlurking from this list.  Practically
> across the street from this wonderful school (Santa Clara Valley School - in
> our 2nd year), is a long-time co-housing community - Twin Pines Cooperative,
> and I've never even met anyone from there!!!  So, I'm hoping that somehow,
> this cyberspace message gets sent to the right channels and I can make a
> real-life connection.
> --Debby Levine
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Sun, 6 Apr 1997 12:01:00 -0400 (EDT)
> From: TomMOENCH [at] aol.com
> To: cohousing-l [at] freedom.mtn.org
> Subject: Re:Hiring from Within
> Message-ID: <970406120059_1883785220 [at] emout03.mail.aol.com>
> 
> Merlin Porter-Borden writes<Our group has two partners doing professional
> work. . . It works
> because they both are VERY diligent in taking direction from the group &
> they insist upon group decisions. They are strong believers in group
> process, and clearly see the creation of community through that work. I
> KNOW that they want to tell the group what they should do, but they
> NEVER do. They have created trust, and continue to nurture that trust.>
> 
> I want to put some caveats on MP-B comments. We at Winslow are probably one
> of the few groups to hire from within and without. We hired a member from
> within for an architect because of her vision and the enthusiasm. And she
> worked less expensively. We learned that this person just did not have
> sufficient experience and expertise to handle such a complex job as designing
> multi-family housing. It became clear that our project was not going to be
> built if we continued with her. Breaking the contract came to the tune of
> $37,000. We lost members who took sides. We then hired an outside, name
> architect who saved our collective tushies. He stepped back and looked at our
> project with a professional's eye. One of the first things he did was tell us
> what we should do differently to better create cohousing. He was right. We
> followed the advice and started over nearly from scratch.
> 
> Lessons Learned:
> 1) If you hire from within, make sure they have the experience and are good
> with group process. Do not hire them as an effort to save money.
> 2) If they work out, great! If they don't it will be an expensive lesson as
> much in money as community emotions.
> 3) Hired members are at a personal disadvantage in getting their individual
> say into the process because it may often conflict with their roles as
> service providers. To serve well as service provider's they should give up
> their individual desires for the project. Remember, one reason you hire
> outsiders is to give a detached professional opinion.
> 4) Harry Truman once said, "You have to listen to the experts even if you
> don't do what they say." Outside professionals play an invaluable role in
> that they do, at times, need to counsel and advise their clients i.e., tell
> them what they should do. Of course, it is the group's decision to go with
> the advice or not. MP-B's statement  "I KNOW that they want to tell the group
> what they should do, but they
> NEVER do. They have created trust, and continue to nurture that trust." makes
> me cringe. The trust they have created is between future members and
> neighbors. What is missing is trust in a professional to speak their
> professional mind and challenge the client, ESPECIALLY a development group
> that can easily get lost in so many diverse opinions and desires.
> 
> Client be wary.  Good luck. I hope all goes well as it has in several places
> with hired from within professionals.
> 
> Tom
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Sun, 06 Apr 1997 20:55:49 -0700
> From: Marti Major <marti.major [at] genetics.utah.edu>
> To: Cohousing Digest <cohousing-l [at] freedom.mtn.org>
> Subject: How many coho's built?
> Message-ID: <3348703A.37BA [at] genetics.utah.edu>
> 
> Hello from Wasatch Cohousing:
> 
> Who knows how many cohousing communities are up and running in the USA
> as we write?
> 
> I haven't written in eons cuz we are so busy trying to get to ground
> breaking (May 17,1997!).  We'll be submitting our plans to Salt Lake
> City for our building permit this week!  Boy we have been going through
> a lot of stuff (decisions!).  We still have 2 or three of our units up
> for grabs, so we need to continue recruitment efforts.  PBS tv and NPR
> radio are helping us out.  And this is why I write to you all.  I have a
> radio interview on a local NPR station during a community affairs
> program, and I want to tell this great state of Utah how many successful
> national groups already exist, how many are in construction, how many in
> start up phase.  I know this has been published here before, but I was
> not able to sus it out of the cohousing-L archives.  If anyone can
> answer ASAP I would appreciate it very much.  
>  
> Thanks.  Marti Major in Salt Lake City, Utah
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Sun, 06 Apr 1997 23:44:42 -0600
> From: John Major <JMAJOR [at] mhz.com>
> To: cohousing-l [at] freedom.mtn.org
> Message-ID: <s3483596.065 [at] mhz.com>
> 
> HELP COHOUSING-L
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> End of COHOUSING-L Digest 120
> *****************************
>