A Worthy Cause

Salem has a group, Friends of Two Bridges, working on an important issue: finishing up the Union Street ped/bike bridge and getting a ped/bike connection from Riverfront Park to Minto Island. They have a web presence now, so check 'em out and help out if you can.

How to Contribute:

You can make a tax-deductible contribution to the Salem Parks Foundation, P.O. box 5764, Salem, OR 97304 and put a note on there earmarking your gift for Friends of Two Bridges.

OR, even easier:

Got an American Express card? You can sign up to use Giving Express to make one-time or monthly contributions using your AMEX card, so you don't have to write a check or find a stamp. There are over 1,000,000 nonprofits working on a plethora of issues registered with Giving Express. The Salem Parks Foundation is listed -- in fact, it took less than two minutes to find the listing for Salem Parks Foundation and to give a $5 monthly gift earmarked for Friends of Two Bridges via Giving Express.

(Note that plenty of other worthy Salem area nonprofits are listed there too -- so check it out.)

Speaking of electric bikes

Click on image for larger version

New Washing Machine design top-rated for energy efficiency

And now, a brief commercial message

An ad on Salem Craigslist for an eGO electric commuter/errand/RV bike offered here in Salem.

A great idea in Salem

Representatives Read and Bailey Kickoff Energy Efficiency Plan - February 18th

On Wednesday, February 18th, Rep. Tobias Read (D-Beaverton) and Rep. Jules Bailey (D-Portland) will kick off their energy efficiency plan, the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Technology Act, which will help homeowners and small businesses make energy efficient and renewable energy upgrades.

They will be joined by Rep. Chris Edwards (D-Eugene), Rep. Tim Freeman (R-Roseburg) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). The Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Technology Act of 2009 (EEAST) is a bipartisan effort to foster large-scale energy efficient and renewable energy upgrades in existing homes and buildings. The plan would help meet Oregon's energy challenges while creating jobs.

February 18, 2009
11:30 AM
Capitol Press Room, #43, Salem

rep.juleskopelbailey@state.or.us, 503-986-1442
rep.tobiasread@state.or.us, 503-986-1427

What do you want from your transit system?

A very important series of meetings coming up -- your chance to tell the Cherriots Board what you want from the system. Attend one, several, many, or all of them, and share your ideas and perspectives on how the Cherriots Board should deal with the defeat of its second operating levy in a row.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS on:
Redesigning Bus Service/What Does the Community Want

• Feb 19 Thu 6:30 – 8:30 PMWest Salem Roth’s (1130 Wallace Rd NW)
• Feb 25 Wed 6:30 – 8:30 PM Marion County Fire Station (300 Cordon Rd)
• Mar 2 Mon 6:30 – 8:30 PM Leslie Middle School (3850 Pringle Rd SE)
• Mar 3 Tue 6:30 – 8:30 PM McNary High School – Cafeteria (595 Chemawa Rd N) note that this meeting will also discuss Keizer Transit Center Planning.

Next after that is a series of meetings for the public to
OPEN HOUSE – Review Service Proposals/Voice Your Preference

• Apr 27 Mon 6:30 – 8:30 PM South Salem High School (1910 Church St SE)
• Apr 28 Tue 6:30 – 8:30 PM Marion County Fire Station (300 Cordon Rd)
• Apr 30 Thu 6:30 – 8:30 PM West Salem Roth’s (1130 Wallace Rd NW)
• May 7 Thu 6:30 – 8:30 PM Keizer Fire Station (661 Chemawa Rd N)
  

There are also a number of regular Cherriots Board/Committee meetings that are always open to the public. These meetings are all at the county office building next to the Court Street Transit Center, where Cherriots HQ is located:

• Regular Cherriots Board meeting is on Thursday, Feb 26, Meeting starts with a work session at 5:30, with the regular board meeting (and opportunities for public comment) at 6:30 PM (Senator meeting room, first floor).
  

• The Cherriots Planning & Operations Subcommittee will meet on Tuesday, Mar 3 at 1:30 PM, 5th Floor (Cherriots Admin Office – Large Conference Rm).

• Mar 12, Thu, (Both meetings in 5th Floor Conference Rm)
  2:30 PM/Specialized Transportation Subcommittee
  4:00 PM/Finance, Admin & Marketing Subcommittee
  

• Mar 26, Thu (Both meetings in Senator Hearing Room, first floor).
  5:30 PM/Board Work Session
  6:30 PM/SAMTD Board of Directors Meeting
  
  
• Apr 2, Thu (Time TBA)/Budget Committee Training Session (5th Floor Conf. Rm).

• April 7, Tue (5th Floor Conference Room) 1:30 PM/Planning & Operations Subcommittee

• Apr 9, Thu (both in 5th Floor Conference Rm)
  2:30 PM/Specialized Transportation Subcommittee
  4:00 PM/Finance, Admin & Marketing Subcommittee
  

• Apr 9, Thu, Time TBA/Budget Committee Orientation (Senator Hearing Room)
  

• Apr 14, Tue, 6:00 PM/Budget Committee Meeting (Senator Hearing Room)

And if you want to run for the Cherriots Board, here are some dates you should be aware of:

• Mar 19, Thu, 5:00 PM, Filing deadline for District Candidates
  

• Mar 23, Mon, 5:00 PM, Deadline for submitting Candidate Statements for inclusion in county voters' pamphlet
  

You probably need to contact the County Elections Office for information on which districts are up for election and how to proceed if you want to run.

Salem Sustainability Calendar, back half of February 2009

There's a lot of sustainability events in these next few weeks that merit your attention and participation. Please come out and help out in as many of these as you can, starting with

==> Tonight, 2/16, Marion-Polk Food Share's Community Garden planning meeting, details here.

==> Tomorrow, 2/17, Salem City Council will consider a plan to expand bicycle access in the Salem City core by permitting bikes on sidewalks:

One change would allow bike riders to ride on the sidewalk in an area bounded by Front, Cottage Union and Trade streets. The change would give bicyclists easier access between Salem City Center and Riverfront Park.

The second change would allow bicyclists, skateboarders and roller skaters to ride on designated Salem Civic Center property, making it easier to connect between Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the south side of Mirror Pond.

Salem City Council meetings are open to the public. The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at the Vern Miller Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE.

==> Wednesday, 2/18, City of Salem Town Hall meeting to discuss the giant budget hole we're in and hear citizen priorities, North Salem High School, 6 - 8 p.m. You can be sure that plenty of people will be out to argue for continuing business-as-usual priorities, which would only worsen our situation in terms of adopting to the new reality. Come out and speak up for investments in sustainability.

==> Monday, 2/23, C.I.T.Y. (Chickens in the Yard) presentation during public comment period at the Salem City Council meeting (at City Hall, 555 Liberty St. SE). The agenda won't isn't released until the Friday before, so it's hard to say exactly when the public comment period will start; it might be as later than 8, but we still need as many people as possible to come to City Hall and show the council that people are determined to get the city to quit harassing people who want to keep a few laying hens (instead of, for example, pit bulls or loud barking dogs or pot belly pigs). Council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at the Vern Miller Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE.

==> Wednesday, 2/25, Salem Transition Initiative for Relocalization (STIR) -- meets at 7 p.m. at the Straub Environmental Learning Center (take A St. off 14th; SELC is right next to Olinger Pool, just south of North High; you can also get there via the pedestrian bridge over the creek that connects the High School to the pedestrian path along 12th St.)

==> Friday, 2/27, Oregon League of Conservation Voters Marion County Chapter invites you to Grand Vines (Corner of Court and High Streets) to hear from Cherriots Board member Lloyd Chapman about efforts to generate support for multi-modal transportation in Salem. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Salem-Keizer transportation, how the recent service cuts effect Marion County and what you can do to as a transit supporter.

==> Saturday, 2/28, Terra Gardens on Cordon (just north of State) is offering a free talk on caring for fruit trees from 10 a.m. to noon.

Word to the Wise

Click on poster to link to a sobering, important talk about why the poster is so vital.

The hidden basis of the zoning code prohibitions on things like urban chickens

Sharon Astyk is a wise woman, perfectly describing the motivations behind many of the absurd restrictions that various places impose (such as the Salem prohibition against keeping a few laying hens or ducks). This is a great lead-in to the reminder to plan to attend the Salem City Council meeting on Monday, February 23!

Facing the Zoning Monster

Over the last 50 years, food and zoning laws have worked to minimize subsistence activities in populated areas. Not only have we lost the culture of subsistence, but we’ve instituted legal requirements that make it almost impossible for many people to engage in simple subsistence activities that cut their energy use, reduce their ecological impact, improve their food security and improve their communities. In some cases, these laws were instituted for fairly good reasons, in many cases, for bad ones that associate such activities with poverty.

In fact, scratch most of the reasons for these things, and you’ll find class issues under their surface in the name of “property values.” There are ostensible reasons for these things, but generally speaking, the derive from old senses of what constituted wealth - and what constituted wealth was essentially having things that don’t do anything of economic value, but show that you can afford.

It is important to remember that many things we think are ugly because of their class associations are not inherently ugly - that is, a lush garden is not inherently more ugly than a lawn (quite the contrary), nor are colorful clothes on a line inherently unattractive. What we find beautiful has to do with our culture and our training, otherwise how could anyone have ever found a 800K McMansion beautiful?

Among the basic subsistence activities legislated against by towns, cities and housing developments are:

1. Clotheslines instead of dryers. Reason: Looks poor. Might suggest you can’t afford a dryer. Plus, you might see underwear that isn’t your own. This is a major cause of sin.

2. No livestock, but large pets are acceptable. Reason: Ostensible reasons are health based, a few even broadly grounded in fact, real reason is that pets, which have no purpose other than companionship and cost money, are broadly a sign of affluence, while livestock are a sign of poverty, because they provide economic benefits.

3. No front yard gardens. Reason: The lawn is a sign of affluence - you have money, leisure and water enough to have a chunk of land, however tiny, that doesn’t produce. It creates in many neighborhoods a seemingly contiguousm, but basically sterile and safe seeming ”public” greenspace that is actually privatized and not very green. Gardens, on the other hand, have dirty wildlife and bugs in them, and might grow food, which is bad because it implies you can’t afford it - even if you can’t.

4. No rainwater collection. Reason: This is mostly in dry places in the Southwest, for fear that the tiny amount of available rainwater might not reach people who can’t afford to pay for it, or strangely believe that water that lands on their roof might belong to them, and who would like to have gardens anyway. A few other municipalities do it for fear of west nile disease because they seem never to have heard of screens or mosquito dunks. Oh, and barrels look like you can’t afford to water your lawn with sprinklers, even when it is raining.

5. No commerce of any kind. Reason: This often does not include white collar telecommuters who can make money out of their homes all they want, or upscale white collar professionals with home offices. Instead this means people who want to sell food, do hair, fix things, etc… This is deemed ugly and bad - and it is a visible reminder that people might not have enough money to keep warm burning it, and might need to earn some.

Now I realize I’m being a little bit unkind. People have real aesthetic concerns - but a law that outlaws even tasteful gardens or small tasteful signs that say “eggs” on them, or a town that tries to keep its “traditional” “colonial” or “small town” feel without actually allowing any of the characteristics of traditional, colonial or small town life is creating a sterile Disneyland as well as destroying long term environmental, economic and food security.

The reality is that clothes on the line aren’t empirically ugly. Neighborhood cats carry more diseases than backyard poultry. If you can put a political sign on your lawn, you should be able to put a sign that says “fresh baked goods” on it - hell, food security is political!

That means that these laws can’t be allowed to stand. And that means that one of the first things you or your community, your transition group or your neighbors can do is to push to change your zoning laws or your neighborhood covenants.

That means you need to get involved. Go to the town meetings. Get to know you zoning board. Talk to your neighbors. Strategize - can you find some people who want chickens to get together with? Find out what the objections are and address them - if people are afraid of bird flu, remind them that bird flu is largely a problem of industrial production. If people think that lawns are beautiful and food gardens are ugly, show them otherwise. Show them that other towns are doing it - remind them that Seattle allows chickens and that there is a national “Right to Dry” law.

If the law won’t help you, consider whether you are willing to consider civil disobedience. Unjust laws need to be overturned - you don’t have to go to jail to be Thoreau, sometimes you just need to plant some kale. But before you do that, do know the price you may have to pay - make sure you are willing to pay it. Someone with courage who is willing to pay a price may have to go first - and if you have the willingness to be the one to fight that battle, well, all honor to you.

The reality is that some of the zoning restrictions and covenants will fade as times get tougher, but we really can’t afford to wait for things to be really bad to get our chickens - because it will likely to be harder to come by diverse stock then. We can’t wait to grow food until we’re already hungry. We can’t wait to collect water until our well is dry. It is worth fighting these battles right now - particularly since many of them truly are rooted in ugly prejudice against the poor, and separation from our agrarian past.

Well, most Americans couldn’t get much more separate from our roots, so that’s sort of silly. And bit by bit, people are bringing clotheslines and front yard gardens back, and making them cool again. But we can’t wait for that to happen - because the reality is that many of us will be poor, and the utility of these activities will be needed to soften our poverty.

We can’t wait until everyone sees a garden full of food as beautiful and lush. Instead, we’ve got to make sure that even those who still think it looks old fashioned and dirty don’t get to control something so basic as our future anymore.

Urban chickens top green pecking order

http://is.gd/jjBz

8. Urban Chickens Top Green Pecking Order 

Kat West, Multnomah County sustainability manager, says Portland has the highest urban chicken population in the country per capita, so it's a good thing the birds are an environmental bonus and not fowling our city's landscape. But are urban chickens really sustainable? Portland Tribune 02/12/2009