Lee Carol Giduz, Executive Director of Caldwell Arts Council, has just sent me an email asking to do my best to help promote GoogleHickoryLenoir.com and to spread the news that we need to work hard to express ourselves and our interest in seeing this gigabit network come to the area.
The Caldwell Arts Council has inspired many visitors in the area, work that can continue to grow if StarCross Village volunteers a piece of land and some money to build a community arts activities center. Gigabit internet service would be a boon to the appeal of this community and all of its various projects, ie: a wonderful 136 unit planned solar village in Lenoir.
A contact of mine in Austin, TX has also been keeping abreast of Google's memo to residents of Austin area to offer the same opportunity...evidently to maintain a competitive edge for the company. I am told by the Austin contact that there is a serious amount of public interest there, too. We shall see where this gigabit beta service goes.
Keep up the good work Lee Carol and the amazing hard working staff and supporters at Caldwell Arts Council.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Mysterious Mission of Self-Identity
This week's commentary is about how Marianne, Julie, and Gil worked through the brush together clearing a path toward one neighborhood identity for StarCross Village.
The hours of telephone conversations burning up the airwaves these past weeks point to the dogged determination of Marianne and Julie to search for clarity answering the question, 'who are we?'
A developer-led intentional community which has a focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, and fun is unlike most intentional neighborhoods.
This economy is insane. Due to some of the twists and turns of the housing market, this neighborhood group is forming like the plot of "Sheer Madness" a real life mystery and improvisational comedy.
Visionaries sometimes start the project rolling with a great idea, buy the land, and search for evidence in support of their hypothesis. Then, when the rest of the world catches up, and the research stands on its own merits, the vision attracts others...natural selection. This is what developer David MacDonald and landowner John Regan,NC One Trustee have done.
And there are stories about groups of individuals who try to plan, but in their earnest effort, still can't get it all together to form a community, or may take a decade and several rounds of leadership to get it right because it is difficult to design by committee.
This past week, Marianne and Julie alerted Gil (advisor to Dave) to the need for a breakthrough in clarifying some things about design and how the neighborhood must transmit that design into a place where we can easily share interests with new friends without big obstacles in our way.
Today we came up with a first step in the task of self-identity.
Relevant points about this week's progress:
1. Marianne will be composing an information gathering questionnaire to determine motivations: Why would people want to live at StarCross Village? Why would brokers introduce their clients to this place? Why would someone planning to retire or helping a retiring relative want to live here? What are the real forces behind why people want solar homes and super-energy efficient R-50 walls? Why would people like StarCross Village amenities? StarCross prices? Living spaces? What about these "1200 sf homes" is so appealing? What do we need to have in common house accomodations and common grounds? Why would brokers invest in a tank of gas and an afternoon or an evening visiting here to learn about this version of Camelot? Why would people live here and not down the street or up the mountain? The above littany of questions is from the top of Gil's gob and not at all important. Marianne has the right background to compose the questionnaire. The questionnaire will get to the heart of the important questions to help recruit members and residents.
2. A sort of bubble chart will be next document that Marianne expects to compose. That chart is the type of document that we'll use to visually tell us what functions we must perform to make the recruiting plan a success.
3. Gil and Julie will be helping Peter to capture the required fulfillment tasks to help make this recruiting gameplan to work like a well lubricated machine.
Good luck team.
The hours of telephone conversations burning up the airwaves these past weeks point to the dogged determination of Marianne and Julie to search for clarity answering the question, 'who are we?'
A developer-led intentional community which has a focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, and fun is unlike most intentional neighborhoods.
This economy is insane. Due to some of the twists and turns of the housing market, this neighborhood group is forming like the plot of "Sheer Madness" a real life mystery and improvisational comedy.
Visionaries sometimes start the project rolling with a great idea, buy the land, and search for evidence in support of their hypothesis. Then, when the rest of the world catches up, and the research stands on its own merits, the vision attracts others...natural selection. This is what developer David MacDonald and landowner John Regan,NC One Trustee have done.
And there are stories about groups of individuals who try to plan, but in their earnest effort, still can't get it all together to form a community, or may take a decade and several rounds of leadership to get it right because it is difficult to design by committee.
This past week, Marianne and Julie alerted Gil (advisor to Dave) to the need for a breakthrough in clarifying some things about design and how the neighborhood must transmit that design into a place where we can easily share interests with new friends without big obstacles in our way.
Today we came up with a first step in the task of self-identity.
Relevant points about this week's progress:
1. Marianne will be composing an information gathering questionnaire to determine motivations: Why would people want to live at StarCross Village? Why would brokers introduce their clients to this place? Why would someone planning to retire or helping a retiring relative want to live here? What are the real forces behind why people want solar homes and super-energy efficient R-50 walls? Why would people like StarCross Village amenities? StarCross prices? Living spaces? What about these "1200 sf homes" is so appealing? What do we need to have in common house accomodations and common grounds? Why would brokers invest in a tank of gas and an afternoon or an evening visiting here to learn about this version of Camelot? Why would people live here and not down the street or up the mountain? The above littany of questions is from the top of Gil's gob and not at all important. Marianne has the right background to compose the questionnaire. The questionnaire will get to the heart of the important questions to help recruit members and residents.
2. A sort of bubble chart will be next document that Marianne expects to compose. That chart is the type of document that we'll use to visually tell us what functions we must perform to make the recruiting plan a success.
3. Gil and Julie will be helping Peter to capture the required fulfillment tasks to help make this recruiting gameplan to work like a well lubricated machine.
Good luck team.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Here's a little plug on two items squarely in my strong suit:
1. real estate finance
2. my own little contest - I'll buy lunch at one of Lenoir's downtown favorites, Bistro Wine Cellar or Hogwaller's Marketplace!
Marganne Meyers and River Snow recently asked, "What are "take out" loans?" These are loans usually related to realty developments, be they cohousing, intentional community, or haphazard.
The request came from Marganne's subscription on Cohousing-Listserve (see below if you want to join), aqnd
The correct answer to Marganne's question is...
A take out loan in most development scenario's would be that loan borrowed by say, a condo buyer or a lot buyer whose loan proceeds would be used to pay down the developer's construction loan or profit. Take out loans = 'exit strategy' in RE development parlance. Together with the equity down payment a buyer invests when purchasing their home, that money spells 'relief' for most developers.
Kind regards,
Gil Starble, Equity Funding Agent and StarCross Village Coho Founding Member
PS:
Free lunch on us...to the winner of a naming contest to launch our sustainable coho membership drive in Lenoir, NC.
Want to use your originality and creative imagination to coin the naming rights to the next big thing? Contact Julie, Dave or Gil to win lunch in Lenoir at the Bistro Wine Cellar, or a night at Hogwaller's Marketplace.
Awarded on Saturday, March 28th, 2009, someone will coin a funky cool handle that we can use for our postings and membership drive that 'says it all' for an innovative sustainable neighborhood in Lenoir, NC featuring solar low/zero energy homes in a cohousing or ic called StarCross Village.
JulieGootman@yahoo.com, 828-381-1589
GStarble@StarCrossVillage.com, 617-596-4982
David.MacDonald1@comcast.net 617-938-2779
www.starcrossvillage.com
www.starcrossvillage.blogspot.com
How's that for an audacious little plug?
PSS:
RE: Learning more about Cohousing - follow any of these links:
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.cohousing.org/mailman/listinfo/cohousing-lor, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to cohousing-l-request@cohousing.orgYou can reach the person managing the list at cohousing-l-owner@cohousing.org
1. real estate finance
2. my own little contest - I'll buy lunch at one of Lenoir's downtown favorites, Bistro Wine Cellar or Hogwaller's Marketplace!
Marganne Meyers and River Snow recently asked, "What are "take out" loans?" These are loans usually related to realty developments, be they cohousing, intentional community, or haphazard.
The request came from Marganne's subscription on Cohousing-Listserve (see below if you want to join), aqnd
The correct answer to Marganne's question is...
A take out loan in most development scenario's would be that loan borrowed by say, a condo buyer or a lot buyer whose loan proceeds would be used to pay down the developer's construction loan or profit. Take out loans = 'exit strategy' in RE development parlance. Together with the equity down payment a buyer invests when purchasing their home, that money spells 'relief' for most developers.
Kind regards,
Gil Starble, Equity Funding Agent and StarCross Village Coho Founding Member
PS:
Free lunch on us...to the winner of a naming contest to launch our sustainable coho membership drive in Lenoir, NC.
Want to use your originality and creative imagination to coin the naming rights to the next big thing? Contact Julie, Dave or Gil to win lunch in Lenoir at the Bistro Wine Cellar, or a night at Hogwaller's Marketplace.
Awarded on Saturday, March 28th, 2009, someone will coin a funky cool handle that we can use for our postings and membership drive that 'says it all' for an innovative sustainable neighborhood in Lenoir, NC featuring solar low/zero energy homes in a cohousing or ic called StarCross Village.
JulieGootman@yahoo.com, 828-381-1589
GStarble@StarCrossVillage.com, 617-596-4982
David.MacDonald1@comcast.net 617-938-2779
www.starcrossvillage.com
www.starcrossvillage.blogspot.com
How's that for an audacious little plug?
PSS:
RE: Learning more about Cohousing - follow any of these links:
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.cohousing.org/mailman/listinfo/cohousing-lor, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to cohousing-l-request@cohousing.orgYou can reach the person managing the list at cohousing-l-owner@cohousing.org
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Intentional Community: An Evolution
Below are two items that could not be more different. In fact, I am quite sure that the rationale being offered in the first item will not necessarily lead to the same conclusions of this author. However, there are many good reasons for writing a response to a solicitation for articles from the official magazine site of IC.org.
This venue gives every person who is looking for a simpler life the forum for questions and answers about ‘intentional community’, and their opinion, good or bad, on the topic of ‘intentional community’?
Questions raised with this solicitation opened my eyes to the point where I began to see why I am compelled to join an intentional community.
If you want to spare yourself an in depth, unnecessary dialogue of academic history of commerce in scarcity and plenty’, please skip over the next 5 paragraphs to the “Join me…” with your opinion about ‘intentional community’.
Let me share this with you a bit of one historians version of medieval history that may illuminate the topic of how we are on the tail end of 1,000 years of history. The new age of plenty replaced the agricultural society of economic scarcity as a 1976 Cambridge University Press publication authored by Professor Robert Sabatino Lopez describes the era between 950 AD and 1350 AD.
That book entitled, “The Commercial Revolution of the Middle Ages, 950-1350” chronicled the end of a civilization dependent on agriculture and the coming of a global society’s medieval age of non-agrarian commerce – an age of plenty, which has not quite ended. This guide to the formation of medieval commerce studies how these roots have survived and thrived over one thousand years into modern economic times. And how does that affect us as players in this new age of global happenings: economy, climate, relationships, etc?
I am narrowly focused on Lopez’ ability to strike at the heart of the big picture. The detailed social and economic motivations that he delivers is a compelling history of commercial and political contracts, which formed a mercantile world that led to the establishment of commerce, industry, commercial credit systems, insurance, and how humanity transformed a civilization of scarcity into one of plenty. Does this relate to the 21st century evolution of the intentional community?
We now face life-giving signals that humanity may prove be clever enough to begin a new era where society defines ‘plenty’ in a more cooperative manner. Can this give us another meaning to the definition of the term ‘intentional community’.
Ergo, a ‘solar’ village, which derives its main energy from the sun can be more than just a nice place to live for a long time to come, but also a more civilized place to be. This may be due to a simpler and smarter way of using natural resources and many generate a more affluent distribution of wealth. Especially, where ‘energy’is such an enormous part of the average person’s pocketbook.
There may be no relevant logical connection between Lopez’ history of the revolution of commerce. However, I like plugging his book because it mentions my Italian ancestors many times. Lopez describes the long term decline forming certain human conditions and motivations that occurred during the collapse of Rome into what became a renaissance. After hundreds of years of declining economy, the Italians reinvented themselves.
Join me at StarCross Village. Take a look at the article solicitation forwarded from the Cohousing Listserve mail service redirected from the IC.org publisher’s website.
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:25:10 -0800
Send Cohousing-L mailing list submissions to cohousing-l@cohousing.orgTo subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.cohousing.org/mailman/listinfo/cohousing-lor, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to cohousing-l-request@cohousing.orgYou can reach the person managing the list at cohousing-l-owner@cohousing.orgWhen replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specificthan "Re: Contents of Cohousing-L digest..."
Message: 2Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:25:10 -0800From: Communities Editor <editor@ic.org>Subject: [C-L]_ Call for Articles, Communities #144: Community in Hard TimesTo: undisclosed-recipients:;Message-ID: <49A8E6D6.4030405@ic.org>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowedHello,/Communities/ magazine is now seeking articles for issue #144, ?*Community in Hard Times*.? The issue will be out in September 2009.Please send your article idea to editor@ic.org by *Monday, March 30*, or sooner if possible.Your final article must reach us by *Friday, May 22*.1. Theme articles: /*Community in Hard Times*/ * How can community help us deal with economic hard times? * What guidance and lessons can the communities movement offer to individuals and families struggling to survive in a changing world? * How do intentional community groups deal with their own challenging times--economic, social, and/or political? * What models developed within the communities movement can help the larger society navigate into an era in which sharing and cooperation may prove crucial for collective survival? * Can hard times become a catalyst for enhanced quality of life? What is the nature of true wealth? Can we lead richer lives by rethinking our relationships with one another and with the world? * What are practical steps we can all take to improve our individual and collective economic circumstances?[Please forward this email to anyone you think has a good story on this theme for /Communities/.]2. We are also seeking articles about: * Creating community in your neighborhood; * Starting a new community; * Process and communication issues in community; and * Seeking community to join.Suggested submission length is from 300 to 2500 words. We invite submissions ranging from short vignettes to extensively-developed articles, and also invite suggestions of recommended resources and article leads. We?re seeking articles written in a reader-friendly, popular-magazine style, rather than in an academic style. We ask contributors to share stories and experiences, not just ideas; write about challenges, not just successes; and describe specific situations that will help your story come alive for the reader. Before you start writing, please check http://communities.ic.org/submit.php or contact us for our full Writers? Guidelines--and let us know your article idea so that we can give feedback on how it may fit into /Communities/. Contact Chris Roth at editor@ic.org or 541-937-2567 ext. 116.If you don?t want to write an article but want to submit photos, please check http://communities.ic.org/submit.php or contact Yulia Zarubina at layout@ic.org for our Photo Guidelines.*I. What "Submitting an Article" Means.* We will promise to read your article, but we may respectfully decline it and not publish it, or save it and publish it in a future issue. We also reserve the right to edit, shorten, or revise your article. Most of the time we contact authors about this ahead of time and get their comments, corrections, etc.*II. Getting Permission Ahead of Time.* Please send the article only when you have permission from anyone you need it from, such as fellow community members. It?s difficult for us to get all set to run an article only to find that the author?s fellow community members say No at the last minute.*III. Publication Rights.* Once your article appears in /Communities/, we own first North American Publishing Rights. This means your article appears in /Communities/ the first time it appears in North America. In addition to appearing in /Communities/, your article may also appear on our website or in future compilations. You retain all other rights to it. If you?d like to use it elsewhere, you can, and we would appreciate your using an attribution line saying, ?This article first appeared in /Communities: Life in Cooperative Culture/, (date); for further information on /Communities/: communities.ic.org <http://www.ic.org/>.?*IV. Photos.* If we publish your article, we want to accompany it with compelling images that illustrate your subject. You know your subject best, so we are appealing to you for images. If others in your community or group like taking pictures, they might already have great images to go with your article. If you would like to submit an article but cannot supply photos, that?s fine; however, please give us plenty of advance notice so that if we use your article we can get an illustrator. Please check http://communities.ic.org/submit.php or email us for our full Photo Guidelines. We also appreciate an author photo to accompany your short (several-line) author bio.Thanks for your contributions!Chris RothEditor, /Communities/editor@ic.org-- Chris RothEditor, Communities81868 Lost Valley LaneDexter, OR 97431editor@ic.org541-937-2567 ext. 116communities.ic.orgfor Communities advertising,please contact John Stroup:ads@ic.org573-468-8822for photos and layout,please contact Yulia Zarubina:layout@ic.org910-617-6136
This venue gives every person who is looking for a simpler life the forum for questions and answers about ‘intentional community’, and their opinion, good or bad, on the topic of ‘intentional community’?
Questions raised with this solicitation opened my eyes to the point where I began to see why I am compelled to join an intentional community.
If you want to spare yourself an in depth, unnecessary dialogue of academic history of commerce in scarcity and plenty’, please skip over the next 5 paragraphs to the “Join me…” with your opinion about ‘intentional community’.
Let me share this with you a bit of one historians version of medieval history that may illuminate the topic of how we are on the tail end of 1,000 years of history. The new age of plenty replaced the agricultural society of economic scarcity as a 1976 Cambridge University Press publication authored by Professor Robert Sabatino Lopez describes the era between 950 AD and 1350 AD.
That book entitled, “The Commercial Revolution of the Middle Ages, 950-1350” chronicled the end of a civilization dependent on agriculture and the coming of a global society’s medieval age of non-agrarian commerce – an age of plenty, which has not quite ended. This guide to the formation of medieval commerce studies how these roots have survived and thrived over one thousand years into modern economic times. And how does that affect us as players in this new age of global happenings: economy, climate, relationships, etc?
I am narrowly focused on Lopez’ ability to strike at the heart of the big picture. The detailed social and economic motivations that he delivers is a compelling history of commercial and political contracts, which formed a mercantile world that led to the establishment of commerce, industry, commercial credit systems, insurance, and how humanity transformed a civilization of scarcity into one of plenty. Does this relate to the 21st century evolution of the intentional community?
We now face life-giving signals that humanity may prove be clever enough to begin a new era where society defines ‘plenty’ in a more cooperative manner. Can this give us another meaning to the definition of the term ‘intentional community’.
Ergo, a ‘solar’ village, which derives its main energy from the sun can be more than just a nice place to live for a long time to come, but also a more civilized place to be. This may be due to a simpler and smarter way of using natural resources and many generate a more affluent distribution of wealth. Especially, where ‘energy’is such an enormous part of the average person’s pocketbook.
There may be no relevant logical connection between Lopez’ history of the revolution of commerce. However, I like plugging his book because it mentions my Italian ancestors many times. Lopez describes the long term decline forming certain human conditions and motivations that occurred during the collapse of Rome into what became a renaissance. After hundreds of years of declining economy, the Italians reinvented themselves.
Join me at StarCross Village. Take a look at the article solicitation forwarded from the Cohousing Listserve mail service redirected from the IC.org publisher’s website.
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:25:10 -0800
Send Cohousing-L mailing list submissions to cohousing-l@cohousing.orgTo subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.cohousing.org/mailman/listinfo/cohousing-lor, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to cohousing-l-request@cohousing.orgYou can reach the person managing the list at cohousing-l-owner@cohousing.orgWhen replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specificthan "Re: Contents of Cohousing-L digest..."
Message: 2Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:25:10 -0800From: Communities Editor <editor@ic.org>Subject: [C-L]_ Call for Articles, Communities #144: Community in Hard TimesTo: undisclosed-recipients:;Message-ID: <49A8E6D6.4030405@ic.org>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowedHello,/Communities/ magazine is now seeking articles for issue #144, ?*Community in Hard Times*.? The issue will be out in September 2009.Please send your article idea to editor@ic.org by *Monday, March 30*, or sooner if possible.Your final article must reach us by *Friday, May 22*.1. Theme articles: /*Community in Hard Times*/ * How can community help us deal with economic hard times? * What guidance and lessons can the communities movement offer to individuals and families struggling to survive in a changing world? * How do intentional community groups deal with their own challenging times--economic, social, and/or political? * What models developed within the communities movement can help the larger society navigate into an era in which sharing and cooperation may prove crucial for collective survival? * Can hard times become a catalyst for enhanced quality of life? What is the nature of true wealth? Can we lead richer lives by rethinking our relationships with one another and with the world? * What are practical steps we can all take to improve our individual and collective economic circumstances?[Please forward this email to anyone you think has a good story on this theme for /Communities/.]2. We are also seeking articles about: * Creating community in your neighborhood; * Starting a new community; * Process and communication issues in community; and * Seeking community to join.Suggested submission length is from 300 to 2500 words. We invite submissions ranging from short vignettes to extensively-developed articles, and also invite suggestions of recommended resources and article leads. We?re seeking articles written in a reader-friendly, popular-magazine style, rather than in an academic style. We ask contributors to share stories and experiences, not just ideas; write about challenges, not just successes; and describe specific situations that will help your story come alive for the reader. Before you start writing, please check http://communities.ic.org/submit.php or contact us for our full Writers? Guidelines--and let us know your article idea so that we can give feedback on how it may fit into /Communities/. Contact Chris Roth at editor@ic.org or 541-937-2567 ext. 116.If you don?t want to write an article but want to submit photos, please check http://communities.ic.org/submit.php or contact Yulia Zarubina at layout@ic.org for our Photo Guidelines.*I. What "Submitting an Article" Means.* We will promise to read your article, but we may respectfully decline it and not publish it, or save it and publish it in a future issue. We also reserve the right to edit, shorten, or revise your article. Most of the time we contact authors about this ahead of time and get their comments, corrections, etc.*II. Getting Permission Ahead of Time.* Please send the article only when you have permission from anyone you need it from, such as fellow community members. It?s difficult for us to get all set to run an article only to find that the author?s fellow community members say No at the last minute.*III. Publication Rights.* Once your article appears in /Communities/, we own first North American Publishing Rights. This means your article appears in /Communities/ the first time it appears in North America. In addition to appearing in /Communities/, your article may also appear on our website or in future compilations. You retain all other rights to it. If you?d like to use it elsewhere, you can, and we would appreciate your using an attribution line saying, ?This article first appeared in /Communities: Life in Cooperative Culture/, (date); for further information on /Communities/: communities.ic.org <http://www.ic.org/>.?*IV. Photos.* If we publish your article, we want to accompany it with compelling images that illustrate your subject. You know your subject best, so we are appealing to you for images. If others in your community or group like taking pictures, they might already have great images to go with your article. If you would like to submit an article but cannot supply photos, that?s fine; however, please give us plenty of advance notice so that if we use your article we can get an illustrator. Please check http://communities.ic.org/submit.php or email us for our full Photo Guidelines. We also appreciate an author photo to accompany your short (several-line) author bio.Thanks for your contributions!Chris RothEditor, /Communities/editor@ic.org-- Chris RothEditor, Communities81868 Lost Valley LaneDexter, OR 97431editor@ic.org541-937-2567 ext. 116communities.ic.orgfor Communities advertising,please contact John Stroup:ads@ic.org573-468-8822for photos and layout,please contact Yulia Zarubina:layout@ic.org910-617-6136
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Brief but good post for all non-profits associated with the below sugestions are welcome to partner with StarCross Village in a community outreach grant progam. There are two areas that match what Google Foundation and the StarCross Village project is planning.
Google's idea is to 'reach out' to Lenoir residents and non-profits serving Lenoir residents.
Google Foundation and Google's public affairs office are accepting 'Concept Paper' outlines, which is a basic synopsis of an idea for a grant, or if a group has put alot of time into a community project already, you may submit an executive summary.
StarCross Village has already heard from a couple of folks thinking about this:
- Caldwell Arts Council has some exciting possibilities to offer the community, and they're already linked into the good work done by Google...but that is not the only eligible organization!
- Caldwell Community College Techinical Institute has done absolutely wonderful work attracting highly specialized experts in the technical aspects of renewable energy installations.
- SAAFER.org (Supporting Advancements of Alternative Fuel & Energy Research) which is a Georgia-based philathropy that last year began granting seed capital to inventors of renewable energy projects. This organization is not local, but many other well-intended organization in Lenoir can access the enormous resources of Google simply by putting a call to action to the members of your organization.
- a fifth grader
Make your bid to weave your community service idea applying Google resources into a parcel of land or a clubhouse activity that is planned at StarCross Village.
These two areas are what you can focus on:
1. Renewable Energy innovation that fits a residential or small commercial setting.
2. New Economic Entrepreneurial endeavor, which has applications for use in property development and land planning.
Green artisans, arts organizations, educational organizations, civic engagement clubs, garden clubs, media related clubs, retirement associations, philathropies relating to nature and environment, energy related organizations, etc.
What is the email address to send your concept paper?
lenoirproject@google.com
And send us a note what you are thinking...to Gil or Julie via email at gstarble@starcrossvillage.com and let's discuss how StarCross Village can become a contributing partner to your project.
We can put you 'in the loop'.
Google's idea is to 'reach out' to Lenoir residents and non-profits serving Lenoir residents.
Google Foundation and Google's public affairs office are accepting 'Concept Paper' outlines, which is a basic synopsis of an idea for a grant, or if a group has put alot of time into a community project already, you may submit an executive summary.
StarCross Village has already heard from a couple of folks thinking about this:
- Caldwell Arts Council has some exciting possibilities to offer the community, and they're already linked into the good work done by Google...but that is not the only eligible organization!
- Caldwell Community College Techinical Institute has done absolutely wonderful work attracting highly specialized experts in the technical aspects of renewable energy installations.
- SAAFER.org (Supporting Advancements of Alternative Fuel & Energy Research) which is a Georgia-based philathropy that last year began granting seed capital to inventors of renewable energy projects. This organization is not local, but many other well-intended organization in Lenoir can access the enormous resources of Google simply by putting a call to action to the members of your organization.
- a fifth grader
Make your bid to weave your community service idea applying Google resources into a parcel of land or a clubhouse activity that is planned at StarCross Village.
These two areas are what you can focus on:
1. Renewable Energy innovation that fits a residential or small commercial setting.
2. New Economic Entrepreneurial endeavor, which has applications for use in property development and land planning.
Green artisans, arts organizations, educational organizations, civic engagement clubs, garden clubs, media related clubs, retirement associations, philathropies relating to nature and environment, energy related organizations, etc.
What is the email address to send your concept paper?
lenoirproject@google.com
And send us a note what you are thinking...to Gil or Julie via email at gstarble@starcrossvillage.com and let's discuss how StarCross Village can become a contributing partner to your project.
We can put you 'in the loop'.
Friday, January 30, 2009
GreenBuilder Booster: Career Opportunity??
Is this a green building career opportunity?
Are you a builder looking for a profitable greenbuilding career opportunity?
StarCross Village may be your next partner. This group is a trust investing in Greenbuilding projects here in Lenoir to deliver:
- Funding for homes that builders and homebuyers want.
- Solar homes with R-50 building envelopes right here in Lenoir.
- Builders build, no selling. Our RE agents do all the selling.
Searching for a Silent Partner who will fund your next building project in Lenoir?
If you really want to build Green, this investor will:
- Fund qualified builders or sub-contractors who are trained and certified locally.
- Find homebuyers who want build-to-suit contracts with reputable builders.
We are not builders. We only want what you want…
- Meet or exceed the minimum design parameters recommended by our engineers
- Work alongside expert solar panel installers to provide reliable service to the resident
- Reasonable profit for our time & labor.
What is StarCross Village?
- Development experts with three years of research and development in Lenoir
- A team of engineers, designers, building energy planners , city planners and public officials
- 136 homes in one of the first solar powered neighborhoods in NC
- Known to Homebuyers who have shown a pent-up demand for low/zero energy homes
- A Silent Partner who assists builders to participate in Green homebuilding
- Ground floor greenbuilding career opportunity
- Investors of solar installations, energy production equipment, energy efficiency products
- Requesting Bids, job setup, equipment & tools training, property financing, homebuilding business opportunities, introduction to design & planning.
You are invited to join StarCross Village in an introductory meeting to manage your expectations:
1. Two types of contracts
a. No-risk negotiated build-to-suit builder contract with –lower profit
b. Builder places deposit on a sales contract to buy land –discounted land price plus a guaranteed to be resold to homebuyer
2. Pre-arranged Build-to-suit contracts with homebuyers
3. Greenbuilding career opportunities
Are you a builder looking for a profitable greenbuilding career opportunity?
StarCross Village may be your next partner. This group is a trust investing in Greenbuilding projects here in Lenoir to deliver:
- Funding for homes that builders and homebuyers want.
- Solar homes with R-50 building envelopes right here in Lenoir.
- Builders build, no selling. Our RE agents do all the selling.
Searching for a Silent Partner who will fund your next building project in Lenoir?
If you really want to build Green, this investor will:
- Fund qualified builders or sub-contractors who are trained and certified locally.
- Find homebuyers who want build-to-suit contracts with reputable builders.
We are not builders. We only want what you want…
- Meet or exceed the minimum design parameters recommended by our engineers
- Work alongside expert solar panel installers to provide reliable service to the resident
- Reasonable profit for our time & labor.
What is StarCross Village?
- Development experts with three years of research and development in Lenoir
- A team of engineers, designers, building energy planners , city planners and public officials
- 136 homes in one of the first solar powered neighborhoods in NC
- Known to Homebuyers who have shown a pent-up demand for low/zero energy homes
- A Silent Partner who assists builders to participate in Green homebuilding
- Ground floor greenbuilding career opportunity
- Investors of solar installations, energy production equipment, energy efficiency products
- Requesting Bids, job setup, equipment & tools training, property financing, homebuilding business opportunities, introduction to design & planning.
You are invited to join StarCross Village in an introductory meeting to manage your expectations:
1. Two types of contracts
a. No-risk negotiated build-to-suit builder contract with –lower profit
b. Builder places deposit on a sales contract to buy land –discounted land price plus a guaranteed to be resold to homebuyer
2. Pre-arranged Build-to-suit contracts with homebuyers
3. Greenbuilding career opportunities
Monday, January 26, 2009
Lenoir History and Culture
The last 24 hours was a Lenoir history lesson … about its musicians, its civil war stories, its place in the Revolutionary War battles …
While reading the local Lenoir paper, www.LenoirNewsTopic.com , I was drawn to a column on the editorial page written by John O. Hawkins.
Mr. Hawkins, a local historian, wrote about Mr. Thomas Ivey and his life after the civil war. This article described details of how Mr. Ivey longed to return to his childhood home in Lenoir. I am taking the liberty to excerpt quotes describing Mr. Ivey’s thoughts in that article. He said “Lenoir is a jewel resting in the valley just below the mountains. I loved the portion know as the Hollow, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. I longed to hear the singing of a clear mountain stream and see again the inviting background of my dear dreams. I yearned to see the sunrise once more through the white mist that covered Hibriten (Mountain), and to gaze at the face of the old man…the majestic profile of Grandfather Mountain.”
I was struck by this article because we often take things for granted. 150 years ago, Thomas Ivey spoke of his hometown like it was a magical place…a place that he realized too late how very much he missed the natural beauty of Lenoir. And earlier today, as I passed by Hibriten Mountain as I do every day on my way home, I saw this mountain from a VERY different perspective, one I will not forget.
Lenoir has always been rich in heritage and the arts. Last evening I was invited to the first ‘Blues Night’ at F. Futs & Co., www.ffutsandcompany.com , a new eatery downtown. Pop Ferguson lifted my soul.
Pop Ferguson, who is listed in “The Traditional Artists of the Blue Ridge”, sang the blues with his son as accompaniment. Pop made us cry with joy with his gift of rich blues music...and to see the love of a devoted son told a story that goes along with the folklore of when Pop was growing up in Lenoir as a minister’s grandson. Pop had a habit of sneaking into the juke joint to put his quarter in the juke box, hear his favorite song, replay the music that was swirling through his head as he bolted home, and soon earned the reputation that he ‘made that tune his own’.
His grandfather, the minster, would hold ‘Tent Revivals’ in town. One time at a tent revival, Pop’s father introduced Pop after a sermon with this intro, “And now my son will play for us...” Pop, was a young boy at the time. He started playing the blues that he loved so much… a song that he had heard at the juke joint. Well, Pop’s grandfather was shocked at Pop’s selection of music, and his grandfather asked him to leave that night at the tent revival. Pop’s love for the Blues deepened that day.
He is now 81 years young and hasn’t stopped playing the blues. As I sat listening to Pop Ferguson in downtown Lenoir I have to admit that I haven’t heard the Blues played any better in New Orleans or Memphis or anywhere else. Pop will be playing the Blues every other Thursday at ‘Sister’ Fut’s as long as he is able. Check out Pop’s web site, www.popfergusonblues.com .
Bluegrass and Blues music history feature the rich music of several Lenoir originals, the legends of Caldwell County. The Blues culture is as rich as the beauty that surrounds us.
StarCross Village brings this rich culture to the public at their planned clubhouse for residents. Call Julie or Gil at gstarble@starcrossvillage.com to learn more.
While reading the local Lenoir paper, www.LenoirNewsTopic.com , I was drawn to a column on the editorial page written by John O. Hawkins.
Mr. Hawkins, a local historian, wrote about Mr. Thomas Ivey and his life after the civil war. This article described details of how Mr. Ivey longed to return to his childhood home in Lenoir. I am taking the liberty to excerpt quotes describing Mr. Ivey’s thoughts in that article. He said “Lenoir is a jewel resting in the valley just below the mountains. I loved the portion know as the Hollow, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. I longed to hear the singing of a clear mountain stream and see again the inviting background of my dear dreams. I yearned to see the sunrise once more through the white mist that covered Hibriten (Mountain), and to gaze at the face of the old man…the majestic profile of Grandfather Mountain.”
I was struck by this article because we often take things for granted. 150 years ago, Thomas Ivey spoke of his hometown like it was a magical place…a place that he realized too late how very much he missed the natural beauty of Lenoir. And earlier today, as I passed by Hibriten Mountain as I do every day on my way home, I saw this mountain from a VERY different perspective, one I will not forget.
Lenoir has always been rich in heritage and the arts. Last evening I was invited to the first ‘Blues Night’ at F. Futs & Co., www.ffutsandcompany.com , a new eatery downtown. Pop Ferguson lifted my soul.
Pop Ferguson, who is listed in “The Traditional Artists of the Blue Ridge”, sang the blues with his son as accompaniment. Pop made us cry with joy with his gift of rich blues music...and to see the love of a devoted son told a story that goes along with the folklore of when Pop was growing up in Lenoir as a minister’s grandson. Pop had a habit of sneaking into the juke joint to put his quarter in the juke box, hear his favorite song, replay the music that was swirling through his head as he bolted home, and soon earned the reputation that he ‘made that tune his own’.
His grandfather, the minster, would hold ‘Tent Revivals’ in town. One time at a tent revival, Pop’s father introduced Pop after a sermon with this intro, “And now my son will play for us...” Pop, was a young boy at the time. He started playing the blues that he loved so much… a song that he had heard at the juke joint. Well, Pop’s grandfather was shocked at Pop’s selection of music, and his grandfather asked him to leave that night at the tent revival. Pop’s love for the Blues deepened that day.
He is now 81 years young and hasn’t stopped playing the blues. As I sat listening to Pop Ferguson in downtown Lenoir I have to admit that I haven’t heard the Blues played any better in New Orleans or Memphis or anywhere else. Pop will be playing the Blues every other Thursday at ‘Sister’ Fut’s as long as he is able. Check out Pop’s web site, www.popfergusonblues.com .
Bluegrass and Blues music history feature the rich music of several Lenoir originals, the legends of Caldwell County. The Blues culture is as rich as the beauty that surrounds us.
StarCross Village brings this rich culture to the public at their planned clubhouse for residents. Call Julie or Gil at gstarble@starcrossvillage.com to learn more.
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