Bridging Divisions in Community

Session Topic:
Bridging Divisions in Community
Name of convener:
David Holden
Participants:
davidholden1@bellsouth.net
Email/Phone:
Matthew Finck, Will Kovalchik, Jo Ann Orr

Main points from the conversation:
Group acknowledged division in the Watauga County community between families that have lived
in the county for generations and those who have moved here in the past 10 or 20 years. Group
also acknowledged division between the ASU community and the rest of the people in the county.
At times long-term families feel powerless in the face of newcomers and the university, leading to
fear and resentment. At times the university has made decisions that have exacerbated these
feelings
Action steps:
Group acknowledged that there are few venues in which real conversation actually takes place.
Such orchestrated conversations as the one held in this event today should happen more often and
reach out to wider segments of the community. Political discourse, such as meetings of the town
councils, county commission, and board of education, provide other opportunities for discussion,
but are often emotionally charged in such a way that real dialogue does not occur.

Alternative Transportation

Session Topic:
Alternative Transportation
Name of convener:
Stephen Phillips
Participants:
spsp33@hotmail.com / (828)264-1845
Email/Phone:
Lynne Mason, Tracy Mahalik, Margie Mansure, Jack Callohan, Et. Al. (There were about 15 people)

Main points from the conversation:
How to Encourage Alternative Transportation
Need for Sidewalks and Bike Lanes
Expanding the Bus System / Mass Transit
Pedestrian / Bicyclist Safety
Need for Crosswalk Safety
"Smart Growth" Land Use Concepts applied to Alternative Transportation
Need for Park and Ride Facilities

Action steps:
How to Encourge Use of Alternative Transportation
Make parking more expensive
Charge for public parking
Reduce parking requirements
Invest in Infrastructure Improvements
More sidewalks, bike lanes, bus routes
More connectivity and safety enhancements
Promote multi-use sidewalks and wider sidewalks
Apply Smart Growth Land Use Concepts to Alternative Transit
Concentrated areas of development to encourage walking
and reduce dependence on automoblie
Promote connectivity of neighborhoods through sidewalks/bike paths, and
greenway trail networks

Funding Sources:
Public Funding (Taxes, Dedicated budgeting for Alternative Transit)
Private Funding (Required sidewalks, bike lanes as part of development)
(Fee-in lieu sidewalk funding toward higher priority areas)
Grants (Ice-T Grant, State, National
Establishment of a non-profit Greenway Organization to promote expansion
Provide for Bicycle Parking
Positive Incentives to use Alternative Transportation
How to Encourage Alternative Transportation
Need for Sidewalks and Bike Lanes
Expanding the Bus System / Mass Transit
Pedestrian / Bicyclist Safety
Need for Crosswalk Safety
"Smart Growth" Land Use Concepts applied to Alternative Transportation
Need for Park and Ride Facilities
Coupons at local businesses for those who use bus system
Point reward system for those who use bus system
Community Challege/Contest to use alternative transit
Encourage Park and Rides
Encourage Major Employers (ASU, Hospital) to promote alternative transit
Encourge Hotels/Tourist to use alternative transit

Affordable Housing

Session Topic :
Affordable Housing
Name of convener:
Marsha Walpole
Participants:
marsha.walpole@gmail.com
Email/Phone:
Donna Duke, Eula Mae Fox, Ellie Lyne, Diane Tilson, Ron Redmon, Linda Conner, Marnie
Werth
Main points from the conversation:
Median salary in this county is too low to afford the median priced home or the median rent.
The homeless and "precariously housed" are increasing. Many elderly are precariously housed in
homes that cannot be upgraded or made more energy efficient because of the home's
state of disrepair.
Home prices have not dropped even though the economy has slowed. Land prices are so high that
builders
cannot afford to build small homes even if they want to.
Many people drive in from other counties to work, this lessens the feeling of ownership in the
community as well as increases job turnover.
"Affordable" is defined in different ways by different groups.
Habitat for Humanity is a great resource but only builds about one home per year.
Action steps:
Incentives for builders who build affordable homes.
Encourage absentee home-owners who are selling homes to consider rent-to-own.
Charge a 10% fee to developers who build neighborhoods of more than 10 units to go into an
affordable housing fund.
Build "Katrina Cottages" in the High Country.
Form a clearing house for services to connect people needing housing with low-interest loan,
organizations and
inexpensive housing.
Chamber of Commerce should ask all government entities to come to the table to solve affordable
housing issues. Collaboration between entities affected because they cannot attract employees
because of housing issues such as Board of Education, Watauga Medical Center,
ASU and County Government should be mandated. When they come together,
they should be prepared to do business formally.
Because Watauga County has a tourism-driven industry, second home owners could be taxed
because they do not contribute year-round to the economy.

This where the conversation ended...this is also where it continues.

Community Conversations Topics

The topics from our recent Community Conversation on January 24th will be posted individually so that it will be easier to have a conversation via this blog on these issues.

We will continue to hold these community conversations periodically so if you have any topics you want to discuss with the community plan on coming to our next conversation and bringing along your ideas.

Community Conversation

On Saturday, January 24th, MountainKeepers held the first community conversation. Over 75 people attended, some who had lived her all of their lives and others who had arrive 2 weeks ago. They each wanted to be involved in the future of our community. Everyone who was there had something good to contribute to the conversation.

We will be posting the results of the conversations on this blog, on our facebook page and on our website. We hope the conversation continues virtually and when we reconvene in the future. We haven't scheduled the next conversation although it is our intent to have another one soon.

One of the first bits of feedback one of the participants sent was about worm composting or vermi-composting. Marsha Walpole sent the following information about building a worm condo.

In the Composting conversation on Saturday, several people were interested in the plans for a two-sided vermi-composting box that I mentioned. I got the plans from Diane Rhoades great book Garden Crafts for Kids (Lark Books) that is unfortunately out-of-print, but that I would highly recommend to anyone who works with elementary and middle school age kids. There are usually a few available online from eBay and the like.

Anyway, for the "worm condo" as she calls it, you build a 3 ft long, 2 ft wide, 1 ft deep box. Then add piece down the middle long-ways the same size as the sides, except you'll want to cut 8 or 10 2-inch holes in it with a hole saw. Add a bottom to the box. The bottom of the box needs to have 8 or 10 1/2 in holes drilled in it to drain any moisture, although moisture won't be nearly the problem it is with a plastic worm box. You can add a lid if you want, but make sure it's propped open to allow air in.

To start worm farming, fill BOTH sides with bedding. Diane suggests newspaper with some garden soil and manure for the bedding. Moisten it until it feels like a squeezed-out sponge. Add your worms. Then you can start putting in your kitchen scraps. She recommends mixing them in gently or laying them on top and then adding more bedding. Don't fill all the way to the top. Keep the mixture moist but not wet. When the mix is close to ready to harvest, put all the compost and worms into one side of the "condo". Start the other side like you did at the beginning. Let the composted side start drying out while keeping the fresh side moist. As the composted side dries, the worms will migrate thru the holes in the middle board to get to the moist side with fresh food. You can then remove the dried out compost and start with fresh bedding and keep on going from side to side. As the worm population grows, you can start a new box or give some to a friend, or even put some outside in your garden.

If you are carpentry-challenged like me and need visuals, let me know and I can make you a copy of Diane's plans.

Marsha

Chelsea Green

I have added a blog list to our blog and the first one listed is Chelsea Green. One of their recent articles is about the 12 best books for Surviving Tough Times. All good reads.

May we suggest that if you are interested in purchasing these books, buy them locally and support our local economy. This is critical now more than ever to keep spending local, it will have a greater positive impact close to home and strengthen our local economy.

Don't forget to sign up for our Community Conversation. We originally were calling it a conference, but really it is a conversation about how we can create a more resilient community. Conversations are far more fun than conferences. This meeting will be different from any that you have attended in the past. We intend to have fun while we create a better future for our community.

Rescheduled Resilience Conference

MountainKeepers has rescheduled the Resilience Conference for January 24, 2009. It will be held in the cafeteria at Watauga County High School from 9 am to 3 pm.

Join with us to address the question "How can we create a more resilient community?"

We will be using open space technology and everyone will have a voice. No experts will attend to give us answers, we are creating the dialog and seeking solutions. Your voice is important to this process and our future.

This is a zero waste event, so everyone bring your own coffee/drink mug/water bottle.
Instead of printing a lot of information, we will provide the information to everyone via our web site.

Share this information with everyone you know who should be there.

Link to registration form

Link to flyer