Advocacy
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Funding Tribal Recovery Centers with Alcohol Sales from Olympia Food Co-op
About Funding Tribal Recovery Centers with Alcohol Sales from Olympia Food Co-op
In 2023, the organization had earned enough from sales of beer and wine in the previous years to donate $40,000 to two Recovery programs in the area: Generations Healing Center, which is currently being built by the Nisqually Indian Tribe, and the Northwest Indian Treatment Center (NWITC), which is a recovery center owned and operated for the benefit of Northwest tribes.
The campaign was daunting in its entrenched challenges and inherent controversy—driving away any would-be collaborators. Building on research begun and efforts abandoned by previous staff, the campaign was ultimately successful due to a study I conducted illustrating that the majority of Co-op members wanted beer and wine in the stores; a ballot initiative I wrote allowing the membership to vote on carrying these products; a petition I created placing the initiative on the ballot; and a series of Co-op Conversations I organized where the community was invited to publicly express their support or concern.
During a heated April 6th Co-op Conversation, I was listening actively to a deeply divided room and the most vocal opponents were entrenched in their position that alcohol was too dangerous to sell. In order to move to consensus, I began negotiating terms for them to agree to this change. After suggesting the Co-op could offer literature at each display of merchandise explaining the risk of addiction and listing local resources for Recovery, and hypothesizing that a percentage of the alcohol revenues could be donated to treat addiction, the opposition appeared satisfied to allow us to move forward.
I'm thrilled to learn that the Co-op has now made good on this last promise. I'm proud to have been instrumental in unifying the membership and, ultimately, supporting this worthwhile effort to improve the health and lives of so many.
This gallery documents the campaign through proposals, articles, meeting notes, and announcements.
Willow River Equine Rescue
About WIllow River Equine Rescue
From 1999 to 2002, I adopted, rehabilitated and rehomed eight magnificent animals: "Dandy," "Dulce," "Tara," "Trojan," "John Connor," "Sarah Connor," "Mr. Feathers," and "The Old Lady." Dandy had cancer around his blue eye and reuired surgery and special care for his recovery. He also had trauma around being shod and required extensive behavioral therapy and trust building before he would allow anyone to trim his feet. The Old Lady was a cribber and sucked wind. She required special equipment and diet management to bring her out of a state of poor condition. Dulce and Trojan had mange and were in poor condition after being abandoned in a field without adequate forage. Sarah and John Connor were feral mustangs from the reservation, unaccustomed to interacting with humans. They needed to be gentled and trained to halter and saddle before they could find a home. Mr. Feathers was left alone oin a stall for several yaers after his owner died. He was broken hearted, violent, and angry, seeing people as only good for throwing him a flake of hay. One by one, each of them cmae into their own, their coats took on a luster, their eyes a shine, their ribs filled in, their spirits became willing. They each found the homes they deserved. I will always treasure the memory of caring for them in their hour of need.
New Mexico Music Awards
About New Mexico Music Awards
"Beginning in 1987, [I had become sick of the music scene in Albuquerque being run by Joe Buffalino's Top-40 Mafia. As an original musician, there was nowhere for my band, Horrorshow, to play original music and the creative songwriters in the area were being ignored and drowned out by cover bands in every venue. I decided that we needed to start promoting local original bands to increase their status and value. I talked to my friends Tim Rich and Eric Larson, who were engineers at Quincy Street Sound, to collaborate on startig the New Mexico Music Industry Coalition. I named the organization and wrote the by-laws and wrote a couple of state grants to get us started. I served as Chair of the board and we] set out to achieve cooperation rather than competition among recording studios and other industry professionals in order to create a climate of professionalism and artistic excellence within the New Mexico music community."
"The New Mexico Music Industry Coalition’s goal was to inform and educate as well as share information on the recording industry’s evolution from analog to digital and beyond. Ironically, it seemed to the MIC committee that the best way to showcase these changes was with a competition."
"Beginning in 1988, the 'MIC' Awards banquet and show would be held annually to recognize excellence in original music productions recorded and mixed primarily within the state of New Mexico for the previous year. Awards were presented in a Grammy style ceremony that included guest presenters and live performances."
"With successive years, the program continued to expand its educational workshops that include entertainment law, copyright and songwriter’s workshops. In 2005, the program was re-branded as the New Mexico Music Awards."
"In April of 2005, co-founder Eric Larson passed away and the program was taken over by longtime volunteers Jose and Kathy Ponce. The NMMA established the Eric Larson Endowment at the University of New Mexico in memory of NMMA co-founder Eric Larson. The endowment was established to assist junior or senior UNM students who have declared music or a related field (such as the recorded arts) as their major and who maintain a 3.0 GPA or better. The NMMA continues to contribute annually to the endowment."
"The New Mexico Music Awards and continues to encourage and enhance the recorded music industry in New Mexico."
"While not a non-profit organization, the awards program continues to educate New Mexico songwriters, artists, producers and engineers with workshops ranging from copyright information to recording technique as well as other educational endeavors related to music education within the New Mexico community. The NMMA also works tirelessly to promote New Mexico artists and their music to a global audience."
[Information—except for bracketed text—copied from newmexicomusicawards.com.]
[Information—except for bracketed text—copied from newmexicomusicawards.com.]
Abrupt Climate Change
Facebook Group
About Abrupt Climate Change Facebook Group
In 2014, I started the Facebook Group "Abrupt Climate Change" to share scientific articles and observations about the changing global climate. Unlike most groups, posts about geoengineering, politics, fossil fuels, overpopulation, green energy, tree planting, solutions, activism, recycling, pollution, veganism, and general environmental topics are not allowed. Only scientific articles and observations. Ther community has grown to over 7,000 members.
Co-ops Create Change
A four-part series originally appearing in the Olympia Food Co-op Table Magazine and published in the Democratic Socialists of America Newsletter. Clicking on the image below will take you to the Journalism project to read all four articles. To return to Advocacy, select Portfolio from the center menu and scroll down to the project gallery where you can click on Advocacy again.
