WELL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 21, 2006

CALENDAR of WELL EVENTS

March 4 & 5 - Workshop: "The Future of WELL"

10am - 5pm both days, at the Willits High School Food Center

This workshop will have three parts:

1. review of what we've accomplished, what's working, what's not, organizational structure

2. visioning of what we'd like to create in our community based on core values - including a long term vision and a succinct vision statement

3. strategic plan for our next year of work, to include fundraising plan, outreach plan, organizational structure and key projects.

The full proposal for this workshop is attached in a MS Word document. This page also includes ways for you to give feedback. This sheet is available at the REDI/WELL office and will be at the door of WELL events.

This workshop will be dynamic and will give us critical information in order to move forward together in our work.

Monday, March 6 - Speaker Event: Panel Discussion with Local Health Practitioners

6:30 - 8:30pm Willits Community Center

FINDING HEALTH IN THESE CHANGING TIMES A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT HEALTH, WELLNESS AND WHOLENESS

Join us on Monday, March 6th at 6:30 pm to explore the expectations we have about our health care and how we can develop a whole new way to approach healing.

How would it be for you to have the support of a connected group of health care practitioners, say, a medical doctor, nutritionist, herbalist, counselor, bodyworker, acupuncturist - to address your unique health care needs? These caring people would take the time to listen to you and help you find the ways to improve your health.

How might we set up a new kind of healing center where you would receive education and empowerment to really heal your whole life?

How would we make this support affordable for everyone in our community?

What are the obstacles and advantages to such a health care style?

Bring your questions and visions.

The following practitioners include a medical doctor, physician’s assistant, counselors, chiropractor, naturopathic doctor, acupuncturists and herbalists and will be on a panel to discuss this very subject: Kate Black, Kristin Bradford, Melinda Clarke, Donnalee Hart, Paula Murphy, Professor Ping Pong, Wolfgang Ronnefeldt and Diane Smalley

Friday, March 17 6:00 - 8:00pm Willits Community Center Community

Mixer and slide show on creating healthy communities - this is event is open to everyone and free.

Saturday, March 18 9:00am - 3:00pm Special Workshop: Richard Register and Kristin Miller of Eco City Builders

Willits Community Center

Richard and Kristin will present examples and solutions for creating walkable, healthy and car free communities. Topics addressed will include: Land use planning, Peak oil, Climate change, Alternative transportation and Economic localization.

There is a $20 fee that includes lunch.

This event is co-sponsored by the City of Willits, REDI, WAG, EDFC, MCRS and NCO.

To register, please see the attached flier.

For more information please call Cathy: 459.7128

Monday, March 20 - General Meeting of the Working Groups

6:30 - 8:30pm Willits Community Center

Join us for our monthly meeting of our working groups and get involved with their projects.

Special Event Coming in April: THIS IS RLNC — "OUR LINK" TO SUSTAINABILITY

Calling all Economic Localization groups in Northern California to join together for a Regional Localization Networking Conference. An information exchange opportunity sponsored by the WELL April 7-9, 2006 — Keynote Address by David Schaller - Sustainable Development Coordinator, US EPA

The purpose of this conference is to improve our region’s economic localization efforts through sharing best practices; developing consistent messages for the general public, business community, and political leaders; and enhancing regional communication between groups.

The goal for this conference is not to raise the general awareness of the issue of economic localization, but rather to share ideas among those who are presently encouraging this transition in their communities. An application, including more details for this event, is attached.

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST

UNIVERSITIES TEAM UP TO HOST SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE CONFERENCE

Rohnert Park, California - February 15, 2006 - Sonoma State University’s School of Business and Economics and New College of California’s Green MBA program have teamed up to host the first Sustainable Enterprise Conference for Northern California, to be held on April 7, 2006.

This one day conference offers a unique opportunity for business leaders to learn about managing an organization to be environmentally friendly, socially just, and economically viable.

Attendees will gain valuable knowledge about building sustainable enterprises through workshops, interactive panels, and networking sessions.

For more information contact Genevieve Taylor, event director, at (707) 829-8454 or genevieve@ggenesis.com.

PAST EVENTS

Monday, February 20 - Review WELL

We devoted the monthly plenary session to a review of our last 15 months as an organization. Brian Weller led us through a brief overview of our structure and accomplishments that segued into people thinking about three questions:

1. How is WELL perceived in the larger community?

2. What is working in WELL?

3. What is not working in WELL?

After each of us had some time to reflect on these questions and write some notes, we shared in small groups. This then opened up to the larger group.

We spent most of our time hearing various views on what is not working in WELL. Brian and I both took notes, which we are organizing and compiling, along with written responses. These documents will be used to prepare our facilitators and to inform our sessions on March 4 & 5.

These days will be a time to hear final thoughts on our past work together, beginning work on where we're headed and crafting all of this into a strategic plan which will give some form and support to our work in the next year.

There is a front page article in the Willits News about this event, you can read it here: http://www.willitsnews.com/Stories/0,1413,253%257E26908%257E3247116,00.html

If you know you will be coming on March 4 & 5, please let us know! We also welcome any other thoughts about this process that you might like to share.

OPPORTUNITIES

BULK FOOD ORDERING....

Would you like to have a supply of nutritious and easily stored food on hand for emergencies?

You can order full bags of rice, beans, etc. at wholesale prices using our WELL food coop.

If this is something that interests you, please volunteer to help with coordination as our energetic but small staff cannot take this on.

To volunteer, please contact Spring (info below). Ordering sheets, payment and timing requirements are already worked out, we just need a coordinator to put this all into action. And remember- the catalog is at REDI (3rd Tuesday for delivery on Thursday, $500 minimum order for the whole group)

Fundraising Possibility

This is a great opportunity to raise a little money for WELL and support our local farmers!

Sofia Bates in Anderson Valley has organic apple juice from gleaned apples. She is willing to sell it to us for a very reasonable price. We could then resell it by the glass. Anyone interested in coordinating this worthy effort - the gleaners, perhaps?

spring@redinet.org

Spring Senerchia,

Office Manager Willits Economic LocaLization (WELL)

Renewable Energy Development Institute (REDI)

75 N. Main Street, #234

Willits, CA 95490

(707) 459-1256