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The Original Charcoal Burners on the land >

Announcements

Photos

As a community service photographs of events will be published by us from time to time, these photos may identify individuals. Please contact us if you object to any or all photographs containing your image being published and we will ensure that these wishes are respected. If such a photograph has already been posted we will remove it where possible at the earliest opportunity.

Caption Competition Submissions Extended

Originally Contributions for the Caption Competition (October 2007 Issue) were to be due by 20^th February 2008. However as the date of SomerVille Scoop was brought forward from February to January I have decided to extend submission date to the 20^th March (for the next SomerVille Scoop).

So to submit your contribution please send an email to newsletter@sev.net.au with the subject “Caption Competition”, and under the heading of each caption put your text eg Caption 1 – text text text , Caption 2 – text text, and so on. (please refer to the October 2007 issue for the images).

Please email me your submissions before the 20^th March 2008, all submissions are welcome however, only clean submissions will be published.

Bargain 'Ecocom' Merchandise & SomerVille Shirts

We have a colourful range of adult and child size t-shirts and caps and hats bearing the 'Ecocom' name. We have marked these down to clear. You never know, they could become collector items!

All Adult Merchandise $10.00
All Children's Merchandise $5.00

We also have a number of SomerVille T-Shirts for sale they are $30 a shirt or $50 for two. Unfortunately the only sizes we have left is large and extra large.

All Ecocom merchandise and the SomerVille Shirts can be purchased on any SomerVille Sunday.

Requests

Vespa for sale $2,990

Vespa ET2, 2004 50cc, black/tan seat, new tyres, spark plug and battery, licensed for 2 riders, comes with helmet, never been dropped: $2,990. If you are interested please contact Daniel on daniel@quolkids.com or 0422 524 829

Are you interested in joining the Chidlow volunteer bush fire brigade?

We encourage volunteering in local activities and this is an important area that would show our support for the local Chidlow township. Brigade meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm, the number to call is 9572 3016 (Saturday Mornings Only), new members are very welcome.

Do you have an up to date first aid certificate?

Paul Moes recently completed a first aid course and is getting our emergency procedures ship shape. So if you are one those valued potential life savers please let us know at info@sev.net.au

Something for Village Focus Point

We are looking for a railway carriage or something similar for the village focus point (Centre of the Village). Ideally it will be something we can have a café in. If you have something, know of something or have an idea for something then please email the details through to info@sev.net.au.

Submit an Article for the SomerVille Scoop

The Newsletter team is putting out a request for articles, points of interest, recipes , jokes etc. Have your say and share your knowledge.

If you are interested in making a contribution please email your submission to newsletter@sev.net.au by the 20^th of each second month.

If you have any queries about the structure or content please visit www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/newsletters and read the Newsletter Structure, Content and Submission Guidelines.

Additionally if you know of any coming events that you believe other members of the community may be interested in please email the details through to newsletter@sev.net.au.

Project Updates

Environment / Place

Update provided by Dave Moore

LSIP

Our Local Subdivision and Infrastructure Plan (LSIP) and our Subdivision Submission have not enjoyed speedy and joyous passage through the West Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) over recent months. This has largely been due to a severe shortage of staff in many departments of the West Australian Government. The good news is that, after months of fruitless attempts to secure a meeting with WAPC, we finally succeeded in December. The meeting was constructive and has encouraged us to hope that these documents may be endorsed by the end of January.

Community Centre

A design review of our Community Centre has meant that we haven't yet submitted a building application as intended. We'll be forming a focus group consisting of community members and our consultants to assist finalising design details. A similar focus group will also assist with refinement of the village centre plans.

Building guidelines

The Building Guidelines (version 17 now!) have been the subject of many improvements and are with the Shire for assessment and, we hope, endorsement before the end of January.

Water Management

The new 250kL water tank next to the Yellow Shed has been kept topped up to capacity from the single short infiltration gallery that was constructed last autumn. We're now planning the design and locations of the galleries that will be supplying SomerVille over the years ahead.

Ploughing the SomerVille Organic Farm >

SomerVille Organic Farm

The millet that we planted on the agricultural land germinated during October. It has had mixed success in establishing a cover crop across the property. Our focus in coming weeks will be to decide what planting and land improvement strategy to adopt for 2008. Our agriculture consultants (ERA) continue to support us in these endeavours.

Meeting Space

A recently dismantled shed will be re-erected to the north of the “site office” during January. It will be used temporarily by the community in place of the "Yellow Shed" which is scheduled for relocation in February.

Infrastructure

Tenders have gone out for repairs to the 3.2km of fencing that separates the south of SomerVille land from State Forest. This work will probably start late in January.

Detailed design for the village infrastructure is well advanced and we anticipate calling tenders for this early in February.

Timeline

The following dates are our best estimates of when key milestones in the establishment of SomerVille will occur:

Enterprise & Economics

Update provided by Alex Hyndman

As predicted in the last Scoop, we can now confirm that the Enterprise team is under resourced. By looking at how much work needs to be done and how many people we have now, shows that we need several more personnel to make sure that SomerVille enterprises are developed to an appropriate standard.

Two of the enterprises in particular seem to be too big for any one person to volunteer for. The Health & Healing and the Education enterprises have the capacity to employ a significant section of the community and so it is important that they are adequately developed. To help ensure that this can happen, we have taken one part time contractor for each of the enterprises.

For Health and Healing, Dihan is the latest addition to the team. Dihan has extensive experience as a chiropractor, mediation and marketing. He developed a chiropractic practice which engages multiple patients at the same time so that they can share in the healing process. He has also been involved in guided meditation.

With this great background, Dihan is spending some time working out how we are going to ensure that our Health and Healing centre can be a world class practice for both practitioners and clients.

Peter Bishop is the latest addition to the Education team and has been engaged to project manage the development of the enterprise. We tend to do things a little bit differently, which means that we often have to work out how to do things from scratch. Peter however, brings some remarkably pertinent experience to the role and we are looking forward to welcoming him to the SomerVille team.

We should be able to introduce more team members in the next Scoop.

Yurt Blessing Ceremony – 4th November 2007>

Cultural / Social

Update provided by Kara Holt-Gragg

Welcome to the New Year SomerVillians! And what a big year it will be!

Infrastructure is going to start, governance systems will be finalised, by-laws set in place and all the lots sold. Get ready because everything we have been dreaming of for the past couple of years is about to come to fruition. It is an exciting road ahead where we will be able to actually see physical results and all the patience and hard work will finally pay off.

The last SomerVille Sunday for 2007 was held on 2^nd December and provided a wrap of the year. This has become a regular feature of the last SomerVille Sunday each year as it is often forgotten how much has been achieved. Those members of the community who attended were able to take advantage of the smaller than usual turn out and share their aspirations for 2008. There were many plans for the new year ranging from spending more time at SomerVille, being more 'present' to going north to teach! (.....to obtain funds to build at SomerVille of course.)

We look forward to seeing everyone at SomerVille Sunday in February to take part in the Annual Water Fight! along with the added bonus of an update on the project. Fresh ideas have flowed through SomerVillians over the Christmas break and we can't wait to share and receive them.

Your social team is working very hard to get a full governance draft ready for community engagement early this year and work is going smoothly on the by-laws. Five years of community consultation is coming together in the form of an inspirational and very SomerVillian Governance Document that will help to guide our next steps into living as a part of the SomerVille community; from how we are structured to how to manage conflict we have endeavoured to include all aspects of community life in this powerful document.

Please remember that every person's involvement is important in these final stages of by-law and governance creation so be ready to speak up and have your ideas heard.

New people, new projects and a positive humming vibe have started off the year of 2008, so get involved get talking and be prepared for the SomerVille Journey to take a new turn.

Welcome all to a New SomerVille Year!

With Love, Light and Joy,

Vida, Karen, Kara and our new member Fuschia

< Children by the SomerVille Banner

Coming Events

Editors Note: Please be aware that I will only advertise events that community members have made me aware of, or that I am aware of, so if you know of any events coming up that other community members might be interested in please email the details to newsletter@sev.net.au.

General Events

The Sustainable Mandurah Home
Open every Saturday and Sunday from 1- 5pm, and Wednesday from 2 – 4pm. 18 Grandmere Parade, Meadow Springs, Mandurah WA 6210

You don’t need to make an appointment at these times. Whether you are planning to build or buy a new home, make renovations to your existing home or if you want more information on sustainable living, simply drop in and take a look around. For more information please visit http://www.sustainablemandurah.com.au/

Sketchup: an introduction to CADD
Saturday 17th May & Sunday 18th May - 9am to 4pm.
Cost $335 (special offer 5 people for cost of 4) UWA Extension - The University of Western Australia, M432 - 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA

As many of you may be aware, Google Sketchup is a free 3D Modelling software tool, that can help you with your House designs. You can download a copy of Google Sketchup from http://sketchup.google.com/

For those of you who do not have much CADD or drawing program experience, the course below would be ideal for you, learning how to use the program and bring your Home Designs to life. Please visit https://registrations.extension.uwa.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects.exe/RMSPlus.woa/3/wo/5NqD7FnbgpWgprbO9Glnu0/1.7.81.11.12.5

Self Awareness / Personal Development Events

This is a list of courses and activities coming up that intending SomerVille residents have experienced, believe to have been a valuable contribution to their life journey and recommend to others. More details about these events can be found online in the SomerVille Members Only section at: http://www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/members/self_awareness.htm

The New Warrior Training Adventure
Friday 4^th April to Sunday 6^th April – Woodman Point Recreation Camp, Perth WA.

Becoming a member of the Mankind Project community begins with the New Warrior Training Adventure (NWTA), an intensive weekend men's training.

• Do you have direction and purpose in life?

• What is it that you truly want out of life?

• What are you doing to get it?

• How are your choices working to get you what you want ?

Come and discover why men who have completed the NWTA live richer lives connected to inner masculine principles. Learn how to access your inner wisdom and get more clarity around your family and work.

Knowing your mission in life is one thing, but knowing what stops you from achieving it is the absolute key to success. Every man has this answer within them; this is an opportunity to find out what you have been looking for your whole life.

For more information please visit the local West Australian website http://www.mkpwa.org

SomerVille Calendar of Events

The SomerVille Calendar of Events can be found online at:
http://www.somervilleecovillage.com.au/calendar.htm.

NOTE: We will endeavour to keep our events to the schedule below however, due to unforeseen circumstances some may be changed or cancelled.

If you are on our mailing list we will email you in advance of events or if an event is cancelled.

If you are not already receiving our emails you can subscribe here. The locations are not all specified here, they will be advertised closer to the events via email.

Sunday 3 February 2008

• SomerVille Sunday

• 10:30am sharp to 2pm please bring along a plate of food to share.

Thursday 21 February 2008

• The Coffee Shop

• 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Sunday 2 March 2008

• SomerVille Sunday

• 10:30am sharp to 2pm please bring along a plate of food to share.

Thursday 20 March 2008

• The Coffee Shop

• 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Sunday 6 April 2008

• SomerVille Sunday

• 10:30am sharp to 2pm please bring along a plate of food to share.

Thursday 17 April 2008

• The Coffee Shop

• 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Sunday 4 May 2008

• SomerVille Sunday

• 10:30am sharp to 2pm please bring along a plate of food to share.

Thursday 15 May 2008

• The Coffee Shop

• 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Sunday 8 June 2008

• SomerVille Sunday

• 10:30am sharp to 2pm please bring along a plate of food to share.

My Story

Grace Minton (photo provide by Christophe Bouyac) >

My Rushed Story of coming to Somerville

Grace Minton

I came to Somerville with a lifelong ambition to live communally. That probably started from my childhood experiences – my parents had some pretty great stories of a stay at Findhorn in the 70’s and for quite a while in the 80’s I visited a spiritual community/commune based in Dalkeith with them each week. I associated the commune with loads of kids to play with, a giant house to play in and really good food where you could sit with anyone you wanted to at dinner.

I tried pretty hard to get my parents to move us all into the commune, but they resisted. So that was probably the beginning of it all.

Later on, when I thought about buying a home (which I hadn’t always thought I would as I grew up in rentals), I really, really hated the idea of living in isolation in the outer suburbs. I was inspired by ecovillages that my best friend introduced me to when she and I went on a holiday down south one year and decided that I would like to live in one. It seemed a bit impossible though because I worked in the city.

Anyway, then my mate bought a house by herself and (possibly in a moment of guilt at giving up on the dream of living in a community together), subscribed me to the Somerville email list without even asking me. So I started getting these emails which I occasionally read, but mostly deleted. And that went on for about a year until the first fence sitters evening was announced, just around the corner of the office where I worked in Subi - which I took to be a sign from fate that I needed to check this out. And of course, the minute I heard the story I knew I had to be a part of it. And so I am!

Articles & Submissions

Caption Competition

To submit your contribution please send an email to newsletter@sev.net.au with the subject “Caption Competition”, and under the heading of each caption put your text eg Caption 1 – text text text , Caption 2 – text text, and so on. (please refer to the October 2007 issue for the images).

Please email me your submissions before the 20^th March 2008, all submissions are welcome, however only clean submissions will be published.

Products and Services Available

The SomerVille Vision:
"A vibrant village where community flourishes, in which every person is supported and contributes
in balance with a sustainable ecological ethic."

© Copyright 2005-2008. All Rights Reserved. SomerVille Ecovillage ™