Union Acres Newsletter

PROPERTIES FOR SALE

2011-09-03T13:53:00.009-04:00

PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE WITHIN UNION ACRES

The following properties (priced to include enjoyment of shared community assets, pool, community center, and 7 acres of common land) are presently available at Union Acres:

Spacious two bedroom home at 501 Heartwood Way. Asking price $169,900. To view details with pictures, please view the following link: https://picasaweb.google.com/107618953638504285443/2BedroomHomeInUnionAcresCommunity
Contact Stacy Anders Hyatt at Coldwell Banker Appalachian Real Estate, 828-736-2758

Architect designed red house in the mountains A unique, five bedroom, three story home with three full baths, plus office. 2800 square feet plus a basement. Central air and solar heated water. Asking $399K
To view details and pictures, please view the following link:https://picasaweb.google.com/107618953638504285443/RedHouseInTheMountains
Contact Esther Godfrey at (828) 736-0573

5.3 acre Lot with year-round stream with shoals. Solar building site, underground utilities, community maintained road. Asking $65K
Contact T.J.Walker (828) 586-3898

The following property (which is adjacent to Union Acres community but does not presently include enjoyment of shared community property) is also for sale:

Two bedroom, one and a half bath remodeled Appalachian homestead with 2 acre wooded lot and freshwater spring. Lots of history and lots of charm for only $115K

To view details and pictures, please view the following link
https://picasaweb.google.com/107618953638504285443/165HeartwoodWay
For more information, call Caroline Carr-Starr at (828) 497-4964.

Retrospective Slideshow

2010-07-15T16:12:00.014-04:00

Happy 21st Birthday, Union Acres Community! This is a retrospective slide show about the people and places of Union Acres and it takes about 27 minutes to watch. You may press expand icon to enlarge the pictures or press the pause icon to enjoy any given picture for a longer time. The show begins with pictures of a graduation party for our teenagers and the general sequence is backwards in time, to the inception of our community. However, certain sequences are posted chronologically, such as the construction of our community center or homes. So far, some families submitted more pictures than others, but we would like to include more. If you have any photos (old or recent) that you would like added to these Archives, please share them with treecarr@gmail.com or ccarrstarr@gmail.com so we can scan or post them in for everyone’s enjoyment. We hope you like watching this wonderful trip down memory lane!

Straw Bale House Under Construction at Union Acres

2008-09-02T19:10:00.005-04:00

A new straw-bale home is under construction at Union Acres. This custom home was designed by Aimee and Mike Quillen and is being built by the Quillen family, their friends, neighbors and sub-contractors. Enjoy a peek at the earliest stages of construction by viewing this photo album.

Forest Tapley and Tristan Carr Request Membership

2008-05-31T20:06:00.006-04:00

Dear Union Acres,

(As we grew up as children here at Union Acres and have lived here all or most of our lives, this is sort of a special case in community membership--we aren't going to answer the usual questions, but we will give the reasons we would like to become members.)

We are writing in request for an associate membership for long-time residents Tristan Carr and Forest Tapley. We are interested in membership because of the responsibilities and privileges we would gain, the extended family we could more confidently use as a resource for growth, and the group of people with a variety of spiritual paths that we can continue to be exposed to and grow from. As well as this, we would like to become members because of what we feel we have to offer.

For us, a big reason to join the community is to have something to get involved in and do volunteer work for. As we learn more about how things work, we could do a large portion of the work on the pool, for example. Also, we are currently jointly researching with Mike some alternative energy options for the pool and community building. As this idea becomes more refined, we'll be able to have a hand in that among other progressive projects. We will have plenty of "free time" (time we've set aside for community anyway) to contribute, as it would be incorporated into our homeschooling. It takes a village to raise a child and we've been blessed to be here. Now as we are "coming of age" we would like to become more involved to learn those last crucial things before we go. We want Union Acres and everyone living here to be a sort of modern day tribe to support us in learning to make contributions to a group.

We are both very interested in community in general and living in the way Union Acres was founded to be. We feel that we may be able to renew some of those older ideals and bring the community back together, if not simply through youthful energy and innovation, then by learning how to do it and putting it to work. This could be an important opportunity for us to learn more about this way of life and become more involved while we're here. As many of you know, we are avid musicians with a desire to bring others in too. We would like to coordinate and host musical events and/or weekly jam sessions and whatnot, using these friendly get-togethers as a way to enjoy other people's artistic talents, as well as a way to bring together our extended family to share our own talents.

Another way we can contribute is by renewing the Group Endeavor newsletter, a project which we feel reflects the values of being involved and contributing to the community. Through this newsletter we would be able to make Union Acres much more tightly knit than it already is. By getting everyone to share their opinions and experiences through writing and photographs, we would all have even more shared experiences and feel that much more like a family. Also, we will revive the website and have already done work on it to keep it up to date.

We are becoming adults now and we are ready to take on these kinds of responsibilities. We are always seeking personal growth, because we feel that to do so is part of our purpose. We've been nurtured most of our childhoods by this community, and now we want to return some of that energy to help this place grow into an even more wonderful home for us to come back to. All of you can help us become greater and to be ready to go out on our own by allowing us to help Union Acres. This community will always be close to our hearts and we want to become a greater part of it so it can be a greater part of us.

Signed, Forest Tapley and Tristan Carr

Wayne and Susan Endter Request Membership

2008-05-30T14:34:00.005-04:00

Dear Union Acres Members
Wayne and I would like to apply for membership at Union Acres. We love the community and very much would like to be a part of your lives. Both Wayne and I have been out of town and working on these questions by talking on phone. He can certainly answer for himself in more detail when he sees all of you. If anyone would like to talk to me by phone or email I am back home in California. My phone is 209-989-0213 For the sake of time I am not going to write more of a letter. I think it is more important at this point to get these responses out to all of you to review. I am very sorry that I am not going to be there with all of you but I couldn't take Shelby out of school at the end of
the term. I think of all of you often.
Best Wishes,
Sue Endter

1.How did you hear about Union Acres and who referred you to us?
We read about Union Acres in the Intentional Communities guidebook and then visited the website. We were already looking at other intentional communities in NC.

2. Have you read our visitor packet and documents? Yes.

3.What level of membership are you interested in? full membership

4. What is your time frame for moving here?
We plan on moving to UA in 6-8 years. We are committed to visiting at least yearly, participating in community decision making and doing some sort of work for the community during our yearly visit. While we realize this is not ideal (having to wait until we move) we wanted to buy the land before we got out priced (which has already happened to us once already) and know where we were going and figure out how we
were going to do it. We wish we could move sooner but
for a variety of financial reasons and issues involving Shelby's education it simply not possible.

5. What kinds of things are you hoping/looking for in community? A sense of belonging,
friendship, committment to sustainable living, community gardens, rural environment, decision making by consensus, members interested in socializing together, ability to design and build our own home, living in an area that was part of a greater progressive community, community where we could have some privacy/autonomy as a family but still have a close connection with others in the community.

6.What kind of experiences, if any, have you had in community?
I (Sue) has lived in a number of communal households when I was in my twenties. I really enjoyed those experiences and lived that way mostly by choice (somewhat driven by finances also). I have lots of good memories of potlucks, spontaneous and planned
social outings, work parties, community gardens andyes, house meetings about practical and interpersonal issues. I felt the benefits of that process and the connection of community far outweighed the work involved in making it happen and I still feel that
way. Wayne and I have also worked hard in creating several informal communities as well. For more than 12 years we have been committed to maintaining a traditional
dance community in Sonora. We have played music and danced together, have gone on campouts, celebrate Solstice and birthdays, helped each other with projects and helped the group survive a very challenging issue involving serveral of the group's
members. Wayne and I have also tried to help facilitate Moccasin feeling more like a community. I have swapped childcare with neighbors, organized pool parties and outings for kids and Wayne spearheaded the establishment of a community garden. It has been great to see neighbors in the garden, not in their houses watching TV, talking and growing their own food.

7. What experiences have you had collaborating with others or group endeavors?
See above answer. We have also worked for the last four years with a group of people who are responsible for organizing and running a week long camp for families that offers traditional dance and music classes. Wayne and I are currently co-directors of the camp and a committee of people are working on various aspects of the camp program. We make decisions primarily by consensus (esp on policy issues). It is a big project that involves communication, organization, patience and hard work. I (Sue)have spent most of my career as a social worker working in interdisciplinary teams with nurses, doctors, other social workers, other medical professionals and volunteers. I have run a hospice
program, wrote a grant and started a mental health outreach program for older adults and am now working in a cancer center. My newest project is starting a hospice wide program to provide better supportive care to our patients with life limiting illness. I am used
to hearing other people's perspectives and trying to help a group come to consensus.

8. What kind of leadership or structure are you hoping for in community?
Decision making by consensus. When this model is effective we have found that the different perspectives of people in the group can usually be incorporated into the final decision. We think that in the long run you get a more inclusive decision vs voting on a decision where the majority prevails but the minority may feel unheard/left out. We certainly did not want to live in a community where a board of directors made decisions without members being involved in the decision making process.

9.What experience, if any, have you had with consensus decision making?
1)We have been working for four years with a family dance camp committee that works on a consensus decision making model.
2)Sue lived in several communal households that had a consensus decision making structure
3)Sue worked as a volunteer with a women's coffeehouse collective that used that model
4) Sue has worked with a number of professional committees where most decisions were made by consensus

10.Do you enjoy group processes such as Business or committee meetings?
Sue enjoys group processes such as business/committee meetings (after all she is a social
worker). Wayne likes meetings OK but tends to be less interested in the group process per se and more interested in the outcome of the meeting

10.How do you handle conflict or conflict of interests?
Talk it through. I (Sue)am usually quite comfortable talking about conflicts of interest and usually handle conflict fairly well by trying to be direct and honest, I would like to think that I am generally not defensive.
What pushes our buttons-Wayne says people who are not humble. Sue- people who don't listen, won't compromise, who are judgemental. I (Sue)tend to go into therapist mode and try to stay calm and not be reactive. If I get really angry I will ask to take a break or sometimes get upset and cry.

11. Are you on a spiritual path? Do you have any preference for the spiritual or
religious beliefs of those around you?

I think we both have our own spiritual beliefs. Sue has been interested in the Unitarian Church but doesn't attend on a regular basis. I (Sue)certainly have a strong belief in some sort of greater spiritual power. I have found this belief grounding and important in my work especially working with people who were dying. We don't have a preference for the
spiritual or religious beliefs of those around us.

11. Have you experienced therapy or sought other modalities of personal growth?
We both have been in therapy at different points in our lives and Sue had a private practice as a psychotherapist for seven years.

12. What are your skills and how do you see yourself contributing to our community?
Wayne-electronically minded-understands electricity, basic building skills, can work with off-grid energy issues, gardener, a musician, could help with starting
a community dance.
Sue-trained in interpersonal communication, a good organizer, good writing skills. Sue could do committee work, help with developing the retreat center, facilitate meetings.

13. Realistically, will you have much free time, still or interest to contribute
toward community activities?
Wayne is planning on not working in a paid job when we move, will have time/interest to participate in community activities and will be building our house.
Sue may work part time as I would like to get out in the community and meet people (and make some money) Iam looking forward to having time to devote to community activities as well.

14.Are you aware of any shared interests we may have?
sustainable living
gardening
social activities such as music,dance, celebrations like may-day and solstice
outdoor activities-hiking,camping,sking,

15. What are your hobbies and how do you like to relax and play?
Both of us-gardening, music,dance.
Sue-hiking,camping, swimming,used to raft, canoe.Sue-enjoys spending time with kids (Wayne also likes children); reading. Wayne likes to cook, Sue can cook but likes Wayne to cook; potlucks with friends; movies; political discussions/forums

16. We are a family oriented community. Do you enjoy children ?
Very much. This was one of the things that attracted us to UA. We did not want to be in age segregated community. Sue would like to adopt some grandkids to make cookies with and could even be available to babysit.

17.Who would you live with on your property (e.g. family, kids, pets) and what, if any, is their interest in community?
Well, Wayne and Sue would live there. It is possible that our son Shelby, who is now 12 might be living with us while he goes to college. We really don't know what he will be doing, it is too soon to stay. It would be our expectation that if he was living in the
community as an adult that he would need to participate actively in the life/work of the community. He is very excited about the community. He is interested in home construction, likes animals and is very easy going. We have one older cat who is 13 and
we are not planning on obtaining any more pets.

18.What is your economic situation? How do you imagine making a living here? Wayne is planning on retiring from his job as an electronic technician and focusing on building our home and helping out in UA. We will get a pension, have some retirement savings and will get social security (we hope) when we decide to take it, Wayne is 52, Sue is 50. I (Sue)plan on most likely working part time as a social worker. I have a MSW and am licensed in California as a LCSW and plan on getting my North Carolina license as an LCSW before I move. I have never had trouble getting a job as a social worker and I don't expect having difficulty finding some sort of professional employment there. I
also have other job skills-grant writing, program development, fundraising, marketing, volunteer recruitment and training. Wages are lower but we anticipate that and are planning accordingly.

19. Are you willing, if you should ever sell your property at Union Acres, to limit the resale of your lot to someone who is adopted through our membership procedure?
Yes.

Dusk Weaver Requests Membership

2008-05-30T14:30:00.005-04:00

To help organize my thoughts, I’ll answer the “Suggested Topics for Discussion” from the UA visitors’ packet in the same order they are given there.
Are you seriously interested in moving into community or just curious at this time? Both serious and committed.

What is your time frame for moving here? Yesterday.

How did you hear about Union Acres and who referred you to us? I heard about UA at the time of its founding, and I was updated about UA over the years by both Caroline and Anthony. When I had at last taken them up on a standing invitation to visit here, Caroline provided me with the visitor packet and legal documents.

Have you read our visitor packet and documents? Yes, I’ve now read these pages carefully, but it would be good if I continue to read them, because they have so much to say.

What level of membership are you interested in? Associate, for now.
What kinds of things are you hoping/looking for in community? Creating extended family, sharing for the simple sake of sharing, living more lightly on the earth as a result of sharing, seeing myself more clearly in the mirror that close community creates, and understanding other people more clearly by virtue of living so closely with them.

What kind of experiences, if any, have you had in community? For more than 40 years, intentional community has been a vital part of my life, so it is challenging to even sum up those experiences. First, I was a communitarian of sorts by “chance,” not by choice, because I was raised from ages 8 to 18 at Thornwell Orphanage in Clinton, SC with 350 other southern children of Presbyterian background. The irony of us children at Thornwell was that instead of growing up “rootless” without much in the way of family ties, we bonded more tightly with one another than happens in most nuclear families, so that we each ended up with hundreds of brothers and sisters… that is, we made family where we found it, and what a family we made! We learned that through proper teamwork, we could accomplish nearly anything, and that the ties we made there would likely last a lifetime.
From Thornwell, I went to private college, and shortly after that I married an Atlanta woman with two young children who, like me, was keenly interested in moving “back-to-the-land.” Soon, our young family encountered books like Walden Two and Walden Two: A Twin Oaks Experiment, and we decided to seek intentional community living in place of one-family homesteading. This in turn led to a year of visiting many communities from our private homestead base, followed by a one-year odyssey across America in a more rigorous and risky search for an ideal community. An irony of this period was that we were often completely “homeless” during our search for home.
During the entire odyssey, I wrote a half-page weekly feature of our adventures for what was then the fastest growing daily newspaper in America (The Gwinnett Daily News in Atlanta). When we ultimately chose to settle in a southern California eclectic spiritual community named Sunburst, the newspaper series eventually led to a book for Harcourt Brace entitled Sunburst: A People, A Path, A Purpose. At that time, Sunburst was the same size as the Thornwell of my youth (350 residents), and the experiences there served to reinforce my earlier experience of working with others to manifest almost miraculous results.

The depth and breadth of experiences at Sunburst make it seem as though we were there for 50 years, although it was a mere 5 years by the calendar. Next, we returned East with the idea of joining The Farm in Summertown, TN, but we soon realized that it was not the place for us even though we greatly admired the community for many reasons. At that point, we retreated to two years of private homesteading on the Apalachee River in Northern Georgia, and this was followed by a visit from one Anthony Beckett (who had previously visited Sunburst during our time there, and who had met us at Pepperland Children’s Camp prior to that). Anthony told us about an intentional community named Golden Hill that he was part of in NE Georgia; he invited us to take a look-see; and then he kindly put our entire family up for months when we decided to try resettling at Golden Hill. I ended up living in three different homes within that community for a total stay of 23 years, and that’s where Anthony, Caroline, and I worked together as a construction crew before either of them migrated north to what is now Union Acres.

My account above seems to me so chopped up and overly brief, and it lacks every one of the thousands of rich and rewarding community stories that one inevitably gathers over the years, but I trust that you get the general idea how much a positive part of my entire adult life community living has been and continues to be.
What experiences have you had collaborating with others or group endeavors? Please see the answer above, and while you’re at it, be certain to buy your very own copy of Sunburst: A People, A Path, A Purpose, posthaste, so that you can save me both from my own loquaciousness and from carpal tunnel syndrome… nyuk! nyuk!
What kind of leadership or structure are you hoping for in community? Leadership primarily from the group at large, not from some self-appointed “big cheese,” not from an already beleaguered founder, not from a tiny core group of three overworked community public servants, and most certainly not from a guru type. I’ve seen each of these in action at one time or another, either as a visitor or as a resident member in community, and I strongly prefer widespread acts of spontaneous volunteerism and other forms of more effective leadership from the ranks. As far as structure goes, I very much prefer the proper application of consensus (which I like to call conscious consensus) and the kind of by-laws Union Acres has evolved in which the community tries to foresee and address all likely issues in adequate detail without writing a seven-volume encyclopedia of do’s and do not’s.

What experience, if any, have you had with consensus decision making? Golden Hill used consensus decision-making as a basis for community for a number of years (with mixed results). This was much less successful than it might have been due to the lack of training/reading/experience that most of us had in what constitutes consensus. You might say that we lacked consensus on what consensus means. The solution for Golden Hill, and I think the solution for most any group practicing consensus is for its membership to have an understanding of consensus as it has been practiced historically by other, successful groups. An obvious example is the Quakers.

Do you enjoy group processes such as Business or committee meetings? Frankly, I don’t relish the thought of almost any meeting of any kind, but to my own amazement, once I am there and the meeting is underway, it grows on me and I am soon very glad that I joined in.

How do you handle conflict or conflict of interests? What pushes your buttons and how do you handle it? Patiently and diplomatically, I hope. I’ve been told that I do well with this, but if I start tooting my own horn about it, then I’ll muck up the very next trying moment that comes along, just as sure as shootin’.
A noteworthy exception to my usual easygoing and tactful manner pops up whenever one person in the group lays back until the eleventh hour of an involved and important discussion, then he or she finally speaks up with objections that would have been a thousand times more helpful and appropriate early in the discussion. Aye! that pushes me buttons a’right, mate, and I handle it by stating publicly that I think the delinquent person has created undue delay and difficulty for everyone involved.

Another button-pusher for me is to have someone pervert the consensus process into an I-don’t-personally-like-this-so-I’ll-simply-block-it-from-happening logjam; that is contrary to the whole spirit of consensus, and my response to this situation is similar to that of the I’ll-bide-my-time-then-rock-the-boat-at-the-last-minute scenario. In the second example, I would call aloud for the blocking person to be more inclusive and considerate.
In either of the two situations above, if a given individual repeats such behavior, I would then be compelled to call on the group for censure of that person and/or for direct action to protect the group’s proper consensus process, for there are well-established steps for dealing with such infractions.

Are you on a spiritual path? Do you have any preference for the spiritual or religious beliefs of those around you? Yes, but I don’t talk about it much with anyone besides Caroline, because it seems so precious and almost ineffable that the instant one starts throwing words around, something delicate gets crushed and it no longer has the same purity of power as when it was simply felt within. As far as other people’s beliefs, I am very grateful for the variety of positive spiritual and religious experience that abounds, and I don’t want to shortchange anyone else the opportunity to seek as they will and as suits their personal growth.
However, I cringe at the very idea that any one of us has spiritual/religious answers or experience that someone else “must” adopt or else the second party is presumed to be lost at that time or even doomed for eternity. Put another way: I’d enjoy spending years in the company of a respectful southern Baptist, Buddhist, Muslim, Jew, or what-have-you, but I’d not enjoy a single afternoon in the company of someone who shares virtually all of my personal beliefs, but someone who then turns around and thinks that other people had better get onboard with those beliefs… or else.

Have you experienced therapy or sought other modalities of personal growth? Not sure what this is asking, but I have treated the business of Life itself as a therapy and an opportunity for growth. Thankfully, the only clinical type therapy I’ve felt a need to seek out has been marriage counseling, and some of that was a great aid in helping me realize what I wished for in a partner and what I had to offer to a partner in return. If I’ve missed the boat on this question, I invite someone to rephrase it so I can answer more appropriately.

What are your skills and how do you see yourself contributing to our community? I’ve been blessed to apprentice under some excellent teachers in several crafts and skills, so I offer to do what I can and what is needed from that core of experience. As fulltime work, I’ve done professional proofreading, editing, non-fiction authoring, ghostwriting, photography, electric wiring, house framing, finish carpentry, electronic wiring, draft horse training, voiceover work, songwriting, performing music onstage, steel tying for commercial concrete structures, tour guiding, leading seminars and workshops, speaking publicly, digging ditches…aw, heck! I can’t remember all of it in one go… lots of stuff is the answer, and I’m grateful for it. Anyway, if a need arises for UA, and if I can and have already done a good job of such a thing in the past, count me in on the doing of it again. How’s that?

Realistically, will you have much free time, skill, or interest to contribute toward community activities? Are you aware of any shared interests we may have? See longwinded response immediately above this question/answer, and please be aware that there’s never as much time as we might like to do all the things we’d wish. I expect to often be pretty busy with the homestead goings-on that can keep homesteaders hopping, and in our case, they may sometimes keep both Caroline and myself fully occupied for a week at a time (such as when the honey comes in or the blueberries ripen). However, I would definitely make frequent showing in our group efforts, and I’d anticipate tackling those particular projects for which I’m well trained with a lot of gusto. If one of us has skill at a certain job, it seems only reasonable to put it into full action on behalf of the group. Oh, and yes, there are many shared interests that I see among us already: energy efficient building design, gardening, broad-based spiritual teachings like that of Eckhert Tolle, live music, and many more.

What are your hobbies and how do you like to relax and play? I’m an inveterate music nut; I love to play original live music and I love to crank up a customized stereo and play Bruce Cockburn’s “Waiting for the Moon” upon a summer evening. I’m crazy about bodysurfing, but that’s kinda tough luck here in the NC mountains, and I’m wild about the game of volleyball for many reasons. Snow sledding is a favorite with me, even though Sufi the dog and I wiped out totally this winter when I was riding a children’s sled down from The Van Goggins with Tristan (aka Tree) and Forest. I can’t get enough of gardening, even if it does often entail hard work, for it is near to the center of my soul. High on the list is hiking and simply sitting still at a waterfall to listen. Reading is a luxury I relish but have not taken much time for in the past 5 years. Prose writing and songwriting are a delight to me, even though they do also require a certain amount of head-scratching and brow knitting. And, remember that you did ask the question, but no such list would be complete without mention of holding hands with Caroline while we watch a favorite movie along with a passel of you folks… and don’t forget to include a coupla huge bowls of popcorn in that scene, along with hot tea for winter viewings and fruit smoothies for warm weather get-togethers.
We are a family oriented community. Do you enjoy children? You bet! I was a child once myself, and many have said I still am one. Seriously, I think that children can help any adult to retain (or to regain) a sense of wonder and newness about life, and it is an absolute privilege to offer them in return whatever insights and guidance one has gathered over the years. If it does indeed take a village (or community) to raise a child, then I say that children help very much in giving vigor to a village or community.

Who would you live with on your property (e.g. family, kids, pets) and what, if any, is their interest in community? In case anyone reading these answers of mine is unaware, I’m applying for Associate membership, and I’ve joined Caroline and Tristan (Tree) on the homestead they have called home for years now. Obviously, they are already a part of UA, and all three of us are very interested in being part of a dynamic new chapter in the community’s story. And as regards pets: I’ve brought with me from the Golden Hill homestead in Georgia two, neutered cats named Snowbolt and Lucky Spots, but they have always stayed close by home and they aren’t aggressive (in fact, one of Snowbolt’s nicknames is Skittish Kittish). If either of them ever do show up at one of your homes and/or cause undue trouble in the community, please be assured that I would take action to aright the situation at once.

What is your economic situation? How do you imagine making a living here? Economic situation, you ask? Hmmm. Best described as “dire straits”… please make your donation checks out to Dusk Weaver at… just kidding. I’m working a combination of construction, ghostwriting, and music for pay, and these have supported me adequately for the past ten years. I’ve been working here since last Thanksgiving and I have a new book contract to bolster several construction jobs that are lined up. No complaints.
Are you willing, if you should ever sell your property at Union Acres, to limit the resale of your lot to someone who is adopted through our membership procedure? Please see the answer to two questions previous… applying as Associate member at this time.

Hey, thanks for reading my answers, everyone. I am delighted to be here, and to be requesting membership with UA. Please consider me for that membership, and I’ll look forward to the Sharing this Sunday for Forest Tapley, Wayne Endter, and myself, to be followed up with the Potluck and Talent Night.
Warmly,

Dusk

Phone: 828 497-4964

Email: weaverdusk@gmail.com

Web site: http://duskweaver.com

Mailbox: 990 Heartwood Way

Union Acres Annual Statement for 2005, 2006, and 2007

2008-04-29T13:57:00.005-04:00

In 2005 we welcomed LindaVan Deusen and Colin Goggin and their daughter Charlie. Shortly thereafter Zoe arrived as the newest member of their family. Meanwhile, Ray and Marilee made good progress with the construction of their home.
In that same year we further completed some major cleanup of downed or potentially falling trees. Always an ongoing project, to varying degrees.
Our annual Maypole and Winter Solstice gatherings were well attended and enjoyed by friends of the community as well as members.
Development of the community garden progressed.

In 2006, the certificate of Occupancy (CO) on the community building was the result of many enthusiastic work parties on the building during the course of the year, with our annual Solstice gathering celebrating the completion.
We also had a Maypole in 2006 and enjoyed our first Thanksgiving in our community building.
In 2006 we welcomed another new family, the Quillens, as members of the community. They planned to rent until they could build, but were close by, and immediately felt like great additions to the community.
While several families had been home schooling, community member’s children up to grades eight began attending the Mountain Discovery Charter School. Members of the community have served on the school
Board and one member now teaches there.
We had a lovely ceremony and gathering, celebrating the marriage of Tom and Gillian and celebrated numerous birthdays.
At the end of the summer, of 2006, Esther, Wayne & Family rented out their home and temporary moved to Virginia for work opportunities. We like their renters, the Hollins, and are always glad to see Esther, Wayne and kiddos come back for visits & look forward to their return.
We were able to reach an amenable agreement with the Summerhills and the dog noise has happily diminished, as they were able to construct some enclosures.
We had major grading and graveling on the roads and met other necessary needs of the community and had continued community garden participation.

In 2007, we significantly increased community garden participation, hooked up the underground wire from the community building to the pool and removed the overhead wire and completed the storage shed.
The sacred circle meetings were resumed and we were entertained by many of our talented members, of all ages, at our various gatherings including our first mid winter storytelling in our community building. We have enjoyed many other joyful events including our second Thanksgiving in our building, as well as Linda’s Sunday worship services and another Maypole celebration.
Colin and Linda, who had been busy increasing the size of their home, welcomed another member, Henry, to their family. And Alder became a mother and Kathy a grandmother to Gavin.
Rachel moved to Boston to be with her fiance in 2007 and Micah went off to college.
Much progress was made and completion is closer on Anthony and Anne’s homes, to be part of their elder family cooperative.
We were happy to see the Quillens move a mobile home onto their property and begin construction of their future home.

A Few Examples

2008-04-05T11:38:00.010-04:00

Here are a few examples of submissions from the old Group Endeavor newsletter.
If you can't see the pictures well enough, click on them to show the full size image.

Grand Opening

2008-04-02T21:26:00.008-04:00

Hi there. This is the grand opening of the Union Acres Group Endeavor blog. Here we will be continuing the legacy of the Group Endeavor pamphlet, which used to be published by my mom.
To start things off, I ask you to collect any poems, ideas, rantings, photo's, or anything else you can find that relates to UA. Then either call me or email them to me and I'll take a look at it.
Hope this turns into something cool.

-Tristan