Jan./Feb. 1984 RAIN Page 31 conference. It will be meeting monthly from January through June to assess the impact- positive and negative—of communications technology on its city. The group hopes to use computers to exchange notes and compile a database of communications activities around Portland. For details, write Columbia Willamette Futures Forum (address above) or call 503/225-0112. ... To control those extra PERSISTENT SLUGS, Six-Pak City Recycling in Seattle has discovered an effective technique: designer slug traps. Complete with glitter, a rundown on the sex life of slugs, and instructions, they sell for $6.50 ppd. (1113 N. 128th, Seattle, WA 98133).... The OREGON HIGH DESERT MUSEUM and its director, Donald Kerr, were recently given pats of recognition by the Environmental Education Association of Oregon. Condensing the natural and cultural history of the arid West into living exhibits and educational programs, the Museum is located on the edge of the high desert, four miles south of Bend (59800 S. Highway 97, Bend, OR 97702; 503/382-4754. ... If you would like to CREATE OR IMPROVE A PARK, community garden, or playground, but don't quite have all the steps down, including financial strategies, contact Self-Help in Neighborhoods Everywhere, 2723 12th Street S.E., Salem, OR 97302; 503/370-9570. The group has helped organize some 13 such self-help projects in Salem.... Thanks to the OREGON ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL, the Oregon Legislature passed a residential recycling bill in July 1983. It calls for communities with over 4,000 residents to develop curb-side collection services for cost-effective recycla- bles by 1986. (See "Tinkering and Informing" elsewhere in this issue.) Earthbank Off and Funding Out of the conference "Building a Planetary Village," held at Chinook Learning Community, Clinton, Washington, in June 1983, Earthbank Association was formed. The group has developed a revolving loan fund and a 10-page list of socially responsible investments (see "Choosing the Future: Social Investing," RAIN IX:5). The directory is being distributed to Association members to guide investments. "Any small venture that's community- connected can apply, and we'll put them in touch with lenders," explained coordinator Carl Winge. Although the Association's board is still developing plans for attracting lenders, Earthbank's first loan has already been made to In Context magazine (see review in Northwest Publications). The Association is gathering signatures of support to establish an Earthbank credit union on southern Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. Jhe coordinating group is planning a conference to work out ways of tailoring a cooperative banking system—like that of Mondragon in Spain—to the maritime Northwest. It will be held May 8-13,1984, at Chinook Learning Community. To get the whole scoop, or to inquire about becoming a member of Earthbank Association, contact Carl Winge at P.O. Box 87, Clinton, WA 98236; 206/321-1886. Barter Network Grows Barter projects, even well- organized ones, often come up against a common problem: many people don't know how to trade so that all participants get the greatest benefit. The Hello Pages Barter Network in Eugene, Oregon, is educating the public to trade effectively while developing the local non-monetary economy. Upon receiving a seed grant from the National Self-Help Resource Center, the coordinators created a computerized card catalog of subscribing traders. Subscribers pay $20.00 per year on a sliding scale or trade services. They list their names, telephone numbers, what they have to trade, and what they want. Other subscribers call the Barter Network with requests and are given a name and number to call for the item or service. After a trade has been made, the participants call the Barter Network to update their listings. To help people learn how to trade, the project is using two methods. One involves free Barter Better Workshops. People actually act out trades, from common ones to those with unusual twists. The other method involves local cable access television. A half-hour program gives tips, demonstrates fun trades, and includes "network" news. "The first year, we're operating as a community service," says coordinator Baruch Bashan. Part of that approach means asking local businesses to make donations in trade for a business tax deduction and to set up subscriptions for their employees. "We're trying to help people get what they need without spending money," explains Baruch, "by putting them in touch with other trading partners." For tips on initiating such a network, or for investment information, contact Hello Pages Barter Network, 357 Van Buren, Suite C, Eugene, OR 97402; 503/342-7878. NW Group Affirming Changes Readers of RAIN responded enthusiashcally to The Communications Era Task Force project proposal, mailed to you in September. The Spokane, Washington, based group, coordinated by futurist Robert Theobald, has developed a broad document that serves to capsulize fundamental cultural changes and recommends ways to bring them into wider public settings. Five copies are being sent to each respondent so that signatures can be gathered in affirmation of
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