CV meeting 1-8-2026 51 people
Council Present: Sam, Tim, Kim, Adrian, Omo, David, Kaitlyn, Kelsey, Diane
Not: Karla, Sara, Erin
Please note: Below the minutes is a complete copy of the Chat. Lots of great info and fun comments and links and emails of people to connect with are there.
Draft Agenda
Set Intention – 5
Agenda Review – 3
Site Report – 5
Fair Announcements
2026 meeting location schedule
1 Fun Thing – 5
Council Introduction – 10
Activist report: Lost Valley – 8
Capital Projects – 15
Village 50th anniversary – 20
Unfair Announcements-10
Strokes and pokes – 5
More to come
__________________________________________
Agenda
Set Intention – 5
Agenda Review – 3
Nothing added
Site Report – 5
David: 2 issues. Math and standards changed re: Marshall’s landing for canoes. Shoulda been flooded, but no water to be seen. Will need to recalibrate flood landmarks. Village did not get flooded and is covered with leaves, will need raking.
More water comments… Bring rubber boots to visit the Village. Saw no downed trees so far.
Fair Announcements
Consensus rap, Sam: CV operates via consensus…focuses on a process that helps us get to an agreement, even though we have lots of values that may be different among us. Discussion and active listening are important so decisions can be made that everybody can live with.
John A is part of the emerald ash borrow committee. Hopefully flagging ash will have survived the flooding. A week from Saturday there is an indoor site walk, noon at Doug’s green with updates, digging into theory and perhaps changing models to keep process updated. Will post a link to the video plus next Saturday’s site walk info.
Jain: Monday the 26th is OCF budget meeting board open to all. Info on .net site.
Kim: Facilitation intro is ready to go with her and Sam. On a Sunda to be determined. She will be sending out a message to schedule soon. A google group is existed to join if you’d like to participate and be on the list. Facilitators are needed. Facilitation 2025 is the groups name.
Skeeter: Do we have a deadline for decisions. See below… No decision date was repealed.
Remove Guideline: MEETINGS – DECISIONS AFTER APRIL MEETING
The village reached consensus 11/9/2017. Arthur stood aside.
“Village consents to remove guideline recommending rule against making decisions after April and directs the council to be vigilant about the village’s time especially in regards to eligibility and the logistical needs of pre-fair meetings when setting village meeting agendas.”
2026 meeting location schedule
2026 Village meeting schedule:
In person: (location: to be announced, probably at UU Eugene), March 12, April 9, May 14, June 14 onsite (only 1 June meeting this year), September 10, October 8. (Council Standing), November 12
Via Zoom only: January 8, February 12
1 Fun Thing – 5
Your favorite books or activity for 2025:
Jain favorite book is Fallen Water: Tim Ream. Stanger Things TV show was awesome (Tim). Bronwen has a baby! Omo read 2nd book by David Mitchell, former villager, “Hope’s Journal”. Jay just back from WW2 museum in New Orleans, learned a lot, and nice to see everyone. David comment: enjoy the little baby while they are young. Taylor knits a lot, about 13 miles of yarn in 2025! Wow. Kim says she moved and is now Tim’s tenant in his new house. Its in Laurel Hill, gonna be great. Calen Peacock read The Water Knife and The Windup Girl, Sci Fi about climate control, great writing. Tovi & Will: had a dragon in the living room for therapy session(?). Skeeter: Allison who does women’s grounding circle took him to see the new Avatar movie, was SO AWESOME. Daine visited nieces in Phoenix and saw the museum of musical instruments. It includes instruments, clothes, so much. John A: has a little villager, too, posted a photo of Grateful Dead family story, took the kid to see a Fish concert, was awesome, watching his kid laugh with a funny song about grand skyscrapers. Lillian has a cute puppy! Joy: Dan Armstrong’s book about Eugene: Blike College (?), can lend it… Lala has been organizing songs of resistance campfires, join her. Sam 2025 Mayble Staples new album It’s a Sad and Beautiful World, so of the moment…wrestling with the weight of everything happening today.
Council Introduction – 10
Here are the Council members for 2026:
Michael Omogrosso (Omo) 541-844-8719, omo@efn.org
Karla Caudell 541.337.5319 kjcaudell@gmail.com
Tim Mueller 541-521-7208 TGM@peak.org
Diane Albino iriedi@yahoo.com
David Hoffman 541-484-9204 fixit@efn.org
Sara Sweatt, 541-554-2012 saralynnsweatt@gmail.com
Kimberly Robles, 541-743-3913 lizzycordich@gmail.com
Sam Rutledge samuelrutledge@gmail.com
Kelsey Kawders 541-579-8649, Littlevillage.coordinator@gmail.com
Adrian Acosta toomanyfun@gmail.com
Kaitlyn Caudell 541-515-0493 Kaitycaudell@gmail.com
Erin Moody 989-751-1709 erin.e.moody11@gmail.com
Activist report: Lost Valley – 8
Brian from Lost Valley, serving as land steward this year. Leanna is grants program manager. They are a nonprofit intentional community on 87 acres with 36 residents. Do education and living skills. They focus on increasing access to land for underserved communities, being a bridge to the public about ecological skills, a space where people can come learn and is a safe space to learn and support reciprocal relationships.
Land stewardship, Lost Valley needs a lot of care and love, so Brian worked with others to create a land stewardship plan, forests and more, coming together in a big, beautiful way. Fires were a wakeup call for ecological care…know plants, trees, animals. They have interns learning holistic skills, invasive species mitigation, conservation.
Education this year, secured grant funding to do a watershed council, skill development for staff and public. Developed a bunch of free offerings for rural , disadvantaged communities, have been successful with lots of collaboration with other communities. Oregon gave a grant to restore their housing and infrastructure that needed work. Collaborating with community gardens in nearby communities. Doing now: Winter social forestry camp, low cost, singing, hugging trees. Proscribed fire trainings. Read all about them here: https://www.lostvalley.org
Capital Projects – 15
Karla is not here, limited discussion…. Plans include partial renovation of CV house, can’t do all in one year, a shade structure to replace the parachute, front pillars for the stage. Fair gives us limited money, so we do project requests for more pricey projects, but Fair may not have money for us this year. John A: EAB plan could be ready regarding what strategies do we need to do to mitigate Ash Borer. We may be a demonstration site, more on this later probably. We are looking to replace the parachute with other shade structures because the pole that holds it up is in the way of the six-pack maintenance truck that now access the six-pack though the Village green. David thinks the pole can go up and down and back up. Put pole on Council meeting agenda.
Village 50th anniversary – 20
Sam: Our November meeting we consented to not do the theme process, make the theme be the 50th anniversary. Spend the time coming up with fun things to do for this 50th. Here we go…
Skeeter was here 50 years ago. Energy Park was part of the early village…have them join us. Come up with 50 values. Omo: what if we all had canes and did a dance routine on Main Stage, or show off Depends. Tim: Have people for every year do a talk or write a story. Village was on Main stage years ago, did the Hokey Pokey and mooned the audience…Do It Again! Jon Silvermoon has a lot of archives from all the years, connect with him. Jain likes Tim’s idea. Let’s have cake to celebrate, Merry will make cake!! Maggie: looking at where we were 50 years (theme, intention, beliefs) ago and where we want to be now…connect past to present. Diane will talk to Jon and maybe get him back in the Fair. David, do another cocktail party, toast to peace. Arthur: about the 20th year, brought in founders to give a talk, a round table discussion, do that again. Have the 50 values as the conversation for these people. Kim: get old photos together for the slide show on the website. Include people, structures, trees, and compare with maybe 50 years in the future. What form will this celebration be…just one thing, one party, what…? Skeeter: remind folks that in the early 70’s religionism was a thing…the Cascadian regional library, networking among all these things. We as Villagers were meant to learn from each other, not just inform the public, coordinate our activism, learn ways to be successful. Let’s play chess together to defeat fascism. We could be a regional catalyst. Tim: We need coordinators to gather these ideas and develop them.
What are our values…? 50th anniversary Values Committee and Activities Committee. Local self-reliance. Alternate technologies. Social Activism. Community. Free Love. EAB values. Respect for differing perspectives. Empathy. Service. Justice. Networking. Information. Peace. Resist. Political Activism. Nurturing. Organic Food. Collage of all the booths to reflect our values. Consensus decision making. Once folks gathered is a circle facing the person next to you, hands of their shoulders, bent down and sat down on the knees of the person behind you (One Fun Thing) New Games. Anyone wanna be on a committee? Jay Patton, Kim, Taylor… Kim and John A on activities, Jay and Sam and Taylor on values. How about you…?
Unfair Announcements-10
Lala: Cold outside, need warm stuff for community shelters 1150 Grant St, Tues- Fri open to donate these things.
Jain: 1-19, Day without immigrants, MLK March, 9am at Autzen, march to the Shed.
Omo: Artwork by autists 50% on sale at VRC near Round One. See the window display for great art. Contact Omo to purchase. Omo@efn.org
Allie: Suicide Prevention Coalition of Lane County, been part of Fair all her life, aiming to reduce suicide rates, wants to be in our space. They provide lock boxes for meds and firearms. Link in chat below. Which booth? Health and Healing would be best.
Lost Valley has education courses: Community Experience Week. Permaculture Design Course is a weekend course.
Eugene Together Strong (see Chat)
Carrie Hunter Moon has a book? OCAN asylum network Say Feb 7, 4-6 at a church. Contact Sus Barnhart.
Taylor: 501c3 knit together, a Tuesday and Thursday create community thru handcraft.
Strokes and pokes – 5
Kim: LV report was excellent, kept to the time limit, too.
Jain: Will try to get more activists reports, please contact her or Council person Kelsey. We wanna hear more!
the Chat
Alan Roberts 6:43 PM
please don’t run into me. My insurance wont cover it. 😉
Allie Harris She/her 6:48 PM
Good evening everyone! My name is Allie and I represent the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Lane County. We aim to reduce suicide deaths in our county by a) limiting access to lethal means and b) offering free to low cost trainings for community members. We also aim to grow our impact at outreach events. One of our goals is broadening our outreach to our rural communities. We would LOVE to have a space at the OCF this year (whether that be our own or a shared space) 🙂
Lala W 6:49 PM
@Kim Robles Hello! ❤️I’m interested in facilitation training.
You 6:51 PM
2026 Village meeting schedule: In person: (location: ? Eugene), March 12, April 9, May 14, June 14 onsite (only 1 June meeting this year), September 10, October 8. (Council Standing), November 12
Via Zoom only: January 8, February 12
jay patton (CGS eureka) 6:52 PM
hello fellow villagers. so good to see you all!!!
Kelsey Kawders 6:54 PM
Another person in waiting room…
John Alexander 6:56 PM
Board of Directors Emerald Ash Borer Work Group Update Meeting November 17, 2025 — https://oregoncountryfair.net/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2026/01/OCF-Board-Minutes-11.17.25.pdf
John Alexander 6:56 PM
YouTube recording link: https://youtu.be/_LdZ-ozRLpo
Kavana B 7:00 PM
Here are my most recent book recommendations:
The Ocean Inside Me – RG Shore (Oregon author)
Spent – Alison Bechdel
Both are excellent! The latter is a graphic novel, so it goes super fast. Both available from our wonderful public library.
Karrie Walters (she/her) 7:00 PM
I heartedly approve the rainbow virtual glasses as well. 🙂
Merry Kennedy’s iPhone 7:00 PM
I Love all of you people so much! It is so good to see your faces!
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:01 PM
one of my favorite dragon stories is when he talks about fair boogers
i thought there were only two avatar movies.
wait john, it was fun seeing you here at the meeting twice!
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:05 PM
Lala has their hand up
calebpeacock 7:05 PM
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Wind-up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Both fantastic near future sci-fi dystopia—based on rigorous climate change science projections. Excellent character development, philosophical speculations, moral ambiguity—all manner of wonder and beauty and thrilling action.
John Alexander 7:07 PM
Emerald Ash Borer Site Walk — 1/17/2026 — https://oregoncountryfair.net/event/emerald-ash-borer-site-walk-12/
joy shain 7:10 PM
Blake College by Dan Armstrong (Fiction book set in Eugene in 1970 based on some actual events)
diane albino, she, her 7:11 PM
Don’t forget it is our 50th year!
John Alexander 7:12 PM
Thank you for your service Council members.
Lorna 7:18 PM
Hi friends!
Lost Valley Education Center 7:22 PM
https://www.lostvalley.org
Lost Valley Education Center 7:22 PM
Social Forestry Camp https://www.lostvalley.org/social-forestry
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:27 PM
turn off your video
works now!
Alan Roberts 7:28 PM
No parachute?
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:28 PM
no pole is new to me. 😦
Taylor Rutledge – Needle Fox Arts (she/her) 7:28 PM
1) Partial rebuild of the Community House
2) Pole supports at the front of the stage.
3) Shade structure to replace the parachute.
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:29 PM
thanks for the clarification David!
Alan Roberts 7:29 PM
OK. Thank you David. I remember the septic tank FUBAR. It makes a lot more sense now.
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:30 PM
could we get a new parachtute?
parachute
Alan Roberts 7:31 PM
Drop a line… with parachute?
Kim Robles 7:32 PM
Kim Robles’ email is lizzycordich@gmail.com
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:32 PM
https://www.ebay.com/itm/287051367803?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=287051367803&targetid=2295557531670&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9032376&poi=&campaignid=21388819155&mkgroupid=173029508548&rlsatarget=aud-1314496317587:pla-2295557531670&abcId=9447217&merchantid=114820321&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21388819155&gbraid=0AAAAAD_QDh-xGURmi61uzK2UMj2SiY1KC&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyP3KBhD9ARIsAAJLnnaexAzO2N4y_geC5kDMETMRLsRTjorn97yCXIXWJwbqrHXR5dES2SQaAuxQEALw_wcB
Kavana B 7:32 PM
There’s a smokejumper museum in Cave Junction. Maybe they could gift us an old parachute? https://www.facebook.com/siskiyousmokejumpers/
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:34 PM
i like the idea of values!
Lorna 7:34 PM
50 acts of service
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:34 PM
midnight show. we need to do a midnight show
Lorna 7:35 PM
Then post something about them around the village
Lala W 7:35 PM
I love the cabaret idea!
Kim Robles 7:35 PM
The Ritz is 50 as well…
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:36 PM
get us all up on stage for the midnight show
Amanda 7:36 PM
We should do a “old” themed parade
Taylor Rutledge – Needle Fox Arts (she/her) 7:36 PM
“Peeing in your shoes will only keep you warm for a short while.” (Icelandic)
diane albino, she, her 7:36 PM
I started in 1978 I think.😂
Alan Roberts 7:33 PM
What size parachute?
Sam Rutledge 7:36 PM
What size parachute?
The village green is 50 ft across on the diagonal
Sam Rutledge 7:37 PM
But I suspect a 25-35 ft diameter would probably suffice.
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:39 PM
let us eat cake!
Lala W 7:39 PM
Giant birthday party! 🎂
Taylor Rutledge – Needle Fox Arts (she/her) 7:39 PM
Maybe at a work party we should have a cake themed potluck.
Karrie Walters (she/her) 7:40 PM
Robert Despain was an early leader in community village and is family – I can connect with his partner about getting access to past CV materials (I know there is a lot at the house)
Karrie Walters (she/her) 7:40 PM
I love that Maggie.
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:42 PM
i love the idea of having people coming to give short talks
diane albino, she, her 7:43 PM
The year that we had the tables in our meadow on Friday night was great.
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:43 PM
the t-shirt could have the 50th theme on the front and the theme from the first on the back. or vice versa
diane albino, she, her 7:44 PM
Pictures in the history booth again.
Benjamin Luskin 7:44 PM
I like a round table discussion followed by a party with a cake (and maybe someone jumping out of the cake). Just my opinion.
jay patton (CGS eureka) 7:45 PM
i like the 50 year into the future vision! 50 into the past. today. 50 into the future!!!
Lala W 7:45 PM
Birthday cake, photo memories, 50 acts of service, cocktail party, panel, cabaret… values and visions for the future ♥️
Kim Robles 7:45 PM
Caleb Peacock has his hand raised
John Alexander 7:48 PM
50 back – 50 now – 50 forward
Benjamin Luskin 7:51 PM
Are we talking about “committees?” 🙂
Benjamin Luskin 7:54 PM
Unconditional respect for differing perspectives.
Tovi Ross & Will Cuddy 7:55 PM
Staying playful!
Karrie Walters (she/her) 7:55 PM
And structural justice….not just individual
(Especially going forward 50)
Elva 7:57 PM
Caring for the planet
Lala W 7:57 PM
Resistance
Healing
John Alexander 7:57 PM
See the second slide
Allie Harris She/her 7:57 PM
Equity
Lala W 7:58 PM
Takes a village
Taylor Rutledge – Needle Fox Arts (she/her) 7:58 PM
pluralism!
Elva 7:58 PM
Taking care of each other
calebpeacock 7:59 PM
feeding each other, fun, joy, lightness
Steve Hancock 7:59 PM
Sustainability
Lost Valley Education Center 7:59 PM
Mutual aid, reciprocity
Benjamin Luskin 8:00 PM
COMMUNITY!
jay patton (CGS eureka) 8:00 PM
like a quilt with all the themes and values
Kavana B 8:01 PM
Was LOVE included yet on the values list?
Taylor Rutledge – Needle Fox Arts (she/her) 8:02 PM
I like the values committee.
Kavana B 8:05 PM
For folks who are concerned about current larger political affairs and not sure yet how to plug in, i recommend this site: https://www.eugenetogetherstrong.org/
Kavana B 8:06 PM
That site includes schedule of anti-ICE protests at the federal building.
Karrie Walters (she/her) 8:06 PM
Every Tuesday there is a need for people to come stand with your community at the federal building to protest ICE in our community.
Susan aka Ladybug 8:06 PM
Thank you!
I work on Tuesdays. What time are people gathered?
Kavana B 8:07 PM
There’s a singing vigil on Tuesdays 12-1pm, followed by a silent vigil 1-2pm.
And on the last Tues of the month, it’s a longer presence, more of the day.
Susan aka Ladybug 8:08 PM
that’s a great site. Thanks for sharing.
jay patton (CGS eureka) 8:09 PM
kim robles, my email : quakejay at gmail.com
Allie Harris She/her 8:10 PM
My email is aharris0031@gmail.com !
Kavana B 8:12 PM
As recommended by Jain, Kara Huntermoon posts well-written articles on Substack here: karahuntermoon.substack.com
Sam Rutledge 8:13 PM
https://yarnies541.org/
Kavana B 8:15 PM
Appreciated Sam’s facilitation, thank you!
Allie Harris She/her 8:16 PM
Thank you!
Tovi Ross & Will Cuddy 8:16 PM
Thank you!
Community Village 