from the Info Booth at the Gathering, but I am not
able to go to Wyoming this year. I did, however,
get a phone call this morning (June 21) from Karin
Zirk (the one and only). She was able to reach me
on her cell phone from the back entrance to the
site, on the hill. (She was using Creedo which she
thinks is through Sprint’s service. There was a
good deal of static, but I was able to pretty
easily converse with her.)
*At the town hall meeting with the Forest Service,
the situation regarding the Boy Scouts and their
planned work on the land (at the site where we are
gathering) was discussed. It seems that the Boy
Scouts did not plan to arrive until the 26th of
July, well into our clean-up process. It is
unclear as to whether they will cancel their
rehabilitation. Karin said there is a “slim
chance†they will go ahead with it.
*The Forest Service asked us to move to another
site. The Rainbows at the meeting agreed to go
back to the land and call a council about the
matter. They did. About a hundred people were at
the council (coming and going) and in the end, the
council was unable to come to consensus about
whether to stay or go. Because of this, the old
consensus still stands (reached by Spring Council)
to gather at the current site.
*There is some disagreement on the land… some
folks, including Garrick and Summer Breeze, feel
the Gathering should move to the 1994 Wyoming site
at Snyder Basin. Some folks plan to move there.
Lots of people are definitely staying where they
are.
*Mark Rey, (the Under Secretary of Natural
Resources and Environment, US Dept. of
Agriculture) said that their will be no
repercussions whether we stay on site or move to
another. They would prefer that we move, but are
not forcing the issue and are being, according to
Karin, “nice and accommodatingâ€.
Karin’s two cents is that the site will either
be where it currently is, or that it will be a
split gathering, but that it will most likely not
be moving completely. Also, she says, “If in
order the maintain the spirit of cooperation with
the Forest Service, we have to abandon our
consensus process, then what is the point?â€
Last night (Friday the 20th), there were 180
people at dinner circle, the Magic Hat was passed
for the first time, and 5 kitchens served at
circle. A good time was had by all!
It is estimated that there are 1000+ people
currently on the land (July 21st, ’08).
THE FOLKS ON SITE ARE ASKING FOR EXTRA BLANKETS,
SLEEPING BAGS AND TENTS!!! Many folks came
unprepared for the cold night whether and there
are kids with not enough bedding. Please help.
And…
“THEEEEEY LOOOOOOOVE YOOOOOOOOU!!!!!â€
9 comments:
Great to hear from Karin through The Other Karen. I hope she will continue to send reports. Next time she calls, tell her K Mom says "hi" and to tell everyone at Info hi also.
I will! I got to say Hi to J'ai who was there with her, and sent my love to the booth.
I apologize for the odd symbols where the apostrophes should go. Maybe I will type without them next report. I am able to post but not edit.
Luvin' you!
lost tribe church is on its way with donations raised by pastor paul, will have some food and blankets up there by monday night
Hello, my name is Ivy and I just returned from Scouting the Gathering site for a couple days. There was a meeting in Main Circle Saturday night stating that a concensous was reached and the Gathering is NOT MOVING!! They have worked very hard over the last 3 weeks setting everything up and blazing trails. The hike in is longer and more strenouse than usual so those allerady there are not going anywhere. The elders are worried about this turning into a split gathering if misinformation keeps spreading. People we're being asked to "do something" about the postings on the internet reporting that the Gathering was moving. The Scouts wont be there till end of July so the only Rainbows they MAY encounter will be clean-up crew. The general concensous is that Scouts witnessing environmental restoration would enrich they're wilderness education and would not be detrimental to anyone involved.
Please let people know the posted site at Big Sandy is the ONLY place the Gathering will be!
Thank you for your work; lovin you!
As the Big Sandy site had been reserved for other activities which had to be canceled due to the occupation of the site by the Rainbow Family without the consent of the Forest Service, there will be an alternate site available at the 1994 site, Snyder Basin, west of Big Piney. It is uncertain how large it will be, or what sort of experience it will be, but that opportunity will be available for gathering. It might be a lot of hard work reinventing the wheel, but Welcome Home!
Response to "Fred" posting
The Scouts will not be NEAR the current Rainbow site till end of July and when/if they arrive they will be over on the opposite side of the ridge; NOT in the exact same location!
I just left the site yesterday and as far as I know, the concensous was that the site is NOT moving!!! "Divided we fall" was the general feeling circulating around those in attendance at Main Circle Saturday night.
They did suggest some guidlines be circulated that will assist clean-up crew (the only ones that will still be there when the Scouts arrive)in minimizing/eliminating any possible impact they COULD have on the activities Scouts will be participating in(who are by the way all young adults of 18-21 not little children who will be frighted off by the "hippies")
Also, IF the Boy Scouts cancelled as "Fred" stated, why would we be considering a move at all?
From what I have heard from those who were the first on site about 3 weeks ago, the Forest Service did know about and concent to the Rainbows gathering on this site. Only in the last week has the Forest Service realized someone made a mistake and inadvertintly approved two different groups the use of this area. They are being very accomidating and polite asking the Rainbows to move, yet also stating there will be no reprocussions if they choose not to.
Splitting the Gathering would mean cleaning up and restoring 2 sites and no one (including the Forest Service) would want that! Also a split gathering is detrimental to the meaning and spirit of the Rainbow Gathering. We are to join each other together to celebrate peace NOT divide and pull apart!
Why risk revisiting the site of a preivious gathering only to find a majority of your brothers and sisters are not there? Or your favorite kitchen is still established at the gathering site in Big Sandy (what's a gathering without Montana Mud or Nick at Night...not to mention CALM!?)
On a less positive note, what kind of precident are we setting if we pick up and move after 3 weeks of trailblazing and building because someone somewhere told us we had too? It seems to me like that could cause trouble with future gatherings in places where local law enforcement are not as understanding as our current group is. Just a thought....
Regarding information on the 2008 gathering....
Ignore all rumors of cancellation....that includes a last minute site-change!!!!!!!!!
There is additional information from Rob Savoye on AGR at
http://moongulch.net/mailman/private/
agr/2008-June/013576.html
which if it checks out and holds, should resolve the conflict for most people:
"So the conflict turns out to have been blown out of proportion by the USFS once again. In various talks with the boy scout leadership and
their lawyer, it has been determined by the boy scouts that there is no problem. :-) They have decided it won't be hard to cooperate with the folks onsite, as they won't be in the same area at the same time anyway.
They have requested to have the kitchens near the fence keep shitters and fire pits out of site as much as possible, and focusing extra care on restoration of those areas."
I copies this from another site because it is relevenat to those traveling by thumb. "In answer to Karin’s question about a local legal way to get from Rock Springs to Farson without a private vehicle: We STRONGLY DISCOURAGE anyone from hitchhiking from Rock Springs to get north to the Rainbow gathering site. Because of the natural gas activity boom in western Wyoming, there is incredible heavy truck traffic on the highway between Rock Springs and Pinedale. We’re talking big semi-truck traffic and lots of it. There is also road construction for 11 passing lanes being built in that stretch, so congestion and heavy equipment on the sides of the road related to that. We encourage travelers to make all efforts possible to find a ride or carpool to get up to the gathering site and do not try to bike or walk that stretch hoping someone will stop and pick you up on the way. It is an accident waiting to happen for any interruptions of traffic flow on that busy highway by adding in distractions due to people walking on the sides of the road. Please, please, please do try to find a ride. With all the traffic on that road right now it just isn’t safe for you as a pedestrian, or for the people driving on that road, to add pedestrian distraction traffic into the mix. We don’t have a better local solution to help you with transportation. There are lots of people talking on the blogs about carpooling, so hopefully some of you can connect that way to meet and ride together. Please try to arrange to find a ride that will get you all the way up to the gathering site."
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