Be the Change Weekly Community Update 12-25-2020

Take a Class and
Support Simply Living

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The classes below are being offered as part of Simply Living’s annual fundraiser, Gift To Be Simple. The class fee will be donated to support the work of Simply Living.

Archetypal Astrology 101

Sun Jan 17th 2:00pm – 3:30pm 2021 
Join Chuck Lynd for a very basic but also fun introduction to the symbols that underlie the signs of the zodiac.
$10. Link to Register.

DIY Cleaners/Household Sustainability Class

Tue Jan 19th 6:00pm – 7:30pm 2021
Meet in the Zoom Classroom. Learn with Amy Ceccoli how to lessen your impact on the planet and your wallet by making your own nontoxic cleaners and personal care products. Get some tips on reducing your plastic consumption.
$10. Link to Register.

Get some tips on reducing your plastic consumption.

Share this listing with friends and take the class together.

Cook Along with Chef Del

Tue Feb 9th 6:30pm – 8:30pm 2021
Join Chef Del Sroufe for an online cook along. We will gather remotely, and recipes will be sent in advance to give you time to shop for ingredients. Del will lead you at a slow and easy pace while he shares his secrets for making plant based food delicious. You will prepare an entrée, a side dish, and a dessert. Limited to 8 individuals. $25. Link to Register.

This free town hall event is not just for mayors and legislators, but for all citizens who see the value of this new “public option” to invest in Ohio main street communities and invest in affordable housing, credit for small businesses, community solar projects, transit infrastructure and more . Panelists will examine how a public bank could become a real financial lifeline to struggling Ohio communities desperate for funds, staving off economic disaster and jump-starting the new economy. There will be plenty of time to ask questions of Ohio advocates as well as a seasoned expert from the Public Banking Institute. For background, including short video introductions to public banking, visit The Public Banking Institute. Have questions about this event? Want to be notified when registration is open? Email Hello@simplyliving.org 

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Simply Living Action Alert: Save Award Winning Community Garden

One of our brightest community jewels is under attack. Kossuth Street Garden, winner of the Franklin Park Conservatory Growing to Green Award, sits on property recently purchased by a developer who wants to plow it under to build 10 houses.

To develop the houses, zoning for the property will have to be changed from commercial to residential. The Garden is willing to purchase the small parcel of land where it sits, but the developer says the entire property is needed for housing.

We are asking the Columbus Zoning Commission to arrange a compromise to allow the garden to remain on the property and continue as an asset to both the housing development and the surrounding Southern Orchards neighborhood.

TAKE ACTION! Visit our blog post here for more info + pics & a LETTER YOU CAN SEND (and personalize) to make your voice heard before the Zoning Commissioners meet on Thursday, January 14. Please use the FB and Twitter links on the blog post to share this with your friends. Thank you!

New 4-Week Course on Foundations of Compassionate Nonviolent Communication

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SIMPLY LIVING’S
BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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Grassroot Ohio With Carolyn Harding and Carolyn Harding with musicians Alan Harrell, Isabel Trautwein and Mark Dumm of The Cleveland Orchestra for a special Global Ode to Joy! (Friday Dec 25 2 pm)
https://tockify.com/e/simplylivingsu/detail/127/1608933600000

Sacred Ground: Sunday Morning Mindfulness Service (Dec 27)
https://tockify.com/e/simplylivingsu/detail/30/1609081200000

Birdwatching for Beginners – guided bird hike adventure with Audubon volunteers Dec 26 and Jan 2
https://tockify.com/e/simplylivingsu/detail/308/1608994800000

Live virtual concert with Bill Cohen: Looking Ahead to a Brighter New Year (Dec 31)
https://tockify.com/e/simplylivingsu/detail/319/1609459200000

Real Organic Symposium (Sundays in January)
https://tockify.com/e/simplylivingsu/detail/317/1609704000000

The Power of LABOR in a GREEN ECONOMY (Jan 12)
https://tockify.com/e/simplylivingsu/detail/318/1610481600000

Conversations For A Preferred Future-Series: Permaculture Rising
A series of 7 zoom conversations with local leaders around the US whose work explores permaculture, urban ecovillages, year round gardening, and more. Hosted by Jan Spencer of Eugene Oregon. Recommended based on Jan’s presentation at a recent Simply Living meetup.
https://tockify.com/e/simplylivingsu/detail/315/1611273600000

NOTE: Scroll to end for more Community Events and Calendars

NEWS + RESOURCES FOR LIVING LOCAL

It has been quite a year at EPN, and we appreciate the 718 attendees, including 125 current Ohio State students, who found the time – and the Zoom bandwidth – to join an EPN Online Event this Autumn Semester! We had some great programs and conversations over the past several months that can reviewed on our EPN YouTube page here.  

If you are still looking for fun (and delicious) gift ideas, then ordering a few half pints of Ohio State Maple Syrup, sourced right from our Mansfield campus, and delivered directly to your door, might be an answer. Learn more here under the Maple Syrup Orders tab.

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All thinking worthy of the name must now be ecological.
~ Lewis Mumford

Paper towels, dryer sheets, zip top bags, disposable razors alternatives.

Rethink Disposables: 4 Things You Can Happily Live Without
How can you reduce disposables? Cross these four household items off your shopping list — you won’t even miss them! more…

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“A new human story founded on connection and diversity is emerging. It’s called localization.” ~ Local Futures
Increasingly, people are seeing through the false promises of the global consumer culture. They are recognizing the limitations of the rat-race, and the emptiness of conventional ideas about “success” and “progress”. Not surprisingly, there is a corresponding surge of interest in indigenous knowledge to guide the creation of healthier, more localized futures.

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New Year’s Charity Fundraiser Yoga classes

The decade-plus Clintonville tradition continues… online via Zoom for 2020/2021. Classes are by donation, and all donations will go to Impact Community Action in Columbus, which provides emergency financial assistance to individuals and families in need and Doctors Without Borders, providing humanitarian aid worldwide.   

Fri Dec 31 7:30-9 pm  
New Year’s Eve Mindful Practice and Reflection :  Wind down the year with a mindful movement and yoga practice to connect to the wisdom of the body. We’ll interweave meditation and prompts for reflection and/or journaling.  

Sat Jan 1 2021 10- 11:15am  
New Year’s Day Slow Flow Yoga Class 
Donation links are in the discussion posts of the Facebook events;  If you are not on Facebook, contact Beaker to arrange donation. Register and get the Zoom information by emailing Beaker at beakerbee@yahoo.com. 

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CALENDARS!
LIVE LOCAL, BUILD COMMUNITY #SIMPLYLIVING

Friday, December 25, 2020, 5:00 – 5:30 PM.  GrassRoot Ohio With Carolyn Harding.  Our mission is to profile every-day people working on important issues and to connect them with other folks who want to help. Conversations with every-day people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, w/ folks on the front lines. LISTEN TO 94.1 FM and stream US online at WGRN.com.  You can find all GrassRoot Ohio podcasts/shows on Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753. Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 and YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ. 

Saturday, December 26, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM.  Occupy for Our Revolution.  Join us at the intersection of North Broadway and high as we demonstrate weekly for peace and justice. bring a mask and a sign or two.  Facebook.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020, 3:00 PM.  Essential Protections for Essential Work Webinar.  A Central Ohio Workers Center webinar.  Join the Central Ohio Worker Center for a webinar discussing wage theft, your rights in the workplace, and organizing for better working conditions. Hear from our experts and participate in a question-and-answer session about the issues most relevant to you!  Registration link on Facebook.  

Thursday, December 31, 2020, 7:00 PM.  Looking Ahead to a Brighter New Year: a new year’s eve concert with Bill Cohen.   We’ll quickly say goodbye to a horrible 2020, and then, with upbeat, thoughtful, and familiar songs from the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, we’ll look ahead to better times in the year ahead.  The songs will reflect a wish-list of what we hope for and what we’ll work for in 2021.

No tickets needed; no donations requested.  With my guitar, piano, and voice, I’ll simply conjure up some meaningful and positive musical energy that will launch us into the new year. Whether or not you’re a member of Facebook, you can see and hear the show by going to the Facebook page called “Bill Cohen Sings.”  You can either search for that page online yourself, or you can click on this Facebook link, and hopefully that will connect you AT THE TIME OF THE CONCERT.  IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT, YOU CAN STILL WATCH but you’ll need to click 1 more thing! Once you click on this link (above) you will be asked to either log in or join. IGNORE THAT REQUEST!  Instead, click on anything else like Home, Events, Videos etc. on the left-hand column and the notice to login or join will go away! Then, you can watch us live AT THE TIME OF THE CONCERT! If you go early or another time, you can watch and listen to other Live concerts we have done.

Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 5:30 – 6:30 PM.   What You Need to Know About: The Fraternal Order of Police Contract.  Locally, two key inflection points have risen to the top of public conversation when talking about police reform: the City of Columbus’ 2021 budget and the renegotiation of the Fraternal Order of Police union contract. To shed light on these processes and how they form the parameters of what’s possible, the New Leaders Council of Columbus is (virtually) assembling activists, policymakers, and other experts for a deep-dive conversation on the FOP contract. Panelists will explain how these labor contracts work, what’s in them, and answer questions from viewers. Join New Leaders Council Columbus on January 5th, 2021 at 5:30 pm via Facebook Live for this much-needed discussion.  Facebook.

Monday, January 11, 2021, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.  New England Film Premiere: Noam Chomsky– Internationalism or Extinction.  A Fundraiser for Massachusetts Peace Action “No one but Noam so passionately links the twin, man-made threats to organized human existence–catastrophic climate change and nuclear doomsday machines–and no previous communication of his warnings and challenge to action has presented them so impressively. The brilliantly chosen visuals transform what might otherwise be an almost unbearable recitation of horrific facts–and the institutional failures to move toward changing them–into a presentation with a potential to inspire and motivate public activism.  Link for more information and registration here. 

Saturday, January 16, 2021, 10:00 AM.  Virtual COWC New Member Orientation.  What can you do to build power for low wage and immigrant workers in Columbus? Join us for an online new volunteer and membership orientation. In this training you will learn about the key issues facing workers and immigrants today, understand the Central Ohio Worker Center’s mission and strategy for making Columbus a place for all people, and learn what you can do to have an impact. The orientation is a prerequisite for COWC membership but is open to all residents who wish to learn more about the COWC and about grassroots social justice organizing. Please RSVP on Facebook so we can make sure to get you the details of the call!

Monday, January 18, 2021, 9:00 AM.  Join the Celebration Event! 36th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Breakfast. “Now Is the Time.“”We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Excerpt from I Have a Dream at the Washington D.C. Civil Rights March 1963.  In the wake of COVID-19 this is a virtual event open to the public, but attendance is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Advanced registration is required.  Cost:  $20.00.  More information and registration here. 

Columbus on the Cheap Good, Cheap, Fun

In This Issue…

• Restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Dine-in or to-go
• Get a fully-cooked Christmas Dinner to-go in Columbus
• Free Admission Days and Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
• Nearly 100 free or cheap events this weekend in Columbus
• The best Columbus Christmas lights displays, and a Google map to find them!
• Hit the Slopes at Snow Trails Skiing and Snowboarding in Central Ohio
• Free and Cheap Activities for Winter Break in Columbus
• Indoor and Outdoor Ice Skating in Columbus
• 2020 Christmas Theater and Concerts in Columbus (Virtual and Live)
• Huge list of Christmas Stocking Stuffers

Keep up with Columbus on the Cheap on Facebook here.

COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND

Mega Weekend: Holiday Streams, WW84 & More

Hello to the holiday weekend. Keep up with Santa as he makes his deliveries. Take the Reimagine Public Safety Survey. Enjoy your weekend!

Attend a Vigil for Andre Hill on Saturday

HOLIDAY THEMED FUN

-CAPA gifts us a holiday concert with Mighty Morton Organ-Watch ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas–Holiday Hoopla is on demand with Shadowbox Live-CATCO’s new take on A Columbus Christmas Carol-Watch Quarantine with the Clauses-Tune in to JAG.tv for Home for the Holidays-Watch Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish-And screen BalletMet’s A Nutcracker Holiday

HOLIDAY LIGHTS

–Wildlights continues at the Zoo
–Holiday Lights light up Columbus Commons
-Go to Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights
-Explore Holiday Blooms at the Franklin Park Conservatory
-And the gingerbread competition and Conservatory Aglow while you are there
-Explore the Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill

SUPPORT THE ARTS

–Watch Wonder Woman 1984 and Promising Young Woman
-Enjoy a Virtual Music Yuletide Celebration
–Matt Rife will be at the Funny Bone
-Watch the FLIPPO: Tribute to Steely Dan (Live Stream Concert)

HAPPENINGS

-Pick up some cocktail kits to celebrate NYE
-Go to Combustion Brewery on Saturday and eat some Cousins Maine Lobster
-Learn how to make Hot Chocolate Bombs
-On Sunday, attend Kwanzaa Service (online)
-Sunday, Union Cafe has Sunday Showtunes
-Last minute gift ideas?

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend!

MORE LOCAL CALENDARS
Columbus Free Press Activists Calendar Editor Bob Roehm
WCBE Arts & Life Calendar 

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READ OUR BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Each of us has a spark of life inside us, and our highest endeavor ought to be to set off that spark in one another. ~ Kenny Ausubel

Be the Change: Join Simply Living Individual membership rates have been reduced to $25 annually. Seniors, $20. Students only $10. Business memberships starting at $100 now include membership in the Ohio Sustainable Business Council.

Sign up online here or email HELLO@simplyliving.org

Love what we’re doing? Share our passion for nature and sustainable community living? How about volunteering? Love to research, write, communicate? Email Hello@Simplyliving.org or call Chuck Lynd @ 614- 354-6172.