Concow Adopt-a-Shed

Concow Adopt-a-Shed Project
Now, and thru February 2009, the Concow Phoenix Project is seeking tax-deductible community donations to assist with a CSUC/Concow Phoenix Project program to build secure, weatherproof storage sheds for Concow fire survivors. Construction starts in January 2009 by CSU-Chico Construction Management students . Adopt-a-Shed for $1500, or any donation you can afford. For more information check out www.concowphoenix.org, or contact us at info@concowphoenix.org

12-9 Concert to Benefit Concow

On December 9, 2008 is a benefit concert supporting:

• Butte County FSC - chipper program (Concow benefits)
• Seedlings to plant in burn areas (Concow benefits)
• Sawmill Peak Lookout for staffing and maintenance (Concow benefits, especially Laurel who staffs it on occassion)
• Paradise Performing Arts Center

The band is: The Christmas Jug Band and special guest Norton Buffalo. Norton owns a home in Paradise and was on tour with the Steve Miller Band during the fires. He wanted to participate in an event that would benefit our communities.

Please share this information and encourage folks to come out and have a great time in addition to supporting a worthy benefit.

Doors open at 6 pm and the shows starts at 7 pm.

Tickets are $25 - $35, there is an after party for an additional $20
For tickets go to: www.paradiseperformingarts.com

Butte College Horticultural Club - Seedlings and Plants

From Jim Hart, who also lost his place in the fire. He is in the horticulture club at Butte College and they are looking for donations and materials to grow seedlings for planting in spring 2009. Some plants are available now from the Horticulture Club.

I am in the horticulture club at Butte College and with the generous help of a local nursery, we have started a program to help replant Concow. So far we have propagated Coffeeberry cuttings and seedlings and next week we are going to start Cedar trees. We are going to try and have as many plants and trees as possible to give to fire victims by spring 2009. If all goes well and I can drum up funds and donations for supplies, it will be on an ongoing basis. If you find any nursery supplies (i.e. coffee cans, pots, soil, fertilizers, tools, etc) or people that would like to help plant when the time comes.

Butte College Horticulture Dept. has many plants, redwoods, conifers (pines) for very very cheap (almost cheaper than someone would pay for the pot that it is planted in). Someone is always there Mon-Fri 8-5.

We are growing coffeeberry plants, they're a good native, fire and deer deterrant and privacy bush. They shoould be ready by spring. Next week we are going to start some cedar trees. We are doing this at Spring Fever Nursery on Wendy Way near Lunt road and hwy 70. The owners name is Dave Warther and his nursery is open by appointment. His number is 534-1556. If anyone makes an appt. they are more than welcome to see what we have going in the green houses as well as have the opportunity to see or purchase hardy exotic plants that grow here. (mine are still alive and that is saying alot).

Butte College has 6-8 ft Jeffery Pines & Redwoods That are very cheapThere are many other conifers as well. There are many many landscape, and house plants. There is someone glad to help anyone from Concow, Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00, ask for Heather or Tip. If you mention that I sent you and that you were in the fire, they may give you a good discount. (it depends on how mad I make them that day or if my homework is late).

Jim Hart

12-11 Community Meeting - Wildflower seeds, seedlings, Title 25

COMMUNITY MEETING

Thursday, December 11th 7 p.m.

at

Yankee Hill Grange

4122 Big Bend Road

· Update on Title 25 Owner Built - Limited Density Rural Bldg code

· FREE Wildflower Seed – get your free one pound bag

· Learn how to prune returning vegetation to become trees vs. bushes.

· Update on Seedlings – we hope to hand out seedlings at this meeting, however, if the order is not ready in time, we’ll announce when we’ll have a tree give-a-way.

Needs Assessment for Construction Project

Construction project ’Needs Assessment’

To: Concow Fire Survivors Who Lost Buildings in the Fire
From: Concow Phoenix Project
Deadline: November 15 - 5pm

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN RECEIVING FREE HELP

FOR A SMALL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ON YOUR PROPERTY?

Concow Phoenix Project (CPP) is planning a collaborative program with CSUChico (CSUC) to provide a limited number of ALL-EXPENSES-PAID (FREE), SMALL construction projects to eligible Concow fire survivors. CPP wants to know what type of projects survivors are interested in.

YOU MUST BE A CONCOW RESIDENT WHO LOST BUILDINGS IN THE JULY 2008 CONCOW FIRE.

Your response will help to make this program possible. ttt

Please reply, if interested !!!

(see where to reply, below)

Please take a moment to inform at least one friend or neighbor about this program.

Please respond by 5pm, Saturday, NOV. 15

re. your interest.

Your reply is not a commitment from you or from CPP or CSUC to build the project.

Please supply the following info when you reply:

1) I am interested in the following construction projects, in order of preference (1=most preferred). If you are not interested in a particular structure, do not give it a number.

(draw a line thru it if responding by mail).

___ a secure, lockable, weather-proof tool shed, no larger than 10'x12'

___ a shelter for your animals, no larger than 10'x12'

___ a retaining wall, not to be used for future residential building

___ other small construction project _________________________________________________

2) YES / NO: I would be willing to fill out a Concow Phoenix Project application later in November, giving some personal, confidential info about my needs, resources, address, and property losses. This info will not be shared with any group other than CPP & will be used only to analyze applications.

3) YES / NO: I lost buildings in Concow due to the Butte Lightning Complex Fire on July 7-14.

4) Name: _________________________________. Tel. or other way to contact you _________________.

YOU CAN RESPOND BY:

email to: info@concowphoenix.org -- include all info requested in 1-4 above

mail to: 4096 Big Bend Rd., Yankee Hill, CA 95965

OR

telephone to: 342-1034, press 3 –- if no one answers, please leave your name, tel. , and the info in 1-4 above, as well as the best time to contact you.

Concow Phoenix Project is a grassroots organization dedicated to the recovery of the community and land of the Concow basin after the Butte Lightning Complex Fires of July 2008. Our mission is to facilitate and support sustainability, rebuilding, community and fundraising. Our goal is to maximize resources for fire survivors who need them. Please see our web site for other fire recovery info: www.concowphoenix.org

once this was home

things NOT to say to a fire survivor

These remarks have actually been made to fire survivors from Concow. 

They vary, of course, in their degree of egregiousness, but all should be avoided if you want to keep your compassion quota high.

*I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but often the house you build after one is destroyed is better.

 (what could be "better" than the simple little cabin you built with your own hands where you birthed your baby 31 years ago; that had cool old windows dragged out of a dumpster in San Francisco 35 years ago, a big cedar deck that your friend designed and made and where you delighted to sleep..summer or winter, a tile counter you designed and made yourself in the kitchen, an old clawfoot bath tub on the back porch with water you piped half a mile down the mountain side, heated by an on-demand water heater? where nearly everything was gathered second-hand and had the personality and sometimes the personal memories to go with it; except of course, for the poles you felled and stripped yourself and the sugar pine shakes you split yourself and laid up just so? where every plank and every stone had a story and that story was of your youth and your maturing?)

*Oh, well, it's all in here (cue gesture of hand to heart)

 (this said to a woman who had lost all her photos of herself and her 2 daughters growing up along with everything else)

*At least the fire cleaned out all those pot farmers.

(this said to a retired woman of 65 who had lost her only home of 35 years)

*It's time to move on

 (Who says?) (also:DUH?) (not to mention: has this person not heard of how important grieving what is lost is to doing just that?) 

*Fire is cleansing

*It will all come back.

 (this referring to the forest) 

Obviously this person did not study succession, nor do they even know how long it takes conifers to reach 100 feet and more in height. Of course, nature springs eternal, but no one reading this will ever see Concow as it was before 6 July, 2008..none of us will live that long.