Thursday, May 7, 2020
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
KUDOS TO THE PM, WOODEN ARCHITECTURE, ARTIST HELP, ELIKER, SAB, FODDER, HAMILTON
2020, the year of perfect vision. So auspicious a year for vision will never come again.
People are confined, worldwide, as has never happened before in our lives.
It is possible that the month of April is the crisis month for determine which way the world goes from here on.
PLEASE LET THE ARTISTS HELP
The Jamaican Prime Minister
Mr. Andrew Holness has handled himself well on many occasions, and his handling of the COVID crisis seems to be an example of this.
The main way in which SAB can assert its Garveyite heritage could be to preserve it's vernacular wooden architecture that date from his time. It is significant that he visited several Central American where the Caribbean architectural heritage had been transplanted due to migration to work with the United Fruit Company and build the Panama Canal.
Guatemala.
and are He seems very comfortable with African leaders
He is generally respected on the international stage
He avoids divisionist policies
ORDER
uplift
a sense of their heritage
He has helped to maintain the British Governor general and Custodes establishment
He seems to be someone who appreciate the volunteer governance systems we all advocate.
Wooden architecture is what distinguishes Jamaica' heritage architecture from the stucco emphasis of our Hispanic neighbors. But even among those neighbors, our African brethren stick to wood where possible. Their structures are in the vernacular wooden style of Jamaican and British Caribbean tradition. (JCHS)
Namibia has a MG Way, as does SAB
Namibia's entire coast is a marine sanctuary, as could be St. Ann's.
-----Original Message-----
From: e.
To: e.
Sent: Mon, Mar 30, 2020 10:49 pm
Subject: Re: AFCP 2
From: e.
To: e.
Sent: Mon, Mar 30, 2020 10:49 pm
Subject: Re: AFCP 2
Dear Friends of SAB,
the hospital
Emergency beds
Emergency measures to keep a historic treasure could also provide reassurance and a can do sense of purpose
work at home--agriculture
you are clearly knowlrdgeable
We do what we can from abroad with our various resources--nmot all of them monetary.
-----Original Message-----
From: e.
To: e.
Sent: Sun, Mar 29, 2020 9:24 pm
Subject: Re: AFCP 2
From: e.
To: e.
Sent: Sun, Mar 29, 2020 9:24 pm
Subject: Re: AFCP 2
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10217124121481297&set=g.146587539416217&type=1&theater&ifg=1
AFCP 2
To regularize squatters, we could look at a way to buy heritage architecture, maintain and preserve the exterior, subdivide the interiors into well designed micro units with their own bathroom. The compost would help to build nutrition deep in the abandoned mining pits.
STACKING ISSUES
Justin Elicker
Poor places to partner with rich places
Partner with Mayor Belnavis
Community Tourism
EPA, New Haven, TTT, SAB all, have in common inequality and need for stronger neighborhoods, and better economic integration.
The same thrust for inner city US needs to be made in SAB
I grew up in Priory with the Pinks during the Second World War, and I know what thrift is like.
The whole iof SAB is Marcus Garvey Heritage
Just telling tourists about him, with none of the built environment he grew up with and that formed his values is a poor substitute for preserving evry last bit of that heritage remaining, as an interpretive asset for Garvey studies and tourism.
Dear (Custos)
Thanks again for your response to my last message.
The old barber shop looks sturdy beyond all odds, having lost so much of its sheathing.
being such a small structure, it could be key to gaining momentum for a grant writing preservation project for St. Ann's bay.
Funders for untested project like to see even a tokemn example of self help before they launch into major funding
I founded an organization in a low income minority city in (wehat grew to be) Silicon Valley.
Mayor Elicker
HELPING TO CLARIFY AND STRENGTHEN AMERICAN CULTURAL INTERVENTION
Nevis
the identical British colonial heritage--which requires attention to Jamaica"s colonial heritage
The issue of squatters in the Cloisters--can the church engage in a property buying program to relocate Cloister squatters into
Ask Hugh Lyon where
How would we fund him if we used his land?
Doris Gross?
(China and destruction of heritage)--ABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH THE aFRICAN CONTINENT IN THIS REGARD
But China is shut down. Whatever it contributed to jobs might be compromised
Urgent need for community tourism
Jamaica based
Modernism that uses massive amounts of concrete
damage to landscape
dust and debris
energy
climate
preservation of embedded materials
CAN PAST EXPERIENCE OF BOARD MEMBERS QUALIFY AS TRACK RECORD?
ONLY DOING THIS BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WILL
aesthetic tending toward hardness
this takes it somewhat away from national competition to one of concern for the global environment
the US would be positioned not so much to oppose China as to set a different example, present an alternate vision
Hamilton and the Caribbean roots of US heritage
English speaking heritage is strengthened by closer ties to the English speaking Caribbean--creating a hub of strength that can contribute beyond its boundaries.
Lisa Hannah
compost toilet
Compost service
cannabis services
lab
remove duty
cultural capital of the world
can't have it all ways (revise foreign policy)
cultural landscape
AFCP
-------------------------
For Section 2, might I suggest:
Facilitate activities, programs and projects, including historical tourism and community tourism, to promote preservationist development in involved communities, .
Article I. Name of Organization
The name of the organization is: "St. Ann Creative"
BYLAWS
Article II. Purpose
Section 1. Nonprofit Purpose This corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Section 2. With attention to their potential for historical, community and eco tourism, or to be otherwise models for sensitive development, set up or support activities, programs and projects that tend to develop the leadership role of selected communities.
Article III. Membership Nonprofits can limit their members to the board of directors. When they choose to open up membership to the public, they should outline some parameters for the following: membership eligibility, dues, members’ rights, resignation, termination and non-voting membership.
Members will pay a recurring membership fee of $1 per month. This will be paid into an account that is transparent and from which no withdrawals can be made.
-------------------------
Brian Lee and Village to Village: program of Americans helping Africa in relatively selfless ways, without middle man bureaucracy.
For that program to grow its legitimacy, it could help to associate it with Garvey's vision for upliftment of the African world
To associate this African vision with colonial architectural heritage would be healing and unifying (Why?)
It is a cultural element that can get a headstart in SAB and be advantageous for the populist American venture in the African continent
Important for the African world in the Americas as well
Jamaica is an anglophone nation with its interconnected native Jamaican creole language. It has had centuries a hybrid language and cultural style--part African, part European.
Although slavery was endemic in pre European Africa, the scale of slavery of Africans in Europe territories was unprecedented. It is creditably beliecved that at least 11 million Africans were sold into European slavery.
Whereas endemic intra African slavery was among people of similar ethnicity, large ethnic and civilizational differences between African slaves and European slave owners might have created unprecedented gaps between slaves and owners. And adapting to those gaps at such a scale and speed might be seen as a most unusual event in history? Moreover, the indiscriminate (?) mixing of Africans of different cultures and languages together so that THEY had to adapt to each other could be seen as an equally monumental cultural challenge. (It's unclear as to the nature of adaptation by and among slaves as opposed to that by or among slave owners. Scholars should delve into this.)
A takeaway from the issue of adaption by continental African to cultural conditions in the West is the unalterable way in which Africans in the West challenge the issue of African identity. Is the African in the West a harbinger of African unity? And, if so, is European heritage therefore embedded in a provisional African identity?
JAMAICA IS AFRICA
Trevor Burrowes I ratcheted up what I understood of the relationships we're dealing with globally. If we are free (or relatively free) to chart our own course, we are free to designate Jamaica as an African nation within a provisional African unity. As an African nation equal to any other, we would be as entitled as any other to set the rules for that unity. If we can therefore set an example of African independence, then other African nations are free to join us. In this way, as Jamaica goes, so goes whatever we term "Africa." I'm sure we can do better with independence if we work at it. And that means all of us.
Brian Lee and Village to Village: program of Americans helping Africa in relatively selfless ways, without middle man bureaucracy.
For that program to grow its legitimacy, it could help to associate it with Garvey's vision for upliftment of the African world
To associate this African vision with colonial architectural heritage would be healing and unifying (Why?)
It is a cultural element that can get a headstart in SAB and be advantageous for the populist American venture in the African continent
Important for the African world in the Americas as well
Jamaica is an anglophone nation with its interconnected native Jamaican creole language. It has had centuries a hybrid language and cultural style--part African, part European.
Although slavery was endemic in pre European Africa, the scale of slavery of Africans in Europe territories was unprecedented. It is creditably beliecved that at least 11 million Africans were sold into European slavery.
Whereas endemic intra African slavery was among people of similar ethnicity, large ethnic and civilizational differences between African slaves and European slave owners might have created unprecedented gaps between slaves and owners. And adapting to those gaps at such a scale and speed might be seen as a most unusual event in history? Moreover, the indiscriminate (?) mixing of Africans of different cultures and languages together so that THEY had to adapt to each other could be seen as an equally monumental cultural challenge. (It's unclear as to the nature of adaptation by and among slaves as opposed to that by or among slave owners. Scholars should delve into this.)
A takeaway from the issue of adaption by continental African to cultural conditions in the West is the unalterable way in which Africans in the West challenge the issue of African identity. Is the African in the West a harbinger of African unity? And, if so, is European heritage therefore embedded in a provisional African identity?
ICE BOXES
DID FOOD GO TO WASTE DURING THE SHUT DOWN OF TOURISM DURING THE covid LOCKDOWN
If I'm not mistaken, we need a very great increase in refrigeration for unmarketable crops. And these refrigeration resources could be distributed widely throughout all 14 parishes. There used to be ice houses where you could buy ice to put in your lead-lined icebox with sawdust for insulation. If they're still around, they could be put to use again. It's also easy to build ice boxes from cheap materials.
DID FOOD GO TO WASTE DURING THE SHUT DOWN OF TOURISM DURING THE covid LOCKDOWN
If I'm not mistaken, we need a very great increase in refrigeration for unmarketable crops. And these refrigeration resources could be distributed widely throughout all 14 parishes. There used to be ice houses where you could buy ice to put in your lead-lined icebox with sawdust for insulation. If they're still around, they could be put to use again. It's also easy to build ice boxes from cheap materials.
JAMAICA CREATIVE
Dear Doris,
How are you doing as lockdown seems to be lifting all over? I've attached a couple images that might help explain what my experiments are leading to. It requires a determined amount of cardboard boxes to fill in to make plinths, allowing for the superimposition of walls made from cardboard bricks. (see attachments)
In a building, the walls would partly rest on 2x4 plinth-spanning boards (as the rough sketch on top might indicate). But to fill in a gap in a partly destroyed wall (think that little Main St building in SAB), one wouldn't need boards. Just have a 5' PVC pipe sticking up from the plinth, then slide a rectangle of brick formation snugly on top of the plinth. If the plinth had sufficiently heavy "ballast" inserted in base of plinth (instead of just light plastic and paper pulp) it might not topple over.
ST. ANN'S BAY CREATIVE?
ST. ANN CREATIVE?
Do you think either of these could apply to a new nonprofit?
Minister Babsie Grange advocates a JAMAICA CREATIVE. (I'm sure she got the idea from you!). What if "we" take that concept and make it real?
Placing a few of those plinth block things in the side of the little building (JUST FOR SHOW) would be a possible start for a SAB CREATIVE. (Placing these ready-built items on the floor to SUGGEST boarding up the yawning gap could have zero harmful impact on the physical structure.
Could Min Grange work some kind of protection--as in the govt taking liability for any legal trespassing action?
A SWAP?
1) Would you consider helping me with that little building in exchange with me drawing in fairly detailed manner ideas for Downtown Kingston?
2) As a founder of the "Creative" idea, would you consider leading a Jamaica Creative project, working where there are PHYSICAL creative projects elsewhere than in Kgn? If I'm so blessed as to get grants, it could fund your work? You wouldn't at all have to take on the whole island; only places where there is a partner trying already--like w/ SAB.
3) If Min Grang is an enthusiastic partner, might that streghthen the CREATIVE project all over?
Hang tough,
T
PS: Could you please give me the email address for the SAB planner? Mr. Pink? Thanks!
2 Attached Images
Saturday, May 2, 2020
TO SUSAN NATHAN KNIGHT
Thank you very much indeed for this frightening account!
HOW ARE YOU?
Did your husband get the treatment he needed? How is he now? I know how it is to be totally dependent on selling property, and getting enough from it to go on with the next stage of life. I was able to sell my late mom's Mona house, give some money to my kids, and still pay down on a house in NM. Such things are great blessings that we seem required to put toward "paying it back." It's going to get bad all over, and paying back now might be the best we can do to hold on to some livable world.
THE JAMAICAN SCENE
Thanks for explaining the utter direness of the Jamaican scene. All it is up to is give away land or manipulate it for short term gain. You're making me see more than ever how much the economic system runs on ruthless resource extraction from the land.
But with an ever growing population on an ever shrinking resource base, something's gotta give. We can't grow the land-intensive economic system indefinitely on a finite planet.
I'm truly saddened by your bitter experience attending to the desired and expected outcomes from the land you owned. On top of it we have a pandemic that is bad enough by itself, while being a sort of handmaiden of either a profound economic depression, or collapse.
What happened to you speaks of a lack of transparency, clarity or vision in land use policy. I have no illusion that I can change that. I'd like to see Andy's and my recommendations studies at some high level, but even to get feasibility studies would take too long to make sense. So thanks again for taking the time to instill some understanding of what is at stake, suggesting not to allow bauxite to distract my attention.
PLANNING
I don't have to get anyone's buy-in to embark on preliminary planning focused on St. Ann's Bay (or St. Ann Parish), So planning is preferable to getting tangled up in the nightmare of bauxite. I'm content to do that, however hopeless in terms of tangible results. Maybe some unknown beneficient source will arise, where even a sketchy plan could be useful.
What planning could provide:
-- clarity and transparency.
-- Vision: The properties need to conform to a vision. That real estate property is there to make owners money is part of a world view that is clearly not working well in Jamaica (which is unwilling and unable to protect the private-property rights of owners).
-- It wouldn't hurt to have a plan for properties that go beyond advantages to individuals and look at advantages to communities. Manley appears not to have thought these matters through.
-- Environment and Landscape: The assumption that subdividing properties, clearing land, and building (at this stage, concrete being de rigeur) is appropriate is not reasonable to my mind. We need all the biomass we can muster, and the loss of it is causing drought. The landscape needs to be bushy and wild, and structures need to go on plinth blocks that require no significant digging or clearing.
-- Preservation: Any structure planned to be demolished should be photographed and measured by draftsman/engineer/builders, and we might need to train planning staff to do it themselves on government required grid paper. None of this is rocket science.
-- I operate mostly as a one person think tank, and I do actual advocacy through Facebook, hoping it can raise consciousness and promote specific local actions. I see little to no results from this, but not trying seems worse.
-- Values: The world is awash in a value system that I have no obvious power to interrupt. I therefore focus on design standards that maximize biomass and rural aesthetics, that preserve water, and allow for adequate food production. This is not terribly successful either, but it is more feasible in terms of cost, and could be effected if attitudes merely changed.
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