8
JUNE 2016
C hatham County Line.0rg
www.
LESSONS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
He wasn’t perfect! Jim did not realize how
difficult it would be to figure out how to govern
ourselves.”
What advice would you give, as participant-observer in Columbia, to the
development team of a “drawing board
new community like our Chatham Park in
Pittsboro?
“Focus on all aspects of community building, not just the physical aspects. When Rouse
and Company created Columbia, his working
team was a panel of experts from across the
spectrum: social services, city planning, development experts, scholars, etc. This is what was
needed to create Columbia. When the Rouse
Company was sold, first to General Growth,
which morphed into Howard Hughes Corporation, their planning teams were all developers and designers. They did include ecological
folks, but that is it.
Focus on human relationships. There is a
famous story about Rouse, as he talked to his
staff leading up to the first meeting of the working team (mentioned above) using the word
‘love’ as an important aspect of the project.
His staff beat on him saying, ‘Jim, we have
important people like Christopher Jencks
on this panel. We can’t be tossing words like
‘love’ around! They will think we’re nuts!’ Jim
agreed and did not bring up the word ‘love’
again.
The first meeting came and after a day or
so, the group got bogged down. People were
tense, not really listening, and were at odds
with one another. Finally, one of the panel
members stood up and said, ‘Look people, this
is ridiculous. We are talking about creating a
city based on love. Surely we can do better than
this!’ And with that, the tension was broken
and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Any suggestions regarding ways and
means to diffuse antagonism between developer and current citizenry in a large new
development?
“Corporations are obligated to make a
profit for their investors. This means that no
matter how much the people who run them are
good people, they will face pressures to cut corners to make money. Therefore, the developer
needs to be clear and specific in letting people
know not just that they have the peoples’ best
interests at heart, but how they will show that
in real life. Rouse gave 36 percent of the land he
had just spent good money on to the Columbia
Association, a non-profit organization, to keep
as open space, recreational facilities, etc. He
could have built on it and earned more money,
but he clearly was not just saying that he had
the community’s best interest at heart, he was
showing it.” (italics for emphasis are those of
NATURE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit
Disorder”. The book brings together a growing body of research
indicating that direct exposure to Nature is essential for healthy
childhood development and for the physical and emotional
health of children and adults. Rather than being limited by
the programs on a computer, a child has unlimited opportunities outside by using her/his imagination. A ditch of running
water can become the Nile River in a child’s mind or a place
to catch tadpoles and crayfish. When a kid or an adult presses
a key in a computer program, the result is always the same. A
ditch can be anything, anytime.
Many authors and poets have written about the state of
peace, excitement and sense of well being they experienced in
Nature. William Wordsworth’s poetry is famous for his belief
GAINES STEER AND COLUMBIA, MARYLAND
Gaines Steer, long-time Chatham County resident, tells the “backstory” of the creation and
early years of the new city, Columbia, Maryland — a true story Gaines knows personally
as he was the first Community Organizer hired in “The Next America,” as this large and
innovative community was described. Situated on 15,000 acres between Washington, DC
and Baltimore Maryland, Columbia was the brainchild of Jim Rouse and Co., a socially
conscious developer, whose development style led to national recognition {cover of Time
Magazine, Presidential Medal of Freedom, etc}.
Rouse and other community leaders brought Gaines (M.Ed: Community Leadership
and Development) to Columbia, from Boston, in an effort to understand and resolve numerous “dysfunctions” that plagued this massive undertaking (100,000 citizens). Columbia
is widely considered the most successful such venture in the United States, over 40 years
since inception.
This story is an end-in-itself, yet may have implications for the growth and development of Chatham County. The series of four articles is based on a presentation he made
in Pittsboro on February 28, 2016.
the respondent)
Knowing what you know now, what considerations (would you recommend)need
to be taken into account as our NC real
estate development emerges and becomes
full blown?
“I would say stay aware of the need to keep
people involved and attuned to the values and
vision of the community (stakeholders). Provide many, many ways for people to do this.
Residents have jobs, families, and other lives.
that Nature is pervaded with what he called “a motion and a
spirit which rolls through all thinking things and all objects of
thought”. Others like Muir, Walt Whitman and William Blake
were also able to communicate the sense of meaning, harmony
and inner joy they found in Nature. Very often Nature inspires
an emotional connection through music and the visual arts.
Why does Nature have this therapeutic effect on us? To me
it seems obvious. Humans have interacted with Nature for a
very long time. It’s only been a couple of hundred years since
we exiled ourselves to a life indoors. For us today, being in
open spaces is like going home. It gives us a sense of safety and
belonging. If we have grown up next to or near a river, being
in or on the water just seems natural. You might say, it bathes
our souls. It is our way of self-medicating, to de-stress and
reconnect to the forces of Nature that provide us sustenance.
Perhaps the main reason why Nature can heal and transform us is because of its calming and mind-quietening effect.
It is the mind chatter that overrides our sense of well-being.
Being outside in Nature provides us with stimuli that cannot be
found inside. The air is fresher. The sounds are softer. Nature
is not demanding anything from you. All that is required is
to just be who you are.
Mental health treatments usually involve both consulting
sessions and medication, both of which often require a trusted
professional, possibly medication and money. Ecotherapy, quality time in Nature, only requires your time. Pick an outdoor
activity. For me it is paddling on the Haw River or hiking in
Alaska. For you it could be hiking on a nearby trail or spending time in a vegetable garden. Where ever your interests lie,
get off your rear end and get outside. You won’t find a healed
mind inside.
Joe Jacob, a Chatham resident for more than 30 years and a
marine biologist by training , is president The Haw River
Canoe & Kayak Co., www.hawrivercanoe.com, 336.260.6465.
He worked for The Nature Conservancy for 20 years and
served as Director of Science for TNC’s Southeast Region.
COLLINS
MOUNTAIN
GRADING
for your sustainable life
Cool, very reasonably priced, gently
used & redesigned furniture, antiques,
curiosities, and home accessories.
3 MINI SHOPS INSIDE: Hourglass Collectibles,
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(919) 200-2176
102 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro
www.reclamationhomefurnishings.com
Synthetic and conventional oils
• Driveway construction
and grading
Mike Resnik • 919.929.3324
www.collinsmountaingrading.com
JUNE HAPPINESS
SATURDAY, JUNE 11: CANVAS AND CORK PAINTING PARTY
Paint “Sunflower Path” with Sally Sutton while you sip wine
and eat pizza. $48 all inclusive. 12:30–3:30 p.m.
VISIT OUR
TO
WEBSITE
MAK E A
TION
RESERVA
N.C. Inspection Station
• Specializing in
affordable small jobs
• Lot clearing, site
preparation, backfilling,
french drains, ditching,
rough landscaping
SUNDAY BRUNCH Enjoy brunch every Sunday 10 a.m.–
2 p.m. 10% of all sales goes to local churches. See our
tasty menu on our website.
MISSION MONDAYS 10% of sales goes to local non-profits
TUESDAYS 10% of sales goes to Pittsboro VFW Post 7313
WEDNESDAY – SATURDAY: Pay cash and get a 5% discount
Developers get paid (and pay their lawyers)
to pay attention to development. Residents do
this on a volunteer basis and are already in a
one-down position.
Maintain connections up and down the
community. Small neighborhood groups
tied to larger units (we call them villages in
Columbia) tied to the community (county) in
general. Maintain many ways for people to stay
informed, make their opinions heard, and their
votes matter.”
Filters, wipers, belts and batteries
Many schools have become places with
no time or space for those who march
to the beat of their own drum…
We like the music better over here.
1434 Farrington Road, Apex
919-387-9440
www.jordanlakesa.com
Towing in Chatham County
919-542-5600
On the corner of Hwy 87 and 15-501
Roy Fesel, Operator
www.quickchangeoilandlube.com
Manage Stress and Enjoy Life Again
“You don’t have to settle for
less than happiness.”
Betty W. Phillips, Ph.D.
Psychologist - Counseling and Life Coaching
FOREST GARDEN OFFICE
Chatham County
919.967.1860
BettyPhillipsPsychology.com
440 East Street, Pittsboro • 919-545-0900
Open for Lunch, Mon–Sat: 11–2 • Sunday Brunch: 10–2
Dinner, Mon-Thurs: 4–9 • Fri–Sat: 4–10
belladonnapbo
www.BellaDonnaItalianRestaurant.com