Prior to move-in (fall of 2007), communication between CoHoots (especially out-of-town members) centered on email and phone calls.
These newsletters helped folks understand what cohousing was all about and also get to know their neighbors, even from a distance. They also helped to generate excitement about our future as next-door neighbors.
Although some of the content is now outdated, the newsletters provide a helpful historical record of CoHo Ecovillage. Some newsletters still provide valuable perspectives on the realities/challenges of building a community and living in community.
Check out our Blog page for the Then and Now series, which compares 2006/2007 newsletters to the on-site experiences of 2014/2015.
Here’s the intro for the Then and Now series….
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Visitors touring CoHo sometimes ask how our expectations for community prior to move-in differ from our current day-to-day reality.
Comparing “then and now” is the framework for this series of blog postings. The source of historical perspective is the CoHo newsletters published in 2006 and 2007 (they are still available on our website). This was an intensive time, with the primary focus on actively building the community (both in terms of actual construction of buildings and the collection of folks who would be our neighbors).
What were our dreams in 2006? What is our daily life like now in 2014?
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Here’s a list of links to the original newsletters…
Note that some of the links in the original newsletters may no longer work as our website has been transferred to a new platform. Hopefully, the context will allow you to search our new website and/or the web for information you’d like to access.
Issue 1 (February 2006) – Mock Home Selection
Issue 2 (February 2006)) – 1st Welcome Weekend; Thoughts of Willamette River Flooding
Issue 3 (February 2006) – Final Home Selection
Issue 4 (March 2006) – Welcome Weekend March 3-5, Corvallis in Springtime
Issue 5 (March 2006) – Membership Process
Issue 6 (March 2006) – Does Cohousing Make $en$e Financially?
Issue 7 (March 2006) – Field Trip to CoHo via the Bus, Corvallis Overview, What’s In a Name? (CoHo nicknames)
Issue 8 (April 2006) – It Takes a Village (raising kids in cohousing)
Issue 9 (April 2006) – Raising a Family in Corvallis
Issue 10 (April 2006) – Groundbreaking April 18, Welcome Weekend May 6-7
Issue 11 (May 2006) – Saying “YES” to Cohousing
Issue 12 (May 2006) – This ‘N That—Earth Fair, Parade of the Species, New Members, CoHo Pets Speak Out
Issue 13 (May 2006) – Landscaping, Camas Harvest, Farmers Market
Issue 14 (May 2006)– Living in a Giraffe Community (nonviolent communication)
Issue 15 (May 2006) – Countdown to “Sold Out!”, “Sneak Preview” of Life in CoHo
Issue 16 (June 2006) – Workshare Policy, Membership & Marketing Committee–the first half
Issue 17 (June 2006) – Crystal Lake, A “Fishy” Tale, Membership Committee, Feline Favorites, Contractor Chosen
Issue 18 (June 2006) – Design & Development Committee, Fishy Tale–How CoHo Got Its Name, Member Close-Up, Bike Trip to Site, July Welcome Weekend
Issue 19 (June 2006) – Facilitation Committee, Member Close-Up, Sign on our Site, Living in a Neighborhood of Neighborly Neighbors, OSU Champs
Issue 20 (July 2006) – Home Life, Welcome to CoHo and to Corvallis, 4th of July Parade, Welcome Weekend
Issue 21 (July 2006) – July Wellness Retreat
Issue 22 (July 2006) – Medley of CoHo Summer Moments (New Members Welcomed, da Vinci Days, Welcome Weekend, Party, Book Bin, Blueberry Adventure)
Issue 23 (July 2006) – The Path to CoHo, Member Close-Up, P&P
Issue 24 (August 2006) – Secret Ingredient in Sustainability, 3-way Pre-Union in California, Corvallis Corner, Beating the Heat
Issue 25 (August 2006) – Giving thanks
Issue 26 (September) – MAJOR Project Update, Consensus Training, Family Picnics, Sustainability, What Would My CoHo Neighbors Say?, Food Fun
Issue 27 (October 2006) – Construction Update, Greeting Visitors, Retreat, Corvallis Corner, Finance Committee, CoHoots in the News, CSA Meal Group
Issue 28 (November 2006) – Saving and Investing Your Time, We’re Saving a Place for You, CoHo California Contingent, Corvallis Corner, What’s Happening at Our Site?
Issue 29 (December 2006) – CoHo in 2006—A Year of Challenges, Changes and Chuckles
Issue 30 (January 27) – Winter Wellness Retreat
Issue 31 (February 2007)– Dreams Take Shape, Coordinating Committee, Community Clean-Out Challenge, NVC Practice Groups, Meal Plan
Issue 32 (March 2007) – Living in South Corvallis, A Neighborly Neighbor, Landscaping Plans Unfurled, A Home for Mike, March Site Tour
Issue 33 (April 2007) – The Big “C” in Cohousing, Deciding if the CoHo Connection is Right For You, CoHo Connection Opportunities—Welcome Weekend, A Home for Mike, What’s In A Name?, Folks Are On Their Way, A Friend of the Family, Sustainability in Action
Issue 34 (December 2007) – CoHo in 2007–From Dreams to Reality