Big Changes at the Council Hall

by Suchi Lathrop

Three years ago, Earthaven rented its first central office at the Trading Post. It served as our office, Internet café, information center and snack depot. This month we move the office to the Council Hall which helps us save money (rent to the Trading Post) and also centralizes our records in the same location as our meetings.

Suchi and Paul load the Taylor Water Stove from the outside.

Another fantastic change is our new Taylor Water Stove, which sits outside and is fed by wood stored nearby (no more messy ashes or hauling wood inside to deal with). We now bask in the warmth of radiant floor heat, which keeps the building at a constant temperature.

An intimate “lounge” outside the office invites us to enjoy videos, get online, or play a board game in our (ahem) free time.

Kimchi sits in our beautiful new office space.

But maybe the biggest change has been an addition onto the Council Hall which houses a flush guest toilet and a small kitchen complete with propane stove, plentiful hot water (the Taylor provides this too), and a place to wash and store dishes and other kitchen basics. It was a challenging project, as the builders had to adjoin it to the load-bearing straw bale wall and connect electricity and plumbing to a system laid down twelve years earlier. Yet Thanksgiving and Solstice, as well as other small parties have been easier and more joyous due to our indoor facilities.

Ohbeeb and Sue playing a game in our new lounge.

As a result of all these changes, not only has the office moved, but Yoga and Qigong now take place there as well as our weekly, Tuesday morning “Coffee and Trade.” Potlucks are more fun in the cozy Hall and our newly improved “one-room-serves-all” facility continues to be a great location for classes and celebrations of all kinds.

Suchi Lathrop, an Earthaven member, shares a household at the Tribal Condo. She gives tours, is on the visitors committee, created the Peace Garden, and has been a leader in social organizing. She started the Coffee and Trade event as well as the weekly happy hour, and has helped run the Trading Post for the last three years. Her current project is a workers’ cooperative building a code kitchen.