Stay awhile on Wray Ave – soak up a Solar PARKlet

PARK(ing) day pop up parklet

I love the design for the Wray Ave Solar Parklet. It’s a proposed expansion of community space here on the Ave. These photos are from a fun afternoon letting people know about the proposal, whilst celebrating international PARK(ing) day. ABC news got in on the action.

The parklet recently won City of Fremantle Start Some Good funding support, now we just need to crowdfund the rest to make it a reality before the end of October: http://startsomegood.com/Venture/wray_ave_solar_parklet

According to designer Jean Paul Horre “The Wray Ave Solar Parklet is a public place designed to enhance the community by redeveloping road space into a public park with a small garden, seating and solar power to charge personal devices and light the dark at night.

The park transforms unused space into community space, providing a place to meet friends, watch the world go by or to rest on your way elsewhere.

The sustainable solar parklet will be build using reclaimed materials by local crafts people.

It is carefully designed to enhance local identity and community interaction by providing a place to meet and linger.

So what is it? A parklet is basically a cleverly designed sidewalk rest stop with seating and plants and other anemities that may not be provided yet. In this design on Wray Ave the parklet will have solar lighting and power along with permanant seating and plants.”

Winter verge busy bee 2015

Who would have thought that 49 Wray Ave would consistently inspire verge busy bee coordination? When Diane and Ian rented their home out Marc and Danielle soon stepped into their shoes and were getting active on the street. Massive thanks to them for organising our last busy bee (including many loads of mulch shovelling and transportation) and best wishes for home making in East Freo! Hats off to Louise, Matt, Bonnie & Harry for transforming their neighbours verge seeings as theirs is paved and Mark from Samson St for lending a hand. Jo is keeping hers spruced still I see. Thanks to Cherise who was on hand for landscaping expertise. Great to have a coffee with you afterwards Mark (x3!), Cristiane, Lee, June, Heath et al. Thanks muchly to Councillor Rachel Pemberton for helping weed and for shouting the volunteers a coffee – and to Lenny the Ox for coming to the party and making it a feast!

Thank you flowers to Marc & Danielle!

Lookin good

March of the Lanterns 2015

It has taken a while, but it’s happening again!

That’s right, the March of the Lanterns festival first run in 2012 is happening on Earth Hour this month.

We tried to get it happening in 2013 but for various reasons we couldn’t get it off the ground but we committed to running it this year so we’re doing it all over again!

The awesome folks form this term’s Living Smart course are bursting to be involved and it’s going to be a blast.

We’ll be running it out of Replants on Wray Avenue from 3.30pm Saturday 28 March, with local musicians providing entertainment, and vegetarian food available for a donation.

We invite everyone in our local community to come down and make a lantern, meet old friends, make new friends, enjoy some local music and food and then take part in the march along Wray Avenue during Earth Hour between 8.30 and 9.30.

So turn off the power in your house, come on down and make a lantern to light up our community!

We first ran March of the Lanterns in 2012 and didn’t really know what it would be. We knew it involved making lanterns, music and community. And that we’d hope to get as many people out onto the street for as we could.

We also wanted to encourage people to think about their connection with everyone around them and the way they connect to and rely on the planet. We chose to do it on Earth Hour so we could, as a community, have a moment to reflect on how our behaviour can take so much from our world. Earth Hour gives an opportunity to turn off our power for 60 minutes and discover how many valuable and enjoyable things we can experience without relying on polluting, resource intensive energy.

We developed our lantern making skills with the help of the excellent Bec Massey from Little Carrot Productions and then organised the event. We used a almost entirely recycled and compostable materials for the lanterns and booked local musicians whose music spoke of care for our environment, something we’ll be doing this year.

We ended up with about 150 people sprawled along the verge of our busy avenue, watching musicians, making crazier and zanier lanterns. As Earth Hour approached, some kids asked if there was going to be a “march”. The musicians were up for it, so we walked being them with our lanterns held high, marching around the neighbourhood for the hour.

It’s was such a great night that we’ve been eager to do it again and because we’ve met so many keen and wonderful folk during our Living Smart course we’re going full steam ahead to do it this year.

If you’re interested in helping out with anything on the day, please get in touch.

Please note: this is a sustainable, waste-free, family-friendly event so please, no disposable plastic, take all rubbish away with you and consider walking, riding or catching public transport.

All hands on Wray!

The Wray Avenue verges were beginning to look a bit untidy with weed growth on the verges after Spring and the late rains and a little bit of litter so Dianne and Molly organised another clean up day.

It was a beautiful morning for it, with the sun shining and people happily greeting us as they walked into town. It was also great to see local, community-minded business owners helping out too – John Douglas from Brown Cow Design and Therese Pitman from Gourmet on Wray. Both of these guys are ever-present at these events and really supportive.

Molly, Diane and June have been doing regular litter pickups recently and it really shows – there was far less mess than usual. But we also felt that this vigilance had led to litter dumping, as the avenue looks tidier and people are more likely to respect it.

For me, I’m really excited that we’re taking ownership of this sliver of public space we have, caring for it and actively connecting with each other through it.

Massive respect to Dianne and Molly for their efforts on this!

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Get your ride on this Saturday

We have a promising weather forecast for Saturday and the plans are all coming together.

Let’s remember our start times, when you need to be at the intersection of Wray Avenue and Hampton Road:

• Original Route: 10.30
• Half-way Route: 11.00
• Family Ride Route: 11.30

There is more information on the ride here.

From 12.15, we’ll be having entertainment and food at Replants,  96 Wray Avenue. This will include music from Sian Brown, Ewan Buckley, Dave Robertson, Crying Town and Tasha M.

We also want people writing Bike Haiku throughout the day and presenting these in between acts. If you have any interesting and inspiring bike-relates stories, we’d love you to share those  with everyone too.

There will be vegetarian food available for a donation, with all money going to the musicians. I have invited the Fremantle Primary School P&C to rattle tins to raise money for their playground as well, so please give generously.

Bike events at Replants will include:

• A slow bike race
• Musical “chairs” by bike
• An obstacle course – “The gWRAYnd National”
• A bicycle pinada

It seems Fremantle is going off on Saturday with low-emission events. From 4pm, Fremantle Follies will be running another cruise through the streets of inner Fremantle for anyone who still has the riding bug. You can join the Facebook event here.

Then there is more music and fun at Clancy’s Fish Pub for the Fremantle Community Wind Farm Project. Rock on!

If anyone has any time to volunteer some help, I’d love to know about it. I still have a couple of things I need help with and stuff like this doesn’t happen without good people chipping in.

Thanks to people who have “registered”. I now have a good sense of numbers, so I am going to remove that as it has given the impression that it is some sort of “official race”. The objective of the Old Time Road Ride is to connect the community – people who live on, frequent and use Wray Avenue – and celebrate history in the area. It also happens to land on International Slow Ride Day, so let’s look to that and enjoy our ride and the places we ride through.

With that in mind, here’s some of the wonderful wildflowers that are out for Spring that people riding the full, Original Route will have a chance to spy on Saturday!

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No Impact Man at Mala Yoga

While the old Beacon Cinema hasn’t been used for years and currently undergoes renovations to become a doctor’s surgery, it seems that there are more and more microcinemas operating on Wray Avenue.

This weekend Mala Yoga is showing the documentary No Impact Man from 6.30 Sunday 8 September, 10 Wray Avenue. And it’s free!

It’s a really interesting film about a guy called Colin Beavan who aspires to reduce his (and his poor family’s!) impacts on the world by changing his behaviour to eliminate any waste, pollution or resource depletion that he produces.

Therese from Gourmet on Wray commented earlier today, in relation to the dirty energy we’re forced to use, “Why am I paying for this with my money and my planet when cheaper and safer versions already exist?”

I love the way that she expressed this idea, recognising that we are paying for things with our planet – not just money.

One of the biggest challenges of the 21st century is going to be reconciling this with our culture and behaviour: how can we  keeping using of the world until there is nothing left?

This can be a challenging film as Colin takes his challenge to it’s most extreme possible ends (such as switching from toilet paper to rewashable linen clothes). It’s important to keep in mind though that he is exploring what is possible, and not advocating every viewer must adopt his methods. It’s not meant to be a guilt trip.

Instead, what you should take from this film is inspiration that we can take personal responsibility for our actions and our demands of the world we inhabit. It can provide you with just a few simple ideas as to how you can reduce your impact on the planet.

I really recommend getting along if you’re free – and hopefully walking or riding instead of using a car!

Old Time Road Ride

Spring is nearly upon us. And as I mooted in an earlier post,  I want to resurrect an historic Wray Avenue tradition – the Ten Mile Well Cycle race – which took place annually on the first Spring weekend prior to World War 1.

Here is the poster which you’ll hopefully see a bit around town.

Or you can find the Facebook event here.

The spring celebration and bike ride will be made up of two parts:

1. an option of one of three road rides, setting off from and returning to Moondyne Joe’s Hotel; and
2. a community party at Replants, with food and entertainment.

The emphasis on the rides is fun and socialising rather than racing. Three different rides have been planning for different levels of skills and bike.

NB: Please enter your name correctly but feel free to make the rest up if you don’t want to disclose that information. I really just want to know how many people are riding each route and this was the best event management website I found.

The schedule of events for the day is as follows:

• 10:30am – First group of riders set off on the original route, from Moondyne Joe’s to Ten Mile Well  and back (roughly 30kms, or 1-1.5 hour return)
• 11:00am – Second group of riders set off on on shorter route to Spearwood Hotel and back (roughly 15km, or 30mins-1hour return)
• 11:30am – Third and final group of rider set off on a family-friendly 4km ride to the old Haymarket hotel and back (roughly 30 minutes return)
• 12:00pm (until 3:00pm) – Post-ride celebration begins at Replants including live music, a slow bike race and an open mic Bike-u (or Bike Haiku).

For an example of Bike Haiku, here’s one I made up quickly inspired by our current weather:

Satellite spokes spinning

throwing dew drops at my course

cold, brisk morning ride

For more Bike Haiku inspiration and explanation, you can visit here.

There will be BBQ facilities available for lunch at Replants, so feel free to BYO bbq food. Alternatively, please bring food to share with others.

Feel free to invite friends and family – anyone who will enjoy the occasion!

We really want this to be as closer to a zero-waste event as possible, so please do not bring any disposable plastic, glass or aluminium. In the event that you do, we ask that you take it away with you at the end of the day. Bins will not be provided for anything other than compostable waste.

If you’re interested in helping out in anyway on the day, please add a comment below and I’ll get back to you.

Time to install WA 2.0

If you could reboot Western Australia and install an upgrade, what features would you like to see?

This is the question being asked by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, who is aiming at being reelected for a second term at this Federal election.

WA 2.0 is his vision, including fully costed plans, for a better, sustainable Western Australia. This is such a positive, wonderful vision for our state and I urge everyone to take a look. In contrast to the negative politics and pork-barrelling spend-a-thons that I hear people complaining about, this is the sort of thing we should be expecting – or demanding – from politics.

This Saturday at Replants, there will be a workshop showcasing Scott’s the plan, asking our community to share in a positive vision for Western Australia and exploring how we can take some responsibility for making this change.

After the workshop, a few local bands will be performing (including the first gig for the band I’ve been playing in!) and then everyone is invited to hang by the Replants fire to jam songs and ideas.

If you want to attend the workshop, there is food available for $10 and you;re asked to bring something sweet to share.

Crazy times this Friday!

There are two events on or near Wray Avenue on Friday – but don’t let the rain keep you away!

The first is Ecoburbia‘s film at Replants, which is a second attempt to show the documentary The Queen of Versailles. For those that weren’t there last month, Shani discovered the disk was cracked just before the screening and had to substitute the (very good) Clean Bin Project at late notice. She has tracked down another copy and will be showing it this week.

There is a pot luck dinner at 6pm and the film starts at 7pm. There is a fee – usually $10 to cover the venue hire and such things.

Also on Friday is Boom Box Bike’s latest Polyester Prom themed bike mashup party which is starting very near to Wray (head to the music).

With live DJs using a portable, bike-transported decks and stereo system, the idea is to move en masse by cycle (or foot or skates) from one secret location to another throughout the evening in a huge progressive dance party. Cars are outlawed of course and all locations are in public space.

When I go, I usually hang back and do a quick site clean up – which is normally not very much as personal responsibility for litter and respect for the public space is very much promoted by Boom Box Bike.

I’ll be doing this on Friday as it’s basically in my backyard and I don’t want the organisers to face any local opposition should they want to start it here again as I think its an incredible event.

Boom Box Bike ask for $10 to cover their equipment and time. They’ll pass a bucket around during the evening. Pay it – it’s well worth it!

Speak out against Melissa Parke

I don’t think I’m the only one on Wray Avenue who has been really disappointed in Melissa Parke over her support for the Government’s plan on asylum seekers (and yes, I’m sure there are some who think her position is fine, and other who think it doesn’t go far enough).

I have had a few people ask me if there is anything happening on Wray Avenue outside Melissa Parke’s office. It has happened before and looks like it is happening again.

This just came up on my Facebook feed:

The text reads:

“Thursday, 15 August, at 4 pm join us in front of Melissa Parke’s Fremantle office to demonstrate community opposition to the PNG “solution” and Ms Parkes’ support for abandonment of the refugee convention.

We will be delivering copies of petitions we have been gathering signatures on opposing the off shore processing of asylum seekers.

The action will be held at Ms Parke’s office, 62 Wray Avenue, Fremantle.

Register YOUR disgust at: Melissa.parke@aph.gov.au”

There was a protest organised a few years back which went really well (which I wrote about here).

Quite aside from my personal beliefs about how we, as a society, should respond to asylum seekers, to me there is a bigger issue here. For me, the issue with the Government’s plan, and my problem with Melissa Parke’s support for it, is a failure to show integrity in upholding, both in practice and in spirit, a international convention our nation helped to draft and sign into law. Our signing the Convention on the Rights of the Refugee is a truly noble gesture that we should celebrate as a great act, not look to modify or ‘reimagine’ to suit political ends.

Much of the debate I’ve seen and read seems to suggests the Government’s plan may not even be legally defensible; I’m not a lawyer though, much less one experienced in international law.

Fremantle is the only real politically-left Federal seat in Western Australia and I think it’s constituents deserve better – especially since they are often promised better by candidates, incumbent or otherwise.

Despite Ms Parke’s reasonable defence of her position recently in The Fremantle Herald, I’m not convinced she is right and plan to add my voice of protest on Thursday.