Friends, I have been thinking about the importance of this week with regard to the EcoCenter's Journey. Last year on this very day, we were told by our project manager from the State Coastal Conservancy that our funds via the state were being frozen due to California's fiscal crisis. If you all will recall, the state comptroller issued a freeze for all grantees due to the fact that the legislature had not yet passed a budget and the state coffers were totally empty of cash. This was a very traumatic time for the Ecocenter team for without the critical support of the state's funds we would not have an ecocenter building. We recall also, the plight of so many projects throughout the State of California who have not resumed work due to California's fiscal crisis.
It's amazing how far we have come in the last year since our funds were unfrozen in August.
Since the freeze ended we were able to finish up our framing, put on our roof, and solar panels, install our plumbing and trimwork and the building looks gorgeous. We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season--friends who stuck with us through the freeze, our funders who committed to support us dispite the horror of losing our critical funding source, Moira, Amy, Joan, and Sam from the Coastal Conservancy who offered so much emotional support to us during that time, and most important, also all the contractors and vendors and fellow activists who have shown a steadfast committment to the vision of the EcoCenter/Living Classroom despite all the obstacles we have faced.
Thank you all and our team looks forward to this new year which we hope will be full of abundance and inspiration for us, and for all of our friends working on innovative green projects throughout the state.
We have much to be grateful for this year.
Laurie
