News of Twin Oaks
As of 2016 our news stories are now appearing only on our public Facebook page.
An article titled "Virginia Community Practices Grassroots Participatory Democracy" was published on the US State Department website. See just the text of the article here. [1-Oct-2007]
At the request of one our ex-members, (hi Samadhi!) we have posted several recipes that have proved popular here over the years. Be advised--they are to-scale, so invite over 100 of your closest friends, and get cooking! [Posted 15-Nov-2007]
New member Calliope's mother Nancy visited us recently. Nancy is the oldest woman to through-hike the Appalachian Trail (according to AT Club records), finishing in 2007 at age 71. They are pictured here (Nancy on the left). [Posted 29-Apr-2008.]
It's not "Dancing with the Stars", but we were treated to a performance by ex-member Tall Todd (Marsden) visiting with his partner Susanna L. Hardt. They perform Ballroom and Latin dancing professionally, and just were awarded best combined score in their age bracket in the US National DanceSport championships in Baltimore MD. http://www.toddandsuzie.com/ [Posted 11-Apr-2008]
We enjoyed the tunes of Kimya Dawson, who performed live at the Oaks in Zhankoye on January 24. Kimya's music is featured in the 2007 film Juno. [Posted 26-jan-2008]
In October, one couple here (Robert & Thea) held their wedding ceremony at Twin Oaks. Approximately 100 friends (many ex-members) and relatives joined us in celebrating their , and with so many people present, the event had a family-re flavor. We processed through the woods to a local church for the exchange of vows and rings, and headed back home for the outdoor reception, complete with live music and dancing. [Posted 23-Oct-2007]
Twin Oaks: June 16, 1967 to June 16, 2007. Activities included a contra dance, slide show from decades past, a Twin Oaks theatre performance, unveiling of a 40th Anniversary quilt, planting of a peace pole, a special guest appearance by founder Kat Kinkade, and of course lots of catching up with folks who hadn't seen each other for a loooong time. An ex-member brought some photos from the very early days of Twin Oaks, the first year or two of our existence. Folk dancing and VW vans included! 40th Anniversary photos here. [posted 17-Jun-2007.]
Recently published articles by Twin Oakers.
• "More Changes at Twin Oaks: 40 years and Counting....." about long term members leaving, by Valerie. Slated to appear in the Spring 2007 ICSA bulletin.
• "Financial Security vs. Community Freedom" about Twin Oaks stopping making hammocks for Pier 1 Imports, by Tom Freeman. It will appear in the spring 2007 issue of Communities magazine. [1-Feb-2007]
• "Aging in Community" about elders living at Twin Oaks, by Valerie LivingWater. It will appear in the spring 2007 of Contraste, an alternative publication in Cologne, Germany.
[1-Feb-2007]
In mid-November, we discovered a bobcat that was killing some of our free-range chickens. We trapped it live and uninjured and released it into a more natural/wildlife area far from us. Here is the picture of it immediately after we captured it. [posted 27-Nov-2006]