Jrs V07 I33

JRS VOLUME #7; ISSUE #33

JRS/7.33/06.06.03

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At 79 days until Burning Man, this may be the busiest and most intense time many of us have seen in our BMHQ history. We put Maid Marian and Larry Harvey on a plane to the UK yesterday for Larry’s appearance at Oxford University this coming Tuesday… at the same time, the wheels were in motion as Black Rock City LLC prepared to file a lawsuit today against Washoe County and its Commissioners in the latest installment of the Black Rock Station permit saga. The full information on this lawsuit is below, along with a repeat of the information on how you (yes, you) can help in this effort.

If that weren’t ENOUGH gigantic news, the list of 2003 theme art is ready to be unveiled, there’s more info on bikes than you can shake a pedal at, and we’ve got fun invitations to great June events, including Greeter training in LA on the 21st, an SF the Temple of Atonement fundie, a Taiwan Burner get-together, and the annual Health and Harmony festival in the North Bay next weekend.

And once again, please don’t fret: Burning Man is happening in 2003!

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BLACK ROCK CITY NEWS:
– BURNING MAN SUES WASHOE COUNTY
– LARRY HARVEY IN THE UK – EVENT INFO
– “BEYOND BELIEF” THEME ART UNVEILED
– VALUE YOUR VELOCIPEDE
– ADDRESSING THE ISSUE

PARTICIPATE:
– GREETER TRAINING IN LA – 6/21
– GET A BIKE IN NEVADA
– GET YOUR FREQUENT PLAYA MILES

REGIONALS CORNER:
– REGIONAL GATHERING IN TAIWAN

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
– “PLAYA BOUND” IN SF – TOA 6/27
– HEALTH AND HARMONY FESTIVAL IN SANTA ROSA, CA 6/14-6/15

ON AND OFF THIS HERE LIST

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BURNING MAN SUES WASHOE COUNTY

The phones have been ringing off the hook since our last Jack Rabbit Speaks sent out a Call for Help. Heartfelt thanks go out to burners worldwide for their support, letter-writing, promises to attend the June 10 meeting, and good humor – it makes all the difference! We really appreciate your enthusiasm and support.

Before we give you the update on the situation, just a reminder- there is NO THREAT of Burning Man 2003 being cancelled, postponed, or otherwise affected. Tell your friends. We’re hopeful that no one shall become unnecessarily discouraged in any playa plans this year. Burn, baby, burn!

We wanted to alert everyone that we were in the unfortunate position of needing to file a lawsuit against the Washoe County Board of Supervisors and Washoe County in order to avoid penalties related to the four Special Use permits we were denied. So, today, June 6, we did. A press release with our “official” words related to the lawsuit and our goals can be found at burningman.com/media/doc/pdf/press_releases/press_release_06062003.pdf.

If you’re wondering why the heck we’re in this predicament in the first place, the fact is that we’re rather surprised ourselves. Our opinion is that the appeal document is filled with anecdotal information and conjecture. Unfortunately, the Commissioners voted to uphold it, which was a bit of a curve ball, in the face of strong public and expert testimony. (We’re working now to get an electronic copy of the appeal for your perusal. Right now it’s supposed to be linked from the agenda from May 13 in an embedded link, but we’ve been unable to get it to work, and the nice folks at the Clerk’s office haven’t been able to provide any additional information just yet. You can find the May 13, 2003 agenda at 2003Agendas. We’ll post it as soon as we have information.)

And, if you missed it last time, here again is how you can help:

— Come Join Us Tuesday, June 10, in Reno, NV at the Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting
We’re planning a show of strength at the next Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting, being held June 10 in Reno at 2:00 PM – try to be there by 1:30. Each meeting starts with an opportunity for public comment; each speaker gets three minutes to share with the Commissioners their opinions on any topic that is NOT on that night’s agenda.

You don’t need to be from Washoe County or even Nevada to speak – our goal is to get as many Burners as possible there to show the Commissioners the importance of Burning Man to the financial and cultural sustainability of the area. So, grab your friends from your theme camp and carpool out to Reno. It will be a blast! If you’re planning to attend, email rae so we can have an idea of the expected turnout and send out updates if we have them.

Meeting Details:
Tuesday, June 10
2:00 PM – try to show up at 1:30
Washoe County Commissioners Chambers
1001 E. 9th Street
Reno, NV
Map: makeashorterlink.com/?E2C625B74
Exit off of 80 in Reno at Wells (Exit #14) and head North. Make a right on 9th and a left into the Washoe County offices’ parking lot.

What to say at the meeting:

We want the Commissioners to reconsider their decision. The outcome we desire at Tuesday’s meeting is twofold:
— The Board should suspend their normal rules and reconsider the decision to uphold the appeal
— The reconsideration should be placed on the regular agenda for the next meeting

Come prepared to let the board know that public opinion on this issue strongly supports rejecting the appeal. If you write a letter to the editor of the Reno Gazette Journal (see below), you might want to simply read your letter outlining your points. The board needs to be reminded of the financial and cultural impact of Burning Man. We don’t want to leave Washoe County, but there are other counties who have expressed interest in welcoming Burning Man instead. This would be a major economic loss to Washoe County, and the Board should be reminded of this fact.

Another valuable contribution can be made by those not within driving distance of the meeting:

— Write a Letter to the Editor of the Reno Gazette-Journal We’re also playing this game in the court of public opinion, and that includes the media. Again, we’re hoping to show Washoe County residents that Burners are important contributors to their area – particularly in the financial realm. So, tell the Gazette-Journal your tales of the amount of money you spend in Nevada on your way to the event, how many times you’ve returned to the area because of being introduced to it by Burning Man, and any other ways that you have positively contributed to their County.

Letters are limited to 200 words and submissions that are considered potentially libelous will not be published, so keep to the facts and keep it short. Please include all of your accurate contact information (no playa names for this purpose, please!)

Information on submitting letters electronically is available at rgj.com…letter_to_editor.php or you can also fax your letter to the editor at 775-788-6458 or send it by USPS to Reno Gazette-Journal, Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 22000, Reno, NV 89520.

Even if your letter does not get printed, the Gazette-Journal keeps a tally of the number of letters received for and against issues, and publishes that data on a weekly basis.

We appreciate very much everyone’s patience and effort on this important issue! Stay tuned for more information!

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LARRY HARVEY AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY

We promised you more information on Larry Harvey’s speech at Oxford University next Tuesday, June 10 – here’s the full skinny:

Larry Harvey at Oxford Union
Tuesday, June 10, 2003 – 8:30 PM

Event details:

oxford-union.org…event_id=163

Don’t forget that Larry and Maid Marian will meet and greet UK Burners at a special event this Saturday night:

Location: Parker Place (Off Kingsway). 51 Parker Street. London. WC2B 5PS Time: 7:30 till late. Maid Marian and Larry Harvey will arrive at 9 PM. Attire: Dress Up in anything Playa-friendly!

There may be a cap on the number of people we can get into the venue. Map thingy: makeashorterlink.com/?O340237D4

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“BEYOND BELIEF” THEME ART UNVEILED

The art department is very pleased to announce the 2003 Beyond Belief theme art projects:
burningman.com…03_art_theme.html
These are the projects for which we’ve received art questionnaires so far. You may continue submitting projects right up until the event, and unregistered artists may go to the Artery in Center Camp to register and get mapped.

The 2002 theme art listings are part of an ongoing archiving of all Burning Man art installations. This online archive is designed not only to present a public record of art on the playa, but also to help you identify artists and installations. If you need to contact an artist or name an installation, just go to the listings for that year and look through them – all of our listings now have images. These listings are found in the sidebar of the following sections of our website:

Theme camps:
burningman.com/themecamps/
Art Installations:
burningman.com/installations/
Art of Burning Man: burningman.com/art_of_burningman.
Just scroll down the sidebar to Also See: and you’ll find the archives.

Find the artists you loved last year and see what they’re up to for 2003!

LadyBee
Curator

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VALUE YOUR VELOCIPEDE

Pedaling along the playa is indeed one of the best ways to enjoy the magical sights and sounds of Black Rock City. But over the last couple of years, BIKES have caused a bit of post-Burning Man depression–and in all the wrong ways. So, in an ongoing effort to bring our fellow BRC residents up to speed on the latest happenings and to inspire us all to think about what it takes to “wheel and deal” in the desert, we’ll be sharing a few bike-related “pieces and parts”” over the next few issues of the JRS.

We begin with the unfortunate truth: Every year, more and more bikes “go missing” at Burning Man. Perhaps even worse are the ones left behind as MOOP (almost 300 last year!), littering our lovely Black Rock City with corrosion and disrespect. Bicycles left on the playa are nothing more than garbage that must be collected and disposed of by volunteers.

In the past, BRC staff has tried to reunite lost bikes with their owners, but efforts have proven fruitless and require too much time, energy, and resources to continue. So this year, please be warned: Unclaimed bikes will go to art projects, bike projects or, most probably, make a one-way trip to the dump.

Hence, Black Rock citizens, we beseech you: If you bring a bike, BRING A LOCK. More importantly, USE IT. Please. You’ll be doing both yourself and the city a favor if you take personal responsibility for your mighty steeds of steel.

Coming up: Put several BRC experts in one room and what do you get? Bike Tips for Burners! Stay tuned to the next issue of the JRS!

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ADDRESSING THE ISSUE

One more suggestion from Silent Wolf: If you do put your camp information (or other contact info i.e. your email address) on your bike, “you can put it in a plastic zip-lock bag, and then put it in the seat post tube. Not only will it be easy to find but also it will be out of sight and protected from getting wet.”

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GREETER TRAINING
JUNE 21ST
LOS ANGELES
2 PM

Los Angeles Pot Luck Training: Greeters want to thank those that have participated, and invite those who want to give Greeting a try. Please join us at our Pot Luck/ Training meeting in Los Angeles on June 21st at 2pm. Bring munchies and we’ll bring the beer and soda.

We will be graciously hosted by Marcy at AbundantSugar, 618A Moulton. For directions see abundantsugar.com/directions.html

Be sure to note the special parking instructions; parking is abundant on the street. See ya there!

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GET A BIKE IN NEVADA WHEN YOU LAND

Da Rat (who collects and refurbishes bikes all year to offer them to burners for pickup on the way to Black Rock City) is back!

“To those of you who have asked and not heard back from me, yes, Da Rat’s bikes will be taking reservations for bikes again this year. In an attempt to get more bikes into the hands of Burners coming in from distant places, reservations will be limited from June 1st to July 31st to people coming in from at least 1,000 miles from Reno, or from outside the U.S. On August 1st, reservations will be taken from any Burner as usual.
For reservations or info, contact me at nv_desert_rat.
Thanks!”

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GET YOUR FREQUENT PLAYA MILES

This note from the CEO of Playa Air, the playa’s only short hop airline:

“Last year we offered point to point charter service across the playa to all comers. This year we’ll again be getting our kicks by acting as public transport. We’re hoping to run 24/7 instead of just whenever we’re awake, so we are starting to take reservations.

Playa Air invites you to visit the corporate web site, playa-air.com, to learn more. You can book a flight, charter the whole aircraft with crew for special excursions, or even apply for a job in the careers section. Playa Air is accepting applications for both in flight and ground crew staff.

Thanks.”

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=========REGIONALS CORNER=========
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ANNOUNCING NEW REGIONAL GROUP IN TAIWAN

Calling all burners in Taiwan!

SARS hysteria getting you down? Come burn it all away! Burning Yam, Taiwan’s regional, is preparing a weekend beach burn with a local twist in late July. This will be a first for Taiwan!

Please get in touch if you’re in Taiwan and interested. If you’d care to perform or plan any activities, we will shower you with betelnuts and yams. We’d also love to hear from people with construction, building, design, or local organizing experience. E-mail ian@theory.org.

Watch this space for the official creation of the Taiwan regional group!

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PLAYA BOUND
JUNE 27TH
SAN FRANCISCO

The Temple of Atonement, Along with Camp Arachnid and Wicked City present “Playa Bound”: A camp fundraiser and party to get you in the desert-minded mood.

Diamond Hall, 2246 Jerrold Ave (at Barneveld), San Francisco; 18+ welcome, 21+ to drink. Admission $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

For more information including how to purchase tickets visit templeofatonement.org.

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HEALTH AND HARMONY FESTIVAL
SANTA ROSA, CA
JUNE 14-15TH

There will be a strong burner presence at the 25th Annual Health and Harmony Festival at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa next weekend, June 14-15. Sign up to volunteer and get in free!

For more information and full event listings: harmonyfestival.com.

Saturday night of the Festival will see the Techno Tribal Community Dance with community veterans Lost at Last, and many more. For more information on this event at the Santa Rosa Veterans Building see mysticbeatlounge.com.

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{Soundtrack to the JRS: Turbonegro, “Ass Cobra”.}

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