A rural retreat center where meaningful events inform creative lives...Dedicated to sustainability...A place where innovation can flourish...We invite you to enjoy the space!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

La Voz Lenca Presentation this Sunday

Honduran Solidarity Radio Project Informational Presentation
with musical assistance from Andy Assad

Find out about the huge cooperative effort behind AM radio station La Voz Lenca in La Esperanza, Honduras...

When: This coming Sunday, October 24th, 2:30 p.m.
Where: The Urbana Free Library Auditorium
What: Bill Taylor will be showing a short video about the construction of the station, followed by refreshments.
Sponsored by: The PRIMARY COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT, a locally based, non-profit organization.
La Voz Lenca is a sister station to WRFU, Radio Free Urbana in the Independent Media Center, the IMC, in downtown Urbana

The Voice of the Indigenous Lenca People of Western Honduras. La Voz Lenca is one of only three high power AM radio stations in this hemisphere wholly owned and operated by indigenous people. It presents the Lenca's positions on national and local issues, educates, entertains and advocates for underserved people in its region of service. It was built in 2007 with a massive cooperative effort between the Lencas and international solidarity from community media advocacy supporters in Mexico and right here in Illinois as well as businesses which contributed equipment for the construction. Bill Taylor is heading back to Honduras in a few weeks to help install equipment upgrades.

Come to find out more about the project and to find out how you can get involved!

If you'd like to help out with this event or would like more information, call Bill Taylor at 217 649-9085 or email bill@radiopcp.org. We would greatly appreciate it if you would forward this email to other lists and to any of your contacts who might be interested.

This program is not sponsored by the Urbana Free Library.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

LAST WORK PARTY OF THE YEAR 10/10/10...

LAST WORK PARTY OF THE YEAR 10/10/10...
...And pretty much you last chance to luxuriate in (or at least pick) a plethora of autumn olive berries...Marauding robins will soon be arriving in hordes to deplete the crop.

But anyways...back to the work party...
It's Sunday 10/10/10 Starting at around 9:30 and finishing up around dark. Come out when you can and stay as long as you want! Refreshments and snacks provided, but feel free to bring something to augment our larder.

We've made lots of progress on getting the decrepit windows fixed and painted, so we'll try to get that all finished for winter, plus some of the same work on the house.

One of the first events of spring will be a big concert, needing lots of parking. Little by little, we're clearing out the brush on either side of the road to accommodate lots of diagonal parking...and building huge bonfires in the process.

There's lots of cleaning and other maintenance projects to get ready for winter and for ever!
All skill levels needed! You can even acquire some new skills along the way, and it doesn't you cost a thing!

Call Bill at 217 649-9085 for more info

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Fall Equinox this Saturday

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX CELEBRATION AT THE KALYX CENTER

Come on out to the Kalyx Center this Saturday evening for fun, food and a huge bonfire to help celebrate the beginning of fall! We're celebrating a few days early this Fall due to the crunch of lots of events later in the month and because the actual equinox falls in the middle of the week, and this notice is a bit late, so spread the word!!


When:

Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010

potluck starts about 6:00
Huge bonfire will be lit about 9:00

Bring:

Your wonderful self
Friends (please extend this invitation to anyone who might be interested)
Food -- enough to share...we have wood and charcoal grilles, microwaves, other kitchen stuff
Music -- Instruments, CD's, or your voice.
long pants and shoes for walking around


** The peak of the Autumn Olive season is right now. They’re all over the Kalyx Center land. They’re invasive, but also their berries are very good for your health. Check out this link (with thanks to Shameem Rakha.)
http://www.psa-rising.com/eatingwell/wild-foods/autumnolive.htm
If you’d like to pick lots of berries, come out early on Saturday afternoon. They’re free and healthful!

**Mark your calendar -- Urbana Country Dancers will be sponsoring two consecutive nights of fast-moving fall dance with live bands and callers at the Kalyx Barn on Friday and Saturday., October 1st and 2nd.


The Kalyx Center for Sustainability is a non-profit organization which
provides space for creative expression, exploration of innovative ways
of getting things done, meetings, campouts, weddings, exhibits,
concerts and retreats. We invite your suggestions for events!



Directions:

Beware -- Mapquest and some other map sites will get you to the wrong place. The following
Directions are time tested!

From Champaign - Urbana, take Church St, in Champaign westbound onto I-72. (not I-74)
Exit 166..It's the first exit for Monticello (marked "Market St. - IL 105")

Take Market St./IL 105 through two stop LIGHTS to the first stop SIGN. (corner of the ugly County Market)

Turn right onto Marion St., and go to the end (a "T" intersection by a golf course)

Turn left onto Allerton Road, and go about 3 miles, then past Allerton Park, to another "T"

Turn right onto 1300 North Rd. and look for the Kalyx Center sign after about 3/4 mile on the right side of the road


Biking directions or other HELP!

If you get lost or just want more information, call Bill Taylor at 217- 649-9085.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Spiffing up and bountiful harvests

Come on out to a Work Day to get the old barn ready for a thick and fast
succession of cool public events! (watch for upcoming postings)

Sunday, Sept. 12th 9a.m. till dark (Come out any time in there and stay as long as you want.)

We'll be finishing up on painting the barn trim, cleaning up everything for a rapid succession of public events, and doing some bonfire building and creating more space for parking in the process. People with special skills in carpentry, plumbing and painting should let us know in advance, so your skills can be well used. Don't worry if you haven't done things like this before...We'll find a niche for you. We'll provide some snacks and music to keep everyone happy!

Also on Sunday the 12th,

Bonfire Preparedness

There's the classic battle between invading autumn olive and honeysuckle
bushes and space for parking. Heroic warriors wielding laser sabres
(well, machetes and saws) will receive a victory trophy in form of a giant
spire of flame -- the bonfire for the Fall Equinox Celebration on Sat. the 18th (in which, admittedly, everyone can share).

And also, Autumn Olive Harvest and Massacree Festival

So autumn olive is this cool shrub which has lots of red berries
that are very beneficial -- Have anti-occidants and other cool stuff for
healthy bodies -- It's like you eat them and shzam, instant wellness! But
there's kind of a drawback too -- They were promoted a lot by
the Soil Conservation Service years back to rebuild soil -- which they do
for sure -- but, um, there's this other thing -- They just take over!
Make millions of seeds which the birds plant all over -- accch,
invasion!! So why not have a party to pick lots of those berries to
make muffins and juice and compotes, but also cut the shrubs to build a
huge bonfire! (Don't worry -- no danger of wiping out this crop.)
So you can come out and pick all the berries that you want for
free even, and maybe help build a huge, beautiful bonfire as well!
How cool is that?

If you want to take part in the harvest, or the massacree, it's all happening on Sunday the 12th of September as part of the work party

Friday, July 9, 2010

Work Party this Sunday!

Hey folks, The second Sunday of the month is THIS WEEKEND. That's work party time! We have lots of work to do, fixing windows etc. to get ready for a new coat of paint this fall. We'll begin at 9 a.m., and go into the evening, but come whenever and for as long as you want. We'll have snacks and other amenities. Hey, and the power washing of the barn porch paid off...It now looks very handsome in it's new coat of shadow blue stain. [kind of a gray-blue gray] For more info, including car or biking directions, call me at 217 649-9085. Peace, Bill

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Two new events for June

Sunday, June 13th The June workparty! We'll continue fixing up the barn...some painting, some cleaning, brush cutting for the Summer Solstice bonfire (see below). Also...in the break times, there's lots of black raspberries just coming on, maybe even some wild strawberries left. We'll have snacks and music and exciting work opportunities for all skill levels. It all starts at 9 a.m., but you can come at any time and stay as long as you want.

Sunday, June 20th Summer Solstice Celebration! Come help us celebrate the longest day/shortest night. Potluck starts about 6:30 p.m., huge bonfire at around 9:30 (It gets dark late on the solstice.) Bring your friends, bring some food to share, bring your homemade musicbring protective long pants and long sleeved shirts if you want to pick black raspberries...but mainly bring yourself, prepared for fun!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Coming up, two consecutive nights of fun in that old barn...

Friday, April 30th, 6 p.m. -- The Barnstormer Indie Rock tour with Ra Ra Riot, Delta Spirit, Free Energy, Pearly Gate Music and Nathaniel Rateliff. Everyone is welcome!
http://www.last.fm/event/1431117+Daytrotter.com+presents...+Barnstormer+III

Saturday, May 1st -- Urbana Country Dancers' May Day Barn Dance, all welcomed! May Day Celebration at the Kalyx Center 5 p.m. - May Day Celebration activities 6 p.m. - Potluck 7 p.m. - Dance with Mean Lids for the first half, open stage band for the second half at the Kalyx Center 442 E 1300 North Rd Monticello, IL
http://www.urbana-contra.org/sched_summer.html
http://www.urbana-contra.org

Each will have a big bonfire! Check out the links for more info, including admission charges.
These are public events, organized by their respective organizations. Remember the option of the Kalyx Center when looking for an environmentally-conscious place for your next event!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Hey, Something New

Yep, we're finally invigorating this blog as a kind of webpage for the Kalyx Center...with thanks to Maya Bauer and Andy Assad. Look around...There's a new calendar at the bottom, some links, and followers, amongst other stuff. We're even trying to get Google Maps corrected so that it shows the real location of the Kalyx Center. Some pictures are coming soon...stay tuned!