SATURDAY, JUNE 5TH:

10 AM - NOON: HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING with Delyla from the permibus, 1151 E. Johnson Street, the big red house on the corner of Few and E. Johnson.

NOON - 1 PM Lunch break. The Willy Street Co-op is nearby, but you are on your own for lunch on this day!

1 PM - 2:30 PM MEDIA WORKING GROUP TRAINING with Delyla and Steve Mikesell of WORT, 89.9 FM, 1151 E. Johnson St.

2:30 - 5:30 PM "Pack-It and Tune-It!" Git yer bike ready workshop with Clint, 1151 E. Johnson St.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9TH:

7 PM - 9 PM RIDER ORIENTATION WITH BOI, THISTLE AND THE ELEMENTS COLLECTIVE:
All riders with the Grassroutes Caravan are required to attend this important orientation where we will discuss the points of agreement, and give the ride guide to each rider with the itinerary and directions for the whole ride. call: 608 316 5822 with questions.

Here are the current Points of Agreement for our ride. Please read them carefully before the orientation and be ready to make additions and subtractions before we all sign-off on them on June 9th.

Points of Agreement

1. We strive to build solidarity and trust. We will intentionally create positive, supportive relationships with each other in the spirit of play and cooperation.

2. We will respect our hosts along the route, showing thanks through responsible clean-up, water-use, and land-use.

3. There will be children on this ride. We will be mindful of appropriate behavior and pitch in to help create a safe place for children and their parents.

4. Ride logistics (food, water, housing, etc.) will be handled by the Elements Collective.

5. We encourage participation and feedback by all riders in decision-making processes, with full awareness that final decisions are made by Elements Collective.

6. We understand that the Elements Collective is not responsible for lost or stolen items or personal injury.

7. For the safety of our riders, we will follow all the rules of the road.

8. This is a non-violent ride—no weapons and no property destruction.

9. Respect everyone’s right to express their identity in a safe space. As a village, we will celebrate differences and will not tolerate discrimination or oppression.

10. All riders have read and agreed to our Sexual Assault Policy. (READ!)

11. The ride is a sober space—no excessive use of alcohol and drugs.

12. No individual or collective within the larger village can shut down anyone's media participation. If you do not want your face, name or image associated with mainstream commercial media, take care not to be visible if and when they come onto the scene. We can't control outside media, so if you don't want to be part of it, you should decline your own participation.

13. Breech in any of these agreements may be cause for dismissal as decided upon by the Elements Collective.

I have read and understand the above points of agreement
Signed__________________________ Date__________

Hey all! I'm sitting on the porch at Seth's house, just a few footsteps away from the Permi-bus! Delyla and I had a great chat today about the route, and unloading some of the food that got donated for our ride. They might even be able to bring their three chickens on the ride.

They're conducting a medic training Friday 5/28 through Sunday 5/30 at 1459 E. Main St. in Madison. For more details or to register, contact info@madcwc.org.

I am also pleased to announce our new (and final!) route changes for the caravan!!! We're really excited about these new hosts and look forward to sharing our time and work and creativity together.

In Grand Rapids, we'll now be staying at the Blandford Nature Center, a 143 acre haven within the city limits. Through offering educational programs and community events they empower the community with personal experiences in nature.

The next day, between Grand Rapids and Lansing, we'll be staying at the Leaven Center in Lyons, MI. The Leaven Center is a retreat and study center for people engaged in movements for social change. Meditative walking paths wind through meadows, woods, and alongside the Grand River, where we'll be biking along for much the ride.

This means some good news for the caravan -- our longest ride of the caravan will be a much more manageable 60 miles! So if you've been thinking about coming, but weren't relishing the thought of an 80 mile day, shoot us an email at grassroutescaravan@gmail.com. There is still a possibility of joining the caravan, if you contact us ASAP.

4 - 4:15 Welcome to the Event by members of the Elements Collective.

4:15 - 5 PM: Corey Hart, eclectic blend of folk, rock and a little bit of soul.

5:00 - 5:30 The Raging Grannies, a group of ladies who sing about peace and justice changing the lyrics of popular songs.

5:30 - 6:30 Thistle and the Thorns, spiked folk music sparking revolt.

6:30 - 6:45 Members of the Elements Collective give a pitch for the ride and for Groundwork getting people out to the US Social Forum.

6:45 - 7:30 Layfigure, avant garde, electronic rock.

7:30 - 7:45 Ceremonious smashing of the SUV pinata.

7:45 - 8:30 Tani and the Malian Blues Band.

8:30 - 10 PM Taki Allstars, dub reggae.

There may be a skit by the Clandestine, Insurgent, Rebel Clown Army somewhere in there too!!!

This past weekend, Abby and I rented a car, jumped in it after her final exam and after my work shift on Friday evening, drove to Milwaukee and met with folks there about where the village will stay and what we will do to promote resilience in Milwaukee. We met with James Godsil of Sweet Water, got a tour of that amazing place and talked about setting up camp at Reservoir Park.

On Saturday morning, we drove through Chicago and then up to Trillium Haven Farm and met with Anja, our host for two nights in the Grand Rapids area. The Farm is beautiful, with lots of opportunities for us to help out. Anja let us know that we would be setting up camp in a conservative part of Michigan and that our variety show could be attended by people who will be very impacted by our vision of bicycles, gardening and do-it-yourself fun. They have a great place for us to camp with grills for cooking out, a giant fire pit for a bonfire and a stage for performance, and they'll be inviting their 1000 CSA members to take part. We also met with members of the Bloom Collective and plan to do a discussion group/performance in the city in addition to our more rural stay at the farm.

On Saturday night, we met with our hosts in East Lansing and they told us about the block party they are planning to coincide with our arrival in that fair city. We will be staying in some abandoned lots there and engaging with the urban setting. On Sunday, we met with Terry Kelly of Tall Trees Community Farm and talked about the Solstice celebration he and his cohorts are planning that we will take part in. It looks like our work project there will be to help build a cob composting toilet! Tall Trees is far less developed than Trillium, so will provide a good contrast and an opportunity to have an impact on the lay of the land. It is a quiet, wooded area that will be relaxing before going into the city of Detroit. Pontiac Recreation Area is a short four miles away with swimming and trails. We have the option of staying three nights at Tall Trees before biking into Detroit, our final destination, for the social forum.

Hi! My name is Tops, and I helped to organize the GrassRoutes Caravan to St. Paul in 2008. Although I'm not organizing this year's ride, I'm very excited to bike along with the village for a few days. Unfortunately, my bike mechanic job doesn't allow me too many days off during the height of bike season, so I'll only be joining you to Milwaukee. If any other riders are thinking about a long weekend ride (instead of the two-week commitment), I invite you to return to Madison with me June 13th and 14th, after our two-night stay in Milwaukee. I've already booked a group campsite June 13th outside of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, just off of the Glacial Drumlin Trail. I wonder how many folks will join our mini-village home, as we need to figure out meal logistics for the two-day journey sans food support. If you're interested in the return trip, please email me at thebestsarah@gmail.com, or you call me at the Madison Infoshop at 608-262-9036.

~ Tops