Goodbye Fair Grinds owners and thank you

Today is the end of an era. A neighborhood era, and one of my personal eras too.
The day of the sale of the Fair Grinds Coffeehouse has come.

I remember when I met Robert and Elizabeth, sitting outside the empty shell of what we had started calling "the nacho cheese and stale donut place" which inhabited the building before they bought it. The True Brew that had been there a few years before had found new owners after it had closed and those owners had quickly devolved it to the point where the owners simply taped a donut box to the window to show the type of products they carried.
Needless to say, I had stopped going.
When I walked by and Robert said hello I stopped to talk and started a conversation with the two of them that has continued for over 10 years now. They explained patiently what they had probably explained at least 20 times that night-that they had bought the building and wanted to know what the neighbors wanted to put in there. (long story made short, neighbors overwhelmingly wanted a good coffeehouse.)
I bonded quickly with Robert over 3rd places and social cohesion strategies and politics then later with Elizabeth over books and people watching and history. Their love of their adopted city was profound, anyone could see that. They had traveled widely and experienced much and loved to share what they knew. Those things became the next bonding.

When it opened, I was there that day, ordering Morrocan mint tea which had been recommended by Elizabeth. I knew this was a special place. I did not know that day however, how much it would come to define my neighborhood and my personal circle.
The evolution of my taste for good coffee and tea began that first day and continues with the baristas to this day. Baristas like Jordan and Lawrence (among many others) who also defined the place in their time with their wit and knowledge. Now, I have Lee and Eric to continue the tradition with more names to come...
I actually did some work for the place in the early days, doing data entry for Elizabeth and I really enjoyed it. Would have loved to have stayed on doing it, but my full-time job began to take over and so I became only a customer and a friend.
I made many friends through the place and had a larger number of friendly interactions with neighbors. I watched some drama unfold and saw some losses be absorbed by people while there. Katrina was a bad milestone for all of us here, but for people in MidCity we had a respite and a place to gather your emotions or supplies or people to go back and finish the cleaning. I am sure the entire downtown owes Fair Grinds thanks for recovery. When you can find support nearby, you move more quickly to a positive result.
Over the years, I worried about my friends who were working every available minute and using all of their resources to build their business. I worried about their health and the future of a social justice business model in a corporate world. I still worry, but am glad to see the next owners were attracted to the mission rather than just the profit part of the business. That tells me (and hopefully tells Robert and Elizabeth) that their work will continue.
The number of neighborhood projects, business ideas, national and international movements that have been directly supported there cannot be counted. It's too lengthy. The number of people who made a true connection can also not be counted. It multiplied past everyday numbers years ago..
I can remember so many moments now that I have shared because of that first one that evening 10 years ago when I stopped to talk to 2 people on a bench. I thank them for all of them and look forward to sharing new ones with them as fellow customers and friends.
Thank you Robert and Elizabeth.

Fair trade for sale

Dear Friends, Customers and Supporters;

I am writing you with some news which I felt you deserved to hear from me.

For almost ten years my wife and I have owned and operated Fair Grinds Coffeehouse. The experience has been a unique one and certainly memorable for us filled with a lot of special and wonderful moments. I especially cherish the friendships we have made during those years and am proud of the role you helped us play in the community.

Lately, however my resolve to sustain the business against financial and operational challenges has faltered. My energy levels are not sufficient for the recent requirements of a small business. We are still suffering from issues originating with Katrina, and face new problems from the present economy. It has become obvious to us that the time has come to let another owner try their hand at a business in that location.

I can never thank those enough who have helped us survive for so long. Generous support from my customers has been sincerely appreciated and is the source of my greatest regret that this decision has caused.

Ideally Fair Grinds could continue under new ownership with new energy and reorganized business strategies. We are selling both the building and the business and have engaged our friend Mark Herman (504 495-0474) as our realtor. It is hoped persons interested it purchase details would contact him.

Of course, operations will precede as normal until such time as there is a buyer and hopefully after that. I will try to keep all informed of changes as they may occur.

Thank you one and all, once again.

Robert and Elizabeth Thompson
Fair Grinds Coffeehouse

www.fairgrinds.com

Bicycle parking is under threat

Fair Grinds Coffeehouse in MidCity is being told by NOPD that they must be move their "obstructionist" bike rack which takes up less than 1 car length parking spot and allows up to 10 riders to park while shopping in any of the surrounding stores/restaurants.
People should send support to Robert and Elizabeth and also tell their city council to give him a commendation for encouraging riding.While not even reducing the parking (he measured the block and found that the space allowed for a certain number of cars with 10 feet left over). Do your bit to speak up.

City Council

From Fair Grinds Coffeehouse....

You may have already received info about this in our newsletter, but I think this group deserves a special notice to people sharing a concern for matters environmental. This discussion group has not been given a fair chance at a start, yet has so much potential.

My recent garbage war and recycling nightmare is just one story in the naked city of environmental crisis. We need this kind of discussion group to think new ways to accomplish waste management responsibly in this economy.

Though few have yet attended, we have had some great discussion from innovative persons already.

I know Jazz Fest craziness is on us, and this is short notice, but I think this is too important a discussion not to have. Join us please:

Tuesday April 21, 6:30pm-7:30pm LESS WASTE, MORE LIFE DISCUSSION GROUP- This Simple Circle Discussion Group is a time to share and discuss your ideas and concerns regarding waste, landfills, methods to reduce, reuse & recycle, the pros & cons of recycling, when to purge or downsize, and local reuse/recycling resources. For more information, please contact Karen Kempf, The Green Project's Environmental Education Coordinator, at kkempf@thegreenproject.org or 504-945-0240.

Small is Beautiful is cancelled for tonight

due to holiday flu, tonight's meeting will be cancelled. January dates to be discussed via email. Do email me directly if anyone wants to be taken off
this list of event announcements, or if someone has ideas for Uptown locations for group to meet.

We will work to schedule for second Tuesday or Thursday of every month for 2009.

Small is Beautiful Tuesday at 5:45 pm

Small is Beautiful study/discussion group
Tuesday, December 30, 5:45 pm
Fair Grinds Coffeehouse
(Other alternating locations will be considerately considered)

E.F. Schumacher:
“Infinite growth of material consumption in a finite world is an impossibility.”

Jane Jacobs:
... city areas with flourishing diversity sprout strange and unpredictable uses and peculiar scenes. But this is not a drawback of diversity. This is the point ... of it.


We discuss, read and dilly-dally about possibilities of the proper scale and use of resources in a regional economy.
All welcome, but argumentative participants ignored after hints.

Readings available on: www.smallisbeautiful.org

December: land trusts discussed
January: currency presentation of The Crescent, available at Crescent City Farmers Market

Information about group linked from and discussions tolerated at:
http://neworleanscanthrive.blogspot.com

Small is Beautiful coffee and talk

I will be anchoring the Christmas Day coffee counter for Fair Grinds stalwarts (whereas owners Robert and Elizabeth graciously open the door and brew coffee to give away all day. As there is no staff, they welcome volunteers like me to help and then donate all of the offered tips to whatever non-profit the volunteers want. cool, huh? another example of local, owner-operated decision making).

The Small is Beautiful copy fund will be the recipient this year. I will be there all am and will have some info for people to read and pick up to take home and read about the issues we talk about in our study group monthly; come by if you like to say hello or talk, but let's try to schedule Tuesday 12/30 for the next study group at 5:45 pm at FG.


Dar

Small is Beautiful Fair Grinds meeting details

I think the land trust issue is one we could (and maybe should stay on) for a few more meetings. I hope we can meet in mid December, if the middle Wednesday works for some/most/ let's do it (at 5:45 again?).
Fair Grinds again is best for now, until we find another Uptown location. But let me thank Robert (and Elizabeth for being on call for Robert while he was in the meeting) for the use of their place once again; we love coming, we just want to make sure that our Uptown friends don't have to travel so far every meeting!
To clarify a point from last night:
land trusts are not a non-taxable entity usually; the way many of them work is to BUY the land from the city or the seller (so the city makes money whether its a developer or a land trust) and then-from money raised among members and earned income from rent on land trusts or sale of right of use to make improvements- the land trust has money to make tax payments if needed.
Sometimes, innovative assessors see the value of the land trust and reduces the tax burden as they understand that to assess a non-sellable asset is a little crazy, but mostly, land trusts continue to pay assessments as a property owner as anyone else would.
This is the main reason why people do not need to fear working with their city or town government on these; there is no special deal being asked and it is a well traveled legal road already.

The argument that this is a all or nothing argument is interesting (the idea of large pieces of land being made land trusts at once), because I think what I have seen is land trusts work best when in mixed use areas, with smart development happening around them and for a variety of uses, like affordable rental property, farmland preservation and wildlife and natural habitats.

Let's continue this conversation and I will make some copies of land trusts from other places for the next meeting.