06-11/09 p 01-06 11/9/06 8:01 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume AA, Number 23 November 9, 2006 A Discussion: Planning Gloves Are Off for the Coop’s Future at Fourth Annual General Coordinator Joe Holtz shares his thoughts Peace Fair By Ann Pappert By Hayley Gorenberg azette: As you’re no We need to get as an you sing until was criticized for being terror- doubt aware, with the many members as “ peace becomes the istic. Beneath her soft purple Gopening of Fairway possible to embrace C noise of the planet?” cap and graying dreadlocks, and the expected opening of the idea that the challenged Sonia Sanchez, she punctuated her recitation Whole Foods in the next year Coop is about mak- who lectured, bellowed, and with choruses of “Where are or two, there has been a lot of ing the best food as sang to kick off the keynote discussion among our mem- affordable as possi- ceremonies of Brooklyn Par- bers about the long-term ble to those who ents for Peace’s Fourth Annu- future of the Coop. Who has can least afford it— al Peace Fair by performing the responsibility for long- even if they them- her work, “A Poem for Peace.” term planning at the Coop? selves don’t need to Author, poet and Granny Joe: The seven General worry about price. Peace Brigade activist Coordinators usually have Do they know that Sanchez joined Medea Ben- three meetings a week and their participation jamin, co-founder of Code long-term planning is part of helps make this a Pink and Global Exchange, to these meetings. We have dis- BY KEVIN RYAN PHOTO reality? deliver a keynote plenary, cussed what effect the open- A smiling Joe Holtz speaks affection- We need more “Peaceful Resistance to War” ing of Fairway and Whole ately about the Coop’s future. members to on a day that also featured Foods and perhaps other new embrace the excite- peace-themed music, art, stores might have on the ment of being part workshops, and a peace Coop. So far the Coop is in mislead them about the of this unique cooperative as parade led by the Samba good shape. Regardless of products we carry, something one of the reasons they con- School of Social Justice. who else is providing gro- that is standard marketing tinue their membership. Billed as “A Peace and Justice ceries, we know that the basic practice at many other stores. Long-term issue two: Extravaganza for Adults & way for the Coop to both sur- We are not trying to make improving shopping condi- Kids of All Ages!” this year’s vive and thrive has always money by tricking our mem- tions. We want to improve the Peace Fair—organized by been to keep entering, exiting, Coop members Molly Nolan, These boots help to tell the improving the Coop. checkout and pay- Amy Cohen and Eleanor story. Gazette: What do We need to educate our members who don’t ment systems. Preiss, among others—took you think are the appreciate the beauty and integrity of Long-term issue place on October 22 on the the hands of peace? Where are three most impor- three: improving Brooklyn campus of Long the eyes of peace? Where are tant long-term member-ownership and collective action— working conditions Island University. the children of peace? Where issues for the Coop? which is what the Coop is all about. for members. This are the tongues of peace?” Joe: The top three would include better Rousing Speeches She ranged from the his- long-term issues clarification about the “Peace must not be still; we torical, to the global, to the are: #1) Do our members bers into buying feedlot beef work that needs to be done must take it on the road!” local: “A long time ago, understand the difference by making it seem that it is and modernizing our make- Sanchez sang, and recounted someone said, ‘I think, there- between the Coop and other grass fed, as some stores do. ups system so that it is more the tale of a seventeen-year- fore I am.’ Now we say, ‘We food stores? Aside from the We are motivated by serving member friendly. old who raised questions make pre-emptive strikes, fact that our prices are usual- members who own the store. Gazette: What is being done about the path to peace and CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 ly lower, do they understand We need to educate our to address these issues? the other things that make us members who don’t appreci- Joe: Now that we have final- so different from other ate the beauty and integrity ly begun to catch our breath Next General Meeting on November 14th stores? of member-ownership and after managing the growth of The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the For example, do our mem- collective action—which is last Tuesday of each month. The next General Meeting will be bers realize that we don’t what the Coop is all about. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Tuesday, November 14, 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Elo- him Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Pl. Please note that the meeting day is earlier than usual because of the holiday. FTOP Workers Needed… The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flyer in the entryway of the Coop. For more information about the GM and … in Receiving, Shopping and Food Processing to help with Thanksgiving. about Coop governance, please see the center of this issue. Friday, November 17 through Sunday, November 26, the Coop needs lots of extra help to prepare for and re-stock after the Thanksgiving rush. All days of the week all times IN THIS ISSUE of the day. Please contact the Membership Office to sign up. Worker Coops Meet in Manhattan . 3 Sat, Nov 11 •Game Night: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. GM Agenda. 3 Commune: Reflections on a Vision of Community . 5 Fri, Nov 17 •Coffeehouse: Singer-Songwriter Night, 8:00 p.m. Eisteddfod-NY: Great Music . 5 Coop Thu, Nov 30 •Wordsprouts: Alcohol Can Be a Gas, 7:30 p.m. Coop Hours, Coffeehouse, Puzzle . 6 Fri, Dec 1 •Film Night: Occupation Dreamland & Dreams of Coop Calendar, Workslot Need, Governance Info. 7 Event Sparrow, two perspectives on Iraq, 7:00 p.m. Workslot Needs . 7 Sat, Dec 3 •Pub Night: Yule Be Welcome, 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Community Calendar . 8 Highlights Thu, Dec 7 •Food Class: Gluten-Free Italian, 7:30 p.m. Letters to the Editor . 9 HumanDiversity: What’s the Problem? . 10 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Classified Ads . 11 06-11/09 p 01-06 11/9/06 8:01 PM Page 2 2 November 9, 2006 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY Planning patory cooperative and what of members known as the for specific projects. For exam- worked at the Coop for many that means for our members. “Exit Circulation Advisory ple, we have been working years are approaching retire- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 On the issue of improving Group” to consider plans for with a local outside architect ment. Indeed, Linda Wheeler shopping conditions; first improving the entrance, exit, on the possible expansion out is about to retire at the end the membership from 5,700 and foremost we are looking checkout and locker areas. to the sidewalk. of the year. There is a real in spring of 2001 to 13,100 in forward to next year when we One idea being considered is Gazette: Do you anticipate concern about losing their the spring of 2006, we have can finally let members pay extending the front of the involving the members in expertise and experience. begun to turn our attention by debit card so that they will building out to the sidewalk. long-term planning? If so, How is the Coop dealing to these long-term issues. not have to think ahead about The group has reported to the how? with this? On issue one—educating bringing cash to shop at the General Meeting and will be Joe: The Coop has frequent- Joe: I don’t think that there our members about the Coop Coop. In addition, paying by reporting back again some- ly turned to our members for will be a mass retirement of philosophy; we will be devel- debit will provide the option time in 2007. expertise and advice, and we General Coordinators in any oping better educational of paying at the checkout. We have no grand plan to will continue to tap into the one- or even two-year period. materials to heighten aware- The General Coordinators alleviate crowding in the gro- skills and knowledge of our I know that succession plan- ness of the Coop as a partici- are also working with a group cery aisles. One thing we are members. Right now, for ning is important. It is some- doing is asking squads to pay example, several members thing that we have talked closer attention to managing who are professional plan- about at General Coordinator the checkouts so that the ners are on the Exit Circula- meetings and with the Per- lines can move more quickly. tion Advisory Group. The sonnel Committee, who are Turkey News Sometimes no one is paying group has been meeting for involved in this and other attention. We need to con- nearly two years and will areas of long-term staff-relat- No need to preorder vince more shopping squad hopefully stay with the pro- ed planning.