1

Red Troll News From The Mind Of

Martin G. Smith

[® 1936 J.A.S.]

Volume 1: Issue 1 2010-09-21

Introduction – This is the first issue of the Red Troll News , an occasional outing into the world of writing, a place where I can put my assemb le thoughts for all to read. Many would suggest that I should ‘Blog’ and you can find some of my work at A Bridge Over The Abyss 1 and MATH Not METH 2. You will note that neither of these sites have be en added to for some time, the reason being that I have been too busy working at what I do rather than talking/writing about what I do. The name, Red Seven is a radio term which stands for One Hundred and Seven. It also relates to a Biblical Reference: Psa lm 107 V: 23–32 A. You will also find many other references including one to the guiding princ ipals of what I do. What follows is words, my own and others that hav e guided and inspired me along the ‘Mile’ that I travel and will continue to guide me until the debt of death is paid. 1 http://redseven.wordpress.com/ 2 http://redsevenone.wordpress.com/

2

Many years ago I read a book by the late Lawrence H alprin, RSVP Cycles; Creative Processes in the Human Environment.

© Lawrence Halprin [July 1, 1916 - October 25, 2009 ]

RESOURCES - These are the human and material resour ces available to inform and enrich the creative process; the resource base includes a physical inventory and a project program, objectives and expectations SCORE - As in a musical score or the choreography o f dance; the score orchestrates design, participation, events and acti vities that visibly delineate, generate and sustain a project VALUACTION - As an integral part of the process, pe ople's feelings and belief systems, as well as community needs and desires mus t be integrated with a decision-making process that respects, acknowledges and incorporates these values PERFORMANCE - Includes the product and its evolutio n over time; this component of the Cycles anticipates an organic, non-static so lution; an environment or result that is defined by those who use it, experience it, and appreciate it .

The guiding principles behind the concepts of Lawre nce Halprin 3 are choreographically gained, I suggest, through his re lationship with his wife, Anna Halprin, a renowned choreographer and creator of the Tamalpa I nstitute 4 Another guidance is received from the late Donella Meadows 5 with, among her many contributions wrote ‘Dancing With Systems 6’ and ‘Places to Intervene in a System 7’ 3 http://lawrencehalprin.org/ 4 http://www.tamalpa.org/index.html 5 http://www.sustainer.org/meadows/ 6 http://www.sustainer.org/pubs/Dancing.html & [See Appendix ‘A’] 7 http://www.sustainabilityinstitute.org/pubs/Levera ge_Points.pdf & [See Appendix ‘B’]

3

There are many reasons why people discover a vocat ion. For me it came from being brought up in a Service Family, one in which, doing for others took precedence over doing for ourselves. Our Summers were punctuated by what became colloqu ially known as Grand Central Station. There too was Typhoon Frida hit Va ncouver in 1962 leaving our neighbourhood without power or access for 11 Days. Our neighbours came together, an extremely diverse lot and made do with what we had, something rarely seen in North American society today and even more unique because of our location, tucked in a forgotten corner of West Vancouver, colloquially re ferred to as ‘Dogpatch’. The lead project I am working on is the Selkirk Tr estle ‘Light Train’ 8 located on the Gorge waterway and part of the Galloping Goose Trai l9 system in Victoria, British Columbia. This is an outreach benefit from the ‘Com munity Funding initiative’ developed to fund projects with a Public Need through a P3+ 10 collaboration designed to demonstrate initiative and create progress through that initiat ive.

8 [See Appendix ‘C’] 9 http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/galloping-goose/index.h tm 10 [Public/Public Partnership]

4

I was involved many years ago in the J Vince Cain – Task Force into Illicit Narcotic Overdose Deaths in British Columbia in which I stat ed ‘The time has come to put a fence at the top of the cliff instead of a net at the bot tom – Thus giving a chance to build a bridge. I would suggest that together, as a ‘Public’, we c an tunnel through adversity and build bridges to the future.

11 Martin G. Smith – redsevenone@gmail.com

11 ® Janet Tetter – http://www.janetetter.com/ A Psalm 107 Verses 23-32

23: They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

24: These see the works of the LORD, and his wonder s in the deep.

25: For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

26: They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

27: They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunke n man, and are at their wits’ end.

28: Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, a nd he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29:He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves th ereof are still.

30: Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31:Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his go odness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!

32: Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.