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January 17, 2025
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Happy New Year to you, my dear friends in ends!
What a wild start we are having to what is sure to be a wavy year here in the US and likely around the world. Prayers and cares to folks affected by the fires in Los Angeles and those desperately waiting for true ceasefire in Gaza.
The other day while listening to the radio, I heard an interview with fire historian Dr. Stephen Pyne. In it, he remarked on the fact that so many images of fire damage in LA showed burned buildings surrounded by lush, green vegetation. He commented that while the man-made structures were built with quite combustible materials, the bushes and trees were made of tougher stuff.
As we continue to navigate the challenges of the days, weeks, and months to come, might I suggest we look around for those things around us that can take the heat and keep standing? Perhaps in observing, honoring, and taking inspiration from them, we can become a bit stronger ourselves.
Here are this week's links:
1) Theatre Palisades Burns Down in California Wildfire
The Pierson Playhouse, which hosted the Palisades community theater, was one of many valued cultural and community sites that was lost to the wildfire in the Los Angeles area. The theater had been in operation since 1963.
2) East London arts venue says goodbye
From its humble beginnings operating out of a pub, Applecart Arts weathered many storms to bring live theater to audiences throughout the city. However, funding challenges forced the group to make the heavy decision to close at the end of 2024.
4) REI retail cooperative ends Experiences division
The company announced this month that their Experiences business, which included adventure travel, day tours and classes has been discontinued. Despite serving over 40,000 customes last year, the revenue from this stream was not meaningful enough for the retail cooperative to keep it running. All Experiences staff have been laid off.
5) Fair trade boutique chain Ten Thousand Villages departs brick and mortar, signals wind down
For almost 80 years, Ten Thousand Villages has been selling fairly-made global goods in both the US and Canada. With the support of the Mennonite Central Committee, its founder started the operation from the trunk of her car and the group went on to open stores across the two countries and online. In 2020, all Canadian physical retail operations were shuttered; all 13 US shops will close by March 31, 2025.
6) Hong Kong anarchist cafe announces sunset
Black Window operated as a restaurant and sociopolitical intervention. From their lengthy statement (English version here in comments), it appears the decision to stop was borne not so much of financial challenges, but a persistent sense of burnout and frustration.
7) Dozens of Canadian sexual health clinics imperiled
British Columbia's Options for Sexual Health operates 52 clinics throughout B.C., providing services including birth control and pregnancy support, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, along with care and sex education. After over a decade of contending with a stagnant budget, the group has penned an open later warning of the threat of impending mass closures.
8) Organization rescues horses after another winds down
When Illinois's Palatine Park District Stables shut late last year, the group needed to find homes for its many horses and ponies. Equine Guardians stepped in to place all the animals and will continue fundraising to support their lifetimes of care.
9) Vermont struggles under a shifting university landscape
“There are community members who have had these institutions in their community. There are folks who are alumni of these institutions who remember them in a certain way. Really, they are in the fabric of a community.”
This excellent piece explores the many ways in which a state and surrounding local communities can suffer through closure and even the threats of losing an anchoring institution of higher learning.
Yours in the end,
Camille
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Closing Remarks is brought to you by The Wind Down, a consultancy for exploring, building, designing, and delivering better endings for mission-driven projects and organizations, and also raising closure consciousness. If you're enjoying it, please support my work.
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