Fall 2019 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Polestar! It has been a good while since we last wrote and there is much news to share. As most of you already know, just over a year ago the Polestar main house and temple burned down, just 6 days before the end of Pele’s epic eruption. It was a great loss for all of us and the end of a beautiful chapter in many of our lives. Community member Dorian wrote, at the suggestion of her counselor and as part of her healing process, the following description that details, and also celebrates, all that we have had to let go of. You can check it out here. Read more
Above left: By way of comforting us, a friend shared this picture of Yogananda’s Golden Lotus temple, lost to erosion in 1942. Right: Polestar temple rubble in foreground, community house in background.
Once we got over the initial shock of SO MUCH CHANGE in our lives, it quickly became obvious how incredibly fertile a time this is for each of us individually and Polestar in general. Out of the rubble we are finding many life lessons, precious memories, treasured friendships, new connections and endless possibilities for a new future. Life is still unfolding apace and I am very happy to announce that we may well have found a new campus for Polestar Gardens!   Though still very much ‘in process’ we are currently collaborating with long-time friends Dennis and Bailey Stenson to purchase and develop 10 acres of beautiful property in Fort Collins, Colorado. With zoning that will allow for every aspect of the type of community we have always wanted to build: single and multi-family housing (privately owned), micro-housing, farm and gardens, community center, temple, school, elder care, and even retail: the dream of a new Polestar Village is officially alive and kicking! Yes, it’s a drastic change from our current digs (winter?) but it is also an amazing opportunity to more fully realize the vision of community we have always held. Much more coming soon on this topic but suffice it to say we will very much need your prayers, energy and financial support to make this a reality. If you would like to get involved, and for an early opportunity at an excellent investment, please contact us right away.
Dennis and Bailey at Happy Heart Farm: 36 years of organic gardening and building community
Not to be forgotten, our beloved original campus on the Big Island is patiently awaiting the restoration, currently underway, of the new highway 132. Ann and I will be there for the opening (hopefully early October) and are looking forward to catching up with all of our friends and family there. Despite losing the main house and temple, we still have 3 farm houses, our community center, and a handful of other cabins, most of which have been undergoing repairs and improvements these past many months: mahalo to Jason, Stephen, Garner, Bruce, Rich, David and Jan for all your hard work! It is unclear at this point, what the future holds for Polestar on the Big Island and we want to invite all of our Polestar Ohana to explore this with us in the coming months.
Rubble sifting with Ann and Bernadette
Ann in foreground on main house slab; middle ground is the ‘river’ of lava; background Mauna Kea
It has been an incredible summer for Ann and I and we have fully enjoyed our extended ‘walkabout’ to visit family and friends, explore many different communities and search for a possible new campus for Polestar. 2018 was the first time in over 30 years we did not have our annual family campout and Adventures in Spirit program; it was a delight to host these at the Laurelwood Community and the beautiful Menucha Resort on the Colombia River Gorge. Please stay posted for upcoming plans about Family Campout 2020!
volleyball on the lawn in between pickle ball games
poolside overlooking Colombia River Gorge
Pickleball monster at no talent show
We want to extend our heart-felt thanks to all of of you whose kindness, generosity, and friendship has seen us through this incredibly challenging time Hope to see you soon!
In Divine Friendship,
Michael for Polestar (see the now famous ‘where’s Wich’? video below.)
Where's Rich
Polestar Gardens
Noni Farms Road, Pahoa