|
|
Sarah Hufford
sarah@maps.org |
|
|
After three months of
dedicated Craigslist hunting,
I found a listing titled
“Magical Sanctuary by
a Babbling Brook”… |
|
From Arcturus to Love Creek:
MAPS Moves Across the Continent
Sarah Hufford
sarah@maps.org
The maps office staff has
accomplished an intricate ansssd exhilarating
feat, moving our headquarters thousands
of miles cross-country. From 1998 to May
2006, the office was located in Arcturus, a
house that MAPS President Rick Doblin
built in Sarasota in the 1970s while
studying psychedelic therapy and laying
the groundwork for his drug policy reform
efforts. Arcturus is a psychedelic, handmade
art house, practically a living
organism, with walls of cedar and granite
that soar to skylights and rainbow-colored
stained glass depicting a cosmic Eden on a
turtle’s back. Arcturus seemed a fitting
base for MAPS, and, with New College of
Florida nearby, the location provided a
small but steady flow of recent college
graduates and students to run operations
and drive the mission forward.
|
|
|
MAPS‘ new two-story office at Love Creek has a “shipping facility” on ground level with a spacious office and meeting room upstairs. |
|
MAPS staffer Julia Onnie-Hay showing MAPS’ new Love Creek office some love. |
As MAPS celebrates its 20th anniversary
this year, it is burgeoning from adolescence
into adulthood, both literally and
metaphorically. We’re experiencing a time
of transition on many levels, as our successes
demand that we expand to accommodate
our achievements and prepare for the new
challenges that lie ahead. With transition
comes growing pains, and we were indeed
feeling the restrictions imposed upon MAPS
by our previous location. Our 400 sq. ft.
office space was bursting at the seams, and,
though Sarasota had served us well, the lack
of a supportive atmosphere was limiting.
Last winter we began searching for a
new home for MAPS that would provide
new opportunities for educational outreach,
community-building, and a more
desirable location for our staff and future
staff. Our short list included Chicago, Boston, Asheville NC, and, of course, the
San Francisco Bay Area, which eventually
emerged as the front-runner. The Bay
Area has a rich history of scientific,
cultural, and political innovation, and is
already home to a substantial proportion
of MAPS’ members and supporters.
|
We’re experiencing a time of transition on many levels, as our successes demand that we expand to accommodate our achievements and prepare for the new challenges that lie ahead. |
|
Once we settled on a general vicinity
for the new MAPS office, we kept our
options open, looking for homes, offices,
and live/work spaces everywhere in the
area, particularly in Oakland, Berkeley,
and Santa Cruz. After three months of
dedicated Craigslist hunting, I found a
listing titled “Magical Sanctuary by a
Babbling Brook,” for a property in Ben
Lomond, a small town nestled in the San
Lorenzo Valley, 10 miles north of Santa
Cruz. To our amazement, everything about
it fit our needs–affordability, accessibility
to the larger communities of the Bay Area,
a professional office space on the property
separate from the living space, and plenty
of nature to replenish our energies. Once we had all visited, there was no doubt
about the suitability of the spot, and the
move was on.
Despite a plethora of logistical
concerns, we managed to organize, pack,
and then deliver the entirety of the MAPS
office safely to the opposite shore. Upon
our arrival, we were amazed at the welcome
we received, as many local MAPS
members and supporters came to offer
their support and assistance. When our
moving truck met us at Love Creek, a
dozen volunteers helped us unload, easing
our transition. Others brought us meals,
helped set up our computer network, and
assembled furniture. We’ve settled in
quite nicely, thankful for the beautiful
spot we’ve found and eager to engage our
new surroundings. The new MAPS
headquarters at Love Creek is thriving
with activity, as we work together in the
name of social justice and scientific
freedom, with the intention to change
the world! • |