Local currency, big ideas

GLCC Catches Filmmaker’s Eye

By Tomi Owens, 1-26-07

Gorge Local Currency Cooperative will hold a potluck Friday, February 2nd at Acre Coffee (corner of State and 13th in Hood River) beginning at 6:30 pm. This is an opportunity for member networking, public education, and discussion of ”the moneyshot,” a documentary by Alan Rosenblith, segments of which will be filmed in the Gorge.

The mechanics of local currency may seem complicated. But how many of us actually understand the intricacies of the Federal Reserve System? It is often easy to confuse simplicity with familiarity.

But independent minds have been hard at work , challenging the status quo, and getting the word out about the benefits of local currency both for small communities and the global economy. Here in the Gorge, after a year of planning, local visionaries launched our own version of currency, RiverHOURS, in 2004. One of the benefits of taking their time was the creation of a stunning bill design, incorporating anti-counterfeiting features and durability in every denomination of RiverHOURS.

Not surprisingly, the highly successful RiverHOURS cooperative network, with over fifty local member businesses and a newspaper/trade directory published quarterly, have attracted both national and international attention. Most recently, independent filmmaker Alan Rosenblith.

Rosenblith hopes to capture several “day in the life” montages in the Gorge and interviews with founding members of the GLCC, who will appear alongside authoritative voices such as Howard Zinn, Lynne Twist and Noam Chomsky.

For more information click here , pick up a copy of the RiverHOURS Trade Directory, or get on down to the potluck Friday night and hear for yourself.

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