<html><head><base href="x-msg://63/"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I am very glad to second the addition of Michal to the list and as often is the case with some of these nominations, I'm surprised to realize she isn't already on it. I first met Michal in 2003 when she came to the US for a natural building colloquium, and I can't count how many other times she's made the effort to come to straw bale and natural building events in North America, including the latest ISBC. She has been designing, building and furthering straw and other natural building in Israel the whole time. <div><br></div><div>Warmly,</div><div>Laura<br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#4C721D" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: Helvetica; "><div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#4C721D" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#4C721D" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Helvetica" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#4C721D" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family: Helvetica; "><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 114, 29); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">Laura Bartels</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#4C721D" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><b><i>GreenWeaver Inc.</i></b></span></font></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(76, 114, 29); "><b><i>520 S. Third St., Suite 5 </i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(76, 114, 29); "><b><i>Carbondale, CO 81623<br>970-379-6779<br><a href="http://www.greenweaverinc.com">www.greenweaverinc.com</a></i></b></span></div></span></i></b></span></font></span></font></span></i></b></span></font></div></span></span></i></b></span></font></div></span></span></i></b></span></font></div></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "></span><span></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><span><img height="99" width="201" id="7e58ee6e-9403-4c26-978b-129549f1fce2" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:BEE497CD-A097-4C96-B8DC-20DC694F15B3@gateway.2wire.net"></span>
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<br><div><div>On Nov 14, 2012, at 5:22 AM, Alex Cicelsky (Kibbutz Lotan) wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; "><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); ">Dear Balefolk,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Two weeks ago we had a convergence of the core group of Israeli straw bale builders and designers, earth and lime plasterers and educators. While it’s a challenge to share knowledge in a limited marketplace, there is a process of development from competition to cooperation and quality control. We spoke a lot about connecting with colleagues who are experts - in particular in the area of lime plastering which is being reborn in this country where 2000+ years ago everyone had a lime slaking pit in their backyard. About 60 folk attended with an equal proportion of men and women. I assume you met Michal Vital at the ISBC. She presented an overview of your event and the tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">I would like to take this opportunity to nominate Michal Vital [website<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.vital-baron.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.vital-baron.com/</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> email<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:mvital63@gmail.com" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">mvital63@gmail.com</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>] to the GSBN. We first met working together on the Medwed-Bustan-Wadi El Naam Bedouin Clinic project<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/391" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/391</a>. Since then she’s become a prominent and highly regarded Green Architect in the country specializing in natural building, strawbale houses and energy efficiency design. She works wonderfully with clients, engineers and builders.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><br>One more item: four of our students have started their own natural building construction company specializing in strawbales. The name of the company is Bottz <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.bottz.co.il" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.bottz.co.il</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> which is Mud in Hebrew. The website is in Hebrew (y’all know how to use the Chrome translate option) - the images speak for themselves. Together with Bottz we have completed an earth plastered<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=412523248808887&set=pb.121279601266588.-2207520000.1352894815&type=3&theater" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">‘light straw’ fire test wall</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(photo<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://on.fb.me/T30Fyi" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://on.fb.me/T30Fyi</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> before plastering. For technical reasons they made blocks instead of the normative form-in-place method) and we're waiting for the Standards Institute of Israel to give us a date for the fire test, hopefully within two weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">B’shalom, Alex</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Alex Cicelsky | Director of Research and Development<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/creativeEcology" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">Center for Creative Ecology</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>|<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); "><a href="http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; 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