PolyParadise - 2016 - What Worked

Year Review Kitchen Playa Events Infrastructure Gray Water / Trash Survival Guide Early / Exodus Work-Party Power / Tools Tickets / Fee Closing

Sunday January 1, 2017

Each year this is my space to reflect on the year that was in Black Rock City ala PolyParadise. To take a look at what we did right and what we did wrong; how the changes we instituted from the previous year worked out and what we might do to improve in 2017. This was the 18th year of PolyParadise; There is no doubt that it gets better & better each year.

You all should be very proud of the Community you created & nurtured all week long.

I thank you all for being part of the 18th ANNIVERSARY of the Village of PolyParadise.

I offer my own observations and as always welcome Comments, Praises, Bitches & Roses for areas of your concern as campers that I have not addressed. Please post to our Yahoo Group or to our Facebook Page - generate some chatter; let's get PSYCHED!!! 237 Days!!!

In 2016 PolyParadise continued with the Community Kitchen related ‘Requirement’ upon registration; to be part of the daily cooking/feeding ritual - make one meal for 25 people and be able to enjoy a smorgasbord of food the rest of the week. The Community Kitchen was an awesome success! Thanks so much to Stephanie all of their helpers that maintained the kitchen all week long.

The kitchen & serving areas encompassed a full 40'x40' – the layout was awesome for ingress & egress in and out of the kitchen area. This year we implemented a 5'x40' 'Cooler Cove' at the back of the kitchen that allowed us get personal coolers out of the walkways in the kitchen; this was AMAZING! I think this area could be a bit bigger so for 2017 we will look to increase the size and make it a 10' addition to the back of the kitchen as the number of cooler we need to house increases and give additional space behind the long prep tables.

With the six (6) 3-Burner Cast Iron stoves, we had plenty of cooking surface area. The wind and keeping the stoves lit continues to be an issue - though with the gift of some wind shields created by Honest John we may have found a way to mitigate or reduce this issue. We humbly ask him to fashion a few more so that all 6 stoves can be shielded in this manner. The VERY LARGE GRILL now in its 2nd year is holding up fine and allows us to cook meat dishes far more effectively. We had plenty of snacks for everyone, and all seemed satisfied with the selections available.

Thanks to everyone that took the time & effort to create some awesome meals all week long. There were so many great courses served each day. Thanks to everyone who assisted with Trash Can Pizza & Trash Can Turkey!!! Thanks to everyone who cleaned up, picked up, MOOPED up.

Instead of matches for lighting the stoves for 2017 we will switch to BBQ Lighters - I think this will be way more efficient and easier as the matches work fine but the striker section on the boxes get worn out or wet and become unreliable

Dishwashing and keeping the Pots/Pans washed and available for the next person continues to improve year to year as we as a community become better washers and more aware that if we want clean pots & pans that the only way that is accomplished is by each of us doing some dishes during the week.

In 2016 we purchased a countertop and with the expertise of Paul & Rich they were able to fashion it to accommodate the double sink we have been using for the past 7 years. The countertop was highly functional but proved difficult in the truck pack and under the weight did develop a crack. For 2017 we will be looking to purchase a new commercial deep double sink with legs; if the legs come attached with the help of some innovative fellow AZ Campers to remove the legs and fashion them to be re-attached On-Playa for easier packing on the truck.

As far as MOOP goes - The 2016 MOOP Map shows ALL GREEN FOR POLYPARADISE & THE TWISTED SWAN!!!! Way to go!!! Thanks to all that MOOPED all week and to Knotch - Shadow & Uncle Bob for being the last off the Playa and for making sure that our LNT efforts would in fact be GREEN!! Thanks to Kilted Freedom for making sure that the Twisted Swan space was GREEN TOO!! GREEN is our 2017 GOAL!!!

2016 Moop Map
2016 Moop Map
2015 Moop Map
2015 Moop Map
2014 Moop Map
2014 Moop Map
2013 Moop Map
2013 Moop Map
2012 Moop Map
2012 Moop Map

For 2017 our MOOP MAP Footprint goal is ALL GREEN - we can ALWAYS be more MOOP vigilant. Remember it is MOOP if it is not Playa - that is the definition of Leave No Trace. Overall we did an amazing job - thanks to all that assisted in Never Letting It Hit the Ground!!! Thank you to everybody that stayed for teardown and beyond...You guys ROCK for making those last sweeps through our space and making sure we would be MOOP FREE!

The Kitchen/Serving Area & Community Space were (2) 20’x40’ structures oriented with the straight edges meeting instead of at the peak. With this arrangement we are able to use tarps to 'Wall Off' 20' (10' on either side), having a 20' opening (in the middle) between the Kitchen area & the Community space to better manage wind thru the kitchen. The kitchen arrangement continues to work well with the two corner areas that housed the shelving with the snacks, pots & pans and the other side was the coffee tea area as well as coffee pot, toaster & microwave.

The Community space was 20'x60' - This space allowed for additional space for the clothing exchange and plenty of room for people to mingle and eat.

The 100-cup coffee maker that worked very well in created caffeinated elixir drinks for the masses.

The microwave suffered structural damage on the way home and will not be replaced for 2017; it is not used much and has a to large a power draw for our electrical system.

In 2016 we were required to apply for and adhere to the standards of a Nevada State Health Department Food Permit. This was the fourth year of this mandate for camps with a population over 125 serving community meals. The cost of the Food Permit was $50. With our Official Food Permit prominently displayed within the kitchen; we had a visit on Sunday from the Nevada State Health Department to see that we were complying with the stated rules, which included: Food Handler Gloves, Hand Washing Station (Hand Soap, Towels, Continual Flow Water) Bleach cleaning supplies, clearly visible menu, separate food preparation/serving areas, food thermometers, and clearly marked Community/Personal Coolers.

In previous years of being inspected we had been cited in a few areas including: Gloves not being worn by food preparers, Food needs to be served to guests as opposed to guests severing themselves. With the prominent display of signage within the kitchen we were able to satisfy the inspectors and received a PASSING GRADE! We also received HIGH MARKS with the Foot Pump/Hand Washing Station 3.0 - Our hats OFF to Mark for coming up with the idea and its ever changing design. VERY WELL DONE!

Again thanks to Stephanie and all her helpers in keeping the kitchen clean & organized all week long.

I realize that using the paper plates and plastic silverware creates additional trash, but I am convinced that going the disposable route is better than having regular tableware - having to constantly clean dishes & silverware. Of course needing to continually wash your own dishes and silverware for each meal requires water – then disposal of additional waste water. We will continue to use paper plates and plastic silverware in 2017.

Having the Menu & Volunteer list printed in a 5'x5' poster size board displayed in the Kitchen was awesome, letting everyone know what was going to be cooked at each meal and who volunteered for what events.

With regards to Syrup - We had many campers volunteer to make pancakes/waffles or things that needed syrup. The food items were delicious & tasty but each person brought their own supply of syrup, which means we have lots & lots of syrup. We now have enough syrup for pancakes/waffles to feed several armies. So if you plan to cook Pancakes/Waffles for 2017 WE HAVE SYRUP, no need to bring anymore.

Thanks so much to STAGGER for again heading up the Trash area and to everyone that assisted in bagging, tagging & tapping up trash. More importantly, thanks to all of you for taking some trash home. We generate this trash as a camp; we need to deal with its removal from the Playa as a Community. Because of your efforts and commitment and Love of Community Trash…We transported ZERO bags of trash off the Playa in the truck back to Phoenix. We did have 7 buckets of general slop, generator oil, left over food stuff slop, the remnants of many a thing on the Playa.

Thanks to all the PolyCampers that stayed till Tuesday and took any remaining trash bags Off-Playa.

BIG BIG Kudos - To our fellow AZBurners who are always available to assist during the year; for Truck Loading & Unpacking; carrying, cleaning, sorting and building PolyParadise year-round here in Phoenix. Special Thanks to (UncleBob, Poje, Big Phreeky, Alien, Sarge, Kilted James, The Doctor, Corvus, Sandman, CactusMan, Raymond, Atira, Cliff, Captain Jack, Cobalt, Rich, Painterboy, Ethan, Justin, Knotch, Shadow, Fancy Nancy, Neefer, Drew, JimyMac, Dr. Dirt, Daniel, TattleTale, Gina) Back in the day circa 2006 it was only WildChild & I that represented Arizona in PolyParadise. It is amazing to have had 35 AZBurners in our camp this year. You are all ACES in my book!!! Thank you all so very much!!!

****PolyParadise****

The population of the Village of PolyParadise population increased by 17 campers in 2016, to an On-Playa total of 240 Campers. The Twisted Swan also part of the Village had a population of 45 campers bringing the total population to 285 campers. WOW!!!!!

We had 130 veteran campers return and 110 new campers and of that number 80 were Burning Man VIRGINS. I thank all of the returning campers for making PolyParadise your Playa home, I so depend on each & everyone of you in making our camp an amazing loving space. We had 29 International campers from (Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Ethiopia, Germany, Holland, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland).

I hope that all of our Virgin campers have seen what Community really means, and I hope that you will all camp with us again.

I hope that everyone had an amazing time as a PolyParadise Resident.

Our 2016 Playa dimensions 250'x450'. The Twisted Swan was given a 100'x200' space across the street on the adjacent side of 3:30 & Effigare. Within PolyParadise with the efficient placement of vehicles in vertical rows between Effigare & Guild we had defined walkways thru camp that made getting from the ends of the camp to the Community Space easier. The Community Space, Serving Area & Kitchen was an INCREDIBLE space in both day light and at night.

PolyParadise continues to be a ‘Camp Drama Free Zone’, I mean everyone seems to get along, no assaults, no fisticuffs between campers. No one acted like a 3-year old. So Thanks to all of YOU!!!

****Playa Location****

Each year BRC Placement continues to create unique neighborhoods with all placed Theme Camps & Villages. In 2016 we were mapped @ 3:30 Effigare & Guild with the Twisted Swan on the adjacent corner of Effigare. We had awesome foot traffic in our Community Space and incredible attendance at all of our camp events and the Twisted Swan enjoyed a corner frontage for the Bar. Though our limited 250' frontage on Effigare did make it tight to be able to fit the HCW - Community Space & 9 Energies. For 2017 I would like to ask for an additional 50' of frontage to better manage that space and give 9 Energies an opportunity to add an additional dome. I did like that the space went from E to G and that the F road ended mid-camp on the 3:30 side. Porto Potties were very close on 3:30-C & 3:30-H We had great neighbors with whom we shared with all week.

The Village of PolyParadise 2017 will again be honored to include within in it's borders: 9 Energies & The Twisted Swan; we will be asking for the same placement but there are no guarantees.

What were your impressions of 3:30 Effigare & Guild -

****Community Space****

The space itself was awesome, area for chairs, pillows, crash space and the massage table. Thanks again to Dr. J for that wonderful gift to the community, it has lasted 7yrs now and shows a few minor tears in the material but no major structural damage.

The space worked out well with the Community Space, Serving Area, and Kitchen all just one big connected space, so that the straight edge met instead of at the peak. The space measured 100’x40’, we used tarps to 'Wall Off' 20' (10' on either side), having a 20' opening (in the middle) between the two structures to better manage wind thru the kitchen.

The community space 20'x60' was incredible and well utilized. The extra space allowed us to be able to setup a Clothing Exchange area - additional room for more campers to sit & eat within the community space at once.

The Popcorn Machine & late night movies were a big hit and will certainly be back in 2017. I know I had an awesome time watching movies and munching popcorn - I hope all of you did too. I am gathering additional movies titles to be available in 2017.

The space really kicked ass at night. The move to using all Rope Light to light the Kitchen and Community space was amazing!! It gave off the just enough ambient light. Then there was the addition of the Tower. I humbly thank Honest John, Rich, Thumb Bump, Thunder Jesus and crew for taking my idea and making it a reality. We do need to do some work to secure the connections between strands of LED lights so that the top lights work. The pattern of rope light around the tower was incredible. It surely made The Village of PolyParadise an amazingly lit up space at night.