Utopia Revisitedillinois Town Still Holds to Core Values That Made It a Pioneer of Green Living

Summary

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On the first Earth Day in 1970, Rebecca Wilson rode a bike on the beach at Santa Monica, Calif. The goal of the event was to raise environmental awareness at a time when a generation of young people clamored for change.

Nine years later, Wilson moved to the small town of Stelle in Central Illinois. The unincorporated community was founded in 1973 on a vision of sustainability outlined in the book, "The Ultimate Frontier." Followers of the charismatic author, Richard Kieninger, envisioned a Utopian community powered by sun and wind, a place where people could nurture their spirits as they grew their own food and lived in harmony with their surroundings.

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Extract

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Utopia Revisitedillinois Town Still Holds to Core Values That Made It a Pioneer of Green Living

Kieninger predicted Stelle would grow to a city of 250,000, but the population remains around 100. They are a mixed group. Some just want to raise their children in a country setting. Stelle's history holds no interest for them. But as the 40th anniversary of Earth Day approaches on April 22, community leaders say othe...

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