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Recent News
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition (CSC) April News
The CSC Town Hall Meeting was a huge success:
600 people met and shared visions and strategies about a sustainable Corvallis. If you missed the meeting but would like to join a work group to meet several times between now and the next Town Hall on June 25, e-mail me asap – dee@footwise.com">dee@footwise.com. These work groups will be the substance of our action plan (and that's what this is all about!)
The Corvallis Energy Challenge is a year-long campaign to help Corvallis residents and businesses boost energy efficiency, control energy costs and build a cleaner future with renewable energy. The Corvallis Sustainability Coalition has teamed up with Energy Trust of Oregon to present the Challenge. Discover simple energy-saving opportunities, find out if a solar project might work for your location and learn how to earn cash incentives
Get more information and sign up at www.CorvallisEnergyChallenge.org
A FREE workshop on “The Basics of Going Solar” is being offered on Saturday, April 12, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. at the Corvallis Public Library, 645 NW Monroe Avenue. Workshop presenters will explain why solar energy is a smart choice in Oregon. Workshop topics include hot water technologies, financial incentives and tax credits, how to choose a solar contractor, and basic site analysis. If you plan to take advantage of this great opportunity to learn more about solar, please RSVP at www.solaroregon.org.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 8:22 PM [link]
CIBA Newsletter - April 2008
CIBA April 2008 Newsletter
£ Please join us in welcoming NATALIA AND CRISTOFORO’S AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DELI as our newest CIBA member!
£ The incredible BUY LOCAL BREAKFASTS are back by popular demand and will take place MAY 3rd, JUNE 7th and JULY 5th. The May 3rd breakfast will take place from 7:30am to 9:30am at the Odd Fellows Hall (223 2nd St, Corvallis). These wonderful events are a great showcase for our local independent businesses and run entirely on volunteer efforts. If you are willing to lend a hand you can choose either an early or a late shift to be a greeter, cook, server, or dishwasher. If you are interested in joining in please contact Barbara Ross.
£ If you would like to have a DISPLAY TABLE at any of the BUY LOCAL BREAKFASTS please contact Becky Picton at 760-1059.
£ You are invited to the 3rd ANNUAL PROSPERITY THAT FITS TOWN HALL MEETING on Monday, April 28, 2008 at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center Ballroom (725 SW 26th St. Corvallis). Your President, Pat Sardell and Pat Lampton of the DCA will be keynote speakers. The event is free and open to the public. Food and refreshments will be served. Doors open at 5:30pm – Program starts at 6:00pm. For more information: www.prosperitythatfits.us
£ Save the date for ELECTIONS: At the May 28th Membership meeting we will elect new members to our board of directors. Meeting details forthcoming.
£ The CORVALLIS SUSTAINABILITY COLLATION news is attached including information on the Town Hall Meeting, the Corvallis Energy Challenge, a FREE workshop on “The basics of Going Solar,” and the April CSC Sustainability Events Calendar.
£ The DCA and LBCC Small Business Development Center are having a SMALL-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR SERIES. April 29th will be “Employers & their Millennial Employees” presented by Alan Fudge and May 6th will be “Succession Planning” presented by Jeanne Smith. For more information, or a registration form, please contact the CIBA office.
£ Thank you for those of you who voiced opinions and questions about the BUSINESS LICENSE FEE at our last membership meeting. More information will be coming out later in the month in an additional e-mail.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 8:21 PM [link]
CIBA Newsletter - March 2008
£ Please join us in welcoming RUSH HOUR PHOTO, ANNE’S AGENCY and FITZPATRICK PAINTING as our newest CIBA members. We are thrilled to have them!
£ The next MEMBERSHIP MEETING will be held on March 26th at 5:30pm at Your Green Home at 160 NW Jackson St. Annette Mills and Bob Devine of the Sustainability Coalition will share about the “green” cost saving measures for businesses and give concrete take away points. PLEASE HELP STRENGTHEN YOUR INDEPENDENT BUSINESS ALLIANCE AND BRING A POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER TO VISIT! Light refreshments from Natalia and Christoforo’s will be provided.
£ The BUSINESS LICENSE FEE ISSUE remains on the table in Corvallis. There are some talking points written by Curt Wright for the community. At the March 26th membership meeting Barbara Ross and Peter Ball will offer some pros and cons and CIBA will take a straw poll of members in order to be more able to respond to the issue at hand more accurately as per member opinion.
£ The DCA and LBCC Small Business Development Center are having a SMALL-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR SERIES. March 18th will be Deciphering Your Financial Statements with Marty Schulz. For more information, or a registration form, please contact the CIBA office.
£ The CIBA WEBSITE needs to have updated information listed on it. Please take a moment to review your business information on the CIBA web directory. If it needs any changes or updates send them to the office via mail or e-mail. The CIBA Web address is http://www.corvallisiba.org. You can also submit a logo for the site in jpg format via e-mail or on a disk by mail. We are in the process of many updates on the site- if you have submitted a change to the office in the last three weeks; it may not be reflected as yet. Thank you for your patience.
£ The MENTORING PROGRAM continues to be an excellent success and we are excited to continue with a new set of people every few months! If you are interested in having a mentor or being a mentor, please contact Barbara Ross at bross@exchangenet.net">bross@exchangenet.net or 752-3605.
£ Have you ever considered joining one of CIBA’s COMMITTEES? There are many different committees that would love to have another pair of hands. Member participation is one of the things that make CIBA such a great organization. If you are interested in joining the membership committee, contact Kate Lindberg at ktlindburg@aol.com">ktlindburg@aol.com. If you are interested in joining the program committee, contact Peg Obrist at pobr@citizensEbank.com">pobr@citizensEbank.com. If you are interested in joining the marketing committee, contact Catharine Holdorf at catherine@siblingrevelry.com">catherine@siblingrevelry.com.
£ CIBA is excited to announce that Dee Wendel of Footwise –The Birkenstock Store has agreed to be our representative to the SUSTAINABILITY COALITION. If you are interested in becoming informed / involved with the work the coalition is doing, please log onto their website at http://www.sustainablecorvallis.org/ where you can sign up for their newsletters and read about all of their exciting projects. There is a town hall meeting coming up on March 31st which you can pre-register for at the web site.
£ In just a few short months, new BOARD MEMBERS will be elected. This year we project there will be 2-5 openings in the board. Would you consider serving as a board member? More information will be forthcoming throughout the spring.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 6:26 PM [link]
CIBA Membership Meeting Wednesday March 26th
You are cordially invited to the…
CIBA Membership Meeting
Wednesday, March 26th
at "Your Green Home"
160 NW Jackson Street
5:30pm to 7:00pm
"Realistic Sustainability In Your Business"
Annette Mills and Bob Devine of the Sustainability Coalition will share about "green" cost saving measures for businesses and give concrete take away points.
Help strengthen your independent business alliance - Bring a business friend to visit!
Light Refreshments from "Natalia and Christoforo's " will be provided.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 6:05 PM [link]
2008 CIBA Printed Member Directories Available
The 2008 CIBA printed member directories are ready.
Members should be receiving their directories either by mail or by personal delivery.
In addition you are always welcome to pick up as many as you require at A&S Accounting or let the CIBA office know if you need more delivered to your place of business.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 12:13 PM [link]
Celebrate Corvallis Awards on January 23rd.
The Celebrate Corvallis awards will be held on January 23rd.
CIBA has nominated Animal Crackers Pet Supply for Business of the Year and The Farmer’s Market for the Good Steward of the Planet Award.
Tickets for the award portion of the evening are $25 per person and include entrance to the award show itself and a small social afterwards.
The doors to the show open at 6:15 PM and there is no reserved seating.
For more information or tickets, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at http://www.corvallischamber.com/
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 12:09 PM [link]
CIBA Membership Meeting Wednesday, January 30th
CIBA Membership Meeting
Wednesday, January 30th
Due to the Celebrate Corvallis awards, the meeting will be one week later than usual this January.
Information on time and location will be forthcoming.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 1:15 PM [link]
September Commentary by Jack Wolcott
Through this column, I have worked to celebrate the values and benefits of locally owned, independently operated businesses. Because of coming changes in the Gazette-Times business section, this will be my last regular offering in this spot. The Corvallis Independent Business Alliance will continue to do its part, but I’d like to leave my readers with a few thoughts on how to help maintain the vitality of our local community.
First, it’s up to you to help educate your friends, provide feedback to your favorite local merchant, and speak up when governing committees or bodies request feedback. CIBA believes that a well-educated consumer is good for our businesses and our community. A healthy community is composed of individuals learning and growing together toward a common goal. We trust you to do what you can, when you can, and to do more when possible. And most important, share your learning with your friends and get them involved.
Here are three questions I hope you’ll ask when considering your relationships with businesses in Corvallis.
Who owns this business?
“Local” does not necessarily mean locally owned. Too often, the word has become a marketing buzz word and may actually relate more to location, franchise ownership, or other manipulations of the wonderful term. All CIBA members live here, raise their families here, and invest in our community for the long-term mutual benefit. If you are not sure about the business, just ask.
Who makes the fundamental decisions?
“Independent” does not necessarily mean independently operated. Who has the final say on food items and sources, book titles, home and gardening supplies, store hours and services, donation requests, etc? CIBA believes that the people who live and raise their families here should determine the decisions that affect our community.
Where does the money go?
Several studies have confirmed that for every $100 spent with a locally owned merchant as compared to a national chain, about 3½ times the local economic benefit is generated. The money stays in town, multiplies several times and becomes a diverse source of community support and stability. CIBA encourages you to vote with your dollars and put your money where your home is.
That is really about all there is to say. The rest is up to you to determine the quality and diversity of the community in which you want your children to grow. We are talking about a process, not an immediate change. Just start where you are, identify what is important to you, educate yourself about the significant differences among your choices, do what you can, and involve your friends in your process.
Watch for our new directory of member businesses due out this fall. If you are not yet a member, join soon for a free listing.
On behalf of the Corvallis Independent Business Alliance, I want to sincerely thank everyone for their genuine support for our efforts.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 2:14 PM [link]
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition E-Update September 21, 2007
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition
E-UPDATE
September 21, 2007
Welcome to the first “E-UPDATE” – a twice monthly news brief to keep you informed of the work of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and to invite your participation. Please forward this “E-UPDATE” to members of your participating organization and to other interested individuals.
Focus on ENERGY: Sharing Success Stories
Reducing – and ultimately eliminating – our dependence on fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources is one of the guiding objectives of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition. By working together and learning from each other, all of us can help accelerate that process. The “E-UPDATE” will be an important tool for sharing what organizations in Corvallis and Benton County are doing to realize this objective.
* Look at your group’s energy-saving practices. What projects/practices has your group undertaken to encourage energy conservation and the use of renewable energy? This is a good opportunity to involve your board or membership in thinking about ways your organization is working toward this objective.
* Share them! Please send a brief list or summary of your group’s energy-saving activities to amills@virginiavillageproductions.com">amills@virginiavillageproductions.com, so we can share them here. We want to let others know what you’re doing!
Corvallis Sustainability Coalition: Working Together, Growing Daily
What began as an idea from diverse community groups last January has become a reality during the past several months. The Corvallis Sustainability Coalition was formed to accelerate the creation of a sustainable community in Corvallis and Benton County by working together. There are currently 61 organizational partners in the Sustainability Coalition. Go to www.sustainablecorvallis.org to see who’s on board!
If your organization is not listed – or if you would like to sign on as an individual partner – please fill out and return the attached Participation Form. Also, please suggest names of other organizations that may be interested in joining the Sustainability Coalition.
Upcoming articles of the “E-UPDATE” will address the work of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s task groups and plans of our Ad Hoc Steering Committee for a community-wide sustainability initiative. We welcome your questions and suggestions for future articles!
Sustainability Guiding Objectives - A Framework for Decision-making
Our community will:
1. Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals. Use renewable resources whenever possible.
2. Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to dependence upon persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances. Use biologically safe products whenever possible.
3. Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to encroachment upon nature (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forests, soil, ecosystems). Protect natural ecosystems.
4. Support people’s capacity to meet their basic needs fairly and efficiently.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 1:37 PM [link]
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