YOU are invited to “Housing: A Community Conversation,” the first in a series of meetings that will be sponsored this year by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition to review and revise each of the 12 topic areas included in the 2008 Community Sustainability Action Plan. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, in Dennis Hall at the First Presbyterian Church, 114 SW 8^th Street (corner of Monroe & 9^th).

The Community Sustainability Action Plan is based on ideas gathered from hundreds of community members who attended three town hall meetings in 2008.  It outlines the Corvallis community’s goals, strategies and actions in 12 topic areas: Community Inclusion, Economic Vitality, Education, Energy, Food, Health and Human Services, Housing, Land Use, Natural Areas, Transportation, Waste Prevention, and Water.

The Coalition’s Housing Action Team has drafted a revised set of goals, strategies and actions that will be presented at the March 22^nd meeting for the purpose of getting feedback and additional ideas from the community.   The revised Action Plan will be presented to the community at the Coalition’s Town Hall in 2013.

Prior to the meeting, you can review both the current Housing Action Plan and the proposed revisions HERE.

The March 22nd Community Conversation on Housing is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be provided.  For more information, contact Betty Griffiths at bbgriff@peak.org.

The Alumni Center was alive with energy during the Sustainability Fair. (Photo: Kate Hickok)

Attendees enjoyed delicious local, organic food prepared by Valley Catering. (Photo: Kate Hickok)

Locals packed the entryway and side corridors for the sustainability fair, perusing tables to learn about businesses and organizations in the community that are doing their part to make Corvallis a model of sustainable living.  People enjoyed the buffet of locally produced foods, many commenting that the spread was even better than last year before going back for seconds.

The fair was a zero-waste event. Trash bins were removed from the premises and replaced with recycle and compost bins staffed by members of Boy Scout Troop #163. Water faucets in the bathrooms were tested for flow rate and signs were posted above each sink informing patrons which were best at conserving water.

Attendees of the town hall portion of the evening voted among three options to determine how the Coalition should attempt to broaden and deepen last year’s “Buy Local First” community-wide challenge.  The options included sponsoring more contests (such as the Buy Local Hero Contest held in December), putting together a monthly “carrot mob” at selected businesses, or choosing a “local business of the week.” The vote was close, but “business of the week” came out on top. The goal of this activity is to increase awareness of locally owned businesses and what they have to offer.

The Town Hall was divided into three segments. The first displayed our community’s achievements at the organizational level over the past year through a “Community Scrapbook” slide show.  Participants followed with small group discussions about what actions their affiliated organizations could take to become more sustainable.

The second segment highlighted community-wide action with the showing of two film shorts, “Buy Local First” and “The Bean and Grain Project”.  This was followed by a vote for the Buy Local First initiative.

The final portion highlighted individual action with one-minute “Action Snapshots” provided by various community members, the youngest of whom was eight year-old Lianna Lovett.  Town Hall participants added to the discussion and were asked to fill out a response form, pledging an action to take during the next year to reduce their personal carbon footprints.

The evening closed with a call-to-action offered by City Councilor Biff Traber and Benton County Commissioner Jay Dixon and inspiration to create a sustainable future provided by CHS senior, Samuel Curtis, and CVHS junior, Erynne Van Zee.

More information about the town hall, comments and ideas generated by table discussions and statistics on the event, will be posted here as they become available.

Article by Emily Plotkin

The Three Waters Project of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s Water Action Team will be presenting a:

FREE Rainwater Harvesting Design and Installation Workshop
Thursday, February 23, 2012
7:00 – 9:00 pm
At the First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op South Store
Meeting Room Building
1007 SE 3rd Street
Corvallis, OR 97333

Workshop Leaders: Dave Eckert and Hazen Parsons

Pre-registration is required for this free workshop. Save your spot today by calling customer service at the Co-op – (541) 753-3115 ext 0, or stopping at the Customer Service desk at either the north or south co-op store to register for this workshop.

Over 400 local residents have already completed this workshop and rainwater collection is now becoming common throughout Corvallis. This class tells you how to get started. Dave Eckert has been teaching rainwater classes for over 10 years. Hazen Parson owns a company that installs rainwater collection systems (as well as other low impact design features). Both are members of the Coalition’s Water Action Team.

Hazen and Dave will also be leading the following free 2-hour workshops in March and April for the Coalition’s Three Waters Project:

• Designing and Installing Raingardens, Vertical Gardens and Permeable Pavers
• Reducing Your Water Bill through High-Efficiency System Change

Stay tuned to www.sustainablecorvallis.org for more information about these upcoming workshops you won’t want to miss!

All Corvallis area residents are invited to attend the Sustainability Fair and Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, March 1, at the CH2MHill Alumni Center, 725 SW 26th Street on the OSU campus. Don’t miss out on one of our community’s most important events of 2012!

Plan to arrive at 5:00 pm for the Sustainability Fair, which will feature exhibits by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s partner organizations and action teams. Come and learn about the wide variety of efforts that are already under way to create a sustainable community. Food, music, and informative displays promise to make this a lively and engaging event.

At 7:00 pm, attendees will gather in the ballroom for the Town Hall Meeting, where the focus will be on the sustainability efforts of the whole community. Participants will be invited to engage in a highly interactive community conversation about how we’re doing and what else needs to happen to accelerate our efforts to become a thriving, sustainable city and county.

The event itself will demonstrate sustainability by analyzing various event features such as energy and water use, waste generation, and refreshments that are primarily local. Help make the Sustainability Fair and Town Hall Meeting a model event by doing your part:

· Use energy-efficient transportation – Walk, bike, carpool, or take the bus to the event. Bike racks are on the north side of the Alumni Center and on the northwest side of LaSells Stewart Center. For bus routes, see www.corvallistransit.com.

· Leave no trace – Bring only recyclable, compostable, or reusable items with you to the event. (Example: Bring your own water bottle or mug.)

· Turn trash to treasure – Place recyclable and compostable items in the proper receptacles. We will have staffed recycling stations.

Everyone is welcome to attend the March 1st Town Hall Meeting, but space is limited! On-line registration is strongly encouraged. Simply click on http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TownHall2012Registration to register.

Sponsored by First Alternative Co-op, Pacific Green Party, Abundant Solar, and the Corvallis Farmers’ Market.

Doors open at 7 pm at the Odd Fellows Hall (223 SW 2nd Street, above New Morning Bakery). Come early – seating is limited!

FREE, with suggested donation of $5/person, $10/family, and/or canned goods for the South Corvallis Food Bank.

Friday, February 3 – Vanishing of the Bees

Examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between people and the earth.

Friday, February 10 – Economics of Happiness

Features communities that are coming together to re-build human-scale, ecological economies based on an economics of localization.

Friday, February 17 – Play Again

What are the consequences of a childhood removed from nature? Follow six young people as they move from virtual reality to real connections.

Friday, February 24 – Pipe Dreams

Explores the greatest environmental battle in the US today – the Keystone XL Pipeline – and the potential consequences it poses to human health, agriculture, and our climate.

Please help spread the word!

For more information: info@corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org, (541) 753-9211

Recent studies have shown a strong connection between volunteering and significant health benefits. So it’s no surprise that the Health and Human Services section of our Community Sustainability Action Plan includes the following goal:

“By 2025, 50% of Corvallis residents will volunteer in the community, resulting in

1) dedicated citizens, 2) healthier and happier residents, 3) inclusion of diverse groups, and 4) sharing of expertise to help meet the needs of the community.”

HandsOn Linn-Benton was launched in 2011 to address critical social issues through the power of volunteerism. It is a volunteer action center with a network of 120+ local partner agencies, including the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition.

If your organization needs volunteers, HandsOn Linn-Benton can help you recruit and retain quality volunteers.

If you want to volunteer, HandsOn Linn-Benton can help match you with organizations geared to your interests – organizations that need volunteers!

To find out more or to register your organization, go to www.handsonlinnbenton.org.

View the report below:

Registration is now open for the Sustainability Coalition’s annual Town Hall Meeting. Space is limited — register HERE today!

Join us on Thursday, March 1, 2012, at the CH2MHill Alumni Center on the OSU campus for an evening of festivities and inspiration. This will once again be a model sustainable event — zero waste, low energy and water use, and local food.

5:00 to 7:00 pm FAIR – Exhibits by our partner organizations and action teams, music by the Camerata String Quartet, and fabulous local food.

7:00 to 9:00 pm TOWN HALL – Highlights include:

• The annual “Community Scrapbook” slide show featuring sustainability accomplishments of our partner organizations and action teams during the past year
• A film short about the Buy Local First campaign, featuring your friends and neighbors
• Stories from your fellow community members about what they’re doing to create a Sustainable Corvallis… and much more!

After you register, don’t forget to tell your friends to sign up, too! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TownHall2012Registration

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the 2011 Buy Local Hero Contest!

The winners are…

1st Prize – Rebecka Weinsteiger

2nd Prize – Randall Bonner

3rd Prize – Marge Stevens

Participants in the Buy Local Hero Contest were challenged to make purchases from as many locally owned independent businesses as possible during a two-week period (Dec. 3 – 17).

Rebecka turned in receipts from 56 different locally owned, independent Corvallis businesses, while Randall submitted 45 receipts, and Marge turned in 36.

Contest participants submitted between three and 56 different receipts. More than half of the contestants turned in 11 or more receipts.

Each of our Buy Local Heroes wins a prize basket filled with donations from CIBA businesses.

The first prize basket contains certificates and merchandise valued at more than $1500. The second and third prize baskets are each valued at more than $500.

The winners received their prize baskets at the Sustainability Coalition Annual Meeting which was held on Thursday, January 5, 2012 – 12 noon to 1:30 pm at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.

Thank you to the following CIBA members who contributed to the Buy Local Hero prize baskets:

American Dream Pizza – Animal Crackers Pet Supply – Big River – Block 15 – The Book Bin – Citizens Bank – Cloud 9 – Corvallis Brewing Supply – Corvallis Sewing & Vacuum – Country Vitamins – Cycle Solutions – Darkside Cinema – Ecofusion Fitness – Element Graphics – First Alternative Co-op – Footwise – Garland Nursery – Gluten Free RN – Golden Crane – Gracewinds Music – Grass Roots Books & Music – HOUR Exchange – Irene’s Boutique – Lion’s Touch Massage – Live Well Studio – Many Hands Trading – More Than a Facial – Northwest Realty Consultants – Peak Sports – The Rain Shed – Replay Children’s Wear – Riverside Window & Door – Robnett’s Hardware – Schmidt’s Garden Center – Second Glance – Shonnard’s Nursery, Florist & Landscape – Sibling Revelry – Special Occasions – Stoker’s VitaWorld – The Toy Factory

The Buy Local Hero Contest is part of the Buy Local First Campaign launched earlier this month by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Corvallis Independent Business Alliance (CIBA). “Buy Local First” was selected as the Coalition’s next community-wide challenge by the 400+ attendees of the 2011 Sustainability Town Hall Meeting. The goal of the Buy Local First Campaign is to increase the percentage of money Corvallis residents spend at locally-owned, independent businesses in order to develop a healthy local economy.

For more information, see www.sustainablecorvallis.org or www.corvallisiba.org.

Contest Runs December 3 – 17, 2011

Local shoppers can save receipts from purchases made at locally-owned, independent businesses to participate in a Buy Local Hero contest, organized by the Corvallis Independent Business Alliance (CIBA) and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition.  The contest kicked off on Saturday, when hundreds of shoppers patronized locally-owned, independent businesses for special promotions and treats.  If you missed Saturday’s shopping event, don’t worry – you can still participate in the contest by visiting a participating business and by Buying Local First.

For full contest rules and how you can be a Buy Local Hero, visit the Coalition’s Economic Vitality page.