This post serves as the home base for Newsletter Sub-Committee meetings, conversations, and notes. It has been turned into a wiki so any member with a log-in to the site can edit and organize this post.
Current Sub-Committee Members: @syd, @Jeff, @Susan_Gilbert, @SandySunshine
Upcoming Meetings:
Newsletter Distribution - Friday April 12th @ 1PM, meet at the Morris Public Library
@SandySunshine is thinking about Frost Dates, last frost is May 9th on average. She is planning for GROWTH!
@Susan_Gilbert Is thinking about how the plants will be confused about the temps. Sue is not a gardener, her mum was a gardener, Sue is maybe perhaps adjacently getting interested in gardening.
@Jeff is thinking about staffing PDT Foods this afternoon.
@griffin.peck is at the laundromat! They are thinking about balancing their impact on the planet. They are thinking about the accessibility of winter & “2024 winter”.
@briana_dokken is thinking about walking and excited to learn about the newsletter.
Newsletter why & what
Information people can use (seasonally relevant, leaves, salt, snow), small sustainability tips for the everyday person *reminding people to do it, normalizing things. Create a document for the tip list!
Community based resources (workshops, WC community action, compost program)
CERTS Heat Pumps
How do you know when to compost vs. recycle
Other prose or art besides reports
Griffin relates IRA to Morris residents/businesses
Newsletter Call For Stories
Word count
Pictures
Specific types of stories from specific places (WCROC: Ag Innovation, UMN: Student project, education, City: projects & resources, WCMNCN: conversation & connection)
Relate the work back to the everyday citizen, showcasing the work, but normalizing it with neighbors.
Followups!! Context & story line is important!
Solicit for items in the Newsletter from the WCMNCN
Distribution & Sharing
Where to put digital copies:
Morris model website
WCROC
Facebook (MAHS, City, neighbors)
Where to put printed copies (give them a home folder/bulletin board header):
Willies board
Mall board
Morris Public Library
Pomme De Terre
Common Cup
Senior Center
Post Office
Churches
Who to share with:
University Register
Stevens County Times
University Bulletin Boards
Farmers Market
Next Steps:
Ask Morris Model for Stories at their regularly scheduled meeting
Meeting Notes
Saturday, March 23rd @ 10:30AM online
Community Checkins
@syd is thinking about @Jeff offering to make a WCMNCN movie theatre slide, the West Central Initiative Rural Futures dialogues, and the SNOWSTORM!!! Everyone is welcome to come help work on the 11 Elm St. snowfort if they wish.
Joel was at the research and outreach center (ROC) retreat. He was thinking about stakeholder engagement (who are our stakeholders, what are their interests, how can different orgs or people capture those interests and move forward with them). There is a disconnect between what the UMN values and what the ROCs provide (UMN basis is on courses & teaching, but ROCs don’t focus on that - stakeholders in MN who are not students want to see research/values/projects come to life).
@Susan_Gilbert is thinking about Ben Winchester’s (benw@umn.edu) talk at the West Central Initiative meeting on Thursday. She likes that the WCMNCN is a bottom up instead of top down group, we have a good (yet slow) ethos of chatting with our neighbors before taking action to do good.
Discussion:
Money seems to be one of the tricky issues for projects in our area.
Community garden project did not get RSDP funding. This is a good opportunity to talk more about it and have a well defined community engagement plan in case the ROC decides to submit it again in the future.
Start working on Draft 2 of the Newsletter while draft 1 is being approved!
We will have a story idea google form for folks to submit story ideas & finalized story submissions.
Newsletter purpose: to inform community of what Morris Model/sustainability/resiliency work is going on, sharing stories, educating, to help people feel confident thinking about topics
Newsletter at the farmers market!
Newsletter list
email it out to the Morris Model blog subscribers
Other institutions share out to their lists
Newsletter Story Ideas:
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO RE-COVER A TOPIC !! It is especially important and helpful to share updates for stories, help people feel confident long term
Trying to approach issues with negative perspectives to re-frame and teach people about positive changes
Electric Bikes
Electrification of systems (ask Eric to write something)
Neighbors with solar panels
Nuclear power
Solar power city buildings
Recycling & composting update (the economics!!)
Summary of research and projects from our research institutions (WCROC, USDA, UMM)
Intro story, and then a follow up:
batteries
Heat pumps (include German intern in building this story)