Sustainable Stockton Meeting Minutes

Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm, Town of Stockton Municipal Building
Attendees:  Sue Anderson; Jeanne Dodge; Christy Weseloh; Mary Maller; and Donna Literski.

Meeting Minutes.  Minutes of 08-13-09 Meeting were approved (Donna/Christy; all in favor).

Groundwater Testing and Survey. The Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee (GCAC) makes recommendations regarding groundwater and drinking water programs to the Planning and Zoning Committee and the Board of Supervisors.  The GCAC has noticed a decline in sampling of private wells in the County.  Volunteers will be contacting property owners to conduct a short survey regarding drinking water sampling.  The surveys will be conducted by a volunteer project group in the Leadership Portage County program who are interested in water issues. 

In addition to the survey, the volunteers will offer each well owner a free test for nitrate nitrogen.  They will also provide the owners with well information and drinking water treatment information.  County residents interested in volunteering for the survey are to contact Ray Schmidt, Portage County Water Quality Specialist.

The above testing/survey information was e-mailed to some SS folks, though not specifically for our meeting agenda.  We decided to contact Mr. Schmidt to see if there is still a need for survey volunteers.  If yes, we will send an e-mail to the SS group to spread the word.  Donna to follow up.

Web Site.   At our last meeting we discussed various improvements we would like to see made to the web site.  Since that meeting a subgroup has met and prepared a written summary of our requested changes we will submit to Mr. Tim Krause if/when we ask for UWSP student help. 

Also, we have been very fortunate to have Bill Rentfrow respond to our Town of Stockton Newsletter request for web site help.  Bill has met with our web site subgroup and worked with us to define/refine our improvement requests to make our web site more useful.  Bill has also graciously offered to do some of the needed programming changes for us.  Thank you, thank you Bill.

ICE and Web Site.  Sue and Mary recently attended an Interfaith Community for the Earth (ICE) Sustainability presentation by Allan Haney.   Out of that presentation came the suggestion to develop a Central Wisconsin Alliance for Sustainability.  This would allow the many different groups, concerned with similar issues, to address them on a regional basis.  Many of our web site items would fit well with a regional group and we may want to consider merging once the group gets off the ground and their web site is developed.  As we work to improve the website we want to keep this in mind in developing our priorities. 

Grants.  Mary and Sue attended the “Midwest Regional Collaborative for Sustainable Education” workshop in Ashland this summer.  While there they each submitted a Grant Proposal and were recently notified that each will received $500 in grant monies.    Mary’s grant will pursue building a local food economy, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) awareness.  Last year Mary coordinated an essay contest for local public school staff regarding CSAs.  The winner received a share in a local CSA, paid for by Mary.  She may consider something similar for the grant monies.  Sue’s grant will work to expand sustainable study circles.  She may use the monies for study guides and films to promote discussions of sustainability.  We’ll learn more later. Congrats Mary and Sue!!

Tours:
• Schabel Fall Tour.  Hans Schabel has agreed to host a tour of his forested property including a discussion of forestry practices.  We would like to consider for next summer as a tour.  Sue will follow up with Sharon/Hans.
• Poultry Farm Tour. The suggestion was made to organize a tour of a local poultry farm, such as Ross’s, to learn more about raising poultry using the movable pen grazing method.

Film Discussion Series for this Fall/Winter.   The winter schedule has been finalized, the remaining films include:

• January 14, 2010 -  Food Inc. reveals surprising information about the food we eat and how it is produced.
• February 11, 2010 -  Fresh celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people who are reinventing our food system in a healthier, more environmentally friendly direction.
• March 11, 2010 -  Mad City Chickens  is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical documentary about raising chickens in your backyard
Mark your calendars! 

Thanks Mary for coordinating this project.  We will continue to prepare and post posters as in the past.  Mary/Sue/Donna.

Find it in Stockton Directory Publication this Winter.  Jerry Piesik has an e-copy of the brochure and has been provided three reams of paper for printing.  We will need to get folded and to Marie by 12/7.  If additional help is needed we will contact folks via e-mail.  Donna to follow up.  Jerry, a big THANKS for donating your time, printer, ink, etc.!!

Meetings/Gatherings.  We talked of switching to more relaxed “gatherings” in place of some of our formal meetings.  This will allow us to “build community” with our neighbors, welcome new folks to the community  and better support local business.  Tentative meeting schedule discussed:

• January 7th – Meet at Clancy’s, visit and dine together.  (Mary to follow up with Jackie/Brian)
• March 4th – A pot luck at Mary Maller’s home.
• May 6th – A formal meeting at the Town Hall.
• Future – Meet at Central Waters for a tour and meeting.

Items for Next Town of Stockton Newsletter.  We want to include the finalized film schedule and our next meeting date/time/place. 

Open Discussion/Future Projects/Ideas.
• Jeanne reminded us that the Town of Sharon also issues a newsletter and we may want to include announcements in there as well.  Sue to make contacts as necessary.
• November 15 – the Audubon Society is hosting a field trip on the Glacial Landforms of Wisconsin.  The tour guide is Bob Freckmann.  Sue will be going if anyone wishes to carpool.
• February sledding party.  We will work with the weather and perhaps do on short notice, via e-mail and phone.

Next Gathering:  Clancy’s Pub., January 7th, 6 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Donna Literski