Sustainable Hanover Committee Minutes for

sustainablehanovernh.org

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Next Meeting: October 20, 8:30-9:30

Town Hall, Selectmen’s Room

Attending: Lyn Miller (chairing), Larry Litten, Brian Walsh, Mary Ann Cadwallader (secretary), Emily Neuman, Peter Kulbacki (Public Works), and Chris Kennedy, Joanne Whitcomb.

Regrets:  Marjorie Rogalski, Chris Soderquist

Dates to Remember:

·      10/10/10:  Events in White River and at Cedar Circle Farm

·      Initiative meetings: Called by Larry (Policy/philosophy section) and Lyn (practice and education section) before October 20.

·      November 13 – 14, 2010: Naked Table Project

·      February 2011: Community Workshop Reprise

·      May 2011: Pre-Town Meeting Sustainability Celebration & Call to Action

Action Items:

Larry-

·      Call meeting of policy and philosophy section

·      Gather input from Emily Neuman

Lyn-

·      Send off grant application to NEGEF

·      Call meeting of practice and education section

·      Will find out what an across-the-street banner costs and talk to the Selectmen about the status of the Town Yard Sale event.

·      Will talk with Chris S. about a one page graphic that connects action and impact and the timeline for the Vision Statement. 

• Will look at the NE Energy Challenge to research targets and percentages to find out what’s necessary and how painful.  She may bring this to her group or to Chris S. to graph a couple of scenarios.

·      Pursue sometime a conversation with Kevin Peterson of the NH Charitable Foundation about funding of our work by the Wellborn Foundation,which funds environmental education.

Joanne-will get Dartmouth’s targets for sustainability to us.

Meeting Notes:

Minutes Approved:  June 16, July 21, August 18, September 1 minutes approved.  Lyn added the Naked Table as a Sustainable Hanover activity with the same status as the Yard Sale in the August 18 minutes.

Review Yard Sale:  The Yard Sale was a great success.  Thank you, Brian and Susan Edwards for a job well-done. It’s our hope that some enthusiastic vendors will be on the planning committee next year. Lyn reported lots of positive comments and people who wanted to be vendors next year.  About half of the vendors were Hanover residents, the rest were from other towns. We may want to figure out a way to give Hanover residents preference. Students were enjoying themselves, but international students didn’t get there until 2:00 and may have missed some opportunities. Advertising for students was done electronically. 

Fifty-six vendors paid a $15 table fee which raised $840. Emily reported that they spent $100 for insurance, another $40 on publicity and supplies; leaving $700.  While the event was not meant as a fund-raiser, rather as a way to practice our reuse/recycling mission, Sustainable Hanover will ask the recycling group to let us use some of the proceeds.  Lyn has asked for $150 from the Yard Sale proceeds to include in way of matching funds for the grant she’s writing to get funds for kiosks that advertise the work of Sustainable Hanover.

Emily felt that next year we could do a better job of connecting the event to Sustainable Hanover.  She suggested keeping it simple with a big sign or banner with our name, logo, and next event.

Lyn will find out what an across-the-street banner costs, but must approach the Selectmen about the status of the event before any money is spent.  Street banners can’t be used for commercial events, although Street Fest is advertised by one.  The Committee felt the event, even though it makes some money that can be used to encourage Sustainability, should qualify as a community event as it teaches reuse and recycling through action.

NEGEF Application Review: 

Lyn recorded our input.  We recommended that if she had only 4 blanks to fill in for partners that SERG be one of them and that she put Local First Alliance and the Land Trust in parentheses if the program allowed it. She will send the grant in PDF form to avoid the strange errors that appeared in Larry’s copy.

She will pursue a conversation with Kevin Peterson of the NH Charitable Foundation about funding of our work by the Wellborn Foundation.  (See September 1 Minutes for more about this grant.)

Sustainable Hanover’s Organization:  Separate meetings for the practice/education and policy/philosophy sections of Sustainable Hanover will be called before the Committee’s October meeting.  Larry chairs the policy/philosophy group. Chris K. and Marjorie are its members.  Lyn chairs the practice/education group. Chris S. and Mary Ann are its members.  Emily will come quarterly but Larry’s group will be in close touch as her work for the Coop and knowledge encourages her to act in a research and pilot capacity.  Further, Emily plans to meet with the business community (Hypertherm), Dartmouth and DHMC so they all can share what they’re all doing in the area of sustainability.

Vision Statement Review:

These suggestions were made for the organizational map-- 

·      It needs to show our unique relationship with the Town Select Board and Town Staff. E.g. Peter K. is the town staff managing us and a Select Board member sits with the Committee. 

·      It needs a separate Energy Group despite the fact that the CPC has been dismantled.

·      Add specific goals and indicators of success into the document as well as a timeline.

·      Arrows need to go both ways. 

·      Keep the Town box in there so don’t have to list its departments and which heads meet with which groups.

·      List the 3 schools.

·      Put the municipality and town groups closer together.

·      The map should make it clear that we work with residents and with the municipality so that residents can see where to jump in. 

·      Appendix could explain the map. 

These suggestions were made for the timeline--

·      Need to put forth the big things that need action early on. 

·      Graphic connecting Action and Impact needed. If you were to do X, you could get Y.

·      Include the indicators, like 0 waste=__tons to landfill. 

·      Choose 2030 as target date unless it doesn’t work with idea below, then 2040. 

We discussed target dates and the percentages that should be used.  Reaching 50% of our 0 waste goal by 2025 was first suggested.  Then, 30% reduction each decade was discussed.  Because we’re talking about volunteer steps that we’re asking citizens to do, 50% may be too discouraging.  It also doesn’t take into account the help from business and government mandate that has to kick in.  It may become a 30-50% reduction depending upon business and government response.

Lyn will talk with Chris about a one page graphic that connects action and impact and the timeline.  And then a way to show a target of 30-50%.

Speaking of business and government, Dartmouth’s benchmark goal would be helpful to know.  Joanne will get this to us.  It seems that Dartmouth’s goals are lower than some similar institutions.  It could do a couple of big things and meet its goal. Personal goals are harder because of lack of knowledge of the facts and how to proceed (This would seem to be where SH’s mandate begins.) 

Sharing the Vision:

After realizing that there wouldn’t be time this year to unveil the Vision, it was decided to have a celebration and discussion of the Vision Statement at the Black Center in February, close to the anniversary of the Natural Step gathering that first brought the community together to discuss sustainability.  The policy and education groups need to do some planning and be sure all materials like the kiosk, reports from the groups, the To Done List, and photographs documenting our activities are ready by that date.

If we have a discussion and input in February we could play some part at Town Meeting.  This, however, needs further discussion as the Selectmen could adopt the Vision Statement and Sustainable Hanover initiatives can become budget items. The Town Meeting involves a 100 people and therefore is an important place to get out the word. 

It was decided that we would offer dessert before Town Meeting and use the opportunity to have conversations with anyone interested in sustainability while highlighting our initiatives and successes.

FYI:

From 9/1/10 Minutes--Julia Griffin said that, ultimately, we need to put out a resource guide for our citizens.  The state appears to be getting the grants to do this and it would be our job to publicize our work and other resources.

--Sustainable Hanover could provide a forum for the working groups quarterly to create the Done list and then publish it.

From 9/1/10 Minutes--Grant Proposal for Displays:  We will apply for a grant from the New England Grass Roots Fund for the funds (up to $2,500) to create two movable, triangular, free-standing kiosks that SHC can use in public places like the Town Hall, the Howe, the Black Center and the schools to inform and engage others in our work.  It’s hoped that the grant will cover supplies and the work of a professional graphics designer to help us with the design and graphics for the posters advertising our work and the 6 frames that will surround the cork boards on which posters are displayed. Some of the graphics developed might be used on our website and on a bulletin board in the vestibule of the Town Hall. The possibility of the designer’s help with a new logo was not resolved as some on the committee felt we’ve already become identified with our current logo.  Lyn thought that a new logo could be developed by a high school student as well. 

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Ann Cadwallader, Secretary

• Grant: Lyn will create a draft Grant proposal for the New England Grass Roots Funds and share with Larry, Julia and all by Sept. 8, in order to send in by the Sept. 15th deadline;
• Vision: Lyn will create a draft Sustainable Hanover vision ‘paper’ that will include relevant graphics and text.  She will distribute this to the committee by Sept. 12 so that all can review and discuss at the Sept. 15 meeting;
• Yard Sale (Sept. 11): 
• Sign up sheets will be at the Farmers Market, using the packet that hangs in Town Hall;
• Lyn will bring the kiosk to the Yard Sale to showcase Sustainable Hanover’s initiatives.
• Lyn will publicize the Yard Sale in the weekly school newsletter
• Farmers Market (Sept. 8): Emily and Lyn will do set up and Mary Ann and Lyn will breakdown.
• Sept. 14 Polling Location:  We may bring the ‘kiosk’ to the gymnasium.
  
  Farmers Market (Timing):
• Marjorie and Larry redid our posters and have assembled everything.  They will set up and take down at the market today. 
• Thanks to Joanna Whitcomb for helping with the printing.
• Marjorie will leave the materials at Lyn’s for the following week.
  
  Yard Sale: We have 24 registrations for the Yard Sale, September 11 from noon-4:00.  Some research could be done at the sale to find out how people heard about it.  Publicity to date has consisted of our Farmers Market kiosk, posters placed around town and one in the Town Hall with registration forms attached.  Julia offered Emily Penny’s help with a Transaction ad and the possibility of assistance with an insert to advertise the event that could go out with the Town’s mailing about street lights.

• We need to have a regularly updated  “TO DONE” list. 
• We need to have work for both kinds of groups; ones that are action oriented and ones that are interested in citizen education.  Sustainable Hanover could provide a forum for these groups quarterly to create the Done list and then publish it on their website. 
• We need to continue our positive conversations with the principals and teachers at the various schools about their work. Julia agreed that having goals was critical. 
• She said that, ultimately, we need to put out a resource guide for our citizens.  The state appears to be getting the grants to do this and it would be our job to publicize this and other resources.
• Julia felt that the committee has been branded, Sustainable Hanover, and should stay with that name rather than call itself a ’Counsel’. 
• We will need to recruit people interested in action and those interested in education as we move forward.

• Lyn will meet with Judith Esmay to continue the discussion begun at the Planning Commission.
• Lynor her designatewill meet with the school board, middle school faculty and Ms. Kornfeld at the high school in the fall about disseminating the Carbon Challenge.

• Lyn will send out the job description of the upcoming Swap, Yard Sale.
• Emily will talk with Sally Wilson about recycling at the Farmers’ Market after Committee’s assessment, June 23.
• Lyn will meet with Judith Esmay to continue the discussion begun at the Planning Commission.
• Lynor her designatewill meet with the school board, middle school faculty and Ms. Kornfeld at the high school in the fall about disseminating the Carbon Challenge.
• Joanna will consult with Emily on Dartmouth’s guidelines for large events. 

1. Being there is a great way to be part of the community and to demonstrate the SHC role building a more sustainable town;
2. Being there, as we are currently presenting ourselves, presents a confusing view of who we are and what we do.

• Do people leave with a clear understanding of what the SHC is?
• Do people leave the FM booth with a specific ‘take-away’?

Sustainable Hanover Committee Minutes for

Wednesday, June 16, 8:00-9:30

Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:30-9:30

Town Hall, Selectmen’s Room

Approved Minutes:  May 19, 2010 Minutes of Sustainable Hanover Committee

Attending: Larry Litten (chairing), Lyn Miller, Peter Kolbacki, Mary Ann Cadwallader, Chris Kennedy, Joanna Whitcomb, Emily Neuman, Marjorie Rogalski.

Calendar of Events:

 September 11, 2010 (Saturday): Community Yard Sale

October 10, 2010 (Sunday): 350.org Climate Day of Action;

10/10/10: October 10, 2010 (Sunday): 350 households on Hanover Community Carbon Challenge

November 13-14 (Sat/Sun): Naked Table Project – Hanover

Winter 2011: Catamount Earth Institute Discussion Groups

Main Projects:

Community Conversations about Vision & Context

Community Carbon Challenge

Ray School Compost Pilot Project

Web Presence (Facebook, Twitter)

Action Items:

Farmers Market:

·      Chris K.with helper, Marjorie, Lyn, and Mary Ann will all arrive at the Farmers’ Market at  2:30, June 23 to set up.

• Emily will talk with Sally Wilson about recycling at the Farmers’ Market after Committee’s assessment, June 23.
• Larry will pick up a composter and contact Hanover Hardware about loaning us an electric lawn mower.
• Lyn will bring some give-aways to advertise the Swap.

Other Matters:

• Joanna will consult with Emily on Dartmouth’s guidelines for large events. 

·      Lyn will follow up on the contact made at the Jumble.

• Lyn will send out the job description of the upcoming Swap, Yard Sale.
• Lyn will meet with Judith Esmay to continue the discussion begun at the Planning Commission.
• Lyn or her designate will meet with the school board, middle school faculty and Ms. Kornfeld at the high school in the fall about disseminating the Carbon Challenge.
• Lyn will call Mariam Osofsky about specifics for the 10/10/10 event

Review of Recent Public Outreach:

Lyn, Larry, Marjorie, Chris K., and Mary Ann spoke of what they learned standing with our materials at the Co-op, St. Thomas’ Jumble, Farmers’ Market. 

The Co-op proved to be a hard place to engage people who were intent on their shopping. 

Lyn chatted with workers at the Jumble and made contact with one person who seemed interested in working with us.  She felt getting our message out and recruiting one person made it worth it. 

Everyone liked the location we’ve been assigned at the Farmers’ Market.  Chris talked with two people in his hour and a half. The craft activity at the NH Craftsmen’s booth next door drew young children and their parents who we might interest with a more hands-on display.  The size of Chris’ tent will accommodate all our displays and accompanying items like a black composter, worm castings, an electric lawn mower, and give-aways to advertise the Swap.

Ideas for Expanding Our Display and Appeal at the Farmers’ Market:

-We will bring all of our displays—carbon challenge, lawn care, recycling/composting, Naked Table/Swap materials. (Chris has 2 easels.)  They will be placed in corners? or center? so that people can circle and see them all.

-Larry will pick up a composter and contact Hanover Hardware about loaning us an electric lawn mower on our days at the Farmers’ Market.

-A Naked Table could be displayed with materials about the upcoming event.

-The display of the Carbon Challenge will include a tear-off slip with the website.  A sample from the list of things-you-can-do suggested at the end of the Challenge could appear as a ‘teaser’ or a survey (something discussed earlier). Chris will supply the setup for a Tally when we decide what we want to know—What people like about Hanover? Or What people are doing to conserve energy? or…. A computer could be used to show the website, but Chris will enlarge the computer display of ‘Tell Us About Your Household and Vehicle Emissions’ from the Carbon Challenge website to easel size for one of our displays.

-The Swap can be advertised by giving away FREE items..

-Additional information about the Carbon Challenge website and the Swap could be given to interested people by the person working the booth.  These materials could be kept in a bag.

-Recycling containers at the Farmers’ Market as well as at larger events need to be addressed. (More later.)  We will check on how to make recycling work at the Farmers’ Market when we’re there on the 23^rd.

Swap Planning: Susan Edwards will head up the Swap, our lawn sale which is an outreach of the Recycling Committee, but needs help.  We need to get a group together and assign tasks before a planning meeting in mid-July.  Should we run a transaction ad with a number to contact for those interested? We definitely need to talk it up at our booth. 

Lyn’s Meetings with Town Boards and Committees: 

Lyn has recently met with the Planning Commission and the Hanover Recreation Board and has written a letter to the Howe Library membership about the Carbon Challenge.  At this point, there are still 15 participants – some of whom were inspired be the presentation to the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board. The Town is following the NH Energy Action Plan 2009. 

Lyn will meet with Judith Esmay to continue the discussion.   She will talk with the School Board and with Bruce Williams’ help at faculty meeting in the fall at Richmond school.  Chris suggested that the Carbon Challenge would take off if it became a school based initiative or was made an assignment for the Environmental class.

Kendal is another organization that should be approached about our initiatives.

Composting and Community Gardens: 

We recommend that the Town contract with High Fields to devise a plan for downtown composting before the recycling fund runs out.

In an effort to bring our concerns to the neighborhood level we discussed teaching people how to compost and honoring community gardens and gardening efforts like the front yard garden on E. Wheelock and Larry’s Japanese garden with photos and an essay. 

Other possibilities might be a tour of gardens or a roving group of experts that some Saturday would help people in their own neighborhood create raised beds or a compost system. Neighborhood composting was suggested as a way to bring people to sustainable practices.

Chris reminded us that UNH has master gardener and composter courses.   Graduates of these programs, I believe, promise to teach in their communities.  Perhaps they could offer to work in neighborhoods on composting and gardening.

Larry mentioned that Scot Stokey was running way behind because students were no longer volunteering at Dartmouth’s organic farm.  How might we work with the organic farm? 

As we focus more on Food and Agriculture in the 2010-2011 school year, we can perhaps gain additional insight regarding  these questions.

Recycling Initiatives:  The Waste Reduction Action Group has stayed focused and is working on 2 initiatives. The Community Yard Sale taking place Saturday September 11 and Low Waste Guidelines for Events. 

Emily will submit these guidelines to the Committee for our approval and then we will present them to the Town for adoption.  After Town adoption, event planners would have to present a recycling plan in order to get a permit.  If they didn’t follow their plan, a fine could be imposed.  Joanna will consult with Emily as Dartmouth has guidelines for large events, and would like to share ideas for smaller events.  Shelburne Farms VT might be a good resource for guidelines.

Dartmouth Begins Single Sort Recycling Today:  Single sort recycling has 2 choices—recycling or trash.  Employees are being given small containers to keep on their desks for recycling.  These and the trash will be emptied in one of some 300 centralized stations which replace 3,900 bins. The goal is to increase recycling by 40% by 2013. Presently, dining halls compost but residential facilities don’t. 

The President’s Fellow to replace Marissa Knodel has been appointed. Genna Pollack is a recent PhD graduate of Thayer.  Joanna will continue to be the College’s representative at our Meetings. 

10.10.10 Initiative has been adopted by Area Energy Committees:

Joanna Whitcomb, Lyn, Chris K., Emily and Dick P.attended a conference of local town’s energy committees. The  23 area energy committee’s will create hands-on activities for the October 10, 2010 initiative and each will get 4 more organizations involved.  The hands-on activities promoted on this work day will represent established goals or programs of the energy committees involved. Lyn will call Mariam Osofsky about specifics.  Chris and. Dick will work on this. 

We might build gardens for the spring or promote composting in neighborhoods as mentioned previously. 

Communications Strategy: The underlying theme of our meeting was how to get the word out and get people involved with our work.  The word ‘Sustainable’ has gone out of fashion apparently, probably because it reminds us all of the responsibility we have to the future and feel incapable of doing anything about  Marjorie offered to pay for a mailing that would inform households of our work and solicit their involvement. Other modes of communication and their audiences were discussed—Facebook, blogs, websites with info. and links, face-to-face asks, just showing up.  Are we sure enough of our goals and the effectiveness of what we propose?

After 3 Farmers’ Markets we need to decide how we’re doing.  With our agenda we need to continue meeting and our next meeting will be, July 21^st at 8:30.  In the fall we may wish to change our location to the high school or the Black Center to get high schoolers involved.  We must limit ourselves to 3-4 issues for next year, have targets (media?), a message, and sense for our audience (market).  We need to ensure that we have a clear focus.  As of now we’re doing things on a pilot basis and gaining experience.  

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Ann Cadwallader

• 10/10/10 Day of Action (350.org)
  
• Portsmouth, NH work
• Co-Op Tri-fold design