InfoBits - Heart of the City

1. Heart of the City Annual Meeting Invitation
2. Updated Heart of the City Policies Available
3. The Movie Food Fight in Fort Atkinson, September 26
4. Help Heart of the City Win a Pepsi Grant
5. Farm Fresh Atlas Fundraiser Dinner
6. TNS Facilitators Meet-up at Fighting Bob Fest

1. Heart of the City Annual Meeting Invitation
BRING YOUR CONSERVED ENERGY and YOUR STORED UP PASSION to HOC ANNUAL MEETING

Heart of the City is holding its annual meeting on Sunday, September 12 at at the Cafe Carpe, 18 S. Water St. W. All members and potential members are encouraged to attend. Come at 5:30 and join us for a potluck before the 6:30 meeting.

Agenda Items:
1) Truth to Power- John Kleinschmidt
2) Break out Session - Brainstorm and Prioritize 2010/2011 HOC Goals
3) Nominate & Elect Board and Committee Officers

This is an exciting time for our group. We have a new mission statement: The mission of Heart of the City is to work toward sustainability in our homes and community through education, projects and thoughtful engagement with neighbors and civic leaders. Non-profit status is expected before the end of the year. Priorities were identified and a new committee structure was created at a day-long strategic planning session in March. The revised structure strengthens and streamlines the organizational and program structure to take advantage of individuals and small groups with ideas to help make our community stronger. This structure will encourage new initiatives and flexibility as creative energy is available.

2. Updated Heart of the City Policies Available
Heart of the City members have updated the finance policy, organizational partnership policy, organization & activities structure and membership information. They have also created a calendar of 2010 and 2011 activites. You can view all of this information and more on the Heart of the City website. The new documents are here.

3. THE MOVIE FOOD FIGHT Sunday September 26 7:00 Fort Health Care Auditorium
Sustain Jefferson’s 2010 bimonthly movie series continues with Chris Taylor’s documentary Food Fight, scheduled to be shown in Watertown, Lake Mills, Fort Atkinson and Juneau during the coming weeks. Food Fight is a fascinating look at how agricultural policy and food culture have developed in 20th century America, and how the local-sustainable-organic food movement offers an alternative to conventionally-produced food. Fresh, local, high-quality ingredients are the basis of many of the world’s great culinary traditions, and with recent recalls in the food industry making headlines, interest in a safe, sustainable food supply is increasing. LA Weekly described Food Fight as a “…cheeky documentary [which] serves up the history and politics of how America eats in a breezy, amusing way.” Organic Horizon said, “Food Fight is what a documentary should be – fun to watch and educational.” The public is invited to attend these free film showings.

Heart of the City will host the film in Fort Atkinson on Sunday, September 26, at the Fort HealthCare Auditorium, 611 Sherman Avenue East, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Use the Armenia Street entrance.

Can't go on the 26? These additional showings are available:
Food Fight will be shown at the Watertown Senior Center on Wednesday, September 15, hosted by Sustain Jefferson. The screening will begin at 6:30 p.m. The Senior Center is located at 514 S. 1st Street.

The film will be shown in Lake Mills on Monday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m., at L.D. Fargo Library, 120 E. Madison Street. This event is hosted by Sustainable Lake Mills.

4. Help Heart of the City Win a Pepsi Grant
This year Pepsi is giving away millions of dollars in grants to fund projects voted on by you! Heart of the City has applied for $5,000 for a project to create a volunteer program for our eco-conscious community group.
Anyone with an email address can vote once a day, Sept 1- Sept. 30th. at www.refresheverything.com/heartyhearts

• Build partnerships between organizations with similar missions
• Attract individuals to Heart of the City and other local organizations
• Engage community members in eco-volunteerism and civic participation
• Build a sustainable practice of working on "hands on" eco-projects
• Provide a fun, appealing and diverse year-long social activity

5.Farm Fresh Atlas Fundraiser Dinner
On Saturday, September 11th at the historic Oconomowoc Lake Club. Enjoy an elegant dinner featuring local food prepared by Executive Chef Jack Kaestner (www.wisconsinlocalfood.com) and visiting chefs Peter Sandroni of La Merenda and Dave Swanson of Braise Culinary School.

6:00 p.m. Savor an hors d’ oeuvres buffet served by celebrity farmers and cheesemakers. Bid on an exciting selection of silent auction items from local food enthusiasts.
7:30 p.m. Dinner

All proceeds will help fund printing the 2011 Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeastern Wisconsin, a local food guide for the Milwaukee Metro area and surrounding counties. Beth Gehred has tickets to sell for this! Please contact her if interested at (920) 568-0180. It is a very very cool place and a good cause. Online registration available: http://www.farmfreshatlas.org/southeast/fundraiser.htm

6. TNS Facilitators Meet-up at Fighting Bob Fest
Please join us at the Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo, from 10 a.m. to noon, on September 11, 2010 for a second gathering of Natural Step (TNS) advocates from around the state and beyond. (Busses are going to Fighting Bob Fest from Milwaukee and Madison, if you care to ride.) See Fightingbobfest.org for more on this option. Heidi Speight, Training Director of The Natural Step Network will lead a pull out session on ways to reach business and government leaders. Beth Gehred be leading a discussion on integrating Transition Town methodology and other tools with the TNS framework to bring out strengths and synergies between them.

Please feel free to post or forward the attached flyer, with more particulars of this event. Check www.transformagents.organd www.NaturalStepUSA.orgfor information about this event and much more going on to sharpen your use of the transformative tool of TNS.