In his book Deep Economy:  The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, 

author Bill McKibben argues that it is not only futile to pursue a course of infinite economic expansion in a world of finite resources, but also dangerous.  We need to  re-evaluate our long-held notions of how economies function, and what we mean when we talk about "economics" and "progress."

 

In this brave new world, progress will mean a shift to economies that are more local in scale, and will look a lot like the Harrison Avenue Marketplace on the third Wednesday of every month, or the Freret Market on the first Saturday, or Magazine Street any day of the week.  A robust local economy, argues McKibben, means a healthier, happier, more connected community.

 

Please join co-sponsors Stay Local! and Garden District Book Shop for an illuminating evening as author Bill McKibben signs and discusses his book, Deep Economy:  The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future on Wednesday, March 12, from 5:30- 7:30 pm,  2727 Prytania St.  See map.

 

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Then be sure to attend all or part of this year's thought-and-action-provoking Small Business Sustainability Summit Feb. 21 - 23, 2008 at Loyola University. Keynote speaker Donna Childs will offer simple, cost-effective solutions to safeguard your business and your livelihood.  Learn how an investment in contingency planning will yield an immediate return by improving the efficiency of operating processes, even if disaster never strikes.  Donna Childs is the co-author of Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery:  A Small Business Guide and is CEO/founder of Childs Capital, LLC.

 

The summit will also include valuable information on negotiating insurance terms (Thursday) and on recovering commercial corridors in Gentilly, St. Roch/St. Claude, and Freret (Friday) and on implementing sustainable growth strategies (Saturday).  We will also hear updates on Phase II of the LED Small Business Grant/Loan Program.

 

Stay Local! is proud to partner with The American Red Cross, Desire NOLA, LSBDC-GNOR, NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), and Seedco Financial to convene this summit.   Special thanks to Entergy New Orleans, Capital One, and Latter & Blum Realtors, Inc. for their sponsorship.

  

Read the 2007 Stay Local! Summit Report.

 

To register, call 504-831-3730, email lsbdc.gnor@lsbdc.org or register on-line at www.lsbdc.org

 

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 Blue Moon Helps Stay Local! Connect the Dots

 

In December of 2007, The Urban Conservancy received generous funding from the blue moon fund to refine and expand StayLocal.org,  our web-based outreach tool that connects local businesses to the people who support them.  In awarding this grant, the funders praised The Urban Conservancy for engaging in work that supports blue moon's mission "to restore the connections between humans, ecosystems, and climate through holistic, place-based approaches to energy use, resource use, and rural and urban development."

 

Users can continue to access staylocal.org without interruption while talented people work to ensure the website's continued growth, relevance, and useability.  The project will be complete by January 2009.

 

Thank you, blue moon, for this opportunity.

 

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Stay Local! Champions Neighborhood-Driven Economics

 

The Urban Conservancy promotes an improved quality of life for all community residents by supporting the right of communities to democratically control their urban environment. We also support diversified local economies that sustain the people who live and work in the community, including the nearly 1200 business owners listed on staylocal.org.

 

Read our letter in support of The Audubon Riverside Neighborhood Association and Smart Growth for Louisiana's appeal to the Board of Zoning Adjustment to overrule the decision of the Department of Safety and Permits that classified high-volume national chain The Pita Pit as a cafeteria restaurant rather than a fast food restaurant. 

 

The request was denied, but the neighbors are not throwing in the towel.  They are regrouping to address neighborhood concerns regarding irregularities in the appeal process.  To learn more or get involved, contact Betsy Stout of the Audubon Riverside Neighborhood Association at 891-4184 or betsy61900@aol.com.

 

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Check out our feature on Asian Pacific, our Events Listings, and more! 

This newsletter was sent to you for at least one of the following reasons:  you have registered a qualifying locally-owned and operated business within Greater New Orleans to be listed on Stay Local!'s website; you are a business advocate that provides financial, technical or other assistance to locally-owned businesses in the Greater New Orleans area; or you are an individual who understands that shopping at independent businesses first and whenever possible supports a more sustainable economy and environment, and strengthens New Orleans' one-of-a-kind culture. 

 

 Stay Local! is an initiative of The Urban Conservancy.

 

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