Live blogging!

Empower Lewiston hosted its first annual blog-a-thon (or, blog-o-thon), at B-Street Community Center. A small but dynamic group of residents, Empower Lewiston board members, community leaders, and bloggers assembled to talk about the what blogging is, and why it's important.

[B-Street Community Center, a downtown hub]

Hillary Verrill, Empower Lewiston's program coordinator did a great job organizing the event, and taking care of the logistics that always go into an event like this.

[Hillary busy at work, taking care of last minute details]

Hillary put together the agenda, sent invitations, and secured the Mayor to welcome the community to the event. Mayor Gilbert, a blogger in his own right, spoke about the importance of keeping communications open in the community, blogging's role in that, as well as tieing it to the city's past, when residents would voice their concerns about the narrowness of Main Street, to the city's first Mayor.

[Mayor Gilbert welcomes the public]

Blogger Jim Baumer (EL board member, and with the Local Workforce Investment Board) introduced blogging; what it is and why it matters. Mark LaFlamme (blogger extraordinaire, and local crime beat report for the SJ) spoke about his blog, and why he values the medium.

[(L-R) Jim Baumer, Ward 5 Councilor, Tina Bailey, and Mark LaFlamme]

[LaFlamme regales the crowd]

LaFlamme has been an important media voice in the downtown, particularly in his role as a local journalist, covering the downtown beat. Now, blogging gives him another orientation for getting his ideas out to a diverse audience, particularly one that may no longer read the daily newspaper. He spoke about his own experiences blogging (at 3 am), and why he invests the time posting his thoughts, ideas, and random musings.

[This post was a collaborative effort, carried out by board members Baumer, Tina Hutchinson, and downtown resident, Barbara Rankins.]

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLOG-O-THON!

Wednesday May 21st
9:30 AM – 4 PM
Location: B-Street Community Center
Computer Lab 2nd Floor
57 Birch St. Lewiston, Maine

9:30 am: B-Street Computer Lab opens. Refreshments will be provided.

10:00 am: Mayor Gilbert Speaks to launch the day

Jim Baumer presents Empower Lewiston’s Blog and addresses the following:
· What is a blog and how do you use it?
· Blogging vs. Traditional media
· Telling your story through words and pictures

Mark Laflamme crime reporter introduces his cyberspace knowledge

11:00 am: Internet Tips: from the very basic to the more advanced, this tutorial will surely teach you something!

12:00 pm: Light refreshments provided

1:00pm: How to add extras into your blog such as videos and more!

2:30 pm: Blogging for Teens… blogging on social networking sites

3:30 pm: Computer Give-way takes off

Rooted in the downtown, Empower Lewiston serves as a critical and innovative
facilitator - advocating for, with, and among downtown residents and businesses
to determine our well-being, material security, and future together.

Contact Hillary Verrill for more information: 777-5144 or Hillary@empowerlewiston.org
http://empowerlewiston.blogspot.com

Would a food co-op work in downtown Lewiston?

Would a food co-op work in downtown Lewiston? A walk in and around Lewiston’s downtown neighborhoods reveals several corner markets and convenience stores, but also, a glaring lack of options for residents desiring something other than processed foods.

What is a food co-op, or co-operative grocery store?

A cooperative (co-op) is a business that belongs to its members. A co-op is founded and organized voluntarily by people who want goods or services provided to them through a democratically controlled enterprise. It is owned by the people who support the business, use it, and invest equity into it. The member-owners share equally in the control of their cooperative. They generally meet once a year at an annual meeting. They also elect a board of directors from among themselves. The directors in turn hire management to run the day-to-day affairs of the co-op in a way that serves the members’ interest.

Are there other co-ops in our area, or in Maine?

[Fair Share Co-op, Main Street, Norway, Maine]

Fare Share Market, in Norway, is an example of a co-op. An integral part of their community, Fair Share is locally engaged, helping educate their neighbors about healthy food, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and a host of other things. They also provide tangible demonstrations of democracy, cooperation, as well as fostering a spirit of self-reliance.

Another food co-op, around since 1976, is the Belfast Co-op, in Midcoast Maine. From humble beginnings, first operating out of a small storefront, in 1985, they moved to a building three times the size, their current 2,500 square foot location on Lower Main Street.

[Belfast Co-op, Belfast, Maine]

There are a number of resources available to learn more about co-ops, and the nuts and bolts of how to get one off the ground.

The CGIN (Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network) is a membership organization founded to support the growth and development of food co-ops. Given that the grocery market has grown increasingly competitive, CGIN offers help and support to co-ops, aiding them in maximizing their collective resources and keeping them, as independent groups, from being put at a competitive disadvantage.

They have an online how-to guide that’s worth checking out.

So what do you think? Would a food co-op work in downtown Lewiston?