September 2010
 
Greetings all!  
 
 
Our next Meeting/Gathering.  We will meet next on September 2nd, 7:00 p.m., Stockton Municipal Building.  Please join us. 

Some folks (currently zoned R1, R2 & R5) discussed interest in raising chickens when we showed the “Mad City Chickens” film at the MREA last winter.  Recently action has been taken by the County Board on this issue.  In the July 23rd issue of the Portage County Gazette under the article entitled “County Approves Text Amendment Allowing Campers on Private Property,” the following was noted:
 
“The amendment also allows for people to raise chickens and ducks in
fully enclosed coops on their property.  Coops cannot exceed 120 square
feet in floor space and 10 feet in side-wall height, and only egg-laying
chickens and ducks are allowed to be kept in them.  Roosters and drakes
are prohibited.  Slaughtering and butchering of poultry is not allowed
on site, and no more than 12 birds are allowed.  Commercial sale
of eggs is also prohibited. “

This winter the sustainably themed lecture/film series organized by Sustainable Stockton and co-sponsored by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association will schedule events January through March.

• Balance: The Key to Sustainable Communities and Societies will be the kick-off lecture given on January 13th by Lowell Klessig, Emeritus Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Development and an Extension specialist with the College of Natural Resources.
•  The film, Dirt, will be shown on the evening of February 10th.  It’s the story of humans trying to reconnect to dirt, the living skin of the earth.
• The March program is not yet finalized.  Details for each program will be published as we near presentation dates.

Upcoming Events:

September, Date TBD.  A Natural Step Study Group is forming.  Are you interested in joining a book group around the Natural Step for Communities, the book used as the basis of Stevens Point being an Eco-municipality?  Susan Schuller is collecting names of those interested.  This group will start in September (exact date to be determined).  They will meet for 8 weeks (one hour/week), reading a chapter a week. The Stevens Point Eco-municipality Team has 10 books available to lend for free. If you are interested, please email Susan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 715-343-1960

September 7, 6 p.m.  UW Campus Garden Walk on Franklin St. Stevens Point. The UWSP Garden was established in 2006 by the Sustainable Agriculture in Communities Society.  There is a mixture of both raised and regular beds to highlight the benefits of each and minimize the pains in the hopes of creating a more diverse rotation.  The main concern this year is improving and building the sandy soil to create not only a better yield but a more quality product.

September 15, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM.  Steinhaugen Farm, 3531 Bentley Road, Custer.   Please join other sustainable agriculture and natural resource enthusiasts for a tour of this agro-forestry demonstration site, established on 2.5 acres in 2007. View and learn about contour swales, mulches, water catchment, gravity flow drip irrigation, solar powered electric deer fencing, and dozens of varieties of perennial food, fiber and fuel producing species like hazelnuts, cherry, serviceberry, apple, pear, elderberry, hybrid willow, shagbark hickory and more. Contact Golden Sands RC&D at (715) 343-6214 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to make a reservation. The tour is free of charge.

September 22, 7 p.m., Introduction to Domestic Solar Hot Water Seminar at the Wisconsin Rapids Library.  The goal of this highly informal session by Rob Peck from North Wind Renewable Energy is to have attendees leave with some knowledge of what a domestic solar hot water system is, and maybe a little enthusiasm about the subject. All are welcome to attend.

September 24, Renewsical – A musical about renewable energy.  UW-SP Campus. 
Go to www.Renewsical.org for more information.

September 28, 7 p.m.  Lake Planning for Adams, Bear and Thomas Lakes.  A presentation of the Lakes Management Draft Plan will be given to the Stockton Town Board at the beginning of the September 28th meeting.  A copy of the plan presented will also be available on the PC Lakes Website (after Labor Day). 

Web access is http://www.co.portage.wi.us/.   Access the lake information by selecting the County Info tab, then Portage County Lakes and then the individual lake.  If you have additional questions you can e-mail or call to Linda Stoll (346-4853) or Jen McNelly  (346-2722) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

You’re welcome to attend the meetings scheduled for lakes outside of Stockton as well.  They are scheduled as follows:

• Sep. 9, 6:30 p.m., Main Lodge at Collins Park, 2711 County Road I, Rosholt. (The Collins Lake 4th meeting with topics to include fishing and recreational use.)

• Sep. 15, 7:00 p.m., New Hope Town Hall, 9785 Town Hall Rd, Amherst Jct. (Presentation of the draft plans for Sunset and Rinehart Lakes.)

• Sep. 16, 6:30 p.m., Lake Emily Park West Lodge, 3968 park Drive, Amherst Jct. (The Lake Emily 3rd meeting with topics to include expanding the role of the lake organization.)

September 2010 (Date TBD).  For those interested, meetings will continue regarding Conservancy Zoning Updates.  More information is available on the web at:  http://www.co.portage.wi.us/planningzoning/Draft_Conservancy_7-26-10.html.  If interested in attending the next meeting, please watch the Stevens Point Journal or Portage County Gazette for the September meeting notice.

 
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