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Monday 7:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 7:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 7:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 7:30am - 4:30pm Friday 7:30am - 4:30pm

Community Engagement for the Carlisle Climate Action Plan

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Community Engagement for the Carlisle Climate Action Plan

CET is specifically charged with ensuring the final climate action plan reflects community values and maintains community support.

Throughout the development of Carlisle's Climate Action Plan, the Community Engagement Team will seek input from the public to help ensure that the final CAP reflects community values and receives community support. The Community Engagement Team (CET) is one of four teams working under the umbrella of the Carlisle Climate Action Commission (CAC) to develop a climate action plan (CAP) for the Borou

gh. Throughout the development of the CAP, CET will seek input from the community and ensure that the final plan is considerate of issues surrounding racial and socioeconomic equity, fairness, aesthetics, and economic development. CET’s work will be ongoing, as it serves as the primary interface with the public (as the face of the broader CAC) and also as a conduit of communication between CAC and the community. Our team anticipates working closely with the Projects and Estimates Team (PET) to develop criteria in cost-benefit analyses. We seek to work with the community and the other teams of the CAC to propose creative “win-win-win” plans, projects, and policies to benefit all stakeholders in the Carlisle community. CET is currently composed of 17 members who represent diverse fields and experiences including, physics and environmental science, education, law and conflict mediation, and the arts. New members or those interested in learning more about the CET are welcome to attend a meeting or connect with via email at [email protected]

Our meetings are held every other Thursday via zoom. If you have any ideas or recommendations for CET or for the broader CAC, we encourage you to reach out to us! A little bit about the broader Carlisle Action Commission from the Carlisle Borough:

“The CAC is a standing (temporary) commission [twelve months] composed of members approved by Borough Council to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in Carlisle Borough Resolution No. 07-09-2020-01. The CAC is tasked to propose a climate action plan within twelve months for council approval. The CAC consists of an Executive Committee and four working groups, each led by a Team Lead who also serves on the Executive Committee (EC). The EC represents the voting members of the CAC.”

For more information on CAC, you can watch the virtual public forum held earlier this year by the Carlisle Borough on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVFlgecWf5g&feature=emb_logo

The slides only from this presentation are available from the Carlisle Borough website:https://cms8.revize.com/revize/carlislepa/Climate%20Action%20Plan/Climate%20Action%20Commission%20Public%20Release.pdf

All of this information is available on the Carlisle Borough webpage for the Climate Action Commission available here: https://www.carlislepa.org/government/boards___commissions/climate_action_commission.php

08/11/2021

This week’s Small Business Spotlight is on Earth Artisan & Outfitter. Jessica Miller and her husband Kenny started the business 7 years ago with the goal of encouraging Carlislians to get outdoors and to help foster appreciation our Jessica is an artist and art educator, while Kenny is an ISA Certified Arborist (who also serves on the Shade Tree Commission). Earth Artisan & Outfitters is stocked with a variety of products ranging from hiking gear and supplies to sustainably-made home products (using harvested natural ingredients when possible - such as soaps, honey etc.). Jessica also has her own artwork available for sale at the store. In addition, at Earth Artisan & Outfitter you can find maps, field guides and books on environmental education. Jessica and Kenny have supported many initiatives, such as National Park Foundation and Appalachian Trail Conservancy , through donating portions of their sales. Earth Artisan & Outfitter has hosted speakers to share research and education on environmentalism and has planned community events for Earth Day, Arbor Day and other occasions. This past April, for Earth Day 2021, Earth Artisan & Outfitter, hosted eight different environmental organizations to bring awareness and education to the Carlisle community. Earth Artisan & Outfitter will be closed for a late summer break – but is reopening on September 10. In the meantime, you can check out their adventure blog at earthartout.com (and browse their selection of gear, goods, and art online!)

08/04/2021

This week’s small business spotlight is on Pitt Street favorite, Cafe Bruges . Nuhan met with one of the restaurant’s owners, Ross Morris, last Wednesday to chat about Café Bruges and visit the Farmers on the Square Market. Ross explained his long relationship with farmers as a chef himself as he searched for ingredients for the restaurant’s weekend Market Special. Focused on fine European cuisine that hails from its namesake in Belgium, nevertheless, Café Bruges has immersed itself into the Carlisle community. The Bruges team pride themselves with making delicious food with locally sourced ingredients, by procuring meat from Pecan Meadows farms and purchasing vegetables from the Farmers’ Market and local farms. As a family owned business, the Bruges team prioritizes partnerships with other local businesses, including Quest Embroidery and Rowe’s Print Shop for the restaurant’s menus and uniforms. Keep an eye out for their weekend Market Specials -- which change each weekend based on what’s seasonal and available at the Farmers Market!

08/03/2021

From the page, Carlisle Needs a Skatepark - two meetings this week on potential plans for a skatepark in Carlisle! Skating, like biking, is a carbon-free form of transportation and we ❤ it!

"Carlisle might get a (small) skatepark...
This Wednesday at 6pm Carlisle Borough Government Council meeting there will be an update on the linear park along Fairground Ave. On Thursday at 7pm the Carlisle Parks and Recreation Board Meeting will further discuss this. There are 2 areas along the IAC factory site that are planned for park development currently and one is a small skate 'spot'.
Lot A is planned as a small skate park. The location is along Fairground Ave. by the railroad tracks between Fairground and Spring Rd. There is a multi-use path being built along the 4 blocks of Fairground so it would connect with another space for bikes/skateboards/people. The large depressions along the path are for the stormwater retention elements. Permeable fill will be added and then leveled out. Additional recreational elements have been discussed but funding is always the barrier. There is some funding for the skate park but fundraising might also be needed and could expand the options. We hope to discuss some of this at the meetings.

It is not a very large area and would be a 'skate spot' style design. The design is NOT set and this diagram was created to give a visual of the space. Input from skaters is crucial and an online survey will be posted here soon to gather feedback but both of these meetings are open to the public and an opportunity to learn more and start discussions. Since the space is limited, trying to gather ideas of what should be incorporated and how to plan the flow of the space will be crucial.

The Council meeting on Wednesday is streamed on FB but if you want to speak publicly at the meeting (or even think you might want to) you will either need to attend live at Borough Hall 53 W. South street or register to attend through zoom in advance. https://us06web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_YjqKo0RBRNGJ8XAvIX3pJw

The Parks and Rec meeting is not streamed but will be another opportunity for good discussion. That meeting is 7pm at Stuart Community center 415 Franklin St. See you there!"

08/02/2021

Last week we continued our summer tour of Borough facilities with a tour of the Compost site on Post Road. Mark Malarich, Lead Engineer of Carlisle Borough, explained Carlisle’s system for collecting yard waste to create two main products for residents for free: mulch and compost. The compost facility accepts most yard waste, such as leaves, branches, and sticks – though it’s important to note that they do not accept grass clippings for safety reasons. At the site, yard waste is assembled into a large piles to decompose. The leaves and compost materials take a few months to break down and the compost facility screens the compost at least twice, to remove unwanted inorganic waste (as much as possible). The facility borrows equipment from the county (as do other municipalities) to help break down woody material into mulch, which also helps to return nutrients to the soil and act as fertilizer. Residents are required to bag their leaves before they bring them to the facility to compost, and must ensure there aren’t non-compostable or non-yard waste materials when they drop it off. The facility is open for drop-off and mulch/compost pick up from April 1st to the middle of December. The compost site closes for the winter due to the colder temperatures (which slows down the decomposition process) and the lack of yard waste. The 5 acre site operates under Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules, with some funds going from the site to help DEP recycling programs. In case you haven’t already been to the compost site, the facility’s procedures are simple: when you arrive, the borough employee at the gate will ask proof of residency in the Borough.

07/28/2021

This week’s Small Business Spotlight is a local favorite, Molly Pitcher Brewing Company. Nuhan met with Cassie Fourlas, bar manager of Molly Pitcher, to talk about how they prioritize sustainability in their brewing process. Molly Pitcher sends their spent grain and hops to Dickinson College Farm for use as animal feed and to create biofuels, instead of throwing them away in a landfill. Their in-house practices aim to be as sustainable as possible as well, using sleeved paper menus to avoid reprinting and making easy edits. They also minimize their use of disposables by using non-plastic cutlery and bowls instead of plates where possible, and recycle where they can. The building also has LED lightbulbs and they minimize their use of power and heat whenever possible. In terms of their food, they love to reuse food products like vegetables in gravy, or spent grain in cooking and making bread, and with overlapping ingredients they also help cut down on wasting products. Their involvement with the community is significant too, as they buy local produce from the farmer’s market and from surrounding farms, and also have created beers to support the Letort Trails. Molly Pitcher is an eatery that really embraces the Carlisle community and its values, while remaining sustainable. Stop by and say hi to Cassie and the team this week(end)!

07/27/2021

Last week, our team toured the Carlisle Regional Water Pollution Control Facility. Our tour was led by Dave Runkle, Laboratory Supervisor, who’s about to finish his 37th year at the facility (and soon retire – Congrats, Dave!). Dave walked us through the processes of how wastewater from homes and businesses in the Carlisle area is purified and eventually discharged back into the Conodguinet Creek. Capable of treating over 7 million gallons per day (4.32 million gallons daily), the facility is responsible for purifying water to remove hazardous materials through biochemical processes and separate biosolids using lime solutions. The treated biosolids are then used as fertilizers for local farms (free of charge to the farms!). The plant’s lab also conducts routine drinking water tests in Carlisle, ensuring the safety of our town’s clean water supply. All of the plant’s work is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the plant’s staff provide help for a DEP program on biosolids recycling. We learned a lot about how efficient and rigorous their work is, and we recommend anyone interested to take a tour of the plant with Dave. We were fascinated by the plants processes and Dave’s thorough explanation of the various sciences involved with the water purifying processes, from biology and chemistry to physics and engineering.

If you’re interested in learning more you can visit the Borough’s page on the Wastewater Treatment Plant: https://www.carlislepa.org/government/borough_departments/water_resources/wastewater_treatment_plant.php To schedule a tour with Dave, you can call the Borough at 717-249-4422.

07/26/2021

Thank you to the Carlisle Bridge Builders for planning and hosting Unity Day at Memorial Park this past Saturday! Our team had a fantastic time – from the insightful speakers to beautiful musical performances – and of course the delicious food! We were honored to be a part of this day, which was organized with the goal of fostering unity, harmony, peace and equality. Thank you for hosting this event and bringing us all together!

07/21/2021

One of Carlisle’s oldest buildings is home to one of its most unique businesses — Create-A-Palooza . Owned and operated by Karen and Jim Griffith, Create-A-Palooza provides an open studio to paint your own pottery, for families, groups, and the artist in everyone! The building itself, which was previously an abandoned law firm, is over 250 years old. Karen and Jim have retrofitted the building to be as modern and energy-efficient as possible, while preserving its historic charm. Their retrofits of the building include replacing halogen lighting with LED ceiling fixtures and installing water-saving automatic taps. Create-A-Palooza also reuses and recycles their pottery, a practice that Jim explains has been observed dating back 19,000 years. Their glaze is also recycled to create designs on new pieces. All of the glaze and paints used at Create-A-Palooza are biodegradable, water-based, and non-toxic. Jim also tells us he’s planning on installing rain barrels in the near future to further the business’s sustainability. Create-A-Palooza provides a great example of an energy-efficiency retrofit which honors the original architectural designs of one of Carlisle’s historic buildings. We highly recommend checking them out with friends or family for a paint night soon!

07/16/2021

Last month, we put out a call for mini-grants, with the goal of funding projects with a positive environmental impact in the Carlisle area. We were thrilled to receive so many applications and we’re so excited to announce the following organizations, who will receive funding to support their sustainable initiatives!! Congratulations to C-Luv Thrift , Carlisle Seed Swap , Cumberland County Historical Society , Lamberton Community Garden, North Hanover Grille , and Serve The City: Carlisle PA Thank you for your thoughtful applications – we can’t wait to see the final results!

07/14/2021

Rejoice book lovers! This week’s Small Business Spotlight is on a local favorite, Whistlestop Bookshop . A long-time establishment of Carlisle, the independent bookstore run by Jeff Wood, has built itself as a sustainable, community-oriented business. Jeff is involved with many committees and boards in Carlisle, including the Bosler Memorial Library and the Cumberland County Historical Society, and assists with other local non-profits. Whistlestop uses recycled paper bags and Jeff finds ecologically friendly alternatives to other supplies like cleaning goods and cash register paper as well. He also makes a point of noting that he’s always stocked with books that inform people about the environment (especially our local ecosystem and natural places, like trails) and climate change. This inventory includes the classics like A Silent Spring, A Sand County Almanac and more as well as more recent environmental writing and research. As for future potential actions, Jeff is looking into making the shop more energy-efficient and is looking into solar options. We absolutely recommend this gorgeous bookstore for all your book needs, so keep it small this Saturday (or whenever you go!)

07/12/2021

Join us on July 24 from noon to 3:00 pm as the Carlisle Bridge Builders present “Unity Day” at Memorial Park in Carlisle. The event includes food, poetry, music and dance. If you’d like to participate in the Poetry Slam, contact Stephanie Taylor at [email protected].

We're excited to see you all there! We'll be handing out our usual climate action information at the event!

Address

53 West South Street
Carlisle, PA
17013

Opening Hours

Monday	7:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	7:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	7:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	7:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	7:30am - 4:30pm

Website

https://www.carlislepa.org/government/boards___commissions/climate_action_commission.php

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