Valerie Cassity
Special to the Sun

An aptly named “Think Local First” headlined the Kern River Valley Revitalization’s (KRVR) Feb. 4 meeting in Kernville.

Sierra Business Council Promotes Think Local First Program Mary Canada and Sahara Saude of the Sierra Business Council (SBC) gave a presentation on their Think Local First (TLF) program, which is a community initiative in which small businesses can encourage shoppers to keep their dollars in the Sierras. The program works to improve local economies while retaining the charm of Sierran communities. The SBC’s mission is to provide tools and services to communities to help them achieve their vision of the future, taking into account and ensuring the sustainability of the environmental, societal, and economic health of each town in the Sierras. “Shopping is like casting a vote,” said Eastern Sierra representative Mary Canada. “The time is right for the Think Local First program due to the economic downturn. This is a time when small business is feeling uneasy about which direction they should go.”

Supporting small businesses doesn’t only help the business owners, but keeps money in local economies for a longer period of time. If a consumer spends $1 at a local store, it recycles in that community 6-8 times; whereas $1 spent at a big box store, such as Wal-Mart or Target, leaves the community immediately. Ways to shop local include shopping at local retail stores, patronizing establishments that showcase local art and music, buying locally-grown food, and giving to local organizations. “Local is not just a place on the map,” said Western Sierra representative Sahara Saude.

The Think Local First program is available at three levels. The first level, which includes the TLF kit, is $45 and includes a Top 10 Reasons to Support Local Businesses poster, window decals, talking points and a tip sheet to maximize impact, 50 point-of-sale cards to share with customers, a CD with electronic logos, and more. The second level is $100, and the business receives not only the kit but marketing help and support from the SBC. The third level is a membership to SBC for $200, which includes everything from level two plus discounts on the SBC conference and leadership institute, as well as a monthly newsletter and a one year subscription to Sierra Heritage Magazine.

In order to join the Think Local First program, businesses must meet certain criteria, which include the business being privately held, over 50 percent of the ownership living in the Sierra Nevada, if a business has corporate headquarters they must be based in the region, and the ability of businesses to make independent decisions regarding name, look, purchasing, and distribution. If you are interested in learning more about the Think Local First Program or the SBC, visit their website at www.sbcouncil.org.

Living Green in KRV Festival Coming in March

Richard Rowe gave an update on his planning efforts for the Living Green Festival, a free “Green Festival” for the KRV with events taking place March 27-30 throughout the valley including tours, demonstrations, workshops, a Green Film Festival, vendor expo, a native plant sale, lots of giveaways, children’s activities, and more throughout the four-day event. The purpose of the event is to get Kern Valley residents thinking about small changes they can make in their lives to save money and help the planet, while enjoying a new festival in the KRV. Organizers of the festival are currently seeking donations, and have already gotten 63% of their budget in monetary and in-kind contributions. For more information on how to get involved or donate, visit the Living Green section of the KRVR website at www.krvr.org.

Backyard Bird Count Feb. 13-16

Alison Sheehey, Outreach Coordinator for Audubon California’s Kern River Preserve (KRP), announced that National Audubon will be holding its annual backyard bird count on President’s Day weekend, and all are welcome to participate. All you have to do is count the birds in your yard and upload the data to the National Audubon website.

Sheehey is also organizing the KRP’s annual Kern River Valley Spring Nature Festival (formerly the Bioregions Festival) and is seeking businesses and organizations that are interested in having information tables at the Preserve during the festival, May 2-3. In addition, she is seeking donations for door prizes for the Friday and Saturday evening dinners, which boast Keynote Speakers Jason Saleeby and Bob Barnes. For more information, contact Alison at 378-2029.

KRV Chamber Seeking Fireworks Funding

Ray Thurm, President of the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce (KRVCC) announced that with the downturn in the economy, memberships are down and in an effort to be more fiscally responsible, the KRVCC will only hold quarterly membership meetings. The meetings will be held at Paradise Cove restaurant on Apr. 8, July 8, and Oct. 14 in 2009. Thurm also announced that because the 4th of July is on a Saturday this year, the annual fireworks display over the lake will cost $16,000; $4,000 more than previous years. Half of the money is required this month as a deposit for the show, and so the KRVCC must raise $2,500 in the next three weeks, and then an additional $8,000 by July 4. If the funds cannot be raised in time, the fireworks show could be scaled back drastically or even cancelled. To find out how you can help to ensure that the Kern Valley has a fireworks display this year, call the KRVCC at 379-5236.

Free Solar Workshop April 23

Debbie Hess announced that Southern California Edison, along with Kern County and Cerro Coso College, will be hosing a Residential Solar Workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. on Apr. 23, at Cerro Coso College. The workshop is free, and refreshments will be served. Attendees are limited to 40 participants, and you must RSVP to attend. For more information, contact Debbie Hess at Deborah.hess@sce.com.

KRVR meets the first Wednesday of every month, and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4, at 9 a.m. at the Kernville Chamber Building. For more information, visit www.krvr.org.