March 11, 2020
Sustainable Marietta Forum
Will Marietta react to a future that may be different from our past, or will we prepare for it? That is the
underlying concern of a group of citizens planning a Sustainable Marietta Forum, to be held April 3-5
here in Marietta. We hope you will attend plus encourage others in the community to attend
—especially attend the workshops, presentations, and discussions on Saturday, April 4 — to share with
us your views and plans that will result in a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient city.
On Friday evening, the event will kick-off with a home-cooked dinner featuring locally produced
ingredients, and afterward, a guided group discussion on defining sustainability and its components that
will lay the groundwork for the weekend. Your insights and input will establish the tone for the
weekend, so we hope you will be there for the dinner and discussion.
Saturday morning and afternoon will feature workshops and discussions on various themes relating to a
more stable future, including presentations from representatives of other communities that have
sustainability commissions or departments within their municipal government, and workshops on topics
related to planning for the future. A keynote address on the theme of Sustainable Communities will be
presented immediately after a farm-to-table lunch (provided to those who register by March 25 th by at
https://tinyurl.com/sustainable-marietta-forum). The evening will conclude with the screening of Paris
to Pittsburgh.
The forum will conclude with a 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon discussion of how to get to the future we want
from where we are now.
We hope you will attend and participate on all three days of the forum, because you are important in
guiding and shaping Marietta. We know there is a great deal of interest in sustainability in the Marietta
community and this is your opportunity to have a voice.
All three days’ events will be at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta Church at 232 3 rd
Street and attendance is free.
April 3 (Friday) 6:30 p.m.: Home-cooked “Just Dinner,” followed by a discussion on sustainability
April 4 (Saturday) 8:30 a.m.: Welcome, coffee, and introductions
9 a.m.-noon: Lasting Lessons – three concurrent workshops each hour – take your pick
Noon-1 p.m.: Farm-to-Table Lunch available to those who have registered by March 25
1– 1:45 p.m.: Keynote presentation by Myra Moss, OSU Professor, and Community
Development Extension Educator, an expert on Community Sustainability
2-2:50 p.m.: Panel Discussion on How Sustainability Works in Other Communities
3-3:50 p.m.: Group discussions
7 p.m.: Film screening Paris to Pittsburgh
April 5 (Sunday) 11 a.m.: Service featuring a reflection on sustainability by Myra Moss
1-3 p.m.: Wrap-up discussion “How to get to the future we hope for”
Sincerely,
Sustainable Marietta Forum
Planning Committee