Archived Radio Show

December 9, 2024

Original Radio Show  ID:
WSA241209

Listen to the Show on the Mp3 Player below

Duration 57 minutes

.

---

Featuring

Click the Name to access the Segment below

1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz,  Host of Women's Spaces 

2a. Guest Dr. Merith Weisman, PhD., Executive Director, Sonoma County GoLocal 

 ----

----   

1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz:  I have a special guest this morning. Joining me in the studio is Dr. Merith Weisman director of Sonoma County GO LOCAL here in Sonoma County Merith has been director since November 2024. Her career spans nonprofit work and fostering partnerships between public higher education and local communities. We will be talking about – the benefits of supporting local businesses during these holiday seasons. I can hardly believe Christmas 2024 in a few weeks.

We she made it! On December 6th, just three days ago my sister Evelyn Diane Holtz reached the great age of 80. Wow she has been in my life for eighty years. Happy Birthday Evelyn, wishing you always the best life has to offer.

2. Our Guest, Dr. Merith Weisman, first shared her experience working in Indonesia after the devastating 2004 tsunami, which killed 220,000 people, including 200,000 in Aceh. The disaster destroyed infrastructure, farms, and the local economy. Drawing on her research in Central Java, she joined Plan International to assist in recovery, translating grant materials, teaching program management, and collaborating with international volunteers. Her activist grandmother’s influence instilled courage and resilience. Remarkably, the tsunami’s aftermath ended a 50-year war in Aceh, enabling rebuilding and fostering peace. Dr. Weisman emphasized how family and historical resilience inspire action during crises.

The discussion then shifted to GoLocal, a 15-year-old initiative supporting locally owned businesses in Sonoma County. Dr. Merith Weisman, GoLocal’s Executive Director, explained its mission to bolster the local economy. Shopping locally retains three times more economic value compared to big-box or online retailers, enhancing community sustainability and reducing environmental impacts like packaging and shipping waste.

Our host, Elaine, highlighted the community-building power of local economies, recalling neighborhood stores’ interconnectedness. Merith emphasized that buying locally fosters better service, stronger relationships, and shared prosperity. GoLocal members benefit from directory listings, advertising opportunities, networking events, and a rewards program that saves consumers money. Success stories include local businesses like Dee Jays Sash & Glass, Economy Plumbing, and Wolf HVAC, offering better service and lower costs than corporate competitors.

Challenges such as misconceptions about higher costs and online convenience were addressed, with speakers stressing local options’ competitive pricing and added value. Banking locally was highlighted as an easy first step. GoLocal educates and engages consumers and businesses through resources like Made Local magazine and partnerships with sponsors such as Oliver’s Market and Redwood Credit Union.

The session concluded with a call to action, urging the audience to prioritize local spending, especially during the holidays, to build resilient, connected, and thriving communities. 

About our Guest:  Dr. Merith Weisman was recently named Executive Director of Sonoma County GO LOCAL in November 2024. Her career spans nonprofit work and fostering partnerships between public higher education and local communities. She was the Founding Coordinator/Director of the Sonoma State University (SSU) Center for Community Engagement for over sixteen years, connecting local businesses with SSU resources, including student placements and faculty research. She mentored college students and AmeriCorps members and developed a Professional Social Media certificate program. Merith also led initiatives on sustainability and climate change, serving on various boards and committees.

An entrepreneurial spirit, she co-created the coMesh cloud-based database for university-community collaboration, which became the EduConnect module of Fundly. Merith sold her share of the software to an engineering firm. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership and an MA in applied cultural anthropology. Merith has traveled extensively and worked in Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami for Plan International USA.

Guest Link:

Sonoma County GoLocal website: https://sonomacounty.golocal.coop/

---

Our History Is Our Strength

Check out important dates to remember in Herstory at the National Women's History Alliance, where the date descriptions were sourced unless otherwise indicated.

Special thank you to the National Women’s History Alliance for making women’s history alive. Shout out to Co-Founder and Retiring Executive Director, Molly McGregor who will be on the show when we celebrate Women’s History Month in March for making the fabulous list of Women in History where I get most of the info I present in this Herstory segment.

Herstory Events:

December 9, 2002 – Award-winning ABC News journalist, Michele Norris, becomes the first African American female regular co-host of National Public Radio’s news magazine, All Things Considered, she stepped down in 2012.

December 10, 1869 – Wyoming is the first territory to give women the right to vote.

December 10, 1938 – Pearl S. Buck receives the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Good Earth.

December 14, 1961 – President’s Commission on the Status of Women is established to examine discrimination against women and ways to eliminate it.

December 14, 1985 – Wilma Mankiller is sworn in as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma – the first woman in modern history to lead a major Native American tribe.

Herstory Birthdays:

December 13, 1903 (1986) – Ella Baker, organizer, tried to develop local leaders for civil rights campaigns but found male leaders in the NAACP quite unwilling to delegate power, helped lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference until Dr. King took over, worked with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

----

Announcements 

Monday, December 16, 2024 5 PM PT (Due to studio upgrade at 11 AM the time is changed just for this week) # repeats 11 PM PT, the show will feature our guest Zakiya Thomas, CEO of the ERA Coalition, advocating for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, Radio KBBF 89.1 FM, North SF Bay or live streaming at https://kbbf.org/live

----

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 Peace and Justice Center issues new weekly list of events and links to community non-profit organizations. It includes ongoing peace protests: PJC website www.pjcsoco.org

---- 

Wednesday, December 18 , 2024, 10 AM PT (new time), the show will feature our guest Zakiya Thomas, CEO of the ERA Coalition, advocating for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment,  Radio KPCA 103.3 FM, Petaluma, CA. https://petalumacommunityaccess.org/kpca    Women's Spaces will be broadcast over Radio KPCA on the same day as before but at a new time on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM.

----

Music Selections

The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced - Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 5/24/2021

The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women's Wax Works) - www.alixdobkin.com