Sept 13, 2025 MFN minutes

[Martha Klems]

MFN Meeting Minutes:

September 13, 2025, 10:00 -11:30 a.m. Community Room, Macomb City Hall   

Chair: Sally Egler 

Minutes: Martha Klems   

Program/A Forum: Macomb Moving Forward.  Amanda Dean (who deliberately chose to make Macomb her home 3 years ago) and Nancy Hall (grew up in Macomb and recently chose to return after years elsewhere ) came to discuss positive ways to energize and strengthen the Macomb Community. 

 Last Spring, a WSJ article implied Macomb was a "dying community" due to the decline in WIU enrollment. Amanda responded immediately with her strong, enthusiastic take on Macomb and an invitation to other residents to participate in a 30-day series of “No Place Like Macomb” letters expressing their views of the city. Nancy Hall wrote one of the first of those love letters ( and several other MFNers wrote others). The discussion was wide ranging so I’ll just list a few points made by Amanda (A) and Nancy (N) then some things other MFNers said as I heard them. 

 A & N: 

-Both emphasized that AFFORDABLE housing was key and they believe that paired with Macomb’s many amenities can be used to attract more and diverse young people to Macomb. (“I can’t express how hopeless younger people are feeling about their lack of access to the American dream”. )

 -A & N both bought houses here. A also bought 2 other houses in the Adams/Charles St intersection area which she is re-habbing with ambitious plans for Art Houses. One is a 6-bedroom Wes Anderson (movie director) themed Art House. Could be a B&B. Plans for the second Art house include a cafe and several apartments which she hopes to rent to artists. Other ideas are to start a folk school where those artists and other might teach.

 -While the Art Houses are in progress, A has incorporated NO PLACE LIKE MACOMB (chosen to rhyme with “home”), started a website and rented space in the Masonic Temple bldg on the square. Watch the website or visit to keep up with plans and projects. (See links and more info in Amanda’s recent email to MFN)

 -N: said: “scarcity creates value, and what is scarce is human connection” and recommended Scott Galloway’s “Lonely Fans” article about the epidemic of loneliness. A& N hope to use No Place Like Macomb to increase real like connections that will appeal to artists, students, and other people looking for a good place to call home. They hope to help make Macomb more “colorful” in every way. 

-A suggests some Macomb entrepreneurs could learn to monetize their work

 -A hopes to start a book club to discuss books about community 

 MFN responded with comments about many good things they see going on in Macomb. I’ll note just a few other comments by members: 

Elisa: Macomb is not a “college town” but more a “town with a college” 

 Paula: encourage “micro acts of hospitality” to make new people (including students) feel welcome  

Anne: need to develop the Adams St corridor to make it a more inviting bridge between WIU and the downtown. Ideas?  ___________________ 

Business meeting: 

Treasurer & Membership Reports (Becky Parker): 

26 paid members for this year  contributed $475, current balance =$2389.16 

 Continuing Business:

Writing Women into History 2026: (Elisa Rasmussen): 

-We now have a full Committee: 

  Elisa Rasmussen, Chair,

  Charlene Korniski-Duval,

  Lynn Stults,

  Jane Coplan, 

  Paula Wise 

- Nomination Deadline TBA, WWIH

- Reception Date: Sat Mar 7 at Wesley Community Center 

New Business:

Election of Board Members Ruth Kelly, Martha Klems, Margaret Ovitt, Becky Parker, Elisa Rasmussen, Melanie Rawlins, Janice Welsch, and Amanda Dean were unanimously elected.   

Proposed Programs for 2025-2026 Sept.     13        Moving Macomb Ahead: Forum   (Sally) 

Oct.       11       Mayor Inman and Kim Pierce (MAEDCO); economic initiatives in place or being explored Nov.      08    Amy Crosby, Advance. & Develop. and Found./ Ann Lefter, Ctr for Perf Arts      

Jan.        24      Brunch: The Wine Sellers (Becky and Jan) 

Feb.      14       Director of WIRC (Ruth)  Confirmed 

Mar.     07       WWIH Awards Reception 9:30 – Noon, Wesley Community Center                   

Apr.      11       Multiple-age Recreational Options: Tanya Schmidt, YMCA, and MPD staff.  

Announcements:

 -Donations to support costs for a student in Macomb/Danish Student Exchange needed: send to Allison Vawter at Old Bailey House   -

-Macomb Beautiful and Master Gardeners plan a house garden tour Mar 28,2026 

-Dec 31 Surreal Estate Party at the Wes Anderson Art House 

-4 Nigerian women grad students arrived at WIU who are pregnant and w/o their husbands because U.S. denied their husbands visas. WIRC and Birthright are both trying to help them but they need baby furniture,clothes and anything else to help with babies. Contact Marti Dallmeyer or WIRC if you have items or wish to contribute 

Sound Off:

         

Respectfully submitted, 

 Martha Klems

[Janice Welsch]

Thanks for writing these and sending them to members, Martha.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Macomb Feminists Network" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macombfeminis...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macombfeminists/CABVEhPTmarqY%3DKn8UVNt2bUNr14BExVzR%3Dug-tOOcqFUfkMKkQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Martha Klems]

Least I could do. 

You were missed Jan!

Martha

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/macombfeminists/CAND6fv%2BprYe-6zoyrF1JcuDnSnwqCi7YSFqDsTHB4Ka4V9ZFwg%40mail.gmail.com.