by: Anya Firszt, General Manager
Hello Owners, Last month was quite busy at the Co-op, mainly due to the refrigeration project at Willy East. Coordinating the many moving parts of a project of this scale requires significant behind-the-scenes work. The project team diligently addressed as many known factors as possible while remaining flexible and adaptable to any issues that arose and needed immediate attention. If you haven’t had a chance to see the new cases and the remerchandised areas of the store, be sure to stop by and take a look!
Eat Local Month
September is Eat Local Month, a month-long celebration of LOCAL. This is our 15th year celebrating Eat Local Month—our way of highlighting and supporting our local producers and vendors. We have planned giveaways, sampling, and extra sales on local products for everyone, not just Owners. Check out the information in this issue of the newsletter, in-store flyers, or willystreet.coop/eat-local-month for details.
Board Elections
Look for Board candidate statements and balloting information in the October Reader. Voting will take place from October 1 to 22. You can cast your ballot at one of three stores, by U.S. mail, or electronic ballot, provided we have your current email address.
Election results will be announced at the Special Owner Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 22. The last call for online and vote-by-phone ballots is 11:59pm on Monday, October 20, and paper ballots are due by 6:00pm on October 22nd, with results announced at 6:30pm. Be sure to check the Co-op’s website for election updates following the Special Meeting or in the next issue of the Reader.
If you are not already signed up to receive the newsletter (and electronic ballots) via email, you still have time to do so! If you need to update your email address, stop by Customer Service at any of our stores, and they’ll get that changed for you. You can sign up for our e-newsletter, as well as our Word on the Beet weekly produce update and/or our sales flyers at willystreet.coop/emails.
Annual Meeting October 7
Please mark your calendar for the 2025 Annual Meeting, which will be held virtually on Tuesday, October 7, starting at 5:30pm. It is important to register in advance for this event. To conduct business, we need to achieve a quorum of at least 50 Owners. This includes approving the minutes from the previous two years. Can I count on you to join us (virtually)? If it helps you decide, attendees will have the opportunity to win Co-op gift cards!
Perks Pass – last one of the season
This month, we wrap up our 2025 Perks Pass season with the Northside Festival, which will take place at Mallards Stadium/Warner Park. Willy Street Co-op Owners have one last opportunity to enjoy half-priced meals and beverages on Saturday, September 13, from 11:00am-2:00pm. For more detailed information, check out willystreet.coop/owner-festival-perks.
Neighborhood music festivals on the near horizon
The Willy Street Fair will take place on Saturday, September 20th, and Sunday, September 21st, along the 800, 900, and 1000 blocks of Williamson Street. This year, fairgoers can enjoy music and performances at any of the five stages, and find food and merchandise from 150 vendors. The event is organized to benefit Common Wealth Development and the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center.
Aubergine open hours
We are expanding the hours at Aubergine, our eastside community space located at 1226 Williamson Street, to include Monday from 11:00am to 2:00pm (in addition to Tuesday and Thursday at the same time).
Special dates to think about:
Monday, September 1 – Labor Day – all stores are open until 7:00pm.
Make the most of the sunny and warm days while you can!
-Anya
