Client Spotlight

Last month, our client RiseBoro Community Partnership hosted its 14th ?CalabazaFest! – a vibrant outdoor festival celebrating Día de los Muertos, Halloween, and autumn harvest traditions. The festival has become a cherished fall tradition in Bushwick, uniting families, local artists, neighbors and community organizations for a day filled with live music, thrilling dance performances and cross-cultural expression. ?CalabazaFest! is not just a festival – it’s a celebration of Bushwick's rich diversity and creativity, showcasing the strong community spirit and warmth that make this neighborhood one of a kind.

Thing that Works: Sewage Systems*

(*Not a Mealtime Read)

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, it is a particularly appropriate time to be thankful for the miracle of the sewage system, and all that it brings us and takes away from us.

Before modern sewers, cess pits, invented more than 6,000 years ago in ancient Babylon, collected all kinds of waste until they’d fill up. In London, “night soil men” — legally required to work at night because of the stench of their work — would empty these pits and sell what they collected as fertilizers to farmers in the countryside.

Open sewers dated to ancient Rome, and often flowed to a nearby river. Construction began in London on the first modern sewer system in 1859. More than 1,000 miles of sewers collected waste and with the help of pumping stations took it far downstream where the Thames River could send it out to sea. Before it could be completed, London endured one last, ghastly epidemic of cholera, a devastating fecal-borne disease that leads to an agonizing death.

Speaking of disease, modern wastewater systems are also a miracle of epidemiology that allow public health experts to detect threats to us from viruses, bacteria and environmental hazards. Wastewater monitoring was a major tool in tracking the spread and evolution of COVID-19.

In the subsequent 150 years, treatment plants have helped make sewage less obnoxious before it’s dumped into whatever waterway has the misfortune to receive it. Still, malfunctions happen now and then with shocking results, and misguided inventions like “flushable” wipes have led to the rise of the mighty fatberg.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!

Autumnal Sounds

It’s fall, the season of diminished light, cooler days and the lull before the festive holiday seasons. That may explain why many of the songs on Momentum’s autumn play list have a melancholy vibe.

Thing We’re Into: Jane Goodall and Motherhood

Account Director Kylee Siaw saw Dr. Jane Goodall, the innovative chimpanzee researcher, last month and came away with unexpected inspiration. Kylee’s story:

At 90 years old, this pioneer who blazed trails for women and made groundbreaking discoveries to advance science spoke for 45 minutes straight with wit, humor and great clarity. She left me with a desire to not only be more like her, but her mom.

Dr. Goodall was always fond of animals. She reminisced of a time as a toddler and when she brought a handful of earthworms to bed. Instead of scolding her, her mom stoked her curiosity. “I bet you’re wondering why worms don’t have legs!” her mother said, as they walked the worms back to the garden. When Dr. Goodall was just 26 years old with no formal education in science or research, she hoped to study wild chimpanzees in Tanzania, but funders required that someone accompany her there. Her chaperone? Her mom.

I was surprised to leave the talk being so inspired not only by Dr. Goodall, but also by the woman who shaped her. As a mom myself I hope I guide my kids to be curious and brave, push boundaries, be kind to both animals and people and laugh when they hear “no” for an answer. I wonder who they will become.

PR Tip of the Month

Account Director Kylee Siaw says the best way to learn what a client needs is to give them the floor. When a client works to solve complicated issues, set a timer for 20 minutes. Let them talk uninterrupted on the issue at hand. When they have the opportunity to share their insights on a topic without any parameters or guardrails, you will be amazed at the valuable language they give for talking points, pitches, social media content and opinion pieces.