St. Maries, ID

Congrats to Judy of Cascade, she’s our weekly winner!  Thanks to all the new bloggers who’ve signed up.  If you’re part of the steering committee, hopefully these questions will help you work on the final report that is due June 30. Please let us know if you have any questions about the blog or the report.There is a Blogging Handbook available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page… Thanks to MJ for writing this beginner’s guide! Also, for those communities that may be looking for a little more training, please contact MJ at merijoz@uidaho.edu / 208-885-8949 to see how she can help you.Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, June 3 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles… I will be at a conference May 27-30 so this will give you a whole extra week…NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.Reflective Questions:

•  Of all the things you have done during the last 18 months in the Horizons program, of what are you most proud? 

Scavenger Hunt Question:·         Which Idaho Horizons community is working with the University of Idaho to help with their vision to “rebuild a community center to assist local families fight back against the ravages of poverty. They are looking to the future when they will have a center that provides central business offices for the city, a town library and public computers with Internet accessibility, expanded recreational facilities for youth and adults, a hall for future leadership and life skills training.”The winner will receive a copy of the book: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People will Follow You by John C. Maxwell.

Congrats to Andrea of Grangeville, she’s our weekly winner!

Thank you all for the interesting responses about your community and what makes it ‘unique’ to you compared to other rural communities in Idaho.

I grew up in a small farming community in Idaho near the Utah border and I still think about it every day, the views and colors and smells and intense farm work we did (pulling rye, driving around and around in a tractor for 12 hours a day, herding cattle, etc) helped shape my life and world view. It’s that sense of place that helps define who we are and how we relate to the world around us.

I hope you’re all getting comfortable and familiar with the blogging process. Mary, MJ and I thank you for all the time and hard work you’ve devoted to this part of Horizons and know it’s just a small part of what you are all doing in your communities.

Please let MJ (merijoz@uidaho.edu) or me (dgray@uidaho.edu) know if we can help you with any questions you might have about blogging.

A ‘how to blog’ handbook is now available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page…

Reflective Questions:

As we near the ‘end’ of this phase of Horizons, take a moment to look back on the past 18 months to answer these questions.

Has your community sought any additional resources outside of Horizons for your projects? 

How has your community partnered with communities and/or organizations beyond Horizons?

Scavenger Hunt Question:  Which Horizons community has an organization sponsoring a ‘Volcano Breakfast’ and what IS a Volcano Breakfast?

This week’s winner will receive a copy of:

One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All / Mark Robert Rank

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by May 20 (midnight) and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Congrats to Christine of Kooskia, she’s our weekly winner! Thank you to all who have recently signed up and started blogging.

Please let MJ or me know if we can help you with any questions you might have about blogging.

Reminder: MJ has created a ‘how to blog’ handbook that is now available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page… Thanks MJ!

Also, for those communities that may be looking for a little more training, please contact MJ at merijoz@uidaho.edu / 208-885-8949 to see how she can help you.

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by May 6 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…
NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:
What is something unique about your Horizons community that you’d like to share with the rest of the world? What makes your community different from the one right down the road? Is it a strength your community can capitalize on or a burden you have to bear? Or both? For example, Sun Valley has the beautiful landscape, ski resorts, etc. but the tourism industry has also left behind many local people who are now unable to afford to live in the town they work in…

Scavenger Hunt Question: This week the scavenger hunt is a simple assignment. Find an entry on one of the Horizons community blogs (or even your own blog) and leave a comment to the author. It’s fun to give and get feedback about things we’re doing and talking about.

This week’s winner will receive:
The working poor: invisible in America by David K. Shipler
And
Building Communities From the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s Assets by John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight.

Congrats to Mountain Mama of Kendrick/Juliaetta, she’s our weekly winner! Even though she took me to task for forgetting about those of you in remote areas with only dial-up internet access… she persevered after many grueling hours on the scavenger hunt! I will definitely keep in mind your technology limits in the future…

MJ has created a ‘how to blog’ handbook that is now available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page… Thanks MJ!

Also, for those communities that may be looking for a little more training, please contact MJ at merijoz@uidaho.edu / 208-885-8949 to see how she can help you.

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 29 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:
• Looking back, what is one (or more) skill or leadership trait you have developed from participating in Horizons (maybe from Study Circles or LeadershipPlenty or from the hands on work going on in your communities right now)? How has participation in the program changed you? What about your community? Are there specific examples of things happening in your community that wouldn’t have happened without Horizons?
• Bonus reflective question: How has the blogging experienced affected you? (please edit any inappropriate language, hahaha trust me, I feel your pain!!)

Scavenger Hunt Question:
• Which of the Idaho Horizons community blogs has information about April being Child Abuse Awareness month? This website also provides information about Youth Suicide Prevention.

The winner will receive:

Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World: Building Your Resources for a Better Life by Philip E. DeVol
And

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, et al

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 22 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:

• What’s next in Horizons for your community? Are your Action Teams planning activities in the next 2 months? How do those activities relate to the 3 legs of Horizons: Poverty reduction, Leadership Development and Community Mobilization?

Scavenger Hunt Question:

• Let’s broaden our scavenger hunt world a little… Of the other Horizons states, which one has interesting information about using Chicken Tractors to help maintain community gardens? Check out the link section of the Idaho Horizons Blog that lists the blog addresses for Montana, NorthDakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa Horizons. Feel free to explore and be inspired by other community groups just like yours!

This week’s winner will receive a copy of each of the following books:
The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler

Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World: Building Your Resources for a Better Life by Philip E. DeVol

Here are my week 4 Answers…

Reflective Questions & Answers:

• What words of wisdom would you give to a community just starting a program like Horizons?

I am not sure if they are words of wisdom, but I can only inform others not to give up…eventually, the goal or reason why a program like Horizons is a help to impoverished communities is that in the end, an extremely positive difference will be and is made within the community. 

• Words of warning?

Not to be discouraged, it will be difficult at first, but it will be an uphill battle at first.  Do not let others tell you that what you are doing will not make a difference or that you are wasting your time…your goals will be met in the end.There will be resistance from the major community leaders at first, but once they realize that Horizons (or a program like it) is not “out to change” them, they will be a wonderful source of information and support.

• What kind of changes in their community and its leadership might they expect?

The changes in their community will be subtle to begin with; however, they will be there.  A more connected community will have happened.  People from different walks of life will have made connections with each other which otherwise would never have occurred.

• What kind of changes in themselves might they expect?

The answer to this question can be found in what I found in myself.  I was motivated to help the community I live in reduce the various types of poverty.  I was changed in the manner that I never expected.  I made close bonds with others beginning with the study circles to the actions teams.  I also found out that I had some pretty good leadership skills which had been untapped until my involvement in Horzions.

Scavenger Hunt Question:

·         Which community’s chamber of commerce recently met with high school youth to work together to involve more youth in the community?

 Kooskia! Is the Community who’s Chamber of Commerce met with high school youth to work together to involve more youth in the community.  (It took a lot of digging and asking a few questions, but I found it! LOL)

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 15 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:

• What words of wisdom would you give to a community just starting a program like Horizons?
• Words of warning?
• What kind of changes in their community and its leadership might they expect?
• What kind of changes in themselves might they expect?

Scavenger Hunt Question:

• Which community’s chamber of commerce recently met with high school youth to work together to involve more youth in the community?

This week’s winner will get to choose ONE of the following books:

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John Maxwell

Or

Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World by Barbara Crosby and John Bryson

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 8 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for a fabulous prize.

Reflective Questions: What does the phrase ‘living in poverty’ mean to you? How has your definition of ‘poverty’ changed in the past year? Does your community think differently about poverty now? How can you tell?

Scavenger Hunt Question: Which community (in partnership with ComBAT (Community Based Access to Technology)) will be having a FREE concert on April 23, 2008?

This week’s winner will get to choose ONE of the following books:

One Nation, Underprivileged, Why American Poverty Affects Us All / Mark Robert Rank

or

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community / Robert D. Putnam.

Here are the reflective question(s) and their answers:

 What does the phrase ‘living in poverty’ mean to you?

Poverty, how would one define it?  Well, to me, it does not only mean monetary poverty (when one does not have enough money to buy even the most basic of needs), but there is also economic poverty, and social poverty.  For example, here in St. Maries, we have a lot of economic poverty; it is difficult to start a new business or develop contacts to run a successful business, in any way shape or form.  It is difficult to start something new, or to change the views of the “locals” (this is a form of social poverty in my opinion), which is necessary to grow as a community.  People here, I am afraid to say, are afraid of change.  With all the technological advances in this day and age, it is necessary to embrace the future as well as the past, and not just dwell in it!

How has your definition of ‘poverty’ changed in the past year?

My personal definition of poverty has not really changed over the past year as much as it has grown and expanded.  My definition was the one I gave above a year ago, and that has not really changed; however, it has become more refined, more detailed.  There are more nuances in regards to the levels of poverty that is found within my community.

Does your community think differently about poverty now?

I am not 100% sure if my community thinks differently about poverty as they are more aware of the different types of poverty that exist.   I assume (and I realize that is a dangerous thing to do) that most of the community did not really see the different types of poverty which exist as opposed to just being monetarily poor.

How can you tell? 

I have noticed that there is more of a dialog in regards to the different types of poverty…it is no longer about “not” having the money to do something, but about finding the right resources!  Compared to when I went to my first study-group (we started with two participants and two mediators), to my last Action Team Meeting, the participation has been overwhelmingly increased.

 Scavenger Hunt Question: Which community (in partnership with ComBAT (Community Based Access to Technology)) will be having a FREE concert on April 23, 2008? The community who is effectively will be having a free concert is the Coeur d’Alene Reservation/Plummer Horizons group.

Congratulations to Judi from UpRiver, winner of week 1!Rules:
Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 1 (no jokes about April Fool’s day!) at midnight and be entered in the drawing for a fabulous prize.  Reflective Question: How is your community thinking about/planning for sustainability after the end of the Horizons program on June 30? What will Horizons-related groups look like in your community in one year? Are you optimistic/worried? (relieved?) Scavenger Hunt Question:  Which community has been approved to receive a $65,000 Idaho Community Development Block Grant for work on their city water reservoir? HINT: don’t forget to check ‘previous entries’ (the link at the bottom of the blog page, or check archives in the column on the right) This week’s winner will receive BOTH of the following books: The Magic of Dialogue : Transforming Conflict into Cooperation by Daniel YankelovichPopulation: 485 –Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry   

Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, March 25 at midnight and be entered in the drawing for a fabulous prize. This week’s prize—the weekly winner can choose from one of these book titles
Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s Assets - John P. Kretzmann

Teaching the Commons: Place, Pride, and the Renewal of Local Schooling - Paul Theobald

The Questions:

1.       A reflective question–What do you think of Horizons blogging? What do you like, what do you dislike? What can the UI Horizons Team do to help improve the blogging experience? 

2.       A scavenger hunt question (visit other community blogsites to find this answer) What is a PUG Mark and in which community would you find them?

Fun in the snow!
Winter Night
Look how deep the snow is!
Beautiful St Maries
Saint Maries in the Winter Time!

Our poor children! They “had” to go to school yesterday, Monday, February 18th, 2008, in order to make up one of their “Snow Days”! They were sure not happy having to go on President’s day, yet I think that the school board is doing a great job by acting in such a pro active manner. After all, would they rather loose their spring break days? Or have school go 3 days longer at the end of the year? Since we have had low rain fall for the past few years, we really needed the snow! It was indeed a “pain” to have to deal with all the snow and ice, but when it first fell, it sure was a pretty sight!

The Steering Committee is having a meeting on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 and hope to get all the Actions Teams together for an update on Tuesady February 26th, 2008. I will have more precise details for you all on Wednesday, so stay tooned!
TTFN
Tala.

We are proud to be able to say that we are part of a wonderful group called “Horizons”. To be a part of this, we do have to “jump” through a few hoops, but to be totally honest, they just help us stick to our goals and stay on track!
One of these hoops, was to create a report, in which we were to create some “blog” posts…which, of course, we have done. After working on the posts, I realize just where we are, and how we have truely begun to ‘change’ our community for the better.
We have to post them idividually under their own Categories, so feel free to “search” the site to find the one which tickles your fancy!
TTFN
Tala.

Hello…
I have added a web counter to our page…I am hoping this way to find out just how much “traffic” we are getting on our site and where we could improve! Maybe, we could even get a survey going…what do you think?
TTFN
Tala.

Download a free web site hit counter here.