Upriver, ID

Thursday we had our board meeting for our community organization, Upriver Community United, Inc. They let me be the President. It is so inspiring to see our motivated volunteers step forward and say, “I’ll do this” or “I’ll take care of that”.

We spent most of the meeting talking about our community festival coming up. It’s the first annual Upriver Pioneer Days in Fernwood, Idaho on July 25th. I posted the detail of the Schedule and stuff on our website calendar at

www.upriverunited.org/calendar.html

This is so cool. We’ve got volunteers to mow the lawn at the CAF (Community Ambulance and Fire) building every two weeks all summer. To fix the fence and get everything ready we’re having a workday on July 19th, everyone come and help.

Don’t tell anyone yet, but there’s a rumor that the grant proposal for our Upriver Cell Phone & Broadband towers is almost complete. Five cell phone towers for Upriver. We can bring our Upriver communities out of the 19th century! Looks like Obama’s stimulus money might actually do us some good.

What a kick!

Richard

3rd Annual Cleanup Day—April 25

Warm weather is again exposing the earth, along with all the debris that has accumulated over the winter months. Spring is cleanup time and the third annual Cleanup Day is set for April 25th.

Since we started Community Clean-Up Day three years ago, many of the miles between Emerald Creek Garnet Mine and the far side of Emida have been ADOPTED. That is so exciting! However we do still have many miles to spruce up to make our community sparkle after a long winter.

Beth Halvorsen will be coordinating volunteers for this effort. Please call 245-6726 to claim a mile or find out where you could be helpful. She will be getting the orange garbage bags and disposable safety vests for all volunteers to have whether you have adopted a mile or are helping with unclaimed miles.

Large Highway Safety Signs will also be set-up along the highway from 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
To set this all off, Ron Halvorsen Insurance is sponsoring a coloring contest at UpRiver School. There will be three age groups and the winner in each group will win a $15.00 gift certificate.

This is a great day for those who have adopted highway miles to join others who are cleaning the unclaimed miles in making a clean sweep of the area. We will have fun and camaraderie while improving our scenic byways. Join your friends and neighbors in restoring the beauty of our community on the last Saturday of April.

Thank you all in advance.

The Entrepreneurial and Communications Committees have merged and changed their names to Community Connections. Current leadership consists of co-chairs, Rosemary Niemier and Judi Heicksen.

Come to our new Community Connections meeting, where we are “networking for success,” Sunday, May 3, at 7:00 p.m. at the CAF Building in Fernwood. This new time is temporarily necessary because the Drifter’s will be closed at our regular time. We will see how this works for people who are interested, but have been unable to come to our morning meetings.

We are working on scheduling interesting classes for the community, grants for continued outreach, a possible food bank, and other ideas for improving resources in our local area~~share your thoughts with us.

Call Richard Pullman, 245-9183, or Rosemary Niemier, 245-1459, for more information.

The upcoming community festival titled Pioneer Days is developing as different organizations have offered to take on a variety of activities from food booths to horseshoes and other games. The main emphasis is that the day will be a family-friendly festival, which will encourage participation by all members of the community, down to the youngest family members.

The PTO, Girl Scouts, and 4-H will be sponsoring activities along with the Senior Center, Church, Library, Fire Department, and others. Plan to attend and participate in the judged parade.

We are looking for a Grand Marshall and will take nominations addressed to the Upriver Community United, PO Box 341, Fernwood, ID, 83830. Think Pioneer Days and consider people who have a special connection with our historical roots.

Some have asked about the outcome of the effort to have signs made to highlight the historical significance of the area. It turns out that no one from the Department of Transportation has returned calls or responded to the materials submitted for the project. It seems that budgets have been cut and the DOT is very preoccupied with other matters that prevent them from dealing with historical sign markers at this point. Therefore this project is on hold for at least the near future.

The Historical Society reported that they have a small balance of money in reserve from the sale of the calendars and memberships. They have published their second quarterly newsletter this month. They have gotten access to the Benewah County archives of school reports which detail general information about school enrollment, attendance, the needs of the children, and so forth. The records go back as far as 1915 and indicate that there were 30 schools in the county at one time. The society has also obtained photos of the Fernwood Train Depot being moved.

They would like to start inviting local “elders” who have a lot of knowledge of the area to their meetings and record the “chat” sessions.

Two students from UpRiver School’s yearbook committee were given a tour of the photos in the CAF building. At school they went from class to class sharing the source of the calendars that were donated to the school. There was a lot of interest generated among the students as they got a glimpse into their roots.

The historical group hopes to find grants and do more fund raising to support their work and the cost of restoring and displaying the numerous photographs and artifacts that they are accumulating.

Delegates to the grant-writing workshop (Richard Pullman and Judi Heicksen) reported that they not only learned a lot about grant writing and came away with a lot of resources, but they also wrote a grant for creating a dedicated computer lab at the CAF building. This grant is a work in progress right now. It was created to experience the actual process of grant writing and was based on a plan visualized on the spur of the moment.

When brought back to the Entrepreneurial and Communication Committees, Rosemary Niemier brought up the vision that others had of creating a community food bank in the CAF building, if permission could be obtained. This idea, merged with the computer classroom idea, alters the space requirements, costs, etc. The Board concurred. They have a vision of a future food bank as well, and envision the possibility of making any space alterations in the building temporary and transportable so that they can be reused in any future location we might acquire, while leaving the present location available to any future plans of the county.

As the grant is developed Richard will continue to work on the financial piece while Judi works on the narrative. We will continue to look for grants that can benefit the Historical Society, a food bank, community garden, and other activities to benefit the area.

You probably noticed this listed in the classes below (under Computer Classes), but we wanted you to take notice that there is an opportunity here to develop a resume and search for job possibilities with an experienced guide.

Sign up for this class for FREE ( a change in fee from that listed in the newsletter and on registration forms that have been sent out previously!)

The time has also changed to evening for those of you who cannot make it during the day because of other obligations. It is now scheduled from 6:00-9:00 PM on March 5.

Register by calling the Extension Office at 245-2422.

*Note:  The limitation of 7 students is due to the number of computers we have available. This number may be flexible if you have a wireless capable computer that you can bring to the class. 

Bring your own wireless ready computer or use one of ours for these classes. Register by calling Richard Pullman at 245-9183 or mail registration to the address given. You will be contacted to confirm registration. 

 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS, Richard Pullman instructor, Tuesday and Thursday, February 24th and 26th, 1:00pm to 2:30pm, cost $10, limit 7*.

Intro to Computers is a two-day class (1.5 hours each) designed for the beginner. It will include such basics as turning your computer on and off, exploring the various uses of the computer, definitions of commonly used words, and answers to commonly asked questions. The second day will provide an opportunity to finish up any areas not covered by the first day and give time to practice with guidance what was learned in the first session, answering any questions that have arisen in the meantime.

LANDING A JOB IN THE E-WORLD: how to use your best resource (THE INTERNET) to land a job and launch a career, Ashley McFarland instructor, March 5th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm, No Cost, limit 7*

. Landing a Job in the E-World is a 3-hour class designed for the job searcher. It will cover job searching on the Internet and resume construction. Topics covered will be: Online Job Searching; Tools To Find The Job You Want;  Online Applications; Resume Building; and Communicating With Employers. You will have in-class assistance to find jobs and write resumes You should have a background in word processing (preferably MS Word), have an idea what kind of skills you have, and what types of jobs you might like. 

More classes will be scheduled in the future.  If there is enough interest in the courses some may be repeated.

We value feedback and will be finding instructors and scheduling classes to fit the need. 

*Note:  The limitation of 7 students is due to the number of computers we have available. This number may be flexible if you have a wireless capable computer that you can bring to the class.

UpRiver Community United has had an immensely busy and profitable time since the last newsletter. We received the grant money for which we applied and have made major changes at the CAF building.

·      We hired an electrician to upgrade the wiring to bring it into compliance with code in the kitchen and make the main room useable for a computer lab. While he was doing that, he made sure that the wiring for the ambulance room downstairs was also protected.

·      A plumber fixed the ladies’ and men’s bathrooms so that the fixtures work properly, replacing the sinks and vanities, fixing the toilets, repairing the mildewed walls and floors.

·      Doors have been fixed to add security to the room that will be used to house our equipment and to the front door.

·      We subscribed to WildBlue satellite Internet service and they have installed the dish.

We have also purchased a desktop computer and wireless capable printer as well as software, wireless adapters, and thumb drives for our computer classes. A laptop computer lab is on loan from the U of I Extension Service so that we have 6 laptops, in addition to the desktop, on which class attendees can train. The router is in place and we seem to be ready to offer computer classes!

Thank you to all those who have helped make this happen:

      Charlie and Christine Ashmead, Richard Pullman, Joanne O’Dwyer, Rosemary Niemier, Ashley McFarland,  and Rusty Nail Construction

After hours of preparation, (thanks to Chris and Carol Lee), the collection of local historical photos were framed and ready to hang for this week-ends public viewing! Friday afternoon Chris, Carol Lee and Joanne met at the Fernwood community center to create a gallery-like atmospere in which to show off the 40+ photos that were part of the beginnings of the UpRiver history.

“I have really enjoyed this project!”, exclaimed Chris Ashmead (who is now the chairperson of the newly formed Historical Society.)

The walls were draped with black felt that created the backdrop for the photos that were on display on Novenmber 8th.

“Over 70 people came through the door to view the collection and many bought membership in the Historical Society!”, Carol Lee who manned the table was pleased to say.

Calendars were also on sale that featured the theme, “Now and Then”. We had visitors from as far away as Spokcane, Wallace and Coeur ‘d Alene come to reminience. One such visitor, who donated several of the photos, grew up in Fernwood in the early 1900’s. Her daughters escorted her and stayed for the coffee, homemade cookies (thanks to the volunteers who baked for the event!) and company. You see, Ruth (Sinrud) Cunningham’s father was Peter Lewis Sinrud, the superintentdent of the Blackwell Lumber Company from 1921-1934. Needless to say his photo was proudly on display which gave the family a feeling of belonging. That’s what this is all about, as the conversations in the community center seemed to be telling. People all have a story to tell and it helps to define a community.

I want to give credit to the many people who have come forth with photos and stories: the Issacson family, Bud McCall, Gertude Gray, Bud Harvey, Shirley Harvey, Charlie Peel and Terry Rogers to name a few. The UpRiver Historical Society hopes to continue to document the colorful past of the UpRiver area and we welcome new members! Our long term goal is to secure a location for our artifacts. As for now we have stimulated a lot of interest and have met many interesting folks!

The UpRiver Historical Society is affiliated with the non-profit group, UpRiver Community United, Inc. We meet every last Monday of each month at the CAF building in Fernwood.

We had our first UpRiver Historical Society meeting on September 30 at the Community Center in Fernwood. Christine Ashmead was elected chairperson. We discussed the historical photo project and set a date for the public viewing for November, (date to be announced!) at the CAF building. Time will be annouced.

Calendars will be on sale at that time with memberships available to join. One year memberships will cost $20 and includes a free calendar, 10 year memberships will be $200, plus a free calendar for the 10 years joined. Lifetime memberships will be offered for $500!! Memberships will include a certificate and free calendar for every year paid membership. We discussed the group’s plans for securing a location to house photos and possibly having it be visitor center where poeple can find information about the UpRiver area with maps of the local attractions.

This years’ calendar theme is going to be “Then and Now”, featuring photos of the area in the past and how it looks now. The group plans to focus on grantwriting, and generating more historical intrest.

The next meeting and all future meetings will be on the last Tuesday of each month. October 28th is our next meeting, at 6:30 PM at the CAF building.

——————————————————————————–
See how Windows Mobile brings your life together—at home, work, or on the go. See Now

…That is what the Entrepreneurial Committee is all about. At least that is how I see it.

We are committed to making UpRiver a good place to live and to that end, we want to make living here more comfortable and a little easier. That means that you need to have access to some of the resources that others take for granted because they live in bigger communities.

Stretching your money, time, and space are things I think would help most people.How can that be done? How can outsiders help individuals accomplish these things? Those are the kinds of questions we have been brainstorming. These thoughts are what produced the surveys that we generated and circulated. We think if we can connect you to resources that will help and inspire you, then you will be able to go farther and do more than you ever thought you could.

We are excited about our new status as a non-profit organization that will help us raise funds for these activities and now we have a grant that is helping us move forward. At the last meeting of the Communications and Entrepreneurial (may I change that name?) Committees, on Monday, October 6, we discussed having speakers come to a community dinner to give us all a “shot in the arm.” We are looking at the possibility of early December in order to locate a presenter. We also were reminded of the Open House the new Historical Society intends to offer in November. (More details will certainly be coming.) We are talking to instructors for various classes that will soon begin to be offered at the CAF building.

We are still brainstorming ideas for reaching everyone with useful and inspirational assistance and welcome all comers with their ideas. Bouncing ideas around causes them to pick up momentum and creativity. Your input is valuable and needed. Please pick a meeting date, time and place that works for you and drop in. We have meetings all through the month focusing on different topics. All meetings are open to UpRiver folk and we encourage, encourage, 

encourage

you to come! Check the calendar until you find one that fits your schedule, then come on in!

Make that 3 for 1! The next Entrepreneurial/Communications Committees Meeting will be held at the Drifter’s Cafe in Emida at 8:00 AM, Monday, October 6. This was decided at the last meeting, which was held at 8 in the morning at the Drifter’s on Tuesday, the 16th of September. The meeting had been changed at the last minute from the evening before because the chairpeople were all unable to make the regularly scheduled meeting.

The morning meeting turned out to be profitable as we discussed business over breakfast. Plans were laid to contact the Extension Office to procure a teacher for a class in Food Preservation while produce is still abundantly available and before winter sets in. Judi promised to contact Ashley to see what we can offer and how soon.

We also decided that a nominal fee would be charged for classs in order for us to help pay instructors and other overhead costs that will inevitably rise. We will try to offer such things as family group discounts and scholarships for those who cannot cover the costs themselves. Of course donations will always be welcome if participants find it in their hearts to contribute more than the registration fee to help us help others.

It was decided that Rosemary would put out the next newsletter following the UCU Board meeting when more news would be available. The first part of October is the goal. By then we also hope to have some more information regarding imminent class offerings. Watch for it at the usual locations.

The Business Person’s Breakfast is the first Monday of the month at 7:00 AM so it will fall on October 6.~~See. . . 3 for 1. Come to the Business Person’s Breakfast and enjoy visiting and networking over a no host breakfast. Then stay by for the combined Communications and Entrepreneurial meeting. You can be part of directing the way we set up classes and offer good ideas for other things we should be doing.

See you there.

The Saturday Flea Market was doing well up until the last several weeks. The weather has been so nice that many people around the area are holding their garage sales at their homes recently so that there has not been the steady visitation or the number of vendors we had earlier. Because of this, Rosemary has decided to have the Flea Market once a month–the first Saturday of the month until further notice.

Start getting your Holiday Crafts stocked up and plan on selling them in the months of November and December. We would like to give everyone the opportunity to display their wares and give local families the opportunity to do their Christmas shopping right in “downtown” Fernwood.

Remember–Christmas is right around the corner!

You missed a treat on September 8th! We had to move the regular Businessperson’s Breakfast from the first Monday to the second Monday of this month because of Labor Day. Many of you know that the Drifter’s were getting their new stove that morning (the 8th)–CONGRATULATIONS!–and had closed up shop.

Some of us didn’t know that ahead of time, though–we should have called. We arrived to discover we could order a beverage if we wanted, they were very accommodating, but they were in the midst of removing their old stove and preparing to bring in the new one. It was a very busy place just humming with workers and exciting prospects. I can’t wait to go back on the first Monday of October to see how it turned out.

Anyway, breakfast traffic was being redirected and the ski lodge offered a free breakfast to anyone who made the trip up the hill. We took them up on the offer. Richard and his family, Rosemary, and Judi returned to their cars and headed up the hill for the adventure. All of us were very curious about the business anyway and enjoyed the prospects of seeing the lodge.

It is a beautiful place to start your morning. The view is outstanding and the atmosphere in the lodge is very comfortable. There were only a few there when we arrived but there was plenty of food laid out in buffet style. We were encouraged to take all we could eat. The menu consisted of country fried potatoes, oven-baked french toast, scrambled eggs, and sliced baked ham. Orange juice and coffee rounded out the menu. I can attest to the fact that the food is very good.

We had the opportunity to visit with the owners about the cross-country skiing, ski skating, or snowshoeing (and sledding for those who stay at the inn) and other events that happen at the lodge. They provide programming for some of the local schools
and continue to look for other ways to serve the community. People can book the lodge for special gatherings. They also have a very nice gift shop which carries art work from local artists including, but not limited to, Jo Smart, Melissa Fuller, and Nancy Lundt.

We really appreciated their hospitality, and although the sign at the Drifter’s had said they would take donations, they didn’t even require that for our breakfast. (That’s not to say we didn’t leave a small love gift.)

Be sure to make a journey up to the resort sometime and see what they have done with their beautiful site! You won’t be sorry!

In case you didn’t pick up the information in the preceding paragraphs:
The NEXT BUSINESSPERSON’S BREAKFAST is MONDAY OCTOBER 6 at 7:00 AM at the DRIFTER’S CAFE in EMIDA.

The UpRiver United Survey has given us some interesting information. We appreciate everyone who has turned one in. We are still watching for more. These surveys help you communicate with us. We have found that many, many of you are interested in various computer classes. We had thought that that would be true and have already started the machinery rolling to make some of those classes happen.

We are glad to see that the homemakers and non-computer types have also responded and are interested in some of the other classes. We will be working to make some of these happen as well.

Unfortunately some did not include contact information on the back where the name, phone number, email, etc. was asked for. It will be harder for us to communicate with you when these offerings will be available. Please watch the calendar for this information. It should also appear in future newsletters, which you can pick up at the Fernwood Merc Bulletin Board, the Drifter’s Cafe Bulletin Board, or the Santa Post Office Bulletin Board.

If you haven’t filled out and returned a survey, you can still do that by picking up a copy at the Fernwood Merc, the Hideout, the Santa Resort, the Tri-Community Library, or the Drifter’s Cafe. Each of those places also has a box to return the survey. There are also surveys attached to the August Newsletter (the last two pages). If you wish, you may mail the surveys by folding them in thirds, securing with a piece of tape and mailing them back to us–they are pre-addressed.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE AND WHO WILL RESPOND!

Yes, that’s right, we have been granted the 501 (c)3 status that makes us officially a non-profit organization. It means we can function tax-free and donors may contribute to help us pursue our goals while deducting the amount as a contribution on their taxes! The news came from the IRS the day (August 27) that we were completing the write-up of a grant requesting money to help the committees promote their work and to provide funds so that the Entrepreneurial Committee could organize some classes in our community for people to improve their business and personal survival skills in our economy.

Now we are waiting for the results of the grant application.

Richard and Lorelei were in attendance at our meeting which took place at The Hideout in Fernwood. We had more discussion on how to go about planning our Community Day and decided to write up a plan to bring before the board on Sept. 24th at The Drifters in Emida at 6:30.
We are hoping to get more input and ideas at that meeting. We will then present our plan to the Organizations of the Community and see if they want to partner up and take over different activities as fundraisers, etc.
Chris appeared for a few minutes at the meeting to announce the passing of the 501c3 which means we are now a non-profit organization! It was very good news to hear. Thanks to everyone who worked hard on that and did a wonderful job!
Our next Community Pride Meeting will take place at the Hideout on Sept. 29th at 6:30.

Have you checked the UpRiver website lately for upcoming events? The calendar lists things happening throughout the month with dates, times, and places. If you live here or are visiting someone who lives here, you are invited to check out these activities for this week:

Monday, August 4–Businessperson’s Breakfast You’re invited to a no-host breakfast for an informal visit to get to know one another. Swap lies jobs and fairy tales. 7am at Drifter’s Cafe in Emida. For more information contact Fred or Rosemary Niemier, 245-1459 or Rudy Heicksen 245-5615.

Tuesday, August 5–Fernwood Rural Fire Protection District meeting on the second Tuesday of each month (usually) at the firehouse at 7:00 p.m. The meetings are open to the public. If you have any questions, please call Jay Trueman at the Fernwood Merc, or Carolyn Dudley at 245-6500

The calendar has details for other events coming up this month including a benefit for Joey and Sheri Gray on the 15th, the Friends of the Library meeting on the 18th, the UCU Board meeting on the 25th, Community Pride meeting on the 27th, and regular weekly meetings of the church, youth groups, bingo, flea market, etc.

Keep up with everything by visiting the calendar regularly.

UpRiver Community United “graduated” on June 30 from the Horizons sponsorship and now stands on its own. On Thursday, July 31st the board met at Emida and the treasurer’s report actually showed money in the account which has come from different activities such as the Saturday Flea Market in Fernwood and donations.

Yes, the Entrepreneurial Development Team reported that the Flea Market, in its infancy stage, has been showing good success. Now they are looking into the possibility of offering classes of various kinds in the community. Watch for their survey and respond as quickly as possible.

A simple project to collect and reproduce some historical photos has turned into something much bigger. So much inerest has been generated in this project that the board approved a new UpRiver Historical Society under the auspices of Upriver Community United. This new team is putting together a beautiful collection of photographs and other memorabilia including artifacts of the area. They plan to make and sell calendars to raise money to support their efforts. There will be public showings of the photo reproductions that have been made so far. Watch for more information on these developments in the future. They will also be having their own meeting, with dates to be announced, to discuss business and choose some leadership for the group. There is still time for you to get involved in this project!

Great things are happening and everyone is excited about the possibilities! You need to be a part of it all! It seems like there are no end of activities to stir the interests of young and old. One thing leads to another and before you know it new ideas are generated and new projects are taking off.

The next board meeting will be held August 25th at the Fernwood CAF building at 6:30 PM. Anyone who lives in the UpRiver communities of Emida, Santa, and Fernwood are welcome to participate in discussions and voting. The meetings are open to all.

The Entrepreneurial Development Team is trying to get a grant to offer classes in the UpRiver area. At the last meeting on July 29, the team discussed many possibilities. We decided to do a survey to pinpoint the areas of greatest interest to the people of the community.

The survey we created lists classes in household and family care, business, computers (from beginning to advanced), job skills, and junior classes for the younger set. There are about 45 different classes listed, with plenty of space to add others. There is also space to offer your services if you are willing to share your expertise

This survey will be printed out, attached to the UpRiver newsletter, and available in all of the local communities wherever we can find a place to put it. Be sure to fill out a survey and get it returned to us as soon as possible. We will be collecting them and compiling the results so that the grant application can be turned in by September 1.

Our next meeting is on August 12, at 7:00 PM at the Hideout. We will be discussing this important topic then and you are very welcome to attend!

Lorelei, Joanne, Richard and Rebbecca were present for our July meeting on the 28th at the Hideout.

Micheal Porcelli with Idaho Traffic Engineering will be scheduling a site visit for a Historical sign out of Mashburn. Joanne will stay in contact with the engineer. Some early history was dicussed that might be of interest for the sign.

There will be a Rendevous at Plummer, Worley, Tensed and Desmet on August 8th, 9th, and 10th that we discussed attending and observing how they involved all of the communities in their festival.

There was discussion on a Fernwood Festival for 2009. We talked about having a Parade, Horseshoe tournament, Poker run, Pioneer crafts, logging events, a breakfast, kids games, softball tournament and a dance with a band in the evening. Funding was also contemplated. A tentative date was set for the last weekend in July. We invite anyone who has ideas, or input to attend our next meeting August 27, 6:30, at the Hideout.

The University of Idaho students came to the UpRiver Community to develop conceptual designs for both community centers: Fernwood (CAF) and Emida. The final drawings and proposed plans were presented on campus and at the Horizons Summit event. All the display materials were given to the communities.

The Community Identified Illegal Drugs As A Major Concern And Contributor To Poverty. A Meth Awareness Night Was Held In Fernwood as a joint sponshorship with St Maries Horizons on July 17, 2008. Ice Cream Was Served, And 45 People Attended, Mostly Youth. The event was attended by 45 people who were mostly youth.