Upriver, ID

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.

Our Group met at the Hide out on May 19 with a goal in mind of reassembling the committee.Lorelei volunteered to be note taker for the meetings. Joel had resigned as co-chair and Richard had stepped in, but said that he needed someone else to releive him, as he is already involved in and co-chairing numerous other committees. Lorelei said that she would take over. Community Pride is responsible for History Awareness, Signage, Community Day, and Clean up Day. There was discussion about a Community Day and it was suggested that we try to join up with the two other Upriver Communities and make it a weekend event with the various organizations hosting different activities. It was reported that Bud will be putting fences up around the dumpsters. Nancy asked for someone to take over the sign project as she does not have a phone nor internet access. It was reported that there is still money for restoring and copying historical photos that will be framed and displayed in various places. Our next meeting will take place June 23rd, 6:30 @ Hideout. We are looking for more people to join our committee, pass the word on to anyone you know who is interested in being involved in these important activities.

Several members of the community showed up Wednesday, the 28th of May, bringing with them lawn mowers, weed eaters, pruners, and other various cleaning supplies. Sandy and Daryl Hindman were hard at work by nine O’clock in the morning along with Carol Sheahan and Dawn Ahonan, mowing lawns and sprucing up the trees, bushes and landscape on the grounds of the CAF Building. Later Lorelei Dockery pitched in for a little while and after a lunch provided by Horizons at the Hideout, Carol, Dawn and Audra Anderson returned to scrub the inside of the building. Chris Ashmead and Debby Powell are going to fix up the horse shoe pits with sand. If I left anything out, sorry, feel free to add it in. It is looking wonderful! Thank You so much to everyone for all your hard work.

Our group met at the Emida Community Center on May 16th at 6:00 p.m.  We have been discussing sprucing up the CAF Building in Fernwood and decided to set a clean up date for May 28th from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  The horizons program will purchase cleanning supplies and a meal will be provided to all workers at the Hideout.   We discussed restoration of old pictures of the Upriver Community to display throughout our communities.  A couple of members of our group toured the Nazarene Church Gym Facility to get ideas on building and financing options.  We are making arrangements to tour other community centers and gym facilities and hope to have some dates next meeting.

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.

Entrepreneur and entrepreneurial seem like such big words to me and maybe not everyone knows what they mean or thinks that the words refer to them. Well, if you like to figure out how to make money (other than printing it) you are an entrepreneur!

The UpRiver Communities decided that you are some of the most important people in our community because you help make it live and grow. Therefore a special committee was put into place to help you and everyone else make a living here and help you thrive.–We call it the Entrepreneurial Development Committee. If you’ve been reading these pages you’ve already seen it, but may not have thought you were invited to participate or that it could do anything for you. You ARE invited to attend the meetings and provide your input. You also ARE invited to attend the “business person’s breakfast” (is there a better name for that?) on the first Monday of the month at the Drifters Cafe in Emida. Watch for times (they will start earlier in June).

At the last committee meeting we decided to propose to the board that we have an UpRiver Flea Market on Saturdays at the CAF building. SHHH, don’t tell anyone, yet, because we haven’t gotten it approved, but we hope to be open on the first weekend in June. Watch for further details. (Yes, there would be a charge for having a booth, which will benefit the UpRiver Community’s ability to fund future trainings and other projects.) We proposed the idea of a flea market to make it more comprehensive than a farmer’s market. Perhaps someone with a budding business can try the market here before going on to bigger things. Let’s see what happens. . .

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.

Steering committee members; Judy, Darrell, Sharon, Lisa and myself met at the Fernwood Community Center (or CAF) for those who know it as such. Valdasue was able to join us and her insights were appreciated by all. Even though she has moved on in her career and has gotten married, she did agree to continue to be our Coach through the end of the Horizons project. Did I say the end?? It seems hard to believe that this project is and will be closing on June 30th. When we first began in Sept. 07, 18 months felt like an eternity and a big commitment! We all have worked hard at working together, attending meetings, sharing our experiences, and learning about poverty! Did I say attending meetings?? I think it is safe to say that we are now seeing the UpRiver communities as a “united” community, and hopefully we can forge ahead as one!

It was deceided to go ahead with an appreciation BBQ dinner for all those who participated in the annual clean-up day! It will be at the Drifters in Emida on May 17th from 4:30-6:30 PM. Nancy and Jim will provide the fixin’s and Horizons will sponsor the event. Thank you Nancy and Jim! We anticipate there will be a good turn-out with 10 organizations invloved in the clean-up this year.

The steering committee wants to publish a brochure on what the UpRiver Horizons has accomplished to date (to document all that was done), and to provide the area with further information and contact names. Valdasue will be looking into this for us. We also would like to have some historical photos worked up to help give our communities a sense of identity. We are open for suggestions and if there are some local photos that people would be willing for us to scan, we could reproduce, the original photo would be theirs to keep.

Another note of interest is the E-Commerce Training coming up on May 20-21 in Moscow. When we met there were 10 openings left. Remember, Horizons will pay for the training, $150, and all expenses related to getting there. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to learn more about having an internet business.

As I wrap this up it is Mother’s Day. So, to all you
Mothers out there in cyber space “Happy Mother’s Day!”
Joanne

No, this is not a set of minutes for the board, and I don’t even know how everyone will feel about my putting up information on the board meeting when I am not “the blogger” for that group, so it is an informal little head’s up. If someone wants more particulars posted, they may do so or ask me to. . .

The Board (with the approval and votes of the co-chairs of the committees present) voted to include all of the committees under the board in the interest of streamlining the 501(c)3 process. It seemed to be a general consensus that this was only common sense for the sake of unity and resources and that it was pretty much the feeling that this relationship had always existed in spite of a bit of confusion. Now it is official.

There was a good turnout with representatives reporting from all of the committees. A great big Thank You goes out to all who helped with the community clean up. In recognition of your hard work and community spirit, a better thank you should be coming your way soon!

I don’t know if I will get in trouble for this–copyright issues and all–but I copied this whole blog from the Horizons Blog site, because I thought it should be posted on all of the community sites in the interest of entrepreneurship. So, here goes:

Smart Women Grant Applications

May 1st, 2008 by kellum

These days the fastest growing group of business owners is women who use their entrepreneur spirits, leadership and creativity to start businesses. According to Luz Robles, director of the Zions Business Resource Center to the Center for Women’s Business Research, in 2006, 7.7 million firms were either woman-owned or women held the majority share. Women account for 29.7 percent of all businesses in the U.S., a 42.3 percent increase since 1997. Women are having a direct impact in our national and state economy.

Zions Bank is committed to working with women to make their dreams a reality by offering a series of micro-grants for women. The 2008 Zions Bank Smart Women Grant enables deserving women with hopes of starting a community-oriented business or project to have access to funding to make this a reality.

Grants are open to female residents in both Utah and Idaho and are awarded in six different areas including small business start-up and expansion; child and elder care; community development; continuing education and teacher support; health and human services; and arts and culture. Community review panels will select the grant recipients.

Applications are available online at www.smartwomen.zionsbank.com and are due by July 31, 2008.

The difference between our community and “the one down the road” was pointed out to me when I was trying to get us signed up with the University Extension’s Community Review process. Shelby Kern said that they were pretty excited about working with us because we will be the first community they have dealt with that does not have a mayor and other community government.

This difference has, in some ways, been a burden. Usually one expects things to happen in a community because it just happens. This is usually the result of having people in elected or paid positions to look after the needs of the community. These items might include water, sewer, road maintenance, library, playgrounds, community buildings, health, etc. Without such people in place, community members need to be more pro-active if these are things they want, or depend on other providers such as the county, or travel further to access the frills of society, or . . . .

UpRiver community members are a hardy group of people who are very independent, and have provided most of these amenities in the pioneering spirit through volunteerism, etc. This is a strength. One that I would surmise that they wish to retain. Autonomy is a prize to be cherished and the UpRiver people appear to hold on to the desire to forge ahead and be the captains of their own destiny.

Working on the community vision will be done at the grass-roots level without the need to deal with red tape and incumbent governmentalists who feel that they should be in total control of decisions and policy making. We are looking for more people to come out into the open to contribute to the community discussions so that all will have a voice. We also hope that those who join in will be open-minded and consider all viewpoints with equity so that the community will continue to display its characteristic personality when the vision comes to fruition.

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

Yes, We came, we saw, and we blogged, AND we were treated to some of the best cinnamon rolls you have ever tasted! Two of these light, fluffy, sweets were sufficient to provide dessert for the six of us who attended the blogging workshop at the Drifters Cafe in Emida. If you haven’t tried them, I recommend you do! They really are the best I have ever had the satisfaction of letting melt in my mouth. Nancy has the touch to make these fresh homemade pastries tantalizing. I must stop in for more.

Thank you, Nancy for putting up with letting us mess with your computer hookup, take up a whole corner of your restaurant, and monopolize your evening. We enjoyed your wonderful hospitality and wish your business a prosperous year.

This is so global it should be called, “Looking For The Needle In The Haystack!” I have had fun searching Montana, Iowa, and Minnesota. Unfortunately I could only skim when I really wanted to read to learn. There was much to be learned! Now I want to add a counter to the blog site and a calendar. I will play with it when I get a chance.

In the meantime I gave up and finally came to the conclusion (being a librarian) that this whole setup needed an index. Aha! Google! An advanced search using the words “chicken tractor” and searching domains with the words “communityblogs.us” I was taken to the South Dakota Horizons blogsite which revealed that Estelline, SD is venturing into permaculture using chicken tractors.

A search of chicken tractors on Google will also teach you how to make and use your own. You just need some chickens and a little skill at building wooden cages. . . .

Horizons activities are moving right along in our community. In the next two months several visible events are planned and there are behind the scenes activities going on as well. Tomorrow night we will continue the three-part entrepreneurial training in Plummer, which has 8 attendees from the UpRiver area. These workshops relate directly to poverty reduction in that they provide door-opening mentoring, training, networking, and assistance in starting a new business. Any new businesses begun from the knowledge gained here will improve the economy by increasing the business base in our area as well as potentially providing additional employment to others who live here. This training also has the potential of the ripple-effect as the knowledge of resources and networking is shared with others who were not at the workshops.

Added to the above is an upcoming e-commerce training that will offer area residents an additional method of doing business. Both of these opportunities also increase leadership skills.

The Community Pride group is mobilizing the community for a clean-up day on the 26th of April.

The non-profit committee is finishing up the work necessary to gain recognition of our 501(c)3 status in order to keep the momentum going for gaining funding through grants to apply to ongoing activities in all three areas.

The cell tower project is also in the works. Verizon has the information needed for the application to improve communication in the area. This project has the potential to increase business in our communities because, not only will phone service be improved, but Internet access may also improve. E-commerce would then stand a much greater chance of success here (again directly affecting the poverty issue.)

Another project that is in the works is the Community Center project. The Building Committee has had several meetings, the last was with planners who came out to discuss the use of a survey to be sent to every citizen in the vicinity to determine interests and concerns regarding creating a community center. The idea is to mobilize the community by increasing awareness of what is being done and what those who are involved in the Horizons project perceive as urgent needs to improve the existence of those who live here.

The Entrepreneurial Committee plans to meet again in May.
At that meeting we will discuss what needs to be addressed next. The blogging class will have been accomplished, the training classes at Plummer will be completed, and the Business Person’s Breakfast will have met three times. We hope to have a better feel for how we can serve the business community of UpRiver to increase its visibility and viability. We have created some discussion questions to consider then. This meeting will address all of the areas of concern also: Poverty Reduction, Leadership Development and Community Mobilization.

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

Congratulations week 3 winner- Tala from St. Maries!

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.

I hope everyone has been paying attention to the upcoming activities. The week of the 7th to the 10th is going to be a busy one for those involved in the UpRiver Horizons group:

Monday, April 7–Don’t miss the Business Persons Breakfast at the Drifters Cafe in Emida at 8:00 AM. It is a no-host affair to connect and network with like-minded people in the area. If you have a business that is running, would like to start a business, are in need of employment and would like to see who the “business people” are, come eat and chat. Or just get a beverage and visit over “coffee”.

Tuesday, April 8–The Economic Development or Entreprenuerial Committee is meeting at the Hideout in Fernwood at 7:00 pm. If you would like to see what is going on in this group, fit the categories mentioned above, would like to get involved in making things happen in the Emida/Santa/Fernwood area come join us!

Wednesday, April 9–The first of three Entrepreneurial workshops for those in this area interested in self-employment will be held in Plummer at the Wellness Center starting at 5:00. For more information contact Lori Higgins, higgins@uidaho.edu, or Meri Jozwiak, merij@uidaho.edu.

Thursday, April 10–A meeting to plan for the beginning stages of building a new community center will be held at the Hideout Cafe in Fernwood at 10:00 AM. You are invited!

Thursday evening, April 10–Blogging Workshop for those who are interested in blogging for the Community website will be at the Drifters in Emida at 6:00 pm.
Be there!

Yes, there are more activities. Starting next week. Watch the calendar, the newsletter, the blogsite, the newspaper, the bulletin boards. . . We try to keep everyone who is interested informed.

The calendar can be found by clicking here.

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

And the answer is: Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation in Plummer.

In case anyone in our area is interested in looking into this and the Free Music Editing Class I am posting a copy of their advertisement here in full:

This one was easy for me. I was visiting someone in Plummer on Wednesday of last week and there was a newsletter laying on her floor. It had the Coeur d’Alene Tribal seal on the corner so it aroused my curiosity. Especially since it had the word ComBAT in the return address area. I had never seen that word before even though I work over there. I did not ask about it since our conversation was more about personal and national news than about local activities. But, lo and behold, when I checked my email, here was this question. I had merely to go to the Coeur d’Alene Reservation’s blogsite to get my answer.

The city of Stites received an Idaho Community Block Grant in November 2007 to upgrade or repair the city water reservoir. In researching this answer I found all kinds of reasons one can get an Idaho Community Block Grant and some other grants also. That is exciting! Now for a grant searching and writing class . . . I’m always “a day late and a dollar short”. . .We will just have to take a lesson from this tiny community and look for what we want done and then find the money!

One of these days I won’t be new to all of this and I will have these answers off the top of my head. If someone walks up to me off the street and asks me a question like this I will be able to fill them in without the bat of an eye. In the meantime I have to go around asking the same questions. In fact I have already been asking questions about where is the money for these projects coming from? Why would anyone want to do a community review for us for free? and so on. I also asked the question about how we will keep up the momentum once the startup money is gone in June.

On Thursday night, March 27, we had a board meeting (my first). There were reports made by all the committees and I learned a lot. Cell towers are in the works. Application has already been made to Verizon and they are sending people out to examine the locations that have been chosen as ideal spots, on top of Crystal Peak and on a mountain near Emida. They have great coverage–Crystal Peak’s site may reach clear up to Avery and Emida’s may go as far as to the Tensed area. It will be to Verizon’s great advantage to locate these towers here because of the tourist industry and also because of the number of people who currently don’t own cell phones because there is no coverage here, but they would like to. These towers could also provide high speed Internet which the school, library and individuals would all benefit by.

A first fund raiser is in the works to help with administrative costs of the board. The 501c3 committee is finishing up work on their application for tax exempt status which would make obtaining grants easier. The Entreprenurial Committee is sponsoring and encouraging people to take classes in starting a business, and blogging, as well as applying to the U of I extension office for a Community Review to help us determine the best direction to go to improve the economic status of the community and strengthen the unity among the various communities that make up The UpRiver Community. From this we will be able to draw up a strategic plan.

We talked about the possibility of a future grant writing committee. In the meantime the bricks for the foundation are still being laid. With the Building Committee looking into the creation of a new Community Center and doing some upgrades on existing buildings in Emida and Fernwood, there will be surveys sent to everyone in the three communities to get a feel for what people think they want, how they feel about the projects in mind, and how best to pay for them. (Land has been donated, or at least promised.) Hopefully this will draw much more attention to what is being done and more people will rise up to help in every area. With a community center and some community gatherings sponsored by the Community Pride Committee, people should begin to develop stronger loyalties to one another and to UpRiver and its vision. This will help keep the momentum going and grow new leaders in the work.

We are optimistic that as major projects are accomplished for the good of the Community, the Horizons group will become more visible and more credible in the eyes of the citizens of the area. People like to be where things are happening and they like to be on the winning team. The people of the UpRiver Community are pioneer-minded and should catch the vision and begin to get more involved. I see great possibilities and I see the groups morphing into different committees both large and small as new projects get under way and those with special talents lend themselves to the work.

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