Estelline, SD

Check out progress in the Community Garden.  The blackened rectangles represent a pumpkin and children’s garden on the east, two big sites for rental and public use sites.   The poles for a shelter are in the northwest corner. 

Anyone who cares to help can start raking and removing sod, tree roots, and rocks from the tilled areas.  The tillage crew sited some glass pieces and other rubbish, so be careful and remove that dangerous stuff to the trash pickup at your home.  Please put the organic material to be composted at the edge of the plots for later pickup to the compost area. 

Application forms  for renting a 20X25 plot will be available at Reliabank and Country Corner soon. 

What do you think of having the SD sanctioned chili cook-off in Estelline?  It is one of the ideas that came up after the Tues. meeting.

Who would like a job in Estelline?  Can you help us find a  Farmers Market manager (every Friday night for 18 weeks and promotions time), and a unit director (full time) and a part time staff person to serve a Boys and Girls Club.   Here are three new jobs for Estelline — exciting      YES!     Job descriptions need to be developed: can you help?

We also need leadership help for getting the Club going.  So speak up if you could help out with working or giving ideas.   Contact Tonya Williams.

SDSU Cooperative Extension Service and our community coordinator popped the question  –HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO CELEBRATE  — achieving intermediate Horizons goals?  After mid July sometime they’ll provide the cake and funds!! Whoooopeee!!!!

April 15th we mulled it over a bit and thought a party on Friday in conjunction with Farmers Market would be good.  What do you think?

And “thank yous” to Northwest Area Foundation, and SDSU,and CES staff, and especially the always cheerful Cheryl Jacobs, our coordinator.

At the school cafeteria we will start an effort to get some monetary support for your interests.  Bring writing materials and, if you have some idea or proposal already, bring it along.  We will be presenting basic information from the experts, a glossary, and some suggestions for funding sources.

You do not have to be aiming your effort towards a Horizons project to participate, but we surely welcome your help and a community orientation. 

Introductory evening everybody will get the vocabulary and some “moral support” so we can move ahead with preparing a preliminary draft.  There will be some sample materials to work with, and teamwork is encouraged – a few of the ideas are for individuals though, and some are for youth age 8-18.  Then we have one week to think and work on the project.

On the second session we will have some of the experienced assess our efforts.  And remember, a full proposal is usually months in the making, so consider this community work just a beginning in the process of asking for help in reaching our dreams.  Also remember that over 80% of funding supporting non-profit agencies comes from individuals ( that is you and me buying memberships, making donations, sharing our aluminum cans, eating at fundraisers and patronizing sales, and putting our charities in our wills), so our begging from people/foundations with deep pockets is the tip of the iceberg when all is actually done.  And grant agencies expect the applicant to have a plan to continue the good work after their participation is complete.  Northwest Area Foundation expects Estelline Horizons to move forward on our own after June 2008, for example. 

Additional sessions will be arranged — Horizons will fund professional assistance as we progress in the preparation process.  We have several volunteer editors in our network wanting to help, and at least one has multiple projects he wants to see funded through his program.   

Light supper provided; child care provided in the Kindergarten room (more kids have more fun).

A burst of April get togethers — getting prepared for summer!

9th    Grant writing,  school cafeteria 6:30- 8pm

14th   Farmers’ Mkt committee  school cafeteria  6-6:20pm followed by Garden committee 6:30- 8:30pm

15th   Strategic Planning  east room Trails’ Edge  6:30-8:30pm

16th   Green Group meets to discuss spring cleanup etc.    school cafeteria  6:00-6:20pm followed by

16th   Grant writing   school cafeteria  6:30-8pm

Let’s get the ‘letterhead’ on our site to the gazebo photos on our Strategic Plan.  Cyndi and David have the file and have been eager to share. 

Also, can we gear up for grant writing and have some materials ready to work on March 22?    

 I do not know if anyone else put the crew up that completed the Leadership Plenty Series last fall with the “Can Do” T-shirts but I have one to share with the group!  Again, since I attended the blog traning, I am trying to catch up by sharing some photos. 

I learned how to blog this week at the blog training in Estelline from Cheryl and am sharing photos of the group that attended the program last September in Huron.   Harvey was part of the panel discussion of communities attending and represented the Estelline Horizons group extremely well.

Join the SD Extension Educator specialist for computer training and access to this blog site as an editor, contributor, or administrator. Class Tuesday March 11th at the High School Library from 6:30-9:00p.m. with take home materials and sign on at the site. Snacks and baby-sitting available. No beverages in the library though, sorry. See you there!

Heads up!

Sanford Management proposes slashing clinic hours by 1/2 and comparable reduction in employee hours. Talk to Mike W if you are able to help; letters in support of the clinic need to be collected and used at a meeting Monday, January 14th.

Horizons survey supports more services; our letter follows …

11 January 2008
To: Stanford Clinic Management
From: Linda Svec, Community Member and Strategic Planning Committee of Northwest Area Foundation Estelline Horizons program

Regarding: Clinic hours proposed reduction

This community opposes cutting access to Estelline Clinic from 40 to 20 hours per week.

Availability of services is a critical feature in quality of life. In an effort to address issues of poverty (many of which are delineated by access as well as finances), our program surveyed more than 20% of the community. Compilation completed January 2008 indicated more services, not less, were desirable; several entries even requested 24 hour on call health service.

Before instituting the proposed reductions, we request thorough revaluation of the situation and assistance in making the current clinic improved and viable.