Estelline Horizons’ Meeting

August 18, 2009

The Horizons meeting was called to order at 6:30 the Estelline Library by David Ebbers. Those in attendance:, David Ebbers, Ron Oines, Evelyn Whittemore, Ann Webb, Rose Jurgens, LaDonna Marlette, Kristy Hollenbeck, Linda Svec, Susan Linneman, Tonya and Jeff Williams and Martha Landes

The minutes of the July meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer Report was presented and approved. 

 Old business – Committee Reports

1. Garden Committee – Children’s group has wrapped up the year with 14 children having been involved.  The committee is currently working on lining up people to help with the children’s garden in 2010.  The yearend harvest party and general garden clean up will be held on September 26 beginning at 3:30.  Everyone is invited to attend.

2. Farmers Market – Market continues to be held on Thursday’s from 4 to 7 PM. We have received $700 of the   $1000 state grant, with the balance to come when reports are turned into the state at the end of the project.

3. Welcome Wagon – Delivery was made to seven new residents this last month.  Please contact Lisa Loomis at Reliabank or Marg Warborg if you know of new people to our area.

4. Can trailer was emptied about 3 weeks ago and is getting close to being full again.  $144.78 was the proceeds from the last load.

5. Food Pantry – Donations can be dropped off at Wards’ Store and the local churches.  Nine household were served in the last 2 weeks.  Meat from butcher shop processing can also be donated despite being marked not for resale.  One of the local 4-H groups will be having a food drive around Thanksgiving to benefit the pantry.   LaDonna also indicated the High School Honor Society would be willing to help with a future food drive.

6. Movie – The screen and system will be used for Homecoming Coronation on September 28^th.

7. Frisbee Golf –Kristi Hollenbeck reported that the final hole has been set and a fence crossing put in.   A couple more fence crossings still need to be added.  Also signage still needs to be added at the beginning of the course.  The course is getting used by a number of people.   Approximately $400 remains in sponsorships to be either sold or collected for ($100 each). Ideas talked about on teaching game to older adults as well as having a tournament and future leagues.

8. Fund raising ideas:  Keep in mind if you hear of any new or interesting ideas for fund raising to share with the group.

9. 873-4EST continues with very positive results. If you have an event or need to get the word out on something, please give Ron Oines a call at 873-2775 to get your event added.

10. Grant Opportunities:  Martha mentioned checking into a Friskers grant for the community garden.  Also SDSU has applied for a large USDA Rural Development Grant that we have signed onto which would require Estelline Horizons to supply at least $1500 of in-kind donations.

11. Community Block Party- Group feels that this project has merit and that we should continue to keep this project in mind. The Williams talked about a neighborhood party that they helped organize over the Labor Day weekend which went very well.  It was also talked about having this in conjunction with the national block party day/week and to find additional information that maybe available on that to help plan an event.

12. Odd Job Service – David reported that Jim Reiger at high school would have the shop class build a community bulletin board built and installed it between the Estelline Journal building and Main St Bar and Grill so that there would be a place to post odd jobs wanted or needed, community events and any other community information.  Horizon will pay for the materials and thank you food to the class.

13.  The summer children’s craft program has wrapped up be they are planning to meet about once a month through December to work on some holiday crafts.

14.  www.sdbridgetobenefits.org website was mention as a resource for individuals in the community that may need financial assistance.

15.  Community Planning/update meeting.  Discussion was held about having a community meeting to inform the community of what Horizons has been doing, ask for input on additional projects that they would like to see and bring in new members and reactivate members that were involved in the past.  A tentative date of November 17^th was picked subject to school and other events already scheduled.  Martha has a real time voting system that could be used at the meeting to gather input.  The group was asked to think about plans and ideas and a committee will be appointed at the next meeting.  The idea to show a movie for the youth that night so that parents could attend the meeting without distractions was also talked about.

New Business

1. Martha Landes went over various items from the State Horizon group including that we have an additional $300 of funds to use for items in our Strategic Plan.  We can also apply for an additional $1000 grant to implement some additional item in our strategic plan.  The group is to think over what we would like to work on going forward to request these grant funds for.  She also reminded us that she is willing to do a presentation on West Africa from a trip that she was on this last year.  LaDonna and Kristy were going to check and see if this could be incorporated into a class or two in the school in addition to a community presentation.

Next Meeting: October 20, 2009 at the Library. 

Estelline Horizons’ Meeting

August 18, 2009

The Horizons meeting was called to order at 6:30 the Estelline Library by David Ebbers. Those in attendance:,David Ebbers, Ron Oines, Evelyn Whittemore, Sharon Klosterman  and  Ann Webb.

The minutes of the June meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer Report was presented and approved.  A donation of $300 was made by ITC to our group.

 Old business – Committee Reports

1. Garden Committee – Gardens are looking great this year.  Children’s group is still meeting weekly.  There has been request for additional raised gardens for next year to go with the 4 that there currently are.  Harvey has also placed cement under the shelter in the last couple of weeks.

2.  Farmers Market – Market continues to be held on Thursday’s from 4 to 7 PM. The $1000 grant money has still not arrived and is still being held up at the state level due to insurance issues.  Problem continues to be worked on.

3. Welcome Wagon – No report this month. Contact Lisa Loomis at Reliabank if you know of new area families.

4. Can trailer is filling up once again and needs to be emptied shortly.

5. Food Pantry – Currently in need of staples.  Donations can be dropped off at Wards’ Store, Reliabank and the local churches.  Nine household were served this last time.  Ann will be running a notice in the paper to remind people of the needs for the pantry.  Meat from butcher shop processing can also be donated despite being marked not for resale.

6. Movie – David will check with school/students about having a movie after one of the fall sporting events.

7. Frisbee Golf –Hole one remains to be reset and Kristi Hollenbeck indicated that she will be working on.  The course is being used by a number of people.   Approximately $400 remains in sponsorships to be either sold or collected for ($100 each) Cement has been paid for.  But sign is still needed.  Ideas talked about on teaching game to older adults.

8. Fund raising ideas: Possibility running a concession stand in the future at a city wide event.

9. 873-4EST continues with very positive results. If you have an event or need to get the word out on something, please give Ron Oines a call at 873-2775 to get your event added.

10. Community Block Party- Group feels that this project has merit and that we need to look at different times of the year and events to tie this program to. Discussion was held on possibly doing a town hall meeting to gather further input from the community as suggested last meeting by Martha from SDSU

11. Odd Job Service – David will talk to Jim Reiger at high school about having a shop class build a community bulletin board built and installed it between the Estelline Journal building and Main St Bar and Grill so that there would be a place to post odd jobs wanted or needed, community events and any other community information.

12.  The summer children’s craft program continues to have excellent numbers and the community has supplied many of the needed items.  Motion was made and passed to donate $100 to this project for further needs.  The program will be running until the end of October.

13.  www.sdbridgetobenefits.org website was mention as a resource for individuals in the community that may need financial assistance.

New Business

1. Ron brought up the idea of having another Horizon community look at our strategic plan and programs as a review and way to get additional ideas and focus to see if we are on track or need to make changes to our plan going forward and we would review their program and plan also.

Next Meeting: September 15, 2009 at the Library. 

Estelline Horizons’ Meeting

July 21, 2009

The Horizons meeting was called to order at 6:30 the Estelline Library by David Ebbers. Those in attendance:,David Ebbers, Ron Oines, Susan Linneman, Rose Jurgens,  Evelyn Whittemore, Sharon Klosterman, Ann Webb, Martha Landes and Dan DeWitt..

The minutes of the June meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer Report was presented and approved.

 Old business – Committee Reports

1. Garden Committee – Gardens are looking great this year.  Children’s group is still meeting weekly.

1. Farmers Market – Market continues to be held on Thursday’s from 4 to 7 PM. The $1000 grant money has still not arrived but is hopefully coming shortly as the additional paperwork has been sent on to the state.

1. Welcome Wagon – No report this month. Contact Lisa Loomis at Reliabank if you know of new area families.

1. Can trailer is filling up once again It was taken to Bruce during a benefit this last month for cans to be deposited from the meal that served.

1. Food Pantry – Currently in need of staples.  Donations can be dropped off at Wards’ Store, Reliabank and the local churches.  Currently 8 to 9 household are using the service on a monthly basis with the next food pantry coming up on August 17^th.

1. Movie – Approximately 80 people attended the third movie of the season.  Concession sales are down this year and thus have not kept up with the cost of the movies.   Motion was made and approved to pay the cost of a movie (approximately $300) from Horizon funds.  The next upcoming movie date is tentatively set for August 8.

1. Frisbee Golf –Hole one remains to be reset and Kristi Hollenbeck indicated that she will be working on that before school starts again.  The course is being used by a number of people.  We received $639 from Estelline Schools from milk top money.  Approximately $400 remains in sponsorships to be either sold or collected for ($100 each) Cement needs to be paid for yet as well as a sign for the course.

1. Fund raising ideas: No new ideas this month.

1. Missoula Children’s Theatre was held July 6-11 with performances on the 10-11. Play was Pied Piper of Hamelin with 39 children involved in the production this year.  The city gave $500 for the program and we forward the remaining funds of $149.85 to the school from last year’s performance to help with the cost of the program.

1. 873-4EST continues with very positive results. If you have an event or need to get the word out on something, please give Ron Oines a call at 873-2775 to get your event added.

1. Community Block Party- Group feels that this project has merit and that we need to look at different times of the year and events to tie this program to.

1. Odd Job Service – After discussion, a motion was made and passed to have a community bulletin board built and installed between the Estelline Journal building and Main St Bar and Grill so that there would be a place to post odd jobs wanted or needed, community events and any other community information.

13.  The summer children’s craft program continues to have excellent numbers and the community has supplied many of the needed items.

New Business

1. No new business was brought before the committee.

1. Martha Landes our Horizon community coach went over several items including possibly reviewing our strategic plan to see if we would like to update it, continue to use the blog to get information out and possibly holding a town meeting to bring in new ideas and members.  She also brought to our attention a web site that would be very helpful to members of the community in locating assistance that they may need.  www.sdbridgetobenefits.org   She asked to get that information out to the community and anyone we thing it may help out.  Also she would be willing to do a presentation on her trip to West Africa for our community.

 Next Meeting: August 18, 2009 at the Library

Estelline Horizons’ Meeting

June 16, 2009

The Horizons meeting was called to order at 6:30 the Estelline Library by David Ebbers. Those in attendance:,David Ebbers, Ron Oines, Susan Linneman, Linda Svec, Roger Svec, Cyndi Johnson, Rose Jurgens,  Evelyn Whittemore, LaDonna Marlette, Carmen Bremmon, Tonya Williams, Jeff Williams, Linda Salmonson, and Dan DeWitt..

The minutes of the May meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer Report was presented and approved.

 Old business – Committee Reports

1. Garden Committee – Linda Svec reported that all the plots are taken. There have been requests for more raised beds so more of these will be available next year. Harvey is putting cement under the shelter, and round picnic tables will be available.  The children have had three presentations at 9:30 on Thursday. The community is invited to visit the garden between 11:00-11:45 to have the children explain what is going on in their plots.

1. Farmers Market - three markets have been held from 4-7 on Thursdays. .  The canned and prepared goods which are sold are prepared according to state regulations – in a commercial kitchen.  The $1000 grant money will arrive once the necessary paperwork has been completed. Volunteers are needed for the lemonade stand which will raise money for a future commercial kitchen.

1. Welcome Wagon – No deliveries this month. Contact Lisa Loomis at Reliabank if you know of new families who haven’t been contacted.

1. Can trailer was emptied by Dave E.  The 508 pounds of cans netted $142.24 which is given to Frisbee Golf.

1. Food Pantry – no report.

1. Movie – Approximately 120-150 people attended the first movie last Saturday.  Upcoming movie dates: June 27 – Grease, and July 11, 25, and August 8. The committee has met to determine the movies. committee met and set as tentative dates: June 13 and 27, July 11, 25, and August 8.

1. Frisbee Golf –Equipment has been delivered and installed by Harvey Donley and Kristi Hollenbeck plus helpers. Two hole sponsorships ($100 each) are available.  Milk lid money will be available in July to add around $600.  Equipment cost $3070.  Needed yet: cement, two disc sets, and a sign. The nine cages will be in the City Park. 
2. Fund raising ideas: Linda Salmonson said that Sisseton is participating in an electronic recycling program.  She will check into more information.  

1. Lake Poinsett outreach – Welcome Back – The Economic Development has put up welcome back signs.   

1. Missoula Children’s Theatre – July 6-11 with performances 10-11. Play is Pied Piper of Hamelin.  The city gave $500 for the program. Sharon will contact local businesses for sponsorships.

1. 873-4EST continues with very positive results.

1. Grant information – Linda Salmonson mentioned there is a grants writing class in Eureka which is a two day event.

1. Community Block Parties – Rose reported that the Senior Citizens believe the block parties should be in the City Park on a Friday or Saturday night. It was decided to hold the Block Party August 8 at 6:00.  This will be followed by a movie.  Estelline area residents are encouraged to bring a drink, a dish to pass and eating utensils and meet their neighbors.  Then they can enjoy the movie following the party.

1. Odd Job Service – Discussion continued of how this could work, reaching everyone but without creating too much paperwork. Jeff suggested perhaps a twice a year job service (volunteering for the elderly at certain times of the year) might work.  A community bulletin board was also suggested.

1. Tammy Krein and Kristy Ebbers reported that 32 kids are participating in the summer craft program at the Library on Mondays from 9:30-11:30.  They could use some additional help from high school students.  Volunteers can contact Tammy and Kristy.

New Business

1. Suggestions of getting soccer goals for the park and a skating rink in the winter.

Next Meeting: July 21, 2009 at the Library. 

The October meeting was held on Tuesday the 21 at the Main St Bar and Grill. The Can Trailer emptied the trailer this last month with the load coming to $238.77. The trailer was moved down the block so it is no longer right on HWY 28. A motion was made and seconded to give this load and the previous load totaling $496.82 to the Frisbee Gold Course. The Food Pantry is using a recently donated refrigerator which is working well for their needs and has come in handy. The Horse Ride/Food Drive was a success despite the weather as 2 tables full of food and supplies were collected along with good fun. Boxes for additional donations have been put in the town churches and Ward’s Store. A whopper feed was held before the football game on October 10 which raised an additional $219.50 toward the Frisbee Golf course cost. Two grant applications have been sent off. One to Lowie and the other to the Sanford’s Legions for additional funding. A Lake Poinsett resident brought an idea forward to have a welcome back for the lake people next spring. Several ideas were discussed with more input needed from others. David will also talk to the Economic Development also about this. Since the computer from Horizons was originally to go to the Tech Center it now has no home. It was suggested to loan the computer to the Library/ Historic Society till such time that it would be needed by our organization. The Historic Society was the group that got Estelline involved in the Horizons Project by attending the 1st area meeting for Horizons and completing the application process. The next meeting is November 18 at the Main St. Bar & Grill at 6:30.

Come see the Lister Donley Memorial Community Garden with the accomplished Pumpkin Patch Kids and Minnikins as your hosts to their plots on Friday, July 25th 10 am until 2 pm.  There will be adults working in the greater garden, and  refreshments will be available including light lunch over the noon hour.

Sioux Falls Argus Leader has expressed interest in the Garden and Farmers’ Market and will have photographer and reporter at the sites.

Estelline Journal, our newspaper ‘flagship’ has published lots of great copy, some written and filmed by the children, and we look forward to more coverage there as well.  Thank you,  Archers and Marge too. 

As Seth takes a vacation from the lemonade stand, we’ll have a fundraising booth for the Mural in his usual spot offering STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE.  Have you made your suggestions for the Mural?

Also on July 18th, there will be a fun race for any age contestant making use of the season’s first overgown zucchinis.  Come early to get authorized wheels and your pick of squash — or maybe you want to bring some out of your own garden before you ‘have’ to eat them.  Race at 6:30

Farmers’ Market at the Bandstand Park 4-7pm Fridays

Friday evening Farmers’ Market 4-7pm in the Bandstand Park.  More vendors are welcome!  We will continue to have fresh produce as well as spring chickens freshly dressed, doggy treats by the bag, and decorative guords.  Our lemonade stand may take a break to participate in the Theater….

Missoula Children’s Theater presents “Wiz of the West” a musical play with a huge, well-costumed and dancing cast.  Two adult directors play the lead roles, and with local piano accompaniment the performances Friday and Saturday evening 7:30 to about 8:30 will be a delight.  Tickets at the door — the air conditioned school gym will be open at 7pm.

Meet the Movie Screen  Saturday evening at 9:30 for a showing of  Grease.  Concessions of Popcorn , beverages, and candy bars available.  Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, and insect control to Bandstand Park. 

There will be handouts soliciting your input for further movie selections and explaining Horizons opportunities.  Look forward to seeing you….

Thought I’d share the photos I took with all of you…

First time Farmers Market

Wayne Hopkins of Arlington arranges plants and at his merchant table at the Estelline Farmers Market grand opening. (Photo by Joe O’Sullivan)

By Joe O’Sullivan, Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, June 21, 2008 12:01 AM CDT

     Gathered amongst a bonanza of produce, flowers, knickknacks and gourds, neighbors assembled Friday evening to celebrate and shop at the grand opening of the Estelline Farmers Market. The farmers market was held at Gazebo Park on the corner of Main Street and Route 28 from 4 to 7 p.m.
     Eight vendors represented local farmers, artists and residents as tables were laden with alfalfa, tomatoes, eggs, odds-and-ends and even decorative gourds. Buyers and sellers alike munched on celebratory slices of cake and communed with friends.
     Julie Sperlich, a farmer who lives between Toronto and White, was one of the vendors. “We’re gonna try it,” she said, noting that she plans to sell homemade dog biscuits, garlic and various herbs. Sperlich also sells at the farmer’s market in Brookings. “I sell eggs there, too. Not here though, I don’t have enough chickens for two markets,” she said with a chuckle. Sperlich found out about the farmer’s market through an ad in the paper.
     Landscaper Wayne Hopkins brought an assortment of plants and flowers. “We thought we’d try another venue and see if there is any interest,” said Hopkins, who lives in and runs a greenhouse at Arlington. “This is some stock from our greenhouse,” Hopkins said, as he laid out a tray of pepper plants. Vegetables are always popular, along with annual flowers, he said.
     The market wasn’t just about produce. Tucked away behind the gazebo, Seth Pomrenke sold lemonade and Rice Krispy bars for 50 cents underneath an umbrella, where children gathered, away from the crowds culminating along the sidewalk and stalls. A slideshow presentation was set up at the edge of the park, but was put out of commission by the bright sun. Farmer and vendor Amanda Svec took breaks selling eggs and tomatoes by playing fiddle, silently laughing and nodding to friends in the crowd as she performed.
     Cheryl Hoseck, a graduate of Estelline High, set out original pencil sketches of horses and rodeos. On particular print of a cowboy mounting a horse in its stall took a long time to finish, she said, because she had to shade over the background eight times to get the perfect tone of black. Another sketch included her horse and cat, which together she named “Buddies.” “In the winter that cat would always ride on the horse’s back,” Hoseck said. Hoseck and her husband Lyndon — “like the president, only a Republican,” Lyndon stated — raise cattle and horses and grow corn and wheat on their farm east of Brandt. Lyndon sat in a chair and drank in the commotion as his wife arranged their sale items.
     The farmers market was organized by Horizons, a project coordinated by South Dakota State University’s extension service, that assisted with organizing and funding. The extension service provides SDSU faculty to give training and logistical support to projects in communities like Estelline. The SDSU extension service has branches established in each of South Dakota’s 66 counties.
     In this case, residents expressed enthusiasm for a local market, and Horizons worked to make it a possibility. They secured funding through the Northwest Area Foundation, a St. Paul-based nonprofit organization with the goals of alleviating poverty in Midwestern and Mountain States, said Karla Trautman, Extension Specialist in Leadership Development at SDSU.
     With community development projects like Horizons “The overall goal is to build and expand community capacity,” she said. Benefactors of Horizons must meet certain eligibility requirements: Towns have to be smaller than 5,000 in people, with at least 10 percent of the population below the poverty line. Community members also need to commit the willpower and energy the make a project like the farmers market happen, Trautman said. Once the criteria is met, Horizons works to coordinate the community. “We provide a community coach,” who can help the community identify what services they lack and what assets they have but are not taking advantage of. In this case, the idea of a farmers market was a perfect fit.
     Trautman noted that poverty is not solely based on finances, but a lack of resources. “Poverty comes in many different forms,” she sad. The farmers market fills this gap by allowing farmers to make money and help the community get to know one another.
     The market developed like a time-elapse photo: At 3:15 p.m. Gazebo Park was an empty square; at 3:30 p.m. Estelline resident Mary Buckmiller began setting up card tables; by 3:45 p.m. several vendors had set up shop and a crowd of onlookers had gathered. Buckmiller took the lead directing vendors, and dispensing the schedule of events from her booth, situated square in the middle of the vendors.
     “I don’t think it’s a formal setup here,” Buckmiller said to Sperlich, who was asking where she should set up her booth. As soon as residents decided to organize a farmers market, Buckmiller knew. “I’m a member of Horizons, so I had an inside track on it,” she said.
     The idea for a farmers market came about because “we had small meetings and we brainstormed ideas” on what we thought the community needed, Buckmiller said. “I understand they’re going to write grants for other communities in South Dakota,” she added, about the Horizons program. Buckmiller is the coordinator of the children’s garden, a new Estelline garden which Horizons sponsored. The project was implemented just this year. Though she still considers herself a newcomer to town, Buckmiller has been an Estelline resident for 35 years. Buckmiller had come to sell decorative gourds. “I raise gourds, I’m really a gourd artist,” she said, adding that she hoped she could let the community know that there are artists in the area. Buckmiller grows the gourds on her farm just outside Estelline. She had a wide variety of gourds with her — from dirty, just-harvested to ones which were enameled, painted and decorated. Using mostly natural products to decorate the gourds, she first allows them to dry over the winter in the field. Letting them mature outside produces thicker shells, she said. “There are gourd societies all over the U.S.,” Buckmiller said. “Weird, I know.”
     Most people parked down Main Street and arrived on foot; one older gentleman pulled right up front via antiquated pickup, his vehicle coughing for a few seconds after the engine stopped. By the time grand opening ceremonies began at 4:20 p.m. nearly 50 people and a smattering of rain had arrived.
     A ceremonial check presentation was held, in which $8,500 was handed over to community members to help fund the farmers market. A laptop computer and printer were also presented for Estelline’s burgeoning community technology center. Trautman, Latif Lighari, Director of the Cooperative Extension Service at SDSU and Cheryl Jacobs, Horizons Community Coach, each spoke and thanked the community for its work.
     “This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your work in action,” Trautman said. “Thank you for doing this,” Lighari said. “You need to thank yourselves,” Jacobs said. The mentorship of the local Horizons group officially ended with the launch of the farmer’s market. “Horizons ends now, but we’re still here to help,” Jacobs said.
     Aside from the children’s garden and farmers market, other Horizons projects in Estelline have included a technology center and an aluminum can recycling program. The program also bought a new freezer for the food pantry operated by Trinity Lutheran Church, located in Estelline. All of the Horizons members pleaded for more volunteers, though by the sea of neon green Horizons ‘Can Do Crew!’ T-shirts, the organization seemed to be off to a strong start. Right before the check presenting ceremony one woman was overheard berating her husband, who was still wearing his plaid button-up. “Where’s your shirt?”