Whitewood

last night at 6pm at the Whitewood libary.

Discussion items were:

• Updates to the strategic plan were discussed. Information was given to Carolyn our community leader on fundraising efforts of both the skateboard park committee and the scholarship committee. The efforts from these groups has definetely not gone unnoticed. Thanks everyone for their hard work!!
• Horizons II will soon be coming to an end. We will have our graduation event on July 13th at Oak Park at 2pm. We are inviting our entire community to attend this event as our community is being awarded with a laptop computer and a printer which will be stored at the library. We are also being awarded with a grant which will be given in September. There will also be cake served to celebrate this event!
• Carolyn advised us at the meeting that the book we made of our successes since beginning Horizons was a big hit! Thanks Mary for all of your hard work and dedication on this fabulous book!!
• Although, Horizons is ending we don’t want our committees to end! We want to keep the momentum going! We will always need people to be involved and work on plans to improve our community!!

From Jean Sneesby

Sorry to be late getting in the May meeting of the Whitewood Genie Meet….we met on Wednesday May 21st at the Whitewood Library and was thrilled with two batches of photos and history and stories about Whitewood.  One lady is allowing us to copy her collection and another lady just gave it all to us !!!  Thank you so much !!! The June meeting will be Wednesday June 18th - 1:30 at the Whitewood Library.  Anyone interested in family history or history of Whitewood is invited to join us.  If anyone who like help in getting started on your genealogy but you can’t make the afternoon meetings, please contact Rea at the Library and we can arrange to help you some evening.  Genealogy Humor:  My family coat of arms ties at the back - is that normal?  Hope to see you June 18th !!

Well here is recent information on it…

Many of your communities have also talked about the Governor’s House Program.  Here is current information:

Governor’s House Program—Income Guidelines Change

            The Governor’s House Program has been in existence since 1995.

Do you know someone who:

ü     IS having trouble finding a place to live where they work?

ü     IS renting an apartment that doesn’t fit their family’s needs anymore?

ü     IS having trouble finding a quality home at an affordable price?

ü     WOULD like to stay in their hometown and be able to purchase a new house?

A GOVERNOR’S HOUSE MAY BE THE HOME FOR THEM!

This 2 bedroom, 1 bath home is 1,008 square feet energy efficient homes comes complete with  kitchen cupboards, bathroom fixtures, a furnace, hot water heater, and washer and dryer hook-ups. The house does not come with appliances or floor coverings.

PURCHASE PRICE IS CURRENTLY $33,000, plus taxes which includes delivery to your lot and placement on the basement or foundation.

Household income and net worth guidelines remain as follows.

Ø     Households of 2 or less must have an income less than $33,900

Ø     Households of 3 or more must have an income less than $39,550

Ø     Households under 62 years of age must have a net worth less than $90,000, of which no more than $70,000 is liquid assets.

Ø     Households over 62 years of age must have a net worth less than

            $175,000, of which no more than $100,000 is liquid assets

Another change involves the siding color—the colors are now sage and clay. Sand is no longer available.

Purchaser is responsible for financing the house like any other house you might purchase.  Purchase is responsible for purchase of home, lot/land costs, foundation/basement, floor coverings, appliances, entrance steps, utility connections and hook-up fees, building permits, plus, sidewalks, driveway, curb and gutter as applicable.

Small Business Workshop Scheduled Individuals who are self-employed, business owners, office managers, bookkeepers, etc., may be interested in attending the South Dakota Small Business Workshops.  Workshop topics include SD Unemployment Insurance, tax and benefits, wage and hour laws, youth employment regulations, SD sales and use tax regulations, as well as contractor’s excise tax requirements. The workshop is scheduled for June 11 in Mitchell and will be repeated July 16 in Pierre and October 8 in Rapid City .  For more information contact the SD Dept. of Revenue and Regulations at 1-800-829-9188.  Workshop sponsors include the SD Dept. of Labor, Small Business Development Center , SD Dept. of Revenue & Regulations, and the Small Business Administration.

The Whitewood Challenge

A group of walkers is issuing a challenge to all Whitewood residents to walk 100,000 steps this summer.   On June 14 at 8:30 am the first short walk will take at place the Whitewood library to the flag pole to celebrate Flag Day.     Each walker will receive a free pedometer so they can determine their own walking gait.    A recording sheet and five walking tour brochures will be available at the end of the walk.     “This idea came out of the Whitewood Health Fair in April,” said Tammy Bourne.   “We talked to people about forming a group that would walk for heathy living and decided to put this together this summer.”     On July 13 there will be another full group walk from city hall to Oak Park where each participant will receive a free Whitewood t-shirt.   On August 23 the final group walk will take place with awards given to those who reach their 100,000 steps goal.    

“If you wear your pedometer all the time you can count the steps you take at work, shopping, gardening, just any place you walk”, said Rea Weyrich, one of the Challenge organizers.  ”100,000 steps sound like a lot but, depending on your stride, it works out to be less than 1500 steps a day between June 14 and August 23.”   A rough guide is there about  2,500 steps make a mile but each individual’s stride is different so the first group walk this Saturday will help determine what your stride is.

There is no formal registration for this Walking challenge just show up and be part of the fun.

As everyone knows we had some torrential rains on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning of last week which caused some major flooding in our town. Below are some pictures of the flooding. Any additional pictures you may have would be greatly appreciated. We are keeping pictures of our history at the Whitewood Library. If you have more to add you can email the pictures to the blog address or take some down to the library to Rea. I wanted to thank everyone who helped out during the storm especially our Volunteer Firemen!!

Tom Cornwell from “Bug Songs” sang at the Whitewood Public Library. See below for more pictures from this event!

Hello everyone!

We had a meeting June 1st… Here are our thoughts  

The committee met with the following discussions:  Discussion on laminate poster board versus banner, they (the sign making people)cannot do laminate poster board but will make two banners for $50.  Discussion was also held on the Loaded Trunk basket and how to have the steering committee pay for trunk before the next phase of Horizon is done. Another dilemma is where do we store money; is there an account for horizons?

 Amy will go to next steering committee meeting and discuss issues with them.

 The committee is looking for more support from adults and children to help out. They can either serve on committee or just sell raffle tickets at various events in the area. We went over the list off names that have at one time or another worked with Horizons.  Please expect phone calls soon J

Discussion held on how to possibly get help selling raffle tickets; Amy will create a letter and propose it to the Whitewood Chamber by letter seeking local businesses to sell raffle tickets at their businesses

Next meeting is June 20th at Bullwhackers at 5:30 pm please bring your ideas and your appetite

SOUTH DAKOTANS WORRY ABOUT INCOME AND ECONOMY

Findings from a survey commissioned by the Northwest Area Foundation

IN THIS SURVEY, South Dakotans say they are worried about theirpinched wallets, overworked neighbors and struggling local economies.83%say they’ll vote this November, and most say their choices will be

influenced by what local elected officials are doing to help those struggling to

make ends meet:

• 3 in 10 worry all or most of the time that their income

won’t pay the bills this year.

• 1/2 say their local economies are “only fair” at best.

• Most believe their local elected officials should take

specific action on poverty.

At the same time, the survey results point to South Dakotans’ characteristic

“American grit” and hope. And most say they personally want to do more to help.

Click here to read more about this report

Whitewood’s Mary Livingston attended the Northwest Area Foundation’s Grassroots and Groundwork conference in Minneapolis this past week.   Here are more details

Victims of Violence Intervention Program/Artemis House is now collecting used ink cartridges from printers and copiers as well as used cell phones.  We are able to recycle these items to bring in a little more cash to be used for victims of domestic violence in our area.  Please drop off any used ink cartridges and cell phones at the Artemis Boutique, 344 Colorado Blvd in Spearfish.  Thanks, Mary Koens.

Immanuel Lutheran Church - 28 July - 1 Aug                     269-2104

Presbyterian Church -              7-10 July                                                                 6:00 pm  - 8:30 pm

Black Hills Baptist Church -     18 - 22 Aug                           269-2646                 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

BH Baptist’s theme for their VBS is ” Out Rigger Island”  and open for ages 4 yrs - 6th Grade.  A light supper will be provided.  Need a ride?  call 269-2646

Whitewood Beginning Babysitting Class  has been postponed one week 

                            to  Thursday 5 June from 9:30 - 11:30
 
Class conducted by Deb Rombough, Lawrence County Extension Agent, at the Whitewood Public Library.  Anyone wishing to sign up may call the Library at 269-2616.      Read this Previous Babysitting Club Blog  for more information.     previous date was 29 May.

 Deb Rombough - Beginning Babysitting -  5 June    9:30-11:30 am 

Deb Rombough -  Age Appropriate Activities on June 12 from 10-11 am

Ellen Jenter, County Health Nurse - on June 19 from 10-11 am

If anyone is interested in joining the scholarship committee, please contact Amy Barker at 269-2130 or Kaity Parks at 722-6526.  The meeting will be Saturday May 31  2pm meeting at the Diner:) Topics are distribution of raffle tickets, recruiting people to sell raffle tickets. We are looking for kids and adults. Sounds like a great day for pie and coffee:)

Great news! Our  word is getting out and people want to buy the tickets and help too!

If we help our children understand how to use money, it may help them budget for the future.                 
1: Teaching: Teach them the value of the different coins. Talk about it!
2: Play Money: Letting your children have some of their money they have earned, for play money, gives them a choice for things they want.
3:Change the world: Teach your children, about donating to charitable organizations. And show them how it will help these organizations. Talk about it!
4: Saving for the future: Talk with your children about saving some of their money in a jar, or get a bank account set up for them and show them, each week, how their money is growing.
There are many other ways we can teach our children about money. By teaching your children about the value of the dollar now! May help your children understand how to use money.
GOOD LUCK!

The Summer Reading Program

at the

Whitewood Public Library

          27  MAY  -  “Bug Songs”  Sing & learn about bugs with Tom Cornwell         

                 2 June  -    Pick-up and start your reading log     

             2 July  -    Spin-a-Tale make giant spiders       

             9 July  -   Backyard Bug Hunt learn about bug collecting      

           16 July  -   There’s a Buzz @ your LibraryBHSU Yellow Jacket Mascot visits      

           23 July  -   Wings, Stings, & Leggy Things  use your imagination to make bugs     

          30 July -     Reading Bug Blast       end of program party 

Mondays - Puzzle Day – stop in anytime, do the puzzle and post a bug on the wall

Fridays - Quiz Day       – stop in anytime, do the quiz and pick a prize from the jar.

Wednesdays are Fun Days with Speakers, Crafts and games  from 10:00 – 11:30 

Prizes, make and take activities, treats are planned for your child.

Start your Reading log on 2 June to get a head start on winning prizes in July. 

  Tuesday 27 May 2008    3:00 pm

Yes you read right  “Bug Songs”.   This years summer reading program is “Catch the Reading Bug”.  We are starting out with a presentation by Tom Cornwell.   http://www.bugsongs.com/pictures.htm

This message is from Deb Olson:

Here’s an update on how the skating went on May 9th at Hale Hall.  We had 65 kids that skated and we took in $305 with the raffle and candy sales, and $200 with the admission.  So all in all we had a pretty good night.      Till next time,  Deb

from Mary Koens

May is Elder Abuse Awareness Month

In 2005, 85,000 persons over the age of 65 were victims of non-fatal violent crime.  Crime victims over the age of 65 lost a total of $1.3 billion due to personal and property crimes in 2005.  Many of these crimes were committed by family members or people who were known by the victim.  What can we do to help keep our elder population and ourselves safe?

• Report suspicious activity in our neighborhoods and businesses to the police.
• Let a friend or neighbor know when going on vacation, to the hospital and any other changes in routine.
• Never give out banking numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal information on the phone or internet.
• When hiring repairmen, call to check out their credentials.
• Keep doors locked even in the day and even if you are home.
• Remember to lock car doors and garage doors.
• When in public, be aware of your surroundings.  In crowded places, keep your billfold in a front pocket.  Keep your purse close to your body.
• Walk in daylight or well lit areas.
• Consider keeping valuables in a safety deposit box or safe.
• Do not carry or keep large amounts of cash.

Mary Koens

Artemis House

On Friday May 9th, 9 Whitewood residents attended the South Dakota Municipal District 10 meeting in Faith. Before the meeting began a few of us went to the Faith library for a tour! The library was great and we received a heartfelt welcome! We then went to the Faith community center for the meeting. This event was sponsored by Faith and we are all given a sneak preview of Sue the Dinosaur! Sue will be on display in Faith all summer! I recommend that everyone go check her out. Kids and adults will love her!

This is from another blog.  The website it refers to contains facts from studies conducted about green spaces.  

  How Plants Help Communities -

    When trees are planted, communities grow

A scientific study at the Human - Environment Research Laboratory, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has demonstrated that green views and access to open green spaces in urban areas may in fact, help to restore attention and relieve everyday pressures of living in poverty.

For more information, check:         http://www.americainbloom.org/Default.aspx?CategoryId=63

posted by Kaity Parks 

May 8, 2008

Horizon’s II

Recreation Subcommittee

Whitewood Children’s Scholarship Fund

Our membership has grown with the welcome addition of Katie Heckenlaible.  We are still pursuing youth participants and will be recruiting at Whitewood Elementary on Wednesday, May 14.

We have been approved to have a table during Wrangler Day at the school.  We understand that scholarships aren’t as sexy as a skateboard park, so we will have handouts explaining the scholarships and why kids need to be involved      (I will try to attach a copy).  We will have a sign up sheet for committee members, pictures of the “Loaded Trunk”, and raffle tickets.  That should be a good little kick-off to help get the word out.

Amy Barker attended the City Council meeting and we have been approved to hold a Raffle.  We have selected an item sold by Home Porch in Sioux Falls.  It is a trunk of Dakota made items and is loaded into a very attractive trunk. 

We have decided not to pre-purchase the trunk for a couple of reasons.  First, the picture of the trunk is very eye appealing.  People take one look at it and want to buy a ticket or ten.  However, secondly, the trunk really isn’t that big.  (I will try to attach a picture.)  Compare the size of the trunk to the size of the magazine.  Third, we don’t want to be hauling a trunk all over hill and yon getting tattered between now and the drawing.

We are looking for suggestions for any venues that may be a good place for us to be to sell tickets.

I am going to UPS tomorrow to make copies of the fliers and the raffle tickets.  I will also get a price for laminated poster boards compared to banners.  That’s a great idea whoever came up with it.

Below is message from Deb Olson regarding the fundraising efforts for the skateboard park. Please note the roller skating fundraiser scheduled for tomorrow! This committee is doing a fabulous job raising money for the skateboard park!!

Just letting you know how things are going with the fundraising.  Tomarrow is our roller skating at Hale Hall from 5:30 to 8:30, we will be having free pizza and coke, the pizza was donated by Pizza Ranch in Sturgis and the coke was donated by coke.  We are also going to raffle a skateboard that was donated by Rushmore Mountain Sports in Spearfish.  The raffle tickets will be 1 dollar, we also have a t-shirt to go with it.    As far as businesses that have been donating money we got a $500 donation from Wheeler Lumber which I thought was awesome!   The next fundraiser will be the rummage sale and we are looking for donations for this event. 

was held on Tuesday May 6th to a packed room of young and old. This weeks BINGO was a fun event and more money was awarded than the usual BINGO nights. Larry was the big JACKPOT winner, which was well deserved!! BINGO will be on a hiatus until October. Be sure and check it out then as it truly is a fun family event! Pictures to be posted soon as I’m having technical difficulties!

How could your Whitewood Community Group use this blog? Let me count the ways…

1. Post your meeting minutes

2. Start a discussion here that you think will dominate an entire meeting and have the discussion online, on the blog,  instead, then recap the discussion at the face-to-face meeting.

3. Publicize the wonderful Projects your group is doing by making your group’s affairs public.

4. Post pictures of your group having so much fun that others are compelled to join you. 

5. You can use the blog in any way that benefits your community group. Your imagination is all that is limiting you.

How do you learn to blog?  click on Wanna Blog in the green section on the right hand side of the screen in the Pages section or send an email to whitewoodblogger@yahoo.com

9 May, Friday 5:30-8:30   Hale Hall  $5.00 to Skate

 FREE Skateboard Drawing donated by Rushmore Moutain Sports.  

 FREE Pizza & Coke.

Raffle for a Skateboard donated by Edge Sports

Funds for Whitewood Skate Park.          Posted by Joe Taggart

 Pedometers are at Whitewood City Hall for anyone who had a raincheck from the Whitewood Health and Safety Fair.   Thank you for having patience.  We experienced difficulty getting them shipped in time for the  Fair.  They are here now & ready for you to pick up.    Pedometers were purchased by Whitewood Horizons.                                            

        A new small step you can take to a healthier lifestyle, a healthier you!

The City Wide Yard Sale is May 31st. If you are interested the cost will be $8 to be put on the list and in the papers. Please if you are going to have a sale this day give me a call at 443-0114 or 206-0247 you may also email me at mok9698@spe.midco.net

I will need to money, address, name and list of items you want listed by the 20th of May. I had originally said the 15th but i think it would be ok for the 20th. The more sales the better it will be. 

Anyone interested?   Call the Whitewood Public Library  -  269-2616

Tonisha Williams would like to start a Babysitting Club in Whitewood.  Tonisha is a 7th Grader who attends Sturgis Williams Middle School and knows of a similar group is Sturgis. They will call each other or refer parents if they cannot fulfill a babysitting request She likes the teamwork effort and their cooperation between each other.  Tonisha would like coordinate the same effort in our community.   When she told me her story I thought that the Whitewood Library could host a Babysitting Class and provide the club with a place to meet and resources.  The County Extension Office is looking into their schedule to see if the will be able to conduct a class here at the library.   All ideas and input are welcome.

 Posted by Tonisha

Jean and I decided to postpone the Genealogy class due to the snowstorm predictions.  That was Thursday….boy did we get it!  Thank you to Jean for helping me get the word out and to those out of towners that called in to check.  

The postponed the Genealogy  Class  will be Thursday, 8 May 2008, 6:30 at the  Whitewood Public Library 269-2616