New Books at the Whitewood Public Library offer guidance to subsidizing your income.  

Fresh Grown Group Events                                                      
Fresh Grown Customer Communications on the Wide  Web                         How to Motivate Teen Workers - CD                                               

Author and featured speaker at the South Dakota Agritourism conference that took place in Mitchell, July 15, 2008 was Jane Eckert, founder of Eckert AgriMarketing. Jane has dedicated herself to helping farmers, ranchers, and tourism professionals learn more about agritourism and how to make it profitable.

 Jane Eckert, an expert on farm direct marketing, and Bill Mauk, a writer and web designer, focus more than 50 years of experience to take you step-by-step-through the skills and stragegies you need to successfully host company picnics and events on the farm.  Jane Eckert was the keynote speaker

“Agritourism is a vital part of the tourism industry in South Dakota,” said Richard Benda, secretary of the Department of Tourism and State Development.

A new resource for those seeking an adult care facility is available within the Black Hills.  GaelMeyer-Johnson, who owns Sunny Hill Senior Center in Lead, had gotten requests for help in finding placement for elderly family members.  As a result she developed a website that features care facilities across the state of South Dakota.  http://www.myseniorsolution.com/local.htm

Available at the Whitewood Public Library are copies of the South Dakota Small Business Administration Resource publication is

Tuesday, 12 August, 2008 

ENTER non-livestock items for the

Butte/Lawrence County Fair.

Open Class and 4-H alike.  Your knitting, sewing, photography, woodworking, collections, food preservation, homemade wine and whatever your handicraft is.  Bring your items to the Fair and the ladies in the pavilion will find a category that fits you best. Any questions … call the Spearfish Extension Office at 642-6200.

Butte/Lawrence County Fair Happenings       

          Thursday  14 August  

                  11 AM-3 PM.  

      Operation Military Kids is sponsoring a Camo Camp.  Participants will go through an obstacle course, decode a message, make a craft, and talk to a military member about his/her experience.  Contact Lawrence County Extension Office  lawrence@sdstate.edu for more info

On Sunday July 13th several citizens of our community participated in a walking challenge. They met at the City Hall and walked up to Oak Park. This walking challenge is a way to help people think about getting healthy and walking towards this goal. The other purpose of the walk was to kick off the Horizons graduation party that was being held at the park. For the past two years Whitewood has participated in various activities with Horizons. Well on Sunday Whitewood had it’s farewell graduation party. There were young and old in attendance.

Whitewood has gained so much from it’s partnership with Horizons, SDSU, and the Northwest Area Foundation. Many citizens have gained a wealth of knowledge through leadership plenty trainings and other trainings that have been held over the past several years! Well yesterday Whitewood was presented with a check for $8500 dollars which will be spent somewhere in town for everyone to enjoy! It has not yet been determined where the proceeds will go, but it will go towards benefitting the entire community! Not only did we receive a monetary award, but Whitewood was also awarded with a new “Gateway” laptop computer and a new printer. The laptop and printer will be stored at the library for everyone to use. All of these awards were received because of the hardwork and dedication of many members of our community over the past several years while working on Horizons projects. Without these individuals contributing their time and effort Whitewood would not have been awarded these awesome awards!! So congratulate yourself if you’ve worked on any Horizons projects and also congratuate others who have done so. Whitewood should be very proud this was no small feat!!

Thanks also to Chuck Turbiville our legislator for attending this event! It was much appreciated. Also a big thanks to Carolyn, Karla, and Dean Lemme from SDSU for bringing us these fabulous awards!

Below are some pictures of this event! Enjoy! And THANK YOU, SDSU and Northwest Area Foundation for partnering with us and helping us achieve these WONDERFUL gifts!!

Date:  Friday, July 18, 2008                                          

Time:  1:00 - 6:30 pm

Place:  Senior Center

Contact:  Louise Cooper at 269-2646

NEW! Cholesterold testing everytime you donate.   All donars must show valid photo ID

POSITION AVAILABLE:  The City of Whitewood has an immediate opening with the Public Works Department for a temporary position.  Duties will include lawn cutting and light maintenance.  Must be 18 years of age.  Pay is $9.00 per hour.  Applications being accepted at City Hall through July 17, 2008. Must be available between 7:30 and 4:00pm.

WORKER BEES WANTED

VOLUNTEERS FOR

WHITEWOOD CHILDREN’S

SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISERS

TASKS:

SET UP TABLES AT EVENTS

SELL RAFFLE TICKETS

SERVE PIZZA AND WATER

TO HELPERS

ASSIST YOUNG CHILDREN

KEEP TRACK OF THE PROCEEDS

TEAR DOWN TABLES

CONTACTS:

Amy Barker                     269-2130

Millie Humphrey                269-2220

Kaity Parks                      722-6526        

What can we do to help reduce Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in our community? 

·       Say “NO” to all forms of violence; physical, verbal, sexual and emotional.

·       Get help if you and your partner can’t resolve problems.

·       Set an example for children; Violence and abuse are not a part of family life.

·       Report all instances of abuse to the police.

·       Support education and prevention programs.

·       Don’t accept, support or promote violence.

Mary Koens.   

Midwest Assistance Program, Inc., offers communities and tribal nations a wealth of skills and approaches to help them creatively solve their problems, including:

Capacity building, Compliance, Disaster management, Management & finance, Operations & maintenance, Planning & development, And much more…

Studies, publications, identification of opportunities and alternatives, proposal development, funding agency navigation support, overseeing of construction, review of plans, preparation of cost estimates.

more information

For skateboard park fundraiser on Sunday June 29th. Contact Patty Karas or Deb Olson at April’s Place. They are having a bake sale Sunday afternoon to benefit the skateboard park and they need bake sale items to sell.

Whitewood Days   28 - 29 June 2008

  A WALK in the cool morning breeze can start your day off right.

            WALK to the Whitewood ball field for some evening entertainment.  

                        WALK on your own or with your family or friends  all around town.        

Step towards the Whitewood Walking Challenge.  Walking logs and pedometers are available at the Whitewood Public Library. 

Join the community walks on 13 July and 23 August

 Horizons communities around the state have identified actions to address poverty in their community. Many have identified our cultural reliance upon personal vehicles as an impediment to thriving communities. There is little public transport in rural areas and safe-bike ways are forgotten.  Take the pledge to support the effort to reduce our reliance upon oil and to build healthier communities where people are at the center.

Disney Minnie Grants

Agency: Youth Service America and Disney       Deadline: 08/30/2008

Description:Youth Service America and Disney are pleased to launch a second round of Disney Minnie Grants to engage children and youth, ages5-14 as community volunteers. The selected applications will receive $500 to support their youth-led service projects. The deadline is August 30 and projects must take place October 15-November 15, 2008.

The recent down pours certaintly don’t lend to the thought of conserving water  but the hot summer months are upon us.  Water consumption for our yards, gardens, & everyday summer activities can take a  toll on our water supply.  Installing a rain barrel can help with the cost of higher water usage and  help with conservation of our most precious resource. 

• Rain barrels conserve water and help lower costs (a rain barrel can save approximately 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months).
• Rain barrels reduce water pollution by reducing stormwater runoff, which can contain pollutants like sediment, oil, grease, bacteria and nutrients.
• Rain barrels are inexpensive and easy to build and install

 You can search for rain barrels on the internet or find them at your local garden supply and hardware stores.  A rain barrel can simply be a garbage can that sits under a downspout or heavy runoff point from your roof.  It does not have to be expensive or fancy.  Here are some websites with good information on them: 

http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/pi/rainbarrels.htm

http://www.harvesth2o.com/faq.shtml

SARE Provides Grants and Information to Improve Profitability, Stewardship and Quality of Life

SARE is a competitive grants program providing grants to researchers, agricultural educators, farmers and ranchers, and students in the United States.

Research and Education Grants: Ranging from $30,000 to $150,000 or more, these grants fund projects that usually involve scientists, producers, and others in an interdisciplinary approach.

Professional Development Grants: To spread the knowledge about sustainable concepts and practices, these projects educate Cooperative Extension Service staff and other ag professionals.

Producer Grants: Producers apply for grants that typically run between $1,000 and $15,000 to conduct research, marketing and demonstration projects and share the results with other farmers and ranchers.

On Farm Research/Partnership: Supports on-farm research by Extension, NRCS, and/or nonprofit organizations. Northeast, Southern and Western regions.

Sustainable Community Innovation: Forges connections between sustainable agriculture and rural community development. Northeast and Southern regions.

Sample Farmer/Rancher Projects  

There are currently 2 city positions open with the public works department. See below for the descriptions of both of the jobs.

Job 1:

Position Available: The City of Whitewood is accepting resumes or applications for Public Works Director.  Minimum qualifications for Public Works Director include High School diploma/GED certificate, possession of valid driver’s license with a CDL-B recommended.  Knowledge of methods, equipment, and materials used in water/wastewater distribution and collections.  Considerable knowledge and experience in the practices and principles of civil engineering, construction, public works operations and public works maintenance.  Must possess or be able to obtain certificates required by State for Water Treatment I, Wastewater Treatment II, Collections I, and Distribution I. Salary DOE.  Send resume or application to City of Whitewood, 1025 Meade Street, Whitewood, SD  57793 with a  June 30, 2008 closing date.

Job 2:

IMMEDIATE OPENING:

The City of Whitewood has an immediate opening with the Public Works Department for a temporary position.  Duties will include light maintenance and lawn cutting.  Must be 18 years of age with a valid driver’s license.  Position pay $9.00 per hour.  Applications being accepted at City Hall.

Five Whitewood, SD youth attended a Babysitting Beginnings Training sponsored by the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service of Lawrence County.  Deb Rombough, Family and Consumer Science Educator, was the presenter.  The youth gained information and hands-on experience covering basic safety and first aid, how to make healthy snacks, important facts about ages and stages of children, babysitting responsibilities and the business facts, age appropriate activities and much more!  Each participant received a babysitter’s kit and a wallet card certificate of completion.  This program is a part of the Whitewood Babysitter Club project, a result of the Horizons project. 

Follow-up workshops will be available in the future.  Currently topics scheduled at the Whitewood Public Library include:

June 19 – First Aid Follow-up / Choking Safety – Ellen Jenter, County Health Nurse (10-11 am)

June 24– Developmentally appropriate activities for children / rainy day activities (2-3 pm)

July 10 – Basic Financial Education / Savings for Youth (10-11 am)

Please pre-register by calling Deb Rombough at the Lawrence County Extension Office @ 642-6200 or Rea W. at the Whitewood Library @ 269-2616.

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!!

This sounds like an excellent opportunity to win a bit of cash for a community project.  Check out the SDRE website at www.sdrei.org

And go to “Community Success Stories.”  There is a quick application to fill out and winners will have their stories posted on the site.

In our continued efforts of championing rural economic and community development, South

Dakota Rural Enterprise is compiling and sharing Community Success Stories. The success

stories that we receive will be posted to our website, and in doing so will become a celebration

and inspiration for other communities throughout the State. Each quarter we will choose one

success story from those submitted, and that program/project will receive a cash award of $250.

Please fill out all the following questions that may apply to your program/project.

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.

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

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.

       Summer activities  to write on your calendar

• June 5 - Baby sitting Class/Club starts 
• June 14 - 1st Whitewood Walking Challenge
• June 28-29 -  Whitewood Days
• June 28 - Poker Run
• July 1-31  - “Catch the Reading Bug” @ the Whitewood Public Library 
• July 7-10 - First Presbyterian Church Vacation Bible School
• July 13 -2nd Whitewood Walking Challenge
•  July 13 -  Whitewood Horizons Graduation
• July 28 -1 Aug - Immanuel Lutheran Church VBS Day Camp
• August 12 - 16 -  Butte/Lawrence County Fair
• August 18-22 - Black Hills Baptist Church Vacation Bible School
• August   - 3rd Whitewood Walking Challenge

Did we miss anything?  Is your event listed?  Send in your additions to the Blog address on the right hand side of the screen.