Armour, SD

Many of us take it for granted that we can read this blog that I am posting. What if it was just a bunch of shapes that you were looking at and wondering “what does that say?”. Unfortunately in our society there are too many people who are unable to read & write. Many of them go through their life without other people realizing it. Illiteracy is a growing epidemic in our nation. 42 million American adults can’t read at all - another 50 million read at only fourth or fifth grade levels. This number of functionally illiterate adults increases by approx. 2.25 million each year.  That is a scary number but with 20 percent of graduating high school senior being functionally illiterate that number is not surprising.

What does this lead too? Well 70% of all prisoners in state and federal prisons are classified as illiterate. 70% of all people entering state correctional facilities have not completed high school and 14% have no high school education at all. 85% of juvenile offenders are classified as being functionally or marginally illiterate. 43% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty. WOW are those some scary statistics or what! Add to that a recent newspaper article stated that 1 in 100 people in our nation are in prison. So in a town of 800 that would figure out to 8 people in prison and with the 70% of them being illiterate that would equate to 5 of those people from our town being illiterate.

Or how about this tidbit of information. Do you know how they determine in SD how many jail cells will be needed in the future? They look at the 2nd grade reading level in our schools.

Yes reading is very important. It is the building block for a successful school experience. If you can’t read or read well all other subjects are going to suffer.

Parents, grandparents, and others one of the greatest gift and advantage you can give a child is to read to them from birth on. The knowledge they gain from that will serve them a life time. As they grow and learn to read let them read to you. It builds their skills and confidence. The next time you are buying a present for a youngster (of any age) consider purchasing a book as the gift. It opens up a whole world of imagination, information and enjoyment.

We live in a society where our youth are not competing for jobs with someone down the street or highway but with people on another continent half way around the world. We need to instill in our youth the importance of an education and the skills they will obtain to take them through life. An education is never wasted and can never be taken away from you.

We are fortunate in our small town to have a nice library and to have an organization that promotes literacy. The local Women in Action group sponsor several reading programs. One is the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This is where Dolly gives books to youth from birth to 5 years of age. The local WIA group pays for the postage. They also help sponsor the summer reading program at the library. Finally they sponsor the Prairie Readers Competition at the school. This involves not only Armour students but students from Tripp/Delmont, Lake Andes, Corsica, Stickney and Dakota Christian. The students have been working hard since before Thanksgiving reading books and practicing for the competition. This is a team of 4 students in a quiz bowl type of setting pitting their knowledge of books against teams from other schools. This competition is on March 31st at noon at the Armour School.  Come see between 250 - 300 students compete  and show their love of reading.

Speaking of economic development, tomorrow is the 2008 Launch conference on the campus of Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota. This conference is bringing together more than 300 people who are interested in issues such entrepreneurship and economic development. As I wrote in an earlier blog, I attended last year and this conference provided a fantastic networking opportunity for little money. I am going again this year, and I hope to see some of you there.

I don’t know if the noon lunch  is full, but I there may still be room for you at the conference. Unless you are a student, I would encourage you to sign up for the “educator’s track.” (This must mean that you’re going to get educated, I guess, not that you need to be an educator!). That is what they told me to sign up for.

Here is a sample of some of the people I met at last year’s conference: new and experienced economic development people from around the state; entrepreneurs, or people who want to be but don’t know where to begin; resource people; successful businessmen and women who have advice to share; and youth who are excited about possibly coming back to South Dakota to establish businesses after they graduate. This is just a sampling!

 For more information, here is the Web site http://www.dwu.edu/sdlaunchconference/index.htm and the FMI number on Web site contact:

Questions: Call 605.996.1140 or 800.487.1740 (toll free)

Those of you who know me well, know that I am not particularly political. I can pretty easily look at a political issue or candidate and see both sides. Perhaps it is from years of editorial writing–who knows? At any rate, there is a lot of controversy right now over a local zoning issue that some people say is going to impact economic development in Douglas County. Of course, there are two perspectives on what the economic development impact will be like.

The Douglas County Commissioners are proposing a change to the setback distance required for animal confinements built in the county. Currently, the setback distance for animal confinements of more than 1,000 head of cattle or 2,500 head of hogs is one-mile. In essence, this means that you can’t build a confinement unit larger than this closer than one mile to the nearest home, church or school without obtaining a special permit. To obtain the permit, the effected neighbors have to sign a waiver. Oh, one thing I should add is this: units smaller than 1,000 cattle or 2,500 hogs aren’t regulated under the current zoning ordinance. It is my understanding they can be built almost anywhere.The proposed change to the zoning ordinance would reduce the setback distance from one mile to one-half mile. That means that a confinement unit of any size could be built as close as one-half mile to a house, church or school without needing a special permit. A special permit would still be needed to build closer than a half mile.

Those in favor of the change say that it is necessary for economic development. They say large animal confinement units are more efficient, they will bring jobs to the area, grow our schools and may save our struggling rural economy. While large animal confinement facilities may provide some short-term economic benefits, based on everything I have studied since we began the Horizons project last year, I cannot find any research that show there are any sustainable benefits to local economic development.

During the past year, I have had several opportunities to hear economic development professionals from both inside and outside South Dakota speak about rural economic development. Almost every speaker said that rural communities that have invested a majority of their financial and human resources into “smokestack chasing” (or trying to attract outside industries, investors or corporations to bring in a larger number of jobs all at once) have failed. Each expert cited different reasons for the failures, such attracting blue-collar vs. white-collar industries, lack of infrastructure in communities, lack of housing, insufficient support services such as public transportation, tax incentives cost other taxpayers more, etc. While there are too many reasons to list them all here, I do want to mention the one they all agreed on: a town or a county can’t expect some outside investor, corporation or industry to “save it.” Sustainable growth must build from within a community. Small businesses owned by someone with a vested interest in the community (where they live and their kids attend school) are always more likely to be successful and are a better investment.

I read an excellent article on this subject by John Ikerd, an Agricultural Economist at the University of Missouri at Columbia. The article is long (10 pages, small type), but it details why some people have concerns about large-scale animal confinements, why some people support them and what rural communities must consider as they make their choice whether to invite them into their area. The article reminds people that sustainable economic development must be built on three cornerstones: ecological soundness, economic viability and social justice. These three cornerstones must ALL be present for long-term sustainability, not just one or two of them. The article also reminds us that we must consider the well being of the community as a whole.

If you live in Douglas County and are going to have an opportunity to vote on this issue, I would encourage you to do your own research before the March 4 election. Like we have learned through the Horizons’ project, we need to work together to plan for future development in our community. Ikerd says, ”Rural people must become activitely involved in shaping the destiny of their communities.” I think he’s right. It’s up to those of us who live here to make choices for our community based on research, reason and concern for the long-term well being of our community. We can’t base out decisions on emotion or because short term solutions are often easier.

If you are interested, here is the link to the article by Ikerd. I’m know there are many others, but I like this one because Ikerd is an academic who can afford to be a “neutral party.” So many of the articles I read are by groups or individuals directly involved in the issue, who of course, have bias toward one side or another. I also like the fact that Ikred’s article is written in layman’s terms: http://www.p2pays.org/ref/16/15444.htm 

I’ll be interested to hear what others think.

Well we had another meeting tonight and it was a good one again. It is great to see our attendance increasing. Thank you to all who come and give your input. We discussed the Laptop Initiative tonight. Does Armour School have the resources and drive to put in the work of the application and if accepted the initiative to go with computers in our high school? Yes, we do. We have a lot of support and Capital Outlay Money is what can be used for funding. We can get up to speed on technology and our kids will be learning in a more efficient manner. We already have computers only in some of the classes taught but this would open up many other opportunities for our students. I never realized the difference between Capital Outlay Money and General Fund but I have a clearer understanding after tonights meeting and that is why I am supportive of this venture along with many other parents and teachers. Please talk to your congressman about House Bill 1087 and tell him we support the approval of this money for schools. Our next meeting will be in March with the date to be announced. Thank you again for your support! Nicole

Are you looking for a networking opportunity that could benefit your community? Last year, I attended Launch ‘07 at the DWU campus in Mitchell. It was an excellent way to spend the day and network. The registration was cheap–something like $40–and even included lunch. There were some great speakers such as the student from Plankinton who invented both a child drowning alert system and a car seat safety system (for those of you who are boys’ basketball fans, I noticed he was a starter on the BB team the other night when we were playing them! What a talented young man). Another favorite speaker was Brian Klock, who own Klockworks custom cycles in Mitchell and has been featured on the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build Off among other TV shows. There was also a lot of opportunity for networking, which was the best part. I came home with a lot of ideas and a lot of business cards! I know I brought a lot of ideas back to our Horizons Circle Groups.

This year, it looks like Launch will not feature the same tracks as last year. Last year, there was a track devoted to community entrepreneurship. I am not sure which track I would register for this year–it might be a good idea to call or e-mail for more information to get some advice if you are thinking of attending.

Here is the information from the web:

Launch ’08 will be held on Thursday, Feb. 28 at Dakota Wesleyan University.

Launch ’08 is a one-day event advancing entrepreneurship education in South Dakota. The 2008 annual conference features two tracks. The educator track is geared towards those who are interested in integrating innovative and creative thinking within their respective disciplines. The student track is geared toward inspiring and supporting students who are entrepreneurial. The conference will also feature networking opportunities and relevant resources for entrepreneurs.

This 2008 event marks the third annual conference which has included some of the most respected state and national leaders in entrepreneurship education. This year’s conference features internationally renowned speakers: Ed Sobey, Ph.D., global evangelist for creative learning and founding director of the Northwest Invention Center, the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the National Toy Hall of Fame; Kathleen R. Allen, Ph.D., a nationally recognized and respected leader, consultant, speaker and author of numerous books on entrepreneurship as well as the director of the University of Southern California Marshall Center for Technology Commercialization; and Timothy M. Stearns, Ph.D., holder of the Coleman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies and the executive director of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University-Fresno.

The conference is a collaborative project of the Enterprise Institute, the Kelley Center for Entrepreneurship/Dakota Wesleyan University, South Dakota State University Entrepreneurship Program, EQUIP, South Dakota EPSCoR, South Dakota Small Business Development Center, and the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

A special program sponsored through South Dakota EPSCoR which offers $1,000 faculty stipends and/or faculty and student conference scholarships is available. For more information visit www.sdepscor.org.

For registration information, visit www.dwu.edu/sdlaunchconference, call 605-996-1140, or 800-487-1740.

Have you checked out the Douglas County Hospital Web site lately? They’ve added a lot of new and exciting features — including information very useful to healthcare consumers. You can see the physicians available for your healthcare needs and also a great picture of Dr. Regg Hagge and Dr. Marlys Luebke with some of the babies who have been born at the hospital in the last couple years.

There is also a cost comparison link to show how much you could save by having your baby locally. DCMH offers great care and givesyou the special attention that you need when you need it. For a small hospital they have a big heart and are willing to give you the care you need. To check out all the hospital has to offer go to dcmhsd.org.

As we close out 2007, I thought I’d write a post about how the Horizons project has increased awareness in Armour of what is good about living here.

I think it is irrefutable that our Horizons work has brought us closer together as a community. I’ll single out the Parents-Teachers Together (PTT) group as a prime example of how that is true. Before Horizons it was true that parents of children in the Armour schools were concerned about their children’s education, but there was no real mechanism for them to participate, offer suggestions or ask questions. Our teachers are professionals, but for their part, too, there was no official way for them to meet with parents as a group to work on school-related issues.

Now, the PTT group meets on a monthly basis. Participation has been strong and next week when students return to school the new breakfast program will launch. That program came about as a result of the PTT meetings.

This success makes a difference in our town. When I run my errands around town throughout the week, I am frequently drawn into conversations about Horizons. People express their views about what’s going on. And many … many have told me how excited they are about the PTT group. You can’t buy enthusiasm like that.

Our school and its stability in the future was one of the primary concerns expressed by Horizons participants from the very beginning of our work as a community in this program. People see an intrinsic link between having a school in town and having a community that has a future. We definitely recognize our school as a community asset that needs to be nurtured and supported. By starting the PTT, two groups — parents and teachers — have had the opportunity to get to know each other better in a setting outside of school, away from events such as parent-teacher conferences and in place where working on shared goals draws them closer together.

Here’s your chance to comment and let me know if you agree, disagree or have suggestions on how to make things even better. What has been your personal experience with the PTT group?

As we watched the ice & sleet come down on Saturday, Dec. 1st it was debatable as to the wisdom of continuing our event. However we do live in SD and it was December. Yes it would have been nicer if the weather was warmer but it was great to see the main street aligned with cars for bingo and later for the parade of lights. The celebration event for our horizon project was planned for this evening because of the chance to have people to view our plans and ideas who may not have ventured out for “another meeting”. The time of year is so hectic one with Christmas parties, church programs, basketball games and just holiday seasonal plans. We felt to combine it with our Christmas in Armour would be a way to combine some of the December events.

Click on photos to open a larger version.
The Horizons Strategic Plan Celebration was held Saturday, December 1. It was combined with Armour’s annual Christmas Promotion. A variety of events drew a large crowd to town. Visitors were treated to a band playing holiday tunes on Main Street.

As I stood at the booth that afternoon and evening and visited with people it was a pleasant surprise to have such positive feedback. The lake cabins and housing projects were very popular. One gentlemen from Sioux City was very excited about the cabins. They visit quite frequently in the area and would use them. The youth were very excited about being able to use them for family & scout outings. The cabins will allow an outing for families who are unable to afford the camper and trip to the campground. It would allow some relaxation and family time during a time when that is hard to come by.

We created a display with information about all of our Horizons goals. We also distributed copies of our Strategic Plan to those who attended the celebration.

Young families were interested in the housing ideas we had on display. It gave them thoughts of upgrading to a larger home to accomodate growing families. We have come to realize we are in housing shortage. Many young families who have a member working in town live out of town because of no housing. Thus less young families living in town and children not attending our local school.

One exciting item of interest was visiting with a young adult in high school. This YA commented on how they read the blogs all the time and how exciting it is for them to see what is going on in our community. I encouraged the person to “blog’ too and let us know their viewpoint and ideas for our community. This is our future - without the young people we will no longer exist.

Overall it was a good evening. Yes it could have been better but as in anything it could always be better but it was successful evening. During my years in extension when I would worry about if a program had reached enough people a professor friend always told me - if you helped one person gain information it was worth it. We hope to find a place to display our boards for public viewing and questions. Thank you to all who helped in the organizing and displaying of the Horizon project.

Check it out! The Horizons group in Whitewood has made national news with an effort to change the name of one of the streets in town.

Remember those “FUN” pre and post surveys that the Horizons Staff had you take during Study Circles and LeadershipPLENTY?

Believe it or not - it was for a purpose!  Those pre and post surveys help us to understand how much your community learned about poverty and about leadership by your participation in those specified curriculums.

As a result, we have assembled a community profile with the results of the pre and post surveys for both Study Circles and LeadershipPLENTY.  Check out your community results by clicking on the links found under “Survey Data” on the right hand side of your community blog.