Philip, SD

When: June 3, 4, and 5

10:00 am - 6:00 pm (all three days)

Where: Former K-Gee’s Department Store

What: Children’s Books .10 cents, Paperback Books .25 cents, Hardcover Books .50 cents

Homemade Treats to purchase for a Freewill Donation

Why: All proceeds from the Sale will help fund the Summer Reading Program, July 1 - August 8 at the Haakon County Public Library.

During the Summer Reading Program there will be activities for children ages 4 - 16. Visit the Library for more information!

On May 7th, local law enforcement, emergency services and fire departments put on a safety presentation to the Freshman classes from Wall, Philip and Kadoka. Philip High School hosted the event and was gracious enough to supply the space, time and a lot of the equipment needed.

The purpose of the presentations was to educate the students on the hazards of drinking or doing illegal drugs and driving, the necessity of wearing seatbelts and the possible consequences of their actions. There were speakers, classroom presentations, skits and hands-on demonstrations.

The morning was started with a welcome from Trooper Kelly Stern. The first speaker was Lila Doud from the Rapid City MADD chapter. Then Jack Lieseth from Wall gave a presentation outlining his crash from 2006. He was driving a pickup that had 8 passengers when he lost control on a gravel road and rolled. Several of the kids were hurt and one suffered significant serious injuries. He was arrested for Vehicular Battery and DUI. He went through the whole process of how this affected his life and how it changed almost everything.

After the speakers, the freshmen were split into several small groups and sent to stations for different activities. The parking lot was turned into a driving course with traffic cones that they would negotiate with golf carts. They did this with an officer riding shotgun and their first trip through was to show them how they drive unimpaired. On the second trip through they wore the Fatal Vision goggles that simulates intoxication over the legal driving limit. Local emergency services and fire departments set up two more stations with ambulances, rescue trucks and junked cars. Here they showed them all their tools and how they are able to save lives on crash scenes. There was also a classroom presentation on Drug Impaired Driving with videos showing that impairment is not limited to alcohol.

After lunch they came back to the gym where there was a skit put on by fellow students. Then a 911 call was broadcast for them to hear. Afterwards they filed out to the gravel parking lot where a mock traffic crash had been set up. Several students had volunteered and were waiting with moulage and simulated injuries. The law enforcement, emergency services and fire departments responded to the scene and showed what happens in the aftermath of a crash. Life Flight came in and flew out the most critical patient. The other victims were transported out on the ambulances, except for one that had suffered simulated fatal injuries. D.J. Rush from Rush Funeral Home arrived and performed his Coroner duties, then removed the volunteer as he would a victim, from the scene.

Once the scene was cleared, the students went back inside the gym. Pennington County Deputy McPhereson read a poem, Paramedic Dody Weller gave a short speech and Jamie Kockenbacher from the Alcohol Services Center in Rapid City also gave a presentation. With that the presentation was concluded. Hopefully all of this will positively influence the decisions these students make in the future.

This is the third annual presentation that has been done. The first two were done at the Wall High School, but it was decided to rotate among the participating schools. The goal is to save lives. It is hoped that by providing the real world knowledge of what can and does happen with alcohol and drugs, the students will make better and more responsible decisions.

Also, we would like to take this opportunity to ask the communities to also support the above goals. Please lead by example and never drink and drive. Remember to buckle up; every trip, every time.

We would like to thank the following entities and departments for making this possible:

Philip High School, Wall High School, Kadoka High School, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Badlands National Park Service Rangers and Fire Rescue, Haakon Co Sheriff’s Office, Philip Police Dept, Pennington Co Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Co Sheriff’s Office, Kadoka Police Dept, Wall Fire Dept, Wall Ambulance Dept, Philip Ambulance, Philip Fire Dept, Kadoka Fire Dept, Kadoka Ambulance Dept, USAF Moulage Team, Rush Funeral Home, Les’ Body Shop of Philip, the Knights of Columbus Chapter of Philip and Rapid City Regional Life Flight.

Click below to view a slideshow of photos taken during the mock accident:

Congratulations to our final $100 winner - Lori Seager!

This round was great - wishlists are so much fun!

We hope you will continue posting and commenting even though the prize money has run out. Our hope and dream is that this blog will become a reliable source of information and entertainment for our community. Please bookmark the site and come back often. As we trudge forward, we are still hoping to train more and more people to create individual posts.  If you should have any information of any kind you would like on the blog, please contact Diane Fitch or Britni Ross and we will add it right away!

Here’s the drawing results - random.org chose comment #11 which belonged to Lori!

ROLL CALL OF THE DEAD

Floyd Brooks & Edward Wheeler American Legion Post #173 of Philip was named for these two men, killed in action in WWI.

ON MONUMENT ON COURTHOUSE LAWN

KIA, WWII, KOREA & VIETNAM

Calvin Alleman      Carlos Yellow Elk      George McCammon

Vern Anderson      Daniel Eng      Fredrick Nelson

Walter Briggs      Earl Ferguson      Rupert Nelson

Gorden Calhoon      John Gates      Ben Owens

Philip Colvin      Stanley Martin      Orval Tufte

Glenn Cox       Vernon Martin      Richard Wheeler

HILLAND CEMETERY

Martin Berke      Oscar Carlson      Carl Stromme

MILESVILLE CEMETERY

Edwin Fleming      Clayton Neville      Leland “Turk” Parsons

Jean Fleming      Joseph Neville

WYCOFF CEMETERY

Dr. Norval H. Wycoff

TOP BAR CEMETERY

William Stephenburg (Civil War)

PHILIP MASONIC ORIGINAL CEMETERY

James Burns      Bernerd O’Connell (Civil War)      Wilson Reber

Felix Byrnes      Ray O’Connell      Woodrow Reber

Don Byrnes      Russell Philip       James Scanlon

Joseph Campbell        Arthur Pierce      Charles Schwelder

Maurice Carr      Paul J. Pierce      Alfred L. Smith

Earl Gladman      John Powell      David Welfl

Gerald Griffin      Robert Raue      Leilah F. Whitney

Charles Inman      Roy Reber      William Woodward

Charles Nash

PHILIP MASONIC FIRST ADDITION

Wallace Anderson      Lloyd R. Brooks      Arlies Elshere

Les Ankrum      Theodore Brooks      Harry Elsing

Charles W. Baker      Flex Burns      George D. Engelson

Clell Baker      Melvin Burns      Earl Erlandson

Robert Bosanco      Cyril R. Buswell      Arlie Dean Fairchild

Harvey Bennett      Raymond Clements      Russell Fairchild

Orville Bennett      Charles V. Colvin      Lawrence Falzone

Walter Bennett      Raymond “Joe” Coyle      Charles Fennell

Walter Bierwagon      Robert Coyle      John Fennell

Marvin Bowen      Denny Dale      Joseph M. Fennell

Darrel Brech      Delos Daly      Oliver Fennell

Raymond Brech      Larry Deis      Tom Ferguson

Richard Brech      Clarence Determan      Lewis E. Fitch

Fred G. Breemes      Earl Dorothy      Greg Fitzgerald

Lloyd Brooks      Lester “Hap” Dorothy      James Fitzgerald

Carson Flesner      Milton “Spike” Johnson      James Moriarty

James Foley      Wayne Kennedy      Mary E. Murphy

Ralph Fonseca      Clinton Eugene Knight      Victor Neff

Dr. Charles Francis      Ted Knutson      John P. O’Dea

William Gottsleben       Henry B. Konst      Thomas O’Dea

Wallace Haerer      Arthur Kroetch      Harold Odom

John Haley      Ralph Kroetch Sr.      Dorothy O’Neil

Archie W. Hall      John Leroy Kuchenbecker      Wilber O’Neil

Raymond C. Hall       William Kurth      Paul Osburn

Francis LeRoy Hanrahan      Donald Lamdell      Patrick Patton

Edward Hansen      David Lampert      Robert Patton

Arle Hanson      LuVerne Larson      William Patton

Hans T. Hanson      Harry “Pat” Lobdell      Frank Pavlas

Harold Haride      Loren Lobdell

Clinton Harry       Scott Lovald      Pere E. Pearson

Dave Hart      Leonard M. Markes      Edward Pfeifer

George Hart      Wayne Marshall      Al Pfieifle

Frank Hauk      Jack Mason     Charles Price

Harold Hawkey      Fred McDaniel      Lester R. Ravellette

Harold McDaniel       Alvin Reckling

Merle Heidler      Kenneth McDaniel      Robert Reckling

James Heltzel      Arthur McIlravy      Joe Reedy

John “Cal” Hoag      Richard McIlravy      John Reedy

Elmer Hohn      William McKillip      Richard Reedy

Verlyn Hook       Joseph H. Mercier      L.B. Roberts

Harry Hullett       Earl Raymond Millage      Lloyd Royer

M.C. Johnson       Hank Miller      George Rundell

Ralph G. Millstead

Ed Runhald      Thomas T. Singleton      Carl Wampler

Johnny Sandal      Everett Slovek      Chandler Ward

Larry Sandal       Herbert Slovek      Leslie Watson

Matthew V. Schofield      George Smith      George Vern Welch

Robert Schofield       James M. Smith      Robert Welfl

Alin Schonrock      Arthur Staben      Elmer Williams

Leo C. Schonrock      Duane Staben        James Williams

Orville Schonrock      Howard Staben      Virgil Williams

Williams R. Schoun      Charles Thompson      Richard Wilsbacher

Kenneth Schulz       Floyd Thompson      Selmer O. Wolden

Bud Seager      Thorval Thorson      Ward Zimmerman

Jerome Sether       Leonard Walters

BLACK HILLS NATIONAL CEMETERY

Jerry Ainslie      Bernard Burns      Edward Frein

Cyril Anderson      Willard Joseph Burns      Frances Gartner

Don Anderson      Kenneth Carpenter      Claude C. Gascogine

Edward Arthur      Terry Collins      Ralph Goodman

Edward Bauer      Harold Couch      Paul A. Griesel

Thomas Baye       Louis “Faye” Dean      Joe Hajek

Floyd Bendickson Jr.

Lycurgus Benson       George Driscoll      Delmer E. Halvorson

James Blanchette      Kirbey L. Emler      Virgil Hansen

Odie “Dale” Bowen       James Engleman      Cecil D. Hanson

Robert Bowen      Glenn Fite      Raymond Hanson Sr.

Carl Buchholz      Olin Flatt      Francis J. Hart

Cory Brooks      Edgar Raymond Formanek      Aelred Harty

Richard Heden      James Nelson

Larry Hook       John Oldenberg      Ephraim Sims

Howard Hopkins       Jack O’Neal      Kenneth Smith

Lawrence Hunt      Melvin O’Neal      Donald Leo Sommers

Russell S. Hunt       Lyle Patton      Gordon Stephenson

Bill Husband      Douglas Payne      Kenneth O. Thieman

Irvin “Bud” Jones      John Piroutek      Edmund D. Uhrig

Lester Kjos      Leland Piroutek      John Urban

Milo Knight      Edward Ptak      Paul Urban

Al Kochersberger      Rex Radway      Donnie Wall

Leroy Long      George Reber      Dale Watson

Alvin Meek      Mike Rembold      Harry M. Watwood

Roy Miles      Wallace R. Rindels      Ivan Welfl

Max Mueller       Dale Ronning      Paul Wilhelm

Ike Neville        Raymond Royer       Vuriel Wodstrichill

James G. O’Connell         Wendell Seifert

IN OTHER CEMETERIES

Ralph Amsden      Robert C. Kenzy      Richard Swift

Thomas Baye

Wilber Bilbrey      Darrell Malone      Robert Urban

Jerry Collins       Francis McDaniel      Jess Waldren

William Coyle      George Mesick      Marshall Watwood

Clinton Cutler      Galen Neville      Alexander Webb

Col. Philip Forsell      William Warren O’Connell      Robert Whitney

Grant Forsell       James O’Grady      William Whitney

Harold Gartner      Oliver Omdahl      Audie Wilkinson

Herb Gartner      Jack Reimers      Ned Wilkinson

Ray Griffith      Walter Reimers      Vern Wilsey

Kenneth “Catfish” Harvey

We honor these men and women.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Memorial Day Tribute

MONDAY, MAY 26, 2008

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Wheeler-Brooks Post #173 American Legion
VFW #3069 & American Legion Auxiliary

8:00am
Decoration of the Graves by American Legion & Girl Scouts

10:00am
Memorial Services at the Philip Masonic Cemetery and Courthouse & Living Memorial

Roll Call of the Dead………………………………………………………..Bob Thorson
Salute to the Dead…………………………………………………………..American Legion Firing Squad
Taps………………………………………………………………………………..Tara Ravellette

11:00am
Memorial Service Program at Legion Hall

Advance of the Colors………………………………………………………Color Guard
Invocation……………………………………………………………………….Rev Frezil Westerlund
Musical Selection……………………………………………………………..Barb Bowen
Tribute to Veterans…………………………………………………………Ron Millage
Memorial Address……………………………………………………………PDC Phil Anderson
Musical Selection……………………………………………………………..Barb Bowen
Benediction………………………………………………………………………Rev Frezil Westerlund

Potluck Dinner to follow the Memorial Service at the Legion Hall

EVERYONE WELCOME!

Thank you for remembering those who have served by attending our service!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Haakon County Public Library is one of the April 2008 grant recipients of the Libri Foundation.

The Libri Foundation, established in 1989, helps rural libraries acquire new, quality, hardcover books through its BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program. Since 1990, the Foundation has donated over $3.5 million worth of new children’s books to more than 2,600 libraries in 48 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.

The Friends of the Haakon County Library will be hosting a benefit golf tournament in August to raise money for the library. For every dollar between $50 and $350 which the Friends raise, the Foundation will match on a 2-to-1 ratio. Should the Friends reach the $350 goal, our librarian will have $1050 to spend on books from the Foundation’s 700-title book list. The majority of the books to choose from have been published in the last three years but old favorites are also offered.

DO YOU SHOP ON LINE?

If you shop at Amazon.com, go to www.librifoundation.org to begin shopping. Amazon.com donates 4% of purchases you make when you start shopping from the link at the bottom of the home page. Since May 1, 2007, Libri shoppers have earned the Foundation over $425.00.

There are over 680 stores that donate to the Foundation. Begin shopping at www.iGive.com/LibriFdn if you shop on the Internet at such stores as Lands’ End, PetSmart, Office Depot, Barnes & Noble, Overstock.com, J.C.Penney and many more.

There is a Wish List at Amazon.com if you would like to donate new hardcover children’s books to the Foundation. At the top center of Amazon.com’s home page, click on “Gifts & Wish Lists,” then key in “Libri Foundation” in the “Find someone’s wish list” box. You can have the books you donate shipped directly to the Foundation in Eugene, Oregon.

Sunday, during Commencement Ceremonies at Philip High School, the administration, the school board, the students and the community said thank you to someone who is retiring after thirty-nine years as a teacher, 35 of those years at Philip Elementary School.

It seems like just yesterday when I first met Karen Rembold - a new teacher on the staff at school and a softball player who threw a rocket from third base to first (I know because I was the teammate catching that incoming rocket on first).

She’s moving to Spearfish to be near her children. We wish you all the best, Karen. The community and, especially, the children are going to miss you!

Y adiós también.

There will be an Open House for Alison Kattelmann on Friday, May 23rd, from 2:00 to 4:00pm, in the Community Room of the Haakon County Court House. Alison, who is the librarian for the Haakon Couny Public Library, will be leaving with her husband, Brad, when he heads to Ft. Lewis, Washington, where he will train to become a military chaplain. The Open House is being hosted by the Library Board and the Friends of the Library.

Alison has been the librarian in Philip for many years and will be sorely missed, by young and old alike. She hopes that after they get settled at Ft. Lewis, she’ll be able to work at one of the five librarians on base. Sounds like paradise for a book lover!

So, before she sails (. . . paddles) off into the sunset - stop down and have some cake at the Community Room and visit with Alison. If you can’t make it on Friday, her last day is the 31st.

Alison isn’t headed out for the west coast, Lewis and Clark style - she’s testing out the canoe she and her husband Brad built in their basement.

(K1, P2, PSSO)

For the final round, let’s do something just a little bit different.

Respond to this post with your top three “wishes” for Philip - those things that affect you directly, those things that you feel passionate about, those things that you believe would improve life here in our community.  Let’s just end up with a big list of things we can work on and dream toward.  Be specific - lay it out there!  Nothing is impossible!

Let’s leave this round open for a little longer than normal.  Comments received by May 26th, 9pm will be entered in a drawing for $100!

Another round of great comments!  Congratulations to our winner - Val Schulz!  Random.org selected comment #2, which belongs to Val.

Be ready for our LAST $100 question.  I will try to get it posted later today!

Stacy plans to attend Black Hills State University in Spearfish where she will study Biology and Pre-Med.

She would like to come back to Philip after graduation because she likes the community.

“It’s much safer than other places and the people are very friendly and helpful,” was her answer when ask about why Philip was a good place to grow up in.

More jobs and more people willing to invest time in the community would be two things she’d like to see changed in Philip.

When asked about the positive things happening in the community, she answered, “It’s great that people are trying to better our community.”

Stacy, thank you for answering our questions. Good luck in your studies at BHSU.

Allen plans to study Engineering at SDSU in Brookings. He might come back to Philip after graduation because it is a good community.

It’s a positive place to grow up because, “It’s a smaller community where practically everyone knows you and you get to know them really well. You feel safe here.”

He suggests that Philip should have more activities for kids after school. That would be one thing that he could like to see changed in Philip.

About the positive things happening in Philip, he says, “I think it is great - anything that helps out the community is good.”

Thank you for your comments. Good luck at your studies at State.

Dorothy plans to attend art school in Detroit, Michigan. She doesn’t plan on returning to Philip because, “I’m not really a big fan of small town living. It’s just not my thing.”

When we asked what would the community need to do to encourage her to return, she said the community would have to expand in size, services and population.

“I guess it was “safe” but I haven’t really grown up - I feel like I’ve been stuck in a bubble,” was her answer when asked about Philip being a good place to grow up in.

When asked about things that need to be changed in Philip, Dorothy answered, “There is no diversity - there has to be more out there that Philip doesn’t have to offer - like different races and cultures.”

Good luck in the big city and at your art studies. We hope you think of us from time to time. And remember, as another Dorothy once said, “There’s no place like home.” Click the heels of those red slippers and come back and see us some time.

Krissie plans to study Elementary Education at DSU in Madison.  Coming back to Philip after college graduation would depend upon whether there would be job openings available, although it would be interesting, she says, to live somewhere  different. 

She feels Philip was a good place to grow up in, “It’s small so you know everyone and the people here are very friendly and supportive.”

Krissie thinks the positive things happening in Philip are just great.

Good luck at DSU.  Study hard - there is always a need for teachers. 

Winding down with the winnings, winding up with enthusiasm!

What is our plan for maintaining strong community leadership?   

Comments received by Thursday night, 8pm, will be entered in the drawing for $100!

Geraniums
Snapdragons
Primrose
Alyssum
Marigold
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Squash
Tomatoes
Peppers
Jalapeños

For information call 859-2680 or stop by the Vo Ag Room.

Come support your local FFA Chapter!

Dan Oedekoven will be in Philip on May 21 to meet with the members of the different action committees. The meeting will start at 6:30 and be held in the Conference Room at the Philip Hospital. All team members, please be there as this might be the last time Dan meets with us.

The eighth winner of $100 is Kim Petersen.  Random.org chose comment #4, which belongs to Kim!

Congratulations!

Watch for Round Nine to begin this weekend!

South Dakota State University’s Horizons project will host a repeat seminar on the steps of applying for community grants.

At the seminar, Pat Johnson and Mindy Hubert, SDSU Cooperative Extension, will walk you through the steps of applying for grants and focus on helping communities and individuals develop the skills needed to successfully write and receive a grant for community development.

The Northwest Area Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota., funds the Horizons project, which is a 20-month grant project, aimed at reducing poverty and building leadership in rural communities.

The free seminar runs from 5 to 7 p.m. CDT.  The seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 13^th at the Presho Public Library located at 108 Main Street in Presho.

Registration is required.  Call Bobbi at 605-394-2236 or email her at bobbi.ellis@sdstate.edu to register. Participants are asked to register by May 12^th since space is limited.

A garden with a broad range of vegetables can save families money, even if they have never gardened before, a South Dakota State University specialist said.

“All that is needed is a space with a minimum of six to eight hours of sunlight per day,” SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist Rhoda Burrows said. “A single container garden can provide fresh salad greens or tomatoes, while a raised bed can allow those who have difficulty bending or stooping to share in the benefits of growing their own food.”

Burrows said a conservative estimate of a diverse garden of vegetables can yield about $70 worth of vegetables per 100-square feet.

In addition, gardening is good exercise, and it can be a way to help children appreciate nature and healthy food. “It’s not too late to start a garden this year, and your local cooperative Extension office can help you,” Burrows said. “Warm-season crops like tomatoes, beans, and peppers should not be planted until mid-May, so there is time.”

Newcomers to gardening can get help through their county Extension offices. “Your local cooperative extension office can help provide you with information on starting and growing gardens,” said Burrows. “Publications such as ‘Vegetable Gardening,’ ‘Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden,’ ‘Growing Asparagus’ and ‘Choosing Vegetable Varieties for South Dakota’ are helpful.”

Extension offices also have fruit publications such as “Fruit Varieties for South Dakota,” “Strawberries,” “Grapes for South Dakota,” and “Raspberries.”

These publications also are available on the Internet at http://sdces.sdstate.edu. Click on “Publications” and then the “Lawn/Garden” choice to view a complete list of materials available.

For gardeners who seek more intensive training, the Master Gardener courses offer it. “The classes have started in Rapid City, Huron, and Aberdeen, but the Sioux Falls session starts May 16,” she said. “In addition, trained Master Gardener volunteers also are available across the state to help newcomers to gardening.”

Contact your local cooperative Extension office for more information, or visit the national Extension Web site, www.extension.org.

Jarett C. Bies, Associate Writer
AgBio Communications Unit
South Dakota State University

Lincoln plans to attend Northern State University in Aberdeen where he wants to study Business Management and Marketing. He would like to come back to Philip and to the family ranch.

He sees Philip as a positive place to grow up in because, “It is small and safe and has good people in it.”

Lincoln would like to see better shopping and more job opportunities in Philip. He see many positive things happening in town and thinks it’s great.

Thank you for your input. Study hard and enjoy your time at Northern State University.

Marla plans to study Physical Therapy/Athletic Training at Black Hills State University in Spearfish. If possible, she would like to come back to Philip to work after graduation because, “Philip is a friendly community, with a good school. And, it would be a good place to raise a family.”

What she sees as positive about Philip being a good place to grow up in is that “Everyone is helpful and it is a small town so it is a safe community.”

One thing that Marla would like to see changed in Philip would be more things to do in Philip.

What does she think of the positive things happening in Philip? “The new park is great for kids. People are finding new jobs in Philip.“

Marla, thank you for answering our questionnaire and good luck at BHSU. Enjoy your college experience.

As we begin round eight, we are nearing the end of our $100 Questions.  Here’s another one:

Have you learned anything about how nearby communities like ours are taking action to reduce poverty?  Do you see any opportunities to exchange information or combine efforts in this work?

What have you heard that worked in other communities?  Do other communities like ours have things we need, but have gotten overlooked?  Have you visited with other communities about what worked for them and what didn’t?  We’re here to  really pick your brain.  If you need some inspiration, feel free to browse a few of the other blogs - links to the other Horizons communities are listed on the right side of the screen.   This is all about watching the action that has happened in other communities, Horizons or not, and seeing if any of it might be feasible in our community!

Drawing for the $100 prize will be held on Friday night, May9th at 8pm.

Congrats to our 7th $100 Winner - Tanya McIlravy!  Tanya was comment #1, which was chosen by the online random generator.

Scroll below the seniors here to find the 7th $100 Question!  Drawing will happen this evening - get your entry in!

Cassie plans to work for a year before entering Mitchell Technical Institute in the fall of 2009.  She wants to come back to Philip because, “All of my family live here. It’s a great community and I have grown to really appreciate it.”  She wants to study in the medical field so that when she comes back to Philip, she can work at Philip Health Services. 

Cassie sees a lot of positives about Philip being a good place to grow up in. “It is a small community. I have always felt safe and have received many great experiences in school and in community activities.”

She does see that there are a few things that need to be changed in Philip. “We need more affordable and available housing for people returning to Philip (after receiving the college degrees) and there needs to be more job opportunities available for them.”

What does she think of the positive things happening in Philip? “I think that anything to make this community thrive even more is great. Hopefully, all these positive changes will give people the desire to come back to Philip to work and to raise their children.

We wish you the best, Cassie. And know that when you finish your schooling and return to Philip, you will be a great addition and asset to Philip Health Services.

Skye plans to study Elementary Education at Black Hills State University in Spearfish this fall. She would like to return to Philip after college graduation as she likes our small town environment and knowing the people in the community.

Skye sees Philip as a positive place to grow up in because, in her words, “There are a lot of good role models.”

She feels that Philip has to work on having more after school, non-school related activities for the Junior High and High School students to participate in.

When asked about the positive things happening in Philip, she answered, “I think it’s great that people are taking charge in helping make Philip a better place to live and raise children.”

Thank you, Skye, for your responses to our questions. Good luck at BHSU. In four years, students at our school system might be greeting their new teacher with, “Good Morning, Miss B.”

Emilie plans to attend South Dakota State University in Brookings and major in nursing. She would like to return to Philip after graduation from college because she likes the community. She feels that the hospital and the Philip Nursing Home would be good places to work at. Though, if she had the opportunity, it might be nice to work a big medical facility in a large city.

She calls Philip, “a friendly community where kids can run around town without fear of real danger.”

In the questionnaire, we mentioned that a few young families had moved back to Philip to raise their children in a safe environment. Many of the parents have jobs that they do, long distance, over the Internet. Could she see herself doing something like that? She answered that, “she wouldn’t like sitting behind a computer all day. And, that it would depend on how far the commute is on whether she would drive a long distance.”

On the positive things happening in Philip, she says, “It’s nice to drive by the Bad River Park and see it all cleaned up.”

Thank you, Emilie, for taking the time to answer our questions. SDSU has a great nursing program and we wish you the best as you work towards getting that nursing degree.

Mark plans to study Range Science at South Dakota State University in Brookings. He says he plans to return to the Philip area after college graduation because “he loves the small town and the rural setting. I am very connected to small towns and the country.”

We asked what he saw as positive about Philip being a good place to grow up in. His response, “Philip has a small town atmosphere, people know you and respect everyone. Because it is a small town, it is a safe place for everyone, especially children.”

His thoughts on the positive things happening in Philip - “There are always community improvement projects in Philip. The elementary recently installed new playground equipment. The golf course and Catholic Church recently finished improvement projects. The campground and football field are being renovated.”

Thank you Mark, for your comments and GOOD LUCK with your studies in Brookings!

Recently, we handed the graduating seniors of Philip High School a questionnaire.

We wanted to know what they planned to do after their graduation - was college, vocational training, or military service in their future? When they finished with that, would they consider returning to Philip to re-establish roots?

We mentioned Philip’s participation in the Horizon’s project and asked them what they thought about the positive things happening around the community.

Stay tuned - we’ll profile their answers here as we get them compiled!

Here’s another round.  This time I’ve got two questions - please feel free to give thoughts on one or both!  Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box!

What structures have been changed that will enable your community to address poverty in the long-term?

What additional resources would make a difference in your community’s work to reduce poverty?

So, what could we use to make greater things happen?  Enter your comments and thoughts below.  To be entered in the drawing for the next $100, enter your comments by Tuesday night, May 6th at 8pm.

Congratulations to our next $100 Winner - Nancy Haigh!

The random generator selected comment #4 - Nancy, that’s you!

Question #7 will be up tomorrow!

How about all this wonderful moisture?!

The meeting that was scheduled tonight with Dan has been postponed to next week, May 8 at 6:30pm at the Hospital conference room.

Please mark your calendars to come - we have lots of action happening that we are going to discuss!