Eighteen people in two separate classes successfully completed the 13-week Financial Peace University. Financial Peace kits were purchased with some Horizons funds and provided to community members free of charge. (Materials and a spot in an FPU class typically ranges from $125 - $150!)
Classes covered such topics as Cash Flow Planning, Dumping Debt, Relating With Money, Understanding Insurance, Real Estate and Mortgages, Understanding Investment, Retirement and College Planning and many other subjects.
During the thirteen-week period, participants kept track of credit card enticements that totaled over $600,000. Class members also kept track of the total money they saved and the total amount of debt they paid off.
In just thirteen weeks, the two classes put nearly $16,000 in savings accounts and paid off just over $24,000!!
One of Dave Ramsey’s (Financial Peace University founder) joys in life is to cut up credit cards and several people did so. This was a monumental moment for a few of our class members!
Here are a few anonymous comments from FPU grads:
“Just know that I look forward to being out of debt sooner than I ever realized possible!”
“I had no idea I could become debt free AND build wealth on the salaries we currently make! No need to pray for a lottery win anymore….now it’s all about putting our noses to the grindstone and telling our money what to do!”
“It amazes me how much I learned about insurance - I feel so much better knowing what products I should buy and what products aren’t for me.”
“This entire program has been a blessing to our lives! Thank you! I’m going to tell everyone I see about it!”
Thank you to Roger and First National Bank for providing a location for our Tuesday night class! Thank you to the Senechal for opening your doors to our Monday night class! We ALL appreciate it!
A fall class (beginning near the end of August) is planned. Space is VERY limited - if you are interested, let Britni know right away!
SAVE THE DATE (Specifics will follow, but please mark your calendar for now!)
Monday, July 14th, 2008
YOU are invited to promote all the wonderful things your organization is involved in that promote our community. Please bring a sign (poster board) listing all the events, contributions, talents, etc. that your organization has that strengthen our community through volunteerism. Your posters will be displayed at the Fire Hall. This event is hosted by Horizons and will include an ice cream social at the Fire Hall Park to celebration our Horizons graduation!
Our goal is to emphasize how important your role is in our community and to encourage more people to join in your organizations efforts. Additionally, we hope that we can encourage community partnerships between individuals and organizations that are working on similar projects. Basically, we are encouraging the community to strengthen your power to make a difference by working together.
Lastly, all organizations that participate will have an opportunity to possibly receive a Sharing Community Spirit monetary award to be put toward one of your ongoing community betterment projects or a new project that your organization has wanted to do, but just needed a little extra encouragement for - It’s a lottery! All we ask is for your organization’s participation for this night where the focus is on fun and happiness derived from service to the community.
Please encourage your organization’s members, friends and family to come and please bring your lawn chairs! We hope you will help us spread the word about this event, and we look forward to seeing you there! Thank you again for the contributions you make to the quality of life we have here in Philip through arts and culture, education, community betterment, human services and economic development.
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:
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
Financial Peace University participants kicked off their 13-week journey through a course designed to promote financial peace and security. From learning about the importance of saving to dumping debt to learning how to invest to build wealth, the classes are for everyone who wants to learn how to truly take control of their financial lives.
After hearing in study circles about interest in adult education finance classes, Financial Peace University was brought to our community and is being offered to interested individuals free of charge courtesy of Horizons and the Northwest Area Foundation. One group began last Monday night and a second group started last Tuesday night. The classes will run until the end of June. One more class will be offered this fall. To reserve a spot in the fall class, let Britni know right away.
Members of the Philip COMMUNITY MARKETING ACTION TEAM will hold a second meeting on April 14th at 6:30pm at Glenn’s office. A lot of good ideas crossed the table as the group was very enthusiastic after taking part in the “Marketing Your Community” Seminar.
Monday Night class begins April 7th at 6:30pm at the Senechal Lobby.
Tuesday Night class begins April 8th at 6:30pm at First National Bank. (Enter through the agency - class will be held in the bank conference room).
Just a note - the Tuesday night class is full, but we can still squeeze a few into the Monday night class. Materials are on hand, so if you’d like to register for Monday - there is still time! We have 3 names on the waiting list for the fall class. If you are interested in that class, please let me know. We don’t have an exact start time for the fall class, but we will start it early enough so that it ends well before the holidays get into full swing.
Bad weather kept a few people away from the marketing seminar held in Philip on March 26th, but twenty-five hardy souls braved the conditions to hear Dr. Milan Wall talk about “branding your community”. After a delicious meal, people from Murdo, Mission, Whitewood, Faith, Parmalee and Philip listened attentively to what Dr. Wall had to say and then spent time working on some questions and answers about their respective communities. Also in attendance were Kari, Carolyn, Dan and Dave Adrian from the USDA.
Did you miss the community-wide meeting Tuesday night? If you’d like to work with others in the community on building a new library, there is always time to join one of the committees.
The committees are:
Funding
Budget
Services
Technology
Building
Contact Alison at the library, 859-2442, for more information or to list your name on a committee.
Six study circles - four in Philip, one in Milesville and one in Midland - began meeting February 28th. Each group met for three weeks. Last night, seventy concerned citizens attended a community-wide meeting at the grade school gym to learn the outcome of those study circles.
At the first week’s study circle, each group discussed the current library, its services and the assets and challenges of the library’s current location. They also talked about ways to improve it now so as to better serve the needs of Haakon County. The groups also discussed their vision for library services in the county. This included everything from size and appearance to available technology and programs offered by the library.
During the second meeting, the groups studied and critiqued their vision. Participants discussed pros and cons to the group’s vision and how to promote the vision to the community.
The final meeting had each group brainstorming on how to move their vision into action. Specifically, they talked about how to raise funds and gather community support for a future library.
Tuesday night, the groups shared with the community all their ideas and topics gone over during the study circles. Alison, our librarian, reminded the listeners, ‘No matter how you feel about any of the ideas shared tonight, please remember that this is your community. Not any one person or group can choose the best course of action for a community’s library. This must begin on a community level with the community’s support. Embarking on the journey to build a new library will not be easy by any means which is why you need each other’s support as a community.’
The Haakon County Public Library Board and the Friends of the Haakon County Public Library initiated study circles in Haakon county to address library services and needs.
The study circles will serve the community by offering open and facilitated discussions for the community to share their opinions about library services and the library’s future. There will be a series of three meetings for each study circle group. At the first meeting each group will discuss the current library services and if they meet the needs of the county and the group will create a vision for library services in the county. Advantages and disadvantages to the visions will be discussed in the second meeting. At the final meeting participants will discuss how to move their vision into action. Lastly, the Board and the Friends of the Library will host a community wide meeting to discuss what happened at the study circles so the community can help to choose the path for future library services.
There will be 6 study circles in Haakon County. Please join us to share your opinion and vision for the library!
PHILIP:
Monday: 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Senechal. March 3, 10, and 17
Tuesday: 12:00 - 2:00 pm, Courthouse. March 4, 11, and 18
Wednesday: 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Courthouse. March 5, 12, and 19
Thursday: 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Senechal. Feb. 28, March 6, and 13
MILESVILLE:
Wednesday: 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Hardingrove E-Free Church. March 5, 12, and 19
MIDLAND:
Thursday: 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Midland Library. March 6, 13, and 20
If you have any questions, please call Alison at the Library. 859-2442
Committee Members
* Kent Olson
* Tom Radway
* Mel Smith
* Ray Smith
* Donna Smith
* Roger Porch
* Don Burns
* Branden West
* Jody Gittings
* Kelly Penticoff
Goal: To establish Economic Development Corporation to be the parent organization or mechanism for any and all activities related to housing.
* Objective 1: Identify opportunities for commercial/industrial business development
* Objective 2: To provide adequate quantity and quality housing options to the community
* Objective 3: Research potential business ideas that could be developed through a business incubator mechanism
A free seminar on Affordable Housing was held in Kadoka at Jigger’s Restaurant on February 25, 2008. Individuals represented several communities to learn about issues and possible solutions regarding housing situations in rural South Dakota.
A representative of the Rural Housing Collaborative in Howard gave a presentation titled “Flipping the Switch – Why We Need to Rethink Rural Housing”. After summarizing the research findings, Rita discussed how rural communities need to come together as a whole village and “swim together” to solve complicated issues.
She provided a link with some interesting information: www.rethinkruralhousing.com. They also hope this site will become a useful tool to help communities avoid reinventing the wheel.
After a short break, we heard from an informed panel of speakers on various services and programs available to western South Dakota.
Marlene Knutson, executive director of the South Dakota Central Enhancement District shared her experiences with a successful house project in Lemmon when she was the Economic Development Coordinator there. She also discussed the Governor’s House program.
Mark Lauseng, executive director of the South Dakota Housing Authority, expanded on the Governor’s House program. The current price for a 1008 square foot home (delivered) is $33,000. He also discussed several different programs that assist low and moderate-income individuals/families obtain quality housing. Below-market interest rates, home improvement loans, down payment programs and the Governor’s House program are all programs that can help South Dakotans become homeowners. More information can be found at www.sdhda.org.
Joy McCracken, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services of the Black Hills, discussed several interesting programs in their “Campaign for Home Ownership”. Some of those programs are Plant the Town, Paint the Town, Revolving Loan Funds and Block Clubs. They also offer many different education classes including homebuyer education courses, post-purchase classes which provide how-to and hands-on maintenance courses, and credit counseling to educate participants on living within their means. This organization originally began to benefit Black Hills communities, but now reaches most of western South Dakota. A plethora of information can be found at www.nhsblackhills.org.
Connie Gerard, rural development specialist with the USDA Rural Development Rural Housing Service, gave information on some different loan and grant programs. The 504 Home Repair Loan and Grant Program assists eligible, very low income home owners with repairs to their home. The Direct 502 Home Ownership Loan Program provides loans to low and very low income families to purchase an existing home, build a new home, purchase a new manufactured home from an approved dealer/contractor, or purchase and set up a Governor’s House. The Guaranteed Rural Housing Loan Program guarantees loans made by private lenders which allow eligible applicants to purchase a new or an existing home. All of these programs can be seen at www.rurdev.usda.gov/sd.
Finally, a representative of the New Underwood area talked about ways they developed housing and attracted individuals to their town by becoming a bedroom community to Rapid City. Brett had many interesting things to say and had words of wisdom on how things could be accomplished more easily than when they took on their first project.
The meeting ended with wide discussion on the problems facing several of the represented communities. While all the communities face the housing crisis, each situation is very unique and will require completely different procedures. It was reiterated that the housing problem could not be solved immediately, but that it would take lots of hard work and dedication to completing one project at a time.
Those representing Philip at the seminar were Kent Olson, Shirley Chin, Michelle Butler and Britni Ross.
On the evening of January 14th, the Visioning Committee presented to members of the community Philip’s Strategic Plan. A good crowd was on hand to hear Kent Olson talk about the goals we’ve chosen to work on for the improvement of Philip. Dan Oedekoven & Kari Fruechte were on hand to celebrate with us and to tell us what we can look forward to in the meetings coming up.
Philip will be a community that continues to grow in population and resources through the 21st century. The western values of the area will result in residents and newcomers alike wanting to stay in our vibrant and viable community to raise future generations.
Philip residents will know and care for each other with a wealth of resources and educational opportunities and will do so for all stages of life.
Parents will be assured of the physical well-being and educational growth of their children. Families will rest easy at night in safe, affordable housing within the community.
Gainful employment will be available for all who wish to work.
Philip will continue its regional leadership while building relationships across the trade area.
Philip will witness and support the ongoing creation of new and innovative businesses and community infrastructure that result in community growth and prosperity.
Friends of the Haakon County Public Library recently sponsored a contest for Mrs. O’Connor’s freshman English class.
Students were paired together and given their choice of posters from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. These posters have an almost eerie Twilight Zone feeling to them. Treasurer of the Friends’ group, Britni. R., presented the winners, Shelby B. and John S., with their gift certificates. In addition to winning the certificates, their story The Immortals, will be published in the local newspaper.
Philip’s Horizon Group is having their Strategic Planning Celebration Supper at The Steakhouse on Monday, January 14, at 6:30pm. The supper is free and everyone is welcome.
The dictionary defines poverty as “the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions”.
After attending the Study Circles and the LeadershipPlenty training sessions, members of Philip’s Horizons group see poverty in a different way: lack of sufficient day care (the four in our community all have waiting lists), absence of nice affordable housing in the community (there is little or none), a crowded, inadequate library (it’s been that way since 1964), a better way to communicate community events (a strong gust of wind will blow the sign over that is placed at the intersection of Center & Pine), a sports complex that needs to be improved and enlarged (Philip would no longer have to travel to Kadoka to hold their own track meet), and a lack of marketing of Philip as a great place to live & raise a family.
Philip is fortunate in many ways: we have a main street that is flourishing, a great school system, a medical complex (new up-to-date hospital, dentist, chiropractor, eye care center, physical therapy center, nursing home, assisted-living center and ambulance service) that services many area communities, five major ag-related businesses that also serve a wide area and a manufacturing concern that is a world leader in its field. Philip is wealthy in that it is a community that cares about its members and its future.
With determination and hard work, we hope to change some of what we see as poverty.
Give us time, kids. Give us time. Earlier, second graders gave us some ideas of what they thought Philip needed: a dirt track, a NASCAR track and a castle. Who knows? Anything is possible if we work hard at it.
The following is posted on behalf of Tanya McIlravy. Anyone got ideas or suggestions?
The conservation district board recently voted to remove any further development of the outdoor classroom area at the school from their plan of work, including commissioning a new design plan for the area. They had been setting aside money each year in an account to fund the design plan, but are now unwilling to head up or maintain anything else concerning the project site.
Is there a committee that is part of the Horizons program that may be willing to take on this project? The board stated they would consider funding the planning if an outside group emerged to take on the project itself, especially maintenance. The project proposal included replacing the steps and adding other trails (a part of the larger trails project I proposed several years ago to the various groups in the area that Shirley had been working on, including the city’s efforts to put in sidewalk along 73). However, other parts of the master plan include interpretive exhibits and educational/hands-on exhibits that were selected by the teachers and students during brainstorming sessions, as well as seeking out funds and personnel to create a site-specific, grade-specific curriculum for the site. Additional brainstorming with the higher grades, as well as follow ups with the elementary teachers will be necessary before planning, to be sure our ideas correspond to current classroom needs.
The board’s biggest concern seemed to be maintenance, and they also did not believe that the community supports this project, that only a few teachers use what is already offered and that is sufficient. I know that is not the case, both from my previous work with various groups in effort to establish a support base for the project in the beginning, as well as contacts with various people around the community and information on who has been using the site, etc. As far as maintenance, the two items in place, the living classroom and the butterfly garden, are by far the most maintenance intensive items planned for the site. The board is going to continue maintaining them, so the only maintenance needed by others would be based on what is added to the site.
I have done lots of research into how to design the site so that maintenance is minimal. I also know that design is crucial to controlling amount of maintenance. And, there will be no maintenance involved if nothing is installed, which translates to not making changes until a plan is in place for either a particular section/exhibit, or for the whole area.
Basically, what is needed now is a group to accept this project as its own, and move forward with brainstorming and design. I had asked the school board if they could form an ad hoc committee for this and they declined. The horizons group was my next choice, as there are already groups formed, and many of the organizations and people that supported this project are involved in horizons. I don’t believe any of the current groups that support this project would be able to take this on, and I am not sure if they would want to create an ad hoc committee that included non-members.
I hope you and the other members of the Horizons project are supportive of the outdoor classroom project. Please let me know if you have any interest in taking on this project, and if you have any questions. I am willing to be a part of making this project a success.
Once again, the Philip FCCLA Chapter is sponsoring the community “Maggie Grace” Angel Tree located at the Haakon County Courthouse.
Maggie Grace was born an angel on February 20, 2002, to loving parents Doug & Karen of Rapid City. They devoted their lives to Maggie and her brother Isaac by showering them with love and happiness.
On December 10, 2002, Maggie died suddenly from complications of a very rare respiratory bacteria. She touched the hearts of so many people in her short nine months of life.
The Angel Tree is dedicated in Maggie’s memory in the hope that needy children in the area will be shown the spirit and love of Christmas. The Philip FCCLA Chapter in conjunction with the local churches and the Haakon Community Health Office will distribute the donations to children in need in the Philip area.
Gifts beyond our community need will be distributed by the Jackson Community Health Office and the Bennett County foster child program. There are already 70 children identified in these counties.
“Last year the response was tremendous with over 200 items collected under the tree,” according to Brigitte Brucklacher, Philip FCCLA adviser. She added, “We hope this year’s giving equals or surpasses that amount.”
To donate to the project, leave an unwrapped toy, book or new article of clothing under the tree located next to the Extension Office in the Courthouse on or before Wednesday, December 19.
Gifts are for children ages infant to teenage. If you know of a child in need or would like additional information, please contact: Brigitte Brucklacher, FCCLA adviser, at Philip High School at 859-2680.
