Riggins, ID

Of all the things you have done during the last 18 months in the Horizons program, of what are you most proud?
I AM MOST PROUD OF THE PEOPLE HERE AND WHAT THEY HAVE REALIZED ABOUT THEMSELVES AND WHAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN ENGAGING THOSE WHO LIVE IN VARIOUS FORMS OF POVERTY IS THAT THE HABITS THAT HAVE BEEN FORMED OVER GENERATIONS CAN AFFECT THEIR VIEW OF THEIR CAPABILITIES AND POSSIBILITIES. IT IS AMAZING TO ME HOW JUST A LITTLE POSITIVE CONVERSATION CAN LEAD TO LITTLE SUCCESSES WHICH LEAD TO BIGGER SUCCESSES AND EXPANDED POSSIBILITIES. THIS TOWN HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO MOVE OUT OF EXTREME POVERTY SINCE THE MILL BLEW UP 25 YEARS AGO. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ATTEMPTS TO CREATE A MORE THRIVING COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ALL FELL SHORT OF WHAT WAS NEEDED AND FAILED TO ENGAGE THOSE WHO WERE MOST EFFECTED BY THE POVERTY TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. NOW THE TALK IS OPTIMISTIC AND FAMILIES THAT HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF POVERTY ARE LOOKING AHEAD WITH HOPES FOR CHANGE AND FEELING A PART OF THE PROCESS.

Has your community sought any additional resources outside of Horizons for your projects?
OUR COMMUNITY HAS SOUGHT AND BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PARTNERING WITH MANY RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF HORIZONS AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE HORIZONS PROGRAM HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING ENHANCED SERVICES OUTSIDE OF OUR REGULAR SERVICE AREA.

How has your community partnered with communities and/or organizations beyond Horizons?
OUR COMMUNITY HAS PARTNERED WITH VARIOUS OTHER HORIZONS AND NON-HORIZONS COMMUNITIES THROUGH SHARED RESOURCES AND SUCCESSES, AND THROUGH PARTNERING TO PRODUCE LOCAL TRAININGS. WE HAVE ALSO PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WHICH INDLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FOR PLANNING FUNDING FOR OUR COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT; WITH THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL SERVICE FOR A VISTA MEMBER TO WORK ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; WITH THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO OBTAIN A 5 YEAR GRANT TO ASSIST IN FUNDING OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM (WHICH HAS VALUABLE POVERTY REDUCTION AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT ELEMENTS); WITH THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR A GRANT TO PURCHASE A BRAND NEW SHUTTLE BUS FOR OUR CANYON AREA BUS SERVICE (C.A.B.S. - TO TRANSPORT ELDERLY, DISABLED AND LOW INCOME FOR IN-TOWN AND OUT OF AREA SERVICES); WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO FOR A SUMMER INTERN TO WORK ON THE C.A.B.S. PROJECT; WITH THE CITY OF RIGGINS TO BE THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR VARIOUS GRANT AND FUNDING REQUIREMENTS; WITH THE IDAHO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR GRANT FUNDING; WITH THE COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP FOR FUNDING ADMINISTRATION AND RESOURCE SHARING; WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT FOR A BUILDING MATERIALS RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE TRANSFER SITE (TO REDUCE COST OF HOME REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE, TO REDUCE THE COST OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL THROUGH RECYCLING AND ACCESS TO A LOCAL TRANSFER SITE); AMONG MANY OTHERS.

Congrats to Judy of Cascade, she’s our weekly winner!  Thanks to all the new bloggers who’ve signed up.  If you’re part of the steering committee, hopefully these questions will help you work on the final report that is due June 30. Please let us know if you have any questions about the blog or the report.There is a Blogging Handbook available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page… Thanks to MJ for writing this beginner’s guide! Also, for those communities that may be looking for a little more training, please contact MJ at merijoz@uidaho.edu / 208-885-8949 to see how she can help you.Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, June 3 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles… I will be at a conference May 27-30 so this will give you a whole extra week…NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.Reflective Questions:

•  Of all the things you have done during the last 18 months in the Horizons program, of what are you most proud? 

Scavenger Hunt Question:·         Which Idaho Horizons community is working with the University of Idaho to help with their vision to “rebuild a community center to assist local families fight back against the ravages of poverty. They are looking to the future when they will have a center that provides central business offices for the city, a town library and public computers with Internet accessibility, expanded recreational facilities for youth and adults, a hall for future leadership and life skills training.”The winner will receive a copy of the book: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People will Follow You by John C. Maxwell.

Congrats to Andrea of Grangeville, she’s our weekly winner!

Thank you all for the interesting responses about your community and what makes it ‘unique’ to you compared to other rural communities in Idaho.

I grew up in a small farming community in Idaho near the Utah border and I still think about it every day, the views and colors and smells and intense farm work we did (pulling rye, driving around and around in a tractor for 12 hours a day, herding cattle, etc) helped shape my life and world view. It’s that sense of place that helps define who we are and how we relate to the world around us.

I hope you’re all getting comfortable and familiar with the blogging process. Mary, MJ and I thank you for all the time and hard work you’ve devoted to this part of Horizons and know it’s just a small part of what you are all doing in your communities.

Please let MJ (merijoz@uidaho.edu) or me (dgray@uidaho.edu) know if we can help you with any questions you might have about blogging.

A ‘how to blog’ handbook is now available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page…

Reflective Questions:

As we near the ‘end’ of this phase of Horizons, take a moment to look back on the past 18 months to answer these questions.

Has your community sought any additional resources outside of Horizons for your projects? 

How has your community partnered with communities and/or organizations beyond Horizons?

Scavenger Hunt Question:  Which Horizons community has an organization sponsoring a ‘Volcano Breakfast’ and what IS a Volcano Breakfast?

This week’s winner will receive a copy of:

One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All / Mark Robert Rank

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by May 20 (midnight) and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Congrats to Christine of Kooskia, she’s our weekly winner! Thank you to all who have recently signed up and started blogging.

Please let MJ or me know if we can help you with any questions you might have about blogging.

Reminder: MJ has created a ‘how to blog’ handbook that is now available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page… Thanks MJ!

Also, for those communities that may be looking for a little more training, please contact MJ at merijoz@uidaho.edu / 208-885-8949 to see how she can help you.

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by May 6 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…
NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:
What is something unique about your Horizons community that you’d like to share with the rest of the world? What makes your community different from the one right down the road? Is it a strength your community can capitalize on or a burden you have to bear? Or both? For example, Sun Valley has the beautiful landscape, ski resorts, etc. but the tourism industry has also left behind many local people who are now unable to afford to live in the town they work in…

Scavenger Hunt Question: This week the scavenger hunt is a simple assignment. Find an entry on one of the Horizons community blogs (or even your own blog) and leave a comment to the author. It’s fun to give and get feedback about things we’re doing and talking about.

This week’s winner will receive:
The working poor: invisible in America by David K. Shipler
And
Building Communities From the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s Assets by John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight.

Looking back: I have learned even more patience than I thought I could ever have. It proves that good things take time; and slowly, people are starting to see that this initiative is going to stay around and is actually making positive change. I have also learned to encourage the best in each person I deal with, even if they are not able to see that side of themselves (yet!).
My participation: It has definitely changed me. I have been active in community development projects for over 16 years and I am just now finding out what it really takes to make a difference. I am finally able to use my accumulated knowledge and experience to assist and empower people to invest themselves in their future.
Community change: Things are really beginning to happen in the Riggins area. There has been a change in morale. Optimism now is everywhere. We have a used bus to use for transporting those who need it to services and supplies and a grant for a brand new bus to take them out of town and beyond as well. We have a newly lighted basketball court so the youth have a place to play and visit that is well lit at night. We have received a five year grant to continue our after school program which is a necessary program for youth and a valuable resource base for families. The community sees that there are people who care and have the resources to accomplish things that have only been talked about before.
I truly believe that Horizon, the people and the program, have made a major difference in life in the Salmon River Canyon ( and I am in a position to make that judgment).
The Blogging experience: This is a great idea; to share information in a format that can be shared with other communities and with the funders and administrators. The concept is valuable but the tools are inadequate. I finally found the time to put all the information together and to navigate the site and I don’t even know if this will be “published” correctly. As far as finding the time to look at the other blogs, that takes way too much time for me and for many others. The difficulty factor keeps us from becoming familiar enough to be able to fit this into all the rest of the things we have to do in our lives.

Congrats to Mountain Mama of Kendrick/Juliaetta, she’s our weekly winner! Even though she took me to task for forgetting about those of you in remote areas with only dial-up internet access… she persevered after many grueling hours on the scavenger hunt! I will definitely keep in mind your technology limits in the future…

MJ has created a ‘how to blog’ handbook that is now available on our Horizons website at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/coaches.htm at the very top of the page… Thanks MJ!

Also, for those communities that may be looking for a little more training, please contact MJ at merijoz@uidaho.edu / 208-885-8949 to see how she can help you.

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 29 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:
• Looking back, what is one (or more) skill or leadership trait you have developed from participating in Horizons (maybe from Study Circles or LeadershipPlenty or from the hands on work going on in your communities right now)? How has participation in the program changed you? What about your community? Are there specific examples of things happening in your community that wouldn’t have happened without Horizons?
• Bonus reflective question: How has the blogging experienced affected you? (please edit any inappropriate language, hahaha trust me, I feel your pain!!)

Scavenger Hunt Question:
• Which of the Idaho Horizons community blogs has information about April being Child Abuse Awareness month? This website also provides information about Youth Suicide Prevention.

The winner will receive:

Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World: Building Your Resources for a Better Life by Philip E. DeVol
And

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, et al

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 22 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:

• What’s next in Horizons for your community? Are your Action Teams planning activities in the next 2 months? How do those activities relate to the 3 legs of Horizons: Poverty reduction, Leadership Development and Community Mobilization?

Scavenger Hunt Question:

• Let’s broaden our scavenger hunt world a little… Of the other Horizons states, which one has interesting information about using Chicken Tractors to help maintain community gardens? Check out the link section of the Idaho Horizons Blog that lists the blog addresses for Montana, NorthDakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa Horizons. Feel free to explore and be inspired by other community groups just like yours!

This week’s winner will receive a copy of each of the following books:
The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler

Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World: Building Your Resources for a Better Life by Philip E. DeVol

Hi, this is Linda Hieter, the newest blogger from Riggins. I am a retired teacher and professional seamstress with a wonderful husband and a beautiful home on the Little Salmon River south of Riggins. I enjoy helping out in the community and have been active in the Horizons program since the very first article came out in the newspaper announcing the application process.

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 15 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for one of our book titles…

NOTE: Please enter your answers as either a comment to the original question OR as a brand new entry on your blog so that the answers are easy for people to find.

Reflective Questions:

• What words of wisdom would you give to a community just starting a program like Horizons?
• Words of warning?
• What kind of changes in their community and its leadership might they expect?
• What kind of changes in themselves might they expect?

Scavenger Hunt Question:

• Which community’s chamber of commerce recently met with high school youth to work together to involve more youth in the community?

This week’s winner will get to choose ONE of the following books:

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John Maxwell

Or

Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems in a Shared-Power World by Barbara Crosby and John Bryson

Rules: Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 8 by midnight and be entered in the drawing for a fabulous prize.

Reflective Questions: What does the phrase ‘living in poverty’ mean to you? How has your definition of ‘poverty’ changed in the past year? Does your community think differently about poverty now? How can you tell?

Scavenger Hunt Question: Which community (in partnership with ComBAT (Community Based Access to Technology)) will be having a FREE concert on April 23, 2008?

This week’s winner will get to choose ONE of the following books:

One Nation, Underprivileged, Why American Poverty Affects Us All / Mark Robert Rank

or

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community / Robert D. Putnam.

Congratulations to Judi from UpRiver, winner of week 1!

Rules:
Post your answers on your blogsite by Tuesday, April 1 (no jokes about April Fool’s day!) at midnight and be entered in the drawing for a fabulous prize.  Reflective Question: How is your community thinking about/planning for sustainability after the end of the Horizons program on June 30? What will Horizons-related groups look like in your community in one year? Are you optimistic/worried? (relieved?) Scavenger Hunt Question:  Which community has been approved to receive a $65,000 Idaho Community Development Block Grant for work on their city water reservoir? HINT: don’t forget to check ‘previous entries’ (the link at the bottom of the blog page, or check archives in the column on the right) This week’s winner will receive BOTH of the following books: The Magic of Dialogue : Transforming Conflict into Cooperation by Daniel YankelovichPopulation: 485 –Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry   

The CCC has found a way to earn money. Since nobody in Riggins wanted to do fireworks, due to the fire hazard, on the fourth of July, the CCC has made July 3rd and 4th a couple of really fun days. We’ll keep you posted on the new ideas coming around.

Happy New Year to one and all. We at the CCC hope this year is a great one that we can continue to achieve our goals!

CABS has a bus!!!!! Woo-hooo!!!!!!! CABS recently put in a bid for a bus from Valley Transit in Lewiston, and got the bid. Now the hard work starts. We have to start doing fundraisers to pay the donors back and we also have to get money in order to get gas for the bus. But good job to all who worked on this bid!!!!!!