Bovill, ID

You may have noticed her walking around town, peering into old buildings, and poking at shrubbery….She’s Bovill’s graduate student summer intern from the University of Idaho! Angie is a student in Bioregional Planning and also has a degree in landscape architecture. After gathering background information and meeting and talking to Bovill residents in the past few weeks, Angie has come up with many ideas for improving Bovill, which she presented at the Bovill Horizons graduation celebration on June 21st at the community center. She surveyed community members to determine what the community would like to see accomplished and which items should take priority. So far, it looks like there is a lot of interest in seeing better signage for the community and in renovating the old corner gas station into some sort of a cooperative business/community space for coffee and groceries.

Angie is also investigating the Rails to Trails program and has been networking with various regional resource providers to determine the best way to make things happen.

This internship opportunity came about because the Bovill Horizons Community Pride group saw a need and made a request to the University of Idaho Extension for a student intern.

At the Rural Schools Trust conference in Alabama this spring, Sabrina Myers and Erin Stevenson worked with rural community folks from all over the country to form the Rural Schools in Challenging Circumstances group to continue the work begun at the conference and to provide support and networking. Sabrina and Erin also helped form a subcommittee of that group, the Student Success Committee. Sabrina is chairing this subcommittee and its goal is to define what success is in rural communities (it is not necessarily the same as in urban schools) and to determine what is needed to see that success occur. The committee is made up of rural community representatives from different states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Washington D.C.

Erin and Sabrina reported what they learned to the Horizons steering committee. This conference was a great opportunity for Bovill - Let’s support Sabrina and Erin in the their continuing efforts!

Karen Eggers and the Community Pride action team came up with a great approach to community action: in their meetings, they each “pick a part” to play in the actions they want to accomplish rather than “picking apart” each other and the community.

This is a wonderful way to reinforce the importance and power of cooperative teamwork! And this also reminds us of the power of positive thinking and constructive work.

Bovill Horizons has been working to get a cell tower in Bovill.We don’t know if this will happen but we are keeping our fingers crossed. One of our State Representatives is working with us toward this goal. He has already helped Upriver and Emida get an agreement to have towers installed and has graciously agreed to help us as well. Stay tuned.

-Shirley

Bovill Horizons is helping build leadership in our community, even beyond the Horizons program. For example, Shirley Easterday was inspired by her involvement in the Leadership Plenty program and by what she has learned as a Horizons Community Builder to become involved in community government. She ran for Bovill city council last November - something she had never tried before! She lost to the incumbent but got one third of the votes.

Erin Stevenson, Hope Hobbs, and Sabrina Myers have all taken new leadership roles for the first time as part of the Horizons program. Many others, such as Jean Childers and Karen Eggers have provided leadership as well.

Do you know other people who are taking on new leadership roles? Write in and let us know!

After a hard winter, Bovill is seeing green - and purple, and white and other wildflower colors. Here is a photo that Hope Hobbs provided for the blog showing last year’s spectacular field of camas blooms near Bovill. Here’s hoping for another beautiful spring and summer!

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.

Bovill library has cd’s and dvd’s made by Karen and Manley Waldron of John Anderson’s Potlatch logging photos on sale for $12,00 or two for $20.00. So hurry on down now and help support our community and own a piece of history.

Clean up day is coming soon so lets all get out our garbage bags and start picking up any trash we see laying around our lovely town , lets keep it beautiful.

Welcome to Jackie Hartman, our newest Bovill resident and member of Horizons. Jackie just returned from Boise where she took a grant writing course, which will be very helpfull to our community. She will also be doing some maintainence for the city .

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.

The postel service gave a class monday the 7th at the Bovill library on online postage and E-Bay, it was very interesting and informitive.We had a nice turn out and every one seemed to enjoy it.

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.

Going Beautiful

As soon as the weather allows Horizons Community Pride Group will begin work on our Bird Park and beautification of our community.

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Going South

Horizons has two members going to Alabama for a conference on poverty and the rural schools . they will be gone from May15th to May 18th.They should bring back some valuable information that we can hopefully put to use.

.Attention Artist

There is an artist workshop in Kamiah May 1st and 6th at the welcome center 6pm -9pm

It is $15.00 a session. This is a great workshop for all artist. Contact Meri Guelid Joswiak, merijozuidaho.edu for registration

Vistor from Idaho Heritage Trust

A group of Bovill Citizens which included Becky Kellum, Jean Childers,Elizabeth Carney,Sheila Lumas,Karen Eggerss, Manley and Karen Waldron ,and Hope Hobbs took a walking tour with Gaetha Pace from the IdahoHertage Trust to check some of our historical buildings for possible preserving and using for revitalization of our community.

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

1. Community Pride
Co-chairs: Gary and Karen Eggars

2. Leadership Developement & Lifelong Learning
Co-chair: Nicole Hobbs and David

3. Creative Economic Opportunties
Co-chairs: Hope Hobbs and

4. Family Friendly, Close-Knit Community
Co-chairs: Tammy Hoisington and Erin Stevenson