Tyndall, SD

Tyndall Horizon committee members met with Dave on March 11 at the Cavalier Corner. Seven members were able to attend.

The Bargain Shoppe reported sales of around $300 for the past month. They gave some to the Cav Corner and they also discussed giving a portion to another project in town next month. They are trying to build their treasury so they can advertise, etc. Volunteers continue to run the Shoppe and they are looking at adding another day to be open. Yay!!! They had a bag sale and sold lots of bags. There will be an open house on April 5.

The website www.tyndallsd.com is progressing. Our volunteer designers are now putting businesses online. They have the Assistance page done which guides visitors to our Social Services and other areas of assistance for folks in need. Other pages include “History of Tyndall”, “Community Calendar”, “New to Tyndall”,”Organizations”. The next focus is advertising the website. The website has been supported by a donation and is taking other donations for future financial needs. At this time, all pages on the site are free. The Development Corporation funded the initial set-up and it has also been supported in part by the city.

The Public Policy Committee has been working with Kari F. on a workshop meeting on April 16 addressing poverty/low-income issues. Speaker will be Cathy Brechtelsbauer ” Bread for the World”. Activities will start at 6:30 at the Tyndall Community Center, west of Gemars Market. Open to the public!  The Policy committee has also checked to make sure Social Service and food assistance numbers, etc. are listed in our community business/service directory that is being worked on now by the Chamber.

The Cavalier Corner is doing good-some days not so busy, but continues to provide a safe place. They have added booths and more food items. There will be some added usages this summer-hopefully Hunter Safety Classes, CAP meetings occasionally, 4-H meetings, and church youth group bake sales. The board is working on other youth programs. The computer lab is up and running. The space is available for rent also-a great place to have a birthday party!

The Tyndall Community Foundation has begun work on getting organized….Dave stressed the importance of setting goals-meeting dates, agenda, etc…there will be a public information forum at the end of April and they will also begin fundraising. They are in the process of seating a diverse board of directors.

Two of our LeadershipPlenty instructors ( who are teachers at Bon Homme) are working on providing a leadership course in the high school for the fall term. They are currently working with the administration and school board on details. This is huge because leadership begins early in a person’s life and these instructors are great at what they do.

Our last committee for Community Coordinator has stalled and there is discussion on how to proceed with that important project. Economic development and economic maintenance is critical to a viable business climate. Dave suggested a steering committee to regenerate the process. As always, funding is a huge issue. What else is new!

Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 8 at the Cavalier Corner at 7 pm.

This is a workshop that will be available on Tues. March 25 over in Armour at the Blue Moon. Supper begins at 5:30 and then Dr. Milan Hall from the Heartland Center for Leadership and Development in Lincoln, NE will speak on how to market our area. Why is that important? We need to let people know we are a viable area and are available for small manufacturing and other small businesses.

Call Kari Freuchte ASAP at 605-688-4946 so they can get a food count. More info on http://southdakota.communityblogs.us page. This is FREE, by the way, and one more possibility provided by HORIZONS.

Horizons began in August of 2007. How time flies! Is our community operating differently? We have made what is called structural changes since the beginning of this program- the Cavalier Corner and the Bargain Shoppe. The youth now have a safe place to entertain themselves and be offered additional programs in after-school hours. The Bargain Shoppe has provided new opportunities to shop for gently-used items at a fraction of the cost and in turn, those funds are turned back into the community. Volunteers run both of these places-we didn’t know it was possible until it was tried. Another change not immediately visible is the progress in setting up a Community Foundation. (An informational meeting for the public will be forthcoming.) Of course, poverty issues do not go away overnight, or even in two years. Addressing the issue of poverty is huge, and taking small bites out of the problem is one way to start helping the situation. A living wage is probably the biggest obstacle in this day and age. Families are now depending on two incomes, no matter how big a town you live in. That is the reality. Horizons has offered possibilities and hope. Members of the community will be more aware of who needs help and we have learned of different ways to help. Leadership,hope, and possibilities are taught early-at home and in school. I have noticed more awareness of community service being taught in school. What are your comments on how this program has helped our town? Leave a comment here.

What would the residents of Tyndall and the members of the business community like to see in new small businesses on Main Street or on the highway? Do we want to have more business on the highway, or do we want to concentrate on downtown? We have a couple of “holes ” on main street that we can fill up. We know we have a low-income housing issue - got any ideas on that ( maybe employing our local contractors ?) Do we know an alumni or former resident who would love to relocate to a smaller business community? Our Horizons committees have worked hard the past two years-since August of 2006- to come up with improvements. We greatly appreciate those of you who have participated in the meetings and planning sessions and shared your ideas, but we could use more. Our economic future depends on your entrepreneurial bravery!!!! If you have an idea or opinion, leave a comment here!

Greg Gemar of Gemar’s Market is presenting Janet Wagner of the Cavalier Corner a check for $500 to match a business donation for the Youth Center. Janet and Greg are also working out a partnership to start selling Hot Stuff pizzas at the center. Greg  is working on a pizza size which would work well for the kids as a 12″ is too large and a 6″ is smaller then we want. He is working with different dough ball sizes to find a pizza size which would work for the Center.

There will be a report in the Tribune this Wednesday on the progress of the seven goals for Tyndall improvement. You can also read a short synopsis on another post on this site. What are your comments or recommendations and constructive critique on these goals….?

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“How does the community plan to make sure the entire community supports its plans and actions to reduce poverty? How is poverty reduction addressed in our Community Plan?” These are questions we have been asked by our Horizons team to address.

I am not sure we can MAKE the community do anything. I think we can only offer changes and improvements and promote them to the benefit of the community. Getting the word out is the biggest factor. Regular news articles have been put in the local paper, but if people don’t read the paper, you are getting nowhere! Our parents and schools have to teach children to become involved in their town, read about it, and volunteer to help others. Also, we teach by example: if we help others, our kids see that and they will do the same when they reach adulthood.

The reduction of poverty has been addressed in our community plan in the form of several goals: The public policy committee will be looking at legislation that is affecting our low income residents, the Cavalier Corner offers free access to entertainment and study opportunity in the computer lab, the Bargain Shoppe will be dispensing funds out to local charity after their expenses are paid ( stop in and shop!), and the Community Round-up Program which is just beginning to be talked about, will benefit all and will be an easy way for all residents to give to the local projects. The committee will be meeting with the city council on January 7.

Ron Wagner explaining the economic development plan.

Some of the people who enjoyed the evening.

A cake to celebrate our progress so far.

The Tyndall Horizon’s team hosted a public meeting at the Cavalier Corner on Sunday Nov. 18 to discuss the projects and the steps needed to finish the Horizon projects. Several speakers reintroduced their projects, spoke on the status of the project, and gave credit to the people who have been working on each project. An opportunity was given for anyone who wished to volunteer for a project to sign up for that project and could speak with each chairman about what needed to be done.

Since Horizons began, it seems like more people in the community are aware of the need to help those who are disadvantaged, especially now during the holidays.There already is an existing culture here in Tyndall of helping those who need help, but sometimes there are a few who slip through the cracks and don’t know where to go for assistance.  The establishment of the Bargain Shoppe, for an example, is one big way to provide assistance for those who need to spend less, and also for those who just want a good bargain.  Right now, the Shoppe committee is working on getting the word out.  A flag has been placed by the door to alert people that they are open for business and also an ad and flyers have gone out to the communities surrounding. Now the goal is to get the word out farther.   I think this new endeavor is a huge commitment by the Horizons volunteers who started it and with the support of the Cavalier Corner and the City of Tyndall it will help reduce poverty in our area and show that we mean business. What do you think? Let us know.