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!

What is everyone doing with empty printer ink cartridges? I go through quite a few of them during the year and recently was made aware of an individual in a nearby city who collects them and the money from recycling them is donated to the swim team…..I think we could do something like that for the Cavalier Corner or the Bargain Shoppe. ( Remember that the money earned at the Bargain Shoppe is donated back into the Tyndall community after expenses ) If anyone knows of an address or company that facilitates this type of recycling let me know. There are several places that the cartridges could be collected. If this is already being done, we should still know about it so residents and businesses can contribute. Leave a comment or information here!

How has community leadership expanded since we began Horizons and are more people in the community involved in leadership positions? These are some questions we have been asked to address and we would like some comments from all out there!

Are we training new leaders ? There is a project being researched right now about teaching LeadershipPlenty to our juniors and seniors at Bon Homme High School. I can tell you that this would not be happening at all if we had not participated in the Horizons project. We have certified leadership trainers now in our community that are able to do this. Do you think this is a good idea? Post your comments and tell us what you think.

How do you think leadership skills have changed or been enhanced  in our community since Tyndall participated in LeadershipPlenty?  Over 30 residents took part in this course this past summer.  Let us know what you think.  Go to the bottom right of this post and click on “no comments” or ” # of comments” and post your comment!

I think we have had more volunteers come forward to assist in our goals we have presented to the community. Our Bargain Shoppe is run totally by volunteers and many volunteers help out at the Cavalier Corner Youth Center. We could use more! Why does it make a difference? Obviously, the work gets done! And people feel more ownership of their town if they participate in its activities and projects.

Through the Horizons program it was noted that our community needed an information pamphlet to guide newcomers and the regular longtime residents to our businesses and services. The Chamber had already produced one, so it was suggested that it be updated and a couple more things added, like services available at Social Services. The pamphlet is being designed and with the Horizons Planning Committee and Chamber approval, it will be out soon to be put in our Welcome Baskets and shared with the business community and also put out in other towns.

Our director at Dakota Senior Meals has participated in a couple of the Horizon events (Leadership Plenty and Grant Writing ) and since then has been writing some fantastic columns in our local paper addressing senior’s health and well-being, taking advantage of the lunch services at Dakota Senior Meals ( only $3.00 if you are over 60 and anyone can eat there!)  and, in general, addressing the importance of community involvement and helping each other out.  If you want to read a great one, this week’s is on learning about our family’s heritage and our community’s heritage by visiting with the elders in the community.