Tyndall, SD

Regional collaborations and community foundations will be the topics at a meeting in Mitchell on Monday, Jan. 28.  Isabel, SD will be there to talk about how they collaborated with 2 other communities and Noel Hamiel, SD Community Foundation talks about setting up a local foundation. Call Kari Freuchte ASAP (605-688-4946) or email kari.fruechte@ces.sdstate.edu if you can go.  This is excellent info for committees working on economic development, chambers, and private business.  It is an evening meeting starting at 6:30 for supper.

Economic Development and Support for Entrepreneurs will be the topic for a meeting February 28 in Tripp at the Fire Hall.  SDSU Economics faculty will discuss assessing your community’s capacity for economic development and present a profile using a local county.  Leaders in the field of entrepreneurship will give ideas on how to support new business ventures and resources available.  This is huge…..mark your calendars.  Great for retail, established business, and also for city and county staff and councilmen who are important in the development of a community!  Call Kari at 605-688-4946 or email her at kari.fruechte@ces.sdstate.edu   for more info on the times, etc.  - call five days before so they can count for supper. Starts at 6:30 pm.  Also open to public, not just Horizons.

In doing some reading of the other Horizon’s community blogs, I have come across some information on kids using the web, posting pictures, and checking up on your kids.  Check out the other town’s sites, Armour for one.  It is interesting to see what other communities are doing and how much their community is participating.

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.

More community support for the Cavalier Corner!  Jim Koenig of Koenig Insurance has put a challenge out to the local business community to support the Youth Center.  Jim will match dollar for dollar each money that the local businesses donate to the Youth Center up to $10,000!  It will be $2,000  a year for 5 years and we will be able to use the donations which were given to start the project.  Jim Koenig is shown in the picture presenting Janet Wagner with the first $2,000 donation.

“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.

     Tyndall was the site for a meeting on Dec. 27 to discuss probabilities of setting up wind generators in the surrounding areas.  A nice crowd of people attended to hear Richard Wiebe of Westwood C-Bed Biofuels  and Scott Parsley of East River Power Cooperative speak on the availability of wind energy in this region.  The meeting was arranged by Senator Frank Kloucek and sponsored by Tyndall Development.  “The meeting will help set the tone and direction for wind development in our area and what directions our communities and individuals wish to take in terms of wind and transmission development.  This is another opportunity for economic revitalization in rural South Dakota” as stated by Senator Frank Kloucek.

   Wind power offsets other, more polluting sources of energy.  That is important because electricity generation is the largest industrial source of air pollution in the U.S.  When wind power projects generate electricity, fuel at other power plants is not consumed.

     To generate the same amount of electricity as today’s U.S. wind turbine fleet would require to burning 16 millions tons of coal or 50 million barrels of oil each year.

     Wind energy requires no mining, drilling, or transportation of fuel, and does not generate radioactive or other hazardous or polluting waste.

     A recent New York study found that if wind energy supplied 10% of the state’s peak electricity demand, 65% of the energy it displaced would come from natural gas, 15% from coal, 10% from oil, and 10% from electricity imports.

What would you think if someone asked you to stop in to their insurance business and discuss “Do I have a deal for you? I had no idea what Jim Koenig wanted to discuss with me, but it was one of the stops that you are glad you did. He wanted to know if we could get business people in the local communities to donate money to the Cavalier Corner, our youth activity center. For every dollar we have donated, he will match it up to $10,000! It will be spread over 5 years which will give us $2,000 a year for expenses. SANTA IS ALIVE! It gives you a warm feeling knowing that people do care about the youth of their community and are willing to put forth an effort for other businesses to become involved.

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.

Parents and patrons of school districts  are urged to talk to your legislators to fight for your schools.  A time to visit with the Dist. 19 legislators will be at a regional meeting set for Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7 P.M. in the Tripp school auditorium.  Everyone is encouraged to talk with Senator Frank Kloucek, Representative Gary Jerke and Representative Jim Putnam and voice your concerns on education funding and ask them to fight for your schools.