The youth mentoring program takes off!
View Promo Flyer at this link:
Application form (print and complete) found here:
Though the application has a November 15th deadline, applications will be accepted through November 19th.
Needed: bond financing
Go to the Watford City City Hall at 6 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 19 to participate in a public hearing. At issue is the issuance of Municipal Industrial Development Act bonds for the construction of 24 housing units in Watford City. LSS Housing, Inc. is asking the city to allow up to $1.6 million in 
this type of bonds to be issued under the city’s bonding authority.
LSS Housing, Inc. would then be enabled to obtain bonds at a lower interest rate and be accountable for meeting the bond payments.The mission of LSS Housing, Inc is to provide 
housing and housing-related services and thereby support the continued vitality of North Dakota communities.
Zoning approval was given to LSS, Inc. on Nov. 10, 2008 as the work on finalizing the site plan goes forward, according to Jessica Thomasson, LSS Housing, Inc. director, who can be 
reached at jthomasson@lssnd.org or by phoning 701-429-4258.
The aroma and look of an Internet Cafe swept into the Healthy Hearts Wellness Center Monday morning.
A gift valued at $1,000, plus an additional $700 worth of paper and toner supplies, was delivered to McKenzie County Healthcare Systems’ Healthy Hearts Wellness Center on Monday, Aug. 11, 2008. A small group of ladies enjoying their “after-exercise” coffee and visit, rejoiced to consider future lap-top sessions amid their conversations in this same comfortable location.
Mike Miller of Minot, who is tech support and trainer through the Extension service of North Dakota State University, set up the Dell 1125 multi-function black and white laser printer and a “choice” Dell Desktop dual-core 2.4 GHz processor, Vista, Home Premium, 2 GB memory, 500 GB hard drive, and 20-inch wide-screen flat panel display in the Wellness Center lobby.
The gift, state of the art technology, was a prize that Dale A. Swenson, county agent Marcia
Pictured left to right are Lael Reed, Reil, Dodge, P. Hellandsaas, T. Swenson, M. Hellandsaas and D. Swenson. (The framed award held by Hellandsaas and Swenson will repose above the computer cubicle.)
“People will have another reason to come here and congregate,” smiles Miller, after pre-installing Microsoft Office 2007, and other productivity software. “Any topics they may discuss will have a “world of information’ easily accessed through the Internet to enhance their conversations.”
According to Lael Reed, Rehabilitation manager of the wellness center and McKenzie County Physical Therapy department, “It is exciting to have this computer for our customers to use. People have the option of bringing in their own lap-tops to use the wireless Internet connection. Customers can utilize the printer and scanner connected to the computer. We want to encourage high school and college students to come to work out, have a cappuccino, latte, smoothie, or chai tea and enjoy this new service! A huge ‘Thank you’ to those individuals that work with Horizons that thought of our facility to make this happen in our community. Stop in and blog your favorite topic!”
CEO Dan Kelly of McKenzie County Healthcare Systems says, “The Horizons program of Leadership to Reduce Poverty is an excellent grass roots organization with formidable goal of reducing poverty within McKenzie County. I thank this organization for their efforts in securing this computer system. The McKenzie County Healthcare System Healthy Hearts Wellness Center is pleased to serve as a site for the placement of the computer. I hope that community members will use the computer and in doing so, think of the Horizons Program.”
Our bloggers posted many stories in a “Shoot for the Stars” competition and won big! Now who will tend this sweet machine we have as reward?
We bloggers of McKenzie County won the blog incentive and the Dell 1125 multi-purpose black and white laser printer that scan, copies, faxes and prints comes with “choice” of Dell Desktop (slim-line design) dual-core 2.4 GHz processor, Vista, Home Premium, 2 GB memory, 500 GB hard drive, 20-inch widescreen flat panel display
OR
the Dell Laptop-dual-core 1.7 GHz processor, Vista Home Premium, 2GB memory, 250 GB hard drive, wireless, 17-inch wide screen display.
Either machine comes with software to include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.
By June 25 Dale A. Swenson must fill in these blanks:
1. Community name:_____________________
2. _______Desktop OR ______Laptop
3. Where will it be kept in our community_________________________
Since Wednesday, June 18, I have been around Alexander looking for a Main Street area for the public access computer prize package. After several “No, thank yous, ” tonight, it is Jennifer Morton’s turn to think about providing space and monitoring it in her Country Cafe. I’ll call her Monday morning to see if we can set it up there, and if she will be responsible as the public location that can be monitored during the day-time hours and locked during non-business hours, like the city office or public library. While this prize is free to be used by our citizens, someone must assume the maintenance and liability for any/all of these items that are received.
I have also left a message for Dave Farver, Lions president, requesting assistance with this project. The Alexander Lions know all about Horizons-Leadership to Reduce Poverty in McKenzie County since Tim and I did a presentation to the group in February. See it on this blog posted Feb. 25.
Update June 24:
The Lions said, No.
Dorothy Reil suggested one last try with the local branch bank of First International Bank & Trust. I sent Steve Stenehjem an email message last night.
Update June 25:
At 1 p.m. today I’ll know if the public computer access can reside in the bank at Alexander.
Horizons has added a wonderful collection of materials to the McKenzie County Library. The book titles below will address community leadership, poverty reduction, entrepreneurship and self improvement. You will find them to be inspiring, enlightening and some will also be quite humorous! A couple curriculums, DVD’s, lessons for groups, and children’s books are included. Please request the McKenzie County Horizons library to check out these books titles and other materials:
The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus
Making Vision Stick
The Traveler’s Gift
Leadership Gold: Lessons I’ve Learned from a Lifetime of Learning by John C. Maxwell
The Quilt Makers Gift
The Quilt Makers Journey
8 Challenges Facing Community Leaders
Who Moved My Cheese?
Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know
Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know
Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make The Lead…and Other Don’t
Smart Communities: How Citizens and Local Leaders Can Use Strategic Thinking To Build a Brighter Future
The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Rural Communities Legacy + Change: Third Edition
Your Field Guide To Community Building
The Magic of Thinking Big
Blink
The Tipping Point
The Power of Positive Thinking
Leading Without Power: Finding Hope In Serving Community
Everyday Creativity: Leader’s Guide, Workbook and DVD
6 Myths About The Future of Small Towns
Better Schools Through Public Engagement
Better Local Leadership: How To Start a Program For Your Town or County
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People–DVD
Establishing A Shared-Use Commerical Kitchen
Who, Me Lead a Group?
Vision To Action: Take Change Too Curriculum
The Entrepreneurial Community: A Strategic Leadership Appraoch To Community Survival resources material
The Leader In You: How To Win Friends, Influence People and Succeed In a Changing World
Do Something In Your Community
Energizing Entrepreneurs: Charting a Course for Rural Communities
Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations To Restore Home To The Future
A Framework For Understanding Poverty
Bridges Out of Poverty
Oh, The Places You’ll Go! (children’s book)
Getting Ahead In a Just-Gettin’–By Wolrd: Building Your Resources for a Better Life
Stone Soup (children’s book)
Striving to improve living conditions for families and individuals who struggle with poverty. Searching for proven or emerging approaches to reduce the numbers of people who struggle on a daily basis–long term.
These were underlying themes for the business and political leaders and nonprofit organizations and government service providers, including many Horizons program volunteers and staff who attended the Grassroots and Groundwork conference in Minneapolis May 28 to 30.
For me the experience was eye-opening and inspiring, to say the least.
One of the most interesting things I learned more about was social capital. Social capital, the relational foundation of a community, consists of trust, connections (networks), and involvement (action).
Strength of communities rests on the relationships we have with one another. Research has shown that communities with a strong foundation of trust between and among different individuals and groups are healthier and thrive economically and educationally.
These types of networks are an important part of social capital in communities:
Bonding Networks — close ties that help people to get by. These connections are usually with family, friends and neighbors.
Bridging Networks — weaker ties that can help people to get ahead and gain opportunities. These connections are usually with people who are different from themselves, who have different types of networks.
Linking Networks — Links to organizations and systems that can help people gain resources and bring about broader change. These connections are usually with organizations that have resources, both within and outside of the community.
Take a look at the social capital in your community. It will help you learn a lot about yourselves today and into the future!
High on the leadership skills list is collaboration. According to Vicki B. Luther, author of Managing Collaboration in Small Towns and Neighborhoods, it is a necessity, not a luxury. Her booklet suggests a “simple approach for managing collaboration at the community level, called ARC, standing for Alignment, Relationships and Communication. The method helps analyze potential for collaboration, organize to take action, then nurtures and maintains a collaborative effort.
To sustain and improve community, ARC seeks the ways to help groups and organizations at the local level by working together.
Luther points out in bold print, “Collaboration happens when groups work together for their own benefit and for that of the community.”
The first step is to measure how potential partners might match up. Mission and membership qualities are prime considerations.
Second is the work of building relationships. Needed is a clear understanding of why the collaboration is worthwhile and which roles and responsibilities are shared and which are shouldered separately.
Trust is built over time and meeting valued expectations/goals consistently. Trust-building behaviors include following through on assignments, meeting deadlines and attaining predictable attendance at work sessions.Clarifying the relationships can be any degree of formal or informal, with either minutes of record or letters with summaries providing evidence and reiteration of agreements among the collaborative parties.
“The care and feeding of relationships must receive a high level of attention,” notes Luther.
With regard to communications: “Clear and consistent communication keeps the collaboration going strong,” adds Luther. “It’s motivational force keeps commitment in place when times get rough.”
Consider the public and private face of community collaboration and structuring messages consistently helps the information make its way back through each group, in addition to the community at large.
Luther is connected to the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, which is a nonprofit, independent organization to develop local leadership that responds to future challenges. The Center activities focus on leadership, training, citizen participation, community planning, facilitation, evaluation and curriculum development. Dr. Vicki Luther and Milan Wall earned national recognition for their landmark research, publication and curriculum, Clues to Rural Community Survival, which examines the characteristics that communities need to compete in a changing world.
These are the Heartland Center’s 20 Clues to Rural Community Survival. Recognize any of them in our McKenzie County??
1. Evidence of community pride.
2. Emphasis on quality in business and community life.
3. Willingness to invest in the future.
4. Participatory approach to community decision making.
5. Cooperative community spirit.
6. Realistic appraisal of future opportunities.
7. Awareness of competitive positioning.
8. Knowledge of the physical environment.
9. Active economic development program.
10. Deliberate transition of power to a younger generation of leaders.
11. Acceptance of women in leadership roles.
12. Strong belief in and support for education.
13. Problem-solving approach to providing health care.
14. Strong multi-generational family orientation.
15. Strong presence of traditional institutions that are integral to community life.
16. Attention to sound and well-maintained infrastructure.
17. Careful use of fiscal resources.
18. Sophisticated use of information resources.
19. Willingness to seek help from the outside.
20. Conviction that, in the long run, you have to do it yourself.
Now, if you see yourself in #20, please call me…or leave me a comment by clicking on the word comment immediately below. Thanks, Dale A. Swenson
I found some interesting sites for Methamphetamines. This site is a quiz. It would be good to do that.
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/MethResources/meth_quiz.html
Would you swallow a spoonful of drain cleaner? Does the thought of injecting brake fluid into your arm appeal to you? Care to top off your dessert with a bit of rat poison?
http://www.mappsd.org/Meth%20Ingredients.htm
Here are some common ingredients used in making meth
Alcohol -
Gasoline additives/Rubbing Alcohol
Ether (starting fluid)
Benzene
Paint thinner
Freon
Acetone
Chloroform
Camp stove fuel
Anhydrous ammonia
White gasoline
Pheynl-2-Propane
Phenylacetone
Phenylpropanolamine
Rock, table or Epsom salt
Red Phosphorous
Toluene (found in brake cleaner)
Red Devil Lye
Drain cleaner
Muraitic acid
Battery acid
Lithium from batteries
Sodium metal
Ephedrine
Cold tablets
Diet aids
Iodine
Bronchodialators
Energy boosters
Iodine crystals
Lab equipment - including tubing, unmarked Mason jars with tubes attached, stained coffee filters, 2-liter pop bottles, blenders, camera batteries, wooden matches, propane cylinders and hot plates - are tip offs to the production of Meth.
Individually, each product is legal and useful. But when mixed together and processed, the results are deadly - to the producer, user and innocent bystanders.
South Dakota has good sites which give the cost of meth use problems, clean up and so on:
http://www.mappsd.org/Community%20Costs.htm
http://www.mappsd.org/NACo%20LE.htm
Meth Basics:
Meth is a highly addictive stimulant
Prolonged use permanently destroys brain tissue
Smoking or manufacturing Meth releases toxic contamination
Meth ‘cooks’ can get almost everything they need to manufacture a batch in local stores – legally.
Producing one pound of Meth generates five to six pounds of toxic waste.
Property owners are responsible for the cost of Meth lab waste clean up.
A majority of lab incidents involve children
Many child abuse and neglect cases are the result of Meth use or manufacturing.
http://www.mappsd.org/Fast%20Facts.htm
Another likely way to hurt yourself is through huffing. These are some of the facts and the website:
http://www.drgreene.com/21_180.html
Fast Facts About Huffing
“Huffing,” or inhaling volatile substances, is becoming increasingly popular among children, especially among 12- to 14-year-olds (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 1998;152(8):781–786).
Huffing can kill the very first time children experiment with it.
Alarmingly, about 20% of eighth-graders report having done it (International Journal of Addiction, 1993;28:1613–1621).
Besides sudden cardiac arrest (the most common cause of death from inhalants), huffing can kill quickly in a number of other ways. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, and other traumatic injuries are common and horrible. Others die from suffocation, burns, suicide (from the depression that can follow the high), and from choking–on their own vomit.
About 22% of those who die from huffing do so the first time they try it (Human Toxicology, 1989;8:261–269).
When huffing doesn’t kill quickly, it damages the body each time–especially the brain. Huffing can cause memory loss, impaired concentration, hearing loss, loss of coordination, and permanent brain damage. Chronic use can cause permanent heart, lung, liver, and kidney damage as well.
Solvents (found in glues, paints, and polishes), fuels (such as butane), nitrites (found in deodorizers), and almost any kind of aerosol spray can be responsible.
Most huffing takes place with friends (although kids who sniff correction fluid in class when their teachers turn away are not uncommon). Be observant of your child and his or her friends.
Inhalants gradually leave the body for 2 weeks following huffing–mostly through exhaling. The characteristic odor is the biggest clue. Be on the lookout for breath or clothing that smells like chemicals. Look for clothing stains. Watch for spots or sores around the mouth.
Nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, nervousness, restlessness, and outbursts of anger can all be signs of inhalant abuse. A drunk, dazed, or glassy-eyed appearance might mean your child is abusing inhalants right now.
If you suspect or discover that you child is huffing, get professional help. Treating inhalant abuse is very difficult and requires expert intervention. Withdrawal symptoms may last for weeks. The relapse rate without a long-term (2-year) program is very high.
Preventing huffing is far better than trying to treat an inhalant addiction. Talking with your child about it is more powerful than anything else (NIDA Research Monograph, 1988;85:8–29).
Start talking with your child about it now. Although huffing peaks between the ages of 12 and 15 years, it often starts “innocently” in children only 6 to 8 years old (Pediatrics, 1996;97:3).
Literally thousands of easily available substances can be inhaled, so you can’t keep your child away from them. You can, however, educate and inspire.
Alan Greene MD FAAP January 27, 1999
These are some facts I found on Heroin at this site:
http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs3/3843/index.htm
What is heroin?
Heroin is a highly addictive and rapidly acting opiate (a drug that is derived from opium). Specifically, heroin is produced from morphine, which is a principal component of opium. Opium is a naturally occurring substance that is extracted from the seedpod of the opium poppy.
What does it look like?
The appearance of heroin can vary dramatically. In the eastern United States, heroin generally is sold as a powder that is white (or off-white) in color.
(Generally, the purer the heroin the whiter the color, because variations in color result from the presence of impurities.)
In the western United States, most of the heroin available is a solid substance that is black in color. This type of heroin, known as black tar, may be sticky (like tar) or hard to the touch. Powdered heroin that is a dirty brown color also is sold in the western United States.
Who uses heroin?
Individuals of all ages use heroin–data reported in the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicate that an estimated 3,091,000 U.S. residents aged 12 and older have used heroin at least once in their lifetime. The survey also revealed that many teenagers and young adults have used heroin at least once–76,000 individuals aged 12 to 17 and 474,000 individuals aged 18 to 25.
Heroin use among high school students is a particular problem. Nearly 2 percent of high school seniors in the United States used the drug at least once in their lifetime, and nearly half of those injected the drug, according to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Survey.
How is heroin abused?
Heroin is injected, snorted, or smoked. Many new, younger users begin by snorting or smoking heroin because they wish to avoid the social stigma attached to injection drug use. These users often mistakenly believe that snorting or smoking heroin will not lead to addiction. Users who snort or smoke heroin at times graduate to injection because as their bodies become conditioned to the drug, the effects it produces are less intense. They then turn to injection–a more efficient means of administering the drug–to try to attain the more intense effects they experienced when they began using the drug.
What are the risks?
Both new and experienced users risk overdosing on heroin because it is impossible for them to know the purity of the heroin they are using. (Heroin sold on the street often is mixed with other substances such as sugar, starch, or quinine. An added risk results when heroin is mixed with poisons such as strychnine.)
Heroin overdoses–which can result whether the drug is snorted, smoked, or injected–can cause slow and shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, and even death.
All heroin users–not just those who inject the drug–risk becoming addicted. Individuals who abuse heroin over time develop a tolerance for the drug, meaning that they must use increasingly larger doses to achieve the same intensity or effect they experienced when they first began using the drug. Heroin ceases to produce feelings of pleasure in users who develop tolerance; instead, these users must continue taking the drug simply to feel normal. Addicted individuals who stop using the drug may experience withdrawal symptoms, which include heroin craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, and vomiting.
Heroin users who inject the drug expose themselves to additional risks, including contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne viruses.
Chronic users who inject heroin also risk scarred or collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and liver and kidney disease.
What is it called?
Street Terms for Heroin
Big H
Boy
Capital H
China white
Chiva
Dead on arrival
Diesel
Dope
Eighth
Good H
H
Hell dust
Horse
Junk
Mexican horse
Mud
Poppy
Smack
Thunder
Train
White junk
For more information on illicit drugs check out the web site at: www.usdoj.gov/ndic.