McKenzie County ND

Water bottles announcing the criminality of underage drinking and highlighting research on the positives paths youth must take to ensure their own prosperity were heartily accepted during the Old Settlers’ Day parade and dinner held in Alexander on Aug. 30, 2008.

“That water saved my life!” stated Lucille Paluck about the refreshing qualities of the bottled water on the 90-degree-plus day. She agreed with the label whose backside pointed out a Countdown for Success:

avoid criminal activity which includes underage drinking, tobacco and drug use

don’t get pregnant until you’re married and once you’re married, stay married

be willing to work any job, even if the pay is initially lower than what you had hoped

graduate from high school

The research information then revealed that anyone not achieving these four markers had a 93 percent chance of living in poverty while the person who achieves the four markers has less than a one percent chance of living in poverty.

Katie Paulson, a member of both sponsoring organizations, the ‘Watford City Community Coalition’ and adviser to the two chapters of SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions noted, “The people were not only happy to get the free water on a hot day, but were in agreement with the message and endorsed the idea of confronting the drinking problem in our youth!”

Over 600 bottles of water with their homemade labels announcing ‘Underage drinking! It’s a Crime’ were distributed free but with the insistence that people read the label and change their mind about the importance of fighting the crime.

The 63rd Annual Old Settlers’ Days had a parade led by the American Legion Color Guard of Watford City. The Forrest E. Williams American Legion Auxiliary post #94 followed with their float among a large wave of participants.

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.

Please read the latest news, entitled N.D. Teen death rate sees spike, which also makes reference to our state poverty rate for teens at http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/06/12/news/state/157831.txt

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)

Retailer training necessary step in poverty prevention, addiction reduction

Determined to help the community in Watford City responsible for legal sales of tobacco and alcohol do so with integrity, the Community Coalition on June 4, 2008, pressed ahead with plans to present training and information to the Watford City Area Chamber of Commerce during, and possibly immediately after, a Chamber Coffee session.

“Preventing early addiction to tobacco in underage users can have a dramatic effect on tobacco use rates,” states Javayne Oyloe, Health Promotion Team leader for the Upper Missouri Health District. “Most people who start using tobacco are younger than 18 years of age, and this training will help concerned business community members reduce access to tobacco by underage users.”

Oyloe may be delivering the information and training as she does similar work in Williston.

Courage.   Most of us think first of veterans who go to war and  people who run into burning buildings.   Maybe we think of missionaries who tackle hard problems in third world countries.   Or of giving a speech!   I thought of courage the other night when I facilitated the McKenzie Co. Horizens meeting to reduce underage alcohol consumption.   It takes courage to go public on the issue when the neighbors can tell stories on you when you were young!    It takes courage when you have a kid that is possibly bigger than you are and you have to say no!   It takes courage to disagree with your friends when they remember party fun and think you are just a spoiler.  (Do they know how “partying has changed in the last years?)   It takes courage especially if you think your kid will challenge you about your habits.   It takes courage to risk donating precious time and getting hooked into another round of meetings.   It takes courage to try to think up something you think your teens will actually enjoy instead of being bored-scarier yet- you might have to do it together!    So…if any of the above are making you grin or squirm,  you know what I mean by courage.    When you think about the poverty-making bad decisions that young people can make when they are using alcohol, a little courage is a good thing.    

I recommend you all read this and leave a weigh in through the ‘comment’ button below to say if you think this a good idea for our county. Money, Money, Money comes in handy when the income is available readily for you to spend on worthwhile projects. First click on the three words in a row, and read how Anamoose, ND is doing it. Thanks.

Few acknowledge that underage tobacco and alcohol use are criminal behaviors. But Sgt. Bruce Talbot taught in his Broken Windows presentation last August that the underage use creates a gateway behavior that leads people, particularly teens and young adults, deeper into the criminal life….and away from success.

Among the few are the Community Coalition and the Horizons-Leadership to Reduce Poverty groups of McKenzie County, partners in efforts to curtail behaviors that increase the chance of living in poverty. (Read ‘Rethinking Poverty’ posted by Tim Swenson.)

Mapping Successes for Our Children began with panel presentations March 31 and ended before the group of 60 participants could do the mapping for convincing youth to leave the illegal drugs alone.

On Monday, 18 people followed facilitator Anita Rohde of New Town into a 90-minute session ending successfully with a three-pronged approach to the age-old social problem:

1. Mentoring training, with partnershipsof youth and adults to be trained after the Gatekeepers of Harvey, ND

2. Monitoring and advocating for compliance checks in order to limit access to gateway drugs

3. Sponsor political candidate policy forums and offer alternate refreshments at dry bars. A homemade label on legal refreshments would bear messages supporting the better lifestyle choices for success.

“Parents, young adults and all kids need support to abstain from alcohol and drugs,” says Don Moberg of Watford City, a participant in the Mapping Successes for Our Children II session.

Community Coalition offers scholarships to McKenzie County residents.

Kids need to hear the “N” word and parents need to say it, according to Dr. David Walsh’s new book.

With the promise to…”give tools to make the most of online use for the family, while minimizing the risks of cyberhood,” Michael Mann will also advocate the use of the word, “No,” for adults to help children develop skills such as self-discipline, respect, integrity and the ability to delay gratification.

Register for the 8:30 to 4 p.m. Partners in Prevention conference to be held Tuesday, May 6 in Williston’s Research Extension Center (aka the Ernie French Center) and co-sponsor of the event, the Watford City Community Coalition, will pay for your $35 registration fee—provided you reside in McKenzie County!

Contact Region 1 Prevention Program Director Karen McDaniel at 701-572-8191 for registration and also so CEU’s will be considered for Social Workers, Nurses and possible Law Enforcement (as training hours) personnel.

Michael Mann, as featured presenter, is an award-winning storyteller, author, training consultant and speaker. He is an active advocate for the mission of the National Institute on Media and the Family since 1997.

Call soon to reserve your spot at the May 6th event. Tell them you are from McKenzie County and wish to use the fee provided by the Community Coalition, please.

Dr. Gary Ramage, MD at McKenzie County Healthcare Systems says, “There are no good reasons whatsoever to consume alcohol under the age of 21, only serious consequences. Take this message out into the community!’

Excerpts from his panel presentation notes given March 31 in Watford City’s Civic Center will follow.

First, I would like you to follow this link to Tina Foreman’s article in the McKenzie County Farmer. It is good only until early Wednesday morning, April 16, 2008, when the successive Internet issue replaces the current one, so I recommend obtaining the April 9 issue so you, the reader, may also read Neal Shipman’s editorial on page 2, calling for action on the part of parents and community.

Returning to Dr. Ramage’s account of underage drinking…. (more…)