McKenzie County ND

Reversing the direction of teaching, Mark LoMurray, a nationally known trainer in suicide prevention, is setting the youth trained as Gatekeepers to approach the two adults they trust the most and lead them to become well-versed Sources of Strength.

“Suicide prevention is really about getting a large part of the community involved, breaking codes of silence and having teens and adults partnering together,” LoMurray insists.

“During the Watford City training, April 14, I think we made a great start on teens, adults, and faith-based groups willing to come together and get out messages of hope, help, and strength. That help is available in the mental health and medical systems, but also on the village side through family, friends, mentoring, healthy activities and spirituality. Also messages that there really is hope, despite feelings of being stuck, alone, and hopeless - By sharing stories of strength and resiliency, we can shine some light on some ways people have made it through emotionally hard and difficult times to a better, more healing place in their life,” states LoMurray.

The following provides insight into the Gatekeeper/Sources of Strength Training. (more…)

How can we build leaders and reduce poverty in McKenzie County? You can visit the Horizons website and view the Upcoming Calendar of Events for starters! Check out: www.ag.ndsu.edu/horizons/vision.htm for a listing of various programs, activities, trainings and resources available around the state from now until June 20, 2008. Community people in McKenzie County are invited to become involved by attending some of these opportunities to learn more about leadership and poverty reduction. Please give me a call at the McKenzie County Extension Office at 444-3451 or e-mail me at: marcia.hellandsaas@ndsu.edu if you are interested!

I was amazed again with our community when we hosted the State B3 Hockey Tournament February 29 to March 2. We can count on our community and its volunteers!

We have hosted many tournaments in the past, but this one was special. It was run almost entirely by volunteers not currently involved with the program!

You see, three of our teams, of older youth and experienced parents, were out of town for their state tournaments. That left only a small amount of people back in Watford City, with experience in currently running a tournament.

About 50 people, with about 1/3 of them involved in the program now, worked together to make this tournament happen.

One game was held on Friday night, four games on Saturday with a special Skills Competition organized on Saturday night and three games on Sunday.

We hosted teams from Fargo, Jamestown/Valley City, Devils Lake, Sidney, Williston and Minot. A special ice cream social for all our guests was held on Saturday night.

It is amazing how many details are involved in running such an event. Leadership and organization, adult/youth partnering, cooperation and team work were keys to our success!

The picket fences that you see as you walk through the Pioneer Museum of McKenzie County are those painted by the 2007 Watford City Elementary 4th Grade. As part of their ND History Project they worked with the Pioneer Museum and explored the different types of fences in North Dakota History. They concluded with painting different symbols of North Dakota on each of their “pickets”. The pickets were then put together as one to form a union of all of the 4th grades. The pickets will eventually be placed in the Children’s Play Park.
This project was done in conjunction with the Smithsonian Exhibit “Between Fences”. Please click on and read further article on link!

A Picket Fence of North Dakota HistoryA Picket Fence of North Dakota History

Faith, Fences, and Fears
A Presentation By
Dr. John Helgeland, North Dakota State University

March 10th
7:00pm
Outlaws Bar & Grill – Lower Level

The third volume of Norwegian-born author Ole Rolvaag’s great trilogy is Their Father’s God. In it Rolvaag brilliantly captured how fear of the religious backgrounds of others has operated in constructing boundaries between people. In his presentation, Dr. Helgeland uses the context of Rolvaag’s novel as a springboard for examining the role fear plays in creating boundaries, both necessary and problematic, in our contemporary society.

Dr. Helgeland will give his presentation, we will have a short break and then he will continue with an interactive book discussion on Their Father’s God. There are books that have been returned so that if you choose you may still pick up a book at the Pioneer Musem to read before Dr. Helgeland comes to Watford City. However, it is certainly not required to read the book prior to his presentation. I hope to see many of you there!
This event is in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institute Exhibit, Between Fences, that will be on display at the Pioneer Museum, in Watford City; March 14th-April 25th .

…..and why? I am very excited to share with you that the Smithsonian Institute is coming to Watford City. The Pioneer Museum of McKenzie County has been fortunate enough to be chosen by the ND Humanities Council to exhibit the the Smithsonian Exhibit Between Fences. It will be at the musuem March 14th through April 25th.

I am part the Rural Leadership of North Dakota Education program and as part of the program we are required to initiate a project in our community. I have chosen this project as my effort to further extend arts and humanities in my community. There are many programs, grants available to our communities by simply applying and participating. I feel that the arts and humanities are a very integeral part of communities and is important that we further our education in these area. As a primary goal I entertain the idea that this promotion will follow with continued support and involvement of the community with the arts/ humanities and consequently creating another aspect of a desirable community where we can live and grow.

Color Painting: Spring Yard Work, by Thornton Utz. Cover of The Saturday Evening Post, May 18, 1957  1957 SEPS: Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN.

Please read the linked press release for a full story about the project.

Smithsonian Exhibition Explores Both Sides of the Fence (click once here on “Smithsonsian”  and once again after you jump)

Between Fences (click once here on “Fences”  and once again after you jump)

With all the publicity the McKenzie County Community Blog has been receiving: announced in the Farmer, presented at several meetings, and dozens and dozens of personal cards and invitations handed out, it’s HIGH TIME we have some subscribers!

I know you’ve stopped by to read and look at the head lines, NOW take the next step!

SIGN UP!

All you have to do is ask.  (more…)

I was visiting with Alan Sims in Alexander last week and he showed me a power chair that he is willing to give away.

It is 100% operational but needs a new battery.

The JAZZY 1103 Ultra runs thousands of dollars new but a new battery is only three to four hundred dollars.

You’ll find a picture of the chair here:

http://www.pridejazzy.com/1103ultra.shtml

Alan’s phone number is:

701-828-3546

This county has a Thrivent Chapter, which is a local group of members that plan and carry out charitable, social and educational activities. They are petitioned for ‘contributing funds’ by various fund-raising interests. All Thrivent Financial members belong to a chapter, and they elect leaders.

This story is about the leaders.

Asisting the people of McKenzie County with medical/travel costs is at the heart of this organization’s effort. As the national level of Thrivent delivers a share of its billions of dollars, that otherwise would go to the payment of taxes, to the county chapters for dispersement among people who need benefits done to help them, this group of five handles the paperwork and accepts new members into the county-wide organization, among other duties. As usual, the McKenzie County Thrivent Chapter leaders met on the first Tuesday of the month for a luncheon meeting in TJ’s Pizza in Watford City, a middle-of-the-county meeting place for the county-wide group. They considered the fund-raisers they have encouraged with ‘contributing funds’ and accepted new members into the ranks of the organization. (more…)

Hockey is important to us. My 10-year-old son Eric is a squirt. He will play about 20 games this year and we will drive up to 180 miles away to visit communities.

The Watford City program is run by volunteers and we are independent of school.

Our team will not win alot of games this winter. But, our kids will have fun. You see, it is the love of hockey that is important. We are one big family who help each other make the commitment possible, for the sake of our children.

We have a sort of “thrift shop” that will take our used equipment and sell it at reduced prices to others. We transport children whose parents cannot attend away games because they cannot afford to travel or get off work. We take turns transporting our children to and from practices as our schedules permit.

Hockey kind of “gets in the blood” and makes for a fun winter for us!

Go to http://www.wcoilers.com/ to take a look at our website.