Presho, SD

This is the latest iteration of our Vision statement.

Presho will be a community of at least 1000 where the residents want to stay and visitors want to come back. Citizens will enjoy a good standard of living with quality housing, living wage jobs, affordable health care, and family-nurturing activities. We will demonstrate community pride by having attractive, well-maintained homes along hard-surfaced streets flanked by modern, well-lit sidewalks. Our community is committed to providing our students with an excellent high-tech education that prepares them for the future. There will be activities for all, especially the youth and seniors. We will support existing businesses and encourage entrepreneurship. Our town will thrive for many years to come.

 By Lucy Halverson Lyman County Herald October 3, 2007

Presho’s Horizon project will conduct a Community Visioning and Kick Off Event Monday, October 15 at the Presho United Methodist Church. The event starts with a free supper at 6 p.m.

Presently, the Horizon project is conducting a survey to gain input regarding issues of importance to community members. The goal is to receive information from at least 15% of the city’s population.

In addition to the written survey, some people will be asked to use cameras to take photographs of the positive along with negatives aspects of the community. The information gathered will be presented at a Community Visioning Kick Off. Attendees will help determine what issues may need perusing or added.

A committee of 10-12 people will be formed to manage the planning process and the implementation of Presho’s Strategic Plan to address these issues. . Completed surveys should be returned to one of the following businesses; Lyman County Herald, Husman’s Grocery or Dakota Prairie Bank. The Horizon Project will conclude in August of 2008 at which time the Presho Horizons group will receive the remainder of their $10,000 grant from the Northwestern Area Foundation.

 Horizons is a 18-month community leadership program aimed at reducing poverty in small rural communities (population less than 5,000). Funded by the Northwest Area Foundation of St. Paul, MN and partnered with South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension.

Community members who attended the last LeadershipPlenty session included front row, l-r; Stephan Stanley, Bette Reumann, Sandi Neil, Jackie Boyle, Karen Willis, Khristine Willis, Deb Brakke, and Laverne Olson. Standing l-r: Paul Olson, Tanner Langdeau, Chris Zirpel, Katie Zirpel, Connie Penny, Layne Ness, Juanita Willis, and Jean Ann Brakke                              Lyman County Herald photo

Lyman County Herald    June 20, 2007

Improving accessibility and sharing information about resources is the most common point of strategy South Dakota’s Horizons II communities share as they plan for the future. Presho Horizons Project LeadershipPlenty Class completed their nine-session class Thursday June 12.

Instructors included Gloria Schaefer, Tonya Ness, Teresa Shook and several SDSU Extension Service staff members. Attending were Sandi Neil, Brody Ness, Mandy Cole, Tammy Cole, Dave Cole, Carol Birgen, Juanita Willis, Chris Zirpel, Katie Zirpel, Stephan Stanley, Jenna Urban, Dawn Keyes, Denny Keyes, Alyce Keyes, Michelle Lintvedt, Bette Reumann, Laverne Olson, Michelle Schindler, Connie Penny, Karen Willis, Khristine Willis, Jean Ann Brakke, Tanner Langdeau, Steve Hayes, Kara Schelske, Layne Ness, Tiffany Moore, Deb Brakke, Jody Jessop, Jordan Jessop, Makenzi Taylor, Jim Schaefer, Mike Spenger, Cheryl Reinesch, Jordan Jessop, Lucy Halverson, Angela Ehlers, Jen Busak, Jackie Boyle, Mathew Boyle, Kathleen Boyle, Lavern Olson, Paul Olson, Ashley Keyes, Arlene Ambur, Arvid Ambur.

Communities are also working on beautification projects and business development as top priorities in their efforts to reduce poverty and build new leadership. Horizons II is a project delivered to 24 communities by the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service with funding through the Northwest Area Foundation in St. Paul. The program gives communities support for efforts to reduce poverty while strengthening leadership in their rural areas.

Communities working with SDSU in the northwest region of the state include Bison, Newell, Faith, Whitewood and Lead/Deadwood. In the southwest/south central region the communities are Hot Springs, Buffalo Gap, Martin, Philip, Murdo, and Presho. In the northeast/east-central part of the state, communities include Sisseton, Frederick, Conde, Estelline, Iroquois, Oldham and Sanborn Central. Southeastern communities working with SDSU in the program include Montrose, Armour, Tripp, Scotland, Tyndall and Wagner. In addition, eight other communities - Greenwood, Marty, Lakes Andes/White Swan, Mission, Parmalee, Medicine Root/Kyle, Porcupine, and White River - are participating in Horizons II through an identical program led by Sitting Bull College on the Standing Rock Reservation, also with support from the Northwest Area Foundation.

SDSU Extension Community Leadership Development Specialists Specialists Kari Fruechte and Karla Trautman said communities went through a process using “study circles” to zero in on specific areas where they can focus community energy in the short-term to reduce poverty. After the study circles had met at least five times, each community held an “action forum” where residents selected several priorities to act on as the process moves forward.

Fruechte said from that process, 20 communities found sharing information about resources and improving accessibility to be a key immediate priority. Meanwhile, at least 16 communities planned to take action on cleanup or beautification projects, and 11 communities focused on business development. A total of seven communities named youth activities as a key action item for their future, while the same number came up with plans to fix or build a community center. Smaller numbers of communities came up with other action items ranging from buy local campaigns and community gardens to rural tourism.

The Horizons II communities still have a year to go in the project, Fruechte said. After completing LeadershipPlenty classes, communities will carry out a “visioning” process for their futures.

Trautman noted that data from a newly released survey commissioned by the Northwest Area Foundation on public attitudes toward poverty underscores the need the Horizons II project is trying to address. The survey finds that 66 percent of South Dakotans know someone in their community who works two or more jobs and struggles to make ends meet, compared to 50 percent of Americans nationally. Slightly more than half of South Dakotans view many in their communities as struggling.

“The fact that 53 percent of South Dakotans perceive that a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet helps us put a face to the fact that poverty is more prevalent than we think it is,” Trautman said. “Citizens might not have looked around their community before and realized that, Yes, poverty is present here, and we can do something about it.” Trautman said

SDSU Extension is in the process of expanding its work with South Dakota communities by re-focusing some existing extension educator positions towards community innovation and leadership.

By Lucy Halverson, Lyman County Herald   October 31, 2007

The Presho Horizons Strategic Planning Committee is seeking public comment on the ten year vision they drafted October 25.

Their draft vision is: “Presho will be a community of at least 1000 where the residents want to stay and visitors want to come back. Citizens will enjoy a good standard of living with quality housing, living wage jobs, affordable health care and family-nurturing activities. We will demonstrate community pride by having attractive, well-maintained homes along hard-surfaced streets flanked by modern, well-lit sidewalks. Our community is committed to providing our students with an excellent high-tech education that prepares them for the future. There will be activities for all, especially the youth and seniors. Our town will thrive for many years to come.”

Comments may be posted on Presho Horizon’s blog site at http://presho.communityblogs.us/ or written comments may be dropped off at the Presho Library. Committee members will meet again 6:30 pm, Tuesday, November 6 at the Presho Courts to review comments, finalize the vision, and begin developing goals and objectives of the strategic plan. Meetings are open to the public and all are encouraged to participate.

Those participating in the October 25 meeting were Nicole Husman, Dawn Keyes, Owen Garnos, Teresa Shook, Michelle Lintvedt, Mandy Cole, Tanner Langdeau, Deb Smith and Brooke Smith with Dan Oedekoven moderating the session. 
 

By Lucy Halverson , Lyman County Herald  August 24, 2007

The community of Presho has completed the first phase of the Horizons Project and will soon be moving into phase II. With the completion of phase I, the Presho Horizons steering committee members report as of this date, the community has received nearly $10,000. Horizons receives funding through the Northwest Area Foundation of St. Paul, Minnesota. During the community meetings and gatherings the Horizons Project furnished meals, speakers, childcare, and training to those involved. Local Presho eating establishments were hired to cater the meals. Most recently, Horizons funds have purchased the following items for the betterment of the community of Presho.

• Outdoor lighting for the two Welcome to Presho signs on the east and west side of town. A local electrical company has been hired to install the lights. The estimated cost of the lighting project is $2,239. The city will assume the monthly electricity bill.

• A DVD player, outdoor speakers and large screen were purchased to be used for more free Movies in the Park, after Dark. This equipment is available to be used in the community. See Mike or Angela at the BankWest Financial Building.

• The printing of 5,000 Greater Lyman Foundation (GLF) brochures. The GLF has been set up to benefit the Greater Lyman Community. It is associated with the South Dakota Community Foundation.

• Several items were bought and donated to the non-profit Lyman Learning Center including a rocking chair, toothbrush rack and covers, and a television.
• Over $900 in Presho Area Chamber Bucks were bought to be given away at promotional events.
• An advertising budget was put into place with the Lyman County Herald to be used to advertise upcoming Horizon events.

This isn’t the end of the Horizons Project funding as more funds will be forthcoming upon the completion of the next phase of the project. Phase II of the project is intended to paint a picture of the community’s future and develop a plan to make that picture a reality. The process to do this will involve five meetings over a 3-4 month period-a Kick-Off event, three planning meetings, and a Celebration event. The goal is to have a written plan in place and begin its implementation by November 1, 2007. The grant period ends on June 30, 2008. However, community members will have the knowledge and methods to continue to implement their objectives beyond that date and keep working to improve the community. The Presho Horizons Project is open to all community members. If you missed Phase I you can still get involved with Phase II. Watch the Herald for more information regarding upcoming Kick-Off Events.