Scobey, MT

The top three responses to improve the quality of life in Scobey and Daniels county were livable wage jobs 68%, improved economy and health care are 44 & 42% of the 105 respondents checking these items out of 8 possibilities. 38% are willing or very willing to volunteer to help with a Horizons project. That’s pretty remarkable as only 10% of those completing this survey that was published in the Daniels County Leader, the weekly newspaper, had been involved in study Circles. Of the topics listed, top issues for Scobey were 1. youth, health and education 2. economic development almost tied followed by community enhancement and housing. From January 3, 2008 to March 13, 2008 the local weekly newspaper published the results of the Horizons survey on 11- part series. It communicated to local and regional readers, what the responses to the survey thought about the past, present and future of Daniels County and how those responses felt about poverty and solutions to address it could be handled in the community.

Pioneer Days/Dirty Shame Show Dedicated to the 1963 Chorus Line - is the byline for the cover of the Daniels County Leader this week! The Dirty Shame Belles are celebrating their 45th Birthday in 2008! It is the 42nd annual Pioneer Days and Antique Show (June 28-29) and the Dirty Shame Show (June 27-29) are both dedicated this year to a special group of 13 ladies - the original Dirty Shame Belles chorus line!

The weekend gets underway Friday, June 27th, at 7pm when the first Dirty Shame Show performs, featuring the Dirty Shame Belles dancing and kicking to the music of the Dixieland Jazz Band, which always begins playing 30 minutes prior to showtime! Rick Graetz, famed Montana publisher, labeled Pioneer Town “the best museum of its kind in the Northwest”. View the outstanding outdoor museum with 35 preserved buildings (51 in all) on 20 acres portraying early 20th centruy homestead life.

The Horizons program, partnering with the Daniels County Museum Board, Nemont, Scobey Lions, Scobey Schools, Daniels County 4H/Fairgrounds, Daniels County NRCS and the City of Scobey, along with a host of individual volunteers and groups have taken pride in preparing for this weekend! The Class of 2008 spent an entire day, working at the museum grounds to get a head start on the preparation for this weekend in particular! The group worked to take down lights from exteriors of buildings, clean inside of buildings, clean up the grounds, miscellaneous repairs and clean-up throughout the Pioneer Town area were completed throughout the day! The group of 15 young men and women believed in the cause of the community effort to the extent that they donated the remaining funds in their class account, $2,000+, to the Daniels County Museum Association.

Local people enjoy being involved in the show, volunteering at the various booths, breakfasts and ticket stands. Pioneer Town is a great place to enjoy history, visit with old and new friends, and experience a variety of good clean fun! Call the museum at 487- 5965 if you are interested in attending a show or have any questions!

Information obtained from the Daniels County Leader, Scobey

Website: (http://www.scobey.org/museum.html)

It’s happened at previous meetings but now seems in bedded in the community. The city and other organizations like 911 are coming to the Horizons group to help make things happen. This Sunday it was the city that met with the horizons steering committee at their monthly meeting asking to collaborate for help with the swimming pool. The problem is the cost of running a community pool is around $34,000. Income from users generates $4000 leaving a shortfall of $30,000. It doesn’t take rocket science to see the budget draining. After brainstorming the group thought the public needed to be educated. Scobey built it’s pool 52 years ago after 2 kids drowned in the river. They were trying to solve the poverty issue (poor in spirit) offering a positive place for youth to go. The family rate is now $75/year no matter how many kids. The group suggested raising rates and offering scholarships for those who couldn’t afford it. Also they are starting with an awareness campaign featured on the front page of this week’s Daniels Co. Leader, the weekly paper. (It’s great to have the staff writer, Mike Stebleton, a strong believer that poverty reduction is the key to a thriving community, on the steering committee.) A radioathon is in the pool’s future as Scobey has generated over $700,000 in radioathons for different causes through the years. Other groups such as the food bank and 911 address system have partnered with the Horizons steering committee. They are known for making well thought out decisions with a cross section of the community; for thinking outside the box on what resources are available and making structural changes to better their community.

On April 28, fourteen community members attended a workshop designed to help them learn more about Serving on Public Boards in Montana. Paul Lachapelle, MSU Extension Community Development Specialist, was the guest speaker. The workshop was sponsored by Montana Horizons and Scobey Horizons.

Paul takes a somewhat “dry” subject and makes it very informative and useful for community members serving in elected capacity or as appointed volunteers on county boards or city councils. The two hours flew by with lots of questions still wanting to be asked at the end of the workshop. Paul was able to distribute his handbook entitled “Serving on County Boards, Districts, Commissions and Committees in Montana - A Handbook for Members, Local Government Officials and Citizens”free to all participants. This was also made possible by Montana Horizons.

In rural communities, serving on boards, is many times a honor or a burden, depending on how an individual feels about volunteering in a community. However, serving with an understanding of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) is imperative for a board member to be effective and make a change in their community.

The attendees were all members of either a County Board or worked for local government as Mayors or clerks. Paul did an outstanding job and was held as a “Scobey captive” for a hour after the program answering many questions.

This program aided in addressing two of the Action Plans in Scobey’s Vision - Communications and Economic Development. It illustrated how boards making decisions that affect community members can be more effective when board business is conducted properly. It can also facilitate a Board to be more supportive of needs and concerns of a community due to understanding how a board is suppose to function within it’s resolutions and by-laws.

Juniors and seniors from Scobey High School took a trip down to Glendive to visit the college. They attended different workshops showing interesting and exciting opportunities that all students could learn about, some of these included Selling on Ebay, Wine making, Buy Fresh Buy Local, Rural Tourism. Buy Fresh And Buy Local:This workshop was probably the best workshop I went to yesterday at the Horizons Getaway to Oppurtunity entrepreneur get together. It talked about keeping your business local, and not going crazy at Wal-marts. Also how we could start small time farmers markets in our small towns so that all the businesses would be local.Selling on E-bay:If you want to make a little extra cash you maybe want to consider selling on ebay. Instead of throwing away what you might think is trash, could be someone elses treasure. During this workshop, Bruce Smith, gave the rundown on how to buy and sell on e-bay. He gave many interesting tips and tidbits on what and what not to do.Wine making:For every type of wine there is a different type of grape used. The procces can be very tedious to insure the wine will be perfect. Fermenting the alcohol for wine can create a different essence to it and taste. This also depends on the amount of sugar used and fruit added to the grapes.The trip was a great success influencing the young minds of Scobey High School students. I would recommend that we should take the trip every other year so that new students can learn about different workshops.Bevy Lee and AJ Ekmescic 

The evening of Nov. 29 was a cold one outside, - 15, but a very warm and productive one at the Horizon’s Visioning Event in Scobey.  With a lot of positive energy and discussion, a Vision Statement was composed.  Bruce Smith, Dawson County Extension Agent lead the group in the photo,  giving us direction for a clear Vision for 2020.

Our vision statement is:

Scobey/Daniels County is an intergenerational clean and welcoming community that has progressive, thriving and diversified businesses. Our community has ample, affordable energy-efficient housing for all members of the community.  We have a small town atmosphere that values the education and health and well-being of the whole community through the preservation of our wealth, heritage and culture.

    A great chili supper was served and the Scobey High School Jobs for Montana Grads shared their power point presentations on their current vision of Scobey & Daniels County. At left are Kim, Summer, Bevy and Orchid enjoying an awesome supper!

Stay tuned for the next blog. Lots to share!

Horizons in Scobey has begun it’s Phase III by sending a community survey as an insert in the Daniels County Leader, the local weekly newspaper.  This is a new approach to reaching local residents and those who have moved away, but still feel Scobey is home.  The Daniels County Leader reaches over 1,500 people. The first 50 surveys returned in person to the office will recieve a $5.00 gas gift certificate at two local merchants.  In the first few days the response has been very positive.

The survey is also accessible on line at www.surveymonkey.com/ScobeySurvey.

The next step for the Horizon’s Steering Committee is to do the survey with the Junior and Senior Classes at Scobey High School and a group of Senior Citizens at the local independence living facility. We look forward to working with both age groups.

In preparation for Scobey’s upcoming Community Visioning, the Horizons Steering Committee is asking for your input.  Communitiy members can fill out a printed survey (hard copy) form by contacting the Horizons Community Coach, Bobbie Roos, at (406) 487-2861, or by e-mail at broos@montana.edu.  She will be happy to send you a copy, or you can download the survey - fill it out and drop it off at the Extension Office. ScobeyCommunitySurvey

Want to fill out the survey online?  Click on the following link to fill out a survey from the Internet at http://www.surveymonkey.com/ScobeySurvey.