Steele, ND

Within our midst lurks a mysterious flower bandit.  This amazing thief attacks only once a year, at county fair time, and whisks away only the most beautiful flowers from the garden and only the loveliest of hanging baskets. 

And what happens to the stolen merchandise?  They end up at the Kidder County Historical Flower show!  It’s a fact.  This year one of the baskets won the prize for Grand Champion Hanging arrangement.  The bandit strikes only in daylight hours and only the homes of vacationers.  So beware!

I had a chance to visit with the bandit in my office today and she freely admits to moving flowers to the show.  And then moving them back home again.  In fact, she was very apologetic that she missed my yellow tiger lilies.  I assured her they were not the same prize winning flowers as last year which is why I didn’t enter them myself.

One of the things that make small town living so much fun are people who go the extra mile. 

So here’s to you flower bandit!  Thanks for bringing so much joy to so many people.

Yes I will reveal the identity of the bandit but not unless you respond to this blog!

On Wednesday we gathered together in Bismarck for our “graduation” from the Horizons program.  Words simply can not tell how proud I am of our community.  Like a great stone thrown in a quiet pond the ripples of Horizons will continue to be felt for a long time.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made graduation possible.  Looking back on the last eighteen months I am able to see that once we began the journey it took on a life of its own.

People came and went. Some chose to participate here but not there.  Some came once. Some came every-time. Together we made it to the end…stronger than we began.

One of the loveliest places on the prairie lies just southeast of Steele on the Kidder and Stutsman County line.  In 1977  the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center (CGREC) was built 6 1/2 miles northwest of Streeter. It serves 18 counties in what is known as the Missouri Coteau region, an area bound by the Missouri River on the west and the James River on the east. This is a land of rolling hills and shallow wetlands.  Hence the name so familiar to birders “the Prairie Pothole region”.

 Although I was swamped with things to do last Thursday I decided to attended the Grasslands annual field tour and I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the land and it people.

I love the prairie with its changing seasons.  Spring always brings the birding migration of literally hundreds of birds.  When I tell you I need a check list to just to keep track of how many different species I see while birding I am not kidding.  Summer brings the smell of clover and alfalfa being made into hay under the blazing prairie sun and clear blue sky.  Sometimes the heat is so intense that just for a split second it takes your breath away. Then fall comes and trees shimmer with gold, red, and green leaves as the migrating birds say good by and make the long trek to warmer lands in the south.  And who can not love winter? The howling winds, the dark nights snuggled under a quilt drinking hot chocolate and watching all the movies you didn’t have time to catch in the summer. 

Perhaps living here I may miss out on some “cultural” opportunities that large cities offer but my life is rich and full. 

Bill Well from Medina summed up my feelings with this quote, “I came to Medina to teach Vocational Agriculture in 1956 and I’m still here.  The Coteau is where my wife Janet and I built our homestead and raised our family.  The Coteau offers such a variety of opportunities to raise crops and livestock that is almost unequaled.  The wildlife and migratory bird populations on the Coteau has been a definite influence on our family as they grew and started careers in agriculture and education here in North Dakota on the Coteau.  I wouldn’t have traded my life and my experiences on the Coteau for anything.”

Isn’t hard to believe that summer is flying by?  Next week will be the 4th of July already and then it will be time for busy Moms to think about school shopping.

Butthis week something special just for kids is happening at the Four Seasons Park next to the football field.  Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) will be holding a free day camp for kids in the park on Monday and Tuesday from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm.  The outdoor camp is geared for elementary kids.  Pre-schoolers are welcome too but they must be accompanied by an adult.  The only thing you will need to bring is a sack lunch.

It is a little late to wrap up, but better late than never.  this years  veterans thank you pic-nic  and BBQ was held at the Steele Vets Club with close to 300 attending. A display of over 100  kidder County veterans pictures were on display, with  other military things being shown throughout the hall.  A   Major  Hartter  was the speaker who thalked about his recent time in Iraq where he was wounded. A very good speaker who moved the crowd. A young singer/songwriter came and sang very moving songs about veterans.. the color guard  from  both Dawson and Tappen presented the colors and looked  great doing it. The food was super and the help was out of this world..Again they just showed up and went to work, I can’t thank them enough for all they do. Now I will start working on next years program and I am still looking for pictures of local vets still with us or passed on so I can frame them for next year..Again thanks to all who came ans a special thanks to all who helped..Skip  Thomas Veteran Service Officer  kidder County ND

The Steele Senior Center is in the process of getting an new coat of paint! Kathy Oster has been busy since last week scraping, priming and painting the outside of the senior center. A cool gray with dark gray accents give this building, that sees a lot of comings and goings, an updated look.

The center is owned by the Active Seniors Club and houses such businesses as Sandi’s Hair and Nail Salon, Kidder County Food Pantry and the Kidder Emmons Senior Services.

Sandi’s is open three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sandi also does hair at the Golden Manor on Monday mornings.

The Kidder County Food Pantry is open by appointment only. Appointments may be made by calling Brends Schultz, coordinator. They also organize and distribute senior commodities and regular commodities.

Kidder Emmons Senior Serivies (KESS) provides the aging population in the are with great hot meals five days a week and meals on wheels to homebound people. Frozen meals are available to out of towners and Outreach is a service that helps connect people to needed services, And last but certainly not least is the adult bus service. Going to Bismarck twice weekly and to Jamestown twice a month allows many to get to doctor appointments with very little effort. Cost for the bus is just $7.00 round trip. Consider the cost of a priovate vehicle. Lets say that your car gets 25 miles to the gallon. It is 84 miles round trip to Bismarck from Steele (this does not include any in town driving). The price of gas is $4.00 a gallon. So, roughly, it will cost you at least $13.00+ to drive to Bismarck. Add the price of the fuel to your grocery bill and see if you really have “saved” by driving to Bismarck. This is definetly a plus to shopping
at home! No only is it extremely economical it is a real treat to be dropped off and picked up at the door to the clinic or shoppiong mall. No looking for parking or braving the cold or wind to find your vehicle. Any one may ride the bus by making reservation at the senior center. Children that must be in car or booster seats must have seats provided by the parent.

I have enjoyed the whole experience of the Horizons project.  It has not only challenged me to totally re-evaluate my thinking about the definition of poverty but it has challenged me to grow as a person.  So I must admit that at times I feel a bit dazed.

Think what this program has done for our community. 

Over 40 people, young and old, took part in a six week study circles.  27 people took the LeadershipPlenty Training.  Over 200 people took part in the community survey.  Our library is stocked with some of the best self help books in the country. These are marvelous resources. We have an extremely efficient, user friendly, digital camera to take pictures for the blog, which I plan on mastering in my life time.

The Kidder County Food Pantry stepped out from under the umbrella of the Ministerial Association to create their own board to better serve those in need.

Last fall we reached beyond our own comfort levels  nearly a hundred people listed to Carrie Gross describe her role in keeping homeless kids in school in Bismarck.

We have a gorgeous new disc golf course and the school will be helping us sell the Frisbees here in Steele.  This course is at one of our most beautiful parks.  What a great way to utilize the park!  What a great way to spend family time! 

The Ministerial Association is planning to start a SADD chapter to give kids the tools to make better life choices.

And the movie theatre project is slowly moving along in spite of various challenges.  We will be holding a town hall meeting in the near future to get volunteer input.  So watch for ads in the Ozone on times and dates.

Many thanks to all of you who have made Horizons happen.  July 9th will be the wrap up meeting in Bismarck at the Ramkota so please let me know if you would like to attend.  We can all be proud of the hard work that has taken place!

During a recent community rural forum, representatives from Steele discussed what it took to keep medical services available in the community.  The partnerships formed and the combined efforts of individuals and businesses to open a medical clinic to ensure access to basic medical care deserve applause.  Their story is an inspiration for those who want to learn what it takes to retain basic services in a rural community.

Hi Kathy,

Thanks for the post. 

We are very proud of our community clinic and we were one of the first cities in ND to earmark 1% of our city sales tax for health care.  I’m not sure if you are of aware of this but the repayment of medicare and medicaid do not keep up with today’s cost of medical care.  Health care facilities are only reimbursed a percentage of the actual billing.  So having this little cushion of tax money every quarter is most helpful.  Plus being able to use our sales tax money like this lets everyone in the community support the clinic.  Each time we fill gas, buy groceries or eat at the cafe we can say we have “donated” to the clinic.

Alva

I have long been a great fan of rural communities.  I was born in one.  Raised in one. And when our children were old enough to start school my wife, Alva, and I made a decision that we wanted our children to receive their education in one.

At first the transition to rural living from city life was a little difficult.   But I became ingrained in the slower pace of rural living. Over the years my joy in living here has continued to grow until, now, I find it hard to picture myself living anywhere else. 

On Friday June 13th Alva and I attended a rural community forum in Bismarck sponsored by the ND Community Foundation and facilitated by Cher Hursrud.  The purpose was, not only to give rural communities a chance to share their success stories, but to encourage us to network and problem solve. The room at the Heritage Center was infused with the kind of positive energy that successful adventure always brings. 

We heard how Reeder, population 150, has renovated their old school into a multi purpose building that houses rental rooms for hunters, a first class work out room, commercial kitchen, and a gym.  It is the gathering place for the community.  We were cheered by the success of New England in starting a community owned store.   We marveled at the creativity of North Dakota folks as Annette Schilling from ND Tourism, shared information on learning based vacations now offered in the state.  We were challenged by Cheryl Planert of Beach and her quest to  organize organic farmers and spread the word about the benefits of knowing where our food is grown.  (Consider this fact: most of the potatoes we buy are sprayed 10 times before they find their way to our local grocery stores.)  Patti Pettri inspired us with her report the Bowdon Development Group who are working on keeping their meat locker plant and grocery store open since the owner suddenly died this spring. And, lastly, we were given pertinent information about starting a community Foundation by Patricia Bowen of Ellendale.

Yes, Friday was a refreshing day.  A day that was spent with great people who have great vision.  I am more certain than ever that the future is bright for rural communities who will accept the challenge of finding new ways to grow.

The atmosphere at Cottonwood Golf Course was relaxed last Friday as three members from the North Dakota Department of Commerce, Laura Willard, Gordon La France and Eric Icard presented a brief overview of what they can do to help smaller rural communities continue to thrive.  Laura was instrumental  in helping Steele bring Verety,  a work from home remote order service company, to the community several years ago. 

After lunch a small group of people toured DeVore Custom Meats, Zimmerman Manufacturing, BEK Communications and KIDCO Farms in Dawson.  For more information on the Department of Commerce go to their web site at www.growingnd.com .

Steele Area Economic Development and the Horizons steering committee partnered together to provide this working lunch for interested area leaders.