| Q: |
Why
did you decide to participate in Helping Small Towns Suceed? |
| A: |
Jean
Anne:
No one in this town was willing to stick with any future planning.
We hoped the training from Heartland would give us credentials
enough at our own expense that we could plan town meetings
and show that enthusiasm could accomplish more than what the
oil industry and Wall Street financiers of hogs had left us.
|
| Q: |
What
did you learn that you found particularly useful? |
| A: |
Jean
Anne:
There was a multitude of ideas, and Heartland as a group was
truly interested in helping rural America and small towns.
The surprise was Milan´s unique session on conflict resolution-I
had dealt with the subject in many organization workshops
I have attended over the years, but that Sunday morning was
the best I have encountered.
Mapping community assets was easy with the "fancy" name.
I think " 20 Clues" needs to be revisited on a regular
basis. Identifying and developing new leaders is difficult
in an aging community with all the young adults working to
just keep a family going.
|
| Q: |
How
have you utilized your training in accomplishing your community
development goals? |
| A: |
Helen:
When we returned we asked five community leaders-a farmer,
a high school junior, the news-paper editor, the mayor and
the Lions Club president-to join us on a steering committee
for Hennessey 2010.
Jean
Anne: We appeared at a town council meeting, presented
a brief overview of what we had learned, enlisted the newspaper
to help publicize what was intended, and took a deep breath.
About 80 people turned out for the first meeting last February.
The numbers dwindled for the next two months, but some diehards
stayed with us.
|
| Q: |
What
have the "diehards" accomplished so far? |
| A: |
Helen:
Since then we have organized working committees for expanded
telephone service, low-cost housing, downtown beautification,
a garden club, an art club and a theatre group. The Farmers
Market also began this past summer. Several development grants
have been applied for, and CDGB funds have been awarded for
water improvements.
|
| Q: |
What
has been your biggest challenge? |
| A: |
Jean
Anne:
Dealing with dissension over an abandoned school building
on Main Street. It´s connected to a gymnasium and a part
of the city hall complex. It is an eyesore, but the two-story
building houses the city offices and library. That will be
our big project.
|
| Q: |
And
your greatest accomplishments? |
| A: |
Jean
Anne:
We have a terrific librarian who has been keeping an after-school
program going--anywhere from 20 to 80 children--who have decided
to "hang-out" at the library. We have tutoring programs
started, snacks provided by the Ministerial Alliance, two to
four volunteers helping, and are hanging on by our thumbs. As
always, money will be the crunch. |
