November 16: Today is the feast day of St. Margaret of Scotland, patron saint of St. Margaret Catholic Church in Kimball.
St. Margaret, born in exile in Hungary, married Malcolm III, King of Scots.While queen consort of Scotland, Margaret bore eight children and devoted her life to encouraging her husband and teaching her children to be just and kind to the people of Scotland.
Margaret is known for her works of charity. She frequently visited and cared for the sick. She built hostels for housing the poor. During Advent and Lent she held feasts at the royal castle for as many as 300 commoners.
Much loved by her subjects, Margaret died at the age of 47, her body no longer able to sustain her rigorous schedule of prayer and charity work. She died on November 16, 1093.
The KIP Ladies have been around a long time and do lots of good things around town. The salad supper is a major fund raiser for this group, so come on out and support them.
I'm knowing Laurie Apple will be gettin' some of my money at her newly opened business, Osage Lakota Artworks. Formerly an e-based business, Osage Lakota Artworks is now a bricks and mortar offering wonderful beadwork, canes, beading supplies and prairie turnips.
Located just off Interstate 90 exit 284 at Kimball, SD, near the tractor museum.
Especially touching to hear Dave Lehr's tribute to his wife Sarah. He said the scholarship given in her memory was for a student with a "can do" attitude. He said that is what Sarah was all about, a can do attitude. Amen.
J-A-N-S Frosty King is opening today. I was advised to come early and stand in line, and no I was not going to get free food for being first in line. In fact, I was advised that I would probably not be first in line. Taking camera, photos will be posted.
A wind-blown Dan Lyons walked into Kimball mid-afternoon yesterday, stayed for supper and visited with us, spent the night and left early today. Walking to White Lake in a light rain. Expected over there early afternoon.
Dan is an extraordinary guy. He left Olympia, Washington earlier this year, taking a northern route to avoid bad weather on a southern route. Headed to West Palm Beach, Florida. Walking to raise awareness about Locks of Love, a program that provided a hair piece for his 17 year old daughter during her fight against breast cancer. Dan's on his fifth walk across the US. He started walking to bring awareness, but also to clear his head. You see, Dan lost his daughter to breast cancer and not long after that, his dear wife to a drunk driver. Dan walks so we can know.
Who's Dan Lyons and why are we getting together with him?
Well, Dan is from California, and he's walking across the US to bring awareness to the Locks of Love program. He lost his daughter and wife to cancer, and is himself a cancer survivor.
Please join Dan for dinner and a brief presentation on the Locks of Love program at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28th, at Ditty's Diner. Dan is not soliciting funds, but has information on how to donate to Locks of Love.
Christiansen Park, named in honor of Helen Christiansen who donated the land for the park, is a tiny bit of tree-shaded oasis in downtown Kimball. Purple phlox and other perennials have been poking their heads up.
Saw these lovelies on latest walk around town. Tulips are pretty, but lily of the valley are my favorite flower...thus, making me love muguet de bois perfume as a teenager.
Thursday, April 1, is graduation day for 12 students in the Managing Your Business course sponsored by South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension and hosted by the Kimball Horizons Team. Instructor for the course was Dr. Larry Swain, Rural Business Management Extension Specialist, SDSU.
In addition to a presentation by the Small Business Administration, a visit from the president of the local chamber of commerce, and a recognition get-together by the chamber of the commerce, the students have been busy with this for the past six weeks:
WEEK I
Registrations, Introductions
Business Survey by participants
Pitfalls of running your own business
Steps to Business Success
Checklist for Success
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Management Strategy Planning
Getting Organized
Short Business Plan overview
WEEK II
Describing y our business
SWOT Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Market Potentials/Market Share
WEEK III
Understanding and Dealing with People/Swain Personality Styles
In June 2008 Kimball received a letter asking if the community was interested in participating in the Horizons Program. On March 26th the Kimball Area became graduates of the Program. The Horizons Program is a poverty reduction initiative funded by the Northwest Area Foundation, and delivered by SDSU Cooperative Extension Service to qualifying rural communities of less than 5000 residents with a poverty rate of no less than 10%.
In August, 2008 the Kimball Chamber of Commerce made application for the Horizons Program and notification was received later that month that Kimball was selected as a Horizons Community. Thus, began an 18-month process designed to train community leaders and begin poverty reduction in the community. A steering committee was assembled and the project was named Kimball’s Amazing Race into the Future.
As a first step, study groups were formed. Community members filled out surveys. They were lead in facilitated discussions about what needed to change in the community and lists of the ideas were developed. In the next step, Leadership Plenty training was provided over a ten-week period. Participants learned the concepts of the Horizons program and then began the process of leading community visioning. A strategic planning committee developed the community visioning into a community plan with 5 goals. This plan was recently revised to contain 6 goals. As the community plan was being developed, it was decided that the rural areas surround Kimball would be included in the development and implementation of the goals.
The community plan was submitted to the Northwest Area Foundation for review, and was presented at a community action rally at Kimball School on August 20, 2009. In September, word was received from SDSU that the Northwest Area Foundation approved Kimball’s community plan and was awarding a $10,000 grant for implementation of the plan.
As part of the March 26th celebration event, the Knights of Columbus served a free-will donation pancake supper, and supplemental funds were provided by Thrivent. Proceeds are being donated to support the Kimball Area Resource Center, which is scheduled to open in May. Cake and SDSU ice cream were also served.
Maynard Konechne, local leader for the Horizons project, opened the evening’s celebration with a brief history of the project and thanked everyone for all the hard work done on the project. He said “I think you will see as the program continues [with] the vision…what can be accomplished when we work together.” He said there is still work to be done as the goals are implemented, and continued support is need for these worthwhile endeavors.
Kimball Mayor Wayne Tupper gave his congratulations to the group and said, “The city is eager to partner whenever possible with the Horizons group as you implement your projects. All this work is for the betterment of our community.”
Project updates were given by Nancy Herrmann, clean up; Wayne Woodraska, newsletter; Maynard Konechne, housing; Pam Geppert and Maria Birch, Kimball Area Resource Center. Mark Grussing announced the formation of a community foundation group.
On hand for the check presentation were Dave Olson, Community Coach from SDSU Cooperative Extension and Kari Fruechte, Horizons Project Director. A laptop computer, an LCD projector, and a community sign were also presented. Olson said, “This graduation is in recognition of all your hard work over the past 18 months, and it’s also just the beginning.”
Nathan and Theresa West of Dakota Winds Motel were honored for providing a temporary location for the Resource Center. Honored for his years of hard work in getting the Horizons program to Kimball and helping to keep the program running over the past 18 months was Maynard Konechne. Door prizes of pheasant mounts, SDSU ice cream and gas cards were won by: Gary Leiferman, Audrey Konechne, Nancy Herrmann, Jeff Treit, Ellen Cross, Jan Urban, Pat Woodraska, Alex Martin, Maxine Konechne, Victoria Laubach, Gladys Kott, Helen Rosenberger and Hani Harmon. For information on the Kimball Area Horizons Program or to receive a copy of the community plan, contact Maynard Konechne at 778-6939.
On Tuesday, April 6 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. the South Dakota Horizons Program is sponsoring a Marketing Local Foods seminar at Kimball Protestant Parish, 300 South Babcock Street. This program is free and open to the public. A light supper will be provided at 6 p.m., followed by presentations by Rhoda Burrows, SDSU Cooperative Extension Service and Dustin Larson, SD Department of Health. Pre-registration for the supper is required, contact Debbie Bortnem at 605 688-6191. Local contact is Maria Birch at 778-6369.
On Palm Sunday, March 28, the Men of Kimball Protestant Parish will be serving their annual Build Your Own Omelete Breakfast. Proceeds go to support mission work and various parish activities. Kimball Protestant Youth are holding a bake sale for their mission project of sending blankets to Haiti. Both events start after morning worship...11:00 a.m.ish
Kimball Protestant Parish is located at 300 South Babcock Street, corner of Hwy 45 & Babcock Street on the west side of Kimball.
