Iroquois, SD

Our electronic sign is finally in and running!! What a fantastic addition to our town. If anyone is coming our way from out of town, slow down a little and check it out. Some landscaping needs to be done yet but we have some gals trained on using it and following our annual Sports Day we’ll get the necessary downloads and it will be ready for community posting. Right now we’re using it to advertise the schedule for the Sports Day weekend, July 11, 12 and 13th. This sign is a direct result of our Horizons Study Circles and the assessment of community needs that resulted from that. Thanks to all participants in those Study Circles. Great things DO happen when people get together and discuss things.

    Monday afternoon, the elementary students participated in the Summer Reading and Writing program kick-off. Student and teachers dressed as cowboys and cowgirls to go with the theme of the program. Barb Madison read to the entire group before the children were divided into teams. Each team rotated to five different stations including: singing songs around the campfire, branding and decorating their journal covers, making saddle bags, lassoing, eating s’mores, and running barrel races and playing horse shoes. Each child has a summer reading and writing goal to work toward. Children achieving their goal will earn prizes and the special opportunity to participate in fun activities at the beginning of the next school year. The elementary teachers plan a summer reading and writing program each year to help the children practice these important skills throughout the summer months.

Saturday, February 9, the Iroquois Horizons group held their celebration.  The group came together to discuss and distribute the community’s strategic plan.  The extreme cold hindered attendance, but the evening provided much opportunity to share ideas and visit.  Piano and vocal entertainment was provided by music director, Rod Ulrich and middle school student, Phyllis.  Cheryl Jacobs, SDSU Extension coordinator, attended our meeting. 

An electronic sign will be installed this spring along highway 14.  Businesses, groups, and individuals will be able to use this sign to let others know what’s happening in our town.  The completion of this project will be possible only through the efforts of the entire community.  Fundraisers are being planned in March.  The elementary students are currently collecting coins toward this effort.  Any business, group, or individual wishing to contribute toward the sign may drop off their donation at the Farmers and Merchants State Bank. 

Along with two others from Iroquois and a representative of BASEC from Yale, I attended the Housing Seminar in Howard on February 19. We started off the evening with a delicious meal and then moved into a presentation from the Rural Learning Center in Howard. That Center is studying rural ways of living and in particular for this seminar, the need to re-think rural housing.The next section of the seminar focused on agencies and people who are available to help with housing needs in our area. Represented were USDA Rural Development, Iroquois Housing, BASEC of Yale, SD, Rural Learning Center of Howard, HUD (Housing and Urban Development), SDHDA (South Dakota Housing Development Authority), NESDCAP (Northeast South Dakota Community Action Project)and the planning districts were also mentioned as resources. Each agency spoke briefly on progams available from them. The programs available are too long to list here but are extensive from fix-up projects to new homes with attractive loan rates. If you have housing needs contact any of these agencies or Iroquois Housing and we’ll try to help steer you in the right direction. I have contact information for the agencies listed. This seminar was a prime example of a word we’ve heard many times since beginning our Horizons study, “networking”. Here we had the chance to talk to people in charge of administering programs as well as talk to people from other towns in our area who all have the exact concerns we here in Iroquois do; how do we expand affordable housing to all who wish it? The ideas were many, the problems are many, but none are so overwhelming that the hurdles cannot be overcome. Let’s all keep working together to make rural South Dakota a great place to live!

I believe our community’s first step toward addressing poverty was to work together to become a Horizon Community.  Through this process, we have joined together to establish goals to address poverty. 

Being a small town, we lack many resources that larger communities can offer.  One resource we lack is opportunity for entertainment.  The steps we have taken to address this are creating a sand volleyball pit, and horseshoe pit in the city park, forming walking/exercise groups at the school, establishing a “Town and Country” showcase in the summer to promote local artisans and entrepreneurs, and erecting an electronic sign (to be in place in the near future) along Highway 14, to keep our community informed of upcoming events. 

Iroquois Housing has also taken steps to address proverty.  They have purchased lots, and have removed old buildings in the community.  This has greatly improved the appearance of our town.  They have built many new homes, providing affordable housing to current citizens as well as welcoming new ones. 

I came across this site.  It looks like a promising opportunity for our community to apply for additional money to help with projects.  Please check it out and tell me what you think.  Thanks! 

http://www.myhometownhelper.com/

Check out the comment on the Sanborn Central site concerning the Affordable Housing Seminar to be held in Howard, SD on Feb. 19. Many “experts” on housing in SD will be there and also a couple of us from Iroquois Housing will be in attendance to relay our experiences in creative housing and hopefully bring home some new ideas. Please check it out and if interested, attend. It’s going to take all of us, in all our communities, to overcome the housing problems of small town SD.

The Iroquois Community Club met tonight at the High School Library.  The Iroquois Community Club and Horizons group agreed to join forces to promote our community and its activities.  We have decided to set up a calling tree to remind people of our meetings.  Upcoming events include our Horizons Celebration on Saturday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the south gym of the school.  We are asking for volunteers to meet on the 9th at 5:00 p.m. to help set up. 

Other upcoming community events:

Sports Day Planning Meeting, Monday, February 11,  7:00 p.m. at the city hall.

Community Club Meeting, Monday, March 3,  7:00 p.m. at the city hall.  (Please note the change of location)

Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, March 22, 2-4 p.m. at the school gyms.

The city of Iroquois is getting an electronic sign to be placed on Highway 14 near the Country Store. This is a joint effort of the Horizons group, city of Iroquois, Community Club and many citizens of the town. Hopefully we’ll be erecting the sign as soon as the weather moderates. It will be a two (2) line display facing both directions and will be an attractive light orange in color.