Bonners Ferry, ID

The Idaho Horizons project, will hold a one day trainings for Horizons communities on 11th called “Leading Community Conversations”.

The training is planned for Mar.11th in Plummer. Attendees will meet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Wellness Center. Communities attending the Plummer event will include Bonners Ferry, Silver Valley, Coeur d’Alene Reservation, St. Maries, Up River (Fernwood, Santa, and Emida), Bovill, Troy, Elk River, and Kendrick and Juliaetta.
The Idaho Horizons training “Leading Community Conversations” is the next in a series of community trainings through the Northwest Area Foundation-funded partnership with University of Idaho Extension.

This training will be led by David Beurle of Innovative Leadership Australia. David led communities through their community visioning sessions in the fall of 2007, and as promised by Horizons will return to motivate, engage and strengthen community during this training. Topics that will be addressed include: reconnecting your community by building enthusiasm, how to engage people in community-wide dialog, how to talk about rough subjects, how to deal with challenging personalities, and incorporating small town dynamics to build a”true community”.

The training is free and open to all members of Horizons communities, as well as other interested rural Idaho residents. Lunch will be provided to those attending the Grangeville and Plummer events.
More information about the Horizons program is available at http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons/training_regional.htm
Those planning to attend are asked to contact Meri Joswiak, Horizons program assistant, by email at merijoz@uidaho.edu or by telephone at (208) 885-8949.
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Community Potluck Celebration
December 10, 2007
Trinity Lutheran Church—Bonners Ferry
6:00 pm

Now is the time: Celebrate, get energized, inspired and encourages about our community’s future. Get involved you are our community’s most valuable resource.

Join us for a potluck and celebration as the action teams unveil their work plans. Be a part of the future as the Horizons Project moves toward action.

A partnership with Boundary Community Hospital, Northwest Area Foundation, the Montana Office of Rural Health and the Rural Health Resource Center of Duluth, Minnesota. A Community Council was formed by Boundary Community Hospital, which has met twice already. Through the Culture of Wellness, a community wide survey was sent out, to identify health care concerns and needs. The Community Council brings together a diverse group of citizens not seen in most other organizations.

The formation of a youth advisory committee for the Horizons project is underway at the BFHS. The youth advisory committee is our team’s first successful collaboration –bringing together our youth, school administrators, and faculty in a new community vision-focused partnership.

This committee will:
 Help identify youth needs and concerns
 Increase youth participation in the planning and activities of all Horizons Action Teams
 Coordinate youth volunteers for more effective community service

On behalf of the Horizons Project in Bonners Ferry I would like to cordially invite you to attend Talk & Tacos. This event is designed to bring the media resources for Boundary County together with the Horizons Project. Fourteen northern Idaho communities are participating in the Horizons program, a long-term partnership between the University of Idaho and the Minnesota-based Northwest Area Foundation. The Horizons program is designed to empower citizens to make rural Idaho a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. One specific goal of the Bonners Ferry Horizons Project is to help foster open communication within our community. The focus of this event is to identify what resources and tools are available in Bonners Ferry as well as look at creative ways to communicate activities and events. We are asking that at least one representative attend this enlightening evening.

Talk & Tacos
Monday, November 26, 2007
Boundary County Extension Office (located in downtown Bonners Ferry behind the Courthouse)
5:00 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m.
RSVP by calling 267-3235 or email me at ethiel@uidaho.edu

Check out our works plans!

Building Community Strengths Action Plan
Communication and Connections Work Plan
Business Development - Work Plan
Education - Work Plan

H-appy, Thriving community (the goal)
O-rganize & mobilize existing assets (people, places & groups)
R-eceive resources & support (grant funders)
I-nitiate community conversations (study circles/ action forum)
Z-ealous leadership (leadership plenty)
O-wn our own destiny (reinvent the future)
k-N-ow where we are going (unified vision)
S-pring into action (make significant changes to improve)

Bonners Ferry is a relaxed, alive, and inviting rural community that values its youth. We promote open communication to keep our community connected. We value our citizens and strive to preserve our quality of life. We prize education and recreational opportunities.

As a unique destination for visitors, we promote exploration of our natural landscape. We achieve a balanced growth that builds on our strengths and the sustainability of our existing natural resources. We nurture innovative ideas and environmentally friendly small businesses that will shape our future for generations to come.