Bonners Ferry, ID

Widely-Acclaimed Program to be Presented at BFHS and Middle School

By: R.J. Cohn
Editor

A large-scale prevention program aimed at significantly reducing first-time meth use through an aggressive statewide campaign is coming to Bonners Ferry.

Presentations of the widely-acclaimed Idaho Meth Project - an innovative program geared to educating Idaho’s teenagers and middle schoolers before they start experimenting with the highly-addictive drug - will be given at both Bonners Ferry High and Middle schools March 26.

Sponsored by the Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce, the nonprofit project launched in January is on a statewide blitz promoting a series of graphic ads and films depicting the ravages of methamphetamine use. Designed to prevent meth use by raising awareness of the dangers of the easy-to-obtain drug, the program was first established two years ago in Montana where it is credited with a 45 percent decline in teen meth use in that state.

To view entire article go to Rural Nortwest http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_8260.shtml

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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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