September Peeking Around the Corner

As August draws to a close, it's time to take stock of the summer. We had a good summer season; many activities and events for the community and tourists alike. New people brought fresh energy to Prospector Days and other local annaul events.

September classes will be held at Stone Soup's training space. Call 775-3217 for more information or to receive a registration form. Pre-registrations are required, so check those dates!Susan Grzadzielewski will present a 5 week drawing class starting Monday, September 14. The fee is $15 per sessionor $50 for all fove classes- investing in an art class is actually an investment in YOURSELF- it inspires your creativity, educates and opens new doors.. so I encourage eveyrone to try to attend either this class or another art class throughout the upcoming fall and winter months. Minimum 4 students for class to run, so register NOW!!

The Introduction to Bellydance workshop will be repeated for those who missed it last month. Learn about the different styles of bellydance in America today, explore the music and costuming that fits each style, watch videos illustrating each style and at the end of the workshop, you'll have an opportunity to try out a few of the root movements of the dance!! Fee is $5.00 per person; dance teachers who bring 3 pre-paid students get in free. Workshop will be held Tuesday, September 22, from 5:30-7:30 pm. Minumum 3 participants for class to run, so register NOW!!!

The Curlew Farme's Market continues through September; your last chnace to obtain wonderful fresh fruits and veggies..

And of course, Stone Rose Fossil Center is still open, so don't miss your chance to come dig for fossils!

The Konz ranch has a driving range open and you still can enjoy riding on well-behaved horses across their 1200 acre working cattle ranch.

Ferry County- this is frontier country!!!

August Activities/Opportunities

As we enter August, there's more opportunities for artisans and visitors alike. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, visit or vend at the Republic Community Market 9 am-3 pm in Patterson park. Call Liz at 509-775-2968 or Chris or Steve at 509-775-8015 for more information. This activity will continue thru the 19th of September..

"Business is like riding a bicycle. Either you keep moving or you fall down."
JD Wright


Friday Farmer's Market in Curlew, WA
10 am-4 pm June through September
Featuring home-grown produce, handcrafts and handspun and healing arts!!

Healing Arts Seminar August 8, 2009 9 am-8 pm $25.00
Lots of workshops! Call Feather for more information: 509-732-4301

We want to thank The Saw SHop Boys and The Sharecroppers, both bands of Republic, WA, for representing our town so well when they entertained 300 people for the Oregon Bicycle Inc group in Republic on July 27th. Comments from the crowd were wonderful and it was nice to hear folks saying "These groups made the trip worthwhile"!! The entertainment was arranged through Stone Soup/Shop the Frontier; so if you're looking for good entertainment when your group visits the area, call Shop the Frontier at 509-775-3217 and they'll work with you to make your event a time to remember!!

July Fini, August Rising!

Here's hoping everyone will attend the July 26 Picnic in The Park sponsored by the BPA and PUD of Ferry County during a planned power outage from 11 am- 5 pm. Vendors- if you want to vend, call Jayne at 775-3325! There will be hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks provided, with fun events for the kids.

Check out what's happening for August at the Republic training center by visiting www.stftrainingcenter.weebly.com.

Greg Pritchett of Kettle Falls, WA will be having a showing of his art through August at the SanPoil Gallery inside Shop the Frontier at 600 So Clark in Republic.

Free Dance Education Workshop in Republic:
From Cave to Cult to Community Hall:
An Introduction to Bellydance
Sunday, August 23, 5 pm-7:30 pm.
Training Center for Arts, Commerce and Technology
600 So Clark, Republic, WA
The ancient and ageless dance created by women for women and the heart of music!!
If you’ve always wanted to “shimmy like your sister Kate”, come learn about the various styles of bellydance in America- there really IS a style for everybody!!
Discover how modern forms developed from traditional raks beladi, how to recognize the different music that goes with each form and which costumes go with which dance style. Then, learn how you, too, can learn danse orientale!!
See video examples of the various dance forms, photographs of the various costume styles and hear music examples from the various styles.
Discover how bellydance is used today for health, fun and entertainment. After all, if you’re going to exercise, why not have fun doing it?!?
Optional: Bring water and brown bag snack. Refrigerator and microwave on premises.
Minimum 3 participants for class to run. Registration by August 20 REQUIRED.
To register, call 509-775-3217 Tuesday-Saturday

Vendor Opportunity in Republic!

The NW Firefighter Bike Rally is looking for vendors! The event will be held July 17-19 at Patterson Park in Republic, WA. This is a great event to support and helps the local community; the funds this year will be used to purchase new playground equipment for local children and support the Republic library. Go to www.bellevuefirefoundation.com for a pre-registration form and vendor application OR stop by Shop The Frontier at 600 So Clark, Republic, for a vendor application. All applications should be turned in to Valerie Hester, PO Box 1098, Republic, WA 99166. Phone 509-368-4505 or email bdkendallAmsn.com for more information.
A thriving community is built by the people who participate in its development and direction, so come out for your community and vend!!

June Retrospective, July in Ferry County

Whew! Where did the time go?

June saw Prospector Days with a much wider range of activities than in the past few years. The city of Republic allowed Shop the Frontier to close off part of a street and Lyndi Grove (Thanks Lyndi!!!!) set up an arts activity for children- and the young at heart- to explore all aspects of free process art. Murals, fingerpaints, face painting, collage, crafts- all were enjoyed. Lyndi Grove will be creating this same new art space for next year as it was a resounding success. Dave Blanck and Cec Hamilton worked many hours together to make a special event even better. The "Main Street shoot-out" act was bigger this year, the can can girls performed, the parade once again brought the child out in everyone. The mining and logging exhibits were well-attended, children worked hard to turn out their animals for exhibit, and overall, the weekend was a celebration of good old-fashioned America, with many people from the town putting in time and energy to create the event.
Store fronts competed for "Best Dressed" windows (first place went to Tagg's Raggs, a local clothing store, for its historical display and second place went to Shop The Frontier, a local non-profit that supports rural artists in the region.

Then, on June 26-June 28, motorcycles roared into town for the second annual Motorcycle rally in Ferry County. Put this event on your calender, especially if you're a biker! Though the event is small compared to some motorcycle events, you won't find a friendlier town!

July has a lot of activity in store, also!
First Friday is celebrated by two local art galleries: Gold Mountains Art Gallery and SanPoil Gallery inside Shop the Frontier. Artists featured this month are Charlene Payton-Holt at the SanPoil Gallery, and Melody Laine Ferne at the Gold Mountains Gallery. These galleries offer a late night event the first Friday of each month, from 5-7, so be sure to stop by.

The big Fabulous 50s Sock Hop and Car Show takes place July 18 at the Wauconda Community Hall. Call 509-486-0709 for more information. Food, fun, music and more!
www.waucondahall.org/sockhop

Also catch the Friday farmer's market in Curlew, WA and the Tuesday and Saturday farmer's Markets in Republic.

Be sure to visit www.stftrainingcenter.weebly.com for classes and workshops offered each month at the Republic Training Center!

Oh- and for those who plan on visiting, be aware that there will be a scheduled power outage for the area on July 26, Sunday- but that's okay, because the local PUD will be hsoting an event in the park, with hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks, fun events, vendors.. this is a great opportunity to join in a real community picnic, so come one and all!! Vendors: to reserve your place, call Jayne at the PUD at (509) 775-3325.

June is Jumping!

Yahoo!! We sure hope you made it to Republic for Prospector Days! David Blanck and Cec Hamilton did a GREAT job this year, with a lot of new activities.

The Kick Off Dinner on Thursday night at the K Diamond K was bigger-than-expected event, with extra seating having to be brought in! Off in the corner a poker game was seen, with some trail hands playing hard; can can girls were seen sashaying around, and some great music was provided by XXXXX.

Lyndi Grove stepped in on Friday and Saturday and created a dynamic youth activities event that featured painting, free expression of 3 D art, a mural and more- it was so much fun even the adults joined in and it was wonderful to see the parents and children sitting together, busy creating!

The Art Walk featured creative talent from the area. Pentacle Stars came up from Oregon, Miraver Designs was up from Wenatchee doing a metal working display, Diane Peterson and Lisa Kelley were on hand for face painting, as was Rusty XXXX.Magnetic bracelets were being custom made by XXX and XXX,.

Many vendors were on hand in the city park, and a lot of food vendors came in we hadn't tried before! David Blank, the new chair, said the event could be even bigger next year wtih more volunteers. There was music all day long in the park and at Wild West feed, where everyone could also visit a petting zoo.

On Main Street, Taggs Raggs took first place for window design;historical notes were included in their display of clothing and furnishings from the early years of Republic, when it was first called Eureka. Shop the Frontier took second place with a window display featuring a McClelan saddle from 1919, antique snowshoes, a gold pan and other supplies from the period.

The Main Street shoot-out, complete with bank robbery, can-can girls, bad guys and the sheriff rescuing a hostage, was bigger than ever. Bad guys had to be spooted on roof tops and sneaking through the crowd! The Can Can girls performed a routine that was enjoyed by everyone.

The parade also seemed bigger this year, and everyone enjoyed seeing the horses from WildWind Farms respendently decked in gold sequins, complete with gold-colored hooves! Horses are a major attraction in the parade, from the Border patrol tto the Forest Service, but people also enjoyed the pet parade and all the floats. Republic is a small town, but it sure knows how to create a great atmosphere!

Coming June

More About May..

Prospector Days is coming up real soon now, so be sure to visit the prospector Days website at www.prospectorsdays.com/main/ for more details on what to see and do! Now is the time to resevre a space at the Art Walk (for artisans and crafters) for $10 a space, or $50 for a space in the city park. We've got several new activities this year, along with the "tried and true". From can-can girls to the main street 'shoot out", Republic offers a taste of the real "old days". So come on up, sit a spell and have some fun- best of all, we're a real friendly town, so be prepared to see lots of smiles and be made to feel real welcome! When you're in republic, you're family!!

The Shop The Frontier Art Gallery will be featuring the work of local students from May 19 through June 16. This will give students an opportunity to show their work to the community while learning a little about marketing. So drop by after may 19 and support the creativie talents found in the area!

Working with Stone Soup, Diane Peterson of Republic formed "Beaders Unite", a bead buying co-op for area beaders and crafters. So if you enjoy beading and bead crafting, stop by Stone Soup and we'll help you connect to Diane for soem good savings on beads and beading supplies.

More about May...

Howdy!! Here it is, May 14 and Prospector Days is coming up fast! For information on the events and activities, visit http://prospectorsdays.com/main/ and be sure to book in your hotel early!

Working with Stone Soup, the high school students will have an art showing at the Shop The Frontier art gallery from may 19 through June 16. Here's an opportunity for folks to see the talent to be found in the area. You'll be able to see these works at the gallery at 600 So Clark in Republic, WA. We'll post more information as we get it- what a great opportunity for these students, too, to learn about marketing!

In an effort to help local beaders save money, Diane Peterson of Republic has formed "Beaders Unite". Diane worked with Stone Soup to formulate her idea and is now actively seeking beaders and bead crafters to join her in buying cooperatively to save money! So if you like to bead or do beadcraft, call Diane at 509-775-8051 to find out how to join her buying co-op.

So remember: Prospector Days, June 12-14 in republic.. come on up, sit a spell and enjoy the fun!!

Get Ready, Get Set, GO!!

It's the second of May and everyone is happy to see some sun once every few days. Ferry County is getting ready for the visitor season; we welcome the chance to show our county off to its best advantage. So, if you're thinking of visiting, remember the many things to see and do:

This is real frontier, so our spaces are high and wide! Tired of the noise, clatter, metal and cement? Come prepared to be able to see for miles (a great opportunity for plein air artists, and we're hoping you'll visit- call Shop The Frontier at 509-775-3217 and we'll talk about art and places to paint!), smell what air smells like when its REALLY clean, and still find silent places that make a man or woman spend some time in introspection and awe.

In Republic, after you've been at the Stone Rose Fossil site, drop in Shop the Frontier for an opportunity to purchase handcrafted goods from rural Pacific Northwest artists and pick up the latest news about what to see and do as well as picking up a map of the area! Shop the Frontier is a non-profit organization that helps artists and entrepreneurs market their wares- and they're always happy to point out places to visit! This shop carries everything from beautiful jewelry to marvelous pottery, soaps and lotions, local teas and coffees and more; the handcrafted wear-ables can't be beat! There's also the Gold Mountain Art Gallery, Wisherwood Studio where you can find exquisite yarns and handcrafted goods, the food co-op with even more handcrafted goods.. Ferry County might be the frontier but despite that-or perhaps, BECAUSE of it, artists abound!

On May 16, the Kettle Crust Bakery and Co-op will hold their annual auction and dinner at the local fairgrounds. There's live entertainment, good food and fun for a paltry $15.00 per person.

June 11 marks the Kick-Off dinner for Prospector Days! Held at the K Diamond K ranch, tickets are a mere $15.00 per person ($8.00 for children under 12)and the evening features a menu by Executive Chef Barry Bennet, cancan girls and live music.. The dinner starts at 6 pm; reserve your space by calling the ranch at 775-3536.

Once you've spent the day in Republic (and we have some real fine hotels, too, for an extended visit!)you'll want to head north towards Malo, Curlew, Danville and the Canadian border (a great way to come for the 2010 Olympics, too!!) Now, all you folks wanting to attend those Olympics, you just visit a spell- even famous folks will feel just like "one of the family".. you'll blend- so drop by on your way to the border!!

Passing through Malo, you can appreciate how independent people have to be to live in a town where the grocery store and gas station are the two-in-one major attraction! But drive just a little up some of those county roads and you'll see vistas you only see in movies!

Just before coming to Curlew, you'll pass a few interesting sites- the Trading Post is on the right hand side and is a collection of many years worth of just about everything you can think of! There's some hidden treasures, so if the flag is up, drive on in. Continuing north, stop by the Car and Truck museum, or book some time with a guided horseback tour at Wildwind farms.

In the town of Curlew, visit the Ansorge Hotel, canoe or inner tube down the river, drop in at the Riverside restaurant or stop by the old-fashioned general store. Last stop before the border is Danville- and if you drive up some of those beckoning roads, you're going to laugh with pleasure at the beauty you find tucked away down those roads!

May on its way!

Get ready, folks! We have lots to do in April and May, so let's work together to get things moving.

ART ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, 6-18, ARE ON THEIR WAY!!! You heard it here first- yep, people in the community are starting to organize to being art, music, dance and more to our kids.. where? what? how? when? Keep your eyes and ears posted- OR, call 775-3217 and get on the early notice list!!!

Remember: David Blanck needs help with Prospector Days. Several people have been working to create ideas and make contact with the community to help move those ideas forward- are YOU there? Get involved!!BE THE CHNAGE YOU WANT TO SEE!! We are envisioning many new activities, and yes, we need YOU- people to help set-up activity areas, clean up, volunteer to oversee an area, BRING YOUR IDEAS TO THE TABLE and so much more.. stop by Shop the Frontier or the Chamber for contact info

The Republic Training Center will be offering business classes through May and June, everything from starting your own business to working on your professional image- call 775-3217 for more informaiton. And remember- if you live in an outlying town, the Training Center offers many classes on a "traveling basis"- if you can't come to Republic, we'll try to come to you! There's also a Photoshop class May 16- and yes, so much more!!

Swing dance lessons are at the K Diamond K- every Saturday night starting at 7 pm.. call for info at 775-3511. Think you can't dance? How do you know until you try! And if swing doesn't grab you, how about square dancing every Sunday from 2:30 to 4:30? Put on your boots and GO, pardners!! iNFO? cALL 775-3536

Looks like April 17 is the overload on fun night- from the Connections Fashion Show at 6:30 pm at the Northern inn (for a measley $5.00 per family!), to the Ferry Conservation District Plant Sale at the Ferry County Fairgrounds 9 am-4 pm, to the Kunda! Marimba Drum and Dance event at the K Diamond K at 7:30 pm.. sounds like we need to ALL get ACTIVE on the community calendar Stone Soup provides, so we can start planning our events better- there's too many wonderful things all happening at the same time! (And yes, Stone Soup can help you get on board- 775-3217)

ART ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, 6-18, ARE ON THEIR WAY!!! You heard it here first- yep, people in the community are starting to organize to being art, music, dance and more to our kids.. where? what? how? when? Keep your eyes and ears posted- OR, call 775-3217 and get on the early notice list!!!

Spring in Republic

Spring is finally moving in, after what seems like an extra long winter. And with spring, more activities are starting.

At the Republic Training Center, four classes are being offered in April. These include necklace construction, silver smithing, developing a professional image as an arts business and training to be an instructor at the training center. Remember these classes are designed to help community members develop skills you can turn into income stream elements for supplemental income for your families- and call for information!!
You can learn more about the center by clicking on the Arts and Culture section on the Republic blog page.

David Blanck is looking for help with Prospector Days. As the new chair, David brings a lot of positive energy to the position; he is looking for people who want to see Prospector Days become a thriving community event again. If you want to help, stop by the Chamber of Commerce and leave your contact information. EVERY business, every person in the community, has something to offer, to bring to the table, whether its ideas, event ideas, physical labor or displays. This is an opportunity for Ferry County citizens to step up to the plate. After all, when you say "Somebody needs to do something", what you are really saying is "I must do something"- because we are each that "somebody"!! So mosey on down to the Chamber and join us for a meeting of minds on Prospector Days (and while there, say hello to Daria, the new President of the C o C!)

It has been said "A nation can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable: the women, children and animals that live in its borders". April is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Connections is stepping up with numerous activites. For a complete schedule, visit Connections and pick up their brochure.

There are so many ways for people to participate in the community- from helping the Stone Rose Fossil Center with its annual spring clean-up to cleaning up the city parks, hospice work to den mothers and fathers, Prospector Days to frog watch, helping at the food bank and more... that there is really no reason for anyone to be "bored" or feel apathetic.. people get out of their community what they put IN to the community.. and with so much help needed, you'll be much appreciated! Want to be part of something bigger than yourself? Visit your local non-profit organizations and see if you can help! Better still, bring your own ideas to the mix, too!

More Things to Do in Ferry County

"Our Stars of Republic" Dance Recital March 25, 5-7 pm presented by Sherri's Dance School at the Elementary Gym

Dance could be a potentially marvelous community activity. Ferry County has several dance teachers who have much to offer: Sherri teaches hip hop, jazz and other dance styles; Sikander was a professional instructor and stage performer in dance theatre, international folkloric and folk dance and several styles of fusion bellydance; Sarah Spark, current president of the Arts Council of Ferry County, teaches African dance and
ballroom. The new Republic Training Center hopes ot develop a dance program using community resources; we welcome people who would like to help with this project!

Have you had a chnace to visit the new lodge at the K Diamond K ranch? It brings a touch of the "old west" to Ferry County, a land rich in history. You can find out more by calling (509) 775-3536

More Activities in Ferry County

Sherri's Dance School will be having a recital on March 25, from 5 pm - 7 pm at the Elementary Gym. Dance is a great potentail community project. We have several teachers in the area; it's to be hoped that some opportunities might be created for these teachers to work with the schools and adult community to bring some lively activities to the area!
Sherri teaches hip hop, jazz and other styles of dance; Sikander was a professional instructor and performer for over 30 years in dance theatre, international folkdance and several styles of American fusion bellydance; Sarah Spark has taught African dance and ballroom and is the current president of the Arts Council of Ferry County. The Republic Training Center (www.stftrainingcenter.weebly.com) hopes to work with members of the performing arts community to develop classes, workshops and performance opportunities for all those interested in dance as both cultural and personal expression.

BPW will be holding its monthly meeting at the new Republic Training Center at 600 So Clark. This will be a brown bag lunch meeting, but coffee and teas will be available from Shop The Frontier.

The Visitor and Convention Bureau held its annual brunch on Sunday, Marc; guest speakers had a lot of informaiton to share and many good ideas were discussed. The event was held at the K Diamond K ranch owned by Steve and June Kinz. This working dude ranch has grown immensely; the new lodge is a wonderful expression of the "old west".. if you haven't had a chnace to have brunch out there, make a reservation today! Information can be found at www.kdiamondk.com.

Republic Happenings

Starting in April, a new poetry group will be meeting in the Republic Training Center, inside Shop the Frontier, on a regular basis. The goals of the group will be to share poetry they write, enjoy or perform.

If you would like to find out more about the group, or participate, please call Sikander at 775-3217

Lots to do this weekend of March 21-22! The BPW is hosting a Bingo Fundraiser at the Fairgrounds, the Arts Council of Ferry County is hosting "Hippies on Vacation", a "come as you were" masquerade (Thanks, Storm, for the quick wit!)at the Malo Grange, the Visitor and Convention Bureau is holding its annual brunch at the K Diamond K.

It's been suggested- and I think the idea is a good one!- that we have a community calendar accessible to everyone- so perhaps it's time we try to develop the idea on this blog! I'll try to see if there's some way to expand this blog- if not, I might just have to create a website for cultural and other events!!

LOOKING FOR TEACHERS! If you have a skill you'd like to share, drop by Stone Soup's Republic Training Center. We're looking for people hwo have skills they'd like to share with others. If you'd like to teach but are a bit nervous or unsure if you can do it, the Center offers a "Teach the Teacher" workshop series. It's a three part workshop and a session begins Monday, March 30, IF enough people sign up! The workshop will run from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm, covers an array of topics, provides written materials and will cover lesson plans, curriculum development, creating goals and objectives for your class, and more. Cost is $25.00 for three sessions. The classes will be held at the Republic Training Center at 600 So Clark, Republic WA. To register, call Sikander at 509-775-2329.

More events and activities in Republic to be listed soon..

Moving On

Well, after a slow fall and winter, things seem to be happening in Republic again! Three local groups applied for an available Horizons grant to address poverty issues in Ferry County. I wish them all luck!

Winter has seen fewer deer at the home place; but there's still a small gathering of mule does and last year's babies. The turkey flocks seem smaller, too- let's hope for a fruitful spring!

The 2009 Conservation Plant Sale is coming up; I hope everyone is able to buy a few plants and trees. From small beginnings, great things can grow! With the dryer summers and low water tables, we need to focus on trees, shrubs and plants that use as little water as possible and that have as tough a spirit as the residents of Ferry County. Be sure to consider planting shrubs that feed bees- pesticides, diminishing food sources and disease have taken a toll on the bees- and as we all know, what happens to the bees affects us all.

Small news items:
Jennifer Miller purchased Flowers Et Cetera and has relocated next to Harding's. She offers a full service flower and gift shop. It's great to see one of our residents make the decision to start a new business.

Shop the Frontier, the retail branch of Stone Soup (the local non-profit organization that supports rural arts and artists), has moved to 600 So Clark Ave. The new space offers gifts handcrafted by your rural neighbors, as well as a new art gallery space that will soon offer art classes. They're also in the process of opening a training center for art, business and technology, expanding on the old Technology Center idea. Look for some good developments, here!! Be sure to drop by if you're an artist or craftsperson who would like to share your skills with others.
Shop the Frontier has also been asked to host a regular poetry group; this will start up soon. Some might ask "How is that important?" well, poetry is a creative process that can ignite the imagination, speak to the heart and inspire change. I'll close with a paraphrase of a William Faulkner quote: " [Man] is immortal ... because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is [the poet's]privilege to write about these things...to help mankind endure by lifting the heart, by reminding mankind of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of our past." The power of the written word is awe-inspiring; the ability to use that power properly is a gift every child should receive.

The Stone Rose auction is coming up- get ready for this one; it supports a local landmark that draws tourists and scientists from all over the globe.

December

Hello everyone,

The first real snow of winter has fallen, and temperatures have dropped; breathing in, you can feel ice crystals forming in your nose, and gratitude rises for the warm hearth waiting you inside. A good reminder that nature must be respected; that we live only so long as we remian wise.

A lot of happened, none of it very visible but all of it slowly moving forward. The Horizons group in Republic has struggled to stay afloat, but hope never fails. October and Novemebr saw two meetings; at the last it was decided that Stone Soup would carry the grant funds earned during the past year of study circles and such. A grant writing training was presented by Betty Buckley of Stone Soup. Shop the Frontier, the non-profit rural arts support shop, agreed to make copies of the grant application available through the month of December, so community members could apply.

All applications are due on Jan 5, 2009, to be turned in to Sikander at Shop the Frontier, on Clark Avenue. A committee will then look at the applications and decide which would serve the mission of the Horizons project to address community poverty and development.Anyone wishing to apply may come to the shop for an application or for information.

Just before Thanksgiving, staff at Shop the Frontier and the local paper, the Republic News Miner, collaborated on a holiday issue. Ads were collected from local businesses, and staff at Shop the Frontier wrote articles for the paper, stressing the idea of shopping local and why it makes sense to do so. In addition, local businesses were cited in the articles as resources for winter gifts and needs. We were proud to see this collaborative effort create a unique issue for the local paper.

The local Business and Professional Women's club sponsored a winter dance and ran a drive to collect holiday gifts for local families in need. The dance was a wonderful event. It was held at the K Diamond K, a local dude ranch and featured live music and a DJ.

September Begins

Hello! It looks like the fall is really settling in now. Cold nights but we're still happy to see sunny days!

The Fair weekend has come and gone, the planned power outage Sept 2 went well and now is the time to start thinking about crafting and making things for holiday bazaars.

Holiday bazaars are a traditional means of rasing money for small organizations and groups in every rural town across the country. In Ferry County, we're blessed with having a multitude of skilled crafters and skilled artisans. For a small town, it's notable that we have Shop the Frontier, the Gold Mountain Art Gallery, Wisherwood Gallery, the Weaver's Guild and more. A LOT of talent in a little place!!

Though there's sometimes resistance in small towns to developing tourism as an "industry", the fact remains that interest in handcrafted rural arts is growing and many areas are experiencing successful upturns when they value and promote local arts and artists. As a high poverty county, it's important that community leaders look for ways to promote and support potential industries that a MAJORITY of local residents can participate in and use as steps towards success. Rural arts and crafts offer this potential. MORE IMPORTANTLY, most residents can actively engage in developing skills to become craftspeople and artists, so supporting an arts and crafts growthplan would be beneficial to everyone in the community.
We've got the talent here; now let's see if we can develop a plan to engage, promote and market this talent!

August updates

Here's a brief overview of the meeting from Aug 7:

In attendance:From WSU: Krisan and Deb
From Republic: Sikander, Kate, Vicki, Deana and Jacob

Krisan returned some materials to the group that she felt we might need; Sikander agreed to put these materials as well as $40.69 of petty cash into the Horizons box at Shop The Frontier. Sikander requested more Steering Committee notebooks from Krisan, who said she'd send some along.

Deborah Drennan sent regrets but it is hoped she can attend later meetings; Pete Maloret was ill and unable to attend.

Krisan introduced to the group information from Betty Buckley that she would be willing to
1) House the Horizons money at Stone Soup once we formed the steering committee and could vote on allowing the money to be held at Stone Soup, the non-profit arts organization
2) Betty offered to teach a grant writing workshop for the committee
3 Betty offered to assist the group with a grant application
4)Betty also offered to help the group re-connect to some of the original members.

The group agreed we needed to move forward, and to do so, we need a formal steering committee. Because she is so familiar with the Horizons project, it was agreed to ask Debbie Drennan to write a "5 minute speech" members could use to take to various local organizations and civic groups to get some atttention on our project. Once the speech is written, the following people agreed to attend meetings and re-introduce Horizons to the local area in hopes of re-generating interest and creating potential steering committee members.

Vicki: Chamber of Commerce, Curlew School Board
Jacob: Comissioners meeting
Deana: City Council
Members suggsted Sikander invite Debbie to present her intro to Horizons to the Republic School Board.
Kate: the BPW was suggested as another important community connection but Kate informed the group BPW is not meeting again until September.
Deana suggested we also contact Five Star EC and Job Corps was another possible network.

Vicki Hanks suggsted that the Horizons project meetings and steering committee operate under the umbrella of the Community Mobilization group and hold meetings as part of the Mobilization meetings as a sub-committee; it was agreed that at the next meeting, both Betty and Vicki would present their ideas. It was further agreed that we need to hold the meeting and take a first action AS a board.

SO:
Step One: Vicki and Betty will notify Sikander of possible meeting dates when they can attend and present; then Sikander will pass this information on to the group so we can set a next meeting date and time.

Step Two: Hopefully, Debbie will write a "5 minute elevator speech" about Horizons: what it is, what it serves and how it works

Step three: Members will go to organizations and present this speech to generate interest in Horizons, notifying people of the next meeting

Step Four: At this next meeting, Betty and Vicki will present their ideas; then the group will make its first decision AS a group, sign on as Steering Commiittee members and take the first step towards bring the funds home to Ferry County.

Sikander will continue to maintain the blog until such time as another person wants to take over.

Update: September 3

Sikander wrote to Debbie regarding the speech and the temporary secretary position but to date has received no reply. No dates have been suggested by Betty or Vicki; on Sept 3 Sikander wrote a reminder in the event that the meeting email had not been received.

Complex Trauma Training

Training on Complex Trauma was held on June 30th with over 60 people from in and around Republic. Attendees represented teachers, CASA workers, job Corp counselors, CPS workers and several other social service organizations. This training was brought to Republic by the Horizons committe.

Change of Meeting Date

Apparently the Horizons meeting will be moved to a date in August to accomodate those unable to attend in July. As soon as I know the actual date, time and place, I'll post it here. Or, feel free to call 775-2329 if you want to get on a notification call list.

In the meantime, I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy Republic! Be on the watch for hoary allysum, bugloss (those beautiful purple flowers everywhere) and knapweed. Noxious weeds all, it's important to remove these before they continue to spread through your pasture or yard- or your neighbor's pasture or yard. Try green weeding, NOT pesticides- help those honey bees survive to pollinate another day!

Hopefully, we'll see you in August.