A walking trail in Whitehall is closer to becoming a reality after the group that has been researching walking trails chose a name and elected officers at a meeting on July 16. 

The group’s official name is “Whitehall Walking Trails” and officers elected were Roger Steerman, president; Patsy Jensen, vice president; Sue Patacini, secretary; and Terri Marx, treasurer.

Walking trails were identified in the Horizons Study Circles in spring of 2007 as being something the Horizons participants valued and would consider to be an asset to the Whitehall community. Since then, much background work has been completed to identify possible sites, to educate members on steps to take, and some funding has been secured.

Jefferson County Commissioners have set aside $88,000 of CTEP funds for a walking trail, and the Jefferson Valley Community Foundation has received a Montana Community Foundation Leadership Grant of $15,000 towards the project. Private donors have indicated willingness to help and Whitehall Rotary has pledged support as well.

Next on the agenda for the Whitehall Walking Trails is applying for 501(c)(3) status, more site evaluation and creating a board. If interested in serving on the board, please contact Marx at 490-6759 or by email at marx@jeffersonvalley.net.

The Whitehall Town Council has entered into an agreement with Great West Engineering to assist the Town in the drafting of an appropriate Growth Policy. A public meeting was held on June 17 for the purposes of gathering comment from the public on issues, concerns and desires. If you missed the June 17 meeting, more opportunities will be available in the future for the public to offer comments. But there is no need to wait for the next public meeting to offer comments, ask questions or to identify what is important to you.

Dialogue can, and should, be ongoing throughout the process. More people participating in the process will lead to the adoption of a Growth Policy that truly reflects the desires of the community.

The Whitehall Community Blog is a great forum for dialogue and it can be a useful and easy tool to use. Just log on and start talking. To comment, simply go to the bottom of this post, find the small gray text that says comment and click on the link. You will have an opportunity to sign up and quickly type in your comments. Let’s get the conversation going and get some ideas and thoughts out there.

If you would like to know a bit more about Growth Policies, what they are, why they are important, or have other questions, I have provided a short primer below.

Let’s Start Talking!!!

WHAT IS A GROWTH POLICY?

A Growth Policy is an official public document that guides policy decisions related to the physical, social, and economic growth of a city or county and provides a framework for future growth, development, and public decision-making. The Policy provides direction for how an area will grow and evolve over time and establishes the goals, objectives, and policies that should be pursued to improve its quality of life, preserve and promote the community’s assets, and ensure that a community or county is an attractive, safe and prosperous place to live and work now and into the future. The Growth Policy assesses the opportunities and challenges facing the area and sets priorities for implementing the recommended actions of the Policy. A Growth Policy is not a regulatory document. Rather, it is a guiding document which includes the goals, objectives and policies that are then implemented through development regulations.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GROWTH POLICY?

A Growth Policy is beneficial because it provides a road map for how an area will grow. Planning helps produce better communities and stronger economies. It incorporates goals and policies, provides the opportunity for community-defined direction, and provides greater predictability to property owners.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TOOL

For the Growth Policy to be an effective management tool, an area must plan for the future by analyzing today’s growth and development patterns and determining priorities for future capital improvements and investments. The Policy is a tool for elected officials to make informed choices about future land use. Informed land use decisions will ideally result in more orderly and predictable growth and cost-effective delivery of services to areas residents. Most Growth Policies typically have a 20-year planning horizon and provides continuity for future decision-making, despite fluctuations in the local economy or changes in elected officials. Growth Policies are a living document and are reviewed at least every 5 years so that changes can be incorporated to reflect patterns and priorities for the future.

COMMUNITY DEFINED DIRECTION

A Growth Policy allows residents to take control over their destiny, as opposed to responding to changes around them and reacting to that change. The Policy provides opportunity to identify, consolidate, and synthesize the major themes and issues present by creating a venue for the public to contribute and provide guidance on future direction, including preserving the characteristics that make our communities and counties unique.

GREATER PREDICTABILITY

A Growth Policy provides greater predictability to private property owners, businesses, and developers in making long-term decisions about the future use and enjoyment of their property. The plan can inform land investments by defining the general location, direction, type, and extent of residential, commercial, and industrial development into the future.

The problem of drug and alcohol abuse and other associated problems such as binge drinking, drinking and driving, underage drinking, and drug use and trafficking was repeatedly identified throughout the Horizons’ process. Not surprisingly, significant numbers of adult participants pointed to drug and alcohol abuse as a problem. What was a bit surprising was that students and young adults who participated in the Horizons’ process also pointed out that they, too, believed there was a problem.

A Whitehall community leader, who was a participant in the Horizon’s process, put her talents and passion to work in an effort to address the problem of drug and alcohol abuse in our community.

Cindy Larsen, impacted at the age of 17 by a friend’s drinking and driving tragedy that ended an innocent life, has always been passionate about trying to keep kids and adults from making potentially life altering poor decisions with regard to drug or alcohol use and took on the huge challenge of attempting to counter this community crisis.

Larsen discovered there was grant money available to address these challenges and with a deadline that was fast approaching, Larson worked quickly to gather all the material and wade through an arduous grant application in hopes of receiving funding that could help Jefferson County address a major community concern. The grant application was successful and Jefferson County received nearly $700,000 to establish the Whitehall Community Change Project and the Boulder Community Change Project.

While there are seven regions throughout Montana which received funding for Community Change Projects, Jefferson County is the only individual county to have received funding. Ike Jessee, a former deputy county sheriff is the program officer in Whitehall. Randy McGinnis, whose background is in business and statistics, serves the Boulder community as its program director. Larsen is now serving as the project coordinator.

The Whitehall (and Boulder) Community Change Projects are designed to specifically address environmental causes and identify solutions to the problems of binge drinking and drinking and driving. Both Community Change Projects are community driven with solutions that will fit each community’s needs. The grant is for a 3.5 year period, and when the grant funding goes away, the goal is to have committed members of the communities serving on Strategy Teams. These teams will continue on with programs to ensure that Jefferson County, Whitehall and Boulder stay on the right track and that more and more people stay safe by making wise decisions.

While organizations such as the DUI Task Force focus on education, the Community Change Projects are focusing on changing the social norms through policies and other methods that aim to create permanent change. The Whitehall Community Change Project Strategy Team has spent the last several months gathering data that will help the Project analyze what factors in the local environment are contributing to the problem. Once the data is gathered and compiled, the Strategy Team will outline action items. All Montana Community Change Projects are being assisted by the Bozeman branch of the Institute for Public Strategies (IPS). IPS, according to its website, provides leadership and strategies which support changes in public and private policy and community standards and norms.

The Montana Community Change Project materials state the goal is to change public attitudes towards underage drinking and substance abuse from “That’s just the way it is,” to “No, you are too young to do that.” Other material language includes “This is a new kind of prevention approach. It is called environmental prevention and the goal is to change community attitudes and norms in relation to drugs and alcohol use.”

Statistics show that binge drinking does not just result in someone getting drunk or worse, drinking and driving. Binge drinking also increases the likelihood of sexual activity, unplanned pregnancy, violence, child abuse, accidental death and suicide. Montana has the dubious distinction of being among the top five states in the nation in regards to binge drinking — for both youth and older adults, according to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Nearly half of Montana’s traffic fatalities involve a drunk driver, compared to 32 percent nationally.

Larsen pointed out that once an individual is drunk; it is too late to make a good decision. If we can prevent kids from getting alcohol, we can prevent them from drinking and driving and making other potentially life altering decisions. Alcohol is viewed as a stepping stone to other drugs. While alcohol is legal for adults and is socially acceptable, there must be an awareness and commitment to consume alcohol in a safe and responsible manner according to Larsen. “The overall goal is to create a healthier and safer community, especially for our youth. If we can change community attitudes and implement environmental solutions, we can create prevent tragic outcomes in our community,” said Larsen.

Interested community members are encouraged to volunteer to serve on the Community Strategy Team. For more information, contact Cindy Larsen at 287-7953.

This is another example of how the Horizon’s process is bringing benefit to the community and how intered, committed and motivated community members have the ability to gather addtional resources to make things happen. A big thank you goes out to Cindy Larsen for taking the initiative, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment to our community.

The Jefferson County DUI Task Force, not to be confused with the Whitehall Community Change Project, will be having a ribbon cutting ceremony in the next few months, to reveal two billboards in the area. The DUI Task Force is made up of community volunteers and now includes four junior (student) members. The DUI Task Force unveiling will feature one billboard with a strong message about the importance of wearing seatbelts and a second billboard will feature a message about the dangers of drinking and driving. Both of these important messages have been crafted by students.

The billboard project is being funded by a grant from the Montana Department of Transportation. The Montana DOT is looking at the Jefferson County DUI Task Force billboard project as a pilot project. If the Montana DOT likes the result, they will consider giving funding throughout the state to other Task Forces for like projects.

Stay tuned and we will let you know when the project is ready to be unveiled.

Action on Poverty

Several concrete actions are being taken in Whitehall to reduce poverty. The study circles process, with over 125 participants, was step one in getting the community moving in one direction. We have 21 trained study circle facilitators in Whitehall, 10 of them selected from the high school, and we have 50 Leadership plenty graduates, 20 of those from the high school. The LeadershipPlenty course worked with people to teach them how to get moving on the project ideas that emerged from the study circle process. The resulting actions are below:

1. A project with the National Affordable Housing network has been undertaken to provide seven new affordable housing units. This effort was spearheaded by MSU Extension, but has the full support of the Community Development Board, the Town of Whitehall and Jefferson County.
2. The ugly noxious weed slope at the I-90 entrance to town across from the high school has been cleared, cleaned up, trails built, and picnic tables purchased for a new park. Key organizations in this effort are the Whitehall High School Interact Club, The Whitehall Veterans’ Group, the Whitehall Booster Club, the Whitehall Garden Club, and the Town of Whitehall Parks, Trees and Cemetery Board.
3. The Montana DUI Task Force has been granted an expanded presence in Whitehall, including a full-time staff position. The community’s involvement in the Horizons Project was critical in receiving this grant. This effort has focused on educating youth about the consequences of drinking and driving. The person selected for the staff position was an active member of the study circles and the LeadershipPlenty class.

Action on Leadership

4. The Community Development Board (CDB) has been created as a formal Board of the Town Council, to continue the work and momentum of the Horizons Project. Board seats were designed to tap into existing resources within the community and to create a source of up to date information and ideas for the community.

5. The community of Whitehall is aware that if something needs to be discussed or acted upon, the monthly CDB meetings is the place to go to get the ball rolling. At several of the meetings, community members have brought up ideas for input and discussion, and left the meeting better informed.

6. A new elective, “Communication for Civic Change” has been established in the high school that includes the LeadershipPlenty curriculum, so new leaders will be trained among our youth. Two graduates from this class (both currently seniors) sit on the Community Development Board as active, voting members.

This elective allows students who would never self-identify as leaders to learn that they do in fact, have what it takes to make change in their communities. Through this class, we can draw more leaders in from more diverse backgrounds, and teach leadership skills early on.

The Whitehall Community is eager to listen to the input of the youth, and suggestion and ideas that come from the Communication for Civic Change class are taken very seriously.

7. The Horizons Project has given Whitehall an opportunity to include youth in leadership, and Whitehall has done an excellent job of that. The youth that were trained as study circles facilitators were paired with an adult facilitator, but were equal partners in leading the groups, with equal reporting expectations and responsibilities. The study circle participants were impressed with the intelligence, maturity, focus and professionalism exhibited by Whitehall’s youth, and since that time, high school students’ participation has been sought by the DUI Task Force, The Animal Shelter and Care Committee, and the Community Development Board.

8. High School student in Interact Club are in charge of the Silver Tower Park effort, and they have done an excellent job. Students also gave thoughtful input on the community visioning process. In general, by acknowledging the skills and existing leadership capacity of our youth, we have added significantly to our pool of leaders.

Action on Community

9. The Community Development Board has brought together segments of the community in a meaningful manner so that they can work together, share information and resources, and have a common goal of community betterment. The Board will also continue the momentum that the Horizons Project generated.

10. Since the inception of the Horizons Project, more people are aware of what is happening in town, and more accurate information is flowing about upcoming events, ongoing projects, and real problems with poverty. There is still work to be done, but the attitude in the community is more positive, less elitist and it is full of hope. The fact that everyone was invited to participate in the study circles, regardless of tax bracket, number of generations in the valley, or age seemed to demonstrate that the call for open communication and new leaders was genuine.

Since the study circles process was the first step of Horizons, that cornerstone of inclusiveness laid the groundwork on which the Community Development Board will continue to build.

11. The City of Boulder is 35 miles away from Whitehall. It is also a Horizons Community, and it also has a Class B high school, which makes for an in-county rivalry. In spite of that, the Horizons Project has allowed both communities to learn from and about each other, and to work together to mutual benefit.

Boulder has already broken ground on their affordable housing project, and Whitehall was able to use the lessons learned from Boulder’s process to expedite their own. Butte has a new up-and-running housing complex with a former Whitehall resident in it, and invitations to tour the new complex were made available to the housing committee and interested residents of Whitehall.

Boulder and Whitehall have also come together to build a much-needed animal shelter for the county, since both communities are too small to warrant a shelter for its exclusive use. MSU Extension took the lead in bringing together interested parties for the meetings that began in November 2007, but the group is off and running now.  The majority of members in the Animal Shelter and Care Committee took part in both the study circles and the LeadershipPlenty class, which is evident through the way the meetings are run, goals are set, and priorities established. That common experience has helped make the group extremely effective.

12. The Community of Whitehall now has an effective means of getting the word out, fast. During the Horizons Project there were several occasions where community leaders needed to be reached. The first effort was study circle recruiting, then LeadershipPlenty recruiting, then Visioning Sessions, and finally the blog training.

This repeated attempt at communication has brought about an informal phone tree, which was further facilitated by the publishing of the community guide in the local pone book. 

This ability to communicate rapidly to a large number of organizations, and through them, individuals, is a boon to the Whitehall, and it will continue to come in handy.

As we reach the end of another phase of the Horizons process that has been focused on capacity building, it is time to evaluate our community’s progress on stated desired outcomes of the Horizon’s project. It has been a busy and interesting process. Sometimes visible progress seems slow in materializing. However, many, many people have been working very hard and though it may not always be readily apparent, Whitehall is making headway.

The Community Development Board is evaluating our progress based on the following:

*****LEARN HOW TO WRITE AND SUBMIT GRANTS*****

There will be a grant writing workshop sponsored by the Town of Whitehall, Community Development Board and the Horizons Project on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at the Madison-Jefferson County Extension Office.  Janet Cornish from Community Development Services of Montana will be conducting the workshop.  The seminar begins at 8:30 AM and continues until 4:00 PM.  Lunch will be served to participants and there is no cost to attend.

To register for this FREE workshop, please call the Extension Office at 287-3282.

The Community Development Board has been BUSY!

• Offering Training: blog trainings, e-bay training, CORE Four scholarships 
• Providing small grants for capacity building with the Horizons funds to: Animal Shelter & Care Committee , Whitehall Library, Walking Trails Group, Whitehall Visibility
• Getting prepared for the final round of community grants this summer! Check back for details!

The CD Board meets the last Wednesday of the month at 7pm at Town Hall. The public is welcome! At the May meeting we will be revising the community “Action Plan,” which is a document that tries to capture everything the community is doing. Come and help!

AARP and the Whitehall Rotary Club are sponsoring an AARP Driver Safety Course, formerly known as 55 Alive.

The 8 hour safety course will be held on Saturday, May 17, from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM at the Whitehall Town Hall, located at 2 North Whitehall Street.

The cost is $10.00 per person and a minimum of 12 students is required to hold the class.

For more information or to register for the class, you can contact Erv Hedegaard at 287-3225 or Tom Jenkin at 287-3028. Reservations are required.

What are the benefits of taking the course? Who should take the course? Erv? Tom?
Anyone else?

How could your Whitehall Community Group use this blog? Let me count the ways…

1. Create a web page (free) and post your meeting minutes (Look to the right  ==>)

2. Start a discussion here that you think will dominate an entire meeting and have the discussion online, on the blog,  instead, then recap the discussion at the face-to-face meeting.

3. Publicize the wonderful work your group is doing by making your group’s affairs public.

4. Post pictures of your group having so much fun that others are compelled to join you. 

5. You can use the blog in any way that benefits your community group. Your imagination is all that is limiting you.

How do you learn to blog? Contact the Whitehall Community Development Board at community_devel_whitehall@yahoo.com  and either Holly Harper or Tammy Johnson will show you how!