Horizons Community Blog (Colville, WA)

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE

2011-05-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Registeration Form is located under the Community Event tap under the Upper Columbia Volunteer Center section.

The NEW Alliance Counseling Services AmeriCorps Program is partnering with Community Colleges of Spokane, Colville HORIZONS and Washington State University to sponsor the first Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program in Northeastern Washington. The course will be held at Institute for Extended Learning, Colville Center on May 26 and 27, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 4p.m both days. Registration fee will be $20.00 for both days and lunch will be provided.
The MHFA program will train police officers, emergency responders, primary care professionals, education personnel, clergy and members of the public to improve mental health literacy -- helping them identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.
"We are thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community," said Ann Van Dielen, AMERICORPS member. "This important educational effort really helps people understand the shroud of fear and misjudgment facing individuals and families who experience mental illnesses and addiction. We hope this program will help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and move more and more people toward recovery."
Mental Health First Aid is a 12-hour training certification course which teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual. The certification program introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact and offers overviews of common treatments. Research has shown that the MFA program is effective in improving trainees' knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma and increasing the amount of help provided to others.
Mental Health First Aid comes under the auspices of the ORYGEN Research Centre at the University of Melbourne in Australia under the direction of MHFA founders Betty Kitchener and Tony Jorm. To date, it has been implemented in six other countries worldwide, including Hong Kong, Scotland, England, Canada, Finland and Singapore.
The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare brought MHFA to the United States in 2008. In its pilot year, the program was introduced in nearly 20 states and more than 40 communities nationwide
The program has been made available to the residents of the area through grants from the Washington State Mental Health Transformation Project, Eastern State Hospital, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and Washington State University. The course will be taught by John Murphy, a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor. John is a Patient Advocate at Eastern State Hospital, a trainer for Wellness Recovery Action Plan and Recovery and Resiliency program. He is on the state board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and has been advocating for mental health for more the 20 years.
“MHFA offers those who take the program a way of approaching someone in crisis and asking how they're doing and offering resources that could help them,” John said. Safety is another aspect of mental health first aid where trainers teach people whether they can approach someone, or should call law enforcement.
Many times, people want to respond but don't know how. Participants will learn about signs and symptoms of mental illness and about effective treatments in an effort to help reduce stigma.
For more information and registration form go to http://www.colvillewa.org/. Contact Ann Van Dielen at 509-389-1950 or email at info@colvillewa.org.

Horizons First Photo Contest Winner Announced

2011-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Daniel Holt submitted the winning photograph for the first leg of the Colville Horizons Community Calendar photo contest. Local photographers have been asked to submit photos of events or landscapes that reflect Colville through various months or seasons. "The crane towering over the Vaagen Brothers sawmill is a symbol of viable industry in Colville,” Holt commented. All Stevens County residents are eligible to enter Horizon’s ongoing photo contest. Winning photos, judged by a panel of Colville Horizons members, will be featured in the 2011/2012 Colville Horizons Community Calendar. Deadlines for submissions for spring photos are April 20, and for summer July 30. Each contestant may submit up to twelve landscape digital photographs for the year ending July 30, 2011 by e-mailing them as JPEG files to susan.poe@gmail.com. In the body of the e-mail please include name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, age (optional), and a sentence explaining how the photo relates to the theme. Photos that include people may require a model release. For information about model release forms, contact Sue Poe at (509) 685-6649. Potential contestants with questions may contact Valerie Lamont, valerielamont@gmail.com. Since 2007 Colville Horizons has partnered with the Northwest Area Foundation and WSU Extension to leverage community leadership to reduce poverty and improve infrastructure in Colville, Washington and surrounds.

2011 YOUR BIG IDEA CONTEST

2011-03-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

“Your Big Idea” Kickoff Set for May 5 The Kick-off Conference for the 4th Annual “Your Big Idea” Contest will take place May 5th 2011 at the Institute for Extended Learning, 985 S. Elm St., Colville, from 4 pm to 6 pm. The event will include an overview of how the WSU Innovation Assessment Center will assist scholarship winners, and presentations on Intellectual Property and local micro-enterprise development. The scholarship cost per entry to the WSU IAC is $795.00 per idea. Most small business counselors estimate that the IAC does thousands of dollars worth of work to help prepare an inventor’s idea for its best chances in the market. Up to three scholarships could be awarded this year. Colville Horizons will fund one for a Colville resident and Valley Horizons for a Valley resident. A third will be available for a winner outside of the Colville and Valley areas. Entrepreneurs and inventors benefit from the WSU IAC report on winning product ideas which includes in depth market analysis, a feasibility analysis and a patent search to determine competition. One past contest winner already has taken his product into local production and has made some sales. Another winner, as well, is very close to getting his product into production. The Colville Horizons goal is to help local entrepreneurs start production of local products and possibly create local jobs.

Calendar Photo Contest Rules

2010-12-09T04:35:00.000-08:00

Calling all Stevens County Shutterbugs
Colville Horizons Community Calendar Photo Contest

Who: All Stevens County residents are eligible to enter this Horizons photo contest…photos will be judged by a panel of Colville Horizons members.

What: The prize is for your photo to be featured in the 2011/2012 Colville Horizons Community Calendar!

Where: Photos should be of events or landscapes that reflect Colville through the various months or seasons.

When: Deadlines for photo submissions:

Fall, December 31, 2010
Winter, February 28, 2011
Spring, April 30, 2011
Summer, July 30, 2011

Why: To help Horizons spread the message of working together toward prosperity through its colorful community calendar…and show the community your photographic ability!

How:

Each contestant may submit up to twelve landscape digital photographs for the year ending July 30, 2011 by e-mailing them as JPEG files to susan.poe@gmail.com. You may enter the contest quarterly, keeping in mind that our goal is to highlight a community area or event per month.
In the body of your e-mail please list your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, age (optional), and a sentence explaining how the photo relates to the theme.
Some photos of persons may require a model release. For information about model release forms, contact Sue Poe at (509) 685-6649.
Questions? Contact Valerie Lamont, valerielamont@gmail.com.

Colville Community Calendar Photo Contest

2010-12-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

By Theresa Elders

Colville Horizons seeks a dozen great photos to feature on next year's Colville Community Calendar, which will be published in October, 2011. The prize? Your photo featured on one of the full-color calendar pages! Horizons goal is to highlight a community area or event each month, seasonal photos that reflect the spirit and heart of our community.

Rules are simple! Any Stevens County resident can submit up to twelve landscape digital photos for the year ending July 30, 2011 by mailing them as JPEG files to susan.poe@gmail.com. Autumn photos should be sent by December 15, 2010, Winter by February 28, 2011, Spring by April 30, 2011 and Summer by July 30, 2011. In the body of your e-mail please include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, age (optional), and a sentence explaining how the photo relates to the Colville theme.

Any shutterbugs with great photos from the recent fair, Halloween or Thanksgiving activities, send them in right away. Questions? Contact Valerie Lamont, valerielamont@gmail.com.

The calendar is a fundraising project for Colville Horizons.

Horizons Provides Resources for Entrepreneurs

2010-12-05T08:49:00.001-08:00

By Terri Elders

Approximately forty people gathered at the Institute for Extended Learning on Saturday, October 3 to share and learn about new strategies for starting up and marketing a local business. The event, sponsored by the Colville Horizons, drew interested participants from surrounding communities as well as Colville.

Jeni Forman, marketing director from Hearth and Home kicked off the morning’s presentations by encouraging entrepreneurs to watch for new opportunities to expand their distribution. She emphasized the four “P”s of marketing: product, place, promotion and price.

James Steen, who recently opened Maverick’s, a Colville restaurant, discussed the benefits of dry runs and of training employees thoroughly. “Never underestimate the power of word of mouth in small towns,” he advised.

IEL instructor Rick Hansen reminded business owners to consider their customers. “Most business people have expertise in their products but sometimes forget about the customer. What does the customer want? What is the business really selling? It’s not just the product, but the benefits that having that product will bring.”

Tri-County Economic Development District director Leslie Jones discussed the free business training that will be offered at the facility’s new location in South Town Plaza. The new business incubator program, North East Washington Business Development Services, will launch a series of five classes on consecutive Saturdays, beginning October 23, from 9 to 12. The first session, conducted by Scott Douglas, SCORE representative, will be free.

Debra Kollock, Stevens County WSU Extension director, outlined the history of that program, and its outreach and engagement in Stevens County since l936.

Elliott Edwards, co-owner of Hachisoft, opened his address by providing definitions commonly associated with technology buffs: geek, gork and dweeb. He emphasized that entrepreneurs need to be obsessive, “just like geeks.” He described how technology is changing the way the world views marketing, including how social marketing systems such as Twitter can track customers and customer satisfaction.

Vicky Broden briefly introduced the basic ideas behind Blue Ocean strategies in creating a niche for businesses. Blue Ocean Strategy is a business strategy book that illustrates the high growth and profits an organization can generate by creating new demand in an uncontested market space, or a "Blue Ocean", rather than by competing head-to-head with other suppliers for known customers in an existing industry

The last presenter, Jody Collins, who is attending Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Academy in Portland, OR, demonstrated pie crust making techniques and served participants slices of several varieties of quiche.

“We want to thank everybody who attended this event. We found the comments and evaluations useful for planning future events,” said Sue Poe, current Colville Horizons chairperson. “Further, we are most appreciative for the continuing partnerships we have with WSU Extension and the IEL. We especially thank Pastor Kays of the Church of the Nazarene for allowing Jody Collins to prepare his pies in the church kitchen.”

According to Poe, the PowerPoint presentations soon will be posted on the Horizons website, http://www.colvillewa.org/ .

ENTREPRENEURIAL RESOURCE CONVENTION

2010-09-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Colville Horizons Board invites you to attend this event. Colville Horizons is dedicated to increasing prosperity in Stevens County.

Colville Horizons will stage its second Entrepreneurial Resource Convention Saturday, October 2, in the Kalispell Hall of the Institute of Extended Learning, 985 S. Elm, Colville. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The program runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The theme will be small business marketing, with presentations covering increasing small business sales, marketing in northeast Washington, social networking, and using NEW Business Development Services. Several local entrepreneurs will discuss their marketing success stories.

Admission is free, and light refreshments will be provided. Additional information can be obtained from Scott Douglas, local SCORE Business Counselor, 684-4571 or 684-4712, or Sue Poe, Edward Jones Financial Advisor, 684-6649.

ENTREPRENEURIAL RESOURCE CONVENTION
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Kalispell Hall, Institute of Extended Learning
985 S. Elm, Colville, WA

8:30 am....Registration

9:00 am.....Welcome, Introductions (Sue Poe, financial advisor, Edward Jones)

9:10 am....Marketing Basics (Jeni Forman, Hearth and Homes Marketing Dept.)

9:45 am....Local Entrepreneurs (James Steen, co-owner, Maverick’s)

10:00 am..Marketing for Small Businesses (Rick Hansen, IEL instructor, business and accounting)

10:45 am..Refreshment Break

11:00 am..Free Business Training (Leslie Jones, North East WA Business Development Services)

11:15 am..Opportunities through WSU and Horizons (Debra Kollock, Stevens County WSU Extension Services)

11:35 am..Internet and Social Marketing (Elliott Edwards, co-owner, Hachisoft)

12:15 pm..Blue Ocean Strategy: Creating a Niche for Your Business (Vicky Broden, IEL instructor, basic education)

12:30 pm..Training for an Entrepreneurial Future (Jody Collins, chef-in-training at Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Academy)

12:55 pm..Evaluations, Drawing for Door Prizes

1:00 pm...Closing

Colville Horizons to Publish Community Calendar

2010-05-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

By Terry Elders When the Colville Lions Club disbanded, Colville Horizons voted to take over the community calendar project that it previously had sponsored. The community calendar, based on a school year, September through August, carries display ads and lists birthday, anniversary and memorial dates.

This project is a fundraiser for Colville Horizons which sponsors many local activities aimed at moving this community towards prosperity. Among these are the Your Big Idea Contest, the IEL Career Closet, and Northeast Washington Business Development Services. The group also promotes early and adult literacy, supports a mentoring program, and will soon maintain a volunteer bank database.

The calendar will hang vertically and measure 11” by 17”. Each page will carry a different photo of a Colville scene or Horizons activity. Display ads will remain the same from month to month, so businesses will have their ads in front of residents for the entire year, September through August.

Businesses interested in display ads should contact Scott Douglas, (509) 684-4712 or e-mail him at colvillehorizons@gmail.com. Because space is limited, ads will be accepted on a first come/first served basis.

Individuals or groups wishing to list events, birthdates, anniversaries or memorial dates, should contact Muriel Meyer at (509) 675-2974 or email her at colvillehorizons@gmail.com.

Calendars and individual listings can be ordered as well at Happy’s Hallmark Shop, 173 S. Main Street, Colville.

The deadline for ads and listings is June 15. Calendars will be delivered in August.

Rural Families Economic Success: Earn It, Keep It, Grow It, Part 4

2009-12-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

By Terri Elders

If you’ve been reading this series so far, you might guess that in the past few weeks I’ve immersed myself in researching theories about why the poor in rural America stay, uh… poor. I’ve even thought about that question raised in that old song: “There's nothing surer, the rich get rich and the poor get children. In the meantime, in between time, ain't we got fun?”

Well, I’ve got an answer now, and in a word, it’s “no.” It’s not fun now, nor has it ever been. Not even in Victorian England when entire families went to debtor’s prisons. Just read Charles Dickens’ Little Dorrit, where people who owed money were imprisoned and unable to work, until they repaid their debts. And even today analysts allude to the practices that keep the poor in debt in the United States as 21st century credit slavery.

Full disclosure: I’m neither an economist nor a financial consultant. Sure, I can file my own income taxes, but that’s about it. I’ve been a teacher, a social worker, a writer, a consultant. I’ve worked with economically disadvantaged people all my professional life, both in the United States and in dozens of developing countries with the Peace Corps. But until last month I had never even heard of car title loans, let alone refund anticipation loans. True confession…I’ve been clueless.

I’ve considered so many theories. Theoretically, I’ve been told, in the United States poverty is related to lacks: lack of education, lack of opportunity, lack of social justice, lack of ambition, lack of this, that and the other. Never though, had I suspected that predatory lending traps might make a significant contribution in keeping the poor ever deeper in debt.

Some say it’s the food chain…those above feed on those below. Others claim it’s simply how capitalism works. More point out that prey and preyers are distinguished by where eyes are positioned. We consumers have to be reminded to keep our eyes positioned straight ahead. We’re not prey. This is so important to remember: eyes open, look around, to the front and to the sides, to see what might be going on.

When I attended the Rural Families Economic Success conference in November, as part of the Colville Horizons RuFES group, I learned about the Nasty Nine. I learned about how so many legal, but vicious, practices do more than just prevent the poor from climbing upwards. In recent times, they’ve nudged the middle class down the slippery slope, as well.

Another confession: I’ve become increasingly aware of aggressive solicitation by lenders. They’re pretty pushy people. Though telemarketers no longer can phone you up at supper time, thanks to the Federal Communication’s “no call” rule, lenders still have the Internet, the US mail, flyers and advertisements, as media to deliver their similar pitches.

These are their messages:

We can lower your monthly mortgage payments.

We will save you hundreds each month by consolidating your credit card and other payments.

You can use your equity to buy that new (car, boat, kitchen, dream vacation - take your pick).

You can save your home from foreclosure; refinance your way out of bankruptcy.

Think twice before responding to these solicitations.

In earlier articles we looked at the first six of the Nasty Nines. This week let’s take a look at the final three of these mostly legal, but extraordinarily costly, services that consumers should avoid.

Sub-Prime Mortgage Loans

The first, and maybe the most nefarious of the lot, is sub-prime predatory lending, that, according to many reports, has likely has stripped more wealth out of low-income rural families than all of the other eight combined.

Though these loans, offered at higher interest rates due to additional credit risk, have a useful role by allowing low-income families to share in the American dream of home ownership, they can become predatory when they:

Steer qualifying borrowers away from a conventional loan.

Load up with excessive points, fees, or insurance.

Assess high prepayment penalties, a huge problem in rural areas.

Involve “flipping,” (frequent refinancing to extract fees).

Include “yield spread premium” kickbacks to brokers.

Steer smaller loans of rural and low-income families to sub-prime subsidiaries.

Estimates of the amounts that low-income families lose through practices such as these run into billions per year, and substantially increase the likelihood of default. Surprisingly, in 2006 the Wall Street Journal reported that over 60% of all borrowers receiving these mortgages had credit scores high enough to quality for prime conventional loans.

Possible Solutions:

The best way to avoid a lender’s scam is not to accept the first offer you obtain, and to request quotes from several lenders.

If possible, work with a reputable mortgage broker. Brokers have dealings with various trustworthy subprime lenders.

Visit with local banks and lenders to learn about other options.

Title Loans

Car title loans are one of the fastest growing and least regulated forms of high-cost lending, particularly in rural areas where most low-income families own automobiles because public transportation simply doesn’t exist. Such loans are short-term (30) day loans secured by a car title which is held by the lender.

In Washington State, such loans are illegal, but they are available online. On their websites, potential lenders ask you to punch in your zip code to learn where the nearest store is. If you punch in the Colville zip code, 99114, it provides the address of the nearest store, in Coeur d’Alene, a scant 80 miles away.

The lender promises loan anywhere between $300 to $10,000, and that credit ratings never would be checked. It boasts it has a 98% success rate, whatever that might mean.

According to Aspen Institute, typically these lenders:

Typically charge 25% per month (300% APR).

Can cost you up to ten times that of even a high-risk car purchase loan.

Hold the keys and repossess immediately upon a missed payment.

Possible Solutions:

Pay attention to the APR. Borrowers can end up taking loan after loan end an endless cycle of debt.

Shop around. Go to local banks and credit unions to check out any alternatives.

Swallow your pride and ask family and friends for help first.

Keep a rainy day savings account.

Avoid forced arbitration clauses, if a car title loan is the only option.

Credit Cards

Finally, there’s some good news regarding predatory lender practices. Several of the worst credit card company practices will be partially or totally banned by Federal Reserve or Congress, effective 1/1/2010 or 7/1/2010. These include universal default, two-cycle billing, payment order manipulation, retroactive penalties and fee harvesting cards.

Credit cards can be a convenience, but according to the American Bankers’ Association, the average family today carries $8,000 in credit card debt. Think of what interest that much money could draw if it were in a savings account.

Possible Solutions:

Monitor how much you charge in relation to your credit limit. If you charge more than 30% to 50% of your limit, your credit score could go down.

Browse the reports section of CardRatings.com to shop for every kind of credit card.

Know your interest rate.

Read the fine print, and compare charges and fees.

Pay the balance in full.

Limit the number of cards you use to two.

If possible, set aside 5% to 10% of your income after needed expenses to be distributed among retirement accounts, short term savings and an emergency account

21st Century Credit Slavery

To recap, the Nasty Nine include:

Check Cashing

Buy Here/Pay Here Car Dealers

Courtesy Overdraft Loans

Payday Loans

Refund Anticipation Loans

Rent-to-Own

Sub-Prime Mortgage Loans

Title Loans

Credit Cards

The result of these predatory practices is that more than one in four low-income families pay more than forty percent of their income to service debt. Moreover, new bankruptcy laws now make it impossible to escape some debt.

How to Find Help

According to the Northwest Area Foundation’s 2009 survey in Washington State, 45% of Washingtonians do not know where they could go in their community if they needed help with basic necessities. Nearly half are unfamiliar with government services in their communities, such as temporary housing assistance and food stamps.

In the next few months, the Colville Horizons Board and the Colville RuFES team will be working together to identify ways to involve the community in Earn It, Keep It and Grow It. Interested? Take a look at the video, Living With a Hole in Your Pocket, on the Horizons Community blog, http://www.colvillewa.org/.

Next Week: Asset building by using such tools as tax credits.

Rural Families Economic Success: Earn It, Keep It, Grow It, Part 3

2009-12-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

By Terri Elders

“Another day older and deeper in debt,” for many signifies a reality of life, not just the lyrics of an old Tennessee Ernie song. As Christmas nears, I just heard on the NBC news that thirteen and a half million people in the United States are still paying off bills from last Christmas. Worse, I learn, more of us shortly will consider borrowing money we’ll never really be able to pay back, to buy Christmas gifts we can’t really afford.

It’s not as if we Americans are intrinsically greedy. It’s just that temptation lurks in our mail boxes in the form of catalogs, on our television with its incessant commercials hawking the latest “in” toys, and, of course, in seductive store window displays in every mall and on every Main Street. It’s tough to say “no.”

Since nobody other than our mothers might be willing to front us an interest-free loan, where do we go if we decide we can’t bear to watch the New Year’s football games on anything other than a new plasma television? The Aspen Institute has identified payday loans, refund anticipation loans and rent-to-own as three predatory lending practices it calls its Nasty Nine.

Payday Loans

The $125 billion a year industry has more retail locations than McDonalds, Burger King, Wal-Mart, Target, Sears and J.C. Penney combined, counting pawnshops, tax refund lenders and rent-to-own stores. But no storefront is needed. Internet and telephone operations avoid state laws and limits, and are accessible in rural areas. Just Google “payday loans” and 1,490,000 results show up. Most sites promise up to $1500 within hours, no credit check necessary.
Payday loans, usually secured by a post-dated check, might seem like a quick solution to a temporary cash shortage, but are a dangerous consumer rip-off. Who uses these services? Payday lenders target younger consumers with a limited understanding of finances, people who are deeply in debt and struggling to meet their basic financial obligations, and those who have a history of using high-risk lenders.

Payday loans are deceptive. Since you're forced to turn over a postdated check, you may be harassed, threatened, or subjected to collection practices. The payday lender may deposit the check before the date you agreed on, causing your check to bounce and forcing you to pay more fees. Because people who use payday lenders are usually in desperate financial situations already, they may have trouble repaying the original loan and they continue to extend it until they've paid more in fees than the amount of their original loan.
The US Federal Trade Commission recommends avoiding payday lenders. Here’s why payday loans make Aspen Institute’s Nasty Nine:

Typical cost = 650% to 780% APR.
$500 for two weeks typically costs $$625 to repay.
Average customer rolls loan over eight times, paying twice the original loan in interest.
$500 rolled over for one year costs up to $3,900.

Possible Solutions:

Make changes in your spending plans to avoid overspending.
Find ways to increase your income.
Contact a local credit union for a small loan.
Ask for a pay advance from your employer.
Consider a loan from family or friends and get the terms of the loan in writing.
Use a credit card advance.
Request additional time to pay the bill from your creditors instead of taking a payday loan.
Seek credit counseling.

Plan ahead to prevent financial emergencies.

Refund Anticipation Loans

On the surface, refund anticipation loans (RALs) might seem like a great deal. Used mostly by low and moderate income consumers, these loans are extremely high-cost bank loans secured by the taxpayer’s expected refund, loans that last a week or two until the actual IRS refund repays the loan.

Even without the costly loan, most taxpayers could have their refund in two weeks or less. RALs are aggressively marketed by income-tax preparation companies. These firms advertise "Instant Refunds" or "Quick Cash" for their customers who need money in a hurry. They disguise the fact that they are selling advance loans on anticipated tax refunds.

People whose income is low enough to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit are guaranteed a refund if they file. So tax preparation firms, for a fee, file the taxes and pay out a refund immediately, as a loan secured by the expected IRS check.

Here is why RALs are in the Nasty Nine, according to Aspen Institute. The government finally has found a way to reward people who work hard for less money with a tax credit. And predatory lenders have figured out how to get that money out of workers’ pockets, plus more.

Here’s why they’re in the Nasty Nine:

235% APR to get refunds a short time sooner.
Often coupled with exorbitant tax preparation fees for simple returns.
Marketed as instant refunds, not loans that must be repaid if the return is rejected.
Cost poor families $900 million in 20006 plus $90 million in “document processing fees.”
Target poor rural communities, towns near military bases, Indian reservations, and minority communities.

Possible Solutions:

Try filing your own taxes, using Internet resources such as About.com: Tax Planning:US
Use free tax preparation services if you qualify.
Open a checking or savings account and your refund will be deposited within 10 days, sometimes sooner.

Rent to Own

In this current economic downturn, one industry that’s booming is rent-to-own. Aaron's, the second-largest retailer in the $6.3 billion industry, has announced plans to open 200 stores in 2010, following an 18% increase in same-store sales last year.

Rent-to-own stores provide what looks like an attractive option. Consumers can lease electronics, appliances and other household items by the week or month. Payments can be applied toward a purchase. But critics say the industry has taken advantage of vulnerable customers for years by making rental payments so high that a product's ultimate purchase price is exorbitant. Interest rates and fees can equal 100% to 300%.

Last year, New York’s Sen. Chuck Schumer called rent-to-own companies "one of the most despicable industries around" and cited a typical transaction. Schumer's staff found a 37-inch television offered at Rent-A-Center for 104 weekly rental payments of $31.99 each - a total of $3,326.96. The same model could be purchased outright at Best Buy for $850.

Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, though, says rent-to-own should be avoided. “The math just does not add up,” he says. “People should…look and see if in fact they can get a better deal somewhere else.”

This past July Washington State’s Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division filed claims against Rent-A-Center, asking King County Superior Court to declare its collection practices and rental contracts in violation of the state’s Consumer Protection Act and Lease-Purchase Agreements Act. According to a press release on the AG’s website, this rent-to-own company allegedly had been:

Harassing consumers with repeated telephone calls at home and at work after being told not to and filling a consumer’s answering service to capacity with collection messages;
Making repeated collection calls to third parties such as family members or friends of the consumers, and disclosing the existence of the purported debt to third parties, and continuing such calls after being told not to;
Using profanity and other abusive, threatening or humiliating language, including calling consumers “deadbeat,” “liar,” “thief,” and “ghetto trash”;
Revealing consumer’s personal information to third parties in the course of attempting to collect debts;
Using false threats of criminal arrest or other legal action, including telling children who are home alone that their parents will face legal action;
Pounding aggressively on the doors of consumers’ homes even when the consumer clearly asked them to leave, shouting at consumers from outside of their homes, walking around the house and peering in windows when consumers refused to answer the door;
Claiming to have a court order to serve when they do not;
Making payment demands to babysitters or other third parties when the consumer is not in the home; and
Going to consumers’ place of employment to demand payments and remaining even when asked to leave.

Possible Solutions:

Comparison shop and use the low cost financing available through appliance and furniture stores.
Work to improve your credit history to qualify for standard financing.
Frequent local secondhand stores and charity shops that sell gently used furniture and appliances.

Next week: Sub-Prime Mortgage Loans, Title Loans, and Credit Cards.

Living with a Hole in Your Pocket

2009-11-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

This is a video that illustrates the problem that Terri has been writing about.

Rural Families Economic Success: Combating the Nasty Nines

2009-11-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

(Part 2 in a Series)

By Terri Elders

The Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group has identified The Nasty Nine, “a fistful of predatory lending traps that strip cash from hard-working rural families.” These include such practices as check cashing services, buy here/pay here car dealers and “courtesy” overdraft loans.

Until I attended the November training at Cedarbrook Conference Center at SeaTac, with the Colville RuFES team, I assumed most working folks had bank accounts. Then I learned that approximately 28 million people in America have no formal relationship with a mainstream financial institution. That’s right. An estimated one in four low-income families has no checking or savings accounts, nor credit union memberships. So how do they pay bills and cash payroll checks and IRS refunds?

Convenient but Costly Check Cashing

I initially was surprised that leading the list of these nine legal but costly services is check cashing. For most, a bank account is the first step on the road to financial security. I remember feeling grown-up when I finally got my first bank account and wrote my first check. So when I think of people who might not have bank accounts, I think of recent immigrants, college students, or the working poor who hold down two or three jobs to make ends meet.

Today, though, some middle class people have been divorced by their banks. Maybe they once had a checking account, but became overdrawn and could not pay the overdraft fees. Perhaps they earned just enough to cover basic expenses, then got hit with an unexpected emergency, such as tow truck charges when their car got stuck in the snow, or a substantial co-pay for a prescription. These unanticipated events could lead to another overdraft, which in turn could get them blacklisted on the Chex Systems, which is the credit bureau for bank accounts that are overdrawn. Many banks will not open accounts for people who are on this list, which can disenfranchise them for years.

Then there are those, like my Grandpa Louie, whose family lost money in the bank crash of l929, who avoided banks for a lifetime. My family always suspected he stored his cash in cigar boxes in his garage, where of course, it did not draw interest. My late husband, who worked in the gaming industry, where a large percentage of income comes from tips, told me that many of his colleagues in the card rooms confided they were strictly “cash and carry,” and didn’t trust banks.

People unable or unwilling to open a traditional checking account often feel that check cashers are their only option. Many remain open outside regular bank hours, and for some it might be worth the fee on occasion to have immediate access for funds.

But for others who routinely cash checks at a premium, and pay bills in cash or with money orders, and who draw no interest on whatever sayings they accrue, billions of dollars of assts are lost. Amazingly, a recent Brookings Institute study shows that American low-income households without bank accounts spend at least $4 billion on check-cashing and bill-payment services annually.

If check-cashing fees were deposited into a savings account, they could provide the foundation for asset development and goals, such as home ownership, small businesses, and education. By providing a cushion for the unexpected, a savings account can also eliminate the necessity of relying on payday lenders in an emergency.

“Over a lifetime, the average full-time, unbanked worker will spend more than $40,000 just to turn his or her salary into cash,” wrote former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, in a Jan. 24, 2008, Wall Street Journal column on the plight of those living outside the financial mainstream.

Aspen Institute additionally points out many check-cashing services serve as gateways to other predatory transactions such as payday lending.

Possible Solutions:

Avoid services charging 3% to 7% of check’s face value.
Find a low-cost checking account or share draft account at a credit union. A good account will be free, with no charges on checks, withdrawals, fund transfers or monthly statements.
Open a small savings account, and contribute to it regularly.

Buy Here/Pay Here Car Dealers

When I returned after a decade of service overseas with the Peace Corps, I relocated to Little Rock, AR. I had yet to reestablish credit in the US, so bought a ten-year-old Geo Storm from such a dealer. I failed to have it checked by an independent mechanic, and subsequently within a few months spent twice the cost of the vehicle on repairs. Rushed, I simply had not thought it through and fell prey. Fortunately, I had cash reserves to cover the cost of repairs. But many do not.

No credit/Poor credit auto dealers take advantage of those desperate to get a car to drive to work, take the kids to school and for medical visits and shopping. Those living in rural areas where there is no public transportation are particularly vulnerable.

These dealers buy the cheapest cars available at auto auctions and sell them for up to 100% more than they are worth, with high interest/long term financing. Sometimes the down payment the purchaser makes completely covers the dealer’s total investment in the vehicle. Interest rates may begin at 25% APR, and even run much higher. Customers may pay for the car several times over, unlike a conventional car loan.

What is really nefarious is that dealers keep a spare set of keys and repossess the vehicle the night after a payment is missed. Aspen claims the average car is repossessed and resold five times annually.

Possible Solutions:

Consider mileage and the year of the vehicle. Look for something less than 7 years old, with mileage less than 100,000 miles. Such a car will have 5 to 7 good years of drivability left.
Find a dealer who can arrange bank financing.
Find someone to co-sign, if credit is poor.

Consider mileage and the year of the vehicle. Look for something less than 7 years old, with mileage less than 100,000 miles. Such a car will have 5 to 7 good years of drivability left.
Have the vehicle checked out by an independent mechanic.

Courtesy Overdraft Loans

It might sound good at first, an automatic “loan” to honor checks, ATM withdrawals and cash-card transactions. But overdrafts pay off for the banks, not the consumers. When consumers allow an overdraft, it increases the probability of subsequent fees, because consumers have less money to cover other transactions. Subsequently, those with less end up paying more.

Just a few months ago, at the time of my husband’s death, I wrote some checks which I thought would clear the day my SSA direct deposit would be posted. To my surprise, I got hit with a $35 courtesy overdraft. Somehow my mortgage payment check got deducted from my balance before the SSA deposit got credited. At the time, I thought it just a coincidence. Now I am not so certain.

According to Aspen Institute, some banks routinely process courtesy-loan customers’ deposits last, and checks in largest-to-smallest order to maximize customer fees. In 2007 banks charged at least $17.5 billion to issue $15.8 billion in overdraft loans.

Households hit hardest by overdrafts pay an average of $1,374 a year in fees, estimates G. Michael Flores, founder of Bretton Woods, a management advisory firm that works with financial institutions. If consumers overdraw on a $20 debit card transaction, are charged the median fee of $27 and repay the credit in two weeks, they're effectively paying a 3,520% APR, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

President Obama signed legislation this past May limiting certain credit card practices, including rate increases on existing debt. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is examining the fairness of certain overdraft practices.

Possible Solutions:

Read the fine print when opening a checking account with this type of service.
Create a checking reserve to avoid overdrafts.

Next week: Payday loans, refund anticipation loans and rent-to-own.

Partly Cloudy with a chance of Open Source

2009-11-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

As requested, here is the presentation that Elliott Edwards gave at the "Pathways to Prosperity" conference.

Horizons Provides Resources for Entrepreneurs

2009-11-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

Nearly fifty people, from Deer Park to Republic, gathered at the IEL in Colville on Saturday, November 14, to network with local experts on setting up businesses.

Colville softwares developer Elliott Edwards of Hachisoft kicked off the all-day event with a presentation, "Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Open Source," introducing participants to a wide array of technology systems, some free and low cost. "We didn't know what we didn't know," one attendee remarked.

Noon keynoter, Heather Ruskievicz, who built Colville's Heather's Fairy Tale Bakery, told an inspirational story of how her son's military death both enabled and empowered her to open her bakery, wanting it to become a treasured place for the community children and their parents.

Debra Kollock, director of Stevens County WSU Extension, and Donna Jo Smith, manager of the IEL, discussed how their educational institutions can help entrepreneurs with needed training.

Dana McDowell of Rural Resources Community Action and WorkSource, discussed the history of the "Your Big Idea" contest, and described how local inventors can win a scholarship through Horizons to have their product idea evaluated by the WSU Innovation Assessment Team in Pullman. McDowell has packets available and can be contacted at 509-685-6158 or tollfree 1-800-766-2178.

Tri-County Economic Developement director Leslie Jones told the group how TEDD can help finance a new or existing entrepreneur, while Betty Buckley of Stonesoup, talked about Internet marketing opportunities through the website: Shop the Frontier. Monica McMackin, Forestry Specialty Products, detailed how to set up a cooperative.

Rick Hanson, certified public accountant, discussed practical steps in starting a new business, and Elaine Clough described business website basics. Scott Douglas of SCORE and Sue Poe of Edward Jones presented on marketing and microlending.

For those who were just starting to think about taking the first steps but were hesitant, Terri Elders, LCSW, discussed how to surmount initial worries, and Muriel Meyer and Ann Van Dielen provided an exercise on determining entrepreneurial types.

Meyer will be teaching a three-session non-credit course in February and March at the IEL, Colville Center, with registration accepted after December 1. The course will cost $24, with $15 for the text. For more information, contact Donna Jo Smith, (509) 685-2120.

Colville Horizons address is P.O. Box 1048, Colville, WA, 99114. Its current activities are posted on its website, www.colvillewa.org. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 7, at 4:30, Room 127 at the IEL, Colville Center, 985 S. Elm Street, Colville. The public is invited.

The above was written by Theresa Elders, Colville HORIZONS Board Member.

Entrepreneur Resources Convention

2009-11-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Sponsored by Colville Horizons, IEL Colville Center, WSU Stevens County Extension

Saturday, November 14th, 2009 Institute of Extended Learning. Colville Center 985 S. Elm St, Colville

Schedule

9:00 AM Introduction and Welcome (Vicky Broden Horizons MC)

9:10 AM Keynote Speaker: Elliott Edwards (Hachisoft Corporation)

Local entrepreneurship (What has worked for him. Role of technology in helping new entrepreneurs.)

9:55 AM Debra Kollock (WSU Extension)

What’s Horizons? WSU business plan competition for high school students.

10:15 AM Donna Jo Smith (IEL)

What training, educational opportunities are offered at the community college to support entrepreneurs

10:30 AM Dana McDowell (Colville Horizons)

Horizons “Big Idea” contest for product-minded future entrepreneurs. Winners get an $800 scholarship to assess the marketability of their product at the WSU Innovator Center in Pullman. There will be one scholarship for a Colville resident and another for non-Colville resident.

10:40 AM Break

10:50 AM Leslie Jones (Tri County Economic Development District)

How does the District assist existing and startup businesses in the area?

11:10 AM Betty Buckley (Stonesoup)

How can Stonesoup train, finance and market a new entrepreneur?

11:40 AM Monica McCackin (Forestry Specialty Products)

Showcase the coming together of a new enterprise.

12:00 PM lunch provided

12:30 PM Keynote speaker Heather Ruskievicz (Heather’s Fairy Tale Bakery)

How to follow the entrepreneurial dream

1:00 to 2:00 PM First workshop breakout session

Kalispell Hall

Rick Hanson (CPA)

Practical Steps in Starting a New Business

Dominion Room

Louise Fendrich (PTAC)

How to Do Government Procurements

Monumental Room

Terri Elders LCSW

Overcoming the Fear of Success

2:00 -3:00 PM Second workshop breakout session

Kalispell Hall

Elaine Clough

Business Website Basics

Dominion Room

Scott Douglas/Sue Poe

Marketing and Microlending

Monumental Room
Muriel Meyer/Ann VanDielen
What Entrepreneurial Type Are You?

(Books for sale)

RuFES Progress

2009-11-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

On Nov 5, 2009, at 11:24 AM, Eric Ohrtman wrote the following e-mail to the publisher of the Statesman-Examiner:

Chris,

I was part of a small conference in Seattle this week regarding Rural Poverty Education. In coming back our primary focus is financial education. Our hope is to create saturation with flyers, posters, handouts given to Rural Resources, DSHS, and Food Bank clients, presentations given to Rotary, Kiwanis, and the Chamber, public service announcements via the radio, and a series of articles in the Statesman Examiner. Our primary focus will be the nine most predatory lending practices, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, creating a banking relationship, and free/reduced cost tax preparation.

Our first thought was a 10-12 part series highlighting each predatory lending practice and then giving advice regarding those positive financial practices. Frankly, that's too much. So, our hope is that we could run a 4 part series (three detailing the "Nasty Nine" and one highlighting those positives) that could occur between now and Christmas given that this is the time during which more families fall victim to financial predation than any other. Your space restrictions, word limits, requirements, questions, etc. are completely agreeable. I just hope we can do this.

Let me know and Terri Elders will get cranking on the production of the first article within minutes. Thanks!

Pr. Eric Ohrtman
St. Paul Lutheran Church
295 E. Dominion Ave
Colville, WA 99114
(509) 684-2432
Colville City Council Member At-Large
Cluster J Representative EWAID Synod Council

+++++++

Chris Cowbrough (Managing Editor/Publisher) replied:

Eric--I know the boss here at the Exterminator. He is entirely amenable and agreeable to whatever you want to propose/submit. I would suggest, from a newspaper standpoint and from the standpoint of read-ability, that we go with more installments to the series instead of longer stories over a shorter duration of time. Can we get everything that needs to be covered in a six to eight installment series? Are you sure that four installments are enough? Don't worry about space considerations. You've got all the space you need here. My thought is that if each installment is, say, more than a couple pages long, you might start losing your readership. Just a though. --Chris

Horizons – RuFES Orientation

2009-11-05T06:16:00.000-08:00

This week Colville HORIZONS and other community members participated in an in-depth RuFES (Rural Family Economic Success) workshop. The key to the RuFES approach is helping low-income rural families in ways that work for them.

The Colville community members that participated in the three day training session in SeaTac this week are:

Heidi Braun – AmericanWest Bank
Scott Douglas – SCORE Business Counselor/Horizons Board Member
Terri Elders – Horizons Board Member
Patrick Malone – Washington State University Extension
Eric Ohrtman – Reverend, St. Paul Lutheran Church
Sue Poe – Edward Jones/Horizons Board Member
Kelly Scalf – Rural Resources, Transportation
Mary Wagner – Spokane Community College

Teams from Chewelah and Kettle Falls (and others from across Washington) also participated in the workshop.

The workshop covered the following areas:

Earned Income Tax Credit
Money Traps
Broadband Internet
Entrepreneurial Opportunities

The Colville Team developed action plans that included short and long term projects. These projects are:

EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Program
“Nasty Nine” (money traps) Publication Program
Money Smart – local schools Program
Micro-entrepreneurial Business Incubator Program

Each team member provided input into these programs. The team will continue to develop and implement the programs and report back here on progress.

The video, Living with a Hole in Your Pocket, summarizes much of the workshop.

Presenters Set for Entrepreneur Resources Convention,

2009-10-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

COLVILLE, WA – October 15, 2009- Local entrepreneurs Elliott Edwards and Heather Ruskievicz will be keynote speakers at the Entrepreneur Resources Convention at the Institute of Extended Learning, Colville Center, 985 S. Elm St, Colville, Saturday, November 14, from 9 to 3.

Edwards, of Hatchisoft, will address the role of technology in helping first-time entrepreneurs, and Ruskievicz, of Heather’s Fairy Tale Bakery, will discuss how she followed her entrepreneurial dream.

The event, sponsored by Colville Horizons, WSU Stevens County Extension, and the IEL, also will feature sessions on business management and bookkeeping, government procurements, marketing and micro lending, determining entrepreneurial type, and overcoming the fear of success.

Representatives from the WSU, IEL, Chamber of Commerce, Tri-County Economic Development, SCORE, Forestry Specialty Products and Stone Soup will provide information on how their organizations can assist entrepreneurs.

Debra Kollock, WSU Extension, will announce an upcoming business plan competition for high school students, while Dana McDowell, Horizons, will provide information on the “Big Idea” contest for product-minded local entrepreneurs.

To reserve a seat, or to find out how to set up a display, contact Vicky Broden, 675-6983 or e-mail colvillehorizons@gmail.com. Details about the event soon will be posted at www.colvillewa.org.

This is a free event, and lunch and snacks will be provided.

Horizons to Stage “Pathways to Prosperity”

2009-10-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

Colville Horizons, in partnership with WSU Extension and the Institute for Extended Learning, will sponsor an entrepreneur resource convention, Pathways to Prosperity, on Saturday, November 14, at Colville Center, 985 S. Elm, Colville, from 9 to 3. Local residents interested in becoming self-starters and innovators are invited. Admission is free, and lunch and snacks will be provided.

Because the event will immediately precede Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide effort to educate and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, several sessions will be geared towards youth, including overcoming the fear of success and how to participate in Horizon’s annual Big Idea contest. The Horizons Board strongly encourages high school and community college students to attend.

Speakers will address availability of local resources, basics of marketing and finance, developing a business plan, discovering one’s entrepreneurial type, and other topics pertaining to running a successful business.

Local businesses and service organizations providing resources to support local entrepreneurship are invited to display exhibits.

To reserve a seat or request information, contact Vicky Broden, 675-6983 or e-mail colvillehorizons@gmail.com. Details about the event soon will be posted at www.colvillewa.org.

COLVILLE HORIZONS INVENTION CONTEST “KICK-OFF” A SUCCESS

2009-04-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

Colville Horizons Board held its second “Your Big Idea Contest” kickoff and Business Plan Workshop on March 12th at the Colville branch of IEL, Spokane Community Colleges. About 30 people attended.

At the event Justin Thornley, Director of the WSU Innovation Assessment Center, delivered the assessments for last year’s contest winners. He also informed potential new contestants of the benefits of having an idea assessed through WSU, rather than relying on individual attempts at feasibility studies. The Center has access to expert evaluators, including product developers, product brokers, marketers, retail buyers, professors and business owners.

John Overby discussed incubator capabilities and patent work available through his program, SIRTI in Spokane. SIRTI is the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute.

Scott Douglas, SCORE business consultant, and Rob Willford, loan officer from Tri-County Economic Development District, answered questions on business start-ups and how to obtain funding through loan programs. The afternoon program concluded with a brief business plan workshop and further instructions on completing “Your Big Idea” contest application.

The Colville Horizons Board invites all local inventors and innovators to submit applications to the contest. Each invention or idea will be reviewed by a judging panel of experts for specific qualities such as feasibility to be patented, marketability, ability to be produced locally, potential for creating local jobs, and ability to be shipped from this area.

Colville Horizons continues to provide this program to local inventors and potential business owners to help create local jobs. The reviewing panel’s top two selections will be awarded scholarships towards the WSU Innovation Assessment Center’s $795 evaluation fee. Because Colville Horizons sponsors this event, scholarship dollars will be awarded to participants living in the 99114 zip code.

Applications for the “Your Big Idea” Contest are available for pick-up and drop off at the WSU Extension Center, 985 S. Elm, Colville. WA. Contest entries will be accepted through April 11th. Call 685-6125 for more information.

BIG IDEA CONTEST & BIZ PLAN WORKSHOP

2009-03-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

Next Thursday, March 12, from 4 pm to 7 pm there will be the second "Your BIG Idea Contest" Kickoff and Biz Plan Workshop.

The event will be held in the Monumental and Dominion Rooms, Institute for Extended Learning, Colville Center, 985 S. Elm, Colville. Entrepreneurs will learn how to develop a business plan, and Colville inventors will be provided applications to enter the Your Big Idea contest, which closes April 11. Contest prizes are two scholarships for a thorough evaluation by the WSU Innovation Assessment Center.

Justin Thornley, the Center's director, will be a featured speaker. Other presenters include Scott Douglas, SCORE Business Counselor, John Overby of SIRTI (Spokane Research and Technology Institute), and Rob Willford of Tri County Economic Development District. This is a free event. For more information, call Dana McDowell, 509-685-6125, e-mail info@colvillewa.org, or visit the Horizons website, www.colvillewa.org.

Board Meeting - March 6th

2009-02-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

Next board meeting for the Colville Community Senior Center foundation is March 6th at 11:00 a.m. at the United Methodist Church

Horizons Reunion Report

2009-02-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

The January 21st meeting was deemed a success, several people from the community joined the Horizons board for an informative evening about past and upcoming Horizons projects.

It was determined that five of the top projects from the Study Circles were actually moved forward in some fashion. The five projects are: senior center, housing, circle of support/SCORE, community garden, and resource directory.

Above: Vicky Broden, Horizons Board President and her daughter.

An upcoming future project is the Horizons "Your Big Idea Contest Kick-off". It will be held on March 12, 2009 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in the Dominion and Monumental rooms at the community college in Colville.

On the right: Scott Douglas, Harold Ingram (back), Bonnie Krumm, Dana McDowell, and Russ Larson.

Leadership Plenty and PR Training in Spokane

2008-12-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

Wow! Leadership and PR training in Spokane was a blast. I finally learned how to blog. Even though I am from an alumni Horizons group I kept missing the blog classes due to scheduling conflicts. I was delighted to get another opportunity.

Not only was the information valuable - the networking was fantastic. One of the best networking opportunites was my roommate from Coulee Dam. She helped me get my google account login figured out - I didn't even look at the clock when we finally went to bed.

Here is a photo of Sheri Edwards (on the left), expert blogger from Grand Coulee, Bob Lambert, beginning blogger from Grand Coulee, and myself (in the middle), definitely a beginning blogger.

Dana McDowell took the Advanced Leadership class. Here is a photo of Dana and I with some pals we meet when we went to Luigi's (fantastic food and great fun).

Muriel Meyer (left), Elsie Davis from Big River, Dana McDowell (Colville), and Dawn Kanoras from Big River.

HORIZONS Reunion - January 21, 2009

2008-11-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

All past participates and the community are welcome to attend the HORIZONS Reunion on January 21, 2009 at the Communinity College starting at 5:30 p.m.. Come and celebrate what was accomplished in 2008 in Colville, and share your ideas on what the community can achieved in 2009. Go ahead and post your ideas on the blog.

BIG IDEA CONTEST - March 12, 2009

2008-11-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

The date as been set. The next BIG IDEA CONTEST is scheduled for March 12, 2009. Mark down that date - more information to follow.

Board Meeting - December 1st,2008

2008-11-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

The next board meeting will be December 1st, 2008 at the Colville Community College, Room 127.

HORIZONS Board Meeting Nov 3rd - Community College

2008-10-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

The board meeting will be Monday, November 3 at 5:30 pm in Room 127 at the community college. Rm 127 is the first door on the right if you come in through the northeast entry. That entry door is locked at 4:30 pm but all other college entrance doors are open. Vicky will be there in Rm 127, so if you knock on the window, she will open the front door.

There are exciting news. Krisan from WSU Extension Chewelah is our new Horizons alumni community coach. There's some money (a little) for training board members.

PLEASE SEND ITEMS to Vicky that you wish to discuss on Nov 3rd's agenda.

HORIZONS Board Meeting Nov 3rd - Community College

2008-10-24T10:55:00.001-07:00

The board meeting will be Monday, November 3 at 5:30 pm in Room 127 at the community college. Rm 127 is the first door on the right if you come in through the northeast entry. That entry door is locked at 4:30 pm but all other college entrance doors are open. Vicky will be there in Rm 127, so if you knock on the window, she will open the front door. There are exciting news. Krisan from WSU Extension Chewelah is our new Horizons alumni community coach. There's some money (a little) for training board members. PLEASE SEND ITEMS to Vicky that you wish to discuss on Nov 3rd's agenda.

HORIZONS Board Meeting Nov 3rd - Community College

2008-10-24T06:40:00.001-07:00

Horizons Board Meeting

2008-10-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

There will a meeting of the Colville Horizons Board on Monday, October 6, 2008 at 5:30 pm at WorkSource. WorkSource is located in the northeast portion of the Rural Resources building on 956 South Main St. Everyone is welcomed.

Virtual Assistant Online Classes

2008-09-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Have you thought about staying at home working as a virtual assistant or managing your home-based business?

Colville's community college IEL Center will be offering two such online courses starting on Oct 1. The courses will be taught by William Flood, an experienced virtual assistant and online business instructor. He was a presenter at the Colville's Horizons sponsored "Big Idea" conference last May. The courses cost $99 and will run from October 1 to December 1, 2008. Pick-up (non-credit) registration forms at the community college or tear one from the back of the college's fall 2008 quarter booklet. The two courses offered are:

Starting a Virtual Assisting Business
This course is designed for students who want to run their own virtual assistant business from home. Learn to provide administrative support services to other companies over the Internet. A virtual assistant can make from $25-$50 per hour performing word processing, database management, desktop publishing, and e-mail services. Moreover, because virtual assistants work from their homes, for customers they often never meet, they do not need to be located in the same city or even the same state. Learn how to establish and successfully grow a virtual assistant business including learning how to locate customers, set fees, and develop client contracts.

Starting a Home-Based Business
Running a business from home can be an ideal business that is profitable, fun, and can offer great tax advantages. Learn how to select a business that is right for you, how to start, grow, administer it, and market it successfully to your customers. Special emphasis is placed on starting part-time and risk-free.

For more information contact Donna Jo Smith at 509-685-6704 or inquire in person at the college's IEL Center at 985 S. Elm, Colville, WA 99114.

Colville Community Senior Center: Community Needs Survey

2008-08-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Please help by participating in the following survey:

BIG IDEA CONTEST NETS SIX APPLICANTS

2008-07-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

The "Big Idea" contest, has garnered six applicants for the possibility of winning a scholarship to the WSU Innovation Assessment Center.

The judging panel consists of Leslie Jones, Tri-County Economic Development District Director, Malcolm Friedman, Stevens County Commissioner and Debra Kollock, WSU Stevens County Extension Director.

Two scholarships will be awarded from Colville Horizons Board, and one from the Tri-County Economic Development District towards the $795 fee to have a thorough evaluation by WSU Innovation Assessment Center.

The winning entries will be awarded their prizes, tuition waivers, during Rendezvous in Colville, the first weekend in August.

HOPE EMERGES AS UNDERLYING THEME AT HORIZON'S "BIG IDEA" AND VIRTUAL ASSISTANT EVENT

2008-07-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

Over fifty hopefuls attended the Big Idea Contest and Virtual Assistance Kickoff at the Community Colleges of Spokane, Colville Center, on Saturday, May 31. They came from the seven Horizons groups in Hunters, Northport, Springdale, Kettle Falls, Republic, Chewelah and Colville to learn how invention, innovation and marketable ideas could pave the way from poverty to prosperity, relying on local talent and skills.

The audience first heard Elliott Edwards, Colville Horizons Board Chairman, emphasize how prosperity is about the things the community already has. "Though people band together for a variety of reasons," Edwards said, "when we all work together to improve the lives of our families and our loved ones, poverty will have no choice but to seek a different venue."

Justin Thornley, director of Innovative Assessment Services at WSU, echoed the theme of hope. He pointed out how Dana McDowell, of Horizon's Creating Entrepreneurial Jobs Focus Team, emphasizes that the Tri-Counties really successful businesses rely on local resources rather than concentrating on attracting outside businesses to the area that might stay for a while and then leave. Though the latter have brought strength to local economies, the WSU Innovation Center is interested in helping locals identify ideas that can translate to profitable enterprises.

"Inventions require substantial investment and new ventures are risky," Thornley said. "Only about 12.5% of new products remain on the market for five years or more." With help from the WSU group, entrepreneurs can be guided towards concentrating on developing products that meet actual market needs.

BIG IDEA CONTEST

The "Big Idea" contest, which drew fifteen registrants at the kickoff event itself, offers local potential inventors to have their ideas reviewed by a panel of experts for such specific qualities as patenting feasibility, marketability, ability to be produced and distributed locally, and potential for creating new jobs.

Three or four innovators will be awarded scholarships from Horizons Boards and the Tri-County Economic Development District (TEDD) towards the $795 fee to have a thorough evaluation by WSU Innovation Assessment Center.

Application packets are available online at www.colvillewa.org. Each packet must be completed and mailed or hand delivered to WSU Stevens County Extension, Attention: Debra Kollock, 985 S. Elm, Suite A., Colville, WA 99114, no later than June 28, 2008.

The winning entries will be awarded their prizes, tuition waivers, during Rendezvous in Colville, the first weekend in August. For questions or assistance, potential participants can contact Muriel Meyer at 509-675-2947 or Lynn Harris at 509-675-2246.

VIRTUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

William Flood, who conducted two sessions on virtual assistants programs and virtual entrepreneurship, emphasized that Stevens County has a limited population, and cannot compete with big cities for customers. Nonetheless, there is hope for those who want to become professional self-employed virtual administrative assistants. Such assistants do not have to be physically present with their clients. Instead they utilize technology so that the distance between themselves and their clients is immaterial.

Flood, who has over twenty years experience as an entrepreneur, having started and run seven small businesses, has taught online since l996, and has ten years experience in information technology management and consulting.

"If your backyard doesn't allow you to conduct your business," he said, "then simply go to a different market. Through virtual entrepreneurships you can have clients worldwide."

Flood pointed out the benefits of working from home, especially in these days of high gasoline prices. Such benefits include autonomy, time control, independence, tax advantages and being able to stay at home with children. "Plus," he added, "Since you are your own boss, you can't fire yourself."

"Flood's presentations really gave me hope," commented Tammi Evans, a Colville Horizons participant. "Flood's description of virtual assisting is just what I've been looking for. And from what he said about the traits of successful virtual assistants, he pretty much reinforced for me that I can do it."

Before the Saturday workshop Flood conferred with Donna Jo Smith at the Institute for Extended Learning. Some of his online courses may be offered through IEL for the winter semester. These might include Starting a Home-Based Business, Starting a Virtual Assisting Business, Starting an Internet or Mail Order Business, Starting an Import Export Business, Real Estate Investing and Making Money with Online Auctions, Government Sales, and Surplus Property. For more information, contact Donna Jo Smith at 509-685-2131 or at dsmith@iel.spokane.edu.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

Monica Babine of WSU Extension Rural Bridges delivered a presentation, Growing Rural Jobs Using Digital Technologies, which focused on assisting rural community leaders build their capacity to prepare for, create and attract digital technology-enabled jobs.

Reinforcing the day's theme of hope was a quote she selected for her closing, from Jack Schultz, author of Boomtown, USA. He wrote, "Look deeply into any prospering small town and you'll find an entrepreneurial spirit manifesting itself in any number of ways. In fact, a town can't have too many entrepreneurs because they can help it thrive."

[Colville Horizons] Early Literacy Workshop Emphasizes Reading Readiness

2008-06-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

Colville, WA...May 20, 2008...Sunny Strong, an early literacy trainer and children's librarian, cajoled over sixty participants on May 16 to open their minds to new thinking about brain development and early childhood reading readiness at a May 16 early literacy workshop sponsored by Colville Horizons Early Literacy Focus Group and the Libraries of Stevens County.

"Do your ears hang low?" she asked the group of parents, educators, Horizons participants, day care providers and AmeriCorps literacy volunteer who attended the session at the Rendevous Theater at Colville Center, Community Colleges of Spokane. "I need you to have big open ears, and be willing to change your mind about what you do," she pleaded, and then led the crowd through a rousing version of the old nursery song.

This opening activity was typical of how Strong conducted her sessions which incorporated puppets, children's story books, songs, rhymes and videos to demonstrate how to build motor, music, social and pre-literacy skills in infants and toddlers.

Six Reading Readiness Elements

"I thought it was really cool how Sunny used the puppets and stories to demonstrate the six elements that help make children ready to read," said AmeriCorps literacy volunteer Jan Hildreth, based at Colville WorkSource. "And I was shocked at how many big words we found in those preschool story books. It really blew me away to see that we can start building vocabulary so early on.".

Strong emphasized that parents and professionals have a unique opportunity to help children become reading ready since early experiences have a decisive impact on the architecture of the brain, and on the nature and extent of adult capacities. By the time children reach age three, their brains are twice as active as those of adults. These early interactions directly impact the way brains are "wired."

Research from the National Child Institute of Health and Human Development at the National Institute of Health identifies these six elements that aid children's readiness to read: print awareness; narrative skills, vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, print motivation. "It's a myth that we're teaching reading to these babies and toddlers," Strong said. "Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write"

According to recent surveys, approximately 35% of children entering kindergarten lack these readiness skills, which include such concepts as sequence, color and shape. Literacy is a continuous developmental process that includes listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Literacy Linked to Poverty

The Horizons project, administered in six Stevens County locales by the Stevens County WSU Extension, is designed to move communities from poverty to prosperity. The Early Literacy Focus Group of the Colville Horizons Board believes that the linkages between literacy attainment and poverty have been well documented. Studies show that the long-term effects of low literacy are linked to poverty. Adults with low literacy are more likely to have low paid jobs, be unemployed or depending on public assistance, and are more likely to have poor housing and poor health. They are less likely to receive work-related training or enjoy promotions. Women with low liteacy are much more likely to experience depression. Significantly, some of the lowest literacy rates are found in the prison population.

Reading Readiness Resources

Whitney Edwards, children's librarian at the Colville Public Library and Horizon Early Literacy Focus Group leader, encourages parents and childcare givers to inquire directly about selecting suitable books for reading to infants and toddlers. She can be e-mailed directly at ?????. The Stevens County Rural Library District recently obtained copies of the book coauthored by Ms. Strong, Children's Books: A Practical Guide to Selection, which will be available soon.

Online sources on information on early literacy include www.earlylit.net, www.talaris.org, and www.getreadytoread.org.

“Big Idea” Contest Kickoff & Virtual Assistant Seminar (May 31st from 8:30-3:30)

2008-05-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Horizons Participant,

The Colville Horizons Board and Focus Teams are pleased to announce our "more and better jobs" training event. You may have seen details about our early literacy training event (going on even as I am writing this), but this notice is about the “Big Idea” Contest Kickoff & Virtual Assistant Seminar (May 31st from 8:30-3:30) This event is co-sponsored by the "Creating Entrepreneurial Jobs" and "Virtual Jobs" focus teams, and represents a community-wide opportunity to improve our local economy by developing new businesses in our area. If you have a "Big Idea" that could turn into a business (and win the contest!), or are looking for ways to build a business around telecommuting, then this event is for you.

You can find more information on the contest website. Lunch will be provided for those that pre-register, and fuel/child care reimbursement is likewise available.

Thanks for your interest and support

Elliott Edwards, Chair
Colville Horizons Board

Board Meeting Tuesday, May 6th

2008-05-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

There will be another impromptu board meeting tonight at 6pm at the Hachisoft conference room. The agenda is posted at left.

Board Meeting Thursday May 1

2008-05-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Our monthly board meeting will be occurring tonight at 7pm in room 107 of the Colville Community College. The agenda (as always) is posted on the sidebar at left.

Board Meeting Thursday April 3rd

2008-04-01T18:26:00.001-07:00

Our regular board meeting will be occurring Thursday, April 3rd at 7pm in room 107 at the Colville Community College. The primary focus will be the training budget and reviewing the training proposals submitted by our focus teams. A full agenda may be found in the agenda section at left.

Focus Team Summit Summary [for 3.19.2008]

2008-03-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Although the meeting went a bit longer than we had anticipated, we were able to meet the primary goal of informal training proposals for each Focus Team. Formal training proposals are due, in writing, by the next Board meeting (April 3rd) on the Focus Team sites. Based on these written proposals, the Board will determine how to use the Colville Horizons training dollars.

A special thanks to Sue Poe for facilitating, and to Leslie Jones for bringing us up to speed on TEDD's business services.

Focus Team Progress

2008-03-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

So far we have 4 official Colville Horizons Focus Teams. Each of these teams has undertaken to write up an overview of their team and the project(s) they will be sponsoring for the board's review.

I have just finished preparing a focus team site for each of the four teams. It will be on these sites that teams can collect resources and create/maintain their 3 primary documents (Team Overview, Training Proposal, and Project Proposal). These sites can be reached from the links on top of the http://www.colvillewa.org site or individually:

We will be holding another focus team summit on March 19th to work on Focus Team Sponsored Training Proposals.

Elliott Edwards, Chair
Colville Horizons Board

Board Meeting Tonight

2008-03-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Colville Horizons Board will be meeting tonight to review the Focus Team Summit details and to work out the details of our training budget. Anyone that wishes to attend is welcome. The meeting will be at 7pm at the Colville Community College (Room 107).

Focus Team Summit Summary

2008-02-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening (Feb 26th) Colville Horizons held a Focus Team Summit. The goal was to showcase and identify the active focus teams, reconnect the Horizons community, and continue work on our training and project plans. To that end we were, I think, successful.

We identified several projects that weren't represented at the summit, but that we will be checking on. Most of these are projects that "spun off" from Horizons or that other community groups are actively working on. We tasked ourselves with determining if these projects had interest in participating in (or partnering with) Colville Horizons.

The focus teams that were present at the summit showcased their goals and efforts. Persons not currently members of a team were encouraged to join. The teams did a roundtable discussion on what the teams focus was, and what projects they would sponsor for the board's review.

One new focus team was proposed. This new team's focus was on early childhood literacy and how a simple (and focused) grass roots movement could enable a community-wide growth in literacy and academic success. Since literacy is essential to job skills, economic development, and leadership in the Colville area, the Horizons Board will be considering the addition of this new team at the next board meeting.

I am quite pleased with the diligence and progress of the focus teams at the summit. Out of their hard work and innovative ideas, I see the emergence of projects that have a realistic scope, are fine-tuned to make a difference in our community, and that just may fit within our community training and project budgets.

Elliott Edwards, Chair
Colville Horizons Board

Cathy McMorris Rodgers Funding Workshop

2008-02-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

A forwarded invitation from Cathy McMorris Rodgers:

On March 20, 2008, I will hold my third annual federal funding and grant workshop in Spokane at Washington State University's Riverpoint Campus. I am excited to invite you to join me for a time of informative and resourceful presentations that will help you further the mission of your organization.

Throughout the morning you will hear from representatives of federal, state, and local agencies and you will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of breakout sessions. Representatives from private foundations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Foundation, will also present at this year's workshop.

Last year, over 200 people attended my funding workshop and received vital tools and insights into the grant process. If you are new to the grant application and research process, a great place to start is by registering with www.grants.gov. I encourage you to sign up with grants.gov before the funding workshop in March.

More details, along with the registration form, are attached. You may also visit my website at www.mcmorrisrodgers.house.gov to download registration forms. This workshop is FREE but pre-registration by March 10, 2008 is required. I look forward to seeing you at my funding workshop!

Best Wishes,
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Member of Congress

Professional Clothing Drive

2008-02-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

Posted by Elliott on behalf of Vicky Broden:

Hello:

The Adult Basic Education Department at Colville's Institute of Extended Learning (community college) is sponsoring a professional clothing drive. An obstacle for many of our students is access to professional clothes. Many of them cannot afford to buy the "power suit" for a job interview or professional outfits for work. The ABE and Student Services departments would like to break this barrier for our students and sponsor a "professional fashion show." This event will take place on Thursday, March 13 (11:30 am to 12:00 pm) at the Rendezvos Theather. The show will showcase what to wear or not to wear to a job interview. Participants and attendees will be able to take home professional clothing.

Donations will be accepted until Monday, March 10. You can drop clothes off in Room 127 at the Community College during the day or at 615 E 9th (corner of 9th and Cedar)after 5:00 pm. For more information (and possible clothes pick-up) please call me at 685-2132 (day) 675-6983 (cell) or 684-5558 (eve). You can also e-mail me at quebro@??????.???. (due to spam, please request email address in comments)

Please donate items that you would wear to work or a job interview.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you,
Vicky Broden

Training Dollars: An Example

2008-02-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Heres an example of how another Horizons Community is using its training funds:

From Anita Raddatz (Colville Horizons Coach):

Another community is using their $4,000 (Training Funds) to attend the Green Festival in Seattle. The entry fee is $15, & $5 for seniors, students. Gas cards would be given for travel. Lodging* and meals* would need to be covered by the $4,000 funds.

You can Check out the green festival in Seattle at www.greenfestivals.org

April 12,13

*there are dollar limitations set by the state that we must observe

Focus Team Summit

2008-02-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Colville Horizons Participant,

You are receiving this letter because of your support of the Horizons Project in Colville, WA. As many of you know, Horizons is an ambitious and involved process with many people participating at many different phases and stages. Now we are moving forward on the next steps and and want to keep you up to date.

Horizons Board
I am the chair of a nine person board that has been selected to oversee the operation of the Horizons Project in Colville. Our duties include coordinating projects, communicating results to the community, and allocating funds for training and project purposes. Our current goal is to improve the visibility and communication of the project and to reintegrate the energy and ideas of the community (you!) into the next stages. Please remember that your input is invaluable, your experience is needed, and your help is much appreciated.

What Has Already Happened
We started off with the "Study Circles" in February of 2007. Through "Leadership Plenty" Training and subsequent Visioning sessions, we have brainstormed and collaborated to solve the problems . In September of 2007 a household survey on poverty was conducted in the 99114 zip code area. Participants of the Horizons sessions continued to meet to identified the needs bases on the results of the survey. Out of this has come the creation of five "Focus Teams" that are working on certain aspects of the larger goal.

Focus Team Summit (Feb 26th @ 5:30pm) - Colville Community College
Having now chosen a general direction based on community member interests, the Horizons Focus Teams are tackling the issues of poverty in our community. On February 26th at 5:30pm, these Focus Teams are being asked by the board to join together, showcase current endeavors, and to plan the next steps. If you aren't currently a member of a focus team, come and join. As members of this dynamic community, your input is invaluable, and your help is much appreciated. We will be discussing our training funds and how the Focus Groups will be expected to sponsor and document their projects.

www.colvillewa.org
Some of you may have noticed that our website/blog has changed. Not only does it look different, it has been reorganized and optimized so that its easier to navigate and find information.

To go to it, simply point your browser to:
http://www.colvillewa.org

In addition to the mini articles that were posted throughout the project, the blog now has some new features:

* A live event calendar with the dates and times of meetings, events, and training opportunities
* Online agendas for upcoming meetings
* Online minutes for recently held meetings
* Organized (tagged) community links
* A separate media page for videos, slide shows, and more (that way the main page is faster for phone-line users)
* Email Subscriptions: In the "Subscribe" section of the site, choose the "By Email" link and follow the directions. New articles (posts) will arrive in your email in-box.

Newsletter
If you prefer real mail to email, look for an upcoming newsletter. To be circulated in the next couple months, this newsletter will include information on the latest events and projects. The Horizons board is committed to open communication with the community, and we realize that not everyone prefers (or has access to) the Internet for their information.

Please join us for the Focus Team Summit on Febuary 26th at 5:30 p.m. at the Colville Community College.

Thank you for your time and participation thus far. It has been invaluable, and we hope (through your involvement) to continue to make a difference in the Colville community.

Sincerely,
Elliott Edwards

Chair, Colville Horizons Board

Apprenticeship and Construction Job Fair

2008-02-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2008
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
WORKSOURCE SPOKANE
Second floor – Sequoia & Cyprus Rooms

This is a great opportunity to connect with job seekers specifically looking for jobs in the construction industry as well as providing information about apprenticeships.
There is limited space available so please respond to Kathy Atha at katha@????.??? or call (509) 532-3133 to reserve a space.

In partnership with the Spokane Area Workforce Development Council

IMAD Workshop

2008-02-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

"I Make A Difference" is the theme of the workshop for volunteers and professionals that work with children. The workshop will be held at Deer Lake on the 23rd of February. The full Details are here. $35 Registration Needed by the 18th!

Per our board meeting, this may represent training we can offer to persons in our community in the interest of generally improving the education and care of our children.

Board Meeting Summary

2008-02-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

At the Horizons board meeting, we did the following:

Organized our board and operating procedures
Implemented a system of priority and initial plan for Training Fund use
Outlined a Focus Team Summit event to reconnect horizons members with focus teams and institute lines of communication between the community, focus teams, and the Horizons board.

For more information, stay tuned for the meetings minutes which will be posted shortly.

Blog Training CANCELED

2008-02-06T13:06:00.000-08:00

The blog training event has been canceled. If it is rescheduled, we will publish the new date. Maybe once spring has arrived? :D

Grant Workshop Postponed

2008-02-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

The grant workshop that was to occur on February 5th in Spokane has be postponed to February 20th due to inclimate weather. The event calendar has been updated to reflect this change.

Designing Eye-Catching Brochures

2008-01-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

If enough communities are interested in a training session called: "How To Design Eye-catching brochures" then it will be made available without charge to all local Horizons committees. Take a look at the brochure here.

Survey of shared training interests

2008-01-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

During the board training session, a brainstorming session was held to consider what training Horizons communities may want to collaborate on. The results of this have been collated into a survey here.

Please visit and respond to that survey before February 6th. This is an opportunity to voice our interests regarding our training resources.

Blog Workshop Postponed

2008-01-29T14:45:00.000-08:00

The Blog workshop that was scheduled for today has been postponed to Thursday February 7th due to the snow and snowy forecasts this week.

WSU Resources List

2008-01-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

WSU has made a list of community resources available here. It is also accessible from the documents section on the left sidebar.

Documents Section Added

2008-01-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

The sidebar at left now includes a "documents" section. Listed in it are the five most recent documents published by this horizons committee. Click on the "Documents" title to see ALL documents.

The blogs, they are a-changin'

2008-01-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

I have now completed a first draft of a blog theme and organization for this site. Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions.

The picture slide shows (in the interest of speeding up the main page load times) have been moved to a separate blog accessible from the navigation bar at top ("Media (Photos+Video)" Link). This will allow us to link to and store slideshows and videos for high-bandwidth folks, while taking it easy on those of us who dial in at 56K.

Also note that several placeholder Focus Team blogs have been added and integrated. For space reasons, they have been assigned a "tag" name and are designated with square brackets ("[Telecommuting]"). These are just placeholders that can (and likely will) be adjusted to suit the requirements of the focus teams. Hopefully after the Board Meeting on Feb. 7th, all focus teams will have chosen a "tag" and will have access to their own integrated blog and event calendar.

This main page now features some (live and dynamic) information in the bars at left and right:

-The "Agendas" section will list all the recent meeting agendas for the Horizons community.
-Likewise, the "Minutes" section will contain minutes from past meetings.
-The "Categories" sections will take you to posts/articles that have been tagged with the categories listed. Many of these tags represent the "official" Horizons blog tags.
-The "Upcoming Events" section is a JavaScript widget that I developed. It will list (from the public Google Calender) the latest events, meetings, workshops, etc. that are related to the Colville Horizons community.
-The "Community Links" section makes use of the del.icio.us social bookmarking service, and represents a powerful and organized way to keep track of community-related links. Clicking on an item there will list all pages that have been tagged with that item. i.e. clicking on "horizons" will display all links that have been tagged with "horizons".

I will be giving an overview of these new blog features and why you should care about them at the Board meeting on th Feb. 7th.

-Elliott Edwards-
Blog Team/Horizons Board Chair

Meeting Summary

2008-01-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

You can click on the photos to view larger views of the notes on the whiteboard.

A 5-member Colville Horizons Blog Team was created: Vicky Broden, Elliott Edwards, Terri Elders, Loli Elkins, Heather Ruskievicz; the Blog Team will manage Colville's Horizons Community Blog, www.colville-wa.blogspot.com

A 9-member Colville Horizons Board was created: Gaby Broden, Elliott Edwards, Loli Elkins, Lynn Harris, Harold Ingram, Russ Larsen, Muriel Meyer, Ron Sandrock, and Ann Van Dielen. The board will be responsible for the proper paperwork for management of the Horizons funds and will preside over a monthly Colville Horizons meeting where all 5 work groups will report and make any requests for funds.

All meeting dates of the work groups and the board will be posted on this blog - as will the notes from their meetings. Colville community members are invited to attend all meetings as well as join the work groups.

After the Board and Blog Team were created, participants divided into the 5 work groups and met for about 45 minutes with a focus on partnerships that might be formed to accomplish the goals of the work group.

Colville Horizons Update

2007-12-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

The notes from the Colville Horizons Meeting of December 15 2007. No decisions were made at the meeting. The group reviewed the results of the 4 work groups from the Visioning Event in November. The meeting of January 8, 2008, will be very important as decisions about a demographically representative group will need to be made for the final phase of the Horizons program, a blog team needs to be formally put into place, and selection of the activities will need to be made. All community members are welcome to attend and assist with the "next steps" on the timeline of January -June 2008. Next meeting January 8, 2008, 5:00 pm, at the WSU/IEL/CCS Education Center. Any questions, please contact Anita Raddatz, Colville Horizons Coach, 509.358-4575 or raddatz@wsu.edu Click on photos of the green boards to see a larger, readable photo.

Recommendations to enhance the Colville economy while reducing poverty and increasing leadership skills within Colville

2007-11-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

Reports of recommendations by 4 Colville Horizons Visioning work groups Nov 26, 2007; work groups were established by self-selection at the Nov 13 2007 Colville Horizons Visioning workshop:

Home-based businesses
Creation of internships/OJT/mentorships
after surveying local businesses/organizations

Support plan to centralize local resources at a vacant school site

Local artists organize to promote work
as part of local economy and for tourism

Computer database of resources
housed locally
& public transportation evaluation for expansion

Comments on Top 3 Concerns from Colville Surveys

2007-10-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

At the Oct 23 Horizons Harvest Open House, the following comments were posted by partricipants as solutions to address the Top 3 Concerns from the surveys that were sent to every household in the Colville zip code in August. On Nov 13, 5:30-8:30, Colville Learning Center, 985 S Elm St, a strategic plan will be designed to address these top 3 concerns. All from Colville are welcome to participate. Link to report.

#1 Better Jobs – Better Wages

Create solar power and renewable energy plant to provide more jobs.
Youth Activity –
Vocational hand-on skill training. Partnerships among school district, employers,
Service organizations, retired community and youth center.
Education = better jobs
Bring programs that are 9 months or 1 year long to develop skills and gain Certified education. Make it possible to work while attaining these certificates.
Better jobs where men and women are paid the same.
Encourage companies to create apprenticeship like programs. Somewhere for entry-level workers to gain knowledge and documented experiences without the expense of college.
We need training for better/more jobs.
Invite City and County leadership to address the need in cooperation with local businesses, service organizations. (Tax issues, housing)
Jobs for kids. Opportunities to volunteer.
More jobs for all people
Lower age for jobs (16+)
We need to provide opportunities for young people to gain experience to head them in a career path … more then just dead end jobs.
Better Pay
Educational opportunities that lead to good jobs in heath care industry – hospital and long-term care always have openings.
Support local businesses/organizations because if more people use local businesses/organizations then more people will be needed to work in those local businesses/organizations thus providing more jobs in Colville.

#2 Affordable Housing
a central location to check on rental available… (On-line)
way for people looking to let the community know they are looking and for what for?
Senior Community Center
Affordable housing requires first affordable land to build on.
City and County needs to set aside land for affordable housing.
More places for young people to rent to own
Lower prices for people with low income
We need lots more affordable housing -- not apartments. Houses to have Habitat build.
See if agencies like HUD will, build, or buy apartment complexes.
Many people here qualify for government-subsidized housing, but are unable to find suitable housing.
Try Habit for Humanity, Americorps, various churches and private companies who may be will to donate or discount materials, skills and time to build and maintain public housing.
Organized, spirited drive for volunteers to support and affordable lots to enable Habitat for Humanity greater success here.
Hope to see Senior Center.
More houses – not apartments – available for families
The community needs to UNITE … we have groups/organizations doing a small part. But look at the power if we unite and go forward with our knowledge.

#3 Improve Economy

Keeping bad people off the streets
More help for everyone
Instead of trying to more the airport to the valley floor – build a conference center that would include an aquatic/sport center and a performing arts center. This would provide immediate jobs for construction and well as ongoing jobs for the convention center and supporting venues. It would provide income coming in from tourist and attendees without putting the financial strain on the area for services (i.e. fire/police – social services) Yes, it is grandiose, but I think it could be done.
Single people’s club
Young couple’s club
Employ the youth! They are an available untapped resource. They are generally more enthusiastic, learn faster, and have more time than more mature people. Jobs all want experience, so empower the youth by giving them experience.
Public Transportation – Choices – Improved – Affordable. Use the existing RR for passenger trips
Stay local – make it more possible for live, work and shop in the same community.
Involve kids with community gardens, Learn to
Energy/Power/Gasoline
Alternative Development Solar, Wind Etc.
Contact Legislators. Legislation regarding tax credits for energy savers (like solar panels)
The government of both county and city need to more seniti vie to jobs and housing. The feeling seems to be that the status quo is ok – which it isn’t
Create energy producing options to create jobs.
Recycling – curbside containers – make it easier to recycle
Unite all transportation efforts and be able to provide transportation for work, medical, shopping, etc to all the community.
We need to unite and support each other by buying locally. We need to make buying locally easier access.
Promote buying locally start a campaign that supports/promotes local businesses.
Increase economy and jobs.
Affordable Internet access/wireless for all

2007-10-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

QUESTIONS TO PONDER!

What kind of difference does it make if people in your community better understand the causes of poverty?
How would your community be different if more people think they have a role to play in community leadership?
In what ways is your community more aware of its strengths or assets?

Please leave responses by clicking on the word "comments" below, or sending your responses to colville_wa@yahoo.com and it will be posted here for you.

Colville Horizons Harvest Open House

2007-10-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

See the photo slide show here.

The Horizons Open House on October 23, 2007, was attended by 40 community members who enjoyed the delicious cuisine from 7 different restaurants in Colville while local musicians filled the air.

At the Open House, 45 ideas were submitted to address the top 3 concerns expressed by the respondents to the survey that was mailed out at the end of summer to every household in the Colville zip code. Check out Colville’s Community Blog at www.colville-wa.blogspot.com for a list of the ideas, to be posted soon.

The top 3 concerns expressed in the surveys by 15% of the Colville population: 1. More/Better Jobs (from 62.2% of surveys) 2. Affordable Housing (from 48.9% of surveys) 3. Improved Economy (from 34.9% of surveys) These 3 provide a wide-open opportunity to strategize on ways to improve life for people in Colville, reduce poverty within Colville, and work towards a Colville as a thriving community.

So What’s Next? We need to prepare for the November 13th Visioning Strategic Planning Session.

* Anita, Colville’s Horizons Coach, will be in Colville on Tuesday, October 30, 4:30 p.m., WSU/CCS Learning Center, to share all of the details about what will occur at the upcoming Visioning Strategic Planning session on Nov 13, 5:30-8:30 pm. If you would like to help with this event or have questions about it, you are welcome on Oct 30.
* There is an organizing meeting for the Nov 13 event at 4:30 on November 1, at the same location – what needs to be done, who will do it, etc. If you want to help with the set up, organizing, and take down of that event, please attend.
* Mark your calendars for November 13, 5:30-8:30, so you can be a part of the decision-making for Colville: selecting the strategies to work on, forming committees to go forth with the work that is chosen, and determining how the $10,000 grant funds will be used. A meal will be provided to sustain you through the 3 hours, and gas cards and child/elder care “vouchers” are available to participants who might otherwise not be able to attend because of the costs of gasoline and child/elder care.

As demonstrated by those attending the Open House on Oct 23rd, word of mouth/personal invitations were the reason that all but 3 came. The other 3 heard about the Open House on the radio that day. INVITE EVERYONE YOU KNOW to the November 13 meeting – teens and up. Everyone who is interested in the future of the people who work and reside in Colville, are needed at this event.

All questions can be directed to Colville's Horizons Coach, Anita Raddatz, raddatz@wsu or 509.220-3863, or Debra Kollock, WSU Stevens County Extension Director, 509. 684-2588 or dkollock@wsu.edu.

Location for Horizons Meetings & Events

2007-10-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

Horizons Open House for Colville Community

2007-10-18T23:56:00.001-07:00

OCTOBER 23, 5:30-7:00, all members of the Colville community are invited to attend Horizons Open House,at the CCS Education Center in the Dominion Room, to enjoy Colville Cuisine, enter a drawing, coloring contest for kids, and local musicians.

The results of the Horizons Survey that was mailed to every household in the Colville zip code will be available for comment. Mark you calendars. An event for the whole family.

To reduce barriers for attendance, Gas cards will be available for drivers.

Any questions, please contact Colville's Horizons Coach, Anita Raddatz, at raddatz@wsu or 509.220-3863, or locally contact WSU Stevens County Extension Director, Debra Kollock, at 684-2588

Oct 8 Horizons Meeting Sizzled

2007-10-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

WOWEE! What a fantastically productive meeting planning for the Horizons Harvest Open House event on October 23 in the Dominion/Monumental rooms at WSU/CCS from 5:30-7:30 where Colville community members will have an opportunity to respond the results of the community-wide survey. Pumpkins, prizes for drawings, healthy food from local restaurants - Colville Quisine, fun activities, a bit of education, and the all-important opportunity for response to the survey report will fill the evening.

Donna Jo has the space reserved and will work with the custodians for placement of tables.
Muriel Meyer and Ann Van Dielen are serving as the Marketing Committee
will take all of the ideas and input from this meeting to create name tags
for the organizers,
create/distribute fliers around the community,
contact the radio and news media. Muriel has already submitted an article
which should appear in the next addition
create a notice to distribute on Oct 23 about the Nov
13 Visioning/Strategic Planning
Food Team consists of Bob Ravet, Vicky Broden, and Donna Jo Smith, who will use $400 of the $500 budget to
purchase healthy food from the local restaurants
providing a variety of foods for vegetarian and non-vegetarians as well as
children and youth.
Ann will provide the large metal buckets for the water bottles and bottled juices;
no pop will be provided.
Coffee, tea, and cider will be provided in bulk style.
Special feature of live music all evening by local musicians on site will be recruited and scheduled by Vicki, Donna Jo, and Bob.
Table decorations will be provided by Glenda Pittman.
After signing in, each participant will be given a ticket for the drawings; pumpkins for prizes will be provided by Harold Ingram
Anita will
create a "directions" handout so people will understand what is happening at
the event,
with her husband/photographer Bill, will create a Powerpoint slide show meshing Bill's photos of Colville with demographic data about Colville. Participants can complete a questionnaire about the data (a simple mini test) and then turn in for another ticket for the drawing.
Families will be encouraged to bring their children and youth to experience community.

See Green Board Notes in side bar; double-click to see large version.

A meeting is scheduled for October 18, 4:30 for a final check before the event.

Planning for the Nov 13 Visioning/Strategic Planning event will occur at a meeting on Nov 1 - focusing primarily on set up and food.

Anita will forward copies of the survey report as soon as she receives it; she will also post on the blog.

Special Notes:

One of Ann Van Dielen's graphic design is being used for the state-wide Horizons poster!

Dr. Donna Beegle spoke twice in Colville on Thursday October 4. Several participants at the meeting attended the lectures and Ann Williams attended this Horizons meeting for the first time because of Dr. Beegle's presentation.

673 surveys were returned to WSU Pullman from Colville as of October 4 - 90% of the 748 goal. Participants at the Open House will be counted toward the goal.

All of this was accomplished by a dozen community members in 1-1/2 hours. Amazing!

Any questions, contact Colville Horizons Coach, Anita Raddatz, raddatz@wsu.edu, 509.220-3863.

Colville Food Bank Needs Help for the Holidays

2007-09-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

Click Here to find out what's needed and all the ways you can help!

Notes from Horizons Sept 10 Meeting

2007-09-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

#1 item on the agenda was finalizing plans for Horizons Survey Day on September 12 at Safeway, Super 1, and WalMart:

Result: Survey Day was a great success - over 100 surveys were collected, 3 people were winners of the baskets at each site, and 10 volunteers made it all happen. Thank you to KCVL.

#2 Plan a local event where the report from WSU Division of Government Studies will be made available to the Colville community and members of the community can respond to the report;

Results: October 23 was set and food will be served; the planning meeting was set for October 8, 4:30-6:30.

#3 Plan a local event where community members will help establish a strategic plan for how Colville community will address the results of the survey.

Result: November 13 was set as the tentative date for a dinner event; confirmation of location, time is being pursued.

#4 Promotion of the events to Colville community;

Result: End of Sept will be initial media promotion on radio, in newspaper, and on Horizons blog that will continue until Oct 23 along with a postcard to all community members who signed into one of the Horizons events (Study Circles, Leadership Plenty).

Colville Horizons Update & August Meeting Notes

2007-08-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Colville Horizons Notes – a compilation of notes and to-do’s from the August 6, 13, and 20 meetings and the agenda for next meeting - September 10 at WSU Stevens County Extension in Colville with time to be determined - see below.

SURVEYS ARE AVAILABLE

The WSU Horizons surveys were ready on Thursday Aug 16; copies are available at the Extension office in Colville if you want to distribute copies through your business or organizations to which you belong, including churches, service organizations, etc.

Suggestion: Call Debra Kollock at the WSU Stevens County Extension office to be sure there are enough surveys available; it takes a bit of time to print because it is 4 pages. 684.2588

COLVILLE SURVEY DAY

Horizons Survey Day will be held on Sept 12, from 10-3, at 4 locations in Colville, tables will be setup with 2 volunteers, where people can complete the Horizons survey. Adults and teens who complete and put their survey in the box can enter a drawing for one of the prizes; youth younger than teen can choose one of the WSU items as a gift and will receive a balloon. Surveys with prepaid return envelopes will be available for the adults who wish to complete the survey later (they will not be entered in the drawing).

Red and white checked tablecloths with red & silver helium-filled balloons will be used on the tables at each location - a WSUy theme; will also have WSU imprinted items as "gifts" for the youth.

Four locations were chosen: Walmart, Safeway, Super One, Dollar Store; Glenda will seek permission from these sites hopefully by tomorrow (Tues Aug 21) so Debra can have for the news articles in the Columbia Monthly and the Colville paper.

Debra will be putting articles and the survey in the Monthly and paper this week to meet deadlines, so that people are aware of the survey being mailed to each household in the Colville Zip Code, the September 15 deadline for return of the surveys to WSU Division of Government Studies, and the Sept 12 Colville Horizons event.

Each location will need 2 boxes (1 for adults and 1 for youth) to put the completed surveys in; tickets for the drawing (people will put name and phone number), and containers to hold the tickets; need not be present to win. 125 surveys, 20 mailing envelopes for those wanting to take it home to complete (are not entered in the drawing); water bottles for the volunteers at the tables. Anita and Debra will order all supplies. Suggest 2 hour stints for volunteers if enough volunteers are available.

Anita will be in Colville 9:00-4:00 and will be the contact for all 4 sites if things are needed.

Staffing the Tables

Super 1: Glenda will get volunteers.

Safeway: ?

Doillar Store: ?

WalMart: ?

Can you volunteer at one of the locations? Which location can you arrange volunteers for? IF so, plan to attend the meeting on Sept 10.

Prizes for the drawing

Vicki is soliciting prizes

Glenda is soliciting prizes.

Can You help with prizes? Can you donate a prize? If so, plan to attend the meeting on Sept 10.

DEADLINE FOR SUIRVEYS

The deadline for surveys to WSU is September 15. The report from WSU Division of Government Studies will be sent to each of the WA Horizons communities by October 15 (this is later than originally thought).

FREE COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Horizons can provide educational workshops for Horizons communities. Some ideas so far for workshops in Colville, between Sept 15 and Oct 15 (?) while waiting for the survey report: grants and grantwriting how tos; community gardening, 211: what it is and how it works, blogging how to.

Should we hold the workshops? What are other ideas for workshops?

OFFICIAL STEERING GROUP FOR COLVILLE HORIZONS

Before Sept 15 Colville needs a demographically representative steering group with 5-9 members: half male and half female, teens and adults, Hispanic heritage, American Indian heritage, majority White, those who have lived in Colville a long time and those only a short time, different ages.

Do you want to be on the steering group or know someone who would? If so, come/invite them to the next Horizons meeting on Sept 10 - see below.

COLVILLE HORIZONS BLOG PR TEAM

Before Sept 15 Colville Horizons needs to have a Horizons PR Team of 2-5 people who will maintain the Horizons blog for Colville, www.colville-wa.blogspot.com . The funders, Northwest Area Foundation will be looking at all of the Horizons blogs in all 7 states to read the information about the community’s Horizons activities, and to read comments from the public. Anita will contact Matt (attended Horizons PR training in Moses Lake) and Scott (attended Horizons PR training in Colville). Anita will put the article about Sept 12 on the blog.

Would you like to be on the Colville Horizons PR Team or know someone (youth or adult) that would? IF so, come/invite them to the next Horizons meeting on Sept 10.

NEXT HORIZONS MEETING

With school starting on the 4^th, after the 3-day Labor Day weekend, I suggest our next meeting is Monday, September 10. Mondays has worked during August and Mondays usually have the least after-school activites.

Should we meet after school so youth can participate? Say 3:30? 4:00?

Or would evening be better? 6:00?

So far 1-1/2 hours seems to be a good length of time.

Please comment to this post and vote on the time for the meeting.

Agenda Items:

Be sure we're ready for Sept 12 Colville Horizons Survey Day
Solidify Colville Horizons PR Team, Solidify Colville Horizons Steering Group - both needed by September 15.
Begin planning of the community-wide Horizons Visioning Event to share the survey results, solicit additional comments/input from community members, and select the Horizons projects to put the $10,000 Horizons grant funds toward; to occur after the survey report (Oct 15 projected date) and before the end of 2007.
Visit the idea of holding workshops between Sept 15 and Oct 15; which workshops would be most beneficial,if any.
Other

Please comment with your vote for the time of the meeting on Sept 10.

Thank you for all the time you give to your community! I have been so impressed with the enthusiasm of those who have attended the meetings and spoken to me on the phone. Colville is indeed fortunate to have such caring people!

Hope to see you on the 10th. New participants from the Colville community are welcome.

Horizon Representatives meet with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers

2007-04-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

Local Horizon representatives Krisan LeHew (left) and Debra Kollock (right) meet with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers to talk about the program.

Press Release

2007-04-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

(Moses Lake, WA) The Horizons Program, funded by the Northwest Area Foundation and in conjunction with Washington State University Extension, is conducting a Leadership Development program called LeadershipPlenty®, held at the Best Western Lake Inn Tuesday through Thursday this week.

Twenty three Washington State Communities, including Colville, are reducing poverty through their participation in Washington State University Extension's Horizons program.

Horizons is a community leadership program aimed at reducing poverty in small rural and reservation communities. Groups of individuals from around the community have been meeting in "study circles" over the last two months in an effort to arrive at possible solutions to the poverty that plagues sections of our community, in particular, the Colville area.
"When it comes to creating a thriving community, it’s the community members themselves who are the key to success," says Horizons member, Jennifer Thomas, participant in the LeadershipPlenty® program. "This Horizons program has been an excellent opportunity to get a group of community members together in a kind of 'Think Tank' setting. I've been learning so much!"

Participants in the LeadershipPlenty® program were chosen to represent 23 communities, all working towards completion of the Horizons program.

The Horizons program is about the changes a community can make to move from poverty to hope, from population and economic decline to prosperity. This initiative is for rural communities of fewer than 5,000 and with poverty rates of at least 10 percent.
Open to all community members, Horizons focuses on skill-building and coaching to strengthen community leadership and civic engagement systems. Experience has shown that small communities can thrive if they have a strong leadership system.
For more information please visit: http://www.horizons.wsu.edu/

LeadershipPlenty Training

2007-04-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Leadership Plenty Video has been moved to the media blog.

Colville Action Items

2007-04-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Priority

Resource Directory
Senior Center & Senior Housing Complex (revive meals on wheels, new social support programs, volunteers to support finding a location solution
Housing Authority (senior & low-income housing)
Circle of Support
Community Garden

Other Ideas

Volunteer bank (prescreened and ready to help)

A “One Stop” place to gather funds/write grants and coordinate and recruit volunteers

Organize retired volunteers through organizations like SCORE (Senior Corp of Retired Executives)

Coordinate community beautification activities

Community clean-up and meet your neighbor’s days

Create a “street sponsored” program/ block watch

Teams to educate in different areas: (Car maintenance, business plans, personal finance, life skills, job skills, why buy locally)
Local Micro bank-Business Loan Assistance Program ($400-500)
Develop youth mentoring-all ages-different approaches, career counseling, interviewing skills/work ethics/attend events (big brother/big sister concept)
Healthcare through the “Healthcare Tricounty” program
Promote tourism and appreciation of natural beauty of area
Expand community service requirements for Jr. High and HS students
Community Action Plan to tackle “Meth” problem
Research need and provide appropriate daycare services
Build an infrastructure for indoor/outdoor recreation (indoor pool/walking trails, etc.)

Developing trails could be a community volunteer program

Scholarships could be given in lieu for community service

Build a Homeless shelter

There is currently no place for homeless men

Current shelter cannot keep up with demand

Forum to study and change public policy that promotes poverty

Many laws encourage people to stay in poverty

Laws do not support the “working poor”

Property tax reform
Improve cost of doing business in town
Promote retail downtown/shop local
Improve funding for social taxes
Better networking of Social Services
YMCA
Daycare services
Eldercare services
Encourage education
Support Food Bank
Expand public library with youth programs
Keep family farms going
Develop Alternate industry
Provide Public Transportation
Diversity day (knowing each other & celebrations with Pow-wow, food, arts & crafts
Tiny Tim fund (addresses, medical bills & needs)
Family resource center (Senior help, legal help etc.)

2007-03-06T00:33:00.001-08:00

2007-03-06T00:33:00.000-08:00

2007-03-06T00:32:00.000-08:00