youth

Wind Power For Schools

In light of the increasing utility costs, expanding schools needs, and deminishing revenues, schools across the country should consider (if possible) a new and forward-thinking solution with countless benefits: renewable energy from wind power. By harnessing the wind that blows across playgrounds, school buildings, and parking lots,  the administrators and communities could realize the immediate rewards of a community-sized wind turbine brought to their facility.

From lower energy bills to hands-on energy education, schools win when they implement wind power.

• Educational opportunities: Having a turbine in your backyard – and even the process of planning for it – adds an experiential dimension to your school’s science, math, and civic classes. What better way to train the technicians, engineers, and leaders of tomorrow?
• Lower utility bills: Your electrical costs drop the second your blades start spinning.
• Taxpayer benefits: Lower facility costs for your public schools can help balance budgets and lower the tax burden on community residents.
• Stable cost of power: You’ll know what your wind-powered electricity will cost you for 20 years or more so you can safeguard your school’s budget against the volatile and increasing costs of energy.  In a way, making your school financially independent from most of your energy costs, if planned out.
• Green economy: Your school-based wind turbine – and each new installation it fosters – will bring high-value jobs to your community.

Turbine considerations

When considering which turbine to purchase, schools should think about their setting, local permitting regulations, and economics.   Here are some of the issues that schools consider in making their turbine choice.   

•  Load matching:    All else being equal, schools will want to choose a turbine – or 2 or 3 – that can support as much of its electricity needs as possible so it can gain the greatest benefit from site-based generation.  
• Aesthetic fit:    The turbine’s height profile and operational sound levels will be a consideration if it will be located near neighbors and/or classrooms.  
• Educational support:    Educators will often create their own curriculum around their turbine, but it can be a big help if the turbine supplier can provide supporting materials and ideas.  
• Technology:    Not every wind turbine is created equal.   A turbine’s technology and design can affect many things including energy capture, maintenance requirements, and sound performance.       
• Proven operation:    Like any major capital investment project, you will want to know that your wind turbine is not a concept waiting for a test site.   Proven results are very important. 

The first step of project is difficult.  Wind projects take funding, and in today’s economy that can stop most decision makers in their tracks.  Though, if nothing is done now to help, we will probably be dead in tracks in the future.  Proactive thinking is the solution.  Kansas now has a grant program provided through the Kansas Corporation Commission to assist with ONLY State agencies, counties, cities, and unified schools districts for upgrading to green energy, such as wind, solar, and geothermal.   This grant has many requirements and will not pay for the entire project, but it definately is an avenue consider.  More information can be found at KCC’s website.  

Helping your Business & Community!

The end of the year is very quickly approaching.  Have you considered a business donation toward a local community foundation?  It is a great way for a business to get some tax deductible benefits, while helping out the community.  Most of the community foundations in Phillips County have specific projects they are currently working on.  A business or individual donation can be given directly to a specific project “designated” or given to the foundation in general.  Both types of donations given by the business/individual is tax deductible,  the only difference is how the community foundation can utilize your donation (specifically or generally).  In any economy, the more dollars a business or individual can keep locally, the stronger the economy is.  In the case of giving to a local cause through a community foundation, the benefit is expanded.  The donation actually is used toward a project which improves the atmosphere (business or community environment), which in the long run helps bring more people and businesses to the area. 

The community foundations in the area, which are currently working on projects are the Phillips County Community Foundation, the Logan Community Development Foundation, the Huck Boyd Community Center, HOPE Foundation, and the Kirwin Community Foundation.  Make contact with these foundation’s board members and see if their projects may be something that you may be compelled to support.  If they are not currently working on a project that you may have interest in, make that project suggestion to them and a donation to that specific cause.  Projects take a while to complete or even start working on; especially since all these foundation’s enlist volunteer time to raise the funds and work on projects.  Al-in-all though, they are very excited when businesses and/or individuals suggest ideas with donations of funds and volunteers to get the job done. 

The overall point is:  Giving to a local community foundation helps the community, its residents and YOU!

FREE COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT:

Mid-America Arts Alliance, in partnership with the Kansas Arts Commission, seeks communities and artist-apprentices to apply for a community mural-making project led by Kansas artist David Loewenstein. One Kansas community and one-to-two artist-apprentices will be selected to participate in the July — September 2010 project. For more information and to apply, visit www.maaa.org/muralproject.  This information was acquired through the Office of Rural Opportunities Director, James Foster. 

Murals are a fantastic way to improve the atmosphere of your community, while at the same time encouraging youth and residential involvement.  Walk through your town and see what walls are available for the posibility for painting a mural.

Independence!

Speaking as a current business owner and an economic development director, owning and running your own business is still one of the most independent activities an American can do in this country.  On the eve of July 4, 2009, it should be remembered that most of the founders of our country were business owners.  In every circumstance I have known, business owners are very independent and passionate about their actions to succeed.   That is not to say that entrepreneurs can’t stumble and fall, from time to time; but, they most certainly never give up.  In times of trials and failure, it is usually the entrepreneur (business owner) that will make the extra effort toward attaining their goal through using another tactic.   If the business fails, they learn from their mistake and grow another business by becoming stronger the learning experience.  Think about the number of failures that Edison went through on “one” project, “the light bulb” before success in his business.  Think about the number of challenges and heartache Abraham Lincoln went through before he became the President of the United States. 

America has always been a country of leaders with an entrepreneurial spirit.  With the challenges facing our country right now, it is important for business owners to stand firm.   It is important for these current owners to share the experience of freedom they have (although difficult) with their prodogies (the younger generation).   Working in a smaller rural community, I have been encouraged by our small town business owner’s leadership for our communities, their passionate leadership to create a better environment for the next generation, and their desire to share and help the next wave of business owners.   Most rural communities have lost a vital asset over the last 50 years, many of their youth.  These graduating youth have wanted to become free and explore the world outside the rural (small town) environment.  Many of our youth, (even myself), throughout our childhood were inspired by business owners (mentors) in our area; though, encouraged by others to get an education and leave to get a better paying job (career), which all seemed to be in larger (urban areas) at that time. 

Everyone has to choose their own way and experience different areas, BUT, I feel very strongly that as citizens, educators, business leaders, and parents; we need to share the positives about living and working in small town America, about owning or developing their own business, and about becoming strong servants to our community.    Even when I graduated and worked in a larger city for five (5) years, I only then started to grasp the positives that I gave up by working and living in a large town and leaving my Hometown area.  One primary reason I came back to live and work in Phillips County was the friendliness of our people; but another was that ability to start a new business at a minimum cost.  With that being said, the cost of living was more economical, as I grew the business as well.  Yes, I know, many may say — “Well, he just could not make it in the large town atmosphere” or “He just needed to stay longer to experience the true urban setting”.  I did have several people say “I had failed, because I had moved back to the area.”.  And it may suprise you to know that individuals saying this were not just those I thought I knew in the large town, but those in my HOMETOWN! 

Gratefully, there were many more within Phillips County that saw, what I may have not at the time, an entrepreneurial spirit, in myself.  To them I say “Thank you!”, and you know who you are!  Business owners, residents, teachers and parents, all us have had our own mentors that have inspired us to become leaders for our community.  At this time in our country when entrepreneurism and foundational truths are mocked, we all need to realize that our youth is looking for someone to be their mentor.  If they know and understand that running a business is challenging, but very gratifying; they will consider pursuing that path.   If they are encouraged and supported in their defeats, that is ok to lose a battle, from time to time, but you must always focus on winning the war (long term goal).   Encourage someone that may be considering a move back into the area and given them an inspirational boost of support.  Especially now, I am sure they probably need it.  I will leave with two thoughts.  May everyone enjoy their celebration of our independence as a nation on July 4 AND, may all our new citizens moving back to the area have strong mentorship (through you) to become business owners, community supporters and servant leaders.

Leadership!

It seems in these indecisive times, many people strongly encourage you to be politically correct in comments and actions, even to the point of “NOT” making a stand.  No one can be wrong, everyone is right in some way.  Being apathetic, not being a leader, not speaking up against wrongs, and just following the groove (path) that everyone else is in .. That’s fine.!? 

This is completely opposite of what we need to do.  Yes, we need to be polite, but people need to know where you stand.  I remember a quote my teacher, Mr. Hamel, told me  when I was in 5th grade class.   “You must make a STAND on everything, or you will FALL for anything!”,  he stated.  I don’t remember the exact surrounding or reasoning for him bring this up, but it is even more prudent now, than it was then.  A statement I use many times with clients is: “You want me to be compassionately honest, don’t you?”,  In every case, they say “yes”, but sometimes are unprepared for an answer they don’t want  to hear.  The truth, is something that ultimately helps a person, organization, or group! 

What does this have to do with economic or community development!”  In short…It has to do with everything! It revolves around Leadership.  Leadership is not how active you look when you speak… it is how you speak through your dedicated actions.  Community development is born through perseverance to make things better, a driving passion to help people and your area, and the enduring power to withstand the storms of strife, which do occur, when making a stand.  

Phillips County has had some great leaders in the past, which made a stand for community and economic development.  Were all the ideas “perfect” …”No”.   Is Phillips County better for the “stand” made at that time by those leaders?  Some may ponder on this and never make a decision…”why”… Because they are wondering what the politically correct answer should be.  Phillips county IS better off for most of the decisions made in the past by our forefathers, and if mistakes were made, it is up to us to rectify them. 

The Discover Phillips County initiative, is in many ways making a stand.  Leaders – citizens – groups, all saying “we can make a difference!”.  They are making a stand in one area or another to better their community.  Strangely enough, once you catch the “leadership bug”, it is contagious.  When you make a stand for what is ..Good..Right… you are mentoring to someone in some way through your actions!  Our youth learn this way, too.  If a community is focused on the positive amid challenging times, our youth learn endurance and leadership. 

These are just a few simple words for the general thought is much bigger, but I feel you get the larger picture.  As local , active, leadership grows — so does your community and the development possibilities within!

JDH