Detroit Lakes has its day

IMG_1508, originally uploaded by West Central Initiative.

Detroit Lakes is one of five Minnesota communities enjoying time in the spotlight as an official Capital for a Day as part of a week of events celebrating Minnesota's Sesquicentennial, May 11-18. On May 14, state officials, dignitaries and media flocked to the city for tours, forums, exhibits, presentations and more. Here, Mayor Larry Buboltz is interviewed by the local Fox station affiliate.

New "graduates" now grasp the essentials of nonprofit administration

May is graduation month for a lot of high schools and colleges in west central Minnesota. The participants of "The Essentials of Nonprofit Administration: Enhancing Skills – Improving Programs" also celebrated the completion of a 10-month series of workshops. The training was held alternately in Fergus Falls and Alexandria, and addressed today’s critical issues that nonprofit organizations face daily.

"I absolutely loved the Essentials of NonProfit Administration class!" said Lisa Workman, executive director of the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. "It was a true learning experience that I could put to use right away, such as the financial and legal information.

"As non-profits, we all face similar challenges. We shared solutions and best practices. I would highly recommend this course to anyone in a non-profit setting, whether a director or someone in a management level at just about any level of experience."

Providing support for supportive providers

In this age of dual-career marriages and more single parents raising their children, child care providers can be a godsend. That's why May 9 has been designated Provider Appreciation Day. It's a time to recognize child care providers, teachers, school-age program staff, child care center directors and staff, and all those who work with children in a variety of ways and are responsible for their education and care.

It is estimated that there are nearly 2.8 million child care providers in the United States, with close to 12 million under age 5 in their care. Still, many parents will attest to the difficulty of finding providers, especially in rural areas. Plus, they want the best care for their children. And providers will tell you it's hard sometimes to work in isolated areas where learning opportunities for themselves AND for the kids in their care are few and far between.

In west central Minnesota, there are organizations and individuals who are working to expand childcare capacity and provide activities and programs for childcare workers and their charges, including West Central Initiative and the 10 Early Childhood Initiative communities in west central Minnesota.

In March, area providers and early care and education professionals were invited to attend "Building Relationships for a Child’s Success," a professional development teleconference organized by the Partners for Child C.A.R.E. (Convenient-Appropriate-Reliable-Excelling), a sub-committee of the regional Family Economic Success Council.

Nearly 200 people attended at 12 televised sites across the nine-county region. The session focused on equipping early childhood programs with a consistent message to parents and others about the importance of high quality care and early experiences to impact optimal brain development and subsequent school success. "Never, ever, underestimate the importance of how you are and what you do for children in the everyday moments you spend with them. You are planting seeds that have the potential to change the world in ways you may never see," said Michele Fallon, MSW, LICSW, Center for Early Education and Development.

New York Mills joins the blogosphere

Members of New York Mills' Horizons Leadership program have launched a community blog, with area residents as the bloggers! Recent topics include community garden news, starting a farmers' market, citywide clean-up day, meeting reports and dodgeball tournament results. The blog also includes upcoming events.

Minnesota's rural voices speak up on the issues

The Blandin Foundation recently released its Rural Pulse 2008 survey of emerging and established leaders from rural Minnesota communities. The report highlights the issues these leaders identified as the most critical, including:

• Health care access and cost of insurance.
• Quality of education.
• Attracting and retaining household supporting jobs.
• Welcoming people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

What do you think?

Component funds at work!

WCI's component funds help give communities, schools, businesses, organizations and individuals the financial strength to make a difference in west central Minnesota. Here's what some component funds have recently helped fund:

• The Ashby Education Foundation contributed to the purchase of equipment for the Ashby High School Science Dept. The new tools have already been put to use at the 2008 Science Fair.


• The Battle Lake Community Fund provided a $500 donation for new seating at the local baseball dugouts.


• The Elbow Lake Area Community Fund donated funds to the Elbow Lake American Legion for a veterans' museum in the Grant County Historical Society Annex.


• Perham's 549 Family Foundation helped the Perham High School Industrial Technology Dept. purchase a laser engraver and accessories. The equipment can engrave a variety of materials and is already being used extensively for school and community projects.

Alexandria/Fergus Falls named top "micropolitans"

Site Selection magazine recently listed Alexandria and Fergus Falls as two top "micropolitans" for 2007. A micropolitan is an urban area with a population of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000, with a number of construction or expansion projects.

Alexandria was ranked one of the 10th fastest growing micropolitans in the nation with eight business expansions that occurred in the last year. Fergus Falls was also recognized for its three business expansions.