Minnesota Community Pride Contest 2010: Project Descriptions

Royalton
Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Population: 816

The goal of the Royalton Parks Project is to provide outdoor recreation areas for people of all ages to enjoy. This initiative started when the community’s youth requested a skate park and grew into an opportunity also to create and improve walking paths in McGonagle Park and develop a splash park. The project has become a catalyst for community members from each generation to connect, create and ultimately lead the community in a positive direction, with leadership for these projects being provided by youth and adults.

Although the skateboard park is complete, fundraising continues to purchase picnic tables and additional equipment. The splash park and walking paths are well on their way. The Royalton Parks Project provides the community with regular updates on projects and activities via the city newsletter, picture boards and community meetings.

Palisade
Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Population: 148
www.palisadeenergy.com

In November 2009, a group of local citizens initiated an effort to bring economic growth to Palisade. After identifying plasma arc gasification of waste as a means of sustainable economic development, they formed the Palisade Plasma Arc Gasification Endeavour (Palisade PAGE). A development team engaged the community with their plan to create a waste-to-energy facility involving gasifying municipal solid waste and tires to produce bio-fuels, electricity and other value-added by-products.

In 2010, Palisade Energy Park, LLC was formed to finance, permit and build a $93,000,000 plasma arc gasification facility. The long term goal is for a 300 ton per day facility to eliminate waste while creating renewable energy, value-added products and sustainable jobs. Additional spin-off businesses could utilize excess heat. For example, a greenhouse is planned that will grow year-round local foods.

Maple Lake

Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Population: 1,633

The Maple Lake Library opened its doors to the public in March 2009. The mission of the library is to provide local library services for people of all ages and income levels, gain a source of Internet access for all residents, create a meeting place for the community, develop a means and location for preservation of local history, establish programs for children and teens and furnish resources for student use outside of school hours. The group Friends of the Maple Lake Library raised funds to establish this independent library in partnership with the city and community organizations.

The Friends want to obtain additional support for expansion to house additional materials and programs. To date, the library has received over 30,000 donated books. The library operates on a volunteer basis, and the long term goal is to establish the library to the extent that it could be included in the Great River Regional Library system.

Waterville

Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Population: 1,879
waterville.communityblogs.us

In response to economic challenges, the Waterville Community Connections group has rallied around a vision for the community that includes helping local businesses, organizing local events and increasing tourism and recreational opportunities. Volunteers have worked to beautify downtown Waterville through plantings and new benches, and this year, a youth "Horticulture intern" position was created to help with maintenance of these projects. Partnering with the local Good Samaritan nursing home, a small community garden has been established to serve residents who lack garden space and to create connections between generations. Special effort has been made to include local businesses and youth in these projects—for example, the benches were constructed by high school students from lumber purchased at the local lumber yard.

The upcoming Sakatah Arts Experience promises to engage children and adults in various art forms from dance to folk music. Longer term goals include initiating additional city beautification efforts, establishing a youth-oriented community center, making city entrances attractive, cleaning up or refurbishing housing, updating the town's annual Bullhead Days celebration, building an ice rink, promoting the bike trail and establishing a food shelf and thrift store.

Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Population: 5,000-10,000

The Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability (IRPS) is a work in progress, and the group is in the process of forming a non-profit corporation whose mission is to stimulate conversation and action for a sustainable Iron Range. IRPS and was born out of the success of Iron Range Earth Fest, a one day event with a budget of $42,000 that in two years went from 500 participants with 65 presenters to almost 1,000 participants and 100 presenters. The interest in sustainability was so strong that the group decided to create a vehicle that would allow other individuals, businesses and organizations to join in further efforts to stimulate conversation and action.

The goal of IRPS is to bring the region together in understanding of the importance of the three elements of sustainability—economy, environment and community—and that the three must exist in a healthy holistic relationship if the region is to thrive. How can we all collectively create opportunities for our community members to lead healthy, productive and enjoyable lives in rural Minnesota? IRPS hopes to accomplish this by providing and facilitating opportunities for education, networking, information-sharing and sustainable initiatives.

Itasca County
Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Population: Over 10,000

In 2006, a community coalition of water quality advocates, the Itasca Water Legacy Partnership (IWLP), came together to identify and implement activities that would ensure clean water resources and quality habitat in the major watersheds in Itasca County. IWLP, a nonprofit volunteer organization, formed a board of directors with broad representation from local business and tourism interests, citizens at large, Itasca County, Itasca Community College, and state agencies. The mission of IWLP is to support the development and implementation of educational programs, projects and policies that ensure the quality, protection and improvement of all Itasca County waters.

To find early warning signs of impairment of water quality before very costly lake restoration is required, IWLP partners have initiated monitoring of water quality in 182 of Itasca County’s nearly 1,000 lakes. Experienced scientists provide the technical skills required to develop objective science-based criteria to identify impaired waters. In the past three years, under the expert volunteer guidance of resource managers, over $884,000 in grants have been awarded to IWLP’s partners. A water quality testing laboratory and water technician training program have been initiated at Itasca Community College. The focus has been to collect water samples from Itasca County lakes that previously have not been sampled.

Inver Grove Heights
Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Population: Over 10,000

The Old Village Area of Inver Grove Heights, where the city first got its start, has gone through planning studies trying to determine the best way to rejuvenate infrastructure, housing, the business community and public space. Concord Boulevard, a major artery, is being reconstructed by Dakota County. The City has acquired the abandoned/contaminated Rock Island Railroad Maintenance Yard and is in the process of turning it into a 50-acre public park. The City has also acquired the nearly demolished Rock Island Swing Bridge and will create a one-of-a-kind 670’ recreational pier providing access to the Mississippi River. Connecting to the pier is Dakota County’s Mississippi River Regional Trail which will create a 24-mile regional trail from St. Paul to Hastings.

The redevelopment will help the area thrive and recreate itself as a recreational and commercial center. A citizens task force working with the community develops plans for transportation and public parks that creates a vision for what the neighborhood can become. Businesses are beginning to reinvest in their property or complete plans to rebuild as a result of the public investment.

Cherry Park Neighborhood, Northfield
Comprehensive Community-Wide Award
Neighborhood within city of 10,000+
www.home-matters.org

The Home Matters Project focuses on stabilizing neighborhoods affected by foreclosure and creating healthy, affordable and energy efficient hosing options. The capstone of the project is 311 Cherry Street, a foreclosed property turned model home that is outfitted with green and healthy technology and is used for outreach events. Descriptive display boards illustrate all the home’s improvements, such as a solar water heater, air-source heat pump, EnergyStar lighting and appliances, dual-flush toilets and rain gardens.

Home Matters informs the community about sustainable and healthy choices that they can apply in their own homes. When Three Rivers Community Action (non-profit spearheading efforts) selects, plans and markets events, they target groups like college students, parents of young children, lenders and realtors for maximum impact on the community.

Ely
Arts and Culture
Population: 3,724
www.elygreenstone.org

The goal of the project is to revitalize existing abandoned mine facilities and to equip them to serve the community. As part of the restoration and reclamation of the Pioneer Mine Complex, two abandoned buildings have been renovated and are currently being used for art exhibition, program classrooms and heritage tours. The final building, the Captains Dry, will be transformed from an abandoned mine building into an arts facility offering office, studio and storage space, a conference room and an arts library.

The vision for the project is for artists to take classes, teach classes and display their original works in a gallery type setting. Public participation in the classes and programs is expected to increase. The Ely Arts and Heritage Center seeks to create jobs, attract tourists, provide an increase in public revenues (in the form of sales and lodging taxes) and entice families to move to the area. This project will indirectly broaden the tax base of the area by helping to develop Ely’s oldest section of town. Estimates are between 10,000 and 20,000 additional tourists visiting the area annually.

Menahga

Arts and Culture
Population: 1,212

The Menahga Arts Guild has a goal of not only raising awareness of artistic talent in the community but also of creating a market for arts, arts education and increasing the cultural access and arts outreach in the area. This summer, the Guild held a first-ever, four day art camp for youth aged 8-12. The projected audience was 20-30 children, but 33 campers enrolled and an extra day was added for seven more, younger children due to parent requests. Camp activities included drawing, painting, papermaking, sculpture and a folk arts component with a visiting artist teaching rug twining.

The camp culminated with the sharing of youth art in a public exhibit at the Menahga Senior Citizen Community Center during the Mid-Summer Celebration. The Youth Art Showing was in conjunction with exhibits by local artists. Local businesses are being invited to select work by youth and other local artists to exhibit in their local establishments to raise awareness of local talent, attract visitors and garner support for future art programs.

Pelican Rapids
Diversity - Arts & Culture
Population: 2,311

Pelican Rapids is a small community with a very diverse population. The Multicultural Committee formed to bring the people of different cultures together by celebrating their diversity through music, dance, and food. For thirteen years, the committee has run the International Friendship Festival, which is run by volunteers from all the different ethnic groups that have settled in Pelican Rapids to work at a turkey processing facility.

The mission of the Pelican Rapids Multicultural Committee is peace within the community, reached by introducing people to each other in ways which will lead to tolerance, understanding and friendship. The International Friendship Festival gives diverse people an opportunity to share each other’s culture. It also gives people an opportunity to get to know each other by working together on a project. The Festival is a celebration of the diversity of the community and is seen by people of many different cultures as their summer festival.

Wells
Historic Preservation - Arts and Culture
Population: 2,494
www.wells.govoffice.com: select Organizations, then Wells Historical Society

The Wells Railroad Depot, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands in a city that began as a railroad town. In February 2004, the IC&E Railroad notified the city of their intent to demolish the 1903 depot. The once dormant Wells Historical Society was re-established with the primary goal of saving the building. To meet their goal of raising $85,000 in three years, the Historical Society sold historic calendars, pottery, t-shirts and other items; held auctions, a quilt raffle and pancake breakfasts; and manned a food-stand at the annual Kernel Days celebration. The group also worked to receive funding and support from the Minnesota Historical Society, the Milwaukee Road Historical Association, the Wells Economic Development Authority, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Faribault County.

Wells Historical Society is re-building the depot to house historical items, record living histories of the town’s citizens and educate all ages with exhibits from outside sources. Their goal is to develop an ever-evolving historical site that invites all ages to stop and learn the history of their state, their area, their city and its citizens.

Winona
Arts and Culture
Population: 26,785
www.winonacountycjcc.org

The Winona County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council held an open house to celebrate the Winona County Courthouse’s 120^th year of continuous use as a center of justice for all. The occasion coincided with the 5^th anniversary of the 2004 open house that celebrated the rededication and historically sensitive renovation of the historic building. Originally dedicated in 1889, the Courthouse was designed by the local architectural firm of C. G. Maybury and Son and is a classic example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style featured in many public buildings of the 1880s.

The October event brought over 500 community members into the Courthouse to tour the structure and to participate in the multiple learning stations on both present day and past history of Courthouse functions. Among the most popular attractions was the Trial Vignette of an actual historical event in Winona during the early days of World War II. The play was written by several members of the Open House committee and vignette subgroup, and it was performed by local community members including judges, court staff, attorneys, local legislators and citizens. The play was so popular that an additional performance was added.

Cook County
Broadband Improvements & Applications
Population: 5,437
video.boreal.org

Boreal Community Video Lab is an on-line showcase of videos by and about the people and places of Cook County. Visitors to the site can view dozens of citizen and professionally produced videos about the area. They can also submit their own videos or comment on those already posted to the site. This initiative is part of a larger effort by the Cook County Broadband Commission to bring better broadband to the area by demonstrating ways technology can make the rural life-style stronger.

The site aims to reinforce what it means to be a small rural community by presenting videos in a local context that makes them more meaningful to community members and guests than simply being on the huge global sites like YouTube. A long term goal is to create economic opportunities as businesses and organizations use more video and require the services of local individuals skilled in producing and publishing video content.

Roseau
Community Beautification
Population: 2,756

After devastating floods in 2002, several homes along the banks of the Roseau River needed to be destroyed. The green space is being developed into Riverview Park, with a large gazebo partially funded by sales of engraved bricks to honor or memorialize loved ones. When plans began for Riverview Park, people reminisced about coming to town Friday nights and gathering at the bandstand to see friends and listen to music. The community saw this is an opportunity to reinvent a part of history.

The short-term goal is to have a gathering place that looks beautiful and inviting for events, concerts, weddings and impromptu chats with neighbors. The long-term goal is to make the park a place where people can come and learn a bit more about the history of Roseau through historical markers and permanent visual materials. The park will have a community billboard stating local events in hopes to draw tourists back to the area at later dates.

Claremont Township, Dodge County
Community Beautification - Historic Preservation
Population: 468

The Rice Lake Church Restoration and Preservation Group (RLCRPG) has worked continuously for the past several years to save the historic church, which was built in 1878 and is the last remaining building of the village of Rice Lake. Rice Lake was a railroad town and is one of the smallest villages in the state. Several attempts were made over the years to preserve the church, but due to a roof fire in 2000, the church became uninhabitable.

The foundation, window and siding have been updated with maintenance free material incorporating the original look of the building. Ongoing efforts include the restoration of the interior to regain the historic look and the beautification of the exterior landscape. The RLCRPG hopes to make the building available to all individuals, groups and organizations for purposes of community involvement, education, history, arts, drama and a multitude of other uses.

Inver Grove Heights
Community Design
Population: 29,751

The Rock Island Swing Bridge was being demolished until the City of Inver Grove Heights stepped in to voluntarily take ownership of the structure with the vision of turning it into a recreational pier that would provide access to and dramatic views of the Mississippi River. Future plans for the area include the creation of trailhead facilities in cooperation with Dakota County that will attract users from around the region to the Mississippi River Regional Trail.

The City created a set of plans through community collaboration that helped them implement improvements to the transportation infrastructure, environmental remediation, enhancement and expansion of public parks/recreation and preservation of historic and cultural resources. The long term vision is to encourage private reinvestment in housing and commercial development while at the same time improving the overall attractiveness and usability of the area.

Community Design
Population: 5,459
www.ci.redwood-falls.mn.us

Redwood Falls Friends of the Park is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the city’s maintenance of 217-acre Alexander Ramsey Park, the largest municipal park in Minnesota. The group provides supplemental funding by organizing an annual Jamboree, applying for grants and inviting private donations. Their current project includes the renovation of the park zoo’s goat and bird exhibits and the initial construction of a Redwood River Walk that follows the river located across from the zoo.

The Friends of the Park raised around $300,000 towards completion of those needed improvements. The next phase to address soil erosion, completion of the Redwood River Walk, renovation of the zoo’s elk and buffalo exhibits and paving of the entire area will require an additional $300,000. The group’s fundraising activities are designed to raise awareness, and by giving residents a clear understanding of the park’s needs, as well as the vision for its potential, they have inspired area residents to become more engaged in their community.

Mountain Iron
Entrepreneurial Culture &Support
Population: 2,999
www.ironrangeearthfest.org

Iron Range Earth Fest is a celebration of local traditions and a venue for encouraging sustainable living on the Iron Range. Organizers have developed partnerships with and collaborations between the local community colleges, public schools, mining companies, power companies, faith based community, local food producers, state agencies, the University of Minnesota, local business and media. The 2010 event drew almost 1,000 participants with 100 presenters. Information and demonstrations were presented about blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, raising chickens, making maple syrup, and installing a home wind or solar energy system...to name just a few.

Based upon the success of the annual Earth Fest, the grass roots organization is forming a non-profit corporation called the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability, whose mission is to stimulate conversation and action for a sustainable Iron Range beyond the one day signature event.

Austin
Health Care & Wellness
Population: 23,314

The Get Fit Mower County Healthy Living Challenge is a health and wellness initiative focused on helping participants lose weight, increase activity and have better nutrition. Educational seminars around nutrition, exercise, motivation and other health and wellness topics are offered to participants and the entire community during the 14 week competition. The Get Fit Healthy Living Challenges gives participants the opportunity to reinvent themselves both physically and mentally.

The Challenge is held in January of each year. Many local employers use the initiative as their wellness option for employees and participate annually. The long term goal is to give community members the resources (motivation, education and connection to other community members) to make healthy lifestyle changes, thereby having a healthy and active Mower County community.