Residents Work Together At Reimagining Seminar
The second session of the Reimagining Rural seminars attracted nearly 30 concerned residents to the Great Northern Development Corporation’s meeting room with the hope of finding steps to improve the Wolf Point community.
Goals of the program include Inspire rural people to reimagine their community; embrace different perspectives, individuals and ideas; Connect through shared hopes, dreams and experiences; and create positive change, your community is worth it.
Along with the general public, participants at the meeting included city council officials, a former county commissioner, Wolf Point school representatives and Wolf Point Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture board members. The conference video presentation included success stories from three rural communities in Montana.
Achievements in Winnett have included the “small win” of offering local beef in schools. The community’s culture was enhanced by getting residents together for events. Community pride grew with a new community center. Other successes were a revolving loan fund and an investment co-op.
Baker enjoyed a great amount of success by remodeling an old bank and other older buildings. Another achievement was the addition of a licensed child care. An arts council brought live music and an art walk to the community. Advice was to use the Montana Non-profit Association as a resource. Choteau’s success story included the summer concert series of Get Your Kicks at 6. The outdoor performances are free to the public and features a variety of different entertainers throughout the summer. A farmers market, food and beverage vendors are also available at the family-friendly events. Organizers loved how the event promoted people to come out and socialize in the community.
After being inspired by the three presentations, local residents were split into small groups to brainstorm possible improvements in Wolf Point.
Questions discussed by Wolf Point residents included what are your community’s strengths, what areas need attention and work and what are some small, actionable tasks the community can take to make progress?
