Intellicast WeatherAnother school year is rapidly coming to a close and we will be honoring our graduates and sending them off on the next phase of their lives. Our big challenge is to create opportunities for our young people so they can be encouraged to return home and live here to raise their families. A big challenge indeed, but vital to creating a vital and prosperous community.
The community has designated May for the Food Pantry. The Pantry is in need of non-perishable non-food items such as toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo and other personal care items. We hope to get the whole community involved to restock the food pantry. Postal workers will be collecting items from the mail route also.
Pictures provided by Darlene Duffy. You can view the before pictures in a previous blog entry. Just scroll down the page to see what it looked like before 
This is one of the first steps by the Horizons group and the OAIC toward accomplishing our strategic goals. This is the first house to be demolished to make building lots available free to anyone who will build a house on the lots. Once the clean up is completed there will be 4 lots available with room for 2 houses. The OAIC is also looking into the governor’s housing program and some other possible funding sources to get a jump start on development of affordable housing options. Check back later for more updates and after pictures.
The key to sustaining changes made is to support the people who have stepped up into the leadership roles and try to get more people involved in projects. Many hands make light work.
This house has been demolished in the past week and the lots will be cleared and fill hauled in to make them ready for new houses. Our Horizons groups are moving ahead with the objectives in the strategic plan. The new OAIC has obtained these 4 lots from the county and will make them available for free to anyone that will build a new house and the committee is also looking into placing a governor’s house on two of the lots. It takes 2 lots to build a house so we now have room for 2 new houses. We are working with the county commission and some absentee landowners to obtain more lots in town. There has only been one new house built in Oldham in the past 35-40 years so we want to encourage development and hope that free improved lots will attract interest in building in the community. There would be some after pictures but we are currently snowbound with this late spring snowstorm so I wasn’t able to get the after photos. Check back later and track the progress.
Through the Horizon’s program the community has recognized the need to have an organization to seek resources for programs and projects identified through our Horizon’s strategic plan. We created the Oldham Area Improvement Organization and sought 501c3 tax exempt status. We received that in February. With that OAIC will be able to seek out and obtain resources to carryout the goals outlined in the strategic plan. Todate we have not obtained funding for any of the projects but are working on ways to obtain resources from several organizations.
I think people have become more aware of leadership in the community. People are taking more of an interest in the community. They recognize the need for changes to reverse the trends that have been going on for the past several decades. We had a very good turnout for our city elections. We have a new mayor and councilman that will be taking office in May. Both people have been active in the Horizon’s program.
The annual wild game feed was a huge success again this year. This is an annual fundraising event for the Volunteer Fire Department and the Potato Day Committee. The feed was held on April 13 at the Oldham Saloon. Almost 200 people sampled the fare which included mallard duck breast, wild game goulash, and several other tasty dishes. Many thanks to all those that make this event such a huge success.
Please choose one or two questions in EACH category to address on your blog:
8. Sustaining action and creating structural change around leadership
What is your community’s plan for maintaining a strong community leadership system?
How can your community sustain the changes it has already made in its leadership?
What structural changes have been made in how the community does its work/makes decisions?
What structural changes have been made so that your community leadership sustains partnerships with others?
12. Sustaining action and creating structural change around community
How will your community make decisions about seeking further resources to support its plans?
Is a system in place to seek, receive, monitor and report on new resources to support community work?
Is a system in place to maintain contact with, or to continue to work with other communities? With your Delivery Organization? In other partnerships?
What new resources have been secured to assist the work of the community?
There will be a combined meeting with all the Horizons Committees on May 14. Glenn and Darlene will give short reports on the Lincoln NE seminar they attended. There will be Subway sandwiches and drinks for everyone attending. Reports will be given to Martha on the progress of the committees and then they will break into their respective groups and continue working on the projects.
