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This is a very interesting article about the rising gas prices and our lack of foresight to prevent it. It’s hard not to point fingers when we all be being affected, but maybe we all need to take some ownership in this.
Published Thursday, May 29, 2008
An opportunity for people in and around New York Mills to support the local farmers and shop for produce in an open-air market is here.
The New York Mills Farmer’s Market opens this Saturday in the Sculpture Park, where Highway 10 meets Highway 67 on the north side of town.
Featured products this Saturday include organic pork, perennials, tomato plants, herbs, shea butter, bedding plants, fresh baked breads and cookies, etc. Hot gourmet coffee will also be available.
To help open this new addition to New York Mills, there will be horse-drawn wagon rides running from the Seniors Center and Elders’ Home to the market.
The NY Mills Farmer’s Market will be open Saturdays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This morning, six members of the NYM Youth Council began a campaign to take action in the community to accomplish their goals. The NYM YC got the ball rolling by giving a quick presentation to Civic and Commerce (a group of city government, business and community leaders aka C & C) members present at the Thursday morning meeting. NYM Youth Council members shared project details (pickup-for-pledges-06-08.pdf) and answered questions as they arose. C & C members were receptive and open to supporting the project!
The NYM Youth Council Pickup for Pledges Project will run Fridays in June beginning June 6 from 4:30-5:00 pm. Please share this information with friends and family who may be looking for an opportunity to support local youth. NYM Youth Council is Taking Action!
The NYM Youth Council met on Saturday May 17th to plan our next step. After a few activities we were ready to brainstorm and the ideas rained down upon us! Click here for details (nym-youth-council-5-17-meeting-notes.doc). Major outcome of the meeting is to Take Action on Fridays in June picking up trash around town. We plan to ask for pledges from sponsors to support our efforts and begin raising the funds we need for our the NYM Youth Center as well as “Show Up” and take action on issues that impact our community.
Margaret, Hailey and Nick are designing the flier. Cortney, Hailey, Adam & Asante and anyone else who would like to go will go to the Thursday morning meeting to present the idea to the members of the C & C for their support and possible sponsorship. We would like to get some t-shirts made so that people will notice of us.
We handed out consent forms for the youth council development training on June 7th.
Next Meeting: Saturday, May 31, 2008 5:00 PM @ Community Action.
Article by Kevin Cederstrom in the 5/15/08 New York Mills Herald
Families unable to purchase a home through traditional mortgage financing may have another option. Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Council offers a program to sell refurbished homes to low-income families on a no interest, no down payment contract for deed at zero percent interest for 30 years.
Community Action is currently renovating a home in New York Mills and is accepting applications for purchase of the 3-bedroom house, located at 550 Gilman Street on the east side of town. An open house is scheduled for May 15, 5-7 p.m. For more information on the application process contact Diane Leaders at Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Council, 385-2900, ext. 136.
Under the Minnesota Urban and Rural Homesteading (MURL) program, Community Action purchases and rehabilitates homes, and sells to qualifying families in Otter Tail and Wadena Counties. Eligible buyers are required to pay 25 percent of their adjusted gross monthly income for the house payment. Through the program, CAC has sold four houses - three in New York Mills and one in Wadena County. The majority of the renovation is being done by Community Action’s weatherization department.
“We’re looking for a family that needs some housing and that would fit well within the community,” Leaders said.
For this particular 3-bedroom house Leaders said, they are looking for a family that fits well with the community, has kids, and would utilize the large back yard to garden. The purchase program is intended for people who have good jobs but have experienced credit problems or have lost a home previously through bankruptcy, and are working their way back financially to home ownership.
The buyer must meet these criteria:
- Cannot have owned a home in the previous three years.
- The family income cannot exceed 60 percent of Otter Tail and Wadena Counties’ median income, which is $34,020 gross annual income for a family of four.
- 25 percent of household monthly adjusted gross income must be sufficient to cover the monthly payment required for principal, taxes and insurance.
- Must complete Home Stretch (home buying education) and Financial Literacy classes.
Special consideration will be given to applicants who meet one or more of the following:
- The applicant is currently living in substandard housing.
- The applicant is homeless
- The applicant is living in overcrowded conditions
- The applicant does not qualify for a conventional loan due to inability to provide a down payment, excess debt to income ratio, lack of income or poor credit history.
Homebuyer Requirements
- must be first time homebuyers
- must be homeless, receiving public assistance or unable to qualify for traditional mortgage financing
- must qualify as low income household at time of purchase. “Low income” shall be defined as 60 percent of the area median income
- must occupy the eligible property as a principal residence.
Once the home is sold the purchasing family must recertify by income each year, meaning if their income goes up or down the payment goes up or down accordingly. CAC has advertised for applications the last two weeks. If a suitable family isn’t found to purchase the house CAC will open the application process again.
Minnesota Urban and Rural Homesteading (MURL) is a state-funded program which provides homeownership opportunities to homebuyers who will assist in stabilizing declining neighborhoods. The MURL Program is designed to arrest or prevent the spread of blight through the preservation of existing, dilapidated single family housing by promoting a financing mechanism to acquire and rehabilitate such housing. Homes are sold to At-Risk homebuyers, who agree to follow a “good neighbor” policy, via an interest free Contract for Deed.
Yes, I’d like to have a 10’ x 10’ plot in the Community Garden for the summer of 2008. I understand the plot and seed will be free but I must donate time towards tending my own plot and the shared gardens.
Family Plot Vegetables offered:
Lettuce Green BeansPeas OnionsTomato PepperSpinach CilantroBeets FlowersBroccoli CarrotsRadish Swiss ChardBok Choy
Group Plot Vegetables Offered:
Squash PumpkinsPeppers TomatoesCucumbers MelonsHerbs
Address____________________________________ Phone______________
e-mail_________________
Return this form to Lynn Kasma, 312 South Main Ave., NYM or e-mail your inquiry to lrkasma@hotmail.com. You may also drop it at the NYM Public Library or the NYM Regional Cultural Center. This Community Garden is made possible through the Horizons Leadership Program, funded by the Northwest Area Foundation and brought to NYM by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
Submitted by Lynn Kasma
It’s no wonder so many historians believe weather is a far greater influence on the actions of humans than humans want to acknowledge. Working to get the Community Garden underway utilizing a grant from State Farm Insurance, as part of Global Youth Service Days, has proven quite the challenge. Case in point was the Mills IMPACT Teams inability to kick off Global Youth Service Days on the weekend designated nationwide, because of a late season snow storm that dropped 16 inches of the white stuff on us prompting a no travel advisory for the entire county.
Rescheduling also posed a problem with Friday afternoon on May 9 proceeding without a hitch and then Saturday May 10 cancelled due to rain. Luckily May 12, although windy and cold, brought out a dozen plus high school students to help plant trees in the Sculpture Park which is the future site of the Horizons program sponsored Farmers Market. Another day will be scheduled once the Community Garden is plowed and ready for plot sectioning and planting.
It would be fun to say we cooperate with the weather however the truth is we are mere pawns in its whims and ways and react as best we can to accomplish what needs to be done with the fair weather provided. Thanks to many peoples efforts the Community Garden and Farmers Market are underway and will open as scheduled. A special thanks to Dan and Bonnie Welter for moving the new shed onto the garden site and to Heather Cassidy, Tammy Detloff and the high school crew for planting the trees in the Sculpture part making the site more attractive for the Farmers Market.
As submitted by Pat Fredley:
The Farmer’s Market Committee has the following meeting schedule until our opening day on Saturday, May 31.
U MN Ext is sponsoring a workshop on youth council development for Horizons Communities. There is no cost to attend. Looking to take some members of the youth council to this workshop. If you are interested in attending please let me know. Travel stipends are available. Tentatively scheduled to last from 10-3. More information to follow…
The first meeting of the NYM Horizons Youth Council was held at Otter Tail Wadena Community Action on May 1, with 10 youth in 3rd - 7th grade and 4 adults in attendance. We created the space for community youth to come together, bringing their ideas to alter the perception of youth as “just kids” and impact our community. Energy was high as we got to know and then we got to work brainstorming. High on the list of ideas is being able to find transportation to activities (i.e away games), helping and doing good things for others, and having a place away from school where kids can gather and just be.
We shared opportunities to support community projects and encouraged each other to pick something to participate in. We also encouraged each other to assess our neighborhoods and families for needs we can fill. Finally, we shared upcoming training opportunities. One of which, is Youth Council Development. U MN Ext is organizing this event in Fertile on June 7th - the workshop is free for our Youth Council and transportation will be provided to and from for anyone who wants to attend.
The next meeting of the NYM Horizons Youth Council is set for May 17th @ 4 pm. NYM area youth are welcome to come and join in this energetic group! Questions? Email horizonsteam@gmail.com or call (218) 371-8653.
