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Ground Level Blog

Todd County group focuses on youth, seniors, jobs

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Todd County's Healthy Community Partnership group met again Monday evening to develop task forces to address retaining youth, economic development and senior services.

Verna Toenyan, who has been a key player since the beginning of the partnership, suggested that since other groups in the county are addressing youth projects and economic development, readjusting the focus to devote this process to senior services might be most effective.

A team member asked where broadband access to the Internet fits. Verna responded that it fits everywhere, within every topic. Nathan Burkett picked up that thread and said that senior services phase into economic development, broadband service and youth retention. All of the work areas merge into each other and though setting specific goals for a task force is necessary, awareness of other projects within the county and assigning liaisons between the groups will keep the communication open.

Charlie Crews, who at 79 is on top of technology, offered to act as the research resource for all task forces. He offered copies of information he found online about youth retention and offered copies of a survey administered by the Canadian government as well as a 78-page strategy package on youth retention. He likened the effort to a three-legged stool: developing programs to involve kids in their communities will help them consider staying to provide some of the "thousands of services senior citizens will need" which will mean jobs and economic development- youth retention, serving seniors, jobs.

After further discussion, task forces to address youth retention and senior services were set up and representatives of the group volunteered to attend economic development meetings within the county . Those who volunteered or were assigned to the task forces are asked to recruit others to join the effort.

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Pat O'Regan from the Initiative Foundation directed the group to develop a mission statement and then set duties for the task forces. A task force training session is set for Sept. 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Photo at left: Charlie Crews shares copies of the Canadian government survey and project strategy on youth retention with Jan Notch while Mary Ellen Otremba and Randy Newman discuss their positions on the task force.