Tammie's Transom

There are times when I read, hear or watch something that sends me into deep thought. My brow usually crinkles, my head sometimes tilts and my eyes gaze upward through the transoms of my hundred year old Victorian home. In those moments, visions of sugar plums dance in my head. I guess one could call it a transom trance.

I had such an experience this morning upon reading a CNN article and proclaimed, "This is it!" This is just one of the visions that we, Goree...rrrr bigger than that...Knox County, could encapsulate. Here are some of the 'buzz' phrases* that I picked up on while reading that article which was sent to me by a Goree home comer who still longs for her hometown to be the best it can be.

• "Once we understood the vision, we chose to come here," Keith Brown said...
• He sees it as an opportunity to help his native area, and he likes being able to keep a fishing rod in his office that he sometimes uses on lunch breaks. The Browns are happy to be close to his family, and think this is a safer place to raise their daughter...
• They are both classical musicians...
• They miss the arts...
• Julia Brown is a little troubled by a lack of ethnic diversity...
• I think it's much better for her (daughter) to live in a more wholesome place where we're not caught up in this rat race all the time," Julia Brown said...
• The Browns can fly kites in their front yard when the wind is good, and Keith Brown likes to pack a picnic supper and take his daughter on walks up the hill behind their house to view the rolling landscape. Wendy is a big fan of the night sky, a spectacle masked by city lights. 'We'll get out of the car and she'll look up and she'll go 'Wow!' when it's a really clear night,' Julia Brown said. 'How many 3-year-olds notice that?'*

My question is how can we beckon 'big city' professionals to come home to their roots even if they've never called here home to begin with? We, KCVG, already have a plan to draw professionals with Knox County roots home, which is great. But, I thought this angle was worthy of attention, too. Let's face it, we have valid challenges. There is somewhat of a resistence from country folk towards the efforts of bringing the theatric, classical arts, music, ethnic diversity, and technological advances into our backyards. But, as the story articulates, Rural America needs to advance without losing its' sense of wholesome place in order to attract. How do you have a Starbucks lifestyle without Starbucks? I don't know the answer, 'cuz this country girl sure loves an occasional vente caramel frappucino! (See? Even my spell check doesn't know what to do with vente or frappucino, for Pete's sake?)

*The Associated Press: CNN.com/living

Next Meeting...

Visioning Partners,

This is a notice that we are recommending that we change the monthly visioning meeting scheduled for Thursday the 7th of August to Tuesday, 12th of August. Several of us will be unavailable for the 7th, so would like to make the change.

I will send out a reminder sometime next week reminding everyone.

Thanks for your understanding.
Travis C. Floyd
Knox County Judge

Congratulations!

Visioning Partners,

Congratulations!!!!!! We are a winner of the 'Communities that Care' award from Texas Rural Health Association. The county, along with our team are identifying the need for Rural Health opportunities, and taking steps in fulfilling some of those needs, that we have been noticed. Also, we have been working with the Big Country Area Health Education Center, along with Dr. Finley in providing opportunities for training interns. Anyway, we are going to be a recipient of an award. My question is, how many of you would like to go to Austin for a luncheon to receive the award? We have been given two seats, but as many as would like to go will be able to attend at a cost of $25. I am planning on attending, are there any others interested? Please let me know as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Travis C. Floyd
Knox County Judge

More Info.

The Symposium Scoop

~Knox County Hosts First Ever Real Rural Tourism Symposium

Visitors from across the state pioneered Knox County’s Real Ranch Country Trail rating it as “fabulous family fun” last week during the 1st Ever Real Rural Tourism Symposium. The trail’s and Knox County’s first foray into regional tourism development drew participants from San Saba to Farmersville, Austin to Canadian with 66 people registered for the three day seminar and activities.

Gathering on Thursday evening for a get-acquainted tour, to find out what our neighbors are doing in Foard and Baylor Counties, served to prime the pump for Friday and Saturday’s assessment and planning missions. Thursday night explorers were treated to an outstanding example of “destination dining” with succulent steaks, and a great explanation of what and how by owners Duane and Margie, Doug and Angie Johnson at the Longhorn Steakhouse. They also experienced an eye-opening treat at the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus, which few in the group had even imagined in this area, and with Carolyn Henry and Stacy Henry sharing the stories of Crowell and Foard County’s successful funding and renovation of a beautiful and functional activity center and the 12,000 acre Teacup Mountain recreation site leased by Foard County from the Corps of Engineers and managed by the non-profit Pease River Partners. Rusty and Malinda Moore hosted the group at their Crazy Lady Trading Post and Raggedy Creek Ranch a true one-stop shop offering everything from booking your trip, outfitting your hunting experience, buying all your take it home gifts, feeding you while you’re here, processing the meat and getting the mount done then bringing you back and hosting your special event. Wow, talk about inspiration for conversation on the ride home!

Friday’s road trip wound through Knox County beginning at the Courthouse in Benjamin, viewing our national landmark Brazos River Bridge, learning about Knox City’s awning, tractor art and mural projects and touring the old City Hall building. While there resource specialists from the Texas Historic Commission and Texas Department of Agriculture offered suggestions on financial support for historic and downtown building renovation and members of the tour group, many of whom were tourism and economic development professionals, shared their own experiences and ideas with the local tour group members. From Knox City the group went to Munday enjoying the sculpture and streetscape across from Munday Elementary, learning how the project was funded and is maintained, viewing the ongoing work on the old church being renovated into a theatre and Munday’s award winning Keep Munday Beautiful campaign.

Miller Creek was termed a “destination draw” that, although outside Knox County, can bring many visitors to Goree, Munday and Knox City. Positioning itself as the Gateway to Miller Creek makes sense for Goree, advised the tourism experts, as does that City’s attempts to support the clean-up and promotion of this neighboring attraction. Bob Rogers, representing Texas Parks and Wildlife and Dick Wilberforce, with the Texas Prairie Rivers Region, inspired the group with stories and examples of their nature tourism success, piggy backing private landowner and small town programs on public sites, to everyone’s advantage. With Roger’s example of the success of a program as simple as “Turtle in a Bucket” and Wilberforce’s 5 minute assessment of the seemingly endless possibilities for bird and wildlife observers right on the peninsula where the group was standing, locals and visitors loaded back up in their cars excited to see what lay around the next bend of the trail, convinced they could hold a visitors interest right in there own backyard.

Tours of downtown Goree, with the animated planning discussions led by Tammie Trainham, an eye opening visit to Todd Leake Farms in Vera and its’ 20,000 + native plants watered and fertilized from the old fish tank and drive by viewing of Knox County’s only orchard had the entourage engaged in multiple “What if” conversations as they arrived at Ranger Creek Lodge for lunch. Amid “oohs and awes” over the facility and expressions of surprise at the size of this major tourist operation, which brings guests from across the United States to Knox County, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch, and the even more delicious air conditioning, while host Randy Walker shared the story of how this successful business started from the families need to diversify and find extra income from their traditional farming operation.

Rejuvenated, the tour moved to the beautiful and inspirational St. Joseph’s Church in Rhineland, itself a parable for the ability of a farm community to accomplish greatness with hard work and dedication. The tour guide was Dot Myers. Imagining a group of farmers making bricks, carving alters and statuary over 30 years, through the Great Depression, drought, sandstorms and World War II then putting it all together to create the magnificence and beauty of this traditionally beautiful building would convince the most cynical of what a small group of dedicated souls can accomplish.

Crossing The Narrows, Knox County’s National Historic Landmark, and the basis of Knox County’s national recognition in natural science and historic circles, taking a few moments to reflect on its’ significance as the watersheds split, sending one rivers’ water to the Mississippi and the other to the Gulf of Mexico, changing bird and wildlife designations as “eastern or western” species and historically making up the major corridor where Native American, Military and Frontier civilizations moved across the country, inspired a flurry of suggestions and comments from the tourism, nature education, history and event professionals in the group on the potential marketing opportunities to bring visitors to Knox County.

Like all good tours, the Real Ranch Country Tour paused with plenty of time and opportunity to spend money with the merchants, back in Benjamin, before gearing up again for the evenings’ entertainment in Truscott. Following a visit with Wyman Meinzer at the historic County Jail and primed for historic observation after a visit to the new Museum and presentation on the regions history by Clara Brown, participants literally stepped back in time on arrival in Truscott. An old fashioned community dinner, horse drawn stage coach, chuck wagon and “war” wagon rides and tours of the historic renovation set the stage for storytelling, poetry and harmonica by Tibb Burnett and story in song with Andy Wilkinson, Texas Tech University, Southwest Collection.

Rested up physically and charged mentally with the sights and conversations of the last 36 hours the Symposium convened Saturday morning at Stanfield’s Big Honker Lodge near Knox City. Welcomed by Knox City Mayor, and Lodge owner, Jeff Stanfield, the group began the day in awe of the fact that this small town business is the largest waterfowl hunting outfitter in the United States, even though many people in Knox County are unaware of its very existence. Professional presentations and the report from the Assessment Team, led by Eden Texas’ Economic Development and Tourism Director, Genora Young, soon turned to serious reflection and planning around the theme “How to Sell Your Hometown without Selling Your Soul”. Recurring comments by local participants like Jerry Bob Daniel, repeated their desire to diversify, to bring visitors to Knox County, to host them and have them enjoy our assets and life style and to be sure that what they enjoyed while they were here was authentic, respectful of our roots and reflective of our integrity. Andy Wilkinson led a discussion of how our art and history can frame that, Bob Rogers and Dick Wilberforce encouraged reflection on keeping it real and keeping it simple and bringing in other aspects of our natural resources. All three were key to remembering that we have more to offer than hunting. Just as these first businesses diversified from traditional commodity production agriculture to hunting, now we have the opportunity to diversify again, to expand our economy and opportunities to host and perhaps become home to others who enjoy and cherish the natural gifts we’ve been blessed with in Knox County. Resource team members from Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Workforce Solutions, Texas Historic Commission, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Baylor County and Texas Prairie Rivers Region kept local participants busy taking notes as they presented sources for funding and technical support for local development and tourism projects and offered their own commentary on the possibilities they had seen over the last 3 days.

Steve Pepper, Knox City entrepreneur, closed the symposium’s program with a local outlook and response encouraging and challenging the local group from his own changed perspective, to become aware and involved. Pepper encouraged his friends and neighbors to do as he planned to, channel the time and energy used to develop success individually into a cooperative effort to preserve and develop Knox County together, benefiting each of us personally and communally.

Knox County Visioning Team’s Community Development Director, who organized the First Ever Real Rural Tourism Symposium, when asked to comment on the success of the event and what she hoped to see come from it offered her favorite quote “Never, ever doubt the ability of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world. In fact it’s the only thing that ever has.”

July Meeting Update

Knox County Visioning Partners,

I thought we had a great meeting last everning and I want to thank each of you for taking part in it. We had great ideas and a general theme ran through the meeting "Let's just do it".

One of the items some thought was very important was to get young couples involved. A committee was established (Steve, Marla, Exa Lee, Brenda, and Travis) to identify the young couples and plan how to get them involved. This committee will meet on July 8th at Pepper's In Knox city at 5:30 PM. If you have any additional ideas for this committee, or if you would like to volunteer to be on the committee, please contact me.

Again, thanks for all your support.
Travis C. Floyd
Knox County Judge

July KCVG Meeting

Visioning Partners,

This is a reminder for the Knox County Visioning Committee Meeting scheduled for this Tuesday, July 1st at 5:30 PM. We are fortunate that Kay and Steve Pepper offered their business as a meeting place, and I took them up on it. The meeting will be held at Pepper's in Knox City and a meal will be provided.

I am hopeful that Remelle has recovered enough so that she can attend. The Real Rural Tourism Symposium was a huge success, and a huge thank you is due to Remelle.

Please make every effort to attend the meeting, as we have had, and have a lot going on.

Thanks

Travis C. Floyd
Knox County Judge

What all did we see???

The morning of Friday, June 27th began at 8:30 a.m. in the hospitality room of the courthouse. There only seemed to be one mishap from the previous evening...Miss Windthorst and Miss Vernon were barely recovered MIA's from the Vera fiasco the night before at the tune of 1:00 a.m. They laughed hysterically about their gallivant thru the Vera dirt roads, which is better than crying or ripping someone's head off! They, by the way, had to put up with me, Tammie, and Bob Rogers in our car caravan and I might add we were lead dawgs. (...till the very end, huh Dwayne)

Let's see at 9:20 a.m., our ten to fifteen car caravan headed towards Knox City on Hwy 6 and enjoyed the Brazos River Bridge. It didn't take my carlings long to crank up the enthusiasm with a Bridges Over Knox County joke or two or three. (by the way Bob, I think I made up a new word~carlings?)
9:34 am – Knox City- We parked in front of old City Hall building and Marla Hawkins and Daveine Clark hosted. We gawked and awed at the awnings, murals and tractor art. (the Flower Power tractor to be exact) The Watermelon Festival information was shared by Mrs. Clark. Barbara Rector opened the old City Hall and many enjoyed the wall mural and dreamed of what this structure could be used for.

9:55 am - We left Knox City going east on Hwy 222 and took notice of Dillon’s, Gillespie Cemetery, Johnson’s Memorial Cemetery. 10:06 am – We arrived in Munday and parked in front of school at the centennial park. We enjoyed seeing the streetscape and church renovation for a theatre. Durwood shared a little bit about Quilt Show, Ranch Rodeo and Keep Munday Beautiful efforts. Someone noted the awards and successes of this organization.

10:33 am- We left Munday, noting streetscape and the church as we drove by, and we stayed on Hwy 222. We passed the Lake Creek Golf Course which was looking good in preparation for Saturday's womans' tournament. We turned north on Hwy 266 then right on FM 1608 to Miller Creek Lake. It was a bit windy, but that kept the skitters and heat down.

10:50 am- We arrived at the lake. An awning and refreshments were set up on peninsula thanks to Caroline Garcia and Glen Blacketer of the City of Goree. The drinks were provided by Miller Creek Ranch and the snacks were from Trainham Ice & Meat. Bob Rogers & Dick Wilberforce presented “Real Simple, Real Popular”. They described the success they have experienced in their nature tourism programs. We heard how the "turtle in the bucket story" originated and we were amazed to hear the advantages of inviting 'birders' into your area. Did I mention that this was the point in time that Miss Vernon realized she was sharing the backseat with two turtles?

11:41 am- We left for Goree- we went right on FM 266 under the overpass and parked at the Memorial Building. This was our first restroom break. Bob said, "Can I wash my hands in there?" Seems the turtle couldn't wait till we arrived in Goree. We made notice of historical sites, Domino Hall & Old Jail, while waiting. Tammie Trainham presented “Rebirth of a Town” keeping it real, using what you have, and HOW? (Interesting discussion about the cause of Goree's death)

12:15 pm – On Hwy 266 we headed toward Vera passing Hefner Cemetery and then had our breath taken away as we dropped over the bluff and crossed the Brazos for yet another time. At the intersection of Hwy 82 we turned left, then right on County Rd 3185. We arrived a little late at Leake Farms (12:45 pm) and our hosts had given up, I suppose. After two gates and a little bit of a rough road we came upon - 26,000 native plants! “Real Diversification-Real Agri-Tourism”! We didn't hear about it, but we saw it with our own eyes. No electricity and yet a fully functioning nursery with an indigenous plant population. The plants are not sold unless they are two years of age and fully acclimated. A gas powered pump watered these plants from Mrs. Paris' famous catfish tank. We met one of our hosts, Dee Winn, as we were exiting the place. And she proceeded to join us at Ranger Creek Ranch to supply us with more information.

12:45 pm- Upon leaving Leake Farms we opted to forgo the drive-by the vineyards and head straight to the chow wagon. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Ranger Creek and a presentation by Randy Walker-“Real Story of Ranger Creek”.

2:15 pm- We turned right out of the Ranch then went left @ CBar ranch gate and out on County Rd 3150. We turned west on Hwy 82 then left on Hwy 267 to Rhineland. Upon arriving at St. Joseph’s Church, Mrs. Dot Myers was our host and she gave us a tour of this famous church and shared the story of the community, “What they had, Where they were & Who they are”. It was simply majestic.

2:45 pm- We left Rhineland on Hwy 267 going north to Hwy 82 then west back to Benjamin. We made notice of the roadside park which overlooks "The Narrows" on our way. At a later time Remelle talked about how a town is using what it has- this Hwy. I almost forgot to mention that on this stretch of highway is where Dwayne forgot who was lead dawgs...sorry Sherrif Dean. I was Cole Trickle passing that villian in the Daytona of 'Days of Thunder'. My carlings made me do it!

3:05 pm-4:15 pm Back in Benjamin, everyone enjoyed some free time shopping at Redford Ranch and Santa Fe On The Brazos. We also enjoyed site-seeing at the Museum, Veteran's Memorial and then a guided tour by Wyman Meinzer at the jail and his personal homestead. We were amazed by a story about Ernest Tubbs sisters' jail time. It finally dawned on me why Bob kept the windows cracked on my car...so we wouldn't have 'steamed' turtle for dinner!

4:15 pm Back at the courthouse we were greeted with “Welcome to Benjamin-What We Are Doing With What We Have” by Sylinda Meinzer and Pam Duke. These ladies introduced the new businesses headed their way and shared about the school system. Interestingly, the highway traffic brings a lot of business to Benjamin. A presentation was given by a town historian, also.

5:30 pm- We assigned drivers and loaded ‘em up, moved ‘em out and headed to Truscott, north on Hwy 6. As we arrived in Truscott, supper was on the agenda, first things first. The community provided us with such a memorable evening. Cowboy dinner with goat-balls, too boot! How many will ever forget that? Then, after dinner the stage coach, buggy, hay ride and chuck wagon tour ensued. We were like kids at Six Flags...just ask anyone about Miss Vernon on top of the stage coach!

8:30 pm- We were entertained with songs and stories of the Old West. Bob Rogers was the MC for the evening. Featured were Mr. Tibb Burnet, cowboy poet, of Benjamin, TX and Andy Wilkinson, Artist in Residence, The Southwest Collection and Texas Tech University. Andy shared history through song and Tibb shared history through poetry.

10:00 pm Time to get along home, lead doggy. Our car on the caravan was apparently so much fun that we had two stowaways. We laughed till we cried and all was well.

Y'll come back now, ya hear?

Miller Creek/Goree Tour

The tour will encompass so much in Knox County and there is no way we are going to see or hear it all. I look forward to the adventure. The small part of the county that I do know about is Goree. The work seems slow, but when it's put together in a slideshow it does add up to a lot. Above is a sample of the 'goings on' in and around Goree that will be part of the tour tomorrow. See you then, Tammie

Miller Creek Reservoir (fishing, boating, camping)

MCR Ranch

A Place To Stay

Trainham Ice

Trophy Meat

Detailed Schedule: First Ever Real Rural Tourism Symposium

Detailed Schedule
June 26th, 27th, 28th

Knox County, Texas

June 26th Thursday

Step I: Get to know your neighborhood: What your Neighbors are Doing, What Your Neighbors are Doing and What We Could Do Together!

Focus on Crowell & Seymour

• 2 pm – Hospitality Center set up at Courthouse to greet out of town attendees, get them to their accommodations, guide if necessary, answer questions.
  
  Register & count; assign drivers
  
• 4 pm- Welcome everyone, quick overview of what we are going to see, do, accomplish
  
• 4:10 pm – Introduce car pool drivers
  
• 4:15 pm- Load ‘em up, move ‘em out
  
• 4:45 pm- Arrive Crowell Activity Center
  
  Carolyn Henry will tell story of why, how, how funded and how operating. Compare to our need and opportunity for meeting place in County.
  
  Stacy Henry – will present story of Pease River Partners and their Tourism and Conservation partnership, private land and 12,000 acre Teacup Mountain Wilderness Area
  
• 5:15 pm – walk across to Crazy Lady Trading Post – presentation by Rusty and Malinda – Putting it all together – Story of their combined, store, catering location, lodge, hunting outfitter, processing plant and now resident taxidermist
  
• 5:45 pm- leave for Longhorn Steakhouse
  
• 6:05 pm- arrive, dinner, presentation on Destination Dining
  
• 7:05 pm- leave for Comanche Springs
  
• 7:15 pm – tour & presentation by 3RF and Seymour EDC Director and Chamber Director on Science and Tourism
  
• 9 pm – 9:50 pm – sky viewing
• 9:55- 10:30 drive back to Courthouse

June 27th Friday

Step II: Discover Your Own Assets! Use What You Have, Where You Are, Who You Are; Keep It Real & Keep It Simple!

• 8 am- Hospitality Room at the Courthouse – Coffee & Morning Snacks
  
• 9 am- Tour details; assign drivers
  
• 9:15 am- Hit the road!
  Hwy 6 to Knox City
  Note Brazos River Bridge
  
• 9:30 am – Knox City- park in front of Old City Hall building
  Marla Hawkins will host : Awnings, Murals, Tractor Art, Watermelon Festival, renovation of old City Hall
  
• 9:45 leave KC
  Note Dillon’s, Gillespie Cemetery, Johnson’s Memorial Cemetery
  
• 10:05 am – Munday- park in front of school- Karen Longan will host- streetscape, school park, old church renovation to theatre, Quilt Show
  
• 10:20 am- leave Munday- note streetscape, church as drive by
  Stay on Hwy 222, go under overpass of Hwy 277, note Lake Creek Golf Course
  Turn on Hwy 266 then right on FM 1608 to Miller Creek Lake
  
• 10:40 am- awning and chairs and refreshments are set up on peninsula; Bob Rogers & Dick Wilberforce will present on “ Real Simple, Real Popular” Nature Tourism programs
  
• 11:15 am- leave for Goree- right on FM 266 under overpass, park on side of Memorial Building – restrooms inside- may visit Domino Hall & Old Jail while waiting-Tammie Trainham will present on “Rebirth of a Town” keeping it real, using what you have, HOW?
  
• 11:30 – Hwy 266 toward Vera – note Hefner Cemetery
  @ intersection of Hwy 82 turn left, then right on County Rd 3185
  
• 12:05 pm – Arrive Leak Farms- Todd Leak will host - 26,000 native plants- “Real Diversification- Real Agri-Tourism”
  
• 12:35 pm- leave Leak Farms, left @ Leak gates, 1 mile west, 1 mile north to Vineyard, 2 miles back to Hwy 82, turn West
  Note Vera cemetery, church, community center
  W side of Vera Hwy 82 curves left, stay right, dirt road to Ranger Creek Lodge
  
• 12:50 pm – lunch at Ranger Creek- presentation by Randy Walker- “Real Story of Ranger Creek”
  
• 2:15 pm- left @ CBar ranch gate out on County Rd 3150- turn W on Hwy 82 then left on Hwy 267-to Rhineland- St. Joseph’s Church- Mrs. Dot Myers will host tour of famous Church and story of the community “What they had, Where they were & Who they are”
  
• 2:45 pm- leave Rhineland, Hwy 267 North to Hwy 82 West-
  
• 2:50 pm- The Narrows – scenic view- RF tells story and invites to see Benjamin- “Real Town using what it has- this Hwy”
  
• 3:00 pm- Hwy 82 West to Benjamin-
  
• 3:05 pm – arrive Benjamin-Court House - shopping, refreshments, reception – Redford Ranch, Santa Fe on the Brazos, Museum, Veteran’s Memorial
  
• 4:00 pm- Dennis Duke- “Welcome to Benjamin-What We are Doing with What We Have”
  
• 4:15 pm- What We Saw- Impressions, Reflections, Comparisons, Ideas
  
• 5:15 pm- “Our Heritage, Our History, Doing it Our Way” – introduction to Truscott, TX
  
• 5:30 pm- assign drivers and load ‘em up, move ‘em out
  
• 6:00 pm- arrive Truscott- Group I: Stage Coach & Wagon Rides & Tours, Group II: Truscott Brine Lake
  
• 6:45 pm- Switch groups I & II
  
• 7:30 pm- Cowboy Dinner at the Community Center
  
• 8:30 pm- Songs & Stories of the Old West- MC Bob Rogers; featuring Mr Tibb Burnet, Benjamin, TX and Andy Wilkinson, Artist in Residence, The Southwest Collection, Texas Tech University
  
• 10 pm- Get along Home!
  
• 10:30 arrive Court House

June 28th, Saturday

Sell Your Hometown…..without Selling Your Soul
Assessing, Soul-searching, Planning, Developing & Marketing in Your Hometown

• 8 am- Meet any carpoolers- Hospitality Room – coffee and breakfast snacks
  
• 8:30 am – travel to Stanfield’s Big Honker Lodge – Knox City-
  (8 am- Hospitality center at Stanfield’s open with coffee and breakfast snacks)
  
• 9:00 am- Welcome by Mayor Jeff Stanfield – Owner Stanfield’s & Big Honker Lodge
  Presentation on Stanfields, largest waterfowl outfitter in United States and the role of tourism business in a community and the community’s role in the tourism business
  
• 9:45 am - Assesment Team Report and Recommendations – “What’s real, real simple, real honest and your real opportunities” Facilitated Discussion
  
• 10:45 am -What’s really going on- What we did with what you have- What works- What doesn’t!
  
• 11:45 am -Resource Team – “What you really need, What we really can do to help.”
  
• 12:30 pm – LUNCH
  
• 1:15 pm- Let’s Do Something- Putting it all together-for real.
  
• 2:00 pm- Heading Home! Start your own Real Rural Success Story!

We are on our way...

What fun we had preparing for the Real Rural Tourism Symposium today! Remelle and I toured the tour. We mapped, timed and played all afternoon. Tough job, but someone had to do it. We blazed our way around Knox County and 'experienced the prairie'.

A heavy rain last night kept us from experimenting over in Vera, but that makes our excitement of the unknown grow even greater. I'm showin' up for the simple purpose of finishing what we started.

As this event plays out, it will be well worth the time and effort. The symposium is like a bridge which unites, connects and serves its' purpose. Through our county-wide connection we can accomplish something together that we couldn't alone. All of our little pieces make one beautiful picture called the Knox Prairie.

Registration Information: Real Rural Tourism Symposium

1st Ever
Real Rural Tourism Symposium Registration Form
June 26, 27, & 28, 2008
Knox County, Texas

To register, please print out and mail form with payment by check:

Name:____________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________

City, St, Zip:________________________________________

E-mail:___________________________________________

Phone:____________________________________________


Register for all three days and evening events:

$50/person x ______people =________

Register for specific day and/or evening event:
Thursday June 26th $20/person x ___ people = ____
Friday June 27th $20/person x _____ people = ____
Friday Evening June 27th $20/person x____ people = ____
Saturday June 28th $20/person x ____ people = ____

Payment amount enclosed: $______________

Please mail form to & check:
Knox County Visioning Team
P.O. Box 77
Benjamin, Texas 79505

~Housing Update~

The May Meeting with Joe's presentation was very good. Joe was well received. People were very interested and he offered several ideas that were pertinent to our situation. Lots of discussion about doing something on housing. Marla Hawkins came and thankfully brought some practical experience, thoughts and suggestions to the table. I believe our next move on housing will be to have a local contractor who has actually expressed an interest in building some new houses in Munday and/or Knox City and Benjamin come and present his ideas to the committee. Maybe then we will see if there is any will to actually take action. Joe's presentation hit home the point that there are 4 necessary ingredients for any housing to be built in a community. The first 3 we have available land, buyers and renters looking for housing, financing available...the fourth is what stops most communities from getting new housing....community will. Do we really care enough to do anything about it?

Trip To Austin: May 21st thru 26th

Wednesday, May 21- traveled to Austin- arrived in time for dinner with friends, Charlie Stone, ORCA Executive Director, Bobbie Gerish, Director of Rural Innovator’s Forum, Joe Y. , Texas Workforce Commission, and others who live and work in Austin. They are always eager to hear about what the KCVC, Ogallala Commons, Texas Prairie Rivers and other grass roots organizations are doing. We reviewed the research work Joe had been doing with the Governor’s office and the new Governor’s Competitiveness Council, which Governor Perry formally announced at the training session I was in town for on Thursday.

I’m including a copy of the Governor’s white paper on that for you. While it clearly is focused on our State’s cities and their economic development issues, it addresses many of the same concerns we have in our rural areas. I want to see a Rural Competitiveness Council, appointed by the Governor from rural community, education and industry leaders with agency support personnel from programs like Workforce, TDA, TxDOT, TDHCA, TPWD and ORCA who would identify and address those issues and needs that are crucial to a goal of insuring a sustainable economy in rural Texas. This kind of statewide initiative and government support is I think vital to provide the tools and leverage a group like KCVC needs to have a real impact at home. For instance, if we are going to address through the new Competitiveness Council the “disconnect between school curricula and workplace demands” then we need to consider the workplace demands of rural businesses and the limitations of staff and funding in rural schools in relation to any proposed changes to our educational curricula. Or, if the City leaders are looking at the concerns of resource availability (energy, water) and energy development for our urban population, we also need to consider the effects of their development plans on the rural areas where the resources will come from, energy is generated from. I met with the ORCA staff, Rural Innovator’s Forum and members of the Governor’s policy staff about this idea, concern while in Austin. I will present the idea for their support to the ORCA Board next week.

Thursday, May 22nd - Attended the Governors Training for all appointees to state boards and commissions. While I’ve done the Open Meetings Act and Ethics and Financial Disclosure type sessions that were required in this, I was amazed and honored to be in the company of these leaders and volunteers. I never really realized, and I bet you’ve not thought about it either the sheer number of committed volunteers necessary for our state to function at all. Even when Texas was formed and our constitution written, most people here didn’t trust government. I mean they really didn’t trust government, so much so that not one single, solitary Texas state agency or department is run by the Governor, the Lt. Governor, the Legislature or its Executive Director. So, for the 238 state agencies no matter how big or small, we have in Texas, every single one has an unpaid, appointed Board of Directors or Commissioners who set policy and ultimately are responsible for the programs, money and actions of every employee. YIKES! Knowing how hard it is to get a volunteer for a day, for a speech, to serve on a Community board, it restores my faith in my fellow citizens to imagine 1,500 – 1,800 people willing to take on that kind of obligation, much less file their financial statement as public record and agree to understanding they can go to jail if they get a Christmas present from the wrong person. I’ve met a lot of these people too, and most like me, are not all that impressed with the idea of being important, don’t really get an ego boost from hobnobbing with each other and sure didn’t need anything else to do, they just care. Sometimes we need to be reminded we are not alone; other folks do care and are working for our children’s future too. Even the one’s we might not agree with.

Friday, May 23rd- met with TPWD, TDA and ORCA staff members about community development, planning, infrastructure, park and beautification grant and loan programs for our region. Reviewed new guidelines, new programs to share with our towns, EDC’s, Chambers, County.

TMCN Lawmakers Luncheon

Traveled to Coleman, Texas on May 20th with Judge Travis, Barbara and Dwayne to attend TMCN’s Lawmakers Luncheon. Nicki and staff did an excellent job of putting a great event together with an especially difficult to round up an depend on, legislators. Our own two had other commitments, but the panel from our neighbors was excellent and I felt we made some good contacts with them and their staff also.


Judge Floyd was the MC and did an admirable job, even with the joke Brenda told him not to tell. I was also glad to have Barbara and Dwayne who sat with Charlie Stone, the Director of the Office and Rural Community Affairs at lunch, have the opportunity to get acquainted with him and vice versa. Those folks need to know those of us actually working and living in rural communities and what we are doing.


One of the upshots from that was in Austin the following day. Charlie asked me if our YEDay was something that could be implemented state wide if the funding were available. What a compliment! And, yes we are going to follow-up on that!

Badlands Trade Days

Tuesday night, May 6th - met with Sylinda Menzer, about proposed Badlands Trade Days to draw people off the highway in Benjamin to shop with vendors from around the region who would set up merchandise from their own stores, produce from farmers, flowers, plants, home baked, canned goodies, etc. This would showcase entrepreneurs, particularly from Knox, Foard, Baylor and King counties, encouraging those who visited to plan trips back for shopping, eating, touring in our towns, taking what we have…the hub of Hwy 6 and Hwy 82 and Hwy 267 …as the spine of a trail we can loop off of for travelers. This will be one of the goals of our upcoming Real Rural Tourism Symposium, and a great project to report on as Badlands Trade Days first event will be during Benjamin’s big Homecoming Weekend, June 14th.

Internship

Opportunities abound for our Knox County students to learn, work, experience during the summer months. Spent the day, May 2nd, putting together information to be presented at various programs including our upcoming Youth Engagement Day on summer internships, camps, classes, and jobs. These include an internship funded by Ogallala Commons working with me in Knox County and our region this summer. Can’t wait!

One suggestion I’d really like to see the KCVC follow up on from YEDay, from Knox City High School, a “clearing house” for summer jobs, internships, shadowing with those businesses here in the County who will be looking for skilled employees in the future. Great idea!

Additional Reflections on YEDay from Remelle

The map activity was perfect. The students chose their own “clues” from 60 options of what they wanted to have in the place they decide to live their own lives. The clues included the things adults think teens are looking for, career opportunity, potential to make big bucks, great shopping, and nightlife. By an overwhelming majority this groups' number one requirement was access to the outdoors, outdoor activity, adventure, with family close by coming in 2nd, and feeling needed and serving others a close 3rd. Interestingly, their choices reflect the same trends that US News and World Report and Readers Digest both reported on this month in articles predicting how these “millennialers” are thinking. For the first time in several generations the required parameters of the majority of 18-14 year olds to define a great job, include a feeling of serving others. What a positive!

The workshop done by the entrepreneurs, Tammie Trainham, Sylinda Menzer and Jennifer Shaw was the biggest hit of the day. The students loved them, had nothing but positive feedback. Very different women, with very different backgrounds, training, skills and interests, but all in love with what they are doing and where they live and very successful at it. I’ve already had requests to take them on the road.

The student’s reaction to Darryl Birkenfeld’s workshop on Leadership and Getting Involved was the biggest surprise of the day for me. They were all over it and retained all the points he had made about not only the importance of community leadership development, why its important and why teens need to be engaged in that process, but even the fine details like keeping minutes for follow up and staying true in action to what the group said was its goals. This is an extraordinary group of individuals turned out here in Knox County! I really think Stacy’s message followed them into this workshop and got them focused where they might have thought it didn’t really apply to them, without his remarks and the map activity to hook them into the idea of seriously considering the idea that they might be here for the next 50 years.

The area we could have improved on was the career opportunities and preparation workshop. Two of our presenters were unable to attend and that also meant some of the really good materials we had secured didn’t arrive either. This is just going to happen, we were fortunate to have volunteers on hand to pick up the slack. We were able to cover a lot of good information on jobs they either didn’t realize were available in Knox County or didn’t realize were such good jobs. Saw some light bulbs go on, and most encouraging had about 15 kids who asked to be on a mailing list for career search information or internship, job shadowing opportunities. After YED I began to put together more of my own resources, activities to have on hand, so next time this will be the most dynamic workshop.

Tibb Burnett so loves this place and it came through in everything he said. I was worried that the kids were restless, wouldn’t get it, wonder why we had him speak, etc. since we had not really had time in day yet to set the framework for him. I should have given them more credit! Later in the day several of the student “reporters” mentioned his reminders of what we do have and don’t realize that it is unique. Tibb would be a great resource to address potential retirees about why they should come to Knox County, too.

Stacy Henry did a great job of setting the tone of the day, talking about his plans and preparation for a career, his experience, and his decision to come home. Was honest and humble, but also able to portray that he clearly choose home over opportunities that were more prestigious. Talked candidly about his experience since coming home the career success and payoff, the real importance for him of being near family, his daughters’ education and opportunities here. And best of all, unlike the other YED speakers I’ve had, he challenged the students to come home and go to work in the community. Again, without sounding like he was boasting Stacy was able to talk about all the community improvement work he is involved in and his belief that if you want to live here and want that life to offer what you came home for you are obligated to work for it. WOW!

Updates coming...busy, busy, busy

I remember a saying about how life was not mean to be strolled through, but used up, worn out, every precious drop of energy and enthusiasm wrung from it, missing nothing so that when you skidded across home base you were sure to wipe your brow and exclaim, Wow! What a ride! It certainly feels like that’s what we did with the Month of May. These last few weeks have been jam packed with activity, and every spare minute used to plan and prepare for more! We are engaged!

Flyer: Real Rural Tourism

Invitation to Real Rural Symposium