They learned about the real world in Idaho:
"[Classmates] went to a local museum and talked to John Amenson,
who deals with our type of situation daily. He told Kristi and Shelly that it was an excellent idea
but that he knew lots of people who tried to help historic Wallace by advertising and said they always
ran into a brick wall. Mr. Amenson agreed that receiving donations for coffee and snacks was excellent
but, it would probably not bring in enough money to fund [our] project."
Kristi Olson, Wallace High
School, Wallace, Idaho
"We all liked the idea of having a huge billboard along the highway showing
off our great town, but when we found out that one billboard sold for $20,000 we decided against it.
Instead we chose to make smaller signs on our own and put them up ourselves. ... We had to decide what
material we could use that would not weather very quickly. After talking to a few hardware stores and
building companies, we decided to make them out of wood and aluminum. É We [discovered] oil paints would
weather [best and] the posts would have to be grounded in cement, which would cost us $55.00 a yard."
Maria Hegbloom, Wallace High School, Wallace, Idaho
"I never would have thought how much a
company or business has to go through just to advertise their product. I also learned if you are going
to do something which seems as if there is no end in sight, É take the time and effort to do it right.
Even though we did not follow through with the billboard idea, we tried as hard as we could to be successful.
It was just impossible with all of the money we needed and the class would have graduated before we
could obtain all the [required] permits. We are not going to put up the sign but we did learn a lot
from our encounters, thanks to the project."
Brad Juelfs, Wallace High School, Wallace, Idaho
There was no hiding from reality:
"As you can see, it takes more than just bringing in new businesses to our
town to make things run smoothly. We must first solve the small problems that we already have, then
we must choose which businesses our community would benefit from the most and if we want to [remain]
a small, safe community, or if we would like to bring in newer, more exciting things."
Christy Summers,
Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas
"A fourth group of students contacted a private
contractor. His rates were unbelievable and he was not willing to negotiate."
Patti Reed, Meadow Bridge
High School, Meadow Bridge,West Virginia
"In my final analysis, I have come to the conclusion
that with all the rules and regulations, there are advantages and disadvantages of living in a small
rural town in the Midwest. The disadvantages: fewer people [and less] funds available for community
projects. This, in turn, carries over into keeping the facilities going once they are built. Also, many
people have to commute to other areas because there aren't enough in-town jobs. On the other hand, the
advantages include lower crime rates, more affordable housing, lower taxes and a better learning environment
for students because of smaller classes and better student-teacher ratios."
Paula Tenderholt, Barnesville
High School, Barnesville, Minnesota
"Our choice for an alternative might not have been the best,
but this process was a good indicator of how things really work."
Phill Balsley, Helena High School,
Helena, Montana
They encountered obstacles:
"Having ITV at Kinsley High School presents certain
obstacles that need to be explored. The first obstacle is obviously, money. The cost of the necessary
equipment and installation is between $25,000 to $30,000, plus an additional $12,000 to $16,000 annually
for on-line service and maintenance. One possible way to help cover costs, is through a state grant.
This could be accomplished by proving the benefits ITV would have at KHS. Another way to help cover
the cost of ITV would be to go through the community, state the problem and get donations. É A second
obstacle relates to the public's knowledge of ITV [interactive television] itself. It is possible that
a wide variety of students as well as teachers have never heard, seen, or had hands-on experience with
ITV. One solution to this problem is to present a workshop that involves the students as well as the
teachers and instructors. This workshop could run during the first week of the new school year and would
be designed to educate everyone about ITV. Another way of educating the students would be to bring
in other students from Dodge City, Ulysses, or Lewis who have had previous access to ITV. By having
students teach each other, they might learn and incorporate ITV faster."
Melissa Kuhn, Kinsley High
School, Kinsley, Kansas
"The third obstacle that ITV produces is that the school is not equipped with the right instruments for setting up ITV. One would need to have a camera, a monitor, a fax machine and other major equipment. Most of this equipment [is costly] and ... funding would come from [staff reductions.] If a bond were passed, part of that money could be used for equipment and people from the community [might make donations.]" Ginny Paddock, Kinsley HS, Kinsley, Kansas
"What É if the
benefits which we expected out of the system aren't satisfactory, or what if there are none? Sure, we
looked at the cons, but we got so wrapped-up with the pros É that the cons É were put aside. The obstacle
here, then, isn't really to overcome the benefits, it is to overcome the expectation of this system,
giving us, and all other patrons, satisfactory benefits. Since the patrons will be paying for it, the
benefits must be good."
Aracely Loranzo, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"We thought about
not changing the government programs at all, but getting the public to help themselves. In other words,
we thought about volunteerism. This seemed to be a good idea, but we ran into some problems in this
area too. Law suits are inevitable when it comes to volunteering, if things aren't controlled."
Ginny
Scott, Rock Hill High School, Ironton, Ohio
"The recreation center would have a few hurdles to
overcome. One of the hurdles is the cost of $2,150,000. This includes the cost of bills, employment,
the lot, the building, pool tables, video games, all of the other equipment, and a paved parking lot.
We realize this is quite a bit of money especially for a town the size of Harrisburg."
Mary E. Giles,
Harrisburg Union High School, Harrisburg, Oregon
"In ... checking our research and talking with the Fire Marshall of Helena, Montana we found that the police-and-fire-station combination was tried in Pullman, Washington and also Great Falls, Montana and both tries were unsuccessful. Some of the other disincentives were:
"[Re:
Combining fire and police services] The disincentives are numerous ... unions would object, this approach
... would be less efficient, the training budget would sky rocket and the morale would fall. There would
also be a loss of jobs, and there are costs associated with any reduction and force.
The citizens
of the community would resist this change because they would feel that they were getting one-half of
a service and this service involves their protection and safety. My guess is that the public at large
would not want this change."
Joe Adams, Helena High School, Helena, Montana
"We did come up
with a few possible disincentives. One would be people might be reluctant to drive the 'sloganmobiles'.
They might think they look tacky.
The signs on the vehicles might be distracting to other motorists
while driving. They would want to look at the cars while they are driving along.
The fact that the
cars are already 'written' on might attract vandalism. People might just take it as an open invitation
to write on them. They will think nobody would notice as easily.
Another point discussed was that
there would have to be more government control because the type of wording would have to be controlled.
This could be time consuming.
Our alternative could have a negative affect on some people. It could
hurt other media advertisement which could raise costs for other people. It could also hurt small businesses
because larger businesses could afford to spend more on vehicle advertisements."
Roni Graham, Helena
High School, Helena, Montana
Meredith, below, suggests that government cooperate and deregulate:
"But
if alternatives are ever to be met, if government is to be reinvented, there must be more [than] community
activism; there must also be more government cooperation. Regulations and red tape must be reduced.
The government must make it easier for people to become involved and make a difference. The dishonesty,
distrust, and dislike perpetuated by our wasteful government must be replaced by a new government based
on understanding, faith, and trust."
Meredith Chapman, Rock Hill High School, Ironton, Ohio
Students, and the citizens they polled, were frustrated by the red tape and what sometimes seemed like mindless, endless regulations:
"It seems that our attempts to make government better were met with the government
bureaucracy and red tape we set out to overcome. Alternatives to government will never be reached unless
concerned citizens, such as our class, are allowed to make a difference. The government must change
before people can ever be expected to make a change."
Shawn Burke, Rock Hill High School, Ironton,
Ohio
"There are so many regulations that it really gets frustrating. Jim Butler, the director
of state and local government regulations for Ashland Incorporated, [discussed some of these problems
with our class.] He informed us that even corporations get frustrated when dealing with regulations
and sometimes even give up. For example; OSHA, an important agency started with very good intentions
now has so many regulations that companies who would otherwise be very willing to expand and create
more jobs, won't."
Ginny Scott, Rock Hill High School, Ironton, Ohio
"In Poll 2 we discovered
there are many steps we have to take to ensure safety. We would have to have the area surveyed. Every
step we took would have to be inspected in construction of the building. The kitchen in the concession
stand would have to be inspected and É we will have to buy safe play equipment and anchor it properly.
We will have to provide adequate parking and handicap accessibility. É People may object to [such a
large] building."
Reed Langdon, Harrisburg Union High School, Harrisburg, Oregon
"When people
could give us an answer, they couldn't back it up by giving us the numbers. It was always, 'department
policy' or MCA code' but nobody could give us the numbers so that we could look up the laws ourselves."
Heather Braten, Helena High School, Helena, Montana
"The plumbers, electricians, and carpenters
would have to be licensed."
Bethany Fox, Meadow Bridge High School, Meadow Bridge, WV
"From
the city ordinances in the library, Mandy's group learned campfires were legal in town."
Jessica Lounsbery,
Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
The students from Montana were especially frustrated by regulations:
"The laws to run these services
are different. State statutes say there must be a paid fire and police department in a class #1 city
(Helena is a class #1 city). In talking to the Fire Marshall he said, 'Pullman, Washington tried and
it didn't work. Great Falls tried it in 1970 and it didn't work."
Jess Mortensen, Helena High School,
Helena, Montana
"I called the City of Helena motor pool and the man I spoke to there said you need management authorization to place advertisements on the sides of cars. I then called the Governor's information desk, [and was directed] to the highway department, then transferred to the motor pool. [There I was informed of] a regulation that doesn't allow advertisements on motor pool cars. É The law É is [part of the] federal advertising code. I called the federal highway administration and they told me to call [the] G.S.A. motor pool. The man that I talked to [simply] said 'you just can't do it.'" David Vanisko, Helena High School, Helena, Montana
"Almost everyone they encountered simply said
it was Department policy that there were to be no personal ads on the cars, but bumper stickers were
all right. This created a conflict that was obvious and curious to the students. Bumper stickers are
personal; what was the matter with personal signs?
Students were told, that according to a state
law, state vehicles could not be used for personal recommendations. The students figured that this law
could be changed if it were shown that this alternative could make a significant difference. Most of
the resistance was found when students questioned the law. None of the departments [were able to produce]
any document stating the law."
James H. Kaczmarek, Helena High School, Helena, Montana
"There
were a lot of department policies that we ran into, but we were never told what they were. When we asked,
no one gave us a direct answer. The Department of Transportation's policy said that only the state/city
seal, state/city flag, or bumper stickers could go on the cars. We ran into the code of federal advertising,
but was not told what it was. É There was resistance on the phone. É Everyone would get transferred
more than five times a call."
Denise M. Lamb, Helena High School, Helena, Montana
"In fact the
state motorpool didn't even know how many vehicles were in the state fleet; we had to find this out
from the state insurance adjuster. The little information we did find had to be pieced together from
the more than forty different people we talked to while playing telephone tag through department after
department. Pardon my saying so, but it was kind of ridiculous to be met with such a subtle wall of
resistance while trying to find some very basic information."
Justin C. Trafton, Helena High School,
Helena, Montana
The incentive to be less-of-an-economic-success did not escape the students in Harrisburg, Oregon :
"Many grants require that 51 percent of the population earn a moderate to low income.
Harrisburg has only 48 percent of its population in a moderate to low income classification. Our status
is a hindrance to receiving grants."
Deanne Heckart, Harrisburg Union High School, Harrisburg, Oregon
They learned from the experience of others:
"Reaching out to other cities who have also built rec centers
for their communities will help us [learn from] the loopholes and obstacles they faced in building their
centers. By using the same contractors, we may save a step and money in each stage of planning."
Michelle
Knutson, Harrisburg Union High School, Harrisburg, Oregon
"Some examples of funding government
this way [combining small town and county governments] comes in the form of Butte-Silver Bow and Anaconda-Deer
Lodge. These two city/county styles of government are doing just fine to this very day."
Scott Sutton,
Helena High School, Helena, Montana
They learned about inspiration and the importance of role models:
"I think we should be proud that we have people É that are willing to take an extra step to
[improve] our community with their time and resources. If [more residents] had ideas like these and
carried them out, I think our town could be one of the top communities in the state. I think this will
encourage other towns to do the same thing and follow in our footsteps to better and improve their community."
Travis Andersen, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"If Meadow Bridge succeeds
in this project, it could inspire sur-rounding communities to also join in and enhance their community.
It also would make good use of what is right now wasted land, and would get something done about the
flood problem that exists in that area of the community."
Laura Claypool, Meadow Bridge High School,
Meadow Bridge, West Virginia
"A neighboring town had volunteers build a community center two
years ago from donations and grants. It has meeting rooms, a kitchen, É and it features a basketball
court also used for volleyball, dances or bazaars. It was a very successful community effort, saving
tax money and providing advantages for the public."
Jessica Lounsbery, Centerville High , Centerville,
South Dakota
"We figured this could be done as a community project, since past projects have
been successful when the entire community helped out. One such project was the building of a new library
adjoining the school. Many donations of money, time and ideas helped the project get off its feet and
later become a success. Another project was improving the boulevard. Again, people pitched in by planting
flowers and trees, mowing the lawn frequently, and donating money to purchase new lamp posts."
Carmen
Pederson, Centerville High School, Centerville South Dakota
"Three years ago volunteers and donations
helped build a new athletic complex which included a football field and track in our city."
Shawn Manning,
Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota
"Volunteers are vital to the growth of Barnesville.
An organization called 'Main Street' is continuously working on ways to improve services. There is also
an economic development corporation which has been responsible for bringing new businesses. One community
goal is to provide services that will attract new residents. É The results have been positive. É By
doing everything that they can for their community, the residents of Barnesville are continually improving
their quality of life."
Jamie Nelson, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota
"The class
began working on the library project by looking at possible things around the country that had successfully
been built. I personally thought my church's youth building was a prime example. This building housed
a fully-equipped gym, with a kitchen and a walking track. It also provided a place for my friends and
I to stay during most times of the day. Volunteers work for a specified amount of time to keep the place
going. The cost of this building was over $1 million and was paid for with donations and soup-supper
sales."
Joseph Watts, Camden Central High School, Camden, Tennessee
"We feel that our project can become reality due to other successful, local projects ... [other] dreams became realities through hard work and determination. We feel that the same can happen to us if we work hard enough and stay determined enough. The advanced American history class then feels, 'If we fund it, they will build!'" Rob Florence, Camden Central High School, Camden, Tennessee
"Although we have had opposition
and resistance, working together can get [people] what they want. Even though this volunteer unit may
not work in our town or community, providing others with ideas may help another community."
Krista
Lambert, Rock Hill High School, Ironton, Ohio
"In doing our part to become upstanding citizens
and good neighbors we followed the example of others and at the same time became role models ourselves.
We drew attention to feasible projects while pursuing our own project alternatives."
[Edited]
Ellen
Holmberg, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
But in the course of learning, Angie, below, discovered that examples of past failures can wield a powerful influence for good, if the information is used wisely:
"[The success of the project depends on] ... the amount of participation from the people
of Salem. It is highly possible that the center could be a passing fad, like our cinema in Salem that
closed from lack of support. It could be very successful in the beginning, but draws in less and less
of a crowd as time goes on. Some people would get bored with the center, unless the committee is constantly
changing it to keep it interesting. It would be extremely difficult for one group of people to keep
enough new ideas and funds going to entertain all types of people."
Angie Lundy, Salem High School,
Salem, Missouri
In northern California we have jumping frog contests, artichoke and garlic festivals and every kind of Day you can imagine. In the excerpts that follow, students share the Days that are unique to their communities:
Peace Treaty Day
"The citizens of Medicine Lodge have shown the
capabilities of working together to improve the economy and appearance of their town. Every three years,
Medicine Lodge remembers the Peace Treaty that was signed in this area with a pageant and numerous other
activities. Almost every citizen of Medicine Lodge is involved in the Peace Treaty in some way, either
by promoting the event, organizing the activities, or taking part in the parades, pageants, and nighttime
shows. The Peace Treaty boosts not only the economy but also community spirit and involvement. In the
months prior to the event, city crews and volunteers work to improve the appearance of Medicine Lodge
and prepare for the thousands of visitors that will soon flood the town. When the weekend of Peace Treaty
finally arrives, citizens are proud to show off their town and their heritage. É Community involvement
does not stop when the Peace Treaty is over though. The Beautification Committee works year-round on
projects to improve the appearance of Medicine Lodge, such as installing planters in the downtown area
or cleaning the area around an abandoned building. Another example of citizens working together to beautify
Medicine Lodge is the efforts made annually on Make a Difference Day. Each year, groups and individuals
volunteer a Saturday afternoon in October to work on city cleanup and community service projects. Medicine
Lodge citizens have proven their ability to actively support positive changes for their town."
Jenny
Dafforn, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Potato Day
"One example of a successful community project in Barnesville is the Potato Days Festival.
This is a festival where the whole town gathers to celebrate its successful agricultural history. Everyone
dresses up and participates in many of the events. É It took the community awhile to get everything
going, but when they did, it was a success."
Michelle Quiggle, Barnesville High School, Barnesville,
Minnesota
They questioned:
"What legal problems will this present? What material do we make the
signs out of? How do we fund this project? I could clearly see this project would be more complex than
any of us thought in the beginning."
Jared Watson, Wallace High School, Wallace, Idaho
"Do volunteers need to sign a release form? When do we do the work? How do we attract volunteers? Who would purchase supplies?" Jessica Lounsbery, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"Are alternatives the answer? Yes, if they are done right. Our class is exploring ways to save money and stretch the resources of our local governments. Many alternatives have been discussed within our class and community. All the ideas are good but will they work for us?" Shannon Harrah, Meadow Bridge High School, Meadow Bridge, West Virginia
"In recent polls conducted around our community and the surrounding communities, my senior English class discovered that ... the people in our cities felt that police protection and emergency services were the most important public services we have. Our city officials also felt that police protection and emergency services were vital to the well being of the public. We all may agree with this, in fact, but the question remains, how will we compensate for increased service without [more] funds?" Ginny Scott, Rock Hill High School, Ironton, Ohio
They analyzed:
"While formulating
our class proposal, many problems were revealed that we did not consider initially."
Heather Poland,
Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas
"We did find out that you could put a bumper
sticker on your state car if you were driving it. Isn't a bumper sticker a form of advertising? I see
a contradiction."
Justin C. Trafton, Helena High School, Helena, Montana
"The positive aspects
... outweigh the disincentives by a long shot. For a short period, of course, things would be more costly
and confusing. In the end, however, the one department would run cheaper and more efficiently than
the two previously separate departments. Once laid-off workers quit collecting unemployment, ten to
twenty fewer salaries could save tax payers $200,000 to $600,000 a year. Buying new cars would at first
cost more, but in the end there would be fewer cars needed for less officers when they have to be replaced.
A new facility would have to be built in order to house both departments; however, both of the old departments
could be sold to private individuals or organizations for business or other purposes. A single facility
would also take less money to maintain. [I therefore conclude combining] Helena police and fire departments
is a feasible way to save Helena taxpayers money while still providing them with safe, quality service."
Bill
Cox, Helena High School, Helena, Montana
"A new business such as a bowling alley, a skating rink,
or a movie theater could possibly be a good business venture in this town. There is no other form of
entertainment in Medicine Lodge. The closest town with something to do is at least 30 miles in any direction.
There are some problems with attracting new businesses: there is not enough of a tax base, a housing
[shortage] could raise [our] crime rate, and school facilities [are inadequate]. [New business] could
also cause a tax increase. Medicine Lodge is a largely rural community. A business dealing with agriculture
would be an option for someone wanting to start a living here. New businesses such as a recycling factory
that would bring need for workers and other communities to our town would also be a good business to
start. É Providing job training in conjunction with Pratt Community College would help solve problems
with unskilled laborers."
Keri Cline, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas
They became familiar with new terminology:
"Going from government-owned to private is called privatization.
This means letting a business such as BFI takeover when our garbage men retire."
Eric Adams, Rock Hill
High School, Ironton, Ohio
And new technology:
"Interactive Television, É is the transfer of
an almost instant audio and visual message sent to and from a location by light waves through a telephone
cable. This form of communication is mostly used in schools as a new form of education. Students are
to master their daily lessons from an instructor on the monitor, while being [proctored] by a class
instructor, and sharing this experience with others from another town."
Ginny Paddock, Kinsley High
School, Kinsley, Kansas
They discovered incentives and disincentives:
"However, along with incentives
there are disincentives. These include the time people have to take to deliver the recyclable items
to the recycling bins. In both the neighborhood watch program and the recycling program, the community
will have to find volunteers to donate their time to collect the recyclable items and to patrol the
neighborhood. In the case of the neighborhood watch, it can be a nuisance to people if they are having
a visitor and their neighbors are calling them and warning them of a stranger being at their house when
it's only a visitor. These are only small problems and they won't cause much harm."
Amy Ertel, Ramsey
High School, Ramsey, Illinois
"A time incentive would be that some of the workers from the community
would work faster so that they could use the recreational site. Another incentive would be that the
value of the real estate in Meadow Bridge would increase with the building of the park. A disincentive
would be that if the value of the land increased, the area property taxes to be paid would increase
also."
Bethany Fox, Meadow Bridge High School, Meadow Bridge, West Virginia
"There were eleven
incentives. The first major incentive was, of course, the construction of a new library; the second
was the creation of more jobs, such as librarians, library aides, janitors, architects, construction
workers, landscapers and pavers to construct a new parking lot; third, increased parking; fourth, increased
room for books; fifth, room for a new genealogical society; sixth, a better working environment; seventh,
more area for people to work and study; eighth, preservation of the foundation of the original junior
high school; ninth, less congestion; tenth, more meeting rooms; and the eleventh and final incentive
was that the new library would be a showplace for the community in which the community should, and would
be extremely proud."
Scotty Harris, Camden Central High School, Camden, Tennessee
"What may seem
a good idea on the surface, however, may have some disincentives. The town would have to contribute
money and time; two valuable commodities in a struggling economy. Many businesses are trying so hard
to keep their own heads above water, that they have little energy to spend on others: a sad comment
on society, but, nevertheless, the truth. Another problem could be that the town will get its hopes
up and nothing will come of it."
Delana Boatright, Harrisburg High School, Harrisburg, Illinois
"The
disincentives of this project, as with many others, would be just getting it off the ground, getting
it started and getting people involved."
Pat Lee, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"Incentives
for people who donated things could be a personal award and their name on a bronze plaque on the wall.
Also they could receive free pool privileges for a specified amount of time. É The Meadow Bridge natatorium
and baseball park could be named after the late Kevin Hunt. He was a beloved member of our school before
being killed in a tragic car accident. This park is the kind of thing Kevin would have wanted for the
community. It would be very helpful to young and old alike. It would keep the young people É off the
streets and out of trouble. It would also give some of the retired people of the community the recreation
they deserve. They have been active members of our community for many years and its time to give them
something back."
Kevin Harper, Meadow Bridge High School, Meadow Bridge, West Virginia
And the need to make tough choices:
"We have concluded from our research that we need to increase [our] tax
base before we will be able to offer enough tax incentives to attract a new business. However, to do
this we must be able to raise enough money. É There are only two ways of doing this: to cut programs
or to raise taxes. Although neither idea is very attractive, we must go through some discomfort before
we will be able to enjoy a prosperous town."
Angela Ricke, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge,
Kansas
"In conclusion, the wishes of the public do not correspond with a logical solution to
the public school funding problem, nor do they adequately address the problem of violence in schools.
There is no way to cut the budget in the proportions the district requires and to stop the violence
in schools. Austin Independent School District is either going to have to pick funding or safety, or
find a way to increase the funding available so spending cuts are not a necessity."
Alison Faden, David
Crockett High School, Austin, Texas