Cando, ND

Does success happen over night? Some say it does, but it took them twenty years to say it. Is success simply a matter of luck, not sure, but any failure. What is the key to success? What we make it! Tracy

Maybe I should have said, I got a shot but I wanted your attention.  Several times I have been told that I should get a tetenus shot as I garden and work in the soil and do other ‘dangerous’ things.   Cando has a public health office and nurse in the Memorial Building and so it is so convenient to just stop in and get ’shots’.  This is a real money saver as if you go to the clinic, well, you know what the fees, etc are there.  This is where families can take children for the required ’shots’ and the costs are reasonable.    NO, it didn’t hurt and no I didn’t have any discomfort the next day.   I am grateful that Cando has this service available for everyone.   

Thursday was a big day at the Cando Community Library: the count was 82, and 35 of these were children signing up for the Summer Reading Program: “Catch the Reading Bug”.  Some of the new books with Bugs as the subject, and others with popular authors, will be paid for with City Sales Tax reserved for the Youth of Cando.  There are also 65 new books from the Libri Foundation in Oregon.  This is a grant we can apply for every 3 years.  We sent $350 from the Friends of the Library (a fund-raiser in December called Season’s Readings), and the Libri Foundation let us choose books from their list.  The bill would have been $1060 if we purchased them in a store; a GREAT deal!!

The Kick-Off party for the summer program was: riddles by the Librarian, an interaction story about Anasi with Connie Elsperger reading very expressively to the group, and a fun Mad-Lib story with which Becky Kingsley entertained the group.   Then snacks and bug juice! and the kids went home ready to read books they chose, new and old.   The total number of books checked out this one day (by adults as well as children) was almost 150!

Have you caught the Reading Bug yet?  It’s contagious!! and “a Picnic” as the sign on the front window of the Library says.

I have recently been trying to clean up the trailer court. Not that it is dirty but the trees and shrubs are getting overgrown and it will take a little bit to get everything in order again.  It is possible that we will try to have some spots in the trailer court available for travel trailers. With a few changes with electrical posts and sewer links maybe we can host more traveling people in our community.  Time will tell when or if this happens but I will keep working toward the beautification of the property.  And a big thanks to the people who reside in the trailer court for doing a fantastic job on their lots - they look great.

I have been working for the soil conservation tree planting crew this past month, guess it is the 4th year that I have done this.  Now, with the Horizon’s training-learning etc, I am more aware of seeing just what people are doing, in all the little ways in dealing with the ‘poverties’ in their lives.  I am meeting new people in the area, ones who have moved here to live on acreages, old farmsites, places that they have found on the internet and now they are planting trees, fruit trees, etc (that is how I am meeting them,,, selling the trees) but I would guess they are planting gardens etc. also.  And they are coming here because th ey can do their work on computers and they can enjoy the peace and quiet life that we have to offer here.  They have such a positive and good outlook on life here, course I have no idea where they came from, maybe they say what state they came from but just what made them take that big step of adventure to move to North Dakota and to a quieter time.

I know they are interesting p eople, 2 are artists, they can do their work on computers, designing art, from anywhere and here they are in Cando. One is a biologist, now that is interesting.   Maybe if we listen, we would realize that everyone is interesting!!! Anyways, it is fun to learn that we have people moving into our community..We are trying to make it inviting for new comers

Spring is trying to be here, there will not be any tulips for May day in my yard but the spring birds are coming, new ones each day.  And I got my first compost container put together and now will start the composting.  Tonight was the first of the Farmer’s Market meetings and so we are thinking bout gardening again and the work of growing organic products to sell in the local park come July.  Actually I think things will be ready before then as I have some things planted already.  Just another way to support the local community with fresh and organic garden products.  Is it a money maker for me,,, no,,, so why do I work so hard for those few dollars??? Because I enjoy gardening!!! 

So, here’s waiting for those first peas, lettuce and spinach and swiss chard….and I want to see if I can have the first ripe tomatoes this year…. something that I have never done before, seems mine are always a week or two behind the neighbors. I’ll see if I can get the cherry tomatoes ripe first!!!

Have you read today’s Towner County Record Herald yet?  POVERTY, not only on a financial level, but could be on an educational/ recreational/communication level also, if we don’t get a “YES” vote on the increased mill levy for the Library on June 10.

Think of all the effort to get the Community Library started in ‘98-’99, the work to keep updated in what people are asking for in reading material, the money and labor that’s been contributed from near and far.  Are we going to let it all go for nothing??  Taxes will be more, yes, but even for the most expensive real estate, it would likely not be more than it costs to buy 2 good hardcover books…or what it costs to take the family out for one full meal.  We see the word “taxes” and cringe, but need to make some fair comparisons to the way we spend our money.

Is the Library used?  YES.  There are over 700 people signed up to check out books, and then there are the people who come to use the computers, FREE of charge, because they don’t have a computer or are just passing through town.  25% of the patrons are school age or younger; at least 20% (and probably more) are senior citizens.  Going on a trip, or traveling a ways to work?  Many check out the audios to listen to, and time seems to pass so much more quickly.  In the 9 years we’ve been open, we have averaged 522 visitors a week, checking out over 850 items.  No poverty on the amount of books! There are over 27,000 books available on MANY subjects, and if the book you want isn’t there, put it on the Wish List. 

Are we going to lose this privilege??  PLEASE VOTE “YES” to Measure #1 in the Primary Election on June 10!!  A Library Board member is quoted as saying: “It’s an opportunity for voters to make a statement that Cando will not dry up and die.”

At the promotion meeting in early April several ideas were brought up about how Horizons could help make the Armory a more functional meeting place for the people of Towner County. The new lighting and new chairs that have been added by Towner County are a great start. They are also looking into putting in buffer material on the ceiling to help with sound. The promotion committee talked about fixing the stage and also seeing if one of the pianos could be tuned. Cando area birding was also discussed.

Several from Cando (also Rock Lake, Rolette and other towns in Horizons) attended the session: Grantwriting, Getting the Results You Want in Devils Lake on April 23.  The presenter, Dr. Lynette Krenelka from the UND was a lively lady who took us through all the steps of Grantwriting, a very involved process.  Of the four phases: Planning, Seeking Funding Source, Development and Follow-up, 80% of the time spent in writing a grant is in the first two phases.

Besides Dr. Krenelka’s lecture and answering questions, we spent time in the computer lab at LR College, looking into grants available, according to our various interests and concerns.  One of the sites is www.grants.gov

We were served a lovely noon meal at the College Cafeteria, free of charge.  Great!  and snacks throughout the day.

If you want more info about this seminar, come to the Cando Community Library and I will share more of what we learned.

Yes, it’s the library lady, again!  First of all, the response to the fund-raiser: becoming a Friend of the Library, has been WONDERFUL! And if you haven’t had a part in this, it’s not too late!!  Some have asked why we don’t charge the patrons IN Cando to use the Library. If we did this, we would lose state aid.  It’s just one of the laws/rules that if we are receiving any mill levy from the City, we can’t charge. The “way around this” or to give financial help is to donate to the Friends of the Library, according to what you are able to do.

The 4 mill levy from City taxes covers some of the expenses to keep the Library operating.  When the City wasn’t able to include us in the 2008 budget to pay salaries, we entered into the Poverty area!  The Library Board has met several times, talked to the State, to lawyers, to the City Council, and it seems that the only way to keep the Library open will be to add more mill levy (and probably raise out-of-town membership fees).  This is to be on the ballot in June.

Are you interested/concerned??  There is to be a a Public Meeting at the Cando Community Library May 6 at 7:30 P. M.  We sincerely hope that many will come to learn more about the proposed mill levy increase and library funding.  See you there….. we need the library and we need YOU.