Sisseton, SD

Paint South Dakota is a community service program provided by the South Dakota Housing Development Authority. Each year community groups are encouraged to apply for the grant project. SDHDA provides primer and paint and a local community group provides the volunteer labor to paint the house. People can self nominate or can be chosen by a local group to participate. The requirements are:

1. The Nominee must own and currently live in the home to be painted. It cannot be a business, rental house, contain rental units or property used for other purposes besides a primary residence.

2. The Nominee must need their home repainted and would otherwise not be able to paint the house on their own due to financial or physical difficulty.

A group from Grace Lutheran Church will be painting a house in Sisseton this year. For more information or to get involved, contact Jeff Gregg.

Plans are being made for a 6 week community clean up effort in Sisseton. Each week will focus in on a different community action to help clean up the community and get people thinking about being involved and building community pride. The tentative projects include:

Week 1: Kick-Off

1. Brooms for Businesses to promote a clean sweep.

2. Brooms, Rakes and Recycle Bins available at A&C Variety at a discounted price to promote clean up and shopping downtown.

3. Coordinate with parks board, older youth and adults to clear walking trail area.

4. Begin recycling efforts

5. Possibly hold kick-off event 

Week 2: Community Clean Up

1. Set up collection sites for electronic recycling

2. Set up area for Sisseton Swap - were people bring items (not clothing) that they no longer need/want. Later in the campaign it will be open for people to take what they need/want.

3. Coordinate with various youth groups/organizations and volunteers to pick up trash on streets, parks & hwy 10. We will need garbage bags and gloves. Volunteers would be given a beverage and certificate to use at local business for a treat. 

Week 3: Fresh Air - promote positive attitudes

1. Radio ad campaign re: community pride, keep it clean, etc.

2. Promote walking, use of city parks, outdoor activities

3. Promote Free Family Fun Events - multi-cultural 

Week 4: Community Swap

1. Open swap area for people to bring/take

2. Radio ads to promote recycling, reuse, reduce, repurpose

3. Add recycling bins and garbage cans around town 

Week 5: Community Graffiti Combat Plan

1. Research possibility of treating brick buildings in downtown and area churches with chemical pre-wash to prevent graffiti

2. Purchase and Promote paint/supplies available at City Hall for local businesses to use when tagged.

3. Work with Police Department to create youth task force on gang and graffiti awareness 

Week 6: City Wide Rummage Sales

1. Support project that is coordinated by Chamber

2. Promote programs/organizations that will take good used items that do not sell (instead of taking to the dump)

3. Host Celebration Event to evaluate (and celebrate) what we have accomplished and plan for future

To get involved contact Jennie or Sandi at 698-7642.

We asked the Horizons participants to give us their feedback about how their community is changing in the areas of Poverty Reduction, Increasing Leadership and Community Change. The next few posts are the responses to questions about each of those topics…

In what new or expanded ways are people contributing to your community?

    I have seen many new people get involved over the last few months attending community improvement meetings that I haven’t seen in the past. It was always the same people attending all of the meetings so it is nice to see new faces with an outgoing attitude and new ideas offering some help and input.

What structures have been created or changed that will help your community?

    The addition of the Pamida store on E. Hwy 10 and the Dollar Store have been a nice additions to Sisseton. Hopefully with more retail stores, our community members will think twice before leaving town to shop and can do more of their shopping locally. The Middle School is officially closed and the new Middle School addition at the High School has been a good move I feel. The school has been very aggressive and continues to plan for the future with more additions. The remodel of the old church building on W. Hwy 10 into a restaurant has eliminated an eye sore for our Hwy 10 travelers and we look forward to them opening for business. The owners of the trailer part on E. Hwy 10 are emptying these lots by June 2008 which will be a great thing. This has turned into another eye sore for highway travelers and will be a great improvement once it is complete.

Written by Katy