|
August 20, 2021
Afghanistan Veterans
Rural Economic Development
Butter Carving at the Fair
12th Senate District Calendar
-------
|
Afghanistan Veterans
This week, Americans watched in awe and horror as Kabul, Afghanistan fell to Taliban forces. We saw innocent civilians rushing for U.S. Military planes in hopes of fleeing the country, and ultimately the terrible conditions that will inevitably follow.
Please remember it is so vitally important to check in with your service friends and neighbors who sacrificed so much over there. Their service is beyond repayable and it's imperative that they have our support during this tenuous time.
If anyone is looking for local veteran resources, please reach out to your federal representatives or visit the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs website.
In Addition: I've had multiple constituents reach out about refugees going to Fort McCoy. Because Fort McCoy is a federal army installation, the state has no say in that decision.
-------
|
Rural Economic Development
Wendy Gelhoff, Director of Florence County Economic Development, recently had an article on rural economic development published in the Wisconsin Counties Association's August Edition.
"Rural Economic Development Organizations (EDO’s) often face different challenges and obstacles than their urban peers. However, there are strategies to employ and benefits to leverage that are unique to rural areas. The key to the success of economic development in rural areas lies in 3 main strategies: 1) identify the most impactful issues to improve; 2) partner with other organizations, individuals, and leverage specific grants to help improvement efforts; and 3) persistently move forward until the goal is accomplished or the underlying issues substantially change requiring reevaluation. Serving as the Florence County Economic Development Director for 16 years, our organization continues to return to these 3 key strategies.
One of the biggest struggles rural economic development efforts face are insufficient funding, which results in small staffing resources. Florence County has only 4,500 residents, and its EDO budget reflects that. Rural EDO’s are usually “one-person offices” making it difficult to cover the broad array of tasks tackled in larger communities. The importance of trying to do everything to gain success is clear, but it is not physically or financially possible in a one-person office. That is why it is imperative for rural EDO’s to first identify the most impactful issues to improve."
You can read her entire article on Page 27 of the Wisconsin Counties Association's August Edition.
-------
Butter Carving at the Fair
Last Friday, I was invited to participate in the butter carving event at the Lincoln County Fair. Even though my dog house didn't win, I had a great time talking with constituents and listening to their issues.
-------
12th Senate District Calendar
August 20-22: 36th Annual National Championship Musky Open (Eagle River)
August 26-29: Marinette County Fair (Wausaukee)
August 27-29: Florence County Fair (Florence)
August 28: Eagle River Car & Truck Show (Eagle River)
August 28: Presque Isle Lions Club Logger's Breakfast (Presque Isle)
September 2-5: World Championship Off-Road Races (Crandon)
September 3: Eagle River Ice Arena Gun Show (Eagle River)
September 4: Breakfast with Crooked Lake Fire Department (Crivitz)
September 4: Riverview Fire Department Corn Roast (Mountain)
September 5: Sausage Fest (Eagle River)
September 9-12: Forest County Fair (Crandon)
September 17-19: Fall Ride Weekend (Tomahawk)
September 18: Colorama (St. Germain)
September 18: Oktoberfest (Three Lakes)
-------
|
|
|