"Stevens County was established on February 20, 1862. It is named after statesman Isaac Ingalls Stevens, who had this county named for him seven years after a legislative clerical error denied him that honor in 1855 for Stearns County.
A Board of five elected County Commissioners, represents the citizens of the county as its governing body. This central governing authority is responsible for the plans and functions of all Stevens County Departments. The 2000 population of Stevens County was 10,053.
Other entities located within the Courthouse are the courtrooms, judges chambers and administrative staff of the Stevens County District Court. While housed here, it is a unit funded completely by the State of Minnesota and is part of the 8th Judicial District Court. "-from Stevens County Official Site
�Destiny Drivers� designed to get county moving on fulfilling future
Morris Sun Tribune
Published Wednesday, October 15, 2008
"..After 10 months of planning, Stevens FORWARD! stewards released a list of 14 projects that they believe will make the county a better place to live and do business in the future..."
Stevens Forward poised to lead area into future
Morris Sun Tribune
Published Wednesday, February 06, 2008 By Tom Larson
"Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said during a stop in Minnesota over the weekend that politics are about people sharing goals and getting things done.
Those involved in the fledgling Stevens County Stewardship Initiative want to
achieve those same ends. And while politicians seem to lose that communal spirit once off the campaign trail, the stewardship group wants to create a lasting legacy of common ambitions and sustained hard work throughout the county.
�These can be some life-changing kinds of things if we can do it,� said stewardship committee chairman Paul Watzke.
The Stevens County Stewardship Initiative was born last summer, with the goal of calling on the county�s five cities and 16 townships to come together to achieve shared aspirations, thus controlling the destiny of the county.
This fall a county steering committee recruited 20 county leaders, or �stewards,� to move the initiative forward by getting communities to envision countywide goals and undertake efforts to realize them.
On Tuesday, the group gave the initiative a name � �Stevens Forward -- Vision of a Shared Destiny for Stevens County� � and by April it intends to have a list of goals.
Stevens Forward stewards have been lending an ear to county residents and will use those ideas to formulate �destiny drivers,� the actions that will bring the visions to fruition.
Stevens Forward was launched earlier this year by Stevens County commissioners Watzke and Neal Hofland. It�s modeled after a successful stewardship program in Bemidji called �Bemidji Leads,� a four-year-old community improvement program.
Like the Bemidji program, the Stevens County initiative will require thinking hard about where this region wants to be in 15 or 20 years and how to get there. The initial phases of Stevens Forward are expected to take two years on a budget of about $100,000. The money has been raised through contributions from the Stevens County board, cities, lending institutions and individual contributions, Watzke said.
The group has hired David Hengel of the Center for Community Stewardship in Bemidji to guide planning. Hengel was the force behind Bemidji Leads.
The Bemidji Leads initiatives are broad, ranging from getting a multi-million dollar regional events center built to planting trees.
Mary Eaton, a facilitator for the Center for Community Stewardship, said Monday that she likens the effort to John Kennedy�s proclamation that the U.S. would put a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s: Set a far-reaching goal and then figuring out ways to make it happen.
�It�s planning from the future,� she said.
The Stevens Forward goals are intended to engage more people into fulfilling their civic responsibility, then becoming energized by successes and positive changes in all communities in the county, Eaton said.
�We�re going to start tapping into the dreams and values of people,� she said.
Obstacles are expected. Rural communities typically have strong identities and some people harbor mistrust of the larger communities around them. There�s also can be a lack of civic esteem because rural areas are losing population and opportunities.
�Dave (Hengel) says, �How do you live large,� � Eaton said. �We heard, �We�re just Bemidji. We can�t do these things.� This is about challenging ourselves and looking more at what are our visions.�
The events center in Bemidji has been before voters eight times since 1992, and it has failed to pass every time, Eaton said. Stewards were not dissuaded, and bonding for the center will be under consideration by the Minnesota Legislature when it convenes next week.
Members of Stevens Forward met with stewards active in �Bemidji Leads� and found them �very candid and very committed,� Watzke said, and their efforts were contagious. Over time, other people were inspired to began working on initiatives that weren�t tied into �Bemidji Leads,� and they�d approach stewards for advice and affirmation.
�You could sense a change in culture,� Watzke said. �This is a change in culture and we hope we can have the same kind of success here.�
Other communities are involved in stewardship initiatives, but Stevens Forward�s efforts are the first that represent a county-wide base. Other communities such as Red Wing, Marshall, Alexandria and Appleton are considering similar initiatives.
�There are others that are watching what happens in Stevens County,� Watzke said. �For our benefit, we want to succeed in a big way. For their benefit, we want to succeed in a big way.�
The Stevens Forward stewards are: Watzke, McCannon, Warrenn Anderson, Brad Fehr, Greg Fynboh, Mark Gibson, Marcia Greiner, Darick Huebner, Jacquie Johnson, Jean Lesmeister, Hannah Newhouse, Sal Monteagudo, Marissa Ritter, Marilynn Stallman, Ray Suess, Glen Tomoson, Jim Thoreen, Jenny Wermerskirchen, Wayne Westerman and Ben Winchester.
For more information about the Stevens Forward initiative, contact any of the stewards or coordinator Roger McCannon at (320) 589-1692 or (320) 287-0882 or e-mail him at [email protected]."
-CAMPUS
Stevens Forward!
There's a revitalization afoot in Stevens County
Christina Osthus
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Features (The Counter Weight)
"Every organization or institution strives for a sense of identity, as many individuals within the University have been discussing this year. However, there is another entity currently seeking to define itself. This entity is Stevens County, wherein our campus is situated. Like many other sparsely populated regions in the country, our region has admittedly seen better days than the present. Many citizens are of the mindset that the community is a dying one, and that the best course of action is to get to the big cities while the getting is good.
Stevens Forward!
A group of twenty-one citizens who depart from this fatalistic view form the committee of the newly named "Stevens Forward!" initiative, which was previously called the Stevens County Stewardship Initiative. Members of this committee come from the towns of Alberta, Chokio, Donnelly, Hancock, and Morris, but when they meet together, they aim to show that they are all from Stevens County. Coordinator Roger McCannon invited all the media outlets in the county to a reception on February 4th to learn more about the effort. The event was hosted by Chair Paul Watzke, Mr. McCannon, and Mary Eaton from the Center for Community Stewardship. I was excited to be invited, as I had already learned a bit about the project from Hancock School Board meetings.
Compete or Retreat
This effort began as a result of Paul Watzke's visit to the Minnesota Rural Counties Caucus, where leaders from outstate areas come together to discuss their work and their challenges. At this particular conference, Mr. Watzke learned about a program called "Bemidji Leads." This program was dedicated to a revitalization of the Bemidji area through a collective push toward specific goals called "Destiny Drivers." Mr. Watzke was impressed with the program, but he was even more motivated to do something when he attended the Stevens County Economic Improvement Commission and realized that the picture the commission was presenting was not a positive one. He saw that on a broad scale it was time to "compete or retreat" as a community. He knew that Roger McCannon would be interested in taking a step for the good of the community as well, so they formed a committee discuss a revitalization program similar to Bemidji's.
Continued...
Throughout the last year, a committee has been coming up with ideas, putting together a budget plan, going to possible partners and donors, and "creating the buzz" in the county about opportunities to participate. The first opportunity to participate was to join the committee of "stewards," whom their prototype pamphlet defines as "leaders who take an integrated approach and build coalitions for action, [who recognize] the interdependencies between the economy, the environment and social equity� [they] operate at the center of tough issues, not on the edges� They are people of vision." Over one hundred people from the five towns in the county expressed interest in being members of the committee, and from that list the leaders selected twenty-one individuals, including high school students, businesspeople, and members of various community entities. The University is currently represented by Chancellor Jacquie Johnson and student Jenny Wermerskirchen.
Mary Eaton stressed the point that the committee of Stevens Forward! does not take the image consultant approach that involves a firm telling a community how to change their image. Instead, this initiative must be a collective effort on the part of citizens to show what their county means to them. The Stewards have had four meetings so far, first in November for training, and once each month since then. This organization currently has a budget of $100,000, thanks to donations from banks, businesses, and some individuals, which is meant to sustain the project for the next two years.
The next task for the stewards is to determine what Destiny Drivers will bring the Stevens County community together and attract business and families to the area in the future. Examples of possible Destiny Drivers not specific to Stevens County would include the building of a community center, a push to improve students' grades in the public schools, the creation of a new county website, or a target number of new business to welcome to the area every five years. Stay posted for word of various initiatives in the near future. The stewards hope to have objectives laid out in April, two months away. The presenters were very enthusiastic, but they were also realistic when they said that every project of this kind has a beginning, a middle, a middle, and a middle.
Here's the application
Though I want you all to know about the facts that I've given you about the project, I also want you to think about what such a community organization could mean to you. First of all, the presenters stressed the fact that residents of Morris need to make an extra effort to do their part, since Morris is the biggest of the five towns and has the most businesses. Groups from Morris constantly are inundating the smaller towns advertising for business or events, but what can we actually do for our neighboring communities? Secondly, as college students and professors, our role is even more crucial and confusing. What is a college student's role in the community where he has chosen to go to school? Some college students have asked themselves this question, but many more probably have never thought about it.
Material benefits
The normal outlook of many college students seems to operate on the principle that college is practice for real life, so it's not worth getting involved in the community while one is in school. But you do live here at present, and any improvement in the quality of life for inhabitants of Stevens County would be an asset to you personally. For example, no matter how fun it is to drive to Alec occasionally, I'm sure no one would complain if our immediate neighborhood could attract a few more business and restaurants. The University and Stevens County are very closely tied together, though we can forget how much we depend on the surrounding area.
Learning and growth
Besides merely material benefits, being involved in the community can also contribute to improving your experience while you are here in Morris. Some of you are extremely involved, which is the source of our tagline: "A community of involvement." You may be part of MPIRG, LCM, broomball, The University Register, and your residence hall's community council. However, these things are different from Stevens Forward! In your campus groups you will gain experience working with people, organizing events, managing your time, and so many other things, but you won't necessarily gain the respect and humility or make the long-term difference that you would by taking time to get to know our "neighbors on the prairie."
It seems to me that we often forget all that we have in common with the "townies" of Morris, Chokio, Alberta, Hancock, and Donnelly. College students at UMM so easily fall prey to snobbery toward the "uneducated" yokels, but we need to remember all that we love about Morris and Stevens County. I was an Orientation Group Leader last fall, and a great exercise we did during training was to share one thing we hated and two things we loved about Morris. Most of us had a much easier time thinking of things we loved, and if you feel the same way, share those things. I expect most of the things you love will involve the people. Take the opportunity to learn a bit about your neighbors by getting more information about Stevens Forward! and contributing to the ongoing dialogue about the identity of Stevens County.
From Jenny Wermerskirchen, a Stevens County Steward
"[Since I] work at the Center for Small Towns, I sat in on meetings of the Stewardship Planning Group this summer, taking minutes and [helping out]. When the time came to choose Stewards, the necessity of having students on the board was discussed, both from the high school and from the university. I was chosen to be the representative from UMM as I[...] already knew what was going on.
I [quickly realized how well] it would fit within my duties as MCSA Vice President of Finance and Operations. As Vice President one of my committees focuses on campus relations, both with other groups on campus and with the community around us. The stewardship project seemed to deal directly with cooperation and collaboration, and with getting involved and making a difference not only for today, but the future of the community (with all of Stevens County as the community).
I am graduating in May of this year, and the stewards are looking for a new student representative from UMM. If you are interested, particularly if you are a freshman or a sophomore, we are looking for someone to get involved who truly cares about the future of this community. A position on the board of Stewards is available immediately, since it is important to get someone in there to learn the ropes before I graduate in May. "
Contact Roger McCannon at (320)-287-0882 for more information or to express interest in becoming a Stevens County Steward. The Stewards are also looking for information from students regarding what they will be looking for in a community after graduation and why they might consider staying in Stevens County after graduation. Call Roger McCannon or e-mail The CW at [email protected] to take part in this discussion. Stay tuned for more updates!
Steering group seeking leaders for county-wide Stewardship Initiative
Morris Sun Tribune
Published Saturday, October 06, 2007
"
The Stevens County Stewardship Initiative is calling for the county’s five cities and 16 townships to come together to achieve their shared aspirations.
The Stewardship Initiative was launched earlier this year by Stevens County commissioners Paul Watzke and Neal Hofland. It’s modeled after a successful stewardship program in Bemidji.
Now, a local steering group led by Watzke is recruiting 15 to 20 Stevens County leaders, or “stewards,” to move the initiative forward. Stewards will be asked to envision countywide goals and spearhead broad-based community action to make them happen.
A steering group of local leaders is organizing a new county-wide improvement effort, called the Stevens County Stewardship Initiative. The Stewardship Initiative is now recruiting leaders, or stewards, from the county’s five cities and 16 townships. Members of the steering group include: (Front, from left): Jim Thoreen, Carolyn Peterson, Jenny Wermerskirchen, Neal Hofland. (Back, from left): Roger McCannon, Tom McRoberts, Nora Jost, Michael Haynes, David Fluegel, Paul Watzke, Ray Suess. Steering group members not pictured: Brad Fehr and Blaine Hill.
A steering group of local leaders is organizing a new county-wide improvement effort, called the Stevens County Stewardship Initiative. The Stewardship Initiative is now recruiting leaders, or stewards, from the county’s five cities and 16 townships. Members of the steering group include: (Front, from left): Jim Thoreen, Carolyn Peterson, Jenny Wermerskirchen, Neal Hofland. (Back, from left): Roger McCannon, Tom McRoberts, Nora Jost, Michael Haynes, David Fluegel, Paul Watzke, Ray Suess. Steering group members not pictured: Brad Fehr and Blaine Hill.
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Organizers hope this new initiative will be just as far-reaching. It’s inspired by Bemidji Leads!, a four-year-old community improvement program.
Like the Bemidji program, the Stevens County Initiative will think hard about where this region wants to be in 15 or 20 years and how to get there. Start-up is expected to take two years and cost about $100,000, Watzke says. The steering committee is now raising money and has hired David Hengel of the Center for Community Stewardship in Bemidji to guide planning.
Local communities are not being asked to set aside their individual identities or loyalties, says Morris Area Chamber of Commerce Director Carolyn Peterson of rural Hancock. Still, she says, “We need to look beyond the borders of our towns. This is about the future of our county and how we can work together so we all thrive.”
The time is right for the Stewardship Initiative, says steering committee co-chair Tom McRoberts, a UMM administrator — and not only because of worrisome demographic forecasts. “This is also a positive moment.” Today, he says, there’s an opportunity to build on recent gains, such as the county’s robust ethanol, agriculture and manufacturing sectors; budding renewable energy ventures; and expanding health care services.
In the end, the Stevens County Stewardship Initiative is about building a vibrant region for coming generations. “We want to retain our young people,” said Brad Fehr, of Riverview Farms. “And as parents, we want opportunities for our kids.”
Adds Ray Suess, of Morris Lumber and Millwork: “I’m in this for the future of our county. It’s not for me, it’s for my grandkids.”
For more information about the Stevens County Stewardship Initiative, or to nominate a steward, talk to a member of the steering group, or contact Roger McCannon at (320) 589-1692 or (320) 287-0882 or e-mail him at [email protected]
This morning (Tuesday, December 18th of 2007), the small group (Action Team #2) I'm a part of, met at the Best Northland Inn (a.k.a. Prairie Inn) on the "community's" history, demographic, and economic trends.
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