The group (Ben, Angie, and I) I'm part of is analyzing Morris Area's Transportation & Accessibility, Communication Services, and Health Care Access. We each assigned one another a specific task in some of the 3 main categories and research the adequacy/quality of them:
_X_An Airport:
RESULTS:
HANCOCK
-I had the opportunity to chat with Phillis, the City of Hancock Librarian located at the Hancock Community Building, which it took me awhile to find it (drove around the whole community expecting to find a building with a "Library" sign)!
1a. She feels that these are working well
-Communication: newspaper, library (4 computers with internet access-similar to Morris!), and radio.
-Transportation: rainbow rider service to surrounding counties
-Health: dentist and doctors that visit 4x week from Benson
1b. none-satisfied
2a. Communication and health are important to her
2b. Transportation are key during winter time
3a. Would like to see a continuation of everything and don't want to lose what is already provided (services wise).
Conclusion Summary:
Our city has "excellent" transportation services for the physically challenged segment of our community, which all transporation vehicles are handicapped accessible. However, we need to come up with some type of service to better "network" one another on helping find rides (e.g. carpooling) to people going in/out of town (e.g. Twin Cities airport).
Below is one of 3 questions I took to further research on related to this particular site topic:
Does our community have adequate access to high-speed internet services (such as DSL, cable, T-1, or wireless):
RESULTS:
I interviewed Dave Sevela of UMM's Computing Services on Wednesday, September 29th of 2004. He suprised me with his answer of the above question. UMM is well-equipped to the high-speed internet through their connection to the central server unit of the main campus (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities), which serves other campuses of the U (e.g. Duluth, Crookston, etc...). In fact, they have a DS3 ! Meaning that they have a 30-45 megs that was just upgraded from 18-20 megs recently.
"We're very pleased to announce that the UMM wireless network has been upgraded so that it can now accept connections from virtually all laptop computers with wireless network adapters. (Up to now, the UMM wireless network has only been accessible to a very limited number of adapters.)"
Morris Resident Response:
"I would like to have a homebased business, but I cannot have one due to the lack of "needed" accessibility to do one successfully"-Anonymous
"I live out of town (just across hwy 28 along hwy 59) and I don't have the "accessibility" of the high speed internet"-Anonymous
| Company | DSL? | Wireless? | Cable? | Phone? | Other |
| Fed Tel | $29.95-128K | ? | $39.95-3000K (no cable in Hancock only) | yes | (similar service to Hometown) |
| Hometown Solutions | $29.95-128K | ? | %58.49 | more than $58.49-w/phone service | 512K avail; phone conf. calling |
| Info-Link | $39.99-128K | $49/$59 128/128K | none | yes | 512K avail;Web Design Service |
| Media Com | ? | ? | 3000K/256K $39.95 | no | ? |
*NOTE: There are different charges for residential and business service for each!
Conclusion Summary
The Morris Area is foturnate to have the internet service (e.g. fibre optic connections), which many rural surrounding areas in this part of the state does not have. However, they still need to work on: the "high speed" part, the "accessibility" to folks living far (e.g. especially farmers in the country) out of town (central station) [SOLUTION-wireless?], the knowledge of the advancing technologies to the "older generations" (e.g. "senior citizens don't know much about the internet service opportunities yet"-Ken from Info Link) [SOLUTION-Classes provided by local internet service companies and intergenerational program by Morris Community Ed], and more "affordability" (Twin Cities have cheaper rates).
Related Links:
Cell Phone Service
| Company | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| AT&T | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Cellular One | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Spring | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Verizon | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Other Related Sites:
*use zip code 56308 (Alexandria) for closest coverage city instead of 56267 (Morris)
-
Please e-mail me at [email protected] on any additional notes from your personal experience with your own cell phone service coverage (please include)o you have service with). Thank You!
Conclusion Summary:
Yes, we got a extra tower recently (Oct 2004), which has improved service (higher bar-Sprint customers)! However, it's very hard to use cell phones in town still; especially when you start going futher outside of town (e.g. Hancock area-my Sprint phone doesn't get any "bars" or connections). Also, we have "outsiders" thinking their cell phone will work here, but they get suprise they don't (e.g. Verizon and others that don't get cell phone coverage in this area).
Also, we need to come up with a new plan or some review on our local and long distance phone services. It's not fair for Hancock residents having to pay long distance to call people outside of town. For example, Morris residents can call people in Alberta (8 miles west on hwy 28), but can't call people in Hancock (10 miles). Can we do something about this?
*This is due to the history of a "vote" by Hancock residents in the past of wanting to keep their "cheaper" phone service plan with their local based phone company.
a. town(s)
-Alberta
-Chokio
-Donelly
-Cyrus
-Hancock
b. in remote areas?
Related Topics:
Section A
__A Chiopractor
__An Optometrist
__Comprehensive mental health services
__A full array of available dental services
__An accredited hospital offering an appropriate array of health care services
__A pharmacy
Section B
__On going communication and collaboration between private and public health care providers
Survey Question: Do you use your local hospital or travel outside of town?
Conclusion Summary:
We have excellent services for the developmental/mental health population (e.g. Prairie Community Services is based here and employs many people).
Below are some questions to be used as a guide in our interviews with the people in the community that are (directly or indirectly) involved in the above topics:
1a. What's working well (STRENGTHS) in our community in the area of infrastructure and services?
1b. What do we have to build on (WEAKNESSES)?
2a. Which of the above factors are most important to you personally?
2b. Which are the most important to the overall health of the community?
3a. Given the community's current strengths, what would you like to see happen in the area of infrastructure and services over the next 10 years?