The first meeting of the Ellsworth CIA (Citizens In Action) will be Thursday evening, July 10 at the Ellsworth Park Shelterhouse. There will be at least one meeting per month. What will happen?…no one knows. But it is known that this is the first step of an important journey.
Ellsworth High School colors were purple and Gold. The Horizons Project has made bright yellow the communication color. Now…when something is mailed on yellow paper…people read it.
A new work order system for the city manager is being tried in Ellsworth. The City Council has approved this trial for 90 days. The goal is to provide documentation of how maintainance problems are addressed and solved.
The newsletter has always been an important way to communicate in Ellsworth. Suggestions are being made to the new editor concerning content and articles so that the newsletter gains readership and remains an informative tool for our community.
70 People enjoyed a meal catered by Hickory Park of Ames and cookies from Subway in Ellsworth. 50 meals were made for people to take home. Left over meat was donated to be served as sandwiches at Ellsworth Bingo. Leftover cookies were taken to some of the shut-ins in our community.
The circle continues to be drawn wider in our community as some of the participants were there for the first time.
The Noon Meals on Wheels Program was announced as the first project to be started in our community as a result of the Horizons Project.
Brainstorming was done to gather ideas for events that can be done yet this summer to gather us as community…to help us know each other better as we work together as Ellsworth Citizens In Action (Ellsworth CIA) toward shared goals partnered with established organizations to better our community. Many ideas came as a result of this session and citizens left hopeful of action.
Sweet Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Cones!! 130 ice cream cones were eaten on Thursday June 12th! It was a great evening on main street…the first night it had NOT rained in a long time. “Let’s do this again!” was heard over and over. Flyers were given out that invited people to The Community Supper on Tuesday, June 24. The weather was nice on the weekend also, when we joined in the events of Jewell Jubilee in the neighboring community.
After evaluating the Tax Assistance Day in Ellsworth, it was decided that it should be offered each year. Most preferred a later date…perhaps in March.
One day this winter was set aside for county volunteers to help people of Ellsworth file their taxes. It was a great opportunity…but the best was yet to come! After the fact, word spread and more calls were received, so people helped people (even up to April 14th!) file taxes. Some were first time filers. Most have now received the “stimulus check” from the government.
After the success of Dump Your Junk held in 2007, many citizens are requesting that we continue this project on an annual basis. The original plans had been that this was an activity that would be done every other year. With some heavy rains in early in June, many homes had problems with water in their basements. This has created even more conversation about doing this project again this year rather than waiting for another year. Dump Your Junk was a way for people to come together to work on a project, a way to clean up the community, and a way to help those in poverty who do not have the resources to get rid of larger junk items.
Ellsworth community members are being asked to donate their pop cans to help support community events through the Ellsworth Community Club. A member of the community donated a gravity feed wagon and cattle panels were also donated. These were repaired and painted by other Community Club members. It was then set up for people to donate their cans. In less than one month over $100 has been generated by this collection trailer.