Hazelton, ND

Starting Monday, August 11, 2008 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, Hazelton is hosting a Farmer
s Market/Flea Market/Craft Sale on Main Street. Anyone is welcome to set up a table-no charge for setting up own table. A free will offering noon meal will also be held at the Coffee Shop that day too. If there is enough interest, this will continue into Sept. on Mondays. Through this event, we are hoping to bring more people into town, especially to provide for fresh produce that many residents don’t have access to due to the grocery store being closed.

A former Hazelton student and the Dollars For Scholars organization are
both committed to helping Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock High School
graduates as they continue their education. Each year since 2000,
graduating seniors have been awarded scholarships based upon their
academic achievements, community service, personal qualities, and
school involvement. These scholarships, ranging from $8,000 for a
2-year degree to $12,000 for 4 years, were established by a former
student and resident of Hazelton in hopes that someday the recipients
of these scholarships will give back to the community as he has. The
scholarships are being perpetuated by The Giving Tree, which adorns the
hallway at HMB. Engraved leaves with each donors’ name are placed on
the tree as follows: $100-green leaf; $300-$499-green leaf with
asterisk; $500-$999-green leaf with two asterisks; $1000-$4900-gold
leaf; $5000 plus donation-amber gold leaf. This year more than $40,000
in scholarships were awarded at H-M-B.

Today is Community Day in Hazelton - a small town with a BIG heart.

Today’s parade was great. This little town parade passes out candy, smiles and fun.The candy is plentiful and collected by kids by bag-fulls. Hazelton’s little parade gives out more candy! One family, brought a bucket - and it was a wise move, their three kids filled it three-fourths full! (No hording was done, they shared!)

The parade consisted of sherriff vehicles, fire trucks and first responder equipment, local farming equipment, politicians, high school class reunions, school basketball teams, a county princess, horses and wagons (which stayed to give rides through town for hours after the parade.) No prizes are awarded to the parade entrants, unless you count the smiles and welcoming cheers of the crowd attending. 

This little community is where kids are taught patriotism.  They are taught to ’stand and put your hand on your heart’ when the American flag passes. Kids are taught, to be respectful in all ways while having family fun.

What is missing from this?  More people.  Our community is missing the grocery store, the coffee shop, new businesses, jobs and missing population. But Hazelton still remains a good place.  This is a plea.  We NEED you.  Yes, I said “Hazelton needs YOU.”  You would love being here in our town, enjoying the celebrations and good times and even the quiet, peaceful life Hazelton presents daily. Help us find a manager for the grocery store, jobs, and businesses.  The mall is a wonderful area to occupy and we are waiting for you to step forward.

Please contact our HDC President, Kent Weiser at 701-782-4257 for further details. To get a taste of the community visit our web page at http://www.hazeltonnorthdakota.com/default.asp

Well, time to go.  Next  on the Community Day Schedule is the free Street Dance and more fun tonight!  Hope you are there - or come soon!

Early this week steering committee members of the Horizon Program met to review continued progress in accomplishing Hazelton’s strategic goals.  These goals were established through a community wide survey and feedback obtained from all generations in the community.  As the regional community coach working with Hazelton, I have enjoyed getting to know each committee member.  Their commitment to helping Hazelton be a thriving community has been an inspiration.  Together they are addressing issues important to the future of the community.  From developing potential leaders and getting more people involved to taking action on reducing poverty, their efforts have made a difference.  I am thankful for the opportunity to work with a team of volunteers who consistently demonstrate the true spirit of service to a community.

LAWN MOWER POKER RUN

Date: 6/21/2008
Location: HAZELTON

HMB Area Dollars for Scholars will host a Lawn Mower Poker Run at Hazelton Community Days on Saturday, June 21st. This “Poker Run” will not be limited to lawn mowers. Check back for more details.

A bit of history and looking ahead:
The past: We (actually meaning our school district) started as one. If memory serves correctly, Hazelton school district was once identified as Williamsport School District #6. When our neighboring Moffit School closed due to declining enrollment, the Hazelton-Moffit School District was formed. Later, the Braddock School also closed. A portion of that district was added to H-M School District and it became Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock - or as we prefer to call it - H-M-B.
With the end of any era -in this case, the Moffit and Braddock school districts - is a deep feeling of loss and a great deal of sadness. Those feelings all have to be worked through. Not always easy but always necessary.
Jump ahead to the present. Our individual communities are still here. We take pride in what we have. We all keep working to make each of our communities better but something has happened through the years. Where once we were three separate communities - now we are one in many ways, all because of reorganizing school districts.
What brings all this to mind? Our June issue of the Hazelton Newsletter (our own monthly “newspaper” which had its beginning in 1991) was mailed out this week. The paper is mailed free of charge to all H-M-B postal patrons. This month we put out a special edition and also mailed it to postal patrons in Sterling/Mckenzie, Driscoll and Menoken. The purpose of the paper from the beginning was to promote not only the Hazelton community and businesses but also those of Moffit and Braddock - what we prefer to call our tri-community.
Let me explain why we have this special feeling about H-M-B (the communities, not just the school). We have expanded our horizons by getting to know the people better - yes, because of the school - and as we have become better acquainted, there is a closer bond. Now we don’t all go our separate ways. We celebrated each town’s Centennials. We’re excited about Braddock’s 125th celebration in 2009; we’re excited about Moffit’s plans to upgrade their Community Center and renovate their ball diamond; we’re excited about the possibility of reopening the Hazelton grocery store and finding occupants for our Prairie Mall.
We have become more aware of what it takes to keep our tri-communities alive by incorporating what we have; and we are learning that we must take action to make changes that will improve all of our lives.
If we sit back and wait for something to happen, it definitely will. It already has. I don’t know the population of Moffit and Braddock in their heyday. Hazelton once had a population of close to 600 back in the 1950s. For some reason we didn’t hear the alarm go off until we had dropped to 240.
What a wakeup call! How thankful we should be (and are) that the great majority of those living in the community support efforts to rebuild the town instead of having a ‘this is a dying town’ attitude. A lot of people have put in a lot of effort since 1991, always searching for new ways to help revitalize the town. For that we are grateful. They have a vision of what can be - not what could be. Most recently, the Horizons program gave us a boost by reminding us that together we can.
So, back to our tri-community. What I am trying to say in my own fumbling way (hey, that rhymes!) is that “three is better than one, but only because we are now three-in-one.”

How would you like to voice your opinions? Bismarck Tribune editor John Irby will be at the Hazelton Coffee Shop on Friday, June 13, from 9-11 a.m. John says everyone is invited to come in, ask questions, make suggestions. Talk about whatever your heart desires - well, up to a point!!! Ahem!
For those of you from out of town, here’s a bit of info about the coffee shop. Mel’s Diner in Hazelton’s Prairie Mall closed about a month ago so the owner could pursue other interests. That left Main Street without a place to stop for coffee and some chit-chat. So what do we do now? The space (about 1,047 sq. ft.) is available for rent. Since the Diner closed, volunteers set up a couple tables and some chairs. They bring in cookies and other baked goods and put on the coffee pot from 9-11 a.m., Monday through Friday. (As was stated in the Newsletter:”Let’s say that, with most of the tables removed, there’s more room for some of the ‘hot air’ that floats around at coffee time”). A free will donation helps pay for heat and lights.
A special thank you to all those who have brought in baked goods. Ellen Fransen and Arlene Davis also deserve thanks for taking on the responsibility of opening the coffee shop each day.
Repeat: Come to the Hazelton Coffee Shop on Friday, the 13th, for some good conversation.

Reminder - Mall spaces are still available @ $4.50 sq. ft per year. Call 701-782-4368.   If you need further information contact by email:  info@hazeltonnorthdakota.com  

We are half through the month of May, and Hazelton is busy at work and play.

HAZELTON AREA UPCOMING EVENTS!

May 16, HMB Graduation 6:00 PM (*see below)

May 17, Armed Forces Day (*see below)

May 22, Hazelton Legion Auxiliary Meeting at 8:00 PM. 

May 26, Memorial Day observed (*see below)

May 26, Hazelton Lions Meeting - 6:30 trap Shoot before the meal and meeting.

May 31 - HDC Rummage Sale at the Community Center 9:00 AM through 3:00 PM.  Space reserved ($10) Space with table reserved ($15) Call 701-782-6272 Call soon.

* May 16  is Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock High School Graduation. The ceremony begins at 6:00 PM in the HMB Gym.  Come to graduation and congratulate the students of the 2008 HMB Class:  Ryan Human, Valedictorian; Sarah Naaden, Salutatorian; Valerie Scheer, Ashley Sabot, Michelle Marti, Kelsey Schiermeister, Jamie Schlittenhart, Jesse Heer and Kaleb Thorp. 

Later that evening,  the high school students are invited to attend the Alternative Grad Party.  The students enjoy entertainment and games with everyone, for a one last hurrah for the 2008 HMB Graduating Class. Congratulations.

* May 17 Armed Forces Day &  * May 26, Memorial Day observed. We are grateful for those who sacrificed their lives in the effort to preserve freedom, and for those veterans who served our country. We also acknowledge ALL those who today protect and serve in our armed forces. God Bless the USA.

Be doubly reminded……… Hazelton Wants YOU in our new mall!

Mall spaces are still available @ $4.50 a sq. ft per year.  Call 701-782-4368.  If you need further information contact this email address:  info@hazeltonnorthdakota.com   A place is open for a grocery store, shops, coffee shop or manufacturing business.  Check us out!

The city of Hazelton needs help getting the new Prairie Mall occupied.  This is your queue SPACE AVAILABLE, NEW BUSINESS, NEW MALL, MAIN STREET, HAZELTON NORTH DAKOTA. 

There is space for a grocery store, a manufacturing business, and various other businesses in this new Prairie Mall.  It is an excellent place to ‘open shop’. 

The time is NOW, the place is right…… please take a peek at these websites and find all you need for information about our town and school. 

 Check out:  HMB School at  http://www.hazeltonnorthdakota.com/school/  Also to get a complete feel of Hazelton, we encourage you to visit our web page at  http://www.hazeltonnorthdakota.com/default.asp 

Those of you that want to invest in this progressive small town - you  are invited to become part of the LLC being formed for the purpose of promoting and assisting new ventures in Hazelton.  Call the Hazelton Development Committee President, Kent @ 701-782-4257.

Well, I might not be the most observing, but I have seen my first full red breasted Robin!  A great sign of spring!  But that is NOT the only ‘birds’ that are back.  Yep, some of those Snow Birds have come back to North Dakota to rest & roost.  It MUST be spring!

I have a sister & brother-in-law that have spent a lot of time in Texas, and even made their full time residence there for a couple years.  But - you guessed it.  These two Snow Birds have come back to North Dakota to stay.   Whoopee!

Our community welcomes back all those that have been gone.  It is great to have back you with us.  We have missed having you ‘home’, supporting and encouraging our community, it’s businesses and the school. 

Welcome Back - to all you birds!

Family, friends and the ‘good ole North Dakota spirit’ seems to attract citizens like magnets to our state.  So regardless if you are a ‘new-commer’ to North Dakota or just one of the ‘old crows’ we are glad to have your face in our state.   (Sorry sis, I mean ‘old crow’ in the most loving of ways.)

Welcome back ‘Snow Birds’ .  I have missed you just as much as the Robins.