Wibaux, MT

CAN. Community Action Now. But in the case of WibauxCAN, it’s also Community Action Nextyear. WibauxCan’s grants are a success. Less than a month after announcing the grants recipients one project-painting a house-is completely finished and more are in the process. The finished project even came in under budget, so the unused money will be regranted during next year’s grant cycle. Yes, that’s right. Next year. The demand was so high that WibauxCAN will offer the opportunity for applications again next year. Community Action Now and Nextyear. Sometimes the sprucing up of a community just takes some tangible investment in people.

Every evening I when I open the windows of my house to let in the cool air, I hear the sounds of students playing on the basketball court just across the street from my living room. Young and old gather together to dunk the ball, practice their shots, and get together a quick game. What’s newsworthy about that? Last summer those baskets and the slab didn’t exist. But through the cooperation of the school (the place to put the court), a parent support group, and a local contractor, a court designed for younger kids is now the gathering place for all. A typical example of making a better community in small towns: it takes more than just one entity, it takes several working together.

By Laura Dukart
In May I worked with a group of volunteers to plant juniper shrubs around the sculptures in Wibaux. The group included two adults: (Bob and Marlene Blome) and five high school students: (Lindsay Franks, Andrew Barthel, Danikka Harrell, Melissa Franz, and Elise Dukart). I enjoyed watching the kids and adults working together to get a very worthwhile project completed. When the plants mature, they will provide some very nice landscaping around the sculptures. The project was funded with money from the Cultural and Aesthetic Trust Grant.

I need to have my blood tested tomorrow. Tommorrow is Friday, and ususally, I would need to head to Baker, Glendive, or Beach for bloodwork. But tomorrow I plan to drive to the new Wibaux Clinic and ask someone to draw my blood. What a great option: Accessible health care. I, for one, plan to take advantage of it.

My option wouldn’t have been possible without the Wibaux County Commissioners putting their weight behind a need expressed in the Horizon’s Study Circiles. The interest in the project supplied by the Glendive Medical Center helped everyone realize that having our own clinic was not only a dream, but a real possibility: people from outside the community believed in it too.

Now there is hope for another job (or two) in the community. Perhaps some day in the future someone with a medical degree will make Wibaux home.

All because I, and people like me, need blood drawn.

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You can do a tour around Wibaux and look at all the statues, most done by Mr. Burman made out of welded pipe and recycled items. Those are the most recent additions to Wibaux. Pierre Wibaux is the oldest statue in town overlooking the town. A popular statue is the angel in Angel Park across from the nursing home. Angel Park has really improved as trees have grown and half of the bowtie sidewalk loop is complete. The nursing home residents appreciate the beautiful view out their front windows. What does this have to do with poverty? 1. It’s recycling materials that others would call junk. 2. It’s a positive investment in our community that makes people proud. 3. Wibaux has a statue trail for people to follow - that’s tourism for this town proud of its heritage. 4. It’s structural change that will continue.

From a waitress wondering where she can find a lot to move in a trailer to a minister trying to find housing for his family, housing is so tight in Wibaux, it squeaks!

The abandoned Milton used to house several bachelors as well as the owner’s family but has been vacant 5 years as the owner is in the Vet’s Home and standards for housing has changed.

Things are happening as of late June- a rental has been renovated down to the studs to add insulation and rewiring to make a home available for rent. Two new homes will be added to Wibaux Co.; one bringing in a lady from Astoria, OR who can no longer afford the taxes as land prices have risen there. The Lost in Time Ranch is adding a dorm for the teachers of this non-profit organization working with inner city kids to expose them to astronomy, paleontology, geology and wildlife during the summer months.

by Ginny Archdale

The bathrooms in Wibaux’s city park are so icky little kids run across the street to the neighbor’s houses to use the potty rather than use the city ones.

City Council asked R & R Construction to draw up plans and submit a quote to build two new handicapped bathrooms in unused space within the existing park building. Last week, the council agreed to accept those plans and R & R’s quote. The Wibaux County Commissioners also have agreed to share part of the cost of the project.

R & R plans to begin work on the new bathrooms later this summer.

by Ginny Archdale

Sometimes it’s easy to be discouraged about the run-down buildings and yards that aren’t being mowed around town. You know – the glass is half empty attitude.

But then I look around and am amazed at all the hard work and pride that goes into the majority of properties in town. We have some very pretty yards. Right now, most lawns are green and freshly mowed. Wild plum trees, chokecherry trees, apple trees, current bushes, tulips and lilacs are starting to bloom. It’s really pretty out.

The black-headed grosbeaks that nest in my yard each summer just returned. Those pretty red-headed house finches are singing away from the tree tops, and robins follow me around the garden looking for worms. We have terrific bird habitat in Wibaux.
The glass really is more than half full.

It was an empowering and humbling experience. Several people from the WibauxCAN Committee (Community Action Now), met to review the subcommitee’s grant award suggestions. Over $16,000 of requests for just $2000 worth of grant money. The committee had obviously hit upon a need.

The grants were for property beautification: clean-up and fix-up. Making Wibaux an attractive place to live, one that speaks of the pride that residents have in their town was one of of the most important goals expressed by the people involved in the Study Circles.

WibauxCAN, in reaction to the Study Circle’s #1 subject, community beautification, conducted the grant funding cycle.

The single round of grants were for a total of $2000. But because of the overwhelming number of applications for money, the committee elected to nearly double the money available.

Empowering: we could help; help the individuals and help the community. Humbling. there wasn’t enough money–even with doubling the available funds. Choices would have to be made.

Winners? The community. Those funded. And those not funded. Their needs were defined, the cost estimated. They were ready for what WibauxCAN hopes will be round two.

The annually held clean up day in Wibaux, May 3 produced some amazing results this year.

One yard on main street has a very manicured look thanks to the hard work of several senior citizens who take pride in the overall appearance of our community. They were willing to give of their time and resources to trim branches, rake leaves and haul away several loads of debris. Their work is appreciated and the results are fantastic.

Jean Zinda