The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

The third and final session in the Re-imagining Rural series was held on October 13 at 6:00 p.m. in the Triple E Room. The evening’s special guest, Sarah Calhoun, founder of Red Ants Pants, shared a Montana perspective. Following Calhoun’s presentation, Ben Winchester, Becky McCray, and Deb Brown—speakers who presented in previous sessions—returned to answer questions.

According to Blaine County MSU-Extension Agent Juli Snedigar, “This last night of Reimagining Rural was probably our best. We had quite a line-up on Tuesday.”

In addition to the presenter perspectives, participants from each of the 24 communities who have been participating shared their ideas for home-town revitalization. A discussion about how to implement those ideas ensued. After developing implementation steps, the group learned about grants offered through the Montana Community Foundation and their partners. Participating communities can apply for funding through this grant program.

Anyone who wishes to engage in the conversation started by the Re-imagining Rural Virtual Gathering is encouraged to access the private Facebook page, Re-imagining Rural Montana and to join in. Videos of past sessions are also archived there for viewing.

Although Snedigar and her office will serve as the point of contact on the re-imagination of Blaine County, she emphasized that she’s not the one in charge: “The speakers presented a different approach than the typical: have an idea, form a committee, and set up a bunch of meetings. They suggested we lead by example and start small. Make changes yourself, get the message out there, and gather a following. If everyone does a small part, the success could be big.”

Snedigar added that Blaine County residents should be on the lookout for some new developments.