Information of Interest

How Do We Choose to Live Where We Do?
A survey of community choice decisions for young people.

In an effort to gather data to help our communities attract and retain more young people in Ashland County, we are conducting a survey of young adults to better understand what they like and don’t like about our communities, what kind of community they would like to live in and where they plan to live in the future. We are surveying high school and college students, as well as young (those under 40) people living and working in the county. This information will be very valuable as communities plan for the future. By retaining our own young people – and attracting young people from outside of the community – we will be better able to support our tax base, schools and businesses in a long-term and sustainable way. The survey was conducted earlier in Iron and Gogebic Counties with the results spurring several initiatives to support and retain young people in those counties.
Your assistance in this data gathering effort will be greatly appreciated. Please take 10 minutes to complete the survey which can be found at the following link.

To complete the survey now, click on this link http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229SDK3DCAR

And please forward this email invitation to anyone you know who fits the target audience (adults under 40 years old living in Ashland County) and might like to complete the survey. We’re starting with a somewhat limited list of email addresses but hope that each recipient will forward the invitation on so that we reach many of the young people in our county.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions….
Thank you,

Tom

UW-Superior Small Business Development Center

12 Upcoming Business Classes Offered -
all over the region, including in your own backyard.
Note the NEW ones!

Please forward this notice to local entrepreneurs, colleagues and friends
who could benefit from any of these programs

REGISTER ONLINE
For more information visit our website www.uwsuper.edu/sbdc
If you have further questions, please call toll free 1-800-410-8351

Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP) -
a Business Plan Writing Course starts September 22, 2009 in Ashland, Hayward, Hurley and Superior. The eight session course, utilizing interactive television and distance learning technology, will take place on consecutive Tuesday nights from 6 - 9 pm. The tuition fee to register is $250 with a tuition grant for the remaining amount of $750 if you qualify.

First Steps to Starting Your Own Business, a 2-hour class, takes place in various locations around the region. Classes will be held: in Hurley, on Thursday, September 17, 2009 from 1 to 3 pm; in Ashand on September 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm; in Hayward, September 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm; in Superior, October 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Learn about: personal considerations, defining your business with a business plan and details required to open a business. The cost is $25 and includes a valuable resource manual.

NEW! The 7 Habits for Small Business Owners - a Franklin Covey Program is an exciting new program customized to fit the needs of business owners, managers and employees. This two-day seminar is well established as one of the most powerful management development programs in business today and is now available at a special reduced price of $395. The next seminar will be held in Ashland October 1 and 8, 2009 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. There will be another program offered in Proctor, Minnesota in late October.

NEW! Search Engine Optimization Workshop will take place 8:30 am - 12 pm, October 2 in Superior. Make your web site work harder with keywords and a 15 step process to optimize content, build popularity, and double your monthly unique visitors. The tuition fee is $69 and includes a book from the instructor and author, Stephen Woessner.

NEW! Project Management Certificate Program provides you with a highly effective, customized distance learning opportunity that caters specifically to your needs and unique learning style. The program is self-guided, with one-on-one coaching from the instructor, so you can complete the learning activities according to your schedule. The Project Management Certificate is awarded to you after completing 56 hours of learning activities. Start the program as soon as you are ready. Enroll today. The tuition fee is $1500.

Basics of Financial Management for Business - A Two-Part Workshop, will take place on the UW-Superior campus on October 8 and October 15, from 1 - 5 pm. Learn how to understand financial statements and manage cash and capital for profit. The tuition fee is $179 to attend both sessions or $99 for one session. For each additional person from the same organization, pay $135 for both sessions or $69 for a single session.

Superior Visions is an educational and networking breakfast series for Twin Ports women in business. This four session event series, organized with the assistance of the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, takes place over 6 months starting Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at UW-Superior from 7:15 to 8:30 am. The fee is $18 per session.

NEW! Sawyer County Breakfast Series starts in Hayward October 20, 2009. More details to follow.

REGISTER ONLINE
For more information visit our website www.uwsuper.edu/sbdc
If you have further questions, please call toll free 1-800-410-8351

Personal Considerations, Defining Your Business With A Business Plan, and the Nuts and Bolts of Opening a Business.

The cost is $25 and includes a valuable resource manual.

For more informaiton or to register online, go to www.uwsuper.edu/sbdc or call 715-394-8351.

We are excited to announce a new leadership program for citizens of our two counties that started in January 2009. 

To learn more about the program, see the brochure attachment below. 

Come join us in a new regional leadership adventure.

Brochure link (2 pages, 262 KB)

Application form (2 pages, 68 KB) [Currently not taking applications. Check back later in the fall for the next program.]

Visit this site in the future to find additional program information

Ashland and Bayfield Counties Leadership Program Retreat

Back row: Amorin Mellow, Steve Hoecker, Mark Jerome, David Eades, Doug Lowthian, John Bletsch, Steve Probst, Paul Haugen Middle row: Julie Shilts, Sara Bolin, Monica Van Cleve, Stephanie Saari-Kollauf, Jennifer Birkholz, Beth Meyers, Kelly Dunn, Mary Maday, Jennifer Schierman, Kristen Sandstrom Front row: Tom Wojciechowski, Teresa Maday, Tim Kane, Ron Leino, Richard Fredericks, Jr. The first cohort of the new leadership program has been selected and they held a day and a half retreat on January 23 & 24th. The group participated in activities and discussions about: personality styles, problem solving, networking, communication, team building and county history and economy. The program will meet once monthly through June. It is anticipated that a second group will be selected for a fall or winter program. Tim Kane and Tom Wojciechowski, UW Extension educators are coordinating the program and numerous community leaders are participating through panels or presentations.

Integrated Energy Communities Workshop click here for Powerpoint Presentation, 6.06 MB

Related links to the above PowerPoint:
USGBC: LEED

Aldo Leopold Legacy Center

Midwest Renewable Energy Association

focus on energy : Home

Eco-Home at Hawk Ridge

Presidents Climate Commitment

Energy Center of Wisconsin

Making a Great Lake Superior click here for PDF of the PowerPoint, 7.22 MB

Sustainable Chequamegon Initiative strategic plan ( 32 pages, 728 KB) Please note that this is a five-year strategic plan for an immerging initiative of the Alliance for Sustainability. This is a DRAFT document.

• 2004 Ashland County Level Citizen Survey Findings Report (19 pages, 1000 KB) For the Ashland County Comprehensive Planning Oversight Committee
  As part of the Ashland County and participating communities’ Comprehensive Planning program(s) this random sample survey was designed and implemented. With a desired rate of statistical validity of plus or minus 3, a sample size of 1,800 residentsand property owners was selected from the County tax role.
  

• Ashland County Government
  
• US Census Bureau - Ashland County
  
• UW - Extension Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development

STAFF

If you have any questions regarding Community Resource Development in Ashland County, please contact:

Tom Wojciechowski
Ashland County - UW Extension Office
Courthouse Room 107
Ashland, WI 54806-1652
Phone: 715-682-7017
Fax: 715-682-7922
Email: tom.wojciechowski@ces.uwex.edu