In my last blog, I had declared Harwood as the focus of my research paper. Over the last week, I have begun the task of finding articles that relate specifically to Harwood’s plight. Although my pile is not very big, I do feel that I have enough good background information to give me a good start.
This week is the start of my interview process. I have compiled a brief list of questions to ask the mayors of Harwood and Reiles Acres. The interview will range from questions about their emotions during Flood Fight 2009 to questions about how well they feel now looking back on how they handled the situation.
Another aspect that will play a major role in my paper is the communications done at the school level. From Superintendent Dana Diesel Wallace to Harwood Elementary Principal Jerry Barnum, information was flying constantly in every direction.
It seemed that everyday there was something new to e-mail to the media, or an updated message to post on the website. There were always telephone calls to make to the Harwood and Reiles Acres parents about what the current and future plans were for their students. There were also a lot of calls to take from those same parents; concerns about their child being away from home and the parents having to evacuate without them, concerns about washed out roads and the safety of their children on bus routes, and of course questions about having to make up those days that they kept their children home from school.
My final planned aspect (who knows, inspiration may strike in these last few days) is about the “survivors.” I know that is a rather dramatic term, but for what some of those people have gone through, I could not think of a more encompassing word. I hope to be able to get interview time with some of the residents that live north of town. I think their impressions of how well their officials handled this crisis are much more valuable than mine, as an outsider looking in.
That is what I have fleshed out so far. If anyone has any advice about obvious aspects that I missed, let me know!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Flood of 2009 - Harwood
I chose to write my research paper on the ongoing flooding situation in Harwood, North Dakota. As I live in West Fargo, I was untouched by the flooding because of the safety provided by the Sheyenne Diversion. However, I work for West Fargo Schools, of which Harwood is a part.
Over the last month, we have moved the students of Harwood Elementary School into the city of West Fargo twice. With all the rural road closings, our staff, students, and our buses were unable to get to the school. In the interest of continuing their education, we found alternate spaces for them at the Community Center and one of our other elementary schools, Westside.
All of the Harwood and Reiles Acres families were true champions when it came to moving the students back and forth. There were only three families that actually withdrew their children from the West Fargo school system and enrolled them where flooding was not an issue.
Beyond the school closing, the city was affected by numerous other things caused by flooding. Harwood is a very rural area, and as such, does not have lift station capacity to handle all the water that is up there. Harwood residents have been living with water restrictions for some time now.
Some residents have been completely cut off from the rest of the city. The only way to and from their home is by boat or chest-high waders. There was a picture on the front page of the Forum a few weeks back of one of our staff members wading through deep water with a laundry basket in her arms. She was on her way to work and then to a friend’s house to wash her family’s clothing.
One of the biggest challenges the small town of Harwood has faced through this whole ordeal is basically a debate on who claims them. Harwood is a city in its own right, and has a mayor and a city council. However, the city of Fargo did a lot of their flood preparations and the city of West Fargo dealt with their students. Harwood was pulled between the two larger cities, and sometimes got lost in the shuffle when it came to media attention.
I believe I will have my work cut out for me in researching the flood at Harwood, as coverage of that area was often rolled into the larger coverage of the metro area. Interviews with the mayor and the citizens of Harwood will probably be the best way for me to get the answers I seek.
Over the last month, we have moved the students of Harwood Elementary School into the city of West Fargo twice. With all the rural road closings, our staff, students, and our buses were unable to get to the school. In the interest of continuing their education, we found alternate spaces for them at the Community Center and one of our other elementary schools, Westside.
All of the Harwood and Reiles Acres families were true champions when it came to moving the students back and forth. There were only three families that actually withdrew their children from the West Fargo school system and enrolled them where flooding was not an issue.
Beyond the school closing, the city was affected by numerous other things caused by flooding. Harwood is a very rural area, and as such, does not have lift station capacity to handle all the water that is up there. Harwood residents have been living with water restrictions for some time now.
Some residents have been completely cut off from the rest of the city. The only way to and from their home is by boat or chest-high waders. There was a picture on the front page of the Forum a few weeks back of one of our staff members wading through deep water with a laundry basket in her arms. She was on her way to work and then to a friend’s house to wash her family’s clothing.
One of the biggest challenges the small town of Harwood has faced through this whole ordeal is basically a debate on who claims them. Harwood is a city in its own right, and has a mayor and a city council. However, the city of Fargo did a lot of their flood preparations and the city of West Fargo dealt with their students. Harwood was pulled between the two larger cities, and sometimes got lost in the shuffle when it came to media attention.
I believe I will have my work cut out for me in researching the flood at Harwood, as coverage of that area was often rolled into the larger coverage of the metro area. Interviews with the mayor and the citizens of Harwood will probably be the best way for me to get the answers I seek.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Red Lake Falls Remembrances
In March 2005, tragedy struck the small town of Red Lake Falls, Minnesota. Jeffrey Weise fatally shot his grandfather, his grandfather’s girlfriend, and seven people at the school before turning the gun on himself. Seven other students were injured in Weise’s shooting spree. This incident was touted by some as being the worst school shooting since Columbine in 1999.
Upon investigation of what made Weise tick, it was discovered that he was an avid poster to a neo-Nazi website, where he referred to himself as the Angel of Death. He had been removed from the regular school setting because of a policy violation, and was placed in the homebound program. Weise was also taking Prozac to combat his depression. However, no one thought he was capable of such violent acts, and no one saw this incident coming.
But Weise was capable, and he did carry out the worst school shooting in six years. He also changed the entire Red Lake Nation with those ten fatal shots. Media descended on the reservation within hours and camped out for several days, disturbing the community that was once so quiet.
Just hours after the incident, neighboring Beltrami County offered to support the Red Lake Nation in whatever ways they could. They provided law enforcement, social service support and trauma counseling services. Minnesota US Attorney Tom Heffelfinger commended the school for having put good security measures in place and for having practiced for an event like a shooting.
Minnesota law was changed after Columbine to require such crisis management plans. The MN statute stated that every school board must adopt a district crisis management policy by July 1, 2000. The policy needed to address the process of handling potential violent and/or crisis situations arising within the district. Each school was then expected to practice the plan, so they would know how to initiate it in the event of a real crisis. Red Lake Falls hired Burnsville, Minnesota, based company MacNeil Environmental to create their crisis plan.
After the March 2005 shooting, lawsuits were filed against MacNeil Environmental. The lawsuits stated that MacNeil was supposed to help Red Lake Falls implement a five-year program starting in fall 2001 to provide a crisis management plan, train school officials and evaluate the school's security weaknesses. The lawsuits also alleged that MacNeil Environmental wasn't qualified to create an emergency plan for the Red Lake School District and that it failed to follow through on developing and implementing crisis plans. The lawsuits claimed MacNeil failed to develop a plan as recommended by the U.S. Department of Education and instead provided the school district with plans that were confusing and contained conflicting directions for staff.
It took until September 2008 for the families of victims and survivors to reach a settlement with MacNeil. The judge overseeing the civil suit was charged with dividing up the $1.5 million settlement in October 2008.
Long story short, even when you have a crisis plan in place, things can still go wrong. As unfortunate as it is to say, the worst school shooting since Columbine quickly turned into the biggest cluster EVER. Yes, people grieved for those individuals that lost their lives or were wounded, but the nation was more concerned with following the lawsuit proceedings.
Upon investigation of what made Weise tick, it was discovered that he was an avid poster to a neo-Nazi website, where he referred to himself as the Angel of Death. He had been removed from the regular school setting because of a policy violation, and was placed in the homebound program. Weise was also taking Prozac to combat his depression. However, no one thought he was capable of such violent acts, and no one saw this incident coming.
But Weise was capable, and he did carry out the worst school shooting in six years. He also changed the entire Red Lake Nation with those ten fatal shots. Media descended on the reservation within hours and camped out for several days, disturbing the community that was once so quiet.
Just hours after the incident, neighboring Beltrami County offered to support the Red Lake Nation in whatever ways they could. They provided law enforcement, social service support and trauma counseling services. Minnesota US Attorney Tom Heffelfinger commended the school for having put good security measures in place and for having practiced for an event like a shooting.
Minnesota law was changed after Columbine to require such crisis management plans. The MN statute stated that every school board must adopt a district crisis management policy by July 1, 2000. The policy needed to address the process of handling potential violent and/or crisis situations arising within the district. Each school was then expected to practice the plan, so they would know how to initiate it in the event of a real crisis. Red Lake Falls hired Burnsville, Minnesota, based company MacNeil Environmental to create their crisis plan.
After the March 2005 shooting, lawsuits were filed against MacNeil Environmental. The lawsuits stated that MacNeil was supposed to help Red Lake Falls implement a five-year program starting in fall 2001 to provide a crisis management plan, train school officials and evaluate the school's security weaknesses. The lawsuits also alleged that MacNeil Environmental wasn't qualified to create an emergency plan for the Red Lake School District and that it failed to follow through on developing and implementing crisis plans. The lawsuits claimed MacNeil failed to develop a plan as recommended by the U.S. Department of Education and instead provided the school district with plans that were confusing and contained conflicting directions for staff.
It took until September 2008 for the families of victims and survivors to reach a settlement with MacNeil. The judge overseeing the civil suit was charged with dividing up the $1.5 million settlement in October 2008.
Long story short, even when you have a crisis plan in place, things can still go wrong. As unfortunate as it is to say, the worst school shooting since Columbine quickly turned into the biggest cluster EVER. Yes, people grieved for those individuals that lost their lives or were wounded, but the nation was more concerned with following the lawsuit proceedings.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Total Confidence = Total Increase in Sales (My Opinion)
Looking back at all the blogs I’ve done this semester, I see quite a few that have to do with money or other financial issues. True to what appears to be my form, I have another financial-type article to wow (or bore) everyone with this week.
This weekend, I watched Chevrolet’s newest PR push, and boy is it a good one! They are following in the footsteps of another major car dealer (I believe it’s Hyundai) by offering an amped up finance package. As a born and bred Chevy fan, I have to say that Chevy’s Total Confidence package does exactly what the name suggests: gives the buyer absolute confidence that investing their money with Chevrolet is a wise choice.
The first two branches of this package consist of a fully backed transferable warranty with roadside assistance and a complimentary year of OnStar service. Yes, both features come standard with most new cars these days, but it is still worth mentioning. In these times of uncertainty, vehicle owners like to know that they are protected while they’re at home or on the road.
The third and fourth branches of this package are what make it truly special. The third branch is Vehicle Value Protection, where Chevy will protect your new vehicle’s retail value when you decide to trade in for your next Chevy vehicle. The final branch is Payment Protection, where Chevy will make your payments (up to $500/month) up to nine months if you lose your job.
Now tell me, how much more confident would this package make you, the car buyer feel? If I was in the market for a new vehicle, I would definitely be looking at Chevrolet first. If the unspeakable would happen and I lost my job, I would have to give back my vehicle, then how would I get a new job? By offering Payment Protection, Chevy is giving me a way to get back on my feet, which is a nice thing for a car company to do.
With the negative press that the GM Corporation received after giving fired CEO Rick Wagoner a $20 million severance package, this is exactly what is needed. They say that good news travels quickly, so hopefully news of the Total Confidence package can overtake the Wagoner scandal.
This weekend, I watched Chevrolet’s newest PR push, and boy is it a good one! They are following in the footsteps of another major car dealer (I believe it’s Hyundai) by offering an amped up finance package. As a born and bred Chevy fan, I have to say that Chevy’s Total Confidence package does exactly what the name suggests: gives the buyer absolute confidence that investing their money with Chevrolet is a wise choice.
The first two branches of this package consist of a fully backed transferable warranty with roadside assistance and a complimentary year of OnStar service. Yes, both features come standard with most new cars these days, but it is still worth mentioning. In these times of uncertainty, vehicle owners like to know that they are protected while they’re at home or on the road.
The third and fourth branches of this package are what make it truly special. The third branch is Vehicle Value Protection, where Chevy will protect your new vehicle’s retail value when you decide to trade in for your next Chevy vehicle. The final branch is Payment Protection, where Chevy will make your payments (up to $500/month) up to nine months if you lose your job.
Now tell me, how much more confident would this package make you, the car buyer feel? If I was in the market for a new vehicle, I would definitely be looking at Chevrolet first. If the unspeakable would happen and I lost my job, I would have to give back my vehicle, then how would I get a new job? By offering Payment Protection, Chevy is giving me a way to get back on my feet, which is a nice thing for a car company to do.
With the negative press that the GM Corporation received after giving fired CEO Rick Wagoner a $20 million severance package, this is exactly what is needed. They say that good news travels quickly, so hopefully news of the Total Confidence package can overtake the Wagoner scandal.
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Answer to Everyone's Money Woes is Wal-Mart
Several months ago, there were people left in the United States that felt the economic downturn was a fluke. Certainly there were people in the state of North Dakota that felt we were unaffected by it. More recently, however, it has become apparent that even the Podunk towns of North Dakota are feeling the crunch.
Everyone knows that when times get tough, every family cuts things from their budget. They trade in nice dinners out for quick dinners that come in a paper sack. New jeans come from Gordmans or Kohls, rather than The Buckle or Gap. People change hair salons, mechanic shops, even doctors in some extreme cases. These are all changes that seem normal and expected when the economy takes a turn for the worse.
A change that isn’t “normal” and certainly was not expected has to do with where people buy their toiletries: those things like paper towels, toilet paper, soap and shampoo, and pet food; and their groceries. During the last quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, Target stores across the nation have seen a marked decline in patronage, while Wal-Mart stores are reveling in 4% increases.
Why, do you ask? It’s because Wal-Mart has long marketed themselves as a discount store, a store where everything costs less. Their newest advertising campaigns are no different.
We’ve all seen the commercials where the lady saves over $700 a year by purchasing her weekly groceries (milk, eggs, cheese, potato chips, etc.) at Wal-Mart. How enticing is an ad like that to a family that is barely scraping by?
Or what about the ads where the parent is able to prepare their child for school by getting them a quality laptop and “cool” clothes at prices that don’t break the family bank? We all know how important it is as a teenager to feel that you belong.
For my home, I do the majority of my shopping at Wal-Mart and have realized significant savings over the last year or so.
I think Wal-Mart has done some great ads over the years. If you ever want to know what issue was considered a hot topic in a particular year, check out what type of ads Wal-Mart was running. Their advertising team has always been responsive to what the country is talking about. They have run the gamut from going green to saving the average family thousands each year. Even though they are a huge corporation, Wal-Mart does well appealing to people from all walks of life.
Because last week was the week we were supposed to discuss advertisements, I want to clarify that Wal-Mart is not only successful because of their advertising campaigns. They are successful because they are a well-rounded company that cares. In 2006, Wal-Mart was named the largest corporate donor of cash, giving over $272 million to charities across the globe. They hold annual fundraisers to raise money for school supplies for children in need. They have even co-oped with the Children's Miracle Network. How can any good American not love a store that does all this and still saves us money?!
Everyone knows that when times get tough, every family cuts things from their budget. They trade in nice dinners out for quick dinners that come in a paper sack. New jeans come from Gordmans or Kohls, rather than The Buckle or Gap. People change hair salons, mechanic shops, even doctors in some extreme cases. These are all changes that seem normal and expected when the economy takes a turn for the worse.
A change that isn’t “normal” and certainly was not expected has to do with where people buy their toiletries: those things like paper towels, toilet paper, soap and shampoo, and pet food; and their groceries. During the last quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, Target stores across the nation have seen a marked decline in patronage, while Wal-Mart stores are reveling in 4% increases.
Why, do you ask? It’s because Wal-Mart has long marketed themselves as a discount store, a store where everything costs less. Their newest advertising campaigns are no different.
We’ve all seen the commercials where the lady saves over $700 a year by purchasing her weekly groceries (milk, eggs, cheese, potato chips, etc.) at Wal-Mart. How enticing is an ad like that to a family that is barely scraping by?
Or what about the ads where the parent is able to prepare their child for school by getting them a quality laptop and “cool” clothes at prices that don’t break the family bank? We all know how important it is as a teenager to feel that you belong.
For my home, I do the majority of my shopping at Wal-Mart and have realized significant savings over the last year or so.
I think Wal-Mart has done some great ads over the years. If you ever want to know what issue was considered a hot topic in a particular year, check out what type of ads Wal-Mart was running. Their advertising team has always been responsive to what the country is talking about. They have run the gamut from going green to saving the average family thousands each year. Even though they are a huge corporation, Wal-Mart does well appealing to people from all walks of life.
Because last week was the week we were supposed to discuss advertisements, I want to clarify that Wal-Mart is not only successful because of their advertising campaigns. They are successful because they are a well-rounded company that cares. In 2006, Wal-Mart was named the largest corporate donor of cash, giving over $272 million to charities across the globe. They hold annual fundraisers to raise money for school supplies for children in need. They have even co-oped with the Children's Miracle Network. How can any good American not love a store that does all this and still saves us money?!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Bad, The Good, & Nothing In-Between
Three long days ago, I sat down and read Shannon’s blog assignment. Immediately, an example of an ineffective, irritating ad came to mind. Now, after the last few days, I also have an extremely effective ad that I wish to address.
First, the ineffective ad…
Over the last month or so, I have started looking on Geico as an ineffective advertiser. In the spirit of full disclosure, I will say that I am a Geico customer because they offered me the lowest rate eight long years ago when I got my license. By no stretch of the imagination, however, am I a supporter of their current advertising campaign.
People tend to equate the quality of a company’s ads with the quality of the product they sell or the services they provide. I’m sure many of us have seen good quality advertisements and now associate that company with quality, even if we’ve never been there. The same is true with poor advertisements; the consumer sees a poor quality commercial and assumes that the company is poorly managed.
When you see a stack of money with a pair of googly eyes on the top of it, what does that say to you? To me, it smacks of cheapness. Even though I tell myself that Geico is a fine company, I still cringe whenever I hear their new jingle come on the TV.
This is certainly something to keep in mind if any of us choose to become advertising executives for companies both large and small. It is important to make sure that your ad portrays the message you want portrayed about your company.
Next, the effective ad…
Even though this isn’t a true advertisement, it has certainly played the part well. All of you know about the flood we’re fighting here in the Red River Valley. With the ever-increasing river crest, the need for volunteer sandbaggers has increased exponentially. For the last four nights, I have been out volunteering, and the sheer number of people there with me is just amazing.
The metro area sent out a call via every radio and television station in the area, and the public responded to this very real cry for help. To me, this is a perfect example of what makes an advertisement effective: the human connection. People are more apt to remember a product, service, or plea for help if they are able to make that connection.
We are all out there volunteering because we have seen the destruction that Mother Nature can bring, and we all want to do anything and everything we can to alleviate this batch.
Before I stop for this week, I just want to send out my own plea for help. If you haven’t gone out and volunteered yet, do so soon! Everyone’s help is so crucial in our area’s time of need. For those of you that have volunteered or have plans to do so, thank you so much!!
First, the ineffective ad…
Over the last month or so, I have started looking on Geico as an ineffective advertiser. In the spirit of full disclosure, I will say that I am a Geico customer because they offered me the lowest rate eight long years ago when I got my license. By no stretch of the imagination, however, am I a supporter of their current advertising campaign.
People tend to equate the quality of a company’s ads with the quality of the product they sell or the services they provide. I’m sure many of us have seen good quality advertisements and now associate that company with quality, even if we’ve never been there. The same is true with poor advertisements; the consumer sees a poor quality commercial and assumes that the company is poorly managed.
When you see a stack of money with a pair of googly eyes on the top of it, what does that say to you? To me, it smacks of cheapness. Even though I tell myself that Geico is a fine company, I still cringe whenever I hear their new jingle come on the TV.
This is certainly something to keep in mind if any of us choose to become advertising executives for companies both large and small. It is important to make sure that your ad portrays the message you want portrayed about your company.
Next, the effective ad…
Even though this isn’t a true advertisement, it has certainly played the part well. All of you know about the flood we’re fighting here in the Red River Valley. With the ever-increasing river crest, the need for volunteer sandbaggers has increased exponentially. For the last four nights, I have been out volunteering, and the sheer number of people there with me is just amazing.
The metro area sent out a call via every radio and television station in the area, and the public responded to this very real cry for help. To me, this is a perfect example of what makes an advertisement effective: the human connection. People are more apt to remember a product, service, or plea for help if they are able to make that connection.
We are all out there volunteering because we have seen the destruction that Mother Nature can bring, and we all want to do anything and everything we can to alleviate this batch.
Before I stop for this week, I just want to send out my own plea for help. If you haven’t gone out and volunteered yet, do so soon! Everyone’s help is so crucial in our area’s time of need. For those of you that have volunteered or have plans to do so, thank you so much!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Increased Premiums, Incentive Trips, New CEO
I know many of you are probably aware of what happened yesterday at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. Their board voted to replace President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Unhjem. This move came after BCBS made the front page of the Forum last week for sending their employees to the Cayman Islands.
If there has been one thing that has happened locally during this semester that can be considered a PR nightmare, I have to say this one takes the cake. Being associated with BCBS is going to be extremely controversial and difficult over the next few months as they try to recoup the area’s trust and respect.
Before I go any further, I would like to say that I know Mr. Unhjem; I work closely with him on many United Way projects. I cannot imagine him doing anything that would jeopardize the respect and trust that the public holds for BCBS. So, if I seem to be a little irritated that they fired him, please let my above statement speak to that emotion!
This whole thing goes back to 1986, when BCBS sent board members on an all expenses paid retreat to a posh resort. They received flak back then for using policyholders’ money to fund something that could have been held in state.
Now, 23 years later, BCBS is back under the microscope for sending top-performing employees to the Cayman Islands. It has been reported that $250,000 was budgeted for that trip, even though there have been rumblings about the need to increase policyholders’ premiums.
Let’s face it; we all know what a stupid mistake this was. You cannot tell your policyholders that their insurance company is going to come up short at the end of the year so they need to increase their premiums AND then send people on vacation! No matter which way you crunch the numbers, it just doesn’t compute.
The icing on this financial mess is Mr. Unhjem’s salary, a whopping $664,000 a year (coincidently, what Mr. Unhjem made in 2005 is the same amount that BCBS raised during their United Way campaign in 2007-08). In this difficult economy, I am sure this number also played a big part in the board’s decision to let him go. If Executive Vice President Tim Huckle will step up and do the job for the interim, BCBS can save some money.
As I said before, the next few months will be hard going for BCBS. They will be looking for a new President and CEO, working on a campaign to raise premiums, and trying to regain the trust and respect of the area. Sounds like a pretty hefty PR package to deal with by January 2010. Unfortunately for them, they will be doing all this hard work without the hopes of an all expenses paid trip at the end of it all!
If there has been one thing that has happened locally during this semester that can be considered a PR nightmare, I have to say this one takes the cake. Being associated with BCBS is going to be extremely controversial and difficult over the next few months as they try to recoup the area’s trust and respect.
Before I go any further, I would like to say that I know Mr. Unhjem; I work closely with him on many United Way projects. I cannot imagine him doing anything that would jeopardize the respect and trust that the public holds for BCBS. So, if I seem to be a little irritated that they fired him, please let my above statement speak to that emotion!
This whole thing goes back to 1986, when BCBS sent board members on an all expenses paid retreat to a posh resort. They received flak back then for using policyholders’ money to fund something that could have been held in state.
Now, 23 years later, BCBS is back under the microscope for sending top-performing employees to the Cayman Islands. It has been reported that $250,000 was budgeted for that trip, even though there have been rumblings about the need to increase policyholders’ premiums.
Let’s face it; we all know what a stupid mistake this was. You cannot tell your policyholders that their insurance company is going to come up short at the end of the year so they need to increase their premiums AND then send people on vacation! No matter which way you crunch the numbers, it just doesn’t compute.
The icing on this financial mess is Mr. Unhjem’s salary, a whopping $664,000 a year (coincidently, what Mr. Unhjem made in 2005 is the same amount that BCBS raised during their United Way campaign in 2007-08). In this difficult economy, I am sure this number also played a big part in the board’s decision to let him go. If Executive Vice President Tim Huckle will step up and do the job for the interim, BCBS can save some money.
As I said before, the next few months will be hard going for BCBS. They will be looking for a new President and CEO, working on a campaign to raise premiums, and trying to regain the trust and respect of the area. Sounds like a pretty hefty PR package to deal with by January 2010. Unfortunately for them, they will be doing all this hard work without the hopes of an all expenses paid trip at the end of it all!
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