Each quarter in 2022, the Norwood Chamber of Commerce will highlight many of its business members. On deck for the first quarter of the year are the chamber’s non profit and community organization members.
In a town the size of Norwood, it is crucial for everyone to come together to make really anything happen. At the heart of Wright’s Mesa lies its non profit and community organizations. These organizations, many of which are entirely volunteer run, provide a plethora of services to the community that otherwise would not be available. The Norwood Chamber of Commerce recognizes its non profit and community organizations as being vital to the community. They are movers and shakers, the key to its future growth and success.
Lone Cone Library
The mission of the Lone Cone Library is to cultivate an inquisitive, inclusive, and thoughtful community by connecting people with resources both emerging and traditional; connecting people with people; and connecting people with opportunity.
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Norwood Dark Sky Advocates
Norwood Dark Sky Advocates is a community effort to reduce light pollution and preserve a very rare local resource, our wonderful night sky.
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West End Economic Development Corporation
The Purpose of WEEDC is to create and encourage an inviting, pro-business environment, integrated with our independent spirit and friendly culture, while capitalizing on our natural and historic resources.
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Lone Cone Library
1455 Pinion Street | P.O. Box 127, Norwood, CO 81423
Phone: (970) 327-4833
Email: [email protected]
What is your name and what is your position with Lone Cone Library?
Carrie Andrew
Library Director
What is your favorite thing about working for Lone Cone Library?
I love that every day is different and that the scope of our services is so broad that it allows us to serve the community in a variety of ways.
When was Lone Cone Library founded?
Originally founded in 1939 by Norwood Study Club. Became a legal taxing district in 1979.
Give a brief history of Lone Cone Library.
The Norwood Public Library was first established in 1939 by the Ladies’ Study Club in a one room log cabin, one of the first homesteads and donated by Gladys Herndon. The cabin was disassembled and moved by truck to a property at the corner of Summit and Spruce streets where it was reassembled.
In 1979, the Library District was established by ballot. The library was expanded in the 1980s to a second room and again in 1996, at which time the entire building was renovated under the watchful eye of Director Barbara Youngblood. After her retirement in May of 2010, Carrie Andrew was hired as the new director. The library was well-used but not able to meet the evolving needs of the community.
In 2012, the Library purchased twelve acres of land on Pinion St. 8 acres were later sold to San Miguel County for future housing development. The district name was officially changed in 2013 to the Lone Cone Library District.
After many years of planning and gathering community feedback, the Library passed a mill levy in 2016 to allow for the building and subsequent operations of a new library facility. Work on the new facility broke ground in May of 2018 and opened to the public in May, 2019.
In September of 2019, the Lone Cone Library was named Library of the Year by the Colorado Association of Libraries for the extreme effort and community support that it took to create a resource of such magnitude in a community of our size. At this time, the library is focusing on expanding programs and community partnerships to bring a variety and plethora of opportunities to our community.
Our next big project is to begin conceptual design of the development of our grounds. This is an exciting project where we plan to partner with other community organizations as we envision an educational, relaxing and inspiring space for citizens and visitors the same.
How many employees does Lone Cone Library have?
10
What products and services does Lone Cone Library offer?
Rental of books, DVDs, disc golf discs, pickle ball sets, telescopes, rooms and very soon Nordic skis.
Programs: Yoga, book clubs, lunches for kids, craft nights, children’s programs afterschool, adult programming, Dungeons and Dragons, computer training, gymnastics for kids, Spanish programming.
We provide free WIFI and computer use. Legal reference materials. Special collections from climbers Charlie Fowler and Adrian Burgess. Visitor Center within the library.
Who are Lone Cone Library’s primary or target audiences?
We serve anyone and everyone.
Which geographical areas does Lone Cone Library provide its services?
Norwood, Wright’s Mesa, Deer Mesa, San Miguel County, Montrose County
What are Lone Cone Library’s primary goals?
In 2022, we have three library centric goals and three community based goals. Library Development goals focus on:
1. Board training and Policy Review,
2. Marketing and
3. Site Development.
Community Initiatives around which we plan to provide support are:
1. Water education/information,
2. Cultural Preservation and
3. Growth Planning.
What would you say are Lone Cone Library’s most popular services?
People love the library for its programs and Internet access.
Where do you see Lone Cone Library in the next 1-2 years? How about in the next 5-10 years?
In the next two years, we hope to have diversified our programming to meet the needs of all groups and sub cultures within our community.
Within five years, we plan to have completed our site development project.
What is unique about Lone Cone Library?
We don’t expect you to spend money each time you use our restrooms or Internet.
What would you consider to be Lone Cone Library’s greatest achievement?
We built a new facility which opened in May 2019. We are now poised to meet the needs of a growing community.
How does Lone Cone Library give back to the community of Wright’s Mesa and surrounding areas?
We provide a $500 scholarship to a graduating senior each year.
Our organization serves as a convener and connector within the community, working to move initiatives and ideas forward.
If there was just one thing you would like to see in the future to help improve the lives of the residents of Wright’s Mesa, what would it be?
A more stable and diversified economy that retained the legacy of the founders but adapted to the changes of time.
Norwood Dark Sky Advocates
What is your name and what is your position with Norwood Dark Sky Advocates?
Creighton “Woody” Wood
President
What is your favorite thing about running Norwood Dark Sky Advocates?
Feeling that I’m making a difference that will outlast me.
When was Norwood Dark Sky Advocates founded?
2015
Give a of history about Norwood Dark Sky Advocates.
In February 2015, two Norwood citizens independently considered approaching IDA for a Dark Sky Community designation. Town Clerk Gretchen Wells, who had read about Dark Sky Communities, decided that this could provide a great boost to Norwood’s reputation and economy. The other, Dr. Bob Grossman, a University of Colorado retiree and part-time resident, heard an article on NPR radio about Ridgway and Dark Sky Communities, and also saw the same opportunity. Within a day each had contacted IDA about the Community Designation procedure.
Since Town Clerk Wells did not want to confuse her Town duty with an independent citizen effort, Dr. Grossman quickly got the support of a fellow scientist, Creighton Wood, and they created a small group that eventually emerged as the Norwood Dark Sky Community, later renamed Norwood Dark Sky Advocates (NDSA). As co-leaders of that group, they joined IDA and submitted a nomination letter on October 31, 2016. The Town of Norwood Board of Trustees formally supported our effort to obtain IDA Dark Sky Community designation.
The following are just a sample of the community organizations that support the NDSA effort: The Board of County Commissioners for San Miguel County, Norwood’s parent county; the Board of County Commissioners for Montrose County, Norwood’s closest neighbor county; a United States Senator; the National Forest Service District Ranger; the Black Canyon Astronomical Society of Montrose, Colorado; many businesses and individual citizens in the town and surrounding area. The Longmont Astronomical Society’s Board member, David Elmore, is also a strong supporter of the NDSA effort.
The Norwood Chamber of Commerce has embraced the Dark Sky designation effort and has included Norwood’s Dark Sky as an attraction to the town in several ways.
The NDSA received a financial grant from a local foundation to support the IDA designation effort. With some of that money three Unihedron 20° F.O.V. Sky Quality Meters (SQM) were purchased and a year-long observation program was initiated to substantiate quantitatively the darkness of the sky in the local area.
The SQM observational program was submitted to IDA’s John Barentine and was enthusiastically approved. It calls for a training program for all observers and an observational form to record the observations in a standardized manner. The form includes space to record the raw measurements plus ambient and instrument temperatures because SQMs are slightly temperature sensitive, remarks about sky cover, and both nearby and distant light sources. IDA has requested using our plan as an example for future Dark Sky Communities. It took 3 1/2 years to get the Dark Sky Land Use Codes into the Norwood Building Permit requirements, to collect statements of support from local citizens, and to complete the SQM survey.
In February 2019 we received the call that the Town of Norwood Colorado had been designated as an International Dark Sky Community! We were the 22nd IDSC in the world, the Second in Colorado, and the First on the Western Slope. NDSA continues to educate the citizens of Norwood and the surrounding area about the effects of Light Pollution and to inspire many of them to take up the hobby of astronomy.
How many employees does Norwood Dark Sky Advocates have?
None. We are made up entirely of volunteers.
What products or services does Norwood Dark Sky Advocates offer?
Community education with goal of keeping Norwood’s nighttime sky unpolluted from artificial lights.
Who are Norwood Dark Sky Advocates primary or target audiences?
Residents and businesses in the Norwood and the West End of San Miguel and Montrose Counties.
Which geographical areas does Norwood Dark Sky Advocates provide services?
Norwood and the West End of San Miguel and Montrose Counties.
What are Norwood Dark Sky Advocates primary goals?
- Advocate for the protection of the night sky.
- Promote environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.
- Empower the public with the tools and resources to help bring back the night.
- Educate the public and land-owners about the advantages of using Dark-Sky certified lighting fixtures and equipment for the environment, their security, and their bottom-line.
- Encourage the community, businesses, government agencies and leaders by helping them recognize the economic benefits of adopting non-light-polluting practices and preserving our dark nighttime sky.
- Promote the science of astronomy within the local community by educational news stories, public lectures, and star parties.
- Promote the formation of an Astronomy Club for all ages, concentrating upon Middle and High School students.
- Promote the Norwood area as a destination for serious astronomers, astronomical societies and clubs.
- Extend the Dark Sky certification process in the region by helping neighboring towns and areas with their effort .
What would you say are Norwood Dark Sky Advocate’s most popular product or service?
Educational activities, most often held at the Lone Cone Library. And Norwood’s night sky, which is among the darkest in the U.S.
Where do you see Norwood Dark Sky Advocates in the next 1-2 years? How about in the next 5-10 years?le
We are hopeful that Norwood will become even more of a draw to people wanting to experience the night sky as it was over 100 years ago and as it can become again.
What is unique about Norwood Dark Sky Advocates?
We are a non profit that is working to preserve and improve a valuable resource – work that costs nothing and, in fact, saves money, saves energy, reduces a variety of pollutants, and improves the local economy.
What would you consider to be Norwood Dark Sky Advocates greatest accomplishment?
Preserving the Norwood’s night sky as among the darkest in the U.S.
How does Norwood Dark Sky Advocates give back to the community of Wright’s Mesa and/or surrounding areas?
By being designated as an International Dark Sky Community we are hopeful that astro-tourism will come to Norwood to view our beautiful dark sky, stay for a while in our lodging businesses, visiting our shops and restaurants, and then telling their friends all about it.
If there was just one thing you would like to see in the future to help improve the lives of the residents of Wright’s Mesa, what would it be?
To see the area designated as IDA Dark Sky Places expanded throughout southwest U.S.
West End Economic Development Corporation
217 W. Main Street | P.O. Box 645 Naturita, Colorado 81422
Phone: 970.865.2499 | 970.428.1099
Email: [email protected]
What is your name and what is your position with WEEDC?
Deana Sheriff
Executive Director
What is your favorite thing about working for WEEDC?
We love seeing our small businesses thrive and succeed!
When was WEEDC founded?
2013
Give a brief history of WEEDC.
The West End Economic Development Corporation, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 2013 to create and encourage a friendly pro-business environment in the West End of Montrose County. This organization approached that by nurturing and developing entrepreneurs and new business owners, supporting existing employers and small business owners, and recruiting new industries and primary jobs to the region.
How many employees does WEEDC have?
2
What products or services does WEEDC offer?
Small Business Development and Consulting – business planning, business trainings and classes, obtaining financing for startups and improvements.
Site Selection Assistance – creating opportunities to attract and retain businesses in the West End Community Relations and Support – grant writing support, public relations, support to municipalities on major projects.
Marketing of the West End and our small businesses through collaboration with the local chambers of commerce and municipalities.
Who are WEEDC’s primary or target audiences?
Employers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.
Which geographical areas does WEEDC provide services?
Norwood, Naturita, Nucla, Redvale, Paradox, and Bedrock
What are WEEDC’s primary goals?
WEEDC operates on three goals that provided the framework for achieving a pro-business environment while maintaining the West End culture and community.
- Ensure that the West End has the resources needed to support business expansion, formation, and attraction.
- Provide a regulatory environment and the infrastructure to support culturally compatible business development.
- Build on the strong sense of identity in the West End to become a magnet for diverse talent on the Western Slope.
What would you say are WEEDC’s most popular products or services?
Small business development and consulting, community relations and support.
Where do you see WEEDC in the next 1-2 years? How about in the next 5-10 years?le
In 1-2 years, WEEDC would like to continue to provide support to our small businesses, employers, and entrepreneurs. Seeing all of our Main Street store fronts is important to us!
In 5-10 years, we would like to see lots of funding coming in to our communities via infrastructure, water storage, and façade improvement support. We intend to continue to provide guidance to our municipalities are we all navigate the housing projects that are soon to be coming!
What is unique about WEEDC?
WEEDC is a membership organization, that fosters partnerships with state, regional, and local organizations that share our interests. Our current partners and members in business and government allow us to bring in resources, financing and incentives, cut red tape and break down barriers to job creation.
WEEDC also offers co-working space in Naturita at The Collective Mine. The Collective Mine provides private office space, shared and dedicated desk space, a large conference room, and a commercial kitchen.
What would you consider to be WEEDC’s greatest accomplishment?
WEEDC’s greatest accomplishment will always be our small businesses and our communities successes!
How does WEEDC give back to the community of Wright’s Mesa and/or surrounding areas?
WEEDC is always providing our services at a free or very low cost. Small business development and consulting at a free or low cost gives our businesses the ability to focus on what is most important to them. Providing grant writing and community relations to our local organizations gives our municipalities and our non profit organizations the ability to focus on our community first and foremost without the worry of funds.
If there was just one thing you would like to see in the future to help improve the lives of the residents of Wright’s Mesa, what would it be?
Collaboration! Let’s do the most possible to provide opportunities for our businesses!
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