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Summer interns learn, develop new projects in Imperial

Three college student interns with Rural Prosperity Nebraska arrived in Imperial the end of May to participate in the Rural Fellows Program.
The interns came here to learn more about rural communities and what makes them vibrant—working under the tutelage of co-leaders Tyler Pribbeno, Jo Leyland and Jill Moline.
They spent the last couple of months working to contribute ideas toward the city’s community development program and implement some of them while here.  
One of the students from Phoenix, Arizona was unable to stay to complete the internship.
The other two interns completed their time here last Thursday.
 Isaac Archuleta of Brainard is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will be a senior this fall at UNL majoring in business administration with a minor in communications studies.
Joel Kreifels of Nebraska City recently graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney with a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in philosophy.
When the two young men arrived in Imperial, they each had preconceived ideas of what to expect.
Kreifels comes from a town of 7,300 people, so he thought, “This might be awful. There won’t be access to as many things to do, and shortened store hours will make convenience difficult.”
He discovered quickly how convenience is not all that necessary if you adjust your activities to fit availability of schedules in town, he said.
“I was surprised there was more to do than I thought there would be. You just have to look for things to be involved in,” Kreifels said.
 He also said he really enjoyed being here and meeting people.
Archuleta said he was expecting a close-knit rural community having come from an even smaller town of 420 people.
What he wasn’t expecting was how progressive this community is, he said.
“I wasn’t expecting the diversities of businesses and ample opportunities that exist here,” he added.
Accomplishments
Time was short, so they worked on a lot of projects all at once­—as many as 20-30 projects, said Pribbeno, Community Development Director.
“Our main focus was more on the people in the community and visitors to our town,” he said.
“Each intern’s unique expertise brought new light to possibilities for the community,” Pribbeno added.
One of Archuleta’s interests is how trees benefit communities by helping as windbreaks, preventing soil erosion and improving soil drainage, as well as providing shade and aesthetic beauty.
“I inventoried the number of trees in public places and their health (excluding trees in windbreaks), and found there were around 650 trees in town,” said Archuleta.
He discovered a good variety of different tree species, but with an aging population of trees mostly at the courthouse and in the Max Addition.
“A plan should be put in place to replace those trees within the next 10 years,” he said.
“We did lots and lots of research while here and have gotten two, and possibly three, grants approved for community projects so far,” Kreifels said.
One of the grants is for a “mini-park” close to the downtown area.
“This park will offer outside seating for downtown business people to sit and have lunch or just relax,” Kreifels added.
“The idea behind this mini-park will not only have trees, grass and seating close to downtown, but it will provide types of ‘canvases’ for people to feature their artistic talents and hopefully share some history of the town by telling stories through their art from their unique perspectives,” he said.
Other projects that were started was the banner slogan project, future plans for a town square, more affordable housing, installation of a permanent splash pad in the future and the farmer’s market that has gotten off to a good start for people to continue implementing themselves, Kreifels said.
Another big win was improving the existing city website with more refined material and many photos of the community, Pribbeno said.
“A strong digital presence is very important for a community to grow and prosper,” Kreifels added.
Educating the public on the importance of recycling was a topic of importance with Pribbeno and both interns.
“Not only does recycling help the environment, but it can save money by not having to buy as many toter stickers,” said Kreifels.
The two implemented the addition of new recycling toters in parks around town.
The recycle toters are placed next to the trash toters and  marked for people to dispose of cans and bottles to encourage the recycling habit.
Another project the interns were excited about but didn’t get to start was putting a fishing pond inside the city limits for the public to use.
“We hope that the idea will move forward after we leave because it would provide a great opportunity to bring people together to go fishing, have picnics and just connect with each other—all with no cost to them,” Kreifels said.
Another idea worth mentioning for down the road was some kind of historical recognition for the bureau houses along East 4th Street that were built in 1947 for workers who were building the Enders Dam.
“Preserving the historical value of a town is important, ” Pribbeno said.
What was learned
Both interns said they formed close connections within the community and learned how things function in city government.
“People don’t realize all that goes on behind the scenes of the city offices,” said Archuleta.
“I have lived the same place all my life, so coming to this community, hearing about its history and how more history can be shaped in the community, I have gained a new appreciation of my own home town and the amenities that exist there,” he said.
Archuleta talked about how he made connections and friendships while in Imperial and was excited about projects they got a good start on, both tangible and intangible.
“My experience here has reaffirmed that I do want to live in a smaller town, build connections to be part of that community and I want to be involved in town organizations and have a say in things,” said Archuleta.
Small communities need more diversity of businesses to grow into a vibrant community, he added.
 Kreifels said, “Working here this summer has solidified my desire to work in local government. I want to be part of a community.”
He said he gained an understanding of a more rural place, its differences and its commonalities with bigger communities.
“I have a new perspective since getting to know people here,” Kreifels said.
The two interns also involved themselves in volunteering around the community.

 

The Imperial Republican

308-882-4453 (Phone)

622 Broadway St

PO Box 727

Imperial, NE 69033