1994-1995 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest

Alternatives: Proposals For Local Governments Struggling With Limited Resources
Teacher: Julie Krabbenhoft

Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

1st Jon H. Fisch        2nd Paula T. Tenderholt       3rd Brent Berg

“The new plan [requires] one or two full-time directors and several part-timers. With four workers and three pieces of machinery for nine hours, it would cost approximately $120 per hour.
Tonia Cook, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota.

 “Many gang members don't want to live the life they live, but the simple fact is, they feel they have no place to turn; they don't know of any other lifestyle. Many of the gangsters are in gangs because all they know is violence. They don't go out and get jobs, because they were not taught the value of a job. Their outlook on life is totally different from others."
Nicole Schepp, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

 “The scary part of all these gang related crimes, is that they are not just one area of the county, but wide spread and growing. The larger, more powerful gangs are swallowing up the smaller ones. They are becoming more violent...once the gangs do make truce they don't know what to do with themselves next."
Nicole Schepp, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

 “Students are afraid to pass through certain areas because it its the territory of a gang. If this territory has been invaded you better watch your back for the rest of life."
Chad Lane, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

 “Gangs killing gangs, drive-by shootings, and guns in school are all harmful in more than one way. Younger kids who have older brothers who carry guns and are in a gang will most likely grow up to be just like the person that they looked up to when they were a kid. If kids grow up to be like their role models the U.S. is going to be a very unstable place to live...if we would all try to set new morals for younger kids today, then one hundred years from now kids will look at academic role models with good grades instead of kids today who look for role models inhow many people they have killed."
Ronald Scheffler, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

 “Studies of young criminals have found that more than 70 percent of all juveniles in state reform institutions come from fatherless homes. Kids without fathers are forced to find their own ways of doing things. They come up with their own ideas, from friends and from gangs. Nobody is showing them what to do except to be drunk, deal drugs or go to jail. They have no [constructive] role models."
Ryan Hauer, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

 “We allow public figures to do wrong without being punished."
Nicole L. Manning, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

"This assignment took a lot of cooperation and time. I believe it was somewhat of a challenge for our class. Our groups worked really well together. We all had the same goal, which was to finish this on time and do it the best we possibly could."
Tonia Cook, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

"This contest was meant to explore ingenious ways to save money and stretch the resources of our local government. [Our class was] unable to do this because our city government has a surplus of money due to the fact that the city owns its own waterworks, electrical service, street cleaner, telephone service and sewer system. There are very few cities in the country that own their own telephone system as well as electrical system. Because of these things, our city budget has an surplus of approximately $61,000. I think this is pretty good for a city of around 2,000 people."
Brent Berg, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

"Rules. Regulations. Licenses. How much is too much? Studies show that the more information people have, the better choices they'll make. This essay is a compilation of research done on a small rural town in Minnesota called Barnesville, population 2,066."
Paula Tenderholt, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

"In my final analysis, I have come to the conclusion that with all the rules and regulations, there are advantages and disadvantages of living in a small rural town in the Midwest. The disadvantages: fewer people [and less] funds available for community projects. This, in turn, carries over into keeping the facilities going once they are built. Also, many people have to commute to other areas because there aren't enough in-town jobs. On the other hand, the advantages include lower crime rates, more affordable housing, lower taxes and a better learning environment for students because of smaller classes and better student-teacher ratios." Paula Tenderholt, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

 "Three years ago volunteers and donations helped build a new athletic complex which included a football field and track in our city."
Shawn Manning, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

 "Volunteers are vital to the growth of Barnesville. An organization called 'Main Street' is continuously working on ways to improve services. There is also an economic development corporation which has been responsible for bringing new businesses. One community goal is to provide services that will attract new residents. É The results have been positive. É By doing everything that they can for their community, the residents of Barnesville are continually improving their quality of life."
Jamie Nelson, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota

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