Laurent, South Dakota: Deaf Town

it is nice to have deaf town there. but, they can't force people to stay or lock in. they do come and go. i have read your blog/website (laurentsd.com). the neigbhor of towns and across state do fear of new town as they are concern of future happen what if it became ghost town when any residents are gone or something and environment change on land which once were farm land that you put there. how can it be success in long term(say in 15 year or so) instead fail from all your work and money?since the reservation list sign by mostly csd employee...think can grow from non-csd, out of state or have job without csd? i mean you are battle with political people and neighbor of towns who doubt. i guess across country not know,yet-once the town is half complete might will notice since it is nowhere right in middle of country can be hard to get attention. anyhow, i applause you for your dream for sign community...good luck

p.s any chance of the firm who is builder for laurent have enter level, apprentance or beginner for contruction, carpenter or electrican when the road open and start build any?
 
I think this whole Laurent town planning has been heading in a positive direction. Every project will have its detractors, and for some time I was one of them. I still have my concerns about the project, specifically economic ones, but if the planning crew has been listening, they'll know that's one of their priorities for the success of the town.

If they kept saying, "we don't think it'll be a problem, everything will work out all by itself" then I would be running far, far away. However, from what I'm reading, they've got a plan, and they're working on securing what needs to be done to make this succeed. I think Marv's got his work cut out for him for the next couple of years, but I wish him great luck and if all goes well, who knows, maybe I'll be leaving my cushy, secure, metropolitian, management job to head over that way.
 
It's idealistic not realistic, it would have perhaps worked 90 years ago, not now. I recall Americans setting up a University for deaf people (!),look what has happened there with their 'not deaf enough' ideals. Try THAT in a 'town' situation it will fail straight away. Choice would kill it in 5 years anyway. Hearing woul dpurchase homes, you can't tell them, or their hearing children, how to adapt to you, freedom/rights may well block any 'deaf-only' attempt to discriminate 'positively' toward deaf only. Any such venture will need hearing as well as deaf in it, to foinanically survive, they will then eventually call the tunes too.
 
Passivist said:
It's idealistic not realistic, it would have perhaps worked 90 years ago, not now. I recall Americans setting up a University for deaf people (!),look what has happened there with their 'not deaf enough' ideals. Try THAT in a 'town' situation it will fail straight away. Choice would kill it in 5 years anyway. Hearing woul dpurchase homes, you can't tell them, or their hearing children, how to adapt to you, freedom/rights may well block any 'deaf-only' attempt to discriminate 'positively' toward deaf only. Any such venture will need hearing as well as deaf in it, to foinanically survive, they will then eventually call the tunes too.
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Where did I say Laurent is for deaf people only? There will be no laws to restrict prospective buyers -- hearing or deaf -- from buying a home in Laurent. Only businesses and service providers as well as those running or working for city government will be required to use ASL as direct communication access.

Martha's Vineyard has had 1 out of 25 people being deaf in one town, and 1 out of 125 deaf on the island and the signing lasted for more than 350 years on the island. Not too bad for something of a natural occurrence.

And thanks to those who have posted in support. We really appreciate it. :)

Marvin
 
Or maybe Laurent could end up playing the 'Howls of the Wyndholm' song.

Richard

justlook said:
it is nice to have deaf town there. but, they can't force people to stay or lock in. they do come and go. i have read your blog/website (laurentsd.com). the neigbhor of towns and across state do fear of new town as they are concern of future happen what if it became ghost town when any residents are gone or something and environment change on land which once were farm land that you put there. how can it be success in long term(say in 15 year or so) instead fail from all your work and money?since the reservation list sign by mostly csd employee...think can grow from non-csd, out of state or have job without csd? i mean you are battle with political people and neighbor of towns who doubt. i guess across country not know,yet-once the town is half complete might will notice since it is nowhere right in middle of country can be hard to get attention. anyhow, i applause you for your dream for sign community...good luck

p.s any chance of the firm who is builder for laurent have enter level, apprentance or beginner for contruction, carpenter or electrican when the road open and start build any?
Click to expand...
 
hey

hey I was wonderin if there are any events in dallas and in da metro
place surroundin dallas,tx.
I am a young adult.
And I am tryin to meet other deaf and hoh peeps.
If u know of anything pls feel free to respond.

thanks alot...


***g***
 
sequoias said:
brrrr, cold! Not a place for me to live! I hope they know what they're doing.

The winters in Dakotas can get down below zero in the winter, how exciting is that?
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It's seems too exciting for you to live in :hyper:
 
No, it's not exciting place to live, it's seems like boring, not gay friendly in Sioux Falls and Fred Phelps will around here to dissing at me. NO THANKS!!! :eek:

I will rather to live in Inland Empire and Miami over Sioux Falls... :hyper:
 
Nesmuth said:
Or maybe Laurent could end up playing the 'Howls of the Wyndholm' song.

Richard
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Richard, we have not accepted monetary deposits for our town. All reservations made thus far has been basically a show of interest on their part. No money has been received, other than donations gratefully accepted for our non-profit, 501c3 The Laurent Institute.

And, Wyndholme Village was simply a retirement community. Laurent, SD will be much more than that.

Marvin
 
to me cold weather rocks.. i love cold weather.

there's so much fun to do during winter.. SNOWMOBILING, SKIING, ICE STAKING

i live 2 hours away from souix falls.. the winter here isn't that bad. its not that cold because the huminity level is low.

I don't think i can live there but I will LOVE to go and visit that town when everything's set.
 
marvmiller said:
Where did I say Laurent is for deaf people only? There will be no laws to restrict prospective buyers -- hearing or deaf -- from buying a home in Laurent. Only businesses and service providers as well as those running or working for city government will be required to use ASL as direct communication access.

Martha's Vineyard has had 1 out of 25 people being deaf in one town, and 1 out of 125 deaf on the island and the signing lasted for more than 350 years on the island. Not too bad for something of a natural occurrence.

And thanks to those who have posted in support. We really appreciate it. :)

Marvin
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Well, if you are allowing anyone to set up home there, and the hearing dominate, what will make it any different to any other town ? Martha's vienyard was an isolated community, and folded when they found a road out, what's to stop the same thing happening again ? People move, and travel following the work or whatever, you've moved on from 1 in 25 now. Can we get some FACTS ? how far has this proceeded ?
 
I wouldn't live in South Dakota.

#1 It's TOO COLD for me in the wintertime.

#2 It is too rural for me, out in the middle of nowhere.
 
Passivist said:
Well, if you are allowing anyone to set up home there, and the hearing dominate, what will make it any different to any other town ? Martha's vienyard was an isolated community, and folded when they found a road out, what's to stop the same thing happening again ? People move, and travel following the work or whatever, you've moved on from 1 in 25 now. Can we get some FACTS ? how far has this proceeded ?
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Laurent has a master plan developed from a week long planning session with 15 professional architects and planners as well as about 15 deaf and hard of hearing and hearing signers attending.

We are currently waiting for our funding to close. It has been delayed several times rather significantly, and we hope to see the funding close by end of this month.

As for allowing "anyone" to live in Laurent, sure. Keep in mind, "anyone" can not run for public office, run a business or provide service if they do not know or use sign language. This is a PLANNED community -- that fact alone sets us apart from Martha's Vineyard. Yet, we use them as a model showing that it is possible to have a very healthy community based on sign language, regardless of one's hearing skills.

My point about 1 in 25 people being deaf on the island was that everyone seems to expect we must have deaf majority in Laurent in order to have an effective signing community. This is not true. Yet, we have 60% deaf adults on our reservation list. 40% are hearing. This number is reversed for children. We have 158 people on the reservation list.

Assuming the funding is in place by end of this month, we will be able to break ground in spring of 2007. We need about 8 to 12 months for engineering work for infrastructure (sewer, water, roads, electricity, gas and telecommunications). We hope to have the first families be able to move in by spring 2008.

Marvin
 
is there any people living in laurent now?? Or is the town still on paper--not even started yet??
 
DeafSCUBA98 said:
to me cold weather rocks.. i love cold weather.

there's so much fun to do during winter.. SNOWMOBILING, SKIING, ICE STAKING

i live 2 hours away from souix falls.. the winter here isn't that bad. its not that cold because the huminity level is low.

I don't think i can live there but I will LOVE to go and visit that town when everything's set.
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2 hour east from souix falls? skiing? i thought there is not big mountain out there? west can be but east?
 
marvmiller said:
Assuming the funding is in place by end of this month, we will be able to break ground in spring of 2007. We need about 8 to 12 months for engineering work for infrastructure (sewer, water, roads, electricity, gas and telecommunications). We hope to have the first families be able to move in by spring 2008.

Marvin
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sillycat said:
is there any people living in laurent now?? Or is the town still on paper--not even started yet??
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not yet,,,as note of marvmiller above...
 
justlook said:
2 hour east from souix falls? skiing? i thought there is not big mountain out there? west can be but east?
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Laurent is about 45-60 minutes west of Sioux Falls. It is real rural with corn and/or wheat field on plains (flat). It is the east part of South Dakota. Even though, the west part of South Dakota has forested mountains. It has a few skiing resorts, caves, Mt. Rushmore, etc. It's prettier than East. I have been there twice.
 
justlook said:
2 hour east from souix falls? skiing? i thought there is not big mountain out there? west can be but east?
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u're right there's no mountain.. but there's high hills ;)
 
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