2011 Community Profile 2011 Chamber of CommerCe resourCe Guide Grand forks, nd east Grand forks, mn 1 2 Family Owned and Operated Since 1939 Open 6 a.m. to Midnight 7 Days a Week! 8 Locations to Serve You! Grand Forks East Grand Forks Crookston Thief River Falls Jamestown gohugos.com 1325 South Columbia Road 1950 32nd Ave South hugoswineandspirits.com CHECK US OUT We have many in store SPECIALS! Please use our products responsibly 3 loCation and Community profile “Grand Forks and East Grand Forks pride themsleves on being very safe places to live.” Location is everything! You’ll find that to be true when you visit the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area. Located in northeastern North Dakota and urban areas and the safety and convenience of a small northwestern Minnesota, the community is just a community. The Grand Cities area is impressively short drive from the friendly confines of our neighbor cosmopolitan, boasting a regional population of over to the north, Canada. The community is conveniently 97,000. Grand Forks and East Grand Forks are largely residential. located just off U.S. Interstate 29, which makes it a Most of the people who work here also live here, and the short drive from anywhere. predominant form of housing is single-family homes. Some of the features that make the cities a great place to live are diverse educational opportunities, safety and Community profile better place, thanks to the people. low crime rate, parks and theaters, and a cost of living The Grand Forks/East Grand Forks We invite you to experience it for considerably lower than that found in large cities. area is a place for families to grow yourself. Greater Grand Forks offers excellent educational and learn together, where families Welcome to picture-perfect opportunities. Grand Forks is home to the University of play ball in the backyard and kids neighborhoods, where turn-of- North Dakota (UND), renowned as being among the nation’s rollerblade in the streets. The area the-century Victorian homes meet best medium-sized doctoral-research universities. UND is a place for families to thrive and modern architecture. Clean streets is one of only 40 universities in the nation to have both inspire. lie under broad canopies of shade a medical school and a law school. East Grand Forks is People are a little kinder here. trees. Children still open lemonade home to one of two campuses of Northland Community and Neighbors are happy to lend each stands and adults actually still stop Technical College, offering certificates, diplomas, degrees, other a hand, and strangers say to buy a glass. We cherish our safe general-education transfer courses, and workforce training hello. Families are a little stronger communities. We believe that, in a and continuing-education programs. here, too. It’s all thanks to a place where neighborhoods are still The Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area has a strong community spirit that brings our neighborly, the American dream and varied faith community. Nearly 50 faith structures cities together for many unique really can come true. adorn our cities, representing more than 16 religions and celebrations like First Night and Our communities offer an denominations. Cats Incredible and events like Art environment with the great No matter what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the Fest and the Potato Bowl. It’s a amenities offered in larger right place. Here you’ll find diverse cultural, entertainment, Partner with UND to Enhance Your Workforce! Quality consulting services for • Human Resources • Employee Retention and more! Office of Workforce Development v 701.777.2313 v professionalservices.und.edu 4 military and publiC safety bureau, and conducts the very popular Friends & Neighbors’ Day biannual open house. There are educational opportunities available at the base as well. The education center offers several degree programs from accredited universities across educational, recreational and the country for ideal community- the country — many of which are open to the general public. employment opportunities. You’ll military relations and partnerships. The Grand Cities are proud neighbors and partners with also find people you’ll be proud to The base was awarded the Air the men and women serving at the Grand Forks Air Force call “friends.” Force Outstanding Unit Award for Base. The positive relationships we have built have had 2004–2005. lasting impacts, as a number of retirees choose to call our Grand forks The Grand Forks Air Force Base community home and are active residents of the Grand Forks/ air forCe base is home to the 319th Air Refueling East Grand Forks area. Located 14 miles west of Grand Wing. The base has been actively Forks, the Grand Forks Air Force involved in the global war on terror, publiC safety Base is home to about 2,000 including participation in homeland The cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks pride people. Our communities have defense and Operations Enduring themselves on being very safe places to live. Both Grand hosted the Grand Forks Air Force Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, with Forks and East Grand Forks have a crime index much lower Base for nearly 50 years. The its members continually deploying than the national average. base employs more than 3,000 overseas. East Grand Forks and Grand Forks both have police military personnel and civilians, Grand Forks Air Force Base is departments that are involved in their respective with an annual payroll of about currently in a transition process of communities. East Grand Forks and Grand Forks both have $130 million and a total economic changing the base’s mission from police departments that are involved in their respective impact in the community of over an aerial refueling mission to an $433 million. Unmanned Aerial System (UASs) In 1998 and 2005, our mission. The base is expected to communities were presented with receive the Predator MQ-1 and the the Abilene Trophy, the Air Mobility Global Hawk RQ-4. Currently, the Command’s highest honor for Department of Homeland Security recognizing community-based fly’s and operates their Predator’s relationships and support. The from Grand Forks Air Force Base. Grand Cities continue to set the The base offers free tours to standards and are a model around groups, maintains a speaker’s table of Contents Location and Community Profile ...................................... 4 Senior Living ................................................................. 16 The Military and Public Safety ......................................... 5 Culture and Entertainment............................................ 17 Economy and Commerce ................................................. 6 Real Estate.................................................................... 19 Recreation and Festivals ................................................. 8 Education ...................................................................... 20 Athletic Events .............................................................. 12 Membership Directory.................................................... 24 Health Care ................................................................... 13 Catagorical Listing........................................................ 43 Photos in this book were provided courtesy of the following people: Chuck Kimmerle – UND, John Vasichek – RRFN, Ralph Engelstad Arena, GGF Convention & Visitors Bureau, ND Ballet Company, Northland Community & Technical College, Tim Goetz – Optimist Club, Wes Peck, Michaela Schell - REAC, GF Police Department, Altru Health System, SPA, John Borge & JLG Architects, GF Greenway, Smoke Free Grand Forks, Laura Schostag, University of North Dakota, The Chamber and Mike Orness (River Cities Speedway). 5 eConomy and CommerCe “The Grand Cities have a growing economy with strong business leaders.” communities. In East Grand Forks, diversity and Growth tend to be more well-known and have a more readily a police department of over 20 Grand Forks and East Grand Forks apparent economic impact, the importance of the small officers works closely with the local offer many diverse businesses the businesses cannot be discounted. Of the nearly 3,500 schools on a variety of programs. opportunity for success and steady businesses in the area, nearly half employ less than five The department provides officers growth. This is revealed throughout people. The region supports these small businesses in to speak to community groups that the communities, from the a number of ways. Grand Forks is home to two business make a request. downtown areas lying on either bank incubators dedicated to encouraging entrepreneurship and In Grand Forks, a force of of the Red River of the North, to the innovation in the region. nearly 80 officers includes seven outlying Industrial Park in Grand The Grand Forks Industrial Park continues to grow and community resource officers who Forks, to the American Crystal Sugar includes over 30 businesses, ranging from an Amazon. are assigned to wards in the city. plant in East Grand Forks. com call center to Cirrus Design, a manufacturer of light The Community Service Bureau’s There are approximately 2,500 aircraft. In East Grand Forks, agricultural processing is one philosophy is to interact in a businesses in the area, employing of the main employment sectors. positive way with citizens to not only over 35,000 people. Businesses reduce crime, but also improve the range from small to very large, shoppinG and dininG quality of life for everyone. and many of them were started The retail sector