Challenges Met and More to Come in Grafton

Challenges Met and More to Come in Grafton

Grafton, North Dakota, sits in the far northeast corner of the state, 45 miles south of Canada, 11 miles west of the Minnesota border and in the flood plain of the Red River. The south branch of the Park River flows eastward through this community of about 4,500 people. Although farming peaked in the late 1940s and has been declining ever since, agriculture is still crucial to the local economy. While many small towns are losing population in North Dakota, Grafton is looking to draw people in.

Growth is a big issue for Grafton. The community's economic development director explains the challenges. "Trying to get primary sector businesses into the community requires that we have money, buildings and labor. We do a good job supporting businesses with our school, hospital and nice roads, but we need to have a good labor pool and financial resources."

A leadership program called LEAD has been in Grafton for a dozen years. Working to build civic leadership, LEAD has brought some 15 local leaders through its program, offering skills development and fostering community awareness. Participants meet monthly to learn about new topics, tour local facilities, talk about the government process and advocate at the state legislature. LEAD hopes citizens will become involved, be ambassadors for Grafton and even consider running for local office.

Recently, the community augmented LEAD by participating in Horizons, a community leadership program sponsored by the Northwest Area Foundation. One resident recalls, "Horizons worked well and was the best program we have ever had, I think. It formalized part of our program into a half-day of direct leadership training, and LEAD participants really enjoyed it."

Australian leadership trainer, David Beurle, came to town as a part of Horizons and told local leaders, "You've got the resources of a community of over 20,000 here." These include a hospital, chiropractic clinic and three dentists. Grafton also boasts a state-of-the-art developmental center for the mentally disabled. Main Street is active, and recently, an entrepreneur has opened a pharmacy in town. The local housing market has gotten to the point where realtors are looking for houses to sell.

A couple of years ago, Grafton leaders put significant effort into attracting and winning Marvin Windows & Doors to the community. They came as part of one of the biggest economic development partnerships in the area in years. Partners included the cities of Grafton, Park River and Grand Forks, plus Walsh County and, of course, Marvin Windows. In Grafton, Marvin Windows now employs about 500 people.

Part of the attraction of Grafton is that it is a caring community. One family in town who was stricken with an unusual critical illness was recently blessed by Grafton's caring when 1,400 people showed up and raised over $70,000 for health care costs for its children. When a third of a town shows up and digs deep, that's pretty amazing.

One town leader expresses a vision for Grafton: "My vision for this town is that I'd like a place that is civically engaged, where it's part of my children's duty to participate and help make it a better place. The most local dollars are the most flexible ones, and we need creativity for that flexibility."

Meanwhile, Grafton's LEAD program has had a solid impact on the community over the years. One of their projects was a new K-6 and high school complex. "LEAD took that on, and did a lot of educating of voters. Time for the levy vote came, and it passed. We got our new school," a leader reports. "Plus we also installed a community cable TV program in town.

"Right now, we're addressing some housing problems and trying to attract new townspeople. Our population needs to increase to 5,000 or we lose some highway funds from the state. Last census was about 500 people short of that goal, and 2010 is the deadline. Housing lots are selling for a dollar apiece, and we're highlighting that in a marketing campaign. There's also a cash incentive fund -- if people stay in the area for ten years, they receive $10,000." The message? Come to Grafton and stay.