Targeting the Future
“You can still get anywhere in five minutes,” says a lifelong Ellendale resident with a smile. For a community of 1,500, Ellendale, North Dakota, offers a wide range of services and opportunities. From a state-of-the art high school that gives students access to the latest technology to a private college, medical clinics, three paramedics, nursing homes and an array of civic associations and service clubs, Ellendale blends a full-service community with the charm of small-town life.
Rooted in farming, and with a strong commitment to family and community, residents of Ellendale have learned to continually adapt and adjust to the ups and downs of an agriculture-based economy. Loss of farms and the resulting economic impact on the area is evident in the numbers. In 1950, there were 1,221 farms in the county; by 1982, that number had declined to 611. With this change came a growing number of people looking for off-farm employment — or moving away from the area altogether. By the year 2000, this decline in the farming economy, combined with an aging population, resulted in an average per capita income for Ellendale of $12,666, well below the national average of $22,199.
Drawing motivation from these statistics, Ellendale residents made a commitment to work towards change. When the Northwest Area Foundation offered an opportunity to participate in a leadership development program, the community jumped on board. This program offered resources and training to strengthen the community’s leadership systems toward the goal of halting economic and population decline.
In April 2004, over 200 Ellendale residents met together to form a vision for where they would like to see their community in five years. Not only did they brainstorm about a bright future, they each made personal commitments to which areas of the vision they were willing to work on.
One area the community targeted for change was cell phone coverage — or the lack thereof. The problem was not only one of inconvenience; it was one with economic impacts. Residents knew that although their town was located right off a main highway, travelers were deterred from stopping for a meal or to shop because of the lack of cell coverage. The lack of coverage also affected small businesses. One business owner explains, “Whenever I was away from my desk, I couldn’t take phone calls and inevitably lost business because people couldn’t reach me.”
Banding together with the nearby communities of Eureka, South Dakota, and Ashley, North Dakota, residents organized a public meeting to launch the “zap the gap” initiative and bring cell phone coverage to the area. At the heart of the “zap the gap” campaign was convincing the North Dakota Public Service Commission, who provides permits for cell towers, of the need for a tower in the area. Commission members were invited to a meeting to hear input from community members. When they arrived, the communities had a surprise. In the theme of the “Can you hear me now?” cell phone ads, the communities had staged a creative tableau with residents walking around town vainly attempting to use cell phones. The message worked. The Public Utilities Commission listened. And a cell tower was soon erected outside of Ellendale.
Watching that cell tower go up in the summer of 2005 provided a tangible, visible win for the people of Ellendale. “The sight of that cell tower reminds us that our community can induce change,” comments one resident. As for small business owners, one man explains, “Now when I’m away from my desk, I just forward my office line to my cell phone and I can run my business much more successfully.”
Another issue the community tackled was affordable housing. With a significant part of the population over the age of 65, adequate housing for Ellendale seniors was scarce. Many seniors remained in their large homes, with much more space than they needed or could afford, because no alternatives existed. Subsequently, there was a lack of open, available homes to attract new families to the area.
Inspired by affordable townhouse developments being built in neighboring states, Ellendale residents set out to see if they could establish similar housing in their community. They quickly learned that a reason this type of housing wasn’t being built in their state was because North Dakota did not have the laws in place to take advantage of Essential Function Bonds. These tax-exempt bonds make it easier for communities to raise funds to build moderate-priced housing.
Undaunted by the complexity of the legal jargon, Ellendale again partnered with its neighboring communities and convinced state legislators to write a bill to change North Dakota state law. Community members made multiple trips to the state capitol to testify, and on Aug. 1, 2005, Senate Bill 2227 took effect. Immediately thereafter, a resident-run Housing Authority was set up in Ellendale to manage this new venture, resulting in two new multifamily, moderate-income
4-plex units. The new housing is “senior friendly” with no stairs and is now inspiring similar ventures throughout the state.
Some of the changes in Ellendale have been less tangible than the cell tower and housing projects. The face of leadership has also changed. While Ellendale had a solid base of leaders, that base has expanded in the last few years. New people have stepped forward to become involved and take on leadership roles — from high school students to stay-at-home moms. This expanded leadership base is vital to small communities like Ellendale, where it is a challenge to get beyond the STP — same ten people — who historically run everything and who are overcommitted and strapped for time. Increasing numbers of Ellendale residents choose to live in the community because of the quality of life and schools, even if their jobs necessitate commuting to the larger city of Aberdeen, about 35 miles away.
New partnerships and alliances have also intensified. Ellendale’s commitment to new, moderate-priced housing caught the attention and interest of Trinity Bible College. Ellendale lured the college to town in 1972 by selling it a 28-acre campus for $1. Given that Ellendale is nearly crime-free and family-oriented, the college has long marketed itself to young married students. The positive impact of Trinity Bible College on Ellendale blossomed from the get-go as students provided an economic boost to the community by filling the growing number of affordable, vacant houses all over town. Ellendale’s willingness to continue to tackle affordable housing issues helps deepen the already strong link between the college and the community. Not surprisingly, many Trinity Bible College students grow rooted to Ellendale and stay permanently, post-graduation, often as teachers at the college — with many more who would stay if they could find local employment.
As Ellendale plans to commemorate its 125th birthday in 2007, there is much to celebrate. More than new housing and cell towers, Ellendale possesses an inspiring embracement of change, focusing on their assets and economic opportunities for the whole community.