VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – “Howdy” is an informal, friendly greeting primarily associated with the
Southern and Western United States, especially Texas 🙂

Thank you to Columbia Grain International for its continued investment in Valley City. Last week, a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held to celebrate the new Edible Bean Processing Facility. President & CEO Kurt Haarmann emceed a short program headlined by Senator John Hoeven and Congresswoman  Julie Fedorchak. Thank you to our legislators and staff members for arranging their visit to Valley City.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” ~ TS Eliot

Sadly, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was confirmed in Fargo this winter. EAB was also detected just north of Edgeley, ND in the summer of 2024. Unfortunately, it’s only a matter of time before it reaches Valley City and impacts our ash trees. To help mitigate the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), we’ve been proactively removing ash trees over the past five summers. With the aid of grants, we are replacing them with a diverse mix of new species. This approach should make the eventual loss less noticeable and reduce long-term impacts. If we’re fortunate, we may have around five years before the EAB arrives here, giving us additional time to continue removals and replanting.

Last week, I drove out to Bjornson Park Municipal Golf Course to see how the bridge construction is progressing. It’s a great-looking structure that will greatly enhance the beauty of the area. Industrial Builders appears to be doing a nice job; there were numerous work zones operating as efficiently as possible for a bridge project of this scale.

What could have been our largest snowfall of the year may also have been the prettiest. Snow in our area often falls “sideways,” but this snow fell gently and piled up beautifully on fence posts. With street and sidewalk surfaces being warmer, the snow on them melted rather quickly, exposing the bare concrete and asphalt surfaces while leaving a stunning covering of snow on the grass. It was a nice treat.

Thank you to all who provided material and to Sue for proofing this column.

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” ~
Henry Ford

Blessings, Prayers, Respect and Gratitude, Dave Carlsrud mayor of Valley City.