Bowdon Development Center Holds Annual Meeting
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Entertained by 2/3 of the always wonderful but now disbanded Pea Pickers band, filled with a large variety of potluck dishes reflecting the use of local foods, and superbly informed about the local economy by Lance Brower, NDSU Extension Agent for Stutsman County, residents of the Bowdon area enjoyed the Bowdon Development Center, Inc. (BDCI) Annual Meeting held Monday evening in the Bowdon City Park.
Board secretary Freida Tebelius reported that BDCI has a record number of memberships, spurred by the quarterly issuance of a local newspaper, The Bowdon Guardian. Along with many new members, elections also brought new faces to the board. Two three-year terms were filled by newcomers Pam Stewart and Ellis La Porte, Jr. Vivian Miller was elected to fill the remaining one year term vacated by Mike Weihemuller, while Wayne Fuhrman was reelected to another three year term. Outgoing members LeAnn Hart and Linda Schander were praised for their hard work and outstanding service to the community. The board will be very busy in the coming year with expanding Bowdon’s economic base and serving as the umbrella for grants applications and other programs.
President Patti Patrie outlined the past year’s activities, many of which centered on the Horizons Program sponsored by the North West Area Foundation. The last portion of Horizons consists of applying for an $8500 grant, due by the end of June. Patrie also praised the Campground Board for their ongoing efforts and reported a substantial increase in campground usage resulting in higher net revenues.
A real highlight of the evening was the PowerPoint™ presentation and talk by Lance Brower. Using a sophisticated data analysis tool called IMPLAN and data gathered from BDCI, as well as governmental and other sources, Brower illustrated how each local business impacts other businesses and the local economy. He showed the attentive crowd how the addition of one employee, or better yet, a new business would increase the community’s economic base and have an overall impact. He also explained how shopping at home has multiple benefits for the community and its residents.
The final—and fun—activity was the passing of the Bowdon Duck and the drawing for door prizes. To the applause of the crowd, Pam Stewart passed the duck to Freida Tebelius for her participation on many boards and leadership in community activities. The lucky winner of the grand prize—one share of equity stock in the Bowdon Community Cooperative—was Lyle Hettledvedt, who now has a stake in the future of the Bowdon community!