Dear Minot:
Is the divide between eastern and western North Dakota a real thing? Is there really a rivalry between east and west (other than among our sports teams)?
Minot recently hosted a large group of people from the Fargo/Moorhead/West Fargo area, with the intention to showcase some of the industries, facilities, and community spirit that makes Minot unique. It was also a welcome opportunity to remind ourselves and our friends from the east that while the two halves of North Dakota may look different in many aspects, our residents and communities share many common goals, successes, and challenges.
The group included between 35 and 40 people from various walks of life in the Fargo-Moorhead area, including presidents and CEOs of public entities like the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce and Visit Fargo-Moorhead. There was also a long list of presidents, directors, CEOs, program managers, owners, and chiefs of staff from a wide variety of some of the largest private companies in the Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo areas.
The trip included a visit to Williston after the group spent the first day in Minot. The itinerary for the Minot portion of the East West Leadership Visit seemed straight-forward and busy:
- Tour of Minot Air Force Base
- Roundtable discussion with legislators and community leaders
- Tour of the Logistics Park of North Dakota
- Workforce Academy tour
The overall goal of the visit, however, was much more purposeful and powerful than it seemed on paper: Bridging any real or perceived divide between eastern North Dakota and those of us who live in the western portion of the state.
Does such a rivalry exist? Well, I guess that depends on who you ask. But with every event we host or attend that includes our friends from eastern North Dakota, the divide, if it does exist, fades a little more into the background. And that’s a good thing for all of North Dakota.
The recent visit reminded me of when a large contingent of Minot-area public officials and business leaders visited the FMWF area early in my term as mayor. The goal then was much the same as the goal is now: To learn more about each other on a personal level, to gather information about each other on a community level, and to share priorities and common themes on a legislative level.
We achieved all of those, and more, during the recent visit.
Our tour of Minot Air Force Base was particularly eye-opening for a lot of our visitors, many of whom perhaps had only a vague idea of what actually takes place at the base. After our largely hands-on tour of the base, those in attendance walked away with a whole new perspective of Minot AFB’s importance not only to Minot, but to the entire state, our nation, and indeed, to millions of people around the globe.
A lot of us in Minot and the surrounding region may take for granted the globally recognized work being done at the facility just a few miles to the north of our community. But putting CEOs of major corporations from eastern North Dakota in the driver’s seat or the gunner’s post of a fully equipped military vehicle tends to leave lasting impressions.
So does meeting the amazing personnel who make Minot Air Force Base run 365 days a year. The enormity of the responsibility shouldered by the men and women of Minot AFB certainly opened the eyes and minds of everyone on the tour. The commitments of the airmen stationed here are vital to the safety and security of North Dakota, but also play a key role in the United States’ global peacekeeping mission.
Everyone on the tour, no matter their previous level of knowledge about the base or where they live and work, left the facility that day as a supporter of Minot Air Force Base.
The same thing happened when we toured the Logistics Park of North Dakota. I can’t tell you how many people simply weren’t aware of the level of national and global activity at our intermodal facility. In fact, one attendee told me “This is a game-changer.”
Those who live here know Minot is a key player in the past, present, and future success of our entire state. But this visit by our friends from eastern North Dakota allowed us the opportunity to highlight a few of the special things that make Minot unique on so many levels.
Ultimately, this trip and others like it have allowed us to share one simple thing: What’s good for Minot is good for North Dakota. It also reminds those of us in western North Dakota that what’s good for FMWF is good for Minot. Our state’s future depends on all of us.
So, is there a real divide between eastern and western North Dakota? Maybe, but I think whatever divide exists is continually being erased as we realize that we’re all North Dakotans. We share common goals for our residents and our communities, and we face many of the same challenges.
I’ll accept that an east vs. west rivalry exists in sports, and that’s a good thing when it drives good-natured competition. But in real life? Not so much. We all need each other. Our overall successes – on personal, community, and legislative levels – depend on each other more than we think.
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