Sandra Drees

The Lewiston EDA, with the assistance of CEDA team member Dusty Liston, has secured over $13,000 in funding for three community projects in Lewiston. Liston led the application process for three distinct grants, resulting in funding for the installation of new decorative city banners, two hydration stations, and new and improved swing sets at the city’s parks.

The first grant, worth $2,000, was awarded by MiEnergy and Dairyland Power Cooperative for purchasing new decorative city banners that will be placed throughout Lewiston. These banners aim to beautify the city and create a more welcoming atmosphere for visitors.

The second grant, valued at $4,800, was awarded by the Minnesota Department of Health and will finance the installation of two hydration stations at St. John’s Lutheran School and City Hall. Liston’s efforts in pursuing this grant will provide cleaner drinking water and reduce the use of single-use plastics at these locations.

The Winona Community Foundation awarded a $6,872.50 grant, which will fund new and improved swing sets at the city’s parks, offering safer recreation options for kids and their families in the city.

Lewiston EDA chair John Nienow stated that the EDA will continue to pursue small grants to improve the city’s amenities, building on a track record of success. “The Lewiston EDA will continue to pursue more small grants for the city and assist other small businesses in town with receiving them too. We believe that the citizens of Lewiston will be pleased with a cleaner drinking option both at the community center and the school,” Nienow said.

Liston’s commitment to securing these grants has supported economic development and growth in Lewiston. The EDA’s mission is to support existing businesses in the City of Lewiston and attract new businesses to enhance the city’s economic strength. Thanks to CEDA’s efforts, the community will soon enjoy the benefits of these new projects.

“It is my pleasure working on these small grants to improve the city’s economic development opportunities and visibility,” Liston said. “We want more people to come and check out this great town!”

Every year, students at the Lake Crystal-Wellcome-Memorial School District, like their counterparts across the state, take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments tests. The school district faced a challenge of finding something for non-testing students to do while their peers took the tests. This year, CEDA team member Amber Patten worked with the district to create a service learning and career event for non-testing students.

“There were two grades not testing, 12th grade and ninth grade, so we set up that they went to the elementary school and we created ‘Senior Give Back Day’- where seniors served breakfast, helped the teachers out and gave back to the school they attended as kids.”

For the ninth graders, Patten organized a career morning where students could learn about different career options. She used a career wheel with six colors and invited two businesses from each of those color wheels to participate. The speakers presented for 20 minutes each about their careers and businesses, offering students insight into the work, training, and education needed to pursue those paths.

“I created a list of questions the students could ask the speakers to keep the conversation going” Patten said. “I started with the Lake Crystal businesses and branched out to the Mankato area as well. I made a lot of phone calls and researched businesses in the area.” The participating businesses included Madelia Health, Lake Crystal Chiropractic, MN State Southern Agriculture, Down’s Food Group, Midwest IT Systems, Lime Valley, Hopemeier Construction, Hatanpa Insurance Agency, MN State Patrol, MN Star Bank, Tru Real Estate, and the Mankato State University Student Exec Team ROTC.

By mixing career learning with service opportunities, the event gave participating students the chance to serve their younger counterparts and start thinking about their careers. Business owners also appreciated the chance to share their work, career stories, and job opportunities with potential future workers.

“It was very successful,” Patten said. “Our students really enjoyed it, the businesses were happy to participate, and they mentioned that they’d like to be invited back for next year.”

By Joshua Schuetz 

The West Concord Historical Society has recently received a grant of $10,000 from the Minnesota Historical Society Legacy Small Grant program for building improvements. The society’s building, which is a former high school and now serves as a museum showcasing the history of West Concord, requires upgrades. The grant will be used to develop construction documents for planning the improvements, with an additional $7,000 match from the society’s own funds, bringing the total project cost to an estimated $17,000.

The grant will be used to address major roof issues, particularly with drainage, that were identified in the original condition assessment. The historical society received assistance from CEDA team member Zach Bubany in applying for the grant and planning the necessary steps to effectively utilize it.

Bubany praised the historical society for their hard work and quick response, noting that they handled the situation proactively, which made all the difference in their efforts to preserve an important piece of community history. He said, “They put in a lot of work, took all my advice in stride, and did so in a very quick manner.”

Although the historical society had concerns about their capacity to write a small grant and apply for a larger grant simultaneously, Bubany helped alleviate their worries and assured them that they had enough time. The next steps for the project are to complete the construction documents and start planning for the larger grant, which is expected to be available later in the year. The historical society will work simultaneously to make improvements to their building, with improvements from the grant coming over the next two to five years.

By Joshua Schuetz

STEWARTVILLE, MN – Music lovers in Stewartville, Minnesota, are in for a treat as the Bear Cave Concert series is set to kick off this Summer. The series of eight free concerts will be held at Bear Cave Park, the largest park in Stewartville.

The Bear Cave Concert series is spearheaded by the Stewartville Area Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Stewartville and the surrounding areas. With the help of CEDA team member Sandra Drees, working on behalf of the Stewartville EDA, the foundation is able to bring this exciting event to the community for the third time.

Drees said CEDA’s role is focused primarily on the planning and organizing of the event, as well as marketing it to the broader community through a mix of traditional and digital advertising and outreach. “We will be mailing out over 6,000 postcards to Stewartville residents. We have flyers going out, social media blasts, and so much support from the community!”

The concerts will feature a variety of musical genres, including rock, country, blues, and jazz. Each concert will feature a different band, with performances taking place every Wednesday evening throughout the summer. This is a family-friendly event, where they will have food trucks, concessions, face painting, and more! 

For those interested in becoming vendors or sponsors, sign-ups are available on the EDA’s website. The Stewartville concert series is scheduled to begin on June 7th and will take place every Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 8:30 PM until August 2nd.

As Drees said, “The Bear Cave Concert series is a great way for the community to come together and enjoy some fantastic music in the beautiful Bear Cave Park. We’re excited to continue this tradition and hope to see everyone there!”

By Joshua Schuetz

CEDA is working to create an economic development technical assistance grant program for small rural cities in Minnesota. Bills SF2185 and HF2520, currently progressing through the Minnesota Legislature, would provide $627,000 to create and fund a new grant program that will assist these rural cities with the help of CEDA.

If funded, this program would allow CEDA to provide assistance to cities with populations under 3,000 on basic economic development strategies. Many small rural communities lack the budget or staff capacity to take advantage of even the most basic economic development efforts, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. This program will enable CEDA to assist rural cities with specific types of basic development programs tailored to the individual community’s needs, offering up to 150 hours of technical assistance and $15,000 in project funding. The program aims to catalyze entrepreneurship, expand the tax base, create jobs, and raise income in the communities that have the most need.

Chris Giesen, CEDA Vice President, emphasized the importance of legislative relationships in establishing a strong economic development foundation that will yield long-term success for small rural communities.

“We want to thank our bill authors, especially Senators Carla Nelson (Rochester-R) and Jeremy Miller (Winona-R), and Representative Kristi Pursell (Northfield-DFL) as well as other members of the legislature for their support,” Giesen said. “We want to help create a basic platform for rural Minnesota so that they can take advantage of the opportunities that are out there. Metro and greater Minnesota rely on a strong rural Minnesota to keep our economy thriving, and this bill aims to help the small cities that need it most.”

CEDA will be able to assist cities with initiatives such as the creation or rejuvenation of revolving loan funds, commercial exterior improvement grant and loan programs, small business and entrepreneurial incubation, childcare incentives, and business retention and expansion efforts. In addition to receiving technical assistance, cities will be awarded up to $15,000 to ensure that the technical assistance received can be implemented.

Budget constraints in local governments across rural Minnesota have made it challenging for small cities to afford the administration of basic economic development efforts. This program will help close that gap and provide rural Minnesota communities with the ability to create a platform for economic development.

Work could begin on this initiative as early as this summer if funded. The program has the potential to improve the economic development landscape of rural Minnesota communities, creating a brighter future for residents.