Tourist Attraction

Family vacations when I was a kid were almost exclusively camping trips. We used tents, not fancy RVs with electricity and other modern conveniences. Our sleeping bags were unrolled onto the thin sheet of plastic-like fabric that served as the floor of the tent, with each rock or twig underneath it poking into our backs. And we loved it.

My family didn’t take extravagant trips to big hotels in metro areas or theme parks. My parents preferred silence, nature and no crowds. In my adult life, I now get a nice mix of those secluded trips I enjoyed as a kid and the trips to destinations that might feature packed beaches, busy nightlife scenes, crowded shopping districts, popular sightseeing attractions, unique dining options or exciting culture and entertainment. Travel is important. I’m a firm believer in spending money on experiences rather than things (although I do spend plenty on things).

Travel and tourism is a key focus in this issue of Prairie Business. In speaking with city leaders in the region, our editorial staff has found that thriving downtown communities have huge potential to attract visitors. Many cities put a strong emphasis on downtown development, encouraging new boutiques, restaurants and event venues. And perhaps one of the most important ways to engage people downtown is art. The “art” umbrella can cover events, entertainment, art shows, art classes and public art displays.

In the tourism feature starting on page 28, we’ll tell you how some of the cities in our readership area are incorporating art into their cultures to draw visitors as well as locals to their downtown areas. Grand Forks, N.D., Mayor Michael Brown has committees in place to promote a “vibrant” city, some focused exclusively on downtown. Sioux Falls, S.D., has a 13-year-old sculpture event that draws tourists from all over the country, not to mention artists from all over the world. In Minot and Fargo in North Dakota, overhauls of downtown aesthetics and additions of mixed-use structures are leading the charge for attractive, appealing communities. Find out more about what these cities are doing and how they successfully market themselves to travelers.

In this month’s health care feature, staff writer Kayla Prasek explores a fascinating new technology that allows surgeons to operate on their patients using robots controlled through a joystick-type apparatus at a console near the operating table. It’s a futuristic concept and only one company produces the robot technology capable of doing the job. It provides surgeons with a precise tool, allowing for far fewer errors, along with shorter recovery time, less pain and less trauma for patients. Find out more about this evolution in medicine starting on page 32.

Business Insider profiles Rosalie Etherington, superintendent of the North Dakota State Hospital in Jamestown. She promotes mental health as a major component of overall wellness, and I’d have to agree with her. In her work, she helps provide care for people who are seeking recovery from trauma, as well as those who are severely mentally ill or chemically dependent. She addresses the stigma of mental illness and addiction, and has some words of wisdom for mental health care providers. It’s a good read and it starts on page 26.

The Construction Corner in this edition examines a collaborative project in Watford City, N.D., that brings together multiple organizations and the city to develop a multiple-use event center. The facility will house sports, convention center and banquet spaces, party venues and other amenities. Spurred by the oil boom and the need for larger facilities, these groups got together to raise money and establish their shared space. Read more on page 36.

I would think a sprawling, state-of-the-art event center would also boost tourism in Watford City. Perhaps it could be the gathering place for the kids roughing it with their families at the nearest primitive campground, eager for a few moments of running water and air conditioning. Ten-year-old me would have been first in line at the basketball hoop. PB

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

LISA GIBSON, Editor

KAYLA PRASEK, Staff Writer

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Manager

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

Account Executives: JOHN FETSCH

701.212.1026 jfetsch@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

NICHOLE ERTMAN

800. 477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Qualifying subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Subscriptions Free subscriptions are available online to qualified requestors at www.prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Address corrections

Prairie Business magazine PO Box 6008

Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008

Beth Bohlman: bbohlman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

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