Nancy Edmonds Hanson

A total of 330 businesses and organizations in Moorhead and greater Clay County have received grants to help sustain them through the COVID-19 pandemic … and more aid lies ahead.
Addressing the Moorhead City Council Monday, city economic development consultant Derrick LaPoint and Clay commissioner Jenny Mongeau detailed the assistance that has been granted in the past month to qualified recipients. Between the city and the county, the grants so far total almost $2.7 million. LaPoint said most have already received checks, calling the effort to review and approve applications and issue funds a major team effort between city and county task force members.
“I’ve heard from a lot of folks who are very grateful,” he told the council. “It’s really helped them get through this challenging time.
The city grants include 17 to nonprofits, totaling $170,000; 42 to sole proprietorships, $189,000; 48 to women-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses, $480,000; and 86 to what LaPoint called “standard businesses” with up to 20 employees, $860,000. The 193 grants were for $3,500 for sole proprietors and $10,000 for other applicants. County grants totaling $982,000 were awarded to 137 applicants in the remaining Clay communities based on the same eligibility.
Mongeau announced that the county will be accepting applications for a second round of funding, this one targeted at larger businesses with from 21 to 50 employees. Applicants may submit their requests online through a link on the Clay website, claycountymn.gov, beginning Oct. 1 and running through Oct. 15. A pool of $719,000 is available for the $10,000 grants.
“We realized that one industry that was noticeably absent is long-term care and assisted living facilities,” she added, which haven’t qualified because of their larger staffs. They will be eligible for community resiliency grants of up to $25,000, she said. Instead of their applying, the county will contact each of the 28 facilities directly. “All but a handful are here in Moorhead,” she noted. Corporate foster care homes can also apply for grants of up to $10,000.

Indigenous Peoples Day
Moorhead will observe its second official Indigenous Peoples Day Oct. 12 – the day once known as Columbus Day that the council officially changed in 2019. Human rights commissioner Heather Keeler described a different kind of celebration to the commission, one adjusted to take pandemic precautions into account.
This year’s events will take place in Fargo, she said; from the beginning, the educational celebration has been planned to rotate between the two cities, just as the local indigenous population spreads across both without political boundaries. The classroom presentations in grades K-12 and evening pow wow and dinner have been replaced by a virtual program from noon to 5; open to all who care to log on, it will include speakers, art and story-telling.
The opening ceremony will take place outdoors on the North Dakota State University campus at 10 a.m. Attendance in the Grandmother Gifts of Life Garden will also be streamed online.

Artsy Trash Dumpsters
The council voted to approve a community arts project on a most unusual kind of canvas – the dumpsters of the Riverside Lofts at 11 Fourth St. S.
The Arts and Culture Commission accepted the homeowners’ request to enliven the garbage collection receptacles; under the city’s public art rules, council approval was also needed. The art is envisioned to create a more welcoming environment for the condominium building’s main entrance, which opens off its parking lot – next to the dumpsters’ locations.
Artist Gin Templeton, the lofts’ resident artist, will handle the design and painting. Costs of the project will be fully covered by the homeowners association.