A set of Grand Forks streets have a new honorary name after a Tuesday evening meeting: "Veterans Memorial Parkway."
The new moniker is for a stretch of 24th Avenue South and South 34th Street that circles the north and western sides of Columbia Mall, passing by Veterans Memorial Park, and was approved in a 6-0 City Council vote Tuesday. New signs and an official event for the renaming are still expected, but for now, city leaders say they're happy to recognize local veterans' contributions.
"Veterans have had a big influence on the community," City Council President Dana Sande said, ticking off Grand Forks Air Force Base, local ROTC cadets and National Guard installations. "I think it's the least our community can do to honor our veterans. If there's more that our city can do, they should let us know."
The honorary name change, he said, will not affect local street addresses.
City leaders also heard a presentation on immigration, which offered statistics on new Americans in the area-their share of the regional population, their countries of origin and more. The statistics generally point to foreign-born residents as more likely than the rest of the population to be employed and of working age and more likely to be highly educated-though some statistics indicate they may be less likely to become entrepreneurs.
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The statistics were compiled after the city won a grant this fall from two national organizations-New American Economy and Welcoming America. Though it didn't offer cash, it offered the services that researched the data presented on Tuesday. Leaders with the city say it's the start of a planning process, set to finish in September, that will lay out more effective ways to welcome and integrate new Americans in Grand Forks-like how to more effectively connect them with employers and community resources.
Other business
The city also voted 6-0 on its consent agenda to approve a long list of other items. Among them was a minor change to city planning documents for a neighborhood in the deep south end-near Washington Street and 55th Avenue South-where the city continues to see significant residential development.
