Former President Bill Clinton will speak in downtown Grand Forks Saturday morning before giving the keynote address at the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party state convention at the Alerus Center that afternoon.
Clinton will receive the keys to Grand Forks and East Grand Forks and officials are inviting the public as a show of gratitude for Clinton's attention to the cities following the 1997 flood, according to a statement today from the Grand Forks city government.
"There's a lot of room down there, and we're hoping that the whole public will show up to express their thanks," said Grand Forks City Council President Hal Gershman, who helped plan the event.
Clinton will speak at the flood commemorative obelisk on the Grand Forks bank of the Red River, just south of the Sorlie Bridge on DeMers Avenue. The public should arrive by 10:15 a.m.; Clinton is scheduled to speak at 10:45, Gershman said.
Clinton will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic-NPL convention around 1 p.m. Saturday.
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The speech will be free and open to the public. For more information or to get tickets, visit www.demnpl.com .
1997 ties
Clinton toured the flooded Grand Forks and East Grand Forks in 1997 and has been credited by area leaders for directing federal resources toward their recovery. Gershman said he has been interested in their progress in the 15 years since.
"He made some promises here, and he kept every one of them," he said.
Mayors Mike Brown of Grand Forks and Lynn Stauss of East Grand Forks will appear with Clinton at the downtown event Saturday morning. Gershman said that Pat Owens, Grand Forks' mayor during the flood, has been invited along with first responders to the fires and flood in 1997, but organizers are still confirming who can attend.
Information on traffic control and security for the event is also pending, he said.
Reach Bjorke at (701) 780-1117; (800) 477-6572, ext. 117; or send e-mail to cbjorke@gfherald.com .
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