The Jamestown/ Stutsman Development Corp. approved a letter of support for passenger train service to Jamestown during its board of directors meeting Monday. The letter came at the request of Jamestown Mayor Clarice Liechty, and was prompted by a National Train Day observance at Zonta Park on May 15.
The group is trying to resurrect the North Coast Hiawatha line that connected Chicago to Seattle prior to the consolidation of Amtrak in the 1970s. The line would pass through Jamestown.
The board also heard a report on new billboards that have been put up in Pembina, Wahpeton and Beach, N.D., and Fergus Falls, Minn. The billboard promotes Jamestown for business development. Efforts are being made to add billboards in the Sioux Falls, S.D., and Minneapolis, Minn., markets.
In addition to reports from subcommittees the board was informed that Dakota Spirit AgEnergy had been awarded a $100,000 grant from the North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Committee. The funds will be used to study the sources of feed materials for the biomass energy plant under consideration for the Spiritwood Energy Park.
