Kiowa County - Eads Named State Small Community of the Year
By Chris Sorensen
KCP Staff
The Economic Developers’ Council of Colorado (EDCC) has named Kiowa County and Eads the state’s small community of the year, an annual award made to recognize “a community under 20,000 in population that demonstrates support for economic development through an organized economic development program and strong leadership. The community must also illustrate long-term planning and investment in the development of the community through infrastructure planning, permanent economic development funding and strategies.”
The award, known as an “EDie,” was made at the organization’s recent Annual Awards luncheon held in conjunction with the Spring Conference in Burlington.
Since the completion of the county’s comprehensive plan a few years ago, individuals, businesses and government agencies have been aggressively pursuing projects to improve the entire county, not only for current residents but to bring about planned growth compatible with the area’s values and history.
Over the past five years, every community within the county has been touched by public and private development and improvement efforts. Projects totaling at least $6.5 million have been undertaken, with $2 million in funding provided by sources outside of Kiowa County.
Both Sheridan Lake and Eads have undertaken substantial projects to improve the local water supply and distribution systems. Sheridan Lake upgraded nine miles of the town’s distribution line while, more recently, Eads made similar upgrades and added over 500,000 gallons of storage capacity. Eads also completed a major overhaul of its sewer lagoon system, which included implementation of a wetlands system to help naturally clean waste water. Both Brandon and Haswell are preparing to undertake water system improvements as well. The Brandon Water Association was award $10,000 in October to pay for a preliminary engineering report for repairs to Brandon’s water storage tank, distribution lines, and water meters. Haswell was awarded a $160,000 grant in April of 2004 to address nitrate levels in the water supply. The grant followed a $10,000 award required for an environmental impact study before work could be started on nitrate mitigation.
Both school districts in Kiowa County implemented distance learning systems, capable of broadcast-quality audio and video links, in order to provide a broader range of educational opportunities to their students. The system was made possible by a fiber optic link constructed throughout the region by Southeast Colorado Power Association and maintained by its SECOM division. Fiber was also connected to most government offices in the area. The fiber optic infrastructure makes southeast Colorado one of the most technologically advanced parts of the state.
Plainview School also has undertaken an innovative program to provide unoccupied housing, formerly reserved for teachers, to families who would move to the area and place students in the local school system. The housing has been provided at no cost, while state funding rose due to the increased enrollment. Residents around Plainview have actively opened their homes to exchange students, which also improved revenue to the district while providing once-in-a-lifetime learning experiences for students from a number of countries.
The RE-1 district in Eads completed an addition to the school that consisted of a large multipurpose room and two new classrooms, which house the distance learning system. The district, in conjunction with the recreation district, has been actively upgrading the sports complex, and is currently rebuilding the track to meet regulations. Concrete curbing for the track is set for pouring May 5.
Members of the community development class at Eads High School have also been actively working at projects, such as researching the history of the Crow-Luther Arts Center (formerly the Plains Theatre) in preparation for restoring the structure.
The Eads Golf & Country Club has been active in boosting recreational opportunities with the installation of grass greens at the facility, which has boosted its use significantly and attracted numerous tournament players.
Sheridan Lake, too, has made recreational improvements, including a playground and picnic area at the Kiowa Albright Hall, which is undergoing additional improvements. The community building in Towner, a hub for numerous activities, received $50,000 in 2003 for upgrades.
Medical and emergency services have benefited from improvements. Towner, Sheridan Lake and Haswell Fire Departments have all benefited from new fire vehicles, while the Eads Volunteer Fire Department upgraded its SCBA gear. Emergency crews throughout the region have been the beneficiaries of a multi-million dollar grant that has upgraded communications equipment to the relatively new 800Mhz radio system, which allows coordinated, secure communications over an extended range. An additional $1.6 million in funding was announced Tuesday to continue radio upgrades.
With the completion of a facility master plan, Weisbrod Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home has recently completed upgrades to its laboratory and X-ray equipment, along with the heating and air conditioning system. The backup power systems is also being updated, and the hospital has obtained a new transportation van that includes three wheelchair-capable positions.
Historic aspects of Kiowa County are being preserved with the creation of the Sand Creek National Historic site north of Chivington, along with additional archeological studies being conducted on the adjacent Bowen property. The County Commissioners also recently approved the formation of a historic preservation district encompassing the entire county. Selection of an oversight board is expected this week. The district is an outgrowth from projects undertaken by students at Eads High School in learning about the county’s history.
The Kiowa County Economic Development Foundation (KCEDF) has contributed grant-writing and technical assistance for many of the projects already mentioned. The foundation has also taken a more direct step in boosting the community by purchasing an 800 acre parcel south of Eads which includes areas designated for residential and commercial development and an extensive recreation and wildlife area. A portion of the residential tracts are already available for purchase, and a number of lots have been spoken for.
The Foundation donated four acres of its property to the county, which has been actively pursuing development of a 20-room assisted living center. Construction had been delayed a number of times, but began in earnest in early April. Residents have expressed exceptionally strong support for the center at public meetings. The facility can be doubled in size if needed. Adjoining the site of the assisted living center is the proposed new home for an activity and meeting center for senior citizens.
Business activities have also been on a slow but steady upswing in the county, as evidenced by increasing sales tax revenue, which runs counter to the generally flat to decreasing revenues in surrounding counties.
A number of new businesses have formed in recent years, including Kiowa County Growers, Inc., which produces a variety of lubricants, such as irrigation drip oil and bakery divider oil, from seed oils. The company has been shipping products to a number of states, and continues development of more seed oil products.
The Artists of the Plains, comprised of a large group of local talent, opened a gallery in Eads to market a wide variety of creative works and offer regional art shows. The gallery further expanded its offerings when member Phyllis McDaniel began offering framing services, which has become exceptionally popular.
Plains Network Services, Inc., based in Eads, was formed in 2001 and currently provides internet access, including broadband service, to Kiowa, Cheyenne and Prowers Counties, as well as other computer-related sales and services.
Kiowa County opened the Little Sprouts daycare center in 2004 to fill a perceived need for expanded child care services. The center is located in the recently renovated Nipps-Bransgrove Building, which has been a fixture of county life since the early 1900’s.
Some of the existing businesses have undergone changes in ownership or expansion. Eads Auto Supply has expanded with the addition of the TrueValue hardware line and ready access to a wide variety of lumber and related products.
Kiowa County Press/Plains Printing, Inc. converted to digital printing technology, including color printing, to service a growing customer base outside of the county, and currently has a production capacity in excess of 1.4 million pages per month.
Sailesh and May Merchant purchased the former Country Manor Motel and made extensive improvements in order to become and EconoLodge franchise. The motel was recently named as the business of the year by KCEDF
Each of the restaurants in Eads has experienced a change in ownership recently, with Larry Michael taking over the café at Michael’s Service Center from Phyllis Lane, Cindy Williams purchasing Our Place Restaurant from Sharon Frazee, and Amy Weirich opening the Purple People Eater-E at the site of Betty Cahill’s Just Betty’s restaurant. Food and beverage offerings also expanded with the addition of McRue’s Roadhouse in 2004.
Personal care businesses have also been popular in the area with the addition of Tracy Smith’s Tracy’s Place, Lisa Hester’s Hi Plains Salon, Lorie Chase’s Headquarters and Marlene Rouse’s Nails by Marni.
The public and private sector have come together for numerous other projects over a relatively short time span, with more ventures planned for the coming years. Rail services are expected to resume within months on the former Missouri Pacific line that bisects the county and touches every community from Arlington to Towner. Rail service will complement the Ports-to-Plains trade route which follows Highway 287 from Mexico to Canada. The increased traffic volume, including tens of thousands of trucks per month, has already exceeded projections by the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Progress is being made to establish permanent pools of water at both the Adobe Creek and Great Plains Reservoirs, which have been popular tourist and recreation destinations for people across the state. Efforts are underway to provide more amenities to the hundreds of bicycle tourists traveling through the county every summer, and further promote bird-watching opportunities, an often ignored but remarkably popular tourist activity. Tourist activities in particular are a potential growth area for county businesses and bring in fresh revenue to supplement the traditionally agriculture-based economy without significantly impacting residents’ existing way of life.
Individuals, businesses and government agencies in Kiowa County needing development, expansion or other assistance can contact the Kiowa County Development Foundation office at 719-438-2200 or by e-mail at kcedf@kcedf.org.