Valley City State University President Ellen Chaffee presents the Presidents Distinguished Service Award to former Valley City Commission President Riley Rogers. (Steve Browne VCTR) 

By Steve Browne
Valley City Times-Record

    Retiring Valley City State University President Ellen Chaffee presented the President's Distinguished Service Award to former Valley City mayor Riley Rogers at the city commission finance meeting Monday night.
    "I have no doubt that Valley City and its university would be far less well off if we had not had the benefit of Riley Rogers leadership and service as mayor throughout most of the 1990s and into the 21st century. That period marked the turning point, not only of the millennium but also of our local fortunes. During that period the empty storefronts downtown began to refill, the city made progress in restoring key infrastructure. Community leaders created the Sheyenne Valley as an entity and as a national scenic byway, and relationships between the university community multiplied and blossomed," said Chaffee.
    The VCSU President's Distinguished Service Award was created about 30 years ago. Chaffee has given the award, "About a half-dozen times, when the spirit moved."

For full story, see Tuesday's edition of the Valley City Times-Record.