ANAMOOSE Ever since he limped his battered motorcycle two miles back home following a highway accident nearly a year ago, Pat Jund of Anamoose has advocated for improved cell phone service in his area.

"I was lucky enough to walk away with no broken bones and no internal injuries," he said. "It sure would have been nice, though, to pick up a phone and call."

Other residents of Anamoose and Drake share Jund's concern about their area's poor cellular coverage. They have invited the North Dakota Public Service Commission to hold a hearing, which the agency has set for Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Anamoose Senior Citizens Center.

Jund said his accident on U.S. Highway 52 and his lack of success in persuading his cellular provider to put up a tower led him to switch carriers. Even with a new carrier, he finds that coverage is not adequate in the area.

Toni Bromley of Anamoose recalled sitting in a vehicle stuck in a snowbank north of Anamoose for about three hours on her way home from work this past winter.

"There's a big hole right where we live," Bromley said of cellular coverage.

If the delay had been in getting to work at the Harvey hospital rather than getting home, the problem could have affected others. Bromley is the hospital's only pharmacist.

Better phone service also would benefit Ziegler Oil in Drake. Linda Ziegler, who operates the company with her husband, said they depend on cell phones to contact drivers when orders come in. The frequent failure of cell service means delayed deliveries and extra mileage for drivers. Resorting to land-line phones can add the expense of long-distance charges, she said.

Steve Heim, superintendent of the Anamoose and Drake schools, said spotty reception creates difficulties in the Anamoose District, where bus drivers carry cell phones.

"It's our one and only means of contact with our buses, and in our area, cell phone reception is hit and miss," Heim said.

Joseph Weninger of Anamoose, an employee of the McHenry County Highway Department, travels the county and knows the dead spots for cell service.

"Anamoose and Drake seem to be the worst," he said. Last winter, he, too, ended up stuck in a snowbank and had to walk into Drake for help because his phone wasn't connecting.

Alyce Heer, who has headed Anamoose's participation in the Horizon community leadership project, said getting better cell service has been a goal for the city.

"Most of us are just plain upset because we can't count on our cell phones," she said.

Heer said her last cell phone only worked if she leaned against the south door of her home and stayed very still. A newer phone works only in the same spot but is less touchy if she moves a little.

Anamoose and Drake hope to draw the attention of cellular providers to their situation by involving the PSC, Heer said.

The upcoming Anamoose meeting is one in a series hearings held by the PSC across the state in the past few years. Several communities that hosted hearings later had cell towers erected in their areas.