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I truly appreciated the recent article about John Lyght. My favorite John Lyght memory was around 1975 when two 18-year-old Norwegian students visited my parents, Pat and Loosh Sparks, for two weeks in Tofte. Delightful in many ways these boys liked to show off their “depth of knowledge” about the US and our politics particularly about the civil rights movement of the ‘60s. They were “experts.”
On the 4th of July, we took them down to the Potluck in the pavilion in Tofte Park. While we ate, tall, imposing and friendly, Sheriff John Lyght entered the pavilion. All talking stopped. People (all a non-diversified white crowd) mostly jumped up to greet John. The rest just smiled or waved and looked at him with reverence and admiration. The two Norwegian boys, stunned, alternatively looked at John and talked excitedly to each other in Norwegian non-stop for about 10 minutes. I don’t understand Norwegian but I gleaned that seeing this imposing Black man, in uniform, obviously the “authority” figure in town was the last thing they ever expected to see in the US. I imagine it was the highlight of their stay.
Lynne Sparks, Tofte
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