The May 9 issue of the News-Herald includes a letter from a guy who has been a Cook County homeowner for 24 years. Well, I am a homeowner, too, but for more than twice as long. I have lived in more than a dozen communities over the years, but Grand Marais is the only place that has felt like home. Coming down the hill into town is a thrill every time I do it.
This guy says we all have the rights and responsibilities of permanent residents. That is not true. We can’t serve on the County Board. And if this guy gets his electricity from Arrowhead Coop, we can’t be members of that board either.
But we do have the right to love the area and the responsibility to be good stewards of it. This guy takes a shot at a letter by Ms. Schultz, calls it a naive response. I strongly disagree. He doesn’t have to be here and neither do I. We have options.
Ms. Schultz’s letter was an impassioned plea for consideration, and I understand where she is coming from. There’s a whole world of uncertainty out there about how to deal with this virus. The best course is to err on the side of caution. If depriving myself, short-term, of a seat on my deck at sundown helps to relieve a tiny bit of stress on the people and the systems in Grand Marais, I’m all in. That is an acceptable strategy.
Al Olson, Gunflint Trail and
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
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