It will be 10 years this October that we retired and moved to Cook County and built our home in Hovland across from Big Bay. Whippoorwill Lane exits north from Highway 61 and meanders about a mile towards the mountains, where we live, and then a half-mile further to where our yearlong neighbors live.
The people of Hovland, Grand Portage and Grand Marais have welcomed us and accepted us into a community life whose kindness and caring exceed anyplace in which we have previously lived. When we travel down the road from Hovland and see our street sign announcing Whippoorwill Lane, we often thank God for letting us live here.
Monday, when returning from helping people with tax returns at Grand Portage, we turned onto our road and the street sign was gone. Someone using wrench and pliers had removed our street sign to make it their own.
Now some might say “small loss” or “That’s no big deal.” The County will replace it – and this certainly might happen in months or years.
But my mind thought back to a few years ago when my neighbor had a heart attack: what if that sign had been missing then – would I still have a friend and neighbor to visit with? What might happen during the next few months or year until we obtain a new sign (either by our efforts or the county’s)? Will there be another medical or fire emergency where help is delayed trying to find Whippoorwill Lane?
Maybe no big deal to the person who took our street sign, but the unforeseen consequences might be a very big loss for the families and friends of the people who did not get help in time because someone for “fun” or “personal use” decided to take what belongs to someone else.
If you see a ten-year-old street sign in someone’s yard or home, please ask them to read this letter and return the sign so that there will be no adverse consequences for anyone.
Chuck and Loretta Flickinger
Hovland
Leave a Reply