Not to drag out this topic, but some of Ms. Hamilton’s responses were not to the complaints in my letter or those of the previously published letter. While she has valid defenses for some of the complaints that she has perhaps heard, I saw no complaints about long lines or parking in either my letter or the previous one. I agree that those complaints are a bit unreasonable when you choose to come to Grand Marais in peak tourist season.
As far as business hours, I grew up with Sunday closing laws and much more limited retail hours but it is not being unreasonable for people to expect some type of normal business hours for retail and restaurant businesses during peak tourist season, especially in a town that relies on tourism. My complaint was specifically directed at businesses keeping seemingly random hours and not being open on a weekday during normal business hours during the peak tourist season. I have also heard this frustration from some of your local citizens. It is not always due to a lack of available help.
On finding one particular business closed for the day on a weekday, I was told by one of your residents that the owner did not trust anyone to run the store in his absence. He certainly must have had one employee capable of running things for one day. Also, what about summer jobs for students who are not in school during much of peak tourist season? I read that this summer many tourist destinations in the country had more seasonal jobs that needed filling than there were applicants.
It’s fine that Ms. Hamilton chooses a quality of life over making a lot of money. Sometimes it’s a difficult balance separating quality of life and making enough money for the business to be profitable. That’s the choice one makes when going into certain businesses. I remember reading a column by Cory Christianson, a fishing guide on the Trail. He once mentioned taking a few days or a week off to spend with his family while the children were young. He acknowledged how rare that was for his line of business. He knew he had to take advantage of a seasonal job.
I don’t mean to paint all Cook County businesses with the same brushstroke. The longstanding, sometimes multi-generational family owned, businesses seem to be the same ones that make a commitment to customer service. The point of my first letter was that I see the turnover in retail, resorts, restaurants and other independent businesses in the area, and then I read about the difficulties of maintaining a business in Cook County. Somehow there is a disconnect with the realities of what is involved.
Nancy Wasik
Poplar Lake and
Bemidji, Minn.
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