Open Letter to the Lake Vermilion community
TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016 —
Dear Community:
I have always been of the opinion that writing letters to the editor was the surest way to let your neighbors know that you are getting a touch senile, but I am going to jump into the fray anyways.
There are many things I have learned on the path that has been my life. Although I have been denied his counsel since I was 15, I remember quite vividly my father saying numerous times: “Be careful what you wish for—you just might get it.”
I have also heard several people say: “People get the government they deserve.” I have even heard, a time or two, people add a second refrain: “I hope they get it good and hard!” The latter is truly not my desire at all.
One thing that I have learned is to always question your own motivations when confronted by a desire to consistently disparage others. Why am I saying these things? What are my reasons? What is the true basis for my criticism? If things were to change, would I benefit? Am I being self-serving? Are my motivations for the common good, or are these motivations something different?
It seems like all the important lessons I have learned have been difficult and that in reality people are mostly confused, and bumbling through life, and simply fearful of what they do not understand or can not control. In reality we are all in the same boat and working together for a common goal—the good of the community—and thus ourselves and ours. In the end we are always most successful when we join together and build each other up instead of trying to tear each other down.
I spent twenty years of my life covering Greenwood Township government (and our other local Lake Vermilion communities) for our local newspaper, until the path of my life presented significant changes for me and a few years ago I moved on to different opportunities. Although I have been engaged in matters other than reporting the local news, I have kept informed on all that goes on in the Lake Vermilion communities, and concern myself daily with Lake Vermilion, our people, our collective history, our present and our future.
I have watched with real concern the divisions and accusations bandied casually, but consistently about in Greenwood Township over the past few years. I am saddened to see the problems people in Greenwood are having with each other, and the lack of respect and trust in the elected representatives working for the township. It is especially painful to read all the accusations published on the internet this week.
These things I am confident are true:
• Greenwood Township was formed in the late 1970s because people living at Lake Vermilion were concerned with being self-determining and wanted to have as much local control as possible, so that our friends and neighbors were making the decisions in creating our collective future rather than abdicating this important business to county officials, mostly living elsewhere, and too often, seemingly being most concerned with the tax revenues Lake Vermilion generates for St. Louis County. (This is why Greenwood chose to handle its own Planning and Zoning and property value asessment, when the county allowed it to do so!) In fact, I was quite proud of the township, years ago when neighbors in an unincorporated area to the west of Greenwood showed up at a board meeting and practically begged for the township to annex them so they could also be governed by neighbors on the lake rather than by St. Louis County.
• A few years back Greenwood decided it would expand its board from three, to five members. The motivation for this change was simply because the township was rapidly growing and becoming ever more complex and the board wanted to make sure that there was greater diversity of opinion and to include more people to be part of the conversation and decisions about how to govern the community.
• By-in-large, the Greenwood Town Board has always had all its citizens “Best Interest” foremost in its collective actions.
• Greenwood Township has always been exemplary in its concern for the needs of its citizens. Greenwood Township has set the standard, locally, (and I am confident it compares well to any township in the state), in its efforts to be forthright in its business and in the open manner it has always conducted that business. In fact, I have always sincerely lauded Greenwood Township, to anyone who would listen, as one of the best examples of any township in its operating in the proper, open manner while conducting the people’s business.
• Greenwood Township has been well served by Ellen and Pat Trancheff. They have worked long hours, have been dedicated employees and have devoted their lives to the Township at considerably lower remuneration than either could have earned in the private sector. Sure, 31 years later, they make a decent wage. However, until recently, the Greenwood Board was always unanimously proud that its employees were treated decently and as closely as possible to the standards St. Louis County provides for its employees.
• I attribute the high regard that I have for Greenwood Township’s exemplary practices in no small way to the efforts of Pat and Ellen Trancheff, and the numerous Greenwood Town Board members who I have had the pleasure of meeting while watching their dedicated work for the common good of all citizens at town meetings over the past 30-plus years and I am proud to having become close friends with many people there.
It is almost unbelievable to me the things I have read this week on the internet. Things like headlines including words like “Standoff,” in relationship to Greenwood Township government. It is disturbing to hear all the accusations of wrong doing, when I firmly believe there absolutely has never been any willful wrong doing on the part of any Greenwood Township official or employee.
I am confident that Delores Clark has accounted for every single dime of township monies over her tenure as treasurer and that the people of Greenwood Township would be the first to hear, at a public meeting, if she suspected that there were any improprieties by anyone involving a single penny!
I don’t believe for one minute that Ms. Trancheff was trying to deny the newly elected clerk and new supervisor access to township records.
To the best of my knowledge, never has it been township practice to swear in any newly elected officer prior to the annual reorganization meeting, unless a newly appointed or elected officer was to fill an unexpected mid-year vacancy. Then, the oath of office would take place at a public meeting.
I trust that exuberance to get started in their new positions was the sole motivation behind the newly elected clerk, supervisor, and Supervisor John Bassing’s decision to call a locksmith in an effort to gain rapid access to any office in the town hall.
It is my sincere hope that everyone in Greenwood Township will soon make amends, put these small issues behind us, and move forward continuing to be a great example of local government conducting the people’s business.
Should anyone desire to discuss Greenwood Township, or anything at all about Lake Vermilion with me, I look forward to your phone call or email. I am listed in the book.
I hope to see you, my friends and neighbors, and mutually strive to enhance the Lake Vermilion community soon.
I am,
Anthony Sikora
P. O. Box 1
Soudan, MN 55782