I read in the last Pine Knot News of 2019 that the Rudy Law firm merged with Fryberger in Duluth, and will now be known as Rudy, Gassert, Yetka, Pritchett, and Helwig, a Fryberger Law Firm Practice Group (although I bet they still answer the phone simply, “Rudy Law Firm”). I’m happy for them, as it’s getting harder and harder to attract quality attorneys to small-town practices, and none of the capital names at the Rudy firm are getting any younger. Joining the Duluth law firm will keep the Rudy firm viable for a long time.

But I’m a bit wistful, too. When I moved to town 20 years...