Our View: Some cheers and jeers for thought

Cheers: To the patrons of small, local businesses during the pandemic shutdowns. It’s hard enough for small businesses to compete against the larger corporate stores that use their clout to dominate the market, but we know that small business helps create a community’s unique identity. So we applaud those who support small businesses in our community, and the patience of the community in adjusting to the many changes to the way small businesses now have to do their thing. It’s appreciated.

Cheers: To the larger business in town and their employees, who are just as affected by the pandemic, for adjusting the way they do business to serve our community. From online ordering to curbside pickup, we’ve seen employees going above and beyond to maintain good customer service. We are in this together.

Cheers: To our local veterans groups, who stood up for our country while on active duty, and continue to serve our community in so many different ways. Their membership may be declining, but together they move mountains. And they don’t let a little pandemic slow them down either. In just the past few weeks, the American Legion and Auxiliary in Cloquet served more than 200 carry-out meals on Veterans Day free to all veterans, and the Carlton County Disabled American Veterans and Auxiliary served more than 700 meals on Thanksgiving Day. We thank you for your service … again.

Jeers: To loud snowmobiles and four-wheelers racing through neighborhoods late at night, revving engines and generally making a nuisance. We cherish living in a community where it’s so easy to use our toys on streets, roads and trails. But late at night? We implore those who do so to remember that the noise is bothersome to many: even though you can’t see them, those houses are full of sleeping people. When you ride your machines be considerate of the noise they cause, especially late in the evening.

Cheers: To the workers who placed hay bales at the end of the Pinehurst Park sledding hill. The hay bales make this excellent sledding hill a bit more safe for kids and a bit more relaxing for worried parents. The comradery at the hill is impressive, too, proving once again that it’s safe to send our kids out to play, because in Cloquet, there always seems to be someone willing to step up and help others. Now we need just a bit more snow.

Jeers: To the drivers who leave their cars on the street overnight during snowfalls. It’s illegal to park on Cloquet streets between midnight and 6 a.m. through March 31, but the real problem happens when it snows: then plow trucks have to plow around the parked cars, leaving ridges of hard snow that cause all sorts of problems. Please, move your cars off the streets, especially when there’s snow in the forecast.

Cheers: To the city crews who installed the holiday lights in Spafford Park and Veterans Park this season. Take a drive through the campground, and then maybe park for a stroll through the park. The displays are lit nightly through the New Year. If you see Parks Department and Public Works employees working on the lights (they are getting old and need TLC), honk and wave — it’s an effort to keep the light displays functioning, and we appreciate their hard work on our behalf.

Cheers: To anyone making special efforts to spread holiday cheer this year as we continue to deal with pandemic distancing.