It's tempting, in this first-column-in-long-time, to go back over a long year, pick out the good, bad, and the mistaken, but you don't need me for that. Take your own moment, and your own year, maybe season by season, and take stock of what happened. The first thing you'll note is that it's a long year. Even those of us who have seen a lot of them will have to acknowledge that these things come in long strings.
One of the themes about the past year that sort of runs down the middle of my everything, is government. As a local editor (years ago), I had to pay attention to the things that local governments did, and maybe that training condemned me to a life of watching, wondering, and assimilating the various things people do in the name of governance.
In this neck of the woods, governments are a many layered thing. Obviously the state tells us a few things about what we can and can't do. This year they allowed us to walk on the beach, even across private property, but only if we keep moving, and recognize the high water mark. They conveniently forgot to define that little part, except to tell us that maybe staying in the hard sand would be most appropriate when crossing someone else's beach. I'm okay with that.
We have the townships too; Superior, Bay Mills and Chippewa County. They used to let us bring our big items to an annual pick-up garbage day, but that doesn't happen any more. Mostly the townships mow the cemeteries and small parks, and they tell us how and when to pay our property taxes. Running a township can be a tough job sometimes; not a lot of appreciation until the volunteer fire department saves your roof. The annual meetings each spring are an under-used democratic privilege. I've missed the last nine, but I'm going to this year's, and I'm planning on going over the annual budget, as a responsible resident.( I say this every year.)
We have two layers of government around here that most people don't get to have; a tribal government and the U.S. Forest Service.
The tribe has been growing a many faceted community these past few years. We have a charter school, police protection, ambulance, health programs, a small newspaper, and big entertainment places, all of which would likely not be along this sort of road without the tribal organization. The political elections this past year were mercifully quick and quiet.
The U.S. Forest Service had a big year. They are finishing up their ten-year plan, which is a big document, physically, and in impact. If it isn't in this plan, it won't likely happen during the plan's life. Sometime this coming spring they will publish the almost-final version. If you live within the forest, this document is your zoning guide.
The Forest also created a Scenic By-way plan for Lakeshore Drive from Monocle Lake Campground to the Bark Dock near Naomikon. It's packed with a wish list of projects - bathrooms on the beach, more camping, fixing up the scenic overlook. No bike path, but the comment period isn't over until Jan. 9, which is plenty of time for bikers to have their say, and anyone else. This too, is a plan that will have a lot of impact.
New Year, new rules. Wish us all luck.
Pat Egan is the former publisher of the Sault Evening News. He is a recipient of the William Allen White award for editorial writing. He and his wife Debra live at Salt Point.
