LETTER: New Richmond should remember its history

To the Editor:

All too often I ask people if they read the article in the New Richmond News and they say, “I don’t buy the News, there’s nothing in it!”

Well, I’ve been involved with two worthwhile campaigns and I was hoping the News would be helpful.

One of my pursuits is to bring back a logo that is close to my heart, “The City Beautiful,” and another is the Johnny “Blood” tax exempt fund for the new high school athletic complex and a museum in his honor at the New Richmond Heritage Center. There are some things that “our” city needs to remember it’s past (thanks to a local writer “MS” for invigorating our minds and reminiscing on our great history).

But what has this “city beautiful” become, a saying tht makes no sense and can’t be remembered, a beer everything campaign, the Park Art Fair, Corn Fest at Glover Park to the “Fun Fest” where they march everyone OUT of town to the “beer” tent!

Look at our Main Street (excuse me, “Knowles Avenue”) with seven store fronts empty. Well, I feel that an individual has been hired by the city, who has an open mind (the door is always opened), and a direction is being set to bring back our great heritage!

Back to my main point of people being informed of our history, the city’s name and J. “Blood” – a hometown hero. There two projects are hampered by people who run the city and our “Dear Chamber” – who is losing business members, because!

Outsiders, read New Richmond’s history, know where you live and help bring back a potentially vibrant “City Beautiful.”

What’s an individual council member stating: bring back professional business, because they are way smarter than the local factory workers. Let it be known to this New Richmond Common Council member how New Richmond was built – oh there were the lumberjacks, the ski artisans, Doughboy Manufacturing, the farmers, printing, the canners, talk about sweat equity and intelligence, stop the opinionated tunnel vision, the bigotry and appreciate how “The City Beautiful” grew again, especially after the cyclone of 1899.

Let’s all be visionaries, this town has a lot of potential and our kids and grandkids deserve a safe socio-economic future!

Bill Driscoll

New Richmond

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion