Opinion: Don't give up on West End

When the city of Cloquet was in its youth, the West End was the place to be. The area west of what is now Highway 33 — which didn’t exist then — was the heart of the city. Included in its many offerings were banks, myriad shops, a newspaper, railroad depot, City Hall and more. It was a busy place.

Times change.

City Hall moved east of Highway 33 sometime in the middle of the last century, moving the municipal center of the city. Other businesses followed. As well, the state built Highway 33 in the early 1960s, which meant traffic no longer flowed down Broadway Street, but at least there was st...