Harry's Gang: More information can only promote Cloquet offerings

Bill Effinger, the silky-voiced announcer at WKLK, has been heard on the morning show quite a bit lately as ringleader Kerry Rodd recovers from surgery. Last week, I made one of my well-received guest appearances on the weekly Pine Knot News segment (Jana was busy), and he asked something interesting: "Why is there no plaque or any information at the foot of the voyageur statue" on Dunlap Island.

My family spends quite a bit of time down in that green space right next to the Spafford Park Campground, and we also use the nearby playground. It seems like a pretty busy area, and we've met quite a few out-of-towners at the park. You can see the voyageur statue from the highway, and I suppose both parks look pretty inviting to travelers, especially for parents with kids. So, it's no wonder the parks are busy with both locals and tourists.

Bill is right. A nice addition to that park would be a sign or plaque that explains the history of the voyageurs in our area, and then maybe the importance logging has had in our town, and maybe a few other interesting facts about Cloquet. If you walk along Broadway Street toward the east end of downtown, you'll see several signs with details on our history. Another one at the base of the statue is a good idea.

Fauley Park in the West End is another stopping point for locals and visitors. The tiny park hosts the big old Engine No. 16, and is often crawling with kids and young adults. It's fenced in, and has nice crosswalks across busy Broadway Street. It's also well-lit at night. The lone picnic table often has people sitting around it, eating lunch.

I've complained before that the city overspent at Fauley Park, but it's too late to do anything about that, so I just enjoy the park. So do many others, apparently. I'd love to see some additional information at that site to help promote the town too.

These parks, plus Veterans Park, are a great visual advertisement for Cloquet. There are a lot more tourists traveling through town than you probably think. Highway 33 is a major shortcut to the Iron Range and to all the cabins and lakes and recreation north of here. Just look at all the traffic on Thursday and Friday afternoons, and take a glance at the license plates (or, as I do, the logos from Twin Cities area car dealerships) on the cars. The parking lots at Super One and Walmart, as well as other supply stores and restaurants, are full of tourists picking up what they'll need for their vacation. Metropolitan people move through here steadily on the weekends, and during the pandemic there seems to be even more people stopping in the heart of Cloquet to visit its parks.

This is a great opportunity to promote our community and area, and maybe get a few more people interested in spending a little more time in town, patronizing some of our unique stores as well as some of the well-known places. And, every time tourists spend a few dollars, we collect a tiny bit more in our local sales tax, which is used for - you guessed it - the upkeep of our parks and infrastructure.

More signage is a good idea. This would be a great public service project for some group in town. The Cloquet Noon Kiwanis have disbanded, but the Rotary Club is going strong. Maybe they'd be interested in partnering with, say, the Carlton County Historical Society and get some information down there. Or, perhaps there's a Boy Scout looking for his Eagle project, or the National Honor Society at Cloquet High School might be interested. It would be a great way to promote our town and our history.

We have a terrific park system, especially around the river area. Now, if only the geese will cooperate and leave their droppings in a more discreet spot.

Pete Radosevich is the publisher of the Pine Knot News and an attorney in Esko. His opinions are his own. He hosts the talk show Harry's Gang on CAT-7. He can be reached at [email protected].