Wrenshall News: Just reaching out can work

When I was young I remember my mom telling me a story about a guy whose car had broken down on a country road with a flat tire. It was late at night and bitter cold.

He had helped his wife with a blowout the week before so he was left on the side of the road with no jack and no sign of help. This was before cell phones so his only option was to start walking.

He could see a light on in the distance so he pulled his coat tight and set out. As he trudged along he started to worry. Surely he would be waking the family in the distant farmhouse considering the hour and they would probably be angry to have someone disrupt their slumber. But it was only a jack, he thought, and don’t people want to help others?

Distracted by his doubts he didn’t notice the pothole filled with icy cold water. His shoe gets soaking wet and he is furious at his worsening predicament. He thinks to himself: What if the farmer can tell from my coat that I’m from the city and won’t help me?

As he finally approaches the long driveway, his dry boot makes contact with a fresh cowpie causing him to slip into an even bigger pile. Smelling terrible and even more incensed, he starts to wonder if maybe the farmer has a mean dog that he’ll let loose, or maybe the farmer will try and rob him if he sees he is alone.

He knocks on the door and as he waits he imagines the angry farmer inside. When the door opens and a friendly voice asks “May I help you?” the stranded man just hollers back “You can keep your dang jack!”

We tell ourselves a lot of stories in order to not talk to other people. For the past couple years my parents have been exasperated at the snowmobilers who make circles over their fields despite there being clear trails next to the road. Wanting to be good community members, they were hesitant to put up a fence or hang a sign.

They aren’t alone. This week, area conservation officers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported a big uptick in trespassing complaints regarding snowmobiles.

I sent a message to the Wood City Riders of Cloquet, a robust snowmobile club, to ask for some advice. Chris Rokke wrote back almost instantly with helpful advice and contacts for the Wrenshall Area Sno-Sharks group, which helps the DNR maintain the trails around Wrenshall. I called president Randy McCuskey to see what could be done and he said he had already noticed the tracks and had picked up extra trail marker signs.

By the time I drove home that evening he had already put them up.

So a big thank-you to the Wrenshall Sno-Sharks for reminding me to trust my neighbors and ask for help.

Contact Annie Dugan at [email protected].