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Remember the poet e. e. cummings? Yes, for some reason he preferred lower case everything. He wrote a poem that started: “in Justspring when the world is mudluscious...”
And yes, again, he scattered his text like this for publication.
Spring is a kinda jumbling time for thoughts. And hopes, too.
In spring, we area-ites hope for a variety of things (in no particular order): 1. How about no ice damage to our docks on ice-out day? I hope for that.
2. The Minnesota Twins in the World Series again? It’s been a longer gap between 1991 and now than the previous gap from 1965 to 1987. It’s time.
3. We hope the area graduates have a safe celebration of their achievement and go on to successful careers.
4. Success for the entrepreneurs and investors in our communities who risk their capital and energy hoping for security for their businesses.
5. Rain in May. 6. No rain on the July 4th parade.
7. Another year without Army Worms.
8. A record hatch of dragonflies 9. Good health for readers and their families But since hopes are free, let me hope for a couple of big ones.
The helium find nearby seems to be more than a big thing. It seems to be a really big thing. Its development and the chance for peripheral development around it could arrest the decades-long downward trend in our community’s population. And it would mean opportunities for our graduates to stay here and raise families. Opportunities for those business people to secure their investments and keep or even improve services to the residents and visitors.
Unfortunately, this hope requires an attendant hope that the organized Antis of the area will join in the encouragement of the development of this natural gift and not attempt to delay or stop it.
The dedicated ATV promoters have advanced a dream of connecting Ely, Soudan, Tower, Embarrass, and Babbitt with a safe trail that is bringing riders and spenders to the area. I hope the Prospectors Loop is completed this year and that ATV riding and camping soon develop fully.
Same for the bike trail. And that brings us to The Big Hope. Twin Metals continues to explore on their own land to determine how best to develop this other huge gift that nature gave our area. Exploration has shown that there are tons of strategically valuable minerals right here. A safe, efficient underground mine would bring scores of high-paying jobs, visitors, suppliers, and financial security to area services. And since the mine will be underground and outside of protected lands, there will be no effect on the wilderness. I hope that those who have opposed this critical project will trust the people they elect to oversee it and instead help to brighten our area’s future.
It’s spring and spring is for those who hope -- rather than nope.
Doug Luthanen grew up in Ely and graduated from Memorial High School in 1967. He wrote a weekly viewpoint column for the Northwest Arkansas Times for four years and is an occasional contributor to The Ely Echo.
