Stories in the Rear View Mirror

Delta Daggett

The work ethic in our part of the USA is the best.   Representatives of national companies with plants in several states have told me this. They also say the most dependable carriers are from the northern Midwest tier of states.

The draw backs are the taxes, winter weather and transportation costs. To ship products any distance, the more value the product in the trailer, the easier it is to justify the freight costs.   Frazee is a long way from the large population areas of the U.S.   

I enjoy driving and like to drive through towns and small cities. It is sad to drive though a town, where many  store fronts are vacant. But it is easy to see which towns show pride by the citizens.    Clean streets and neighborhoods, neat and clean storefronts, and small things like flower plantings  or hanging baskets, neatly kept yards,  tell me the people in this town like to live here.

People visit Frazee churches for weddings and funerals. They only see the neighborhoods on the streets leading to the church.   The same with Frazee Event Center visitors and visiting golfers.

I believe Frazee’s greatest strength is the people power from all of those that have a Frazee address and their continued support of the Frazee Community.   

Frazee volunteers have successfully produced Turkey Days every year since 1955. This is something our town can be proud of, as many towns our size do the same but enthusiasm and participation die out after a number of years. New volunteers do not step up.   Wolf Lake and Vergas are also successful in keeping their celebrations healthy because of volunteers.

The Frazee Forum has articles every week about someone in our community that is doing something special. The paper always has interesting articles on people or businesses that many of us oldtimers have not heard about or were aware of. 

Look at how the community turns out for the Fireman’s Pancake Feed and other fund raising events.

We have a good school.   The town needs a school to be proud of and the school needs a town to identify with.   

The strong churches in Frazee are good for the town and the area citizens.

Every town has to have an organization that provides good leadership and community service for the town.       Frazee has two, the Lions and the community club.   

The Lions are great fund raisers and the money gets put right back into the community. The Frazee Community Club accepts all generations as members. I attended a meeting recently and was impressed with the enthusiasm of the new president, Brikker Ware. This spread to all those present. Younger generations bring fresh ideas and think outside the boxes, which some of us have boxed ourselves into.   We need more to step up and be proud of Frazee and fill in the volunteer holes.  

Also if we support the local businesses we now have, new ones might appear.   Cooperation of the EDA and Frazee City Council also have to be open to new ideas.    Keep them coming, folks!