Anyone who has an infamous “junk drawer” in their kitchen, or closets that spill their contents every which way each time you dare to open the door, knows all too well how hard it is to get rid of things.
Still, the time always comes when you just have to take a deep breath and get rid of everything. And that now applies to old Fort Frances High School on First Street East.
In a nutshell: it’s time to raze the eyesore.
And what an eyesore it is—not only to local residents but to passing tourists who must wonder what kind of town would keep such a monstrosity on display for all to see.
Sure, for those who attended old Fort High, the building obviously holds a lot of great memories. But those days are long gone—the place is no longer a school, just a sad ghost of one. In fact, the last class to attend old FFHS graduated last month.
The building has now sat empty for three years—and we’re no closer to finding a buyer for it than we were in 1999. The town finally has thrown in the towel, announcing at last week’s council meeting that it no longer was interested in the property.
Instead, the focus now must be on moving on. The “Re-Inventing Fort Frances” committee, which, by the way, was to receive its FedNor money this afternoon, has an elaborate plan to create an amphitheatre there, among other things.
A letter to the editor this week from three local women also calls for demolition and the creation of park space there—similar to Smokey Bear Park over in International Falls.
These are fine ideas, although we shouldn’t be too quick to ignore the commercial possibilities that block may hold. But regardless of which direction we go, it all has to begin with demolishing the building and starting from scratch.
It’s high time for that deep breath and finally bid old Fort High adieu.