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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Greenwood's divide

It's time to consider mediation as a way to heal deep community rift

Posted

It’s time for Greenwood Township to seek professional help.

As readers of this paper are well aware, the township has been roiled by disagreement, distrust, and infighting for the past few years over issues surrounding the fire department, taxation, and the conduct of both township officials and their critics.

As the only newspaper that regularly reports on Greenwood Township affairs, we’ve tried to keep the coverage informative, without picking sides. We’ve been criticized for our coverage by both sides of this deep community rift, which is usually indicative that we’ve toed a middle ground.

Unfortunately, the middle ground has been badly eroded in Greenwood Township over time and every one of those involved in the current situation shares some degree of responsibility for that. Over the past 25 years, we’ve seen these kinds of political rifts occur, but they rarely get as personal and as harmful as we’ve seen in Greenwood.

In terms of valuation, Greenwood is a very large township, but when it comes to permanent residents, it’s a very small community. And like a lot of places up here, it’s filled with strong-willed and opinionated people. That’s not a bad thing, until the pot boils over, as it has in Greenwood, and people start getting scalded.

Communities can overcome such divisions, but it takes sincere effort, and it often takes outside help, such as a professional mediator, to get things started. Leadership training, such as the excellent program offered by the Blandin Foundation, could also go a long way towards improving the current situation.

Neither of these options would resolve all of Greenwood’s disputes, and that’s not necessarily the purpose. Such processes, however, could get both sides talking to each other, rather than talking at each other, and that’s the first step in repairing the fundamental breakdown in trust that has taken place among some residents.

The community has recently embarked on a new long-range comprehensive plan, and that effort could provide an opening for a broader community discussion. If township officials and critics each approach the process with an open mind and a sincere willingness to listen, they could begin the process of healing this unfortunate divide.

It’s worth noting that the people raising the most fuss are individuals who are truly interested in the township’s future and have been active participants over the years in everything from the fire department to planning and zoning. This isn’t a case of a few folks airing grievances from their barstools. They are regulars at town board meetings and are capable, experienced, and energetic people who could and should be contributing members of the community, rather than thorns in the sides of township officials.

Greenwood can find its way back to a healthier community dynamic. But it will take a sincere effort on both sides, along with some experienced guidance from a mediator or facilitator, in order to get there.

Greenwood, community, mediator, Township, in-fighting