The Spelling Bee lasted until 4:30. After handshakes with the top spellers I slogged off through the snow and slid down Mesabi Ave past a couple accidents and pulled into Randy’s (the old Bridgeman’s) in the West End. Let Duluth Vote’s legal committee was interviewing another lawyer. We met for two hours. When I got home I wrote an email message to everyone on the Let Duluth email list. It was short and to the point and said simply: “I’m pumped.”
By cosmic coincidence across the room from our interview School Board members Laura Condon and Tim Grover were meeting over dinner. I waved at Laura when I sat down. Of course, they knew who we were and what we were all about just as we knew who they were. Tim and Laura’s school board colleague and our ally Gary Glass was sitting at our table. It was really very funny. Had I not been held in rapt attention by the attorney we interviewed I probably would have kept stealing peaks at them. I didn’t because the legal case outlined was so compelling. I was riveted by its possibilities.
Tim and Laura left before us. As they departed Tim waved to us and wore a silly grin. I couldn’t blame him. It was pretty ridiculous. I’ve never had a closer and more engaging friend in the political world. We used to call each other after school board meetings and josh about the politics swirling around us. Its personally tragic that we haven’t spoken for a year except in the stilted environment of a school board meeting. Every criticism of Tim I put in the blog makes me cringe.
My Let Duluth Vote colleagues take a much harsher view of Tim than I do. Many think him a traitor. Tim would regard himself a pragmatist. He feels the Red Plan is inevitable and he’s just doing what he can to protect the little that is left in his portion of the School District. Not much it turns out.
Tim’s inability to hide his amusement at the close proximity of his implacable foes was charming. When the walls come tumbling down around Dr. Dixon Tim will have the responsibility of helping pull the school district out of the rubble.
