Cook County residents gather for People’s Town Hall
On the evening of Tuesday, April 22, over 75 Cook County community members gathered at the YMCA for a People’s Town Hall. The event was organized by Practicing Democracy, a new group led by Jen Schultz and Adrienne Dinneen. The Grand Marais People’s Town Hall was just one of a series of meetings organized by Practicing Democracy held across Minnesota’s 8th congressional district.
Local elected officials were invited to attend, along with members of the legislature and U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber. District 4 County Commissioner Ann Sullivan and District 5 School Board Member Dan Shirley attended the event and addressed the crowd. North Shore Health Board Member Sam Usem was also in attendance but did not speak.
Schultz said that Minnesota state Senator Grant Hauschild responded to the invitation, but said he was unable to attend due to the legislature reconvening. Schultz said that she did not hear from either Stauber or state Rep. Roger Skraba. The meeting organizers handed out blank postcards pre-addressed to Stauber, and set a stuffed chicken next to the podium with a placard reading “Rep. Stauber.”
The meeting began with a brief introduction from Schultz, followed by remarks from Sullivan and Shirley. When attendees registered for the event they were asked to identify their top priority from a list of topics, including things like protecting democracy, Social Security, environmental protection, veterans services, and Medicare. Schultz remarked that the breakdown of how priorities were identified differed between the People’s Town Halls they have held. For each of the meetings, however, protecting democracy has been the top concern identified by attendees. In Grand Marais, 74% of attendees listed it as their priority.
Schultz expressed some surprise that even in “redder” areas of the district, protecting democracy was the foremost issue. She said, “I thought we would get more Medicare, Social Security, and veteran services issues in greater Minnesota. But I think this is where we are now as a country. People are really, really worried. people are afraid, and people also want to do something to respond to what is happening.”
Community member Anne Brataas was at the event, and was struck by how many of the Grand Marais residents chose protecting democracy as their priority. She told WTIP, “That shows you in Cook County that we are really attuned to the sense of a constitutional democracy, due process, and really really heightened awareness to what can we do to protect it.”
While Shirley spoke largely about education, Sullivan expressed a series of funding concerns, ranging from infrastructure and public services, to environmental protection, to health care access. She said all of those items would be impacted on the county level by federal cuts to funding.
The public then had the opportunity to share stories and concerns and ask questions. Several of the attendees expressed fear and frustration. Others spoke about their concerns over deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Canada. Some of the older community members talked about feeling worried about the future of education, and what opportunities will be available for their children and grandchildren.
One Cook County resident, Jennifer Schulz, told WTIP that her concern for future generations was a motivating factor for attending the meeting. “I’ve tried staying away from politics, because it’s affecting my mental and emotional health, ” Schulz said. “But I can’t. I wake up afraid and disturbed in the middle of the night. I think about it all day long.” She added that the meeting gave her a sense of community with people who share her concerns.
The idea of community was echoed by other attendees of the meeting. Amanda Hand and Charles Hathaway both reflected on that. Hathaway said, “I came to the event today because I’m super concerned about the cuts that are happening at a federal level and how those are effect the people around us in Grand Marais and Cook County. And I wanted to be part of that discussion and to hear from others with similar concerns about how these really horrific cuts are changing how we think, how we act, and how we are able to support each other in community.”
The meeting ended with Schultz talking to attendees about the importance of connecting with each other. She encouraged them to become more involved with political organizations, but to also spend time connecting in ways that aren’t overtly political. Several of the community members in attendance expressed the intention to stay engaged. Hand said, “We are all impacted, and we’re impacted in unique ways, but the impact is pervasive and we have work to do to save this democracy.”
Hear directly from community members below.
Kirsten Wisniewski April 24, 2025
