Bob CollinsAaron J. Brown writes on his blog today that the people of Hibbing are questioning the inclusion of beer at a wellness event in the city. But, he notes, the argument isn’t over the fact beer is being served at a wellness event, it’s that there’s not a local beer being served.
Of course, there are no microbreweries in Hibbing. And microbrew beer, to my understanding, is pretty much beer. If anything, it’s heavier beer with more alcohol in it. So why isn’t there a decadent cake tasting at Men’s Health Night? A sampling of rich cheeses from the windswept caves of a faraway land? And why is the Chamber using out-of-town vendors for a local event? And why is the story framed as “they have to prove they tried before giving up on the local economy, as though to say we know everyone does eventually?”
I won’t lie, this story is a window into everything that is maddening, frustrating, soul-crushing, short-sighted, self-awareness-lacking, foolish and naive about Hibbing and, at times, the entire Iron Range. Look if you dare. Look. If you dare.
“We can argue about where the beer comes from, but no one can muster a single calorie of energy to get passionate about the town’s obvious, visible problems,” Brown writes on his Facebook page.
Here’s the story in the Hibbing Daily Tribune.
