In response to Dean Floen’s article in last week’s edition of the Northshore Journal, it has come to my attention that I owe Dean and the citizens of Silver Bay an apology.
Dean found me guilty of volunteering my time on the Public Works Commission for the City of Silver Bay. I applied for this commission in 2021 after hearing that there were 2 vacancies on the commission, and if at least 1 of the positions weren’t filled the commission would be lost. If that were to happen, the decisions relating to Public Works would go straight to City Council rather than being viewed by a commission first.
My family and I moved outside of city limits last summer to where we currently reside. We still bear a “Silver Bay” address and our zip code is still 55614. My wife and I were both born and raised here, both work in this town, go to church here, and we have a child enrolled in ECFE at William Kelley School. We plan to raise our family here, and that is why we still hold our positions on Commissions (myself on Public Works, my wife on Public Utilities).
In an effort to save Dean time from more investigative research, I would like to point out a few other areas where I enjoy volunteering my time and giving back to my community. I am a member of the Silver Bay Volunteer Fire Department, where I also volunteer as the secretary of the Relief Association. I volunteer for the Silver Trail Riders and Finland Snowmobile and ATV club for trail maintenance and groomer maintenance. I volunteer for the local ECFE to help put on the Big Wheels events for our local children to enjoy. My wife and I volunteered this past winter to help put on a community winter event called “Snow Day in the Bay” that we hope becomes an annual event for locals to enjoy. Other areas where I have volunteered in the past and will continue doing so as needed include the Silver Bay Arena/ Blue Line Club, Silver Bay Golf Course, and Silver Beaver Rifle and Pistol Club. I do not list these items to brag or to pat myself on the back, but rather to point out other areas where I can be found guilty of volunteering my time to a community that I care so much about.
Should anyone have questions or issues related to this writing, I can be reached via email at trleblanc2@gmail.com.
Respectfully,
Troy LeBlanc
Silver Bay, MN
