Seniors, a forgotten generation

Senior citizens find comfort whenever they renew a connection with a person or an event from the community. The goal was to keep our senior citizens safely engaged and connected to the community. There was a Memorandum of Understanding for the orderly transition from an analog (Past) to digital (Future) city-wide community access system. It was to be a community-based closed looped system. Moose Lake has a Right of Way Ordinance and operating rules on file that set the standard for local content that reflects our small town values. The City opted for web-based technologies which is an open system without local control.

There is a joint powers agreement with Moose Lake Township and Windemere Township to use cable TV franchise fees to maintain and operate the local public access channel. The system is self-sustaining and requires little or no local taxes. These funds cannot be used for city web-based technologies. The city needs to complete the community-wide broadband fiber optic ring to have enough broadband capacity to make web-based technologies work.

Today, it is just as easy to post messages and photos on CH7’s “Moose Horn Page” as on social media. Even third graders can do it. The “Moose Horn Page” will safely connect our senior citizens with family, friends, classmates and community. The Moose Lake Public Library was originally going to be the recipient of these posts, catalog and archive them on a laptop computer for local public viewing. Selected ones will be shown on “Hometown TV CH7 and CH18. The city doesn’t post daily messages on CH7 only on social media. The city should also restore the council chambers for live video streaming of council meetings similar to what the local churches are capable of doing. 

At the last city council meeting ample time was given to discuss access to private individual’s property and a DNR Grant to complete the trail around the city. No mention was made about the proposed trail next to Twilight Field. This short walking trail will give the senior citizens at Augustana Village safe access to the new city/school bike trail.

I can only hope that we are not destined to be the “Forgotten Generation.”  

Bill Carlson

Moose Lake