Problems litter Wisconsin Point

Despite being a natural landmark of great beauty, Superior’s Wisconsin Point has several critical problems. The park, a 203 acre peninsula, is tarnished by bad road conditions, litter along the beach, and car burglaries.

In a survey given out to 40 students during C lunch on October 7, 65 percent of students had heard of problems with littering, 47.5 percent had heard of car break-ins, and 52.5 percent had heard of bad roads.

One student who took this survey was junior Jacklyn Lockwood. In the warmer months, she visits Wisconsin Point weekly. One of the main problems that Lockwood finds with the Point is the rugged roads. She said that potholes in the blacktop make for a bumpy ride.

“It’s really, really bad out there,” Lockwood said.

Lockwood is not alone in her assessment. In a poll given by The Leadership Superior/ Douglas County Foundation that was posted online with the Superior Daily Telegram and the Duluth News Tribune, the majority of people taking the survey wanted to see an improvement in roadways and parking areas at the Wisconsin Point.

Lockwood said she finds it hard to understand why these improvements are not made when other local roads are repaired regularly.

“Road crews are tearing up roads that just got done a few years ago that aren’t that bad, and the roads to the Point and some back roads in Superior are just terrible,” Lockwood said.

Another aspect of Wisconsin Point that many Superior citizens find unsavory is the littering and pollution along the beach. In the Leadership Superior/Douglas County poll, the opinion of the park’s current condition shared by most people was that the quantity of trash was so high that it detracted from the beach’s natural beauty. Garbage, charred wood and broken glass are scattered across the beach and parking lots causing an unsightly and even dangerous effect.

One of the most serious problems found at Wisconsin Point is theft. There have been approximately 80 reported car break-ins at the Point this year so far.

In another survey given to 39 students during C lunch, 36 percent of students have either had their own vehicle or that of a family member or friend broken into. Typically, a window of the vehicle was broken and valuables such as a purse or a wallet were stolen.

According to Mary Morgan, head of the Parks and Recreation Department of Superior, many of these problems would be too costly to solve right away. Road repairs alone would cost Superior half a million dollars.

“We are doing what we can with the resources we have,” Morgan said.

Steps are being taken to improve Wisconsin Point. Spot improvements have been made on the roads. This summer, a member of Experienced Works, an organization made to employ seniors, was hired to patrol and clean the beach. According to Morgan, this employee’s attention caused the beach to be cleaner this summer than in previous summers.

Police have also begun to increase vigilance. Recently, police placed a bait car at a parking lot on the Point. This sting operation caught a woman breaking into a car. Of all the break-ins this summer, 17 over the 80 are alleged to be done by this woman.

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