Manitou dock struggle from a distance

There’s a 1980s pop song titled “From a Distance” that has a place in explaining the shortened life of a $1 million dock on North Manitou Island, and why the National Park Service is forging ahead with construction of a look-alike dock for many millions more.

Both docks were deemed unsafe for ferry use by its intended primary user, Manitou Island Transit (MIT), which we consider a treasured legacy and an asset in telling the story of Sleeping Bear Country.

It’s the distant part, the concept that getting too close to a problem or project can blot out the ultimate mission, which relates back to the lyrics of the song. “From a distance, I just cannot comprehend what all this fighting’s for.”