A local group is giving people a chance to gather and talk about different ideas and topics — from national and world affairs to issues relevant in Leelanau County today, those who attend have the time and place to share their views with others willing to listen.
Northport’s Cracker Barrel, an informal community discussion group, is still going strong after a several year hiatus due the COVID-19 pandemic. They now meet every third Wednesday of the month from 10 to 11 a.m. at Trinity Church to bring together people that want to share various perspectives on a number of subjects. Ed and Kitty Dolan, who have lived in the area for the last decade, saw a need to start up the group once again and took over leadership in April of 2023. “It was originally started as an explicitly mens discussions group, but it now invites all newcomers, and Kitty has been working hard to raise the number of women who participate,” Ed said.
In January, group members kicked off their new schedule and discussed the War in Gaza. While the group acknowledged that it was a “fraught topic with a wide range of views,” and that “there was no way we are going to resolve the issue,” the goal was to aim for a “healthy exchange of views on matters like the historical and political context of the conflict, the appropriate role for the United States, and the range of possible outcomes.” Although Kitty relayed that they were a little nervous to discuss the topic in fear that it would become antagonistic, she said the conversation was well received and everyone participated and did their homework.
