The Depot Preservation Alliance, otherwise known as the Baudette Depot is a renovated train station located at the end of Main Street in the heart of Baudette, MN. The Depot is famous for putting on a number of community events and celebrations throughout the year. As we all know, this year is a bit different. The Baudette railroad depot–a place of constant movement, of joyous reunions and sad goodbyes, a place alive–yesterday and today. Vince Ojard, the Depot’s Executive Director recently wrote some reflections about our current world with the insight of some well known songs throughout the years. 
Paul McCartney wrote and sang that yesterday, all his troubles seemed so far away, but now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Our country has lost lives, historical buildings and monuments, small business and peace. We find ourselves wondering if all our troubles are here to stay, but we also find ourselves being more grateful than ever for the people, places and things we sometimes took for granted.
Jim Croce wrote and sang if he could save time in a bottle, the first thing he’d like to do, is to save every day ‘til eternity passes away, so he could spend them with someone he cared about. Here, at the Baudette Depot, we are more grateful than ever for our members and guests, and if we could save time in a bottle, we’d save some of the great times we’ve had together. We miss you, we missed hosting a waffle breakfast, an Easter bake sale, and a Mother’s Day event. We will miss this year’s annual Bluegrass Festival and the fun and fellowship we have planning and hosting such events. We are also missing the revenue from these events, revenue that helps us maintain and support our gathering place, our historical and beautifully restored Baudette Depot.
John Lennon asked us to imagine what life could be like with the world living as one. He wrote and sang that he was a dreamer, but that he was not the only one. While we try to imagine what life will be like in the near future, here, at the Baudette Depot, we dream of opening and receiving guests, but we know we must also imagine what it would be like if we can’t. The photo (provided by Neal Hansen) asks us to imagine what our town would look like if we did not have our depot.
Bob Thiele and George Weiss wrote, “What a Wonderful World,” a song sung by Louis Armstrong. While we think about yesterday, savoring the memories and imagining our lives returning to normal, or to a new and better normal, and while people from all over the world search for causes and cures for the Covid-19 virus, we are reminded of the uplifting and life-affirming words from this song. We are still able to see the things Louis Armstrong sang about, trees of green, red roses, clouds of white, bright blessed days and dark sacred nights. What a wonderful world.
While we strive to remain open, we know we can’t return to yesterday or put time in a bottle, but we can imagine and dream that it is possible because of the support you have always given to our Baudette Depot in the past. Thank you. Whether you give to the depot, the movie theater, a local business, organization or church, our support for each other proves that it truly is a wonderful world.
Last modified: 08/07/2020
