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Duluth Residents Respond to Billionaire’s Negative Comments

Duluth Residents Respond to Billionaire’s Negative Comments

March 26, 2024 11:32 AM CDT

By: James Kelly

Duluth residents are firing back after billionaire Kathy Cargill referred to the community as “small-minded” over land purchases.

Cargill had been taking steps to purchase 20 pieces of real estate in Duluth’s Park Point neighborhood. The plans drew attention from community members and Mayor Roger Reinert, who penned a letter to Cargill asking what she was planning to do with the land.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, as Cargill purchased the land Duluth residents became concerned that she would attempt to turn the area into a gated community, depleting the housing supply and possibly raising property taxes for other residents. With the backlash, it appears Cargill has changed her plans for the area.

After receiving the letter from Mayor Reinert, Cargill said “I think an expression that we all know – don’t pee in your Cheerios – well, he kind of peed in his Cheerios right there, and definitely I’m not going to do anything to benefit that community.”

In response to the Cheerios comment, local officials including Mayor Reinert started sharing pictures of their breakfast on social media. Following those pictures, local residents organized the informal “Duluth Cheerio Challenge,” calling on the community to donate as many boxes of Cheerios or other healthy cereals as they could to food shelves around the area.

According to a Fox 21 report, the cereal will be donated to places like CHUM, the Salvation Army, and the Union Gospel Mission. Donations will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Wednesday and Friday at the Duluth Labor Temple on London Road. There is also a Facebook group that explains the purposed of the challenge.

Cargill now says she will be even more secretive about her plans for the properties that she purchased.

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