Re. stretch of highway on the north end

Perhaps we can make it official: yesterday (Wednesday) was the first day of the pleasant weather season. You can just tell. We have looked for hints previous to that but that's all they are: hints. Of course we are going to get some unseasonable weather - we always do, and in any season. 

And it's ironic that so many of us might be giddy now as pleasant weather truly becomes the norm. It's ironic because we should still be so thankful about our snowless winter. It was literally snowless until toward the end when we got a nice blanket that wasn't going to last long. 

A few years back I walked downtown because of an April snowfall that was heavy enough to block my driveway. Instead of dealing with that, I just left it alone knowing that the snow would be gone in short order. Hey, I can still walk and ride bike just fine. I may have had my 50th class reunion but I'm doing fine. As in, "fine, knock on wood." 

So in that April I just alluded to, I grab a late afternoon meal and then embark for home, on foot. You might say I made a "mistake" of walking on the shoulder of the highway on the north end of town. It's the highway in front of Homestead and Pizza Hut of course. 

I'm facing traffic as per proper procedure. 

We still had the pesky "Morris Police" back then. That entity has been abolished. It was often little more than a nuisance in this community. A cop car passed me, then did a U-turn to park along the shoulder facing me. Because he was in the way, I skipped over to the opposite shoulder. To be honest I wasn't sure his position there was to check me out. Not sure if that even crossed my mind. 

So I continue walking and the guy shouts "Where are you going?" Just like what would happen in an old communist bloc country. I am aware of the commonly-heard advice of "don't talk to the police." There is a lot of merit behind this axiom. 

Maybe I could have sent a message to the guy by raising my arms and saying "don't shoot." But I fear that that kind of behavior could just increase the odds that he would shoot. 

I walked across the highway looking left and right first, then told the guy I was walking "home. " I gestured up toward Northridge Drive. He claimed he was just concerned about my welfare. Wanting to appease him, I told him that if I was in the same situation the next morning, I'd walk into town using the city streets like East 7th. 

While we're on the subject of the highway on the north end of town, let me say that there's an issue along there. The posted speed limit is lower than for a standard open highway. But here's the problem: motorists coming from the east, from the direction of Cyrus, can seem stunned and not willing make make the adjustment. 

Back when I took driver's ed under Mr. Hesse, he told me about the sensation of feeling like you're "crawling" when you are forced to slow down from highway speed. When I was young the speed limits were higher. 

Frankly, people need to treat the highway out there on north end like it's somewhat of an "in-town" road. There are entry and exit points along the stretch of highway. Cars entering and exiting will be adjusting speed, at times driving slow. They need a few seconds to accelerate. And even then, these motorists might not be inclined to go at full highway speed. 

I have personally decided to no longer enter the highway from Iowa Avenue which is what I use when I head to town from Northridge Drive. Now I go straight over onto East 7th Street, the street next to the old school property with all the apartment developments. The old school property! With time you will seem dated if you refer to it that way. My goodness, maybe seems dated now? 

What a big playground we had there once. It's hard to imagine the big old school buildings now. What an "erector set" type of school design that turned out to be. The community just had to keep plowing money into it. In the end it was futile because of having to meet "codes." My, elevator added! No elevator when I was in school there. The grand main entry required you to go up a long flight of steps. 

The superintendent was Oscar Miller. He left Morris under some discomfort. Years later I had it explained to me that Mr. Miller who was real strong with PR and personality, had a fault of getting too cozy with the Morris bankers! Life has its minefields I guess. Heaven knows I have dealt with that. I got the explanation from the late Harold Luthi who was on the school board for a considerable time. 

The gym at the old school doubled as "auditorium" and it was substandard for basketball. The time came when Morris would absolutely have to let go of it. So the new digs opened in 1968. The new digs seemed such a tremendous step forward. 

Once again I'll use the word "ironic." It was ironic when the community decided we needed another new varsity basketball gym. That's the one we use now.

Looking back it seems strange that the '68 gym was built not quite big enough or wide enough. Just a few feet wider would have helped so much. Was there some engineering reason why that was not practical? Do you remember how fans were not allowed to go into the hallways and use the restrooms until halftime or after the game? People got turned away. 

I remember Truman Carlson as being sort of in charge. I think it was uncomfortable for him to turn away adults. Kids? Oh they could be pushed around quite readily. Today I hear that school personnel are walking on eggshells trying to discipline kids. Or as one of my friends puts it: "The kids walk all over the teachers now." I would not have minded growing up under that system. 

Teachers should not have been allowed to "give homework." Oh to live those years over again and just challenge teachers sometimes. But those were different times: teachers had a lot more leeway to be hostile with kids with discipline. I'd love to just tell some of them off anyway. "Look, what's it to you if I don't want to do your assignment on subject matter that is never going to matter to me? What's it to you?" 

My only goal would be to be "set free" at age 18. 

The "Pylin" of Morris!

When my family first came to Morris, East 7th Street was the main entry to the town from the east. High-traffic businesses like the neighborhood grocery store, "Pylin" drive-in and Dairy Queen were located along there. You might want to visit Lesmeister Motors to buy "Army surplus" stuff! Today, I think some motorists want to go a little too fast along East 7th. Why is everyone in so much of a hurry? 

Frankly, the day might not be far off when I just elect to use public transportation. 

We're in the pleasant weather season now. Hooray! UMM graduation on Saturday. High school graduation can't be far off. I was able to cover one MAHS graduation at the new gym. Cover it for the Morris newspaper of course. Just one. 

I remember when the 1991 gym opened and it was considered a big deal for maybe two weeks. Then it drifted into obscurity. The school people campaign for new funding all the time, but sometimes I wonder. And the teachers are complaining about their lot in life with their pay and benefits so bad, seems rather like a tragedy. 

Oh, and the school wants more money at the present time. Like crime, death and taxes. You have to follow the bouncing ball and sing along. 

Very strange: when I was a kid it seemed nearly impossible to get a school referendum passed here. It is legend. No make that reality. One proposal went down that had the famous "pool." 

Today? Seems like a slam-dunk for virtually any school referendum to pass. Strange. They don't even need my vote.

 

Addendum: Jim Morrison at the paper once wrote "are we trying to be the gymnasium capital of Western Minnesota?"

  

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesoita - bwilly73@yahoo.com