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| The park stage |
I mean an event designed for the general public. The Morris Community Church when it existed had Sunday services with music there often. I thought that was wonderful. The gentle sounds wafted over to where I was working at the old Sun Tribune building.
To remind: the old Sun Tribune was located basically across the street from the Post Office. Not at the present-day DMV building but the one to the east. Think Hottovy. I'm old enough to remember when the DMV building was Dr. Watson's office!
The Morris Community Church had a nice presence in Morris for a long time. These were pretty committed Christians, might be called fundamentalists. Am I accurate on that? I'm not Mr. Theologian.
Amen and hallelujah to see the stage get used, and for the performance to draw a fair number of people. Which it definitely did. Much Christian-flavored music. No wonder I remembered the Morris Community Church.
My, it helped that the weather was perfect. The sun was mostly out from behind the clouds, as I recall. I stood behind the aluminum bleachers. I have noted before that when the sun is out, no way do people want to sit close to the stage. I was surprised Thursday that so many people did. But this included a little gaggle of very devoted supporters of the performing group.
They brought their own chairs (just like at the softball complex) and sat even closer than the aluminum bleachers! Historically people have sat a fair distance from the stage, bringing about a feeling of embarrassment about the place. I am forthcoming enough to say that.
The biggest "sell" for the Killoran stage used to be Prairie Pioneer Days, its original summer iteration. The only iteration I care to reflect on.
I can try to say the obvious about how the community never should have dropped the ball with PPD. Often I'll share opinions that draw brickbats from opinion leaders in Morris. I would observe that many of these people just want to go to their lake places on summer weekends. They'd be dazed if you suggested to them that they spend one summer weekend in Morris for some reason. A weekend in Morris!
A friend of mine says this problem continues into fall when people will say they're "going to the Cities." It's never "Twin Cities," it's just "the Cities." Well, I tend to just stay here in Motown. Call me an outlier.
But I must assess the Thursday night event at East Side Park a near-total success. It would have helped to have more than one food truck. A long line formed and was persistent at the one truck. So I skipped the concessions, just stood over behind the aluminum bleachers.
And then I met up with our former librarian Melissa Yauk. She was here all the way from Idaho which is her retirement home! Idaho! Looks like she has not let Morris drift far from her thoughts, so bless her.
Melissa has the gift of being able to read more than one book at the same time. I asked her once for some advice on trying to appreciate fiction better. She gave me some and I made a try. Fiction is just not my thing, unless you want to argue that my blog writing is "fiction." That's a little self-deprecating line I learned from William F. Buckley. Buckley had a foray into fiction writing. I wonder what he would think of the "conservatives" of today. He gained some of his fame by attacking the "John Birch" element of an earlier time.
So what about the "MAGA" of today?
Won't be long before East Side Park will be the site for the "welcome UMM" picnic. Word is, UMM will have about the same enrollment as last year. I'm inclined to think this is wishful thinking. So many articles out there now about how the old four-year colleges are a tougher sell with young people. But UMM has "degree in three." Hey, why not award any kid a diploma who can simply come up with the money? Cynicism on a Saturday. I'm just trying to be real.
The State of Minnesota has an investment in our campus. Let's make it work. Can we get a real "UMM band" again?
Let's acknowledge who performed Thursday at East Side Park - it was "Hope Marie Lillies and Sparrows." I got home and shared reaction with a friend via email:
The quality of the music was pleasing but I'm not a Christian pop fan at all. And Jim Morrison hates it even more than I do. I'll have to tease Jim in an email by telling him about the performance.
Only one food truck! That was Mi! Mexico. Very long line for a very long time, and I did not have the patience. I had money on me for food. Menu was complicated! So I would have handed the person $15 and just said "give me something good for $15." But I didn't have anything.
It is amazing how the years just rolled by with almost zero use of the Killoran stage. Would it have been so hard to organize some events like tonight? Oh, a girl with the group tonight writes a lot of her own songs, so I'm very impressed.
Here's from an email I received from a friend who was also at the park:
Speaking of the Killoran {bandshell], did you read about that at the end of the article on the city council in the fishwrap this week? Someone commenting on the vandalism and broken door there.
I responded:
It's my understanding that vandalism was a main reason why the former band shell was torn down. And the kids back then also vandalized the Sam Smith statue. Look for more unruly kids in the future, because Trump blocked funding for after-school and summer programs. Keeping kids engaged in activities is important, otherwise they get bored.
Why couldn't the community have made sure to have events at Killoran stage like last night all through the years?
My friend continued his thoughts:
. . .got there a little before 6:30. Yes, a long line at the Mi Mexico truck. I know that it was advertised that Just Chillin’ was to have a food truck there as well, but someone told me that they had double-booked the evening or something and went to the other event. We ate food from the Hockey Boosters who had set up in the shelter – they had nacho chips with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and cheese for the toppings, and a bottle of water, all for $10. Very satisfying and filling.
We watched the concert from our seats in the shelter for a while. I dunno, she was an OK singer but all of her tunes tended to sound alike and run together. Until she did a cover of “Walking on Sunshine” – that was uptempo and got the crowd’s attention. But, as soon as that was done, she went back to her “and then I wrote. . .” phase and more unrecognizable songs. And all slower tempo. Didn’t anyone tell her that the one main rule of performing outside is “no slow songs”?
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| Morris Public Library |
Yauk was librarian during tranquil times for the Morris Public Library. The current public mess reminds us how much pressure can be associated with running the library. So Melissa gets kudos.
The current librarian was there when Melissa was still there. The library promoted from within. "Embattled" would describe Anne Barber now.
Since the city is not forthcoming with the public on details, we have the license to speculate and opine all we want, n'est-ce pas? Gossip? Well, inquiring minds would like to know some things. From the email to my fellow park concert attendee:
Anything new on the damn library situation? The council and mayor must be profoundly embarrassed about this. And look at all their time that has been tied up. They didn't run to do this. There is a missing piece to puzzle, and the media should dig to tell us about it. I mean, doesn't the city have the discretion to manage its own library?
I think maybe this started with the city manager wanting to get some info from Anne and Anne saying "sorry but I only answer to the library board." I'd bet on that. And Dalager decided to side with Anne. The council is apparently OK with what the city manager is doing and saying. So, I think there is some culpability with Anne. But media could find out more for us. Ward said "maybe they've been told not to."
Pretty direct
If the city manager, who I have never met, was told "scram," well then I can understand the CM getting so animated in her comments. And the council people sit there and let it flow. I wouldn't want to be in the librarian's position. But when lawyers butt heads, who knows how it could turn out? Obviously it should not have come to this.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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