Owls overcome wind and Blackjacks

Seems almost surreal this morning (Friday) with the total stillness outside, after we have been ravaged and about driven nuts by wind! It is a paradise outside as I write this at 8 a.m. Forecast yesterday seemed to call for intense wind out of the west today. We're getting it from all directions, n'est-ce pas? 

Climate change? Remember that climate change means more "extreme weather." Now that I have written that, you have me pegged as a political "liberal." We're in western Minnesota where such a position is rare and maybe even a little risky to hold. I probably voted for Kamala Harris, right? Well, maybe I did. And if y'all are basking in the perverse pleasure of supporting our president, I feel sorry for you. 

One thing is for sure: there is no point in arguing with you. Enjoy church on Sunday where you can rub shoulders with all your kindred souls. Jesus would be MAGA, right? I do differ on that. "Blessed are the poor." 

The wind up through yesterday has me thinking that outside high school sports would have been miserable. It had to be. But the games plunged forward. I see where our MACA softball team survived its challenge from a strong Border West team. Score was 4-3 at home. There won't be a rematch in post-season because the two teams are in different classes. 

Did the Thursday game draw a good fan turnout? The Morris facility is a miserable place to try to find a good vantage point. Have I written about that enough? 

Sad how our high school athletes are subjected to the vagaries of springtime weather. The winter season is indoors and with no such impediment. 

 

Emphasis Hancock!

This is a special post for me to write because the focus is going to be on Hancock softball. I hardly ever write about Hancock these days. For years and years I did all the sportswriting for the Hancock Record newspaper when it existed. And now this morning I am told that the Hancock graduation is tonight. 

This year's grads were not born yet when I covered my last Hancock graduation for the area print media. My last one there was in 2006. It was emotionally rough. The Hancock graduation sort of tugs at your heartstrings. Small school charm. The romance of tradition. I wonder if it all pretty much follows the same script. I remember the song recording that was played for the slide show that showed the grads through the years. I remember how band director Ken Grunig had his percussion section start off "Pomp and Circumstance" in such a sudden way, I would literally jump in my chair! The grads deserved something grandiose like that. 

I was charmed with all the proceedings. I often sat next to Katie Erdman. I hope a few people remember me. I absolutely was not ready to give any of this up in 2006. When life gives you lemons, I guess you have to just accept the bitterness. Forum Communications eventually left Stevens County. 

I remember that in 2006, the Grunig twins graduated! The old counselor Gary Olson was back to extend best wishes.

 

Owls 7, Dawson-Boyd 4

The Owls and Blackjacks got together on the softball diamond at Hancock. Both teams scored in the early innings. Hancock scored two runs each in the first and second, and D-B did likewise. But the D-B girls would score no more. Hancock enjoyed a three-run fifth. 

The Owls survived four errors. They were outhit 5-3. I see familiar names in the stat report like "Nuest." Abby Nuest reached on HBP, stole a base and scored a run. She drove in two runs. Mariah Hoberg had a hit and stole two bases. She scored a run and drove in a run.

Abigail Boon went two-for-three with a run scored and RBI. Sophia Nagler walked and scored a run. It was ditto for Diana Rodriguez: a walk and a run scored. Taylor Nesvig walked, stole two bases and scored a run. 

Nagler got the pitching win with five innings of work, three strikeouts, one walk, four hits allowed. Nesvig put her arm to work for two innings, four strikeouts, two walks, one hit allowed.

Tragedy up north

Peril of the strong winds? We get word of a tragedy up north that took the life of a UMM student. Cameron Walker lost his life in a drowning accident on Little Emily Lake, Crow Wing County. Walker was 19 years of age. 

We just had the joyous UMM graduation, now the joy is tempered. 

Cameron Walker

Walker was in a party of three on a paddleboat. The intense wind must have been a factor as the boat capsized. Well, that's the irresistible conclusion for me. (Don't ever underestimate water..) 

"Voice of Alexandia" tells us "Walker told dispatchers he and two women were in the water before the call unexpectedly disconnected." 

The two women were also UMM students. They survived. The three students were visiting the area. 

IMHO when in doubt about getting out on the water, stay away. There are news reports quite often about people making questionable decisions. They fail to assess all the possibilities. A canoe can get "swamped." 

I remember when I was a kid, my father would take me duck hunting and we'd go out on a lake in an old small wooden boat. And of course we were wearing heavy outerwear. Falling into the water could easily be life-threatening. Would I have been alert enough to realize I had to peel off my outerwear as fast as possible? I may not have been. 

We survived. I wish we had never done that. It wasn't even fun. I remember flocks of bluebills going overhead late in the season and sounding like a jet plane! The exotic ducks came from up north late in the season. The bufflehead!

  

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff54@gmail.com

Paper programs return for UMM graduation

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"Ski-U-Mah" here in Morris! Still not sure of the origin or meaning of that. But it's cute, certainly traditional. 

It would be nice to hear the old "UMM Hymn" as part of the institution's graduation IMHO. Well everything here is "IMHO" because it's my online platform! I do thank any and all for visiting. Keeps a sense of value in my life. I was born with a journalistic inclination. And then along came Watergate that really reinforced that! Imagine the "Beltway" around our nation's capitol just teeming with high-priced lawyers, and in the end it was not lawyers who took down Richard Nixon. It was newspaper writers! A high-five all around please. 

We don't have near the power we once did. Everyone can find an online platform to get their ideas out there. It's nice with some limitations. 

How shall I share about the 2026 UMN-Morris graduation? First of all, always a plus to have the ceremony outdoors. I walked to campus from my residence on yet another cool day with the annoying wind. That cotton-pickin' wind. It's roaring outside right now on this Tuesday morning. 

The graduation was three days ago and it gave a fine overall impression. We might wonder if the number of UMM grads will stay in an acceptable range. We had the unusual mid-school year change in chancellors that really was a worrisome sign. My unimpeachable source within UMM told me that the outgoing chancellor  stepped down - actually was fired - because she balked at making cuts that were recommended by her superior. We sure got a reminder of the U of M hierarchy. 

And even the president answers to higher-ups. And I don't mean the regents, I mean the legislators. Ultimately it is the people closest to the purse strings that matter most. Are the regents overrated? I have come to suspect as much. They'll go after all the $ they can get from the state. But the state hones in to ascertain what is really going on. 

Whither UMM's future? We really have to wonder. And what was the true catalyst for UMM's mid-year shakeup with leadership? Hey it was the press or the "Fourth Estate." It surely retains power, even in our diversified media age. Erin Adler of the Star Tribune wrote an expose type of article that included the word "nosedive" in big headline type. Yikes! Well we had to concede that Erin was onto something. 

We want to root for UMM but we have to see that any shortcomings are addressed. "The press" can really lead us in the right direction. I have felt right along that some drastic news of cuts might come along not long after graduation, after the campus has gone quiet. Well, graduation is done. 

The ceremony was outdoors but I chose to watch most of it on the big screen at Edson Auditorium. We should always insert "Morrison Performing Arts Center" when we talk of the auditorium. The Morrison name has a long background with "the press" in Morris! The Morris Sun Tribune newspaper. "Sun Tribune" fades into history. It was a twice-a-week product, a bit much for the small staff to put out. That included me! How many of you still remember? 

I wrote about stuff at UMM before there was a UMM website, if you can imagine such a world. Took lots of photos and probably gave a little preferential treatment to the jazz music program! The Jim Carlson era at the school. "Talk about an enthusiastic attitude," my friend and fellow UMM advocate Warrenn Anderson has said. 

 

Refreshing surprise 

Hey, the 2026 graduation brought a return of the paper program! It was smaller than before, did not include a complete list of the graduates. I will compliment UMM on having the paper program again. People did not have to be told to use their "Smartphones!" I would like to see a return of the old programs for souvenirs. 

We still have in our household a copy of the program for UMM's first-ever graduation in 1964! I personally was present on the campus mall for the historic occasion. The U of M president was here! So here I am now in 2026 at age 71, still fortunate to take in the ceremony like all through the years. My health is reasonably stable. 

How big will future UMM graduations be? It can't be a good sign that we no longer have fully viable music groups composed of almost 100 percent current students. The band and choir once graced the event in a way that frankly we took for granted. So a friend and I would exchange notes about how good they were. 

Was there no attempt to present a vocal group this year? I don't recall any. What would Ken Hodgson say? My, what a showcase the "concert choir" once was, performing at any opportunity. 

And the band? Alas, the present incarnation of UMM band needs "community" to stay afloat. It's right in the name. A community band is a fine concept but frankly I would expect UMM's band to present itself exclusively as "UMM" with nearly all student members. We sure still have a music department out there. So I scratch my head a little. 

 

Double-take 

I was a little shocked Saturday to hear the "COMMuniversity band" play "Dixie" as part of a medley. That tune is an echo of the antebellum slaveholding South. At UMM of all places? Well, I doubt anyone cared much if at all (except me). But it was a wonderful day if you can overlook the wind. 

I had one personal friend among the grads and I got to see her get her diploma on the big screen at Edson. This was Addison Gentry. Congratulations Addison! She's from North Central Minnesota. She plans on continuing her education at Hamline. Her long-term career goal is "family law." 

So again, "Ski-U-Mah" whatever that means. Hold on to your hats for any cuts upcoming. And let's never completely put aside the "UMM Hymn." An inspiring melody. I'm showing a little family bias here. 

Good luck to Chancellor Rodriguez.

 

Addendum: For a little perspective, let's note that South Dakota State University has 1600 graduates in its 2026 class. Congratulations Brookings SD. 

 

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

Baseball: Tigers roar with 11-5 record

MACA baseball had a three-game win skein snapped on Friday. After their wins over WCA by identical 10-0 scores - how about that pitching? - and BOLD in a 16-2 romp, the Tigers were stopped by Paynesville 3-1 at home. 

Overall the 2026 campaign has been impressive for the orange and black. We see an 11-5 overall record. It all got started shutout-style with a 10-0 win over MACCRAY on April 10. Three days later the Tigers posted another shutout win 7-0 over Melrose. Then came an absolute romp over St. Croix Prep 17-0. On April 28 the orange and black was back to shutout form with the win over Sauk Centre 10-0. 

The recent wins over West Central Area were in a doubleheader played here. 

How about that big new building built right next to the home field? I guess some concern has been expressed over whether the building was built rugged enough, like to withstand storms and wear and tear over time. The counter argument has been strong on that too. 

Seems like it has been a pretty cold spring for trying to enjoy baseball and softball. I find softball to be depressing because our facility in this has almost no seating accommodations for fans. I have written this over and over. To what end? I probably just have certain movers and shakers cussing under their breath about me. It's probably not even under their breath. 

I'd be embarrassed to have my name out there as a sponsor for some part of that. I actually think all the sponsorship signs make the place seem tacky. The government should provide the means for developing places like this. I mean, it's a legitimate obligation. Big Cat Field was a big government project. And I'd sure like to see an "inflatable roof" added to the place. St. Cloud State has this at the same time it seems like nearly half their campus is tagged for demolition. 

And is there anything more depressing than to realize that SCSU is fund-raising to try to accomplish the demolition? I'm sure that some of these buildings were a big deal when they first opened. Like to have a public open house and speeches. 

Baseball in Morris has a pretty decent complex. The main Chizek Field has grandstand seating. That is something that softball does not have - not even close. 

How is the attendance for softball games? Doesn't seem too impressive when I walk past the place. The fans can look a little forlorn there. The softball "complex" is on my daily walking route. 

No more "Cesar Chavez" sign out in that neck of the woods. Oh, the problems men can have with their hormonal urges. Bill Cosby was such a genius entertainer for America. I saw  him perform in Las Vegas once. Now he is scrubbed. In Chavez's case, he is scrubbed because of "allegations." The state of Texas scrubbed him as fast as they could. Texas is ruled by Republicans who never want to give credit to organized labor. 

The baseball Tigers will play at Minnewaska Area on Monday, May 11.

 

Tigers 16, BOLD 2

Chizek Field was the site for our big 16-2 win over the Warriors of BOLD. The bottom of the fourth seemed to really tell the story as we rallied for ten runs. 

We scored the 16 runs on 13 hits. On the negative side we had four errors. But the day was overwhelmingly positive. Oh, look at the BOLD error total: 8! BOLD was limited to four hits. 

Lots of Tigers got into the offensive act. Let's acknowledge the contributors and I'll start with Riley Asmus whose specialty sport is baseball. He lived up to that with three hits in four at-bats with two of his hits doubles. He scored two runs and drove in two. 

Ozzy Jerome tripled as part of his two-for-three showing. He walked, scored two runs and drove in two. Alex Asmus doubled, stole a base, scored two runs and drove in three. Jack Kehoe had a hit, got on via HBP and stole a base. He crossed home plate once. 

Hunter Westerman went two-for-three with a run scored and an RBI. Brayden Carlson had a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Travis Buss walked, stole a base and scored two runs. Hunter Smith doubled, scored two runs and drove in two. Riley Saito came through at two-for-four with one of his hits a double. He scored three runs and drove in two. 

Carlson and Smith pitched for the Tigers with Carlson getting the win with his four innings in which he fanned three batters. Smith struck out two batters in his one inning. 

These are stressful times for the BOLD school district as there is a criminal investigation of district finances! Just imagine the "Dragnet" theme song in your head!

Here's a heads-up re. MACA softball: May 14 presents an important home game and important test for the Tigers who often are not tested well. A high-caliber Border West team is coming here to play. I write more about Border West and the upcoming big game on my companion blog site, "Morris of Course." Here is the link. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2026/05/powerful-border-west-to-play-in-morris.html 

 

At it again

Like fingernails on a blackboard, we are being subjected once again to schoolteachers complaining to the board about their compensation. How much do I dislike this? Let me count the ways. These accounts get into our newspaper which is how I'm made aware. 

I have seen accusations from the teachers of the board "lying." That took balls or chutzpah or whatever. This was not in the most recent account. The most recent account was pretty predictable. "Woe is me." I'll bet each one of these crying souls was delighted on the day they were hired. 

Teachers unions grew to be a scourge across our nation. For some reason they were allowed to become way too powerful. If there is one thing that will get me to vote Republican - which I really don't want to do - it's the sense that Democrats are bedfellows with the teacher unions. 

I actually think there has been some progress in beating down all the chutzpah from the teacher unions. 

I was with the Morris newspaper when the unions were in their salad days with power and it could have made me puke. It wasn't even in the long-term best interests of the teachers. My God they behaved like entitled jerks. 

Right here in Morris I saw these people organize boycotts of businesses. I think if there were any talk of that now, our board and administration would resolve to really clip their wings. "Conservatives" in government have more power than they did three or four decades ago. I think a big positive change is that the school administrators of today think and act like real "managers" instead of being warmed-over teachers who would be right at home in the "teachers lounge." Is there still such a thing as a "teachers lounge?" I hope not. It was always a bad look. 

We don't want our administrators to be "against" teachers but we want them to put on a boss's hat sometimes, to say "no more bulls--t." And I think this has happened in large part. But the teachers still line up to go and complain about their lot in life at school board meetings. I wish such presentations could be confined to separate closed meetings designated "personnel." It is depressing for the public to sec this stuff.  

I got a kick out of it several years ago when a board member spoke up on how teachers need to emphasize "preventative health care" more! Their insurance probably gets crazy. We read all the news reports about job growth in health care, but these jobs don't produce anything. 

One of my favorite economic commentators, Peter Schiff, pointed out recently "when I go to the doctor, I want him to solve my problem and then I don't want to go back." 

Amen.

Sound and fury, signifying nothing

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff54@gmail.com 

Command with the bats in 14-4 win

The MACA bats made noise in the 14-4 softball win over BOLD Tuesday at home. It was a good test for coach Mary Holmberg's squad: opponent BOLD had good creds. 

Fans watched six innings unfold as the Tigers took it to the Warriors with a 13-hit attack. Meanwhile the Warriors managed just five safeties. Very encouraging for the Motown fans with post-season getting closer. The Tigers prevailed by the margin of ten. 

So the Tigers are in a lofty perch: No. 9 in the AA rankings. Oh, and the Warriors are up there too at No. 6 but in the A division. 

The BOLD school district is undergoing a criminal investigation into school district finances. What a blessing we have no such hindrance in our own school. 

 

Remember music! 

Looks like the big May band concert is coming up on Monday at our school. I expect it will follow the tradition of including an ice cream social during which we can hear soloists and ensembles from the contests. "Contests" in music? Well of course! The ice cream social is in the cafeteria area. After that, everyone proceeds to the concert hall. 

Does everyone now take the opulent concert hall for granted? I am age 71 and can remember many years of more modest resources. Like for example the auditorium of the old, now-razed school. Although, the art deco auditorium had its charms. A big problem was the sharp drop-off at the edge of the stage! The way people look down at their phones nowadays, would be an even worse hazard. Varsity basketball used to be played at that place! I personally watched some of that. 

But today! My what fabulous and spacious facilities we have. So don't take it for granted please. 

The softball line scores from Tuesday were 14-13-1 for the Tigers, 4-5-4 for the Warriors. I am pleased to be able to share some individual stat highlights on this Thursday morning. Weather getting better? Not by much. Word is, it'll improve for tomorrow (Friday) but then get a little colder for Saturday which is UMM graduation day. I'll be standing in my usual place to observe the processional: in between Oyate and the "circle drive." 

I'm curious what kind of instrumental music has been arranged. Through the vast majority of UMM's history we could take for granted a full-fledged band of nearly 100 percent current students. "The way it should be!" We lost that during covid and it has not come back, alas. A real shame. 

I wonder about the choir for Saturday. Yulene does a terrific job for the resources she has. This isn't your father's UMM choir. Or my father's UMM choir either! My father Ralph E. Williams directed all UMM music in the institution's first year and remained active for many years. He was most well-known for his UMM men's chorus which strongly helped UMM establish its standing in its earliest years. And this was so vitally important to the original boosters of the place! 

UMM was represented at the Seattle World's Fair when America was gripped by Cold War panic. JFK was supposed to visit to close the fair but he canceled, as he had to attend to the Cuban missile crisis. 

Well we're in the year 2026 and UMM has such a long history now. We can legitimately worry about the future. Some hard decisions may be coming down. Well, we'll see. I'm afraid these decisions will be made pretty distant from Morris. 

 

A big second inning

BOLD failed to score over the first four innings. Meanwhile the Tigers attacked the ball superbly to get six runs in the second, among nine total runs in the first three innings. We polished things off with five in the sixth. 

Don't underestimate fielding: just one error by MACA, four by BOLD. 

Ah, let's look at the hitting highlights. And here I'll start with my neighbor Addie Cihak who walked twice and scored two runs. Keep it up Addie! Ashlin Gibson drew a walk, stole a base, scored a run, drove in one and went one-for-one. 

Leah Berlinger went one-for-two and scored a run. Nora Boyle had a hit, drew a walk, scored a run and drove in one. Haley Kill walked and drove in a run. Ryla Koehler had a hit and drew a walk. Jade Marty crossed home plate once. Mia Lu Asche had a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Samantha Konz had two hits, drove in three runs and scored one. 

I enjoy typing the name "Harmony Coverdale." It's just a neat name IMHO. This Tiger had a triple while going two-for-five. She drove in two runs and scored three. 

Aina Rose as unstoppable at bat with four-for-four numbers! She walked and stole two bases. She scored two runs and drove in two. 

Turning to pitching, Boyle and Kill shared the responsiblity. Boyle got the win with her 5 1/3 innings and four strikeouts. Kill set down one batter on strikes. 

We're looking at an 11-2 record for the Tigers now! It's really pretty par for the course for an MACA regular season. All eyes will be on the section level of play! Can we survive the teams from down south that seem so formidable? Not sure why that should be. 

Hey, I'm surprised at how much of the regular season is left! We're scheduled to host Melrose today (Thursday). The weather looks good (although a bit cold) as I write the first draft of this. 

Does the Stevens County Times website have a report on the BOLD game? People are paid to put out that product. I am not.

Aina Rose shares the following on her NCSA College Recruiting page:

Aina Rose

Hi!  I'm Aina - a 2029 infielder/RHP.

Faith, family, friends, and my community have all shaped who I am, both as a person and as a softball player. I started playing softball in third grade on my town league team.  I really fell in love with the sport in fourth grade, when I joined my 10U travel softball team. Since then, softball has taught me that I’m stronger than I think and that I can handle tough situations if I’m willing to work hard. I’ve learned that improvement doesn’t just happen—you have to put in the time, effort, and focus if you actually want to get better.

Academics are very important to me, and my goal is to stay on the A Honor Roll throughout high school. On the field, I’ve had to overcome being smaller and less physically strong than some teammates, which means I have to work extra hard to keep up. I’m also introverted and naturally shy, so becoming more of a vocal leader has been a challenge. My coaches often describe me as kind, coachable, and mentally tough. I may not be the loudest player on the field, but I listen, think things through, stay calm under pressure, and always try to lead through my effort, attitude, and consistency. 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff54@gmail.com 

We see the crumbling and do nothing

Here's a headline this a.m.: "Donald Trump receives warning of 'absolute collapse' over new poll." Well fine. News is supposed to be "man bites dog." There is zero surprise when we get word that the president's poll numbers are crashing. 

Am I so much smarter than everyone else? Well the obvious answer should be "no." I have acquaintances who would answer snarkily. But I am smart enough to know that when the "polls" really collapse on this guy in the questionable cognitive state, he could do something treacherous. Let's think of the cornered animal. Like a wolverine. 

I am smart in that I have seen this coming for a long time. Good God, isn't it obvious that Trump took us out of the 2015 "Iran Nuclear Deal" because he wanted to do something else where he could take credit? He has to try to get credit for everything and to totally lambast/humiliate his perceived adversaries. Why isn't there an overwhelming national outcry over what is happening to the very honorable James Comey? 

Comey rose to become head of the FBI. Now he's "indicted." Over some sea shells?  Couldn't you imagine Johnny Carson telling some jokes about this? I would suggest it isn't funny. If nothing else, consider that if Comey's little communication was really a "death threat," wouldn't authorities have swooped in on him much faster, like immediately? But no, the president just wants to make this a dog and pony show. 

DJT reacted to the recent death of the most estimable Robert Mueller by saying he was glad Mueller died. And there wasn't a national outcry or demand that DJT apologize for such a comment? His spokespeople are sent out on the "Sunday shows" to equivocate and not even question the president's comment. 

I refer to Trump as "the president" because that is his title. Certainly I do not feel commensurate respect for him. And that is sad, it should not be the case. Hillary Clinton would have filled the shoes of president quite fine. I know if I even cite Hillary's name, a whole lot of local people would want to wince or grimace. How did we end up in this sorry state of affairs? "Gay rights?" "Trans?" 

DJT scores points by saying that men should not be allowed to play on women's sports teams. Well I agree with him on that. And this issue is the hill to die on for a lot of you folks out here in prairieland? 

How are the Morris area Catholics oriented at present? All my life I have seen these folks as pretty rock-ribbed with their faith and that's commendable to a point. I have far less of a problem with Catholics than with the "Southern Baptists." Perhaps a little anti-Southern prejudice kicking in. 

Pope Leo

Well Trump has made an enemy out of the Catholic Church. And once again, why not a mass demand from across the U.S. for an apology from the president, or if not from him then from "the White House." This would be a response to Trump saying that Pope Leo wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Of course the Pope said no such thing. 

There would be no Iran crisis at all, no looming blast of new inflation at the present time, if DJT could have just let the 2015 Iran nuclear deal stand. Other nations were in on that, put their imprimatur on that. It was negotiated by John Kerry and Barack Obama. Kerry was the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and Obama was our first black president. 

Of course I don't even see why the "black" aspect matters, needs to be cited. Barack Obama is 50/50 between black and white. But in DJT's simpleton mind, Obama is black. And of course Trump is a racist. He has indicated he does not even want to be in a photo with a black female military person. Why isn't there widespread outrage over that? 

We're so quick to show outrage if a Democrat or "progressive" person says anything remotely edgy or oddball. But we give Trump a blank check for saying things that should lay the groundwork for impeachment. Well Trump has been impeached twice. No conviction of course. Republicans and their cheerleaders from the yapping-dog "conservative media" put up obstruction, get so many people all emotional. They automatically guffaw at the mention of Hillary Clinton's name. Why? 

Same for Kamala Harris. Maybe it's true that America is just not ready for a woman president. Who cares about the gender? Let's focus on policies. Let's focus on a sound and rational mind for moving ahead. But no. And certainly not out here in western Minnesota. 

And here's something that should concern us all: Seems that everything that our U of M-Morris stands for is counter to the presidential administration. We ought to worry. Renewable energy is on the list. Trump is giving people $ to drop support for wind farms. It never ends. 

The rest of the world notices. If the U.S. is seen as obstructing adequate progress in combating climate change, my goodness could there be a coalition of nations applying the clamps to the U.S.? Maybe forces will come down on us to force a division of the U.S. into at least two separate countries. This would parallel what happened to Germany at the end of WWII: "East" and "West." The East was Communist. 

Maybe the U.S. South will get its way after all. They could become "Dixie" perhaps. Oh but I'm sure poverty would rule. Lindsey Graham might be happy. BTW Senator Graham is gay. 

We have a congressperson out here in western Minnesota who totally supports DJT. Wouldn't say s--t if she had a mouthful. A majority of our "Christian" churches are probably at the root of the problem.

 

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

MACA girls resume winning ways w/ a sweep

MACA softball excelled at the Minnewaska Area diamond on Friday. The success came after the Tigers were dealt a couple of rare regular season losses. Their record stands at 10-2 with May action developing. The month of May is the home stretch for the school calendar. Lots of excitement on many fronts, in many programs. Always so invigorating of course. 

The softball team's 10-2 mark indicates we are not world-beaters. I get repetitive on this but the key is whether we can put up a good challenge in sections. I'll repeat that the southern Minnesota teams like Jackson County Central can be a real roadblock. 

The Tigers have shown through most of this regular season that they have state-caliber skills. We are a perfect 8-0 in conference. Of course the CW is that our conference is not particularly tough. Don't know why that is. We are 4-1 in section, 5-1 away from the home diamond and 5-1 at home also. Obviously a lot of encouraging signs. 

But signs of some vulnerability too like with these recent losses: 7-3 to Dassel-Cokato and 3-0 to Hawley. Ouch, a shutout! But on Friday the fans' spirits picked up as the Tigers swept a doubleheader. Scores were 9-2 and 11-8 at the 'Waska diamond. The success did not come easily or routinely! That was especially true with Game 2. But let's start with Game 1 here.

 

Win by seven

Haley Kill was in charge from the pitching circle in the 9-2 Game 1 success. Haley allowed just four hits and fanned six 'Waska batters in her full seven-inning stretch. Offensively we came on strong late with three runs in the sixth and four in the seventh. Some breathing room finally opened up. 'Waska scored its two runs in the first. 

Looks like fielding was a factor as 'Waska had four errors, the Tigers none. 

Ryla Koehler had a productive bat with a three-for-four line in the boxscore. She stole two bases, drove in four runs and scored two. Samantha Konz socked a double. She scored a run and drove in one. 

Aina Rose was aggressive on the basepaths with three steals, plus she walked and scored two runs. Harmony Coverdale had a hit, a stolen base and a run scored. My neighbor Addison Cihak hit safely and drew a walk. Miu Lu Asche walked three times, stole a base and scored three runs. 

Haley Kill had a hit, stole a base, drew a walk and drove in a run. Nora Boyle was one-for-four with an RBI. 

'Waska's Ella Roering had two hits including a double. Norah Van Zee pitched for the Lakers.

 

Coming through in Game 2

The second game of this twin bill had more drama. Neal Hofland filled me in at DeToy's this morning. MACA had to come on strong with six runs between the fifth and sixth innings to get the advantage over a stubborn 'Waska team. Our line score was eleven runs, eleven hits and one error. 'Waska's was 8-16-1. Yes we were out-hit.

Nora Boyle and Haley Kill worked in tandem in the pitching circle with Kill getting the 'W'. Kill fanned four batters, Boyle one. No walks issued. 

Samantha Konz delivered a home run for the Tigers. She was one-for-three with a run scored and two ribbies. Harmony Coverdale was all over the basepaths as her showing included two doubles, three stolen bases, a walk received, two RBIs and two runs scored. 

Aina Rose had a hit, drew a walk, stole a base and drove in a run. Mia Lu Asche walked, reached on HBP and scored a run. Ryla Koehler stayed in the groove hitting with a three-for-four showing. She crossed home plate once. 

Haley Kill hit safely, drew two walks and scored twice. Nora Boyle doubled, scored two runs, drove in a run, got on via HBP and walked. Brenna Jergenson worked the pitcher for three walks. Her bat produced two hits. She drove in three runs and scored one. Jade Marty walked and scored a run. 

Two 'Waska Lakers each had three hits: Avery Lewison and Emma Poegel. The losing pitcher was Kendyll Jenson.

 

Too darn cold

Today's the day for activating my lawn mowing equipment for the new "warm" season. I put "warm" in quotes. I grabbed my winter coat once again when leaving the house for breakfast at DeToy's. This morning, softball athlete Addie Cihak was one of the servers. 

Will my walk-behind mower start on the first pull? Suspense. I am actually confident that it will. I have learned a fair amount through the years. Well it's about time, I'm 71 years old. I sat next to Larry Anderson who has even more experience in life than I do. 

One of the DeToy's servers will be graduating from UMM in a few days. I told her where I always position myself for the processional: in between Oyate and the circle drive. 

I was present on the mall for UMM's very first graduation in 1964, proud to say. It was a big deal that the U of M president was here. I remember the guy's name without having to consult Google. It was O. Meredith Wilson. UMM was coming out of its early stresses of development. My father's men's chorus gave the place a helpful high profile. 

The DeToy's server is "Addie" just like Ms. Cihak. And on Sunday I'll probably see Addison Blume working at the restaurant. Addison was Herman's Homecoming queen. She would have been queen even with a substantially bigger enrollment there IMHO. I remember the photo in the paper of Addison and the king: this is how a homecoming royal couple is supposed to look, not how they've done it at UMM. Tradition should be respected just for the sake of the alumni IMHO. 

Will we be hearing about major cuts at UMM after the graduation? There is reason to feel concerned. All of higher education is approaching the "demographic cliff."

UMM grad-to-be Addie says that if you're at DeToy's and need service, just say "Addie!" 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff54@gmail.com 

Two churches, shells of their former selves

Does it really matter what First Lutheran and Federated Churches of Morris do? They have been straining to keep some relevance. Obviously they have fallen into hard times. A friend explained to me that the older people of Federated have been dying and they are not being replaced. Actuarial tables do not lie. 

I attended a funeral at Federated just a couple weeks ago. A pretty nice building right across from the public school in fact. I noticed on the day of the funeral that the fellowship area was way too small. As the deceased's family came back from the cemetery, people felt they had to leave to make room. That's discouraging. Someone told me the kitchen there is not efficiently organized either. 

Theology? Does that even matter now? The big conflict in the faith now is between the hardcore Trump supporters and those who would like to moderate from that some, "cooI it" as it were. Federated and First have never been on board with Trump-ism but some individual members are comfortable being MAGA, such as the Hecks of First Lutheran. It's getting harder for me to spend time around people like that. 

I don't think Jesus Christ would want to get anywhere near Donald Trump. But that's just me. Some will say I'll burn in hell. 

Well, enjoy eating some good food while you can still afford it. The Iran war is accelerating inflation and it's already showing up in the official numbers. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow, everything is going to hell. In the future we may all have to depend on trucks from the government delivering rice to our neighborhoods for sustenance. We're already having to depend on "synthetic food." "Frankenfood." 

Well, what about First Lutheran, my old church? Why has everything gone to hell there? I have a long memory and can remember when it was such a viable place. A community leader in fact, many "important persons" in the ranks. Well, you all know what the "dagger" was. Go back to 2009. Certain actions taken at the national ELCA level. 

And because of that we've had to accept the death or near-death of our once precious First Lutheran Church in Morris. My second-guessing would be as follows: At the national level, go ahead and pass reasonable accommodations for gay people in a non-emotional way. But the church bureaucracy became known to have people who were more committed to "LGBTQ" than anything else. 

At the local level, I never felt it was necessary for pastors to give sermons on the new gay rights policy. As a matter of policy, fine. We want our gay brothers and sisters to feel accepted. But as a matter for crusading, no. The crusading became an irritant. 

And so in Morris we saw the creation of a whole new Lutheran church out in the windswept countryside. I can assure you that the location of Good Shepherd Church, not far from where I live, is very windswept. Listen for coyotes. And so a whole lot of people with their $ left the established Lutheran churches of the area. 

 

The latest 

The votes are in, regarding the combined status of First Lutheran (FLC) and Federated. The arrangement has been going on a while. The same type of people belong to both churches. Why the separation? The two are not even in the same denomination. What's a Methodist? I don't really know or care. What the heck is "UCC?" 

And there sits Faith Lutheran in west Morris with its reputation at least for the present of being a viable ELCA stand-alone church. There's no way Morris should have two ELCA churches. If you belong to one and switch to the other, people will talk. My route is the safest: become non-churchgoing. 

Well, shall we talk about the vote? Someone reported the numbers to me yesterday. Well, the joint venture will continue or let's say limp along. The greatest dissent to this was from among FLC members. There was just one "nay" vote - one - from the Federated flock. 

I wonder how many of the "no" voting families at FLC will even continue their membership now, or (more importantly) continue giving $. I felt I was betrayed the last time I wrote a check to FLC. It was shortly after that, that the new partnership was announced. 

First Lutheran Church

I wrote here that it seemed like a "bait and switch." I wrote the check with the understanding that things would continue pretty much as normal at FLC, even if downsized. But no, we can't even do that. 

Look how happy the Apostolics are. What do they know that we don't? I enjoy having my Sunday morning breakfast every week with some of the Apostolic men. One of them complained recently about all the excessive government spending "under Biden." These guys do read out of that playbook. But I saw a headline on "Drudge" just recently: "Federal spending higher now than under Biden." 

What would Jesus say? He'd probably say don't get buried in politics so much. There seems no hope when it comes to that. The government in our name has its military destroy an Iranian girls school with a Tomahawk missile. Our Navy sinks a ship and doesn't rescue the survivors. And this is the heavenly-blessed government regime of Donald Trump? So Trump walks hand-in-hand with Jesus? Not in my mind he doesn't. But I have always been an outlier in the Morris community. Very sad.

Is it time to abandon Christianity? The "nones" already have.

  

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff54@gmail.com