Let's not all "chime" in at once

Remember how the residents of Mayberry got so excited about the movie crew passing through town? We in Morris could get similarly excited when our fair community was the subject for a page 1 article in the Star Tribune. Wow! Did the Strib ever do any coverage of the whole Craig Peterson thing? I'll assert they didn't. I even called the Strib one day to give them a "tip." Still no coverage of this rather sensational episode. I doubt that our Stevens County Historical Society will preserve any of it.

I don't think the chimes controversy will be preserved in that manner either. Websites like mine - I have two of them - have their niche of preserving all kinds of historical fodder, not just the "proper" stuff. As far as the Strib nixing the Peterson story, my theory has always been: the paper on its own applied its judgment that the severe legal charges were improper and rather weird. A couple is out and about in a consensual friendship, consumes alcohol, ends up at the guy's place, and then. . . Well, you know. Very few style points for this. I have never dated so I have never courted these risks. What a mess.

"Mess" also describes the topic for the Strib's recent page 1 article (and "jumped" to an inside page). Morris is in the Star Tribune! Eureka. The chimes controversy at our local cemetery festered for years, sadly. Public music is not necessary. People can play their own favorite music on their devices at home.

The issues here are so outrageously simple to distill. The public music was pollution. And then we get into a discussion of the merits of the music, as if that had any place. Are we stupid! The powers-that-be should have made sure that the music was turned off long ago. 

The music was for the people visiting the cemetery? Do you think these people really care if there's any music playing there or not? When you get down to it, our cemetery has bigger issues. There should be a fence separating Summit Cemetery from the Catholic Calvary Cemetery. That would be to ensure that there's no misunderstanding about who that "baby" tombstone represents. Most people consider abortion to be settled law.

I'm assuming that the "no trespassing" sign at the cemetery is a Calvary thing, not Summit, but I can't be sure. Why would a cemetery have a "no trespassing" sign? Is the public just supposed to stay out? When I purchased a monument for my family, it was with the idea that I wanted the public to see it. It's a bench monument which I chose because I wanted it to be handy for cemetery visitors.

I was naïve at that time. I hadn't yet realized that visiting the cemetery was impractical for many people. There is a one-lane road through the cemetery. There is a cemetery policy, reported on a small sign, to not drive on the grass. This makes it literally impossible to park at the cemetery. You can't park in the middle of the road. I tried parking next to the road and was loudly upbraided by a cemetery worker on the scene, on July 4. Why was this asshole working on July 4?

I sent an email to Bob Stevenson asking about the "policy" or "etiquette" for parking at Summit Cemetery. I got no answer. I suggest this is because there is no answer.

We had all sorts of trouble after my father passed away. We encountered incompetence on several levels - exasperating. It makes me conclude that my late aunt's approach for her final rites was the only way to go: cremation and nothing else, not even an obituary. If there's life insurance, give that money as memorial contributions to various causes around the community. How about the Morris Area School Foundation?

I was naïve and unprepared when my father died, and I'm regretful. The death industry in Morris is bloodsucking about money, period. You even have to pay to get an obit in the newspaper. What an abomination. The paper would justify this practice on the basis of "we like money," or something like that. There was no charge when I worked for the Morrisons.

I argued recently that the paper should pay the funeral home instead of the other way around. Absent this, how about this procedure: the funeral home could just tell the paper "we're not paying for obits to be in the paper anymore. Many people, more all the time, come to our website to read them. You can publish them if you wish, but we aren't going to pay you. We aren't going to pay you just because you want money."

Let the paper go a few weeks without publishing obits. See what happens. I think funeral homes are under pressure everywhere because people are drifting away, rather rapidly in fact, from the "traditional funeral," the essence of which is "get out your checkbook for the funeral home." They write a number on a piece of paper and then you pay it, somehow. A lot of people must have an extra $10,000 tucked away somewhere. Or maybe they don't.

I recently emailed Willard Wevley, an old classmate of mine now in the funeral home business, suggesting that the biggest challenge in their business is identifying who's supposed to pay for a funeral, and then getting the money from that party. I think that behind the scenes, it's rather arduous.

How about paying a little taxes for a government program that helps defray funeral expenses for everyone? Would you appreciate that?

The cemetery chimes are now gone from Morris. As for the crusader who put them there, I'm reminded of a line from the father of Timothy Hutton's character in the movie "Taps." This gentleman said "(insert name) is proof that horse's asses outnumber horses."

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

Please listen to my 2015 Christmas song

Debra Gordon sings my song.

The boomer generation got in the habit of watching certain TV Christmas specials. Back then, you had to be sure to watch at the scheduled time for a particular show. No tapes yet.
One of the specials was about the little drummer boy. It is such a peaceful and inspiring story. So it's ironic that it came out in 1968 when the Viet Nam war was at its height, cutting down the lives of young American men like a scythe. It's also ironic that the U.S. was in this nightmare at the same time those charming and innocent Don Knotts movies came out. Remember "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken?" Remember the line "Atta boy, Luther!" Twig Webster got a kick out of that. We miss the Websters helping orchestrate theatrical/musical projects in Morris. But there still is some talent here, isn't there? I try to do my part. Right, Sharon Martin?
This is the second year that I have written a Christmas-themed song and had it recorded. I invite you to listen to "The Drummer Boy Song." It is a tribute not only to the original drummer boy story, but also to the annual TV special that was so touching. You may click on the YouTube link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzTcO1cu74Y

 
Debra Gordon sings my song. The song was recorded at the Nashville TN studio of Frank Michels. They do wonderful work. The Nashville music community is boffo. I have had the pleasure of visiting that city three times. I visited Tootsie's Orchid Lounge on Broadway, hoping that some of the famed talent associated with that hangout rubbed off on me!
You get good at songwriting by doing a lot of it. It's the only way. You must have a natural love of the craft. For the coming year, God willing, I'll have some more material coming out. Thanks to Gulsvig Productions of Starbuck for getting my songs online.
The drummer boy TV special was a Rankin/Bass production. We see the story via stop-motion animation. It was originally sponsored by the American Gas Association. We saw it for the first time on December 19, 1968, on NBC. It was aired on NBC for many Christmas seasons. CBS took over for airing it from 1985 to 1988. The show completed the trifecta of TV networks when it aired on ABC into the 2000s.
The longevity was impressive and understandable. I recently discovered that a "restored" version is airing on Channel 30 of the Mediacom system. Thanks to ABC Family Cable Channel, which I think is going through a name change. It's probably the first channel to check for outstanding Christmas specials.
I caught the last portion of "Drummer Boy" on Channel 30 recently. I was disappointed to learn later that this version is heavily edited - ugh. I learn that a fine song sung by the character "Ben Haramad" has been cut completely. The restored version has a sharper picture quality than the VHS tape I acquired years ago. But I get to hear "Ben Haramad" sing. He's the bad guy, and yet he exudes a certain charm like many villains do.
The story made me cry at the end when I was young. OK, maybe it makes me cry even today. The boy's lamb gets divinely healed after the drum exhibition for the "newborn king."
My song's lyrics remind that it's a "myth" you can find this story in the Bible. I had a discussion with Pastor Paul Erdahl about this once. The story is primarily about love and humility. You can be profoundly affected even if you're not real spiritual. I guess I'm not real spiritual.
My attitude about religion was permanently affected when I was young and seeing the abomination of the Viet Nam war. How could people stream into their churches, all dolled up, and hear the Christmas message when our government was prosecuting the pointless and hellish war? I'm sure we were asked to "pray for our troops." I would have preferred to pray for the Vietnamese people. Why was Lyndon Johnson so misguided? One theory today is that Johnson was so liberal in his domestic agenda, he had to show the nation's conservatives that he was "tough" in foreign policy. To hell with "tough" and to hell with conservatives. Hey, we lost the war, guys.
Today we are learning more and more about how we crashed and burned in Viet Nam. Specifically, we are learning about "fragging." U.S. troops were killing each other. "We were killing our own colonels," a panel member on C-Span said.
Our American churches, like my ELCA, should have used their power to try to get us out of the Viet Nam war. So should Billy Graham. Corporate America loved Graham because he helped maintain a docile workforce. He provided the opiate of religion. As for pushing for a withdrawal from Viet Nam, that was a much lower priority.
How can I attend church with all this lodged in my memory?
The Vienna Boys Choir popularized the drummer boy story with a 1955 recording. That was the year I was born.
The story has a poor young boy getting summoned by the Magi to the Nativity. The boy has no material gift for the infant Jesus. He plays his drum which was a gift from his parents. His parents had been killed by desert bandits. The boy is severely embittered. His experience with the Christ child elevates his spirits again. The baby Jesus heals the boy's lamb who was just injured by a careening Roman chariot. I cried as the boy and lamb reunite.
The Three Wise Men have an important role in the TV story. They follow the bright star in the sky. We hear the voice of Greer Garson narrating the story. The shepherds kept watch at night. The boy knows he has no gift fit for a king. But he does have his drum. He asks "shall I play for you?" To which Mary nods her approval, and then the drummer boy plays. Then Jesus smiles.
"Pa rum pa pum pum." This is French for "felix navidad." I hope you listen to my song and enjoy it. I hope Ms. Gordon gets a big record contract sometime. The music business is a tough climb today.

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

Make way for snowplows?

Mr. Lynn Schulz has something to say about cars being towed in order to accommodate snowplows. It appears UMM students are being nailed by this, causing them to go home for Christmas with maybe some choice cusswords crossing their lips about the Morris community.
Here's my take: We have not had a true winter storm yet. In the event of a true winter storm, we'd all be more aware of the need to move our cars. We got a robo call early in the winter advising about an approaching storm. It didn't seem to amount to much. We have had a couple of what I would call moderate snowfalls. The air will be thick with flakes for a while, or maybe intermittently, but there's no true storm. This is winter in Minnesota. We get snowfalls like this.
Schulz saw many towed cars in the old Valu Ford lot. I guess it costs $118 to retrieve your car. The wise Mr. Schulz sees this matter as a reflection of the longstanding problem with campus/community relations. Is our local government overreacting to what seems like ordinary Minnesota weather? Are Morris officials, including law enforcement, overzealous on some fronts? Don't these officials have enough other important things to think about? Is their vigilance becoming a headache? Just look at the large amount of space taken up by district court news in the newspaper in many weeks.
We have a police department that issues seat belt citations as a primary offense. I know because it happened to me. Police can help collect tons of fine money that goes into state coffers. When I shared some thoughts about this with a city council member (while waiting for our orders at McDonald's), he just smiled and said "revenue." Was he serious? Should that really be the motive for law enforcement? Do elected city officials have any power to control the way law enforcement exercises its powers?
And now we have UMM students suffering because of an overzealous road maintenance policy. Sometimes we in Minnesota have to drive through a little snow. Can't we accept that? Can't we deal with just a little bit of adversity? Is perfectionism starting to become a pain? Thanks to Lynn Schulz for shedding some light on this matter.
I remember when Lynn retired from UMM and they had the usual spring fete honoring retirees at Oyate Hall. At one time, these affairs could become tacky because some retirees would get a standing ovation and others wouldn't. In Lynn's case, some people tried starting a standing ovation but it didn't catch. Jim Carlson, of all people, didn't get a standing ovation. (I'm starting to sound like Red Buttons at those Dean Martin roasts, remember?)
I remember a female employee who I didn't even know, getting an enormous standing ovation, and when I queried later, I recall learning that her union activism was the reason. A pox on all this.
Oh, and I note that the flashing lights on school buses get your attention far better than the old lights. They really shout at you to "stop!" I think a problem was developing of too many school bus stop arm citations being given. Too many? Well, I think it was a problem in terms of people not realizing the absolute need to stop. Didn't a former Morris mayor get two of these citations? In the vast majority of cases, I'm sure, the offending motorists are responsible people who are driving slowly and cautiously.
As a community we cannot allow these citations to be thrown around so liberally. People's lives get affected. There are people for whom the size of the fine itself is a problem. And then, I imagine one's insurance rates would be seriously affected, causing financial adversity. Added to this is the humiliation of having your "name in the paper" and being whispered about by your friends, like at church. 

I recall reading about a couple of these stop arm charges being "dropped." How can this kind of charge be falsely made? Might we have an overzealous school bus driver? Are there school bus drivers who start fancying themselves as law enforcement?
I remember once coming out of the alley going east from the senior center, and seeing a school bus parked in front of the dental building. We would be approaching the side of the bus. I stopped and then got set to turn, but the driver, an acquaintance of mine, motioned to me not to move. Did he save me a stop arm ticket? If he did, bless him. Cautious as I am about this situation, I nearly got in trouble. My general policy is to not go near orange school buses. I'll change my route if I have to. When in doubt, just pull over to the curb and sit there.
But don't park and leave your car if the snowplows might be approaching! Schulz can make a case in print just as well as he plays the accordion.

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

20-3 run lifts Tigers vs. Milbank SD, here

The Bulldogs of South Dakota crossed the border to play our Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 12. They're from Milbank.

The game was fairly close through the early stages. Coach Mark Torgerson's boys took care of that with a 20-3 run. They could cruise the rest of the way en route to a 68-47 win. It was win No. 5 for the orange and black crew, against one loss.

Coach Torgerson liked the balanced nature of the Tigers' scoring. For the first time this season, the stat report showed four players in double figures. We very nearly had five, as Robert Rohloff put in nine points. It was another day at the office for Eric Staebler whose point output was 17. Lukus Manska put in 13 points, Sean Amundson had eleven and Jacob Zosel ten. Philip Anderson added six points to the mix while Taylor Carrington had two. Manska made all but one of his seven field goal tries.

The Tigers were 0-for-2 in three-point shooting. We led 34-23 at halftime. The defense won a high grade, as Milbank was held below 50 points. Staebler worked the boards for eleven rebounds to lead in that category. Sean Amundson collected seven rebounds, and Rohloff and Manska each had four. Anderson and Ryan Dietz each grabbed a rebound.

Zosel was the top assist producer with seven, followed by Amundson (4), Staebler (4), Dietz (2) and Rohloff (2). Manska stole the ball twice. These Tigers each had one steal: Rohloff, Ryan Bowman, Anderson, Amundson and Staebler.

Senior center Staebler is making inroads with his career stats. Staebler came out of the Milbank game with 1280 career points. This puts him at No. 6 in the history of the program. He won't stay at No. 6 for long. He's set to vault past an old classmate of mine, Gary Lembcke. Kevin Loge sits atop the list with 1938 points.

In rebounds too, Staebler has been a long-time force. He had 704 career rebounds coming out of Saturday. That number put him at dead-even with Brett Winkelman. Loge is the top career rebounder too with 846.

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

Boys beat BOLD, girls fall to Litchfield

The MACA boys prevailed 57-42 in Friday, Dec. 11, action at BOLD. The MACA girls, playing on Saturday, were defeated by Litchfield 57-52 at the home court.
Other recent hoops action is summed up in a post on my companion website, "Morris of Course." You may read about these three girls games: the win over BOLD (60-46), the loss to Minnewaska Area (55-43) and the loss to New London-Spicer (61-38). Please click on link, and thanks for reading. - B.W.
http://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2015/12/tigers-balance-too-much-for-bold-steffel.html
 

Boys: Tigers 57, BOLD 42

MACA picked up win No. 4 with this triumph at Bird Island over the Warriors of BOLD. We worked to a five-point edge at halftime, 27-22, and outscored the Warriors by ten points in the second half.
Eric Staebler was a major force with his 26 points. Sean Amundson put in 12 points. Robert Rohloff and Jacob Zosel each contributed eight. Ryan Dietz added two points to the mix, and Philip Anderson one. Zosel made both of the team's three-pointers.
Staebler led in rebounds with eight followed by Anderson with six. Three Tigers each had three assists: Zosel, Rohloff and Lukus Manska. Zosel stole the ball twice.
Two BOLD players each scored eleven points: Thomas Meyers and Mason Mages. Mages connected for three 3-pointers. Thomas Meyers had the team-best six rebounds. Ethan Weis had two assists, and he was one of three Warriors with a steal. Ryan Snow and Meyers each had a steal.
BOLD came out of the night still in search of its first win. MACA owned a 4-1 mark, 2-1 in conference.
 

Girls: Litchfield 57, Tigers 52

Halftime was a stalemate when the MACA Tigers hosted Litchfield on Saturday, Dec. 12. Each team had 26 points at halftime. But it was Litchfield who pulled away in the second half to defeat our Tigers 57-52. Litch got its fourth win.
Three Tigers each made two 3-point shots: Riley Decker, Becca Holland and Correy Hickman. Hickman topped the scoring list with her 12 points. Riley Decker made double figures with her ten. Then we have Holland (9), Nicole Solvie (8), Moira McNally (6), Ashley Solvie (5) and Jenna Howden (2).
The West Central Tribune did not specify which Solvie - Ashley or Nicole - led in rebounds with eight. Holland collected five rebounds and Hickman had four. Hickman produced six assists followed by Holland with four. Hickman stole the ball three times.
For Litchfield, three players scored in double figures: Haley Euerle and Macy Huhner each with 13 points and Savanna Pater with 12. Huhner made two 3-pointers while Kayla Peterson made one.
 

Wrestling: a Saturday invite

The MAHACA wrestlers traveled for the West Central Area/Ashby/Brandon-Evansville Invite on Saturday (12/12). Why don't we straighten out some of these name issues? Why can't we simply call our team "Morris Area?" This would do a tremendous service to people outside our area who may not know what "MAHACA" is.
We may think it's cute to just say "mahaca," pronounced phonetically. I think it's odd. The name ought to be helpful in understanding where this team comes from, seriously. The Saturday meet should be named for the town where it was held, rather than having a strung-out list of town names. I'm surprised this practice has lasted as long as it has.
"Towns" and their names don't have the significance in our society that they once did, not in our highly mobile, interconnected world.
West Central was the top team in the Saturday wrestling affair. "United" was second. We should all be so lucky as to be "united." The Tigers were eighth among the eleven teams.
Dalton Rose went 0-2 at 106 pounds. Ben Travis had a 2-1 afternoon at 113 pounds. Gideon Joos went 0-2 as the 120-pounder. Jared Rohloff took sixth place at 138 pounds with his 1-3 showing. Trenton Nelson took third as he won three matches and lost one at 145.
Travis Ostby went 2-1 for second place at 152. Philip Messner had a 1-2 showing at 160 pounds. At 170 it was Matt McNeil with one win and two losses. Toby Sayles placed fifth with his 2-2 record at 182 pounds. Steven Koehl placed fourth, winning one match and dropping two at 195 pounds.
Gage Wevley as the 220-pounder was able to place sixth despite not winning a match. And at 285, Toby Zeltwanger won three matches and dropped one to place third.

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

Fan mail from some flounder? It's a delight

Occasionally I get a certain type of email that really warms my heart. Someone, somewhere uses search to discover a past blog post I've written. Earlier this week I heard from a fellow who had been costumed for a "Midnight Madness" event at the UMM P.E. Center back in 1993.
"Midnight Madness" was the official start of men's basketball practice. It was a good promotional opportunity for the program. Then-coach Perry Ford never missed a good promo. The costumes really enhanced the affair. At one point coach Ford called forward a young man dressed as Elvis - the "late" Elvis. Thus we saw the white jump suit. It was very authentic-appearing.
"Elvis" got the microphone for a couple minutes and I was quite amused. Imagine, Elvis paying a visit for UMM basketball! The voice came across with the kind of bravado we'd expect from Elvis. Two or three years ago, I wrote a blog post reflecting on the Perry Ford era of UMM men's basketball. I would call this "the good old days" of UMM sports because we played opponents who were known quantities. We played schools in the State University system. Everybody knows what Moorhead State is. I'm not so sure about Pillsbury Baptist et. al.
In my post I reminisced about that long-ago Midnight Madness gathering. I remember photographing a student dressed as a gremlin with his arm around the shoulder of Chuck Grussing of UMM campus security. This was in the days when campus security people were more personable and relaxed, capable of sharing in a good time and not being all-business. In the community, it was the days when we didn't have to fear being pulled over by police for no seatbelt. Seatbelt was a secondary offense for a long time. Seatbelt laws could never have gotten through the various state legislatures as a primary offense.
Even when cops got more aggressive, I figured they still wouldn't pull over an elderly couple on their way to church Sunday morning. Today the cops will stop at nothing. I'm inclined to believe Bill Maher when he says "high school losers become police officers."
My blog post reminisced about the young man dressed as Elvis. I guess that touched my funny bone. The fellow who wore that costume found my blog post. He emailed me with appreciation, which brought a smile for me. He found his wife-to-be at UMM, he informed me. He had superlatives to describe his UMM experience.
The headline for today's blog post reads "Fan mail from some flounder?" That's from the old "Bullwinkle" cartoon, remember? Heh, heh.
The good old days of UMM sports, as I describe it, was not 100 percent good. Fans were not always courteous to the visiting student-athletes. Sometimes the chest-thumping about UMM's suggested superiority as an academic institution came forward in a putdown, Neanderthal sort of way, and I felt embarrassed. Sometimes I think Jack Imholte encouraged that notion of inherent superiority that UMM students ought to feel about themselves. I certainly don't think he discouraged it.
I personally felt there were times when UMM, specifically its security department, could have done more to tamp down the less-than courteous behavior of UMM's student sports fans. I remember hearing reports from credible sources once, about a young man from this part of the state who had been a UMM recruit but allegedly had some academic obstacles, who chose another school in our conference, then came here to play basketball and was abused with horrible heckling about his "lack of intelligence." There should have been some intervention. Is it so important for UMM to win, that you have to do this sort of thing? Is it sport or is it some sort of tribal ritual?
Although I don't attend UMM sports today - the price of pizza got too high (LOL) - I strongly think this problem has faded away. One reason is the competitive level of our opponents. Should you really thump your chest about beating Pillsbury Baptist? But there's probably more to it than that. UMM administration has probably recognized the need to promote a higher level of civility. I suspect that a fundamental cultural change has come about.
As for future cultural changes, we may have to start anticipating the elimination of UMM's football program, just as football overall is going to start evaporating across the USA. Put sentiment aside - this simply has to occur.
Changes like this can be slow to happen. The facts have all come out and been displayed for the public: the facts about football's unacceptable risk of permanent health damage. Many of us have trouble grasping the inevitable logical consequences of this. Our sons must find new activities to replace football - shouldn't be hard at all. In theory it isn't, anyway. But we come up against the legacy lure of football in our culture.
Abandon football? Many of us would say it's just too drastic. But it isn't. Change is rolling along. Think back to the times when it was perfectly acceptable to drive drunk. Oh yes it was. I was present for some Shriners conventions (as a musician) back in the day. Ray Stevens put out an album called "Shriners Convention." The Shriners probably still have those conventions. But I suspect they are much more businesslike and orderly.

In the old days, a cop might peer into the window of your vehicle and say "are you sure you're in good enough shape to get home?" Wow, a sea change has happened since. And BTW, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is no longer run by mothers, it's run by lawyers! Mothers will have something to say about football. Women have a natural instinct of wanting to preserve life.
The rolling effects of change are coming for the sport of football. It's just a matter of how long it will take. Football will wilt to the point where it's associated with the southeastern U.S., primarily, with players coming from a dysfunctional family background. They will be cannon fodder for our entertainment, until football finally reaches the mere fringes.
BTW the name of the "Elvis" person is Curt Rees!

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

A poem to recall career of Rusty Staub

Baseball fans my age grew up with Rusty Staub, "Le Grand Orange." That moniker was attached when he went to Montreal to star with the first-year Expos. This was the second expansion team for which he was an inaugural "darling." He was a fuzzy-cheeked "bonus baby" when starting out with the Houston "Colt .45s." The Colt .45s? Yes, that was the name that launched the franchise destined to become the Astros.
Staub should be a Hall of Famer considering his distinctions. He had over 500 hits with four different teams. He is one of only three players to homer both as a teen and at over-40. I recently wrote a reflective post about Staub for my companion website, "Morris of Course." Here's the link:
http://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2015/11/500-hits-w-four-different-teams-great.html
  

I have written poetry to honor the career of "Le Grand Orange." Actually it's song lyrics with the verse portion to be performed narration-style, no melody. A man would perform the verse and a female voice would sing the chorus. So, the song would have the exact same structure as the 1970s hit "Convoy" (C.W. McCall).
I don't know if I'll have the song recorded. I develop song or poetry ideas all the time, and sometimes I'll have a song recorded.
I invite you to read the words I penned about Rusty Staub, in "The Ballad of Rusty Staub."
 

Rusty Staub just did the job

With that wooden tool

Baseball was his stock in trade

With his bat he ruled

 

Houston gave him his first chance

When that team was young

Not yet in the Astrodome

Far below top-rung

 

Rusty had to pay some dues

But his talent wowed

All he needed was some time

Then his bat grew loud

 

Astros weren't his destiny

Just a stepping stone

He would play for four more teams

Always in the zone

 

He arrived in Montreal

As a new day dawned

All the fans would christen him

As "Le Grand Orange"

 

CHORUS:

Rusty played the game he loved

With his bat he rose above

Even in the Great White North

Rusty sold his favorite sport

 

 

Learning French to mix with fans

Just for friendship's sake

Would his Expo days grow long

Or would he pull up stakes?

 

Baseball has a heartless air

It can make fans sob

Expos got three decent guys

In exchange for Staub

 

Now it's on to NYC

Once again he fit

Hitting frozen ropes once more

Showing fans his gift

 

Then the Motor City called

Tigers in the wings

With that A.L. team he starred

Making his bat sing

 

Two hits in the All-Star Game

Upped his stock once more

Now he's in the DH role

Sizzling like before

 

(repeat chorus)

 

Texas was a short detour

Then he went on back

To the Mets where he displayed

Pop in that old bat

 

He would pinch-hit like a god

What a specialty

Stepping from the dugout strong

Slugging for his team

 

He had homered as a teen

And at 40-plus

We could count on his big frame

Never gaining rust

 
He departed from the game

In nineteen eighty-five

Stats would show his bat was gold

All along that ride

 

Maybe he could make the Hall

He had quite the brand

Even if he came up short

Fans would love that man

 

(repeat chorus)

 

He was in the boxscore

All throughout the years

Booomers came to see his name

Standing out so clear

 

Even in the agate type

We could feel that pulse

Coming from his potent bat

Rusty wielded much

 

Astros, Mets or Tigers

And in Montreal

Rusty showed his prowess

There to see for all

 

No he was no Mantle

With his pedigree

He was just a steady force

Making history

 

(repeat chorus)

 

(repeat chorus - modulate)

Tigers overcome ACGC and Colton Minnick

Tigers 80, ACGC 63

The home gym had a festive air Friday (12/4) as the MACA boys took care of business with an 80-63 win. It was the third triumph for coach Mark Torgerson's boys. We had to overcome the offensive prowess of ACGC Falcon Colton Minnick. Minnick accounted for 32 of his team's points, plus he pulled down seven rebounds.

But MACA had plenty of firepower to overcome Minnick and his mates. That firepower was led by Eric Staebler who scored 28 points and collected 16 rebounds. He added seven steals to the mix. The MACA weapons caused momentum to grow in the second half.

Lukus Manska connected three times from three-point range. Sean Amundson made two long-rangers, and Robert Rohloff and Jacob Zosel made one each. Zosel was tops in assists with five, followed by Rohloff and Amundson each with four. Staebler with his seven steals was followed by Amundson with three.

Here's how the scoring broke down: Staebler (28), Zosel (17), Manska (13), Rohloff (12) and Amundson (10).

Minnick made ACGC's only three-pointer. He obviously dominated the scoring department. One other Falcon scored in double figures: Adam Johnson with 12 points. Minnick snared seven rebounds. Erik Belgum had four assists, and Gabe Eisenbacher had two steals. ACGC came out of the game with a 2-2 record.

 

Girls: Tigers 51, Ortonville 35

The Tigers took command in girls basketball Thursday (12/3).
Home fans were delighted seeing their Tigers get their first win which was at the expense of Ortonville. Coach Dale Henrich's squad raced out to a 31-10 lead at halftime. That sealed the outcome, so it didn't matter that Ortonville had a 25-20 advantage in the second half. We came out of the night at 1-1.

Ashley Solvie was an offensive cog with 17 points. Correy Hickman put in nine points and Moira McNally eight. Then we have Riley Decker (eight points), Becca Holland (5), Nicole Solvie (2), Jenna Howden (1) and Liz Dietz (1).

Decker connected twice from three-point range. Holland was a force on the boards with her eleven rebounds. McNally had nine rebounds, and the list continues with Ashley Solvie (8) and Hickman (7). Holland and Hickman co-led in assists, each with eight. Holland and Hickman set the pace in steals, each with five.

Rachel Hoernemann was Ortonville's top scorer with 12 points. Jaiden Conroy made two 3-pointers for the visitor. Alisha Ross and Hoernemann each made one '3'.

The final score in this non-conference contest was 51-35.

 

Boys: Tigers 61, NL-Spicer 53

It's always a plum for MACA to defeat New London-Spicer. The Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys achieved such a plum Thursday night. The Tigers, spurred in the second half by Sean Amundson, downed the Wildcats 61-53. The Tigers won as the visitor.

Amundson poured in 16 of his game-total 21 points in the second half. The orange and black came on strong in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 36-25. We had trailed by three at halftime, 28-25. Amundson and Eric Staebler were a 1-2 punch in scoring. Staebler had the team-best total of 23 points. Amundson with his 21 was followed by Lukus Manska (8), Philip Anderson (4), Denner Dougherty (2), Jacob Zosel (2) and Robert Rohloff (1). Manska made two 3-pointers and Amundson made one.

Amundson and Zosel each had two assists. Rohloff stole the ball twice. Staebler grabbed 12 rebounds.

Brandon Adelman was NL-Spicer's top scorer with 12 points. He and Jackson Ness each made two 3-pointers. Jacob Klavetter, Mitchell Halvorson and Jaden Hansen each made one '3'. Derrick Laudenbach collected 13 rebounds and three assists, and Halvorson had three steals.

The Tigers came out of the night at 2-1. New London-Spicer is having a sputtering start at 0-3.

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

Dick Allen's amazing career, in poetry

The player known as Dick Allen started out as Richie. He was an immensely exciting baseball player in the 1960s and '70s. He was Richie as a rookie with the Phillies in 1964, the same year our Tony Oliva was so electrifying in the American League. Allen and Oliva put up monster stats in their respective leagues.

I invite you to click on the link below to read a reflective post I wrote on Allen recently, on my companion website "Morris of Course."

http://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2015/11/dick-allens-career-echoed-jackie.html

 

The purpose of my post today is to share poetry. My poem doesn't just focus on Allen - it tells about the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, their quality and their ultimate collapse. It also refers to the most storied episode of that collapse, the steal of home by Chico Ruiz of the Cincinnati Reds.

Allen would play with several teams through his career. He came to the American League through a trade with the Chicago White Sox, and legend has it he saved the White Sox franchise for that city's south side. He was strong and powerful. As a rookie he played third base.

I invite you to read my "Ballad of Dick Allen" which could be presented as a song, narration-style. I could compose a brief chorus if need be. What a story! Here we go:

 

Baseball had a bat that roared

Back in 1964

Phillies had a rookie prize

He could give that ball a ride

 

Richie Allen was that man

He won over Philly fans

Giving them abundant fun

As he pushed in many runs

 

He had numbers right on par

With the finest superstars

Aaron, Mays and Ernie Banks

Welcomed Richie in their ranks

 

Phillies nearly took the prize

As their rookie mesmerized

Allen and his gallant mates

Were a favorite in the race

 

All that luster washed away

As that team began to fade

Was it luck or was it fate

Keeping them from being great?

 

It would be a famous slide

When the pennant was denied

Philly fans had been so sure

That their heroes would endure

 

Still they had the joy to see

Richie Allen's rookie seeds

With that bat he carved a niche

Giving fans those mem-ries rich

 

Allen kept on wowing them

Posting sterling stats again

On and on his bat showed pop

Finding stardom toward the top

 

But the time arrived for change

With his team and with his name

He would help the Cardinals tick

And his name would now be Dick

 

Then he donned the Dodger blue

For one season with that crew

Never mind the place he was

He showed lumber full of buzz

 

Playing on that team with Wills

Brought the L.A. scene some thrills

Then the White Sox made a bid

For that man so strong and big

 

Now he's in the A.L. scene

With the Pale Hose, adding gleam

With the Sox his star would grow

He was deemed a real savior

 

Sox were rumored to be ripe

For a move to some new site

Rumors sprouted and were heard

Like about St. Petersburg

 

Allen's presence gave new life

Like a wind gust for a kite

Watching him just wave that bat

Made boys wear a White Sox hat

 

On the south side, pride was high

Allen's bat just opened eyes

Windy City felt that love

Keeping White Sox with the Cubs

 

Allen earned the MVP

Home runs of such majesty

Out toward places out of reach

For mere mortals or the meek

 

You would think that team would find

Any way to keep that guy

Still a conflict came along

With Ron Santo doing wrong

 

Allen's feud with that old Cub

Made him seek a new ball club

Fans in Philly tipped their hat

When they heard he's coming back

 

Though his body felt a toll

Passing years and getting old

He amazed at Qualcomm Park

With a homer way, way out

 

Legend grew and got passed down

Of Dick Allen, such renown

He transformed the game he played

Ending with the Oakland A's

 

His last year was at the peak

Of the disco music beat

What a lengthy, thrilling ride

Allen's talents had supplied

 

I collected baseball cards

As a kid those names were large

As I sifted through a pile

Allen's name sure brought a smile

 

First he's Richie, then he's Dick

He might sign his name as "Rich"

Never mind, it's not germane

To the way he buoyed that game

 

He could sing a doo-wop tune

At the night clubs he did croon

His voice had a tenor tone

High, delicate it was known

 

Maybe he'd be in the Hall

If the Phillies won it all

Back in 1964

When the Cardinals slammed the door

 

We can play the "what if" game

Pondering what we ought to blame

Like that fateful steal of home

By that little Cincy gnome

 

Chico was that fellow's name

He gained legend in that game

Did he leave a curse that stuck

That the Phillies could not duck?

 

Allen stayed at his young peak

In the face of that loss streak

He kept playing like a star

Even with the team sub-par

 

Chico with his little size

Caused the Phillies to capsize

Somehow there's a moral there

For the fans who want to care

 

People, let the truth be known

History changes with a gnome

Ours is not to wonder why

We're just here to mop and dry

Tigers come up short in Dec. 1 basketball

MACA was on the short end in boys and girls hoops on Tuesday night. The boys had the Melrose Dutchmen as their foe. The Tigers were humbled in first half play, falling into a 39-17 hole by halftime. The Tigers got their ship righted in the second half, outscoring Melrose 46-39. But the first half Melrose onslaught was too much, and MACA saw its record get evened to 1-1. The final score: 78-63.
Melrose came out of the night at 2-0. The Dutchmen had a truly big-time player when I was in high school: Mark Olberding. On Tuesday the Tigers faded partly because of the frequent 3-point makes by the Dutchmen: eleven in all. Dylan Haider and Drake Meyer each had four long-range makes, Adam Van Beck had two and Jordan Klaphake one.
Haider was Melrose's top point producer with 25. Meyer was a force, burning the nets for 20 points. Van Beck and Tyler Braegelman each scored 13 for the victor. Brady Birch scored five points, Colton Meyer four and Klaphake three.

But hey, I've just added up the points and I get 83, not 78. Again there's a glitch in the Willmar newspaper's reporting, just like for the Tigers' previous game. This is frustrating. Maybe teams should establish their own home pages and oversee the reporting on their own terms.
Braegalmen collected a team-best six rebounds, and Haider led in both assists (4) and steals (4).
Eric Staebler was the leading force in MACA scoring as he typically is. On this night his 30 points weren't enough to spell victory. Nor were his four 3-point makes enough. He certainly built his reputation another notch. Perhaps Morris Area Chokio Alberta will need to seek a little more scoring balance.
Philip Anderson scored ten points and Sean Amundson nine. The list continues with Robert Rohloff (7), Tim Travis (3), Jacob Zosel (3) and Lukus Manska (1). In three-pointers, Staebler's efforts were complemented by Amundson and Zosel each with one make.
Staebler's six rebounds topped that list. Staebler and Zosel dished out seven and six assists respectively.
 

Girls: Osakis 56, Tigers 45

Osakis has one of my favorite team nicknames: "Silverstreaks." Osakis was the opener opponent for Morris Area Chokio Alberta on Tuesday. Playing here, coach Dale Henrich's squad was dealt a 56-45 defeat by those Silverstreaks. Osakis built a ten-point edge by halftime, 36-26, and cruised in the stalemated second half. The second half had a low-scoring complexion.
Beccca Holland made two 3-pointers and scored 13 points for MACA. Correy Hickman scored 12 points and Moira McNally nine. The list continues with Nicole Solvie (5), Ashley Solvie (4) and Jenna Howden (2). Top rebounders were Holland (9), McNally (6) and Hickman (5). Hickman and Holland each had three assists, and Hickman stole the ball five times.
For Osakis it was Alecia Kaelke topping the scoring list with 16 points. Three Silver Streaks each sank a 3-pointer: Morgan Staloch, Abby Stroup and Lauren Savageau.
 

Christmas season intensifies

Christmas shines with its vitality between Thanksgiving and the magical date itself. When I was a kid, the day after Thanksgiving was considered a decent day to shop and it was just common sense. We saw no need to make a mania out of it: "Black Friday." And now we have "Cyber Monday" and "Small Business Saturday."
There's a person in Fargo leading an effort to get main street stores to be open on Sundays, all the time. It's about time someone made note of this. The big box stores with their substantial hardware departments are open on Sunday, while the traditional little main street hardware stores aren't. It's a head-scratcher. I suppose it's a reflection of blue laws, seen as more and more quaint.
The Morris newspaper prior to Black Friday was loaded with a ridiculous number of those ad circulars. This is a head-scratcher for me. The papers brag about how many circulars they are offering their customers. So I suppose it's good for the papers. But if I'm an individual advertiser, I'd be concerned that my circular would get lost in the shuffle. Who on earth is going to page through all that crap and then drive to Alexandria and spend hundreds of dollars all over the place? And if you did, would all that "stuff" really make you happy?
It's odd because we now live in a time when communications are so easy and economical because of the electronic media. And yet we seem to be showered with those ad circulars more than ever. It seems environmentally stupid.
I suppose people still buy the Morris paper so they can see if anyone they know got a seat belt citation from police. It feeds the gossip mill and isn't good for much else. If enough people stopped buying the Morris paper, maybe it would just disappear.

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

MACA basketball, Storm girls impress

MACA boys basketball looked very smooth in its opener, played here. Fans were pleased seeing the Tigers take command in the first half. The halftime situation was a 28-19 lead. And when the two halves were done, coach Mark Torgerson's Tigers had defeated Brooten-Belgrade-Elrosa.
The final score was 57-43 in this November 24 contest. The stage was set for a happy Thanksgiving weekend! (I won't say "Black Friday.")
Sean Amundson and Tim Travis each made a three-pointer. Eric Staebler was at centerstage much of the time. He was an offensive machine with his 23 points, and he snared ten rebounds - both team-leading stats. Jacob Zosel dished out five assists. Robert Rohloff stole the ball four times.
Zosel joined Staebler in double figures scoring with 12 points. The list continues with Amundson (9), Philip Anderson (4), Rohloff (4), Travis (3) and Denner Dougherty (2).
The top BBE Jaguar scorer was Tanner Heinsuis with 15 points. Austin Trustheim put in 13. The Willmar newspaper reported a Jaguar with the last name Steinhoffer making a three-point shot, but no one with that name is in the scoring list. Derek Weiner made a '3' for the Jags. Austin Trustheim snared eight rebounds.
The Willmar newspaper reported that a player with the last name "Heinchess" had four assists. The first name isn't given which means his name must have been cited previously in the boxscore. It isn't, but of course we have the name "Tanner Heinsuis." Maybe it isn't wise relying on the Willmar newspaper for sports information. The standards were set very high when I did this stuff.
The Tigers will play at Melrose on the first day of December.
 

Hockey: Storm girls 10, Worthington 0

What a memorable Saturday for MBA hockey on the Benson ice! The Storm girls not only prevailed, they put on a scoring clinic as they netted win No. 1. They also put on a defensive clinic as they prevailed 10-0 over Worthington in this November 21 affair.
MBA shot out in front 6-0 in the opening period. Hanna Lindblad achieved a hat trick in that period alone. The Storm scored two goals each in the second and third periods, polishing things off nicely.
It was Lindblad scoring the first goal at 15:03 of the first. Then it was Kelsey Rajewsky putting the puck in the net at 11:03. MBA marched forward with a goal by Kayla Benson, assisted by Lindblad at 8:52. Lindblad continued the onslaught with a goal at 8:28, assisted by Kamri Kalthoff and Rajewsky. Then it was Lindblad getting goal No. 5, assisted by Holli Christians at 6:09.
Rajewsky skated in position to get the next goal which came at 4:56. Megan Kirkeide and Benson assisted on that goal.
On to the second period: Micah Summer scored a goal with assists from Kallie Watzke and Kalthoff. Watzke took scoring honors next, assisted by Rajewsky and Kirkeide.
The third period story begins with Watzke getting the puck in the net at 15:09, assisted by Summer and Whitney Demarais. Leah Thompson got the Storm to the ten-goal plateau, getting the puck in the net with assists from Rajewsky and Nicole Berens. It warms my heart to continue typing the "Berens" name in connection with Benson sports. I wonder if any "Statons" are playing sports these days.
Abbey Hoffman was the goalie in the 10-0 win. Abbey picked up 47 saves. The Worthington goalie was Bailey Kruse.
 

A nice Thanksgiving regardless

Our family had leftovers for Thanksgiving. We had sufficient food and we gave thanks for it. There was only one restaurant open in the Morris area for Thanksgiving, to my knowledge, but the price it charged for the meal was prohibitive. We would have enjoyed going for a reasonable price. Did they have a children's price?
I wonder how much food that restaurant had left over at the end of the day. I wonder what happened to it. Maybe in the future something could be worked out where the Senior Community Center kitchen could put out something for Thanksgiving. No point in that building just sitting there empty and locked up.

I'm at the senior center now typing this, recalling that last night we got a robocall notice that a big winter storm was moving in. Better stock up etc. It's around noon now and I see no sign of anything bad. Let's be careful that a "cry wolf" syndrome doesn't set in.

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

"Have a seat" captures enduring family memory

Dad with "Sandy," on portico

There's no place like home. "Sandy" was a treasured family member. He was half American Eskimo and half poodle. How I miss when my father, Sandy and I would rise very early to get a taste of the day.
On many occasions, no twinkle of sunlight yet. On TV we had two main choices: Robin Meade or Don Imus. My father would stretch out on our davenport. I would come along shortly after that and get seated in a recliner.
"Have a seat," my father would say. He said this knowing full well that as soon as I got comfortable, Sandy would come along and ask to be fed. Sandy would look at me for 3-4 seconds, and then start barking. It was a dependable ritual. When you hear a Williams family member say "have a seat," be aware it's an inside joke and you'll see a twinkle in our eye.
To help preserve these memories, I have written a little poetry. Here it is:

 

"Have a Seat"

by Brian Williams

 

My father rose before the dawn

Soon he turned the TV on

He was happy as could be

Hearing news from Robin Meade

 

Sandy was our family dog

He was like a gift from God

He was loyal to my Dad

They were partners in life's path

 

They were old and getting ripe

Having seen so much of life

Knowing wisdom is instilled

Through the years like with a pill

 

Dad had won his leisure time

Earning every single dime

Plus he served in World War Two

With the Navy's fighting crew

 

Then he followed his career

Teaching music without peer

At the U of M he was

Doing what he always loved

 

Grooming kids in "do re mi"

Capturing his destiny

Finally in his later years

He just wanted family near

 

That included our canine

Such a bond you'll never find

He and Dad were out of bed

Before the eastern sky turned red

 

We soaked in from Robin Meade

All the news that's fit to read

Robin seemed my father's friend

From her place on HLN

 

We laughed at Don Imus too

Don and his irrev-rent crew

Then he had to step aside

'Cause his words had crossed a line

 

Though he was his Daddy's dog

Feeding Sandy was my job

Breakfast was a can't-miss time

For our dog to feast and dine

 

Dad would notice Sandy's urge

From his early morning perch

He would show that gimlet eye

Sense of humor so alive

 

Breakfast was the task at hand

For the canine with his Dad

Sandy had to get his food

Then we'd have a happy mood

 

First I had to move my butt

'Cause I really loved that mutt

Dad would smile for us both

Family made us feel our oats

 

Sandy was a priceless pearl

Making full our family world

Though he had no pedigree

He had value all could see

 

Dad would never cease to joke

So soon after I awoke

"Have a seat" he said with mirth

From my seat I had to lurch

 

Finding Sandy's sustenance

Breakfast, supper and for lunch

Was a task I did uphold

With the three of us growing old

 

I could just hear Tom T. Hall

Sing a song about this all

He would surely find a smile

Watching Sandy all the while

 

Sandy had a priceless way

Sharing love throughout the day

He helped my Dad persevere

Long beyond his quota here

 

My dad would not give a speech

He would just say "have a seat"

It was like a morning chime

Etched within the mem-ries mine

Coach Holleman's Warriors gain two wins

Coach Jodi Holleman guided her Warriors to wins on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 17-18. The Ridgewater (Willmar) women downed the Bethany Lutheran JV on Tuesday. Playing in Mankato, the Warriors prevailed 79-46. They took charge in the first half, jumping up 31-15. Scoring picked up in the second half as Ridgewater worked to a 48-31 advantage in the half.
The win was Holleman's first at the collegiate level. She coached the Hancock High Owls with considerable success over many years.
The Warriors played with a crowd-pleasing air, sinking 3's often. Erica Melbie led that charge with four long-range makes. Baylie Kubesh made three shots from beyond the 3-point stripe. Katelyn Durbin and McKensie Petersen each made a '3'.
Kubesh and Melbie shared team-best honors in points scored, each with 22. Kaitlynn Kienholz came through with 17 points and Jacie Selseth with eleven. Katelyn Durbin and Petersen each put in three points, and Alyssa Stern had one. Top rebounders were Kubesh (13), Selseth (11) and Kienholz (9). Durbin and Melbie each contributed three assists. Melbie had eight steals followed by Kubesh with three and Durbin with two.
Selseth could feel pleased with her double-double in the stat report.
Haleigh Weiers was Bethany's top scorer with 20 points. Taylor Schultz made two 3-pointers. Averi Cash was team-best in rebounds (11) and assists (5). Schultz had three steals.
Ridgewater could feel quite pleased with its first half defense as they limited Bethany to 15 points. Offensively, Ridgewater's second half output of 48 points brought smiles.
 

Success vs. Crown

The Ridgewater women had their resilience tested with another game the next night. This time they'd be playing on their home court. The home cooking worked for the Warriors as they prevailed over the Crown College JV by a score of 68-50.
After one quarter the score was 23-8. That set the tone for the pleasing outcome for the Warriors and their fans. Here's the individual scoring rundown: Erica Melbie (26), Baylie Kubesh (16), Kaitlynn Kienholz (17), Jacie Selseth (7), Katelyn Durbin (1) and Alyssa Stern (1).
Melbie connected on four 3-point shots. Kubesh sank two shots from beyond that stripe. Kienholz was aggressive on the boards to collect ten rebounds, and Selseth had seven. Melbie dished out two assists.
Crown was led by Charmaine Begay and her 13 points. She was one of four Crown JVers making at least one 3-point shot. Keisha Prafke led in rebounds with six, and Miranda Brueggeman had two assists.

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

Super volleyball season ends with 25-5 record

The books are closed on the 2015 MACA volleyball season with the stellar 25-5 record. The Tigers closed out their glittering campaign Saturday (11/14) at the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul. It was the final day of state play. The Tigers squared off against Hill-Murray in the state AA consolation championship match.
We were dealt defeat at the hands of Hill-Murray, scores of 16-25, 18-25 and 22-25. This year's edition of the volleyball Tigers is the first-ever to reach state. Memories are rich. Congrats to coach Fehr and the student-athletes.
Haley Erdahl and Riley Decker each had a serving ace against Hill-Murray. Karly Fehr put up 23 set assists. Ashley Solvie and Fehr each had an ace block. Decker dug up the ball 13 times, followed by Fehr with six digs and Brooke Gillespie with five.
The kill parade was topped by Gillespie with ten. Solvie pounded down nine kills. Jenna Howden had three kills followed by Lindsey Dierks and Carly Maanum each with two. Moira McNally added one kill to the mix.
Claire Westby had three serving aces for Hill-Murray. Hannah Angeli had 23 set assists. Brooke Zander had three ace blocks. Haley LaValle topped the digs list for the victor, with 15. Ellie Schwartz slammed 12 kills at the Tigers.
Winter sports are soon to get going. Viva Morris Area Chokio Alberta volleyball for 2015!
 

Holleman coaching for Ridgewater, Willmar

A familiar name is at the coaching helm of the Ridgewater College, Willmar, women's basketball team. It's Jodi Holleman, long a member of the UMM athletic department and also with top-notch credentials from her tenure as Hancock High GBB coach. Holleman entered the picture at Hancock after a rather notorious chapter of Stevens County sports: the departure amidst great scandal of her predecessor. That predecessor ended up getting prison time as a result of his conduct around female student-athletes at the Hancock school.
Holleman kept the reputation of success going. She got her Owls to the state tournament. Now her focus is to get some winning momentum started with the Warriors of Ridgewater.
I like how the players have "Ridgewater" on the front of their uniforms and not "Warriors." "Warriors" might suggest some connection to Native Americans, although the title does not per se point in that direction. I dislike "Warriors" because it's a term connected to war. Sports is not war.
Ridgewater had a sputtering start to its 2015-16 campaign. On Saturday (11/14) they fell to 0-2 with a loss to Association Free Lutheran Bible School (AFLBS). Ridgewater was on the short end of the 79-66 score. We have quarters at this level of Minnesota hoops, not just halves.
AFLBS jumped up on the scoreboard 22-13 at the end of one quarter.
Ridgewater had a more competitive stance in the second half. Ridgewater outscored AFLBS 23-22 in the third quarter, and got edged by just one in the fourth, 22-21. Ridgewater definitely showed talent in the loss, as Erica Melbie scored 27 points, Baylie Kubesh 15 and Kaitlynn Kienholz 14. The list is completed with Jacie Selseth (eight points) and Katelyn Durbin (2).
Melbie found the range to connect on four 3-pointers. Kubesh hit from beyond that stripe twice. Melbie had ten rebounds, Kienholz seven and Kubesh six. Melbie dished out three assists. Paige Berge topped the AFLBS scoring list with 24 points. Amy Pflughaupt made a '3' for the victor, plus she led her squad in rebounds (12) and steals (4). Berge had five assists.
Ridgewater's next challenge will be to play at Bethany Lutheran, in Mankato, at 5:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday).
 

First Lutheran gets new pastor

You'll find me in one of the pictures of confirmation classes along the top level hallway at First Lutheran Church. I combed my hair forward on the front of my head then (1970). Don't know what I was thinking.
My confirmation class was at the height of the baby boom, so we were arranged in multiple rows. Today the church generally has just a handful of graduates or whatever they're called. The situation gets cloudy when the kids of First Lutheran and Faith Lutheran are combined.
The combining of First and Faith resources has become, at least in my mind, a sticky wicket. Maybe there should just be one church. If one of the two buildings had to be picked, it would be Faith because it's handicapped or elderly-friendly. First Lutheran is woefully deficient in that category. First has so many structural issues, I wouldn't want to specify them - too embarrassing. A sheet of ice develops in spring leading up to the elevator entrance door. It's a disaster waiting to happen.
There's a long walk from the elevator to the sanctuary. At Assumption Church you step out of the elevator basically right into the sanctuary.
It would be fun for our family to visit Assumption again for the Thanksgiving dinner, but that event hasn't been held for several years. It's a black mark for this community: the cancellation of that event, so helpful for people for whom it isn't practical to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal - elderly people, singles, shut-ins etc. If there were problems, they should have just been solved. If people weren't contributing enough money, then a set charge could have been established at the door. If the delivery system got unmanageable, cancel it. The solution wasn't to cancel the whole thing.
Prairie Inn used to have a buffet meal for Thanksgiving. That was discontinued. Is all of this evidence of Morris' general decline as a community? I was told there was one place we could dine out for Thanksgiving: the hospital. That shouldn't be the only choice.
First Lutheran has a row of photos of pastors who have served that church. The pastor's position has been such a revolving door, it might be impractical to continue all those photos. I recently heard a long-time member of First say: "There's no life in this church."
We have a new pastor now who in his first two weeks gave sermons that were depressing beyond any purposes for that content. I don't want to hear a story about a family dog, a beagle, wandering off one night to be dispatched by the neighboring farmer who had complained about the dog. I don't appreciate hearing a story about a kid who gets accidentally shot during some play around guns. I can stay home and be in a happier and more constructive frame of mind.
First and Faith should maybe combine and have a new church built, according to all the contemporary specifications, out along that development strip on the north end of town. How about a nice Wal-Mart style parking lot? No longer would Faith Lutheran be "the church on the other side of the tracks."
First and Faith are both located in the old residential core of Morris that is showing its age. Compare those homes to the new homes built on the east edge of town, out toward the river.
The Wednesday night "burgers and blessings" event at the Old No. 1 got canceled this week. Why? Yes, Faith had its big annual fall supper that night, but First had its supper the previous Wednesday, and "burgers" wasn't cancelled. Does all this tell us that Faith is a more significant church than First? Is First Lutheran just limping along?
I wish we could have kept Chris Richards as pastor. It isn't fair for the synod to disallow this. The synod has its own problems as with embezzling.

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

MACA girls sweep Hermantown in state

I'm barely getting this post online before the Tigers play their final post-season match. They are warming up as I'm typing this. My task today is to review the Friday (11/13) consolation round match against Hermantown. We faced the Hawks last night. This was a Class AA consolation semi-finals match. The site: St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

The Tigers were sent to consolations by the defeat they were dealt by Rocori, the No. 3 seed. Against Hermantown, we not only won, we won by sweep which has been a common outcome for the Tigers. We've had five sweep wins in six post-season contests. Wow!

We enter today's match with a 25-4 season record. Today we face No. 5 seed Hill-Murray.

The Tigers swept Hermantown by scores of 25-17, 25-14 and 25-22. Brooke Gillespie sent three serving aces at the Hawks. These Tigers each accumulated two serving aces: Lindsey Dierks, Riley Decker and Cassidy Fehr. Koral Tolifson added a serving ace to the mix.

Karly Fehr was smooth in her specialty of setting, picking up 32 set assists. Dierks and Carly Maanum each had two set assists. Decker was busy picking up digs, 15 in all. Karly Fehr dug up the ball eleven times. The list continues with Gillespie (9), Dierks (7) and Maanum (6).

On to the hitting department: Jenna Howden, Dierks and Gillespie each pounded nine kills at the Hawks. Ashley Solvie and Maanum each executed four kills. Karly Fehr had two kills and Haley Erdahl and Moira McNally one each.

Hailey Menzel led Hermantown in kills with seven. Ellie Gamradt and Jordyn Thomas each had one ace block. Hailey Menzel had 18 digs for the Hawks. The setting was unusually balanced, with Cassidy Kaneski and Jordyn Thomas each getting 12 set assists. These Hawks each had one serving ace: Kaneski, Kailey Mihalik and Manzel.

Rocori is playing in the state third place match today, against Stewartville. For the title, Belle Plaine will have a showdown against Concordia Academy.

 

Adventures in TV watching

Last night (Friday) I turned to the History Channel for extensive watching. Once the news broke about the terror attacks in Paris, I knew the cable news channels would be saturated with that coverage, beyond the need for giving meaningful updates. We've seen the same thing with the occasional tragic school shootings. We sort of get the gist of what happened in short order, and then the topic eats up the news cycle.

So I turned to the History Channel. My takeaway: I think we need some special attention or scrutiny toward these sensational investigative shows. These shows actually have the potential to be very fascinating. They simply must be "on the level." It's very questionable whether they are.

Did those bigfoot hunters really capture a live bigfoot in a cage? Of course this monster got away, very convenient if the whole thing was contrived and concocted. Oh, someone left the door to the cage open. Was the monster real? If it was, if should be national news.

This little cadre of explorers should have surrounded the cage nonstop. Government should have dispatched specialists post haste, because the state has a strong interest in confirming that bigfoot is real. Is it a gigantopithecus, having survived from prehistoric times? It's not a reach to think it might be. It hasn't been unusual to discover various species thought to be extinct, like that fish the name of which I can't spell.

If the bigfoot catch on TV is a hoax, then we need regulations to rein in these shows, just like the TV quiz shows of the 1950s had to be reined in. Of course, maybe a hoax was pulled on the cadre of bigfoot hunters, in which case the latter could deny any complicity. How convenient.

Don't you think greed comes into play with these shows? They have a budget. They need to generate ratings to stay on the air. By the end of the bigfoot show, I began to feel like a fool, having been taken in by this.

Now I'm wondering about other, similar shows on the History Channel. We see this cadre of well-credentialed researchers looking for evidence of Hitler escaping Germany and going to South America. It is a highly plausible theory. Newly declassified documents actually support the theory. But can we believe what we see on TV? Are the documents a hoax?

When the group finds Nazi artifacts at a remote South America place, can I really believe they're legitimate? Could they have been planted? If bigfoot can be faked, anything can be faked. It's too bad because these shows, if done on the level, can be a tremendous asset. We must remember what their job is, who their master is. It's not science, rather it's ratings. Without ratings there'd be no show. Keep that in mind.

Update: After just checking Google, I'm now concluding that the bigfoot show was a "mockumentary." Based on that, I can no longer trust the searching-for-Hitler shows or anything else of this type on TV, which is a shame.

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

Tigers meet obstacle in state volleyball: Rocori

State volleyball! The Tigers got under the bright lights of the Xcel Energy Center Thursday night (11/12). The program had never gotten this far before. Coach Kristi Fehr got her squad primed for the state quarter-final round. But it wasn't enough. Not quite enough.
A marathon five-game match developed, full of the emotional highs and lows that typify such matches. On the other side of the net was the No. 3 seed: Cold Spring-Rocori.
The Tigers seemed to close to taking this match. We were in fact accustomed to winning by sweep. We took game 1 by a 25-21 score. But Rocori fought back to take the second game, 25-18. Momentum swung back to the orange and black side for the third game. The Tigers prevailed 25-14, seeming to establish the qualities that would bring a triumph. But volleyball can be an unpredictable game with the momentum shifts. We were one game away from taking the match but Rocori summoned new resolve. Game 4 went to Rocori in a 25-21 final.
It would all come down to one game. What suspense! Rocori surged at the start of game 5, assuming a 10-3 lead. But Morris Area Chokio Alberta wasn't down for the count, rather we surged to score the next four points. But the Rocori Spartans would never fall behind in this game. The score stood 13-11 before MACA's hopes were finally crushed by a premier Spartan player. Eleanor Holthaus was the standout at the end. She achieved two kills to put an exclamation point on the match for Rocori, and pave the way for further Rocori conquests in state.
Holthaus, an all-stater, was a clutch performer, getting six kills in game 5.
Rocori had to feel greatly relieved getting past the high-powered Tigers. Rocori's Thursday win was its 27th straight. Now their opponent will be Concordia Academy, the No. 2 seed with a 26-6 record.
Rocori? Concordia Academy? Sounds like private schools. Many people feel concerned about this: private schools which may have assets beyond what your typical public school has. When I was a kid there was separation: private and public. I guess the private schools got the political clout to get the division removed. It's debatable whether it's proper.
Today's (Friday) semi-final match for Rocori is at 7 p.m. There were twelve total state tournament matches played Thursday at the Xcel Center. Just one went the full five games: our match. Rocori now owns 30 wins for the season, against a mere one loss.
Karly Fehr had three serving aces for the Tigers Thursday. Lindsey Dierks and Brooke Gillespie each had two aces. Koral Tolifson and Cassidy Fehr each had one.
Setting specialist Karly Fehr had 42 set assists. Carly Maanum supplied three assists and Riley Decker two. Tolifson, Jenna Howden and Gillespie each had one. Ashley Solvie contributed an ace block. Decker was at the fore in digs with 22, followed by Dierks (19), Karly Fehr (17), Gillespie (13) and Tolifson (9).
On to hitting: Here it was Gillespie showing aggressive form at the net with 20 kills. Howden came at he Spartans with 13 kills. The list continues with Dierks (6), Solvie (5), Maanum (4), Karly Fehr (3) and Haley Erdahl (2).
Abby Lieser had two serving aces for Rocori. Morgan Holthaus had 22 set assists for the victor. Eleanor Holthaus had 15 kills. Three Spartans each had one ace block: Eleanor Holthaus, Ashlan Svihel and Ashley Stang. Abby Lieser had the team-best total in digs, of 20.
Here's a review of the game scores with the Rocori numbers given first: 21-25, 25-18, 14-25, 25-21 and 15-12.
The Tigers' serving was quite precise: just three misses. Hitting errors were a problem, though. I'm sure Rocori mounted a pretty intimidating block at the net. Anyway, we had 38 hitting errors, spread among five Tigers. Rocori had three more attacks than us (180-177). Rocori gained an edge by making eleven fewer errors. Rocori showed a more balanced hitting attack. Normally that's a strong suit for the Tigers.
Three Spartans each achieved 12 or more kills. MACA came at the Spartans with frozen rope-like ace serves: nine in all.
The Tigers aren't done. We'll play Hermantown at 7 p.m. tonight (Friday) in the consolation semi-finals. We own a 24-4 record. Good luck to the orange and black.
 

"Parade of Lights" held
Back when I was with the Morris newspaper, I felt obligated to collect photo caption information all the time. I just assumed everyone would want to know the photo details. I also assumed that newspaper management would want the job done. Were I to show up at the office and say I hadn't gotten caption information, I would risk having people absolutely scream at me, calling me 100 kinds of stupid. The newspaper once had an editor who would be more courteous to Jacob Wetterling's abductor than to me. It's a line of work that can make people temperamental.
Maybe the news department people are just trying to justify their importance. Because truth is, it's the advertising department that prevails in terms of real importance, while the news department is just a trivial little matter off to the side. I'm not saying news isn't important, I'm just saying it's the ad department that pays the bills.
Times change. The Morris Sun Tribune newspaper, ever since I left, has tended to run collages of photos of major events with no caption information at all! How easier my life would have been, if I had been spared that responsibility. It's a 180-degree difference. I would use a pencil for the Parade of Lights, because the cold temperature would knock out a pen. One year I thought I had photographed all major or interesting floats, only to find out later that one of the award winners was one I didn't deem worthy.
There is a photo of the late Willie Martin in the Parade of Lights, on display at that sit-down area of Willie's Super Valu. I took that photo! Please pay special attention sometime. Willie radiated with the spirit of that event, and of Christmas itself.
How good was the 2015 Parade of Lights? We didn't take it in. Even on a relatively good night in November, the cold can be a barrier. I hope it was fine.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

We're on to state! Tiger volleyball shines

The Tigers are in the spotlight of state volleyball. This year's high-flying edition of the Tigers is the first-ever to represent the school in state volleyball. Ecstasy was high Saturday night at the Southwest State University gymnasium, Marshall. We're tops in Section 3AA!
We came out of the North as the North's top seed. Our Saturday foe was the No. 2 seed out of the South, Martin County West. Not only did we win, we were dominant. The orange and black cause prevailed by sweep. Scores were 25-22, 25-21 and 25-16. It was our 24th season triumph.
Now the focus is on the elite state level. Our next assignment is to play Rocori out of Cold Spring. Match time is 7 p.m. Thursday at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul. The bumping, setting and spiking promises to be entertaining under those bright lights.
The Tigers asserted themselves right away in the Section 3AA title match. We bounded out to a lead. The Mavericks of Martin County West rebounded to get the score tied at 14-14. Later the scoreboard showed 22-22 numbers, so the match had entered a pivotal point. Karly Fehr, normally a cog with her setting skills, got a key kill, and then MACA parlayed that spurt into two more points. So we took that first game 25-22.
MACA continued having a superior sheen with their balance of weapons in games 2 and 3. On to state! The team celebrated in a big huddle. Teams must be careful doing this type of thing. Remember when the Minnesota Twins' Denny Hocking got injured in this kind of celebration after a playoff win at Oakland?
Coach Kristi Fehr was excited about the quality of her team's passing. A team must function as a well-oiled machine, and coach Fehr's Tigers did just that. I used to work with coach Fehr when she coached for Hancock. That's where she cut her teeth in the craft. I wrote sports for the Hancock Record for 15 years. I miss it.
Coach Fehr, reflecting on the Saturday win for the Willmar newspaper, said "Martin County West ran kind of a slow offense so a lot of their hitters we got to. We played aggressive and composed. We never had the look like we were going to lose."
Martin County West closes out its season with the abundant win harvest of 24.
Brooke Gillespie slammed two serving aces at the Mavericks. Riley Decker had one serving ace. Karly Fehr in her specialty of setting had 34 set assists. A pair of Tigers achieved eleven kills in the hitting department: Jenna Howden and Brooke Gillespie. Three Tigers each pounded five kills at MCW: Fehr, Lindsey Dierks and Ashley Solvie. Carly Maanum had four kills, Haley Erdahl two and Koral Tolifson one.
Solvie executed five ace blocks to lead in that category. Howden had two ace blocks and Gillespie had one. Gillespie dug up the ball 21 times. Dierks and Decker each had 16 digs. Karly Fehr and Tolifson each had 15, and Erdahl added 12 digs to the mix.
Attention will be riveted on this group of student-athletes again on Thursday. What a ride!
 

State cross country

Maddie Carrington of the MACA Tigers was the top runner from our area in the state girls cross country meet. Vying in the Class 'A' race, Maddie placed 30th in this elite field with her time of 19:55.7.
Kurt TeBeest of Montevideo placed 23rd in the boys race, time of 16:48.5.

Cross country leaves us with lots of great memories from 2015.

 

Girls hockey: Park Rapids 4, MBA Storm 1

Hollie Christians scored the only goal for Morris Benson Area in this early-bird ice contest, played at the Morris rink. The Thursday action ended with Park Rapids on top of our Storm 4-1.
Christians' goal came in the third period. Hallie Watzke assisted. It was a power play goal coming at 16:21 of the third.
The first period was scoreless, after which Park Rapids took charge with three goals in the second. Each team had one third period goal. Tayah Otterness scored the game's first goal. Lexi Hinkley-Smith scored the second, and Tara Johanning the third. Park Rapids' third period goal was scored by Otterness.
Abby Hoffman was the Storm's goalie and she picked up 19 saves.

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

MACA girls to vie for Section 3AA title

The MACA girls have a triumphant air as they approach the section championship volleyball match. The Tigers will take their winning flair to Southwest State University, Marshall, on Saturday (11/7) for the climactic title match. Our foe now: Martin County West.
A win now will propel the Tigers to state. Match time this Saturday is 6 p.m.
The Tigers' win in the Section 3AA semis was over New London-Spicer. Yes it was New London-Spicer, a school that so often advances far in the post-season, often at the expense of MACA. Is that pattern now broken?
The Tigers displayed a balanced hitting attack to dispose of the Wildcats Thursday. Scores were 25-17, 25-23 and 25-20. Yes, a sweep! Coach Kristi Fehr is beaming along with all her talented and determined student-athletes.
Yes the hitting was awesome, but coach Fehr was quick to cite the ingredients that led up to those hits, like passing. Karly Fehr took the lead in setting. She totaled 29 set assists. Coach Fehr saw a very pleasing "flow" in the attacks.
We now own a 23-3 season record. We've lost only one match since October 1.
Koral Tolifson and Cassidy Fehr each sent a serving ace at the Wildcats. Brooke Gillespie pounded down nine kills to lead that balanced attack at the net. Lindsey Dierks had eight kills followed by Ashley Solvie and Jenna Howden each with seven. The Willmar newspaper did not specify which Fehr, Karly or Cassidy, had four kills. Carly Maanum added three kills to the mix.
Howden topped the ace blocks list with four. Solvie had two ace blocks, and Gillespie and Dierks one each. In digs it was Gillespie posting the team best total with 17. Dierks had 13 digs, Riley Decker eleven and Karly Fehr ten.
Carly Cronen had two serving aces for NL-Spicer. Espi Austvold put up 32 set assists for the Wildcats. Kabrie Weber and Lindsay Vagle each had nine kills. Erin Tebben had two ace blocks. Vagle, Brennah Bergh and Cronen each had 12 digs. This match was played in Montevideo.
 

Tigers 3, Litchfield 0

The Monday action had Morris Area Chokio Alberta sweeping past those Dragons of Litchfield. Scores were 25-18, 25-17 and 25-15 as coach Fehr's squad was dominant at the home gym.
Five different Tigers each had a serving ace: Brooke Gillespie, Lindsey Dierks, Karly Fehr, Haley Erdahl and Riley Decker. Fehr put up 35 set assists.
Gillespie was at the fore in hitting with ten kills. Jenna Howden pounded down nine kills. Lindsey Dierks' kill total was eight. Ashley Solvie sent six kills at the Dragons, while Carly Maanum had four and Moira McNally one. Maanum executed two ace blocks.
It was Riley Decker setting the pace in digs with 20. Gillespie had 12 digs, Dierks ten and Fehr six.
 

Whither the weather?

The volleyball post-season coincides with that time of year when winter may come, or it may hold off a little. Winter definitely looms. I'm writing this on a bleak Friday morning, a very overcast morning. The temperature isn't winter-like yet.
I always wait to put the riding lawn mower into the storage shed until the first snowfall comes down. That would make a good Norman Rockwell painting: yours truly pushing the riding lawn mower into the shed as the first snowfall comes down. I have been fortunate to get that mower through many summers without having to get it professionally serviced. The mowers go into hibernation for winter. Then I do a Hail Mary in spring for getting them started. A little gas in the spark plug chamber might help.
Leaves? We get a lot on our property. It's really impossible to get ahead of that situation. I just have to make sure the rain gutters are reasonably cleared. I can see where senior citizens get hurt getting up on ladders. Max McGee, the great Green Bay Packers wide receiver, died as the result of a fall from his roof. Young adults design homes with impediments that they don't realize until they become senior citizens. Like steps leading up to the entry doors.
This is the time of year we have church suppers. My church, First Lutheran, had its big event Wednesday. Mom and I didn't go, partly because I think we're seeing a little too much price inflation with these events. The price was $16 Wednesday. And don't even consider attending a Minnesota Twins game. Faith Lutheran has its big meal upcoming. We're not going this year, because last year we sort of got hurried out. A meal worker said to us: "We'll need these seats soon." To hell with that, and to hell with that person. Pastor Sanderson, please get word out to your people to behave hospitably. Relax.

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