I cannot drive to town during this incredible cold snap unless I leave the car running while I do whatever business is needed. The business usually involves picking up breakfast bagels at Caribou Coffee (at Willie's). Caribou has been a great resource during this time when restaurants can be ordered shut down for in-person.
I see other cars left running at the Willie's lot with the same logic employed. How much confidence could we feel getting cars to start with such an incredible plunge in temperatures? The horrific lows have hung on for so long, almost seems unprecedented. I theorized with a fellow church member this morning that maybe this episode is another example of "extreme weather" from climate change.
I noticed both at church and at Willie's that people are keeping their spirits up through all this. "All this" includes of course the continuing pandemic circumstances. We're frozen and we're isolated. But people aren't hanging heads too much.
I wasn't sure about leaving my car running at Willie's. Technically speaking, isn't this a violation of the law? Isn't it a violation to even leave your keys in the ignition? Carl Moser can tell you what can happen when you leave your keys in the car. I earned a rimshot one day when I spoke to a gathering of Carl and family: "They're making a movie about Carl. It's called 'Dude Where's My Car.' "
Shall I assume the Morris police wouldn't act on such a strict basis when the temperature is around 20 below? This morning, Sunday, my plan was to have a sit-down breakfast and attend church, so using the car was not an option. I have pretty intensive outerwear left over from my days driving the Morris newspaper van. Long underwear made for hunters etc. I walked into town at about 8 a.m. and found it was no hassle.
I took the shortcut across the field in front of where I live. A non-maintained road is available there, usable in winter for walking if snow isn't too deep. With deep snow, one could use snowshoes although I've never bothered to do that. Walking this route forces me to go past the Trump campaign sign in between the service road and highway.
Could someone please press the issue of why this sign is still allowed to be out? I'm sure if I had a sign like that out so late - mine would be "Biden" - I'd be approached by people questioning the size of my brainpan. Probably it's some local big shots who have the Trump-Pence sign out. Countless motorists notice it regularly I'm sure. But what's the point? "Trump-Pence." Pence came close to being assassinated on January 6. Pence's family was endangered.
What if there had actually been beheadings? What if the beheadings had been filmed? We did see the shooting of poor Ashli Babbitt. Maybe someone could write a song: "Ballad of Ashli Babbitt."
These people had been fed propaganda and lies by Trump and his people. And now Babbitt is dead. Pence could have been killed for not "stopping the steal," to use Trump's language. What bizarre times we are in. How can we extricate ourselves? A notorious pro-Trump residence in Morris next to East Side Park now has an "impeach Biden" sign.
We're persevering
I walked past the Trump sign and continued to the west. I wasn't sure if DeToy's would even be open or if everything would be at a standstill. Oh joy it was open. Then it was on to First Lutheran Church, a church that might be called "communist" by the Trump crowd. Church was held and it was quite satisfying, no political suggestion at all.
I worry if the several pro-Trump churches in the Morris area made assertions consistent with Trump this morning. Those people would not say they were being political, they'd just say they want to "keep America great." OK.
After church I walked home quite comfortably. I re-traced my steps past the (back of) the Trump sign.
During the campaign I read about an incident somewhere where a city worker noticed a sign too close to the road - a Trump sign - and went to move it, to keep it in accordance with rules. There were razor blades on the bottom. The guy needed medical attention.
Then there's the town in the news where a rift opened between the council and law enforcement. Law enforcement was refusing to enforce an ordinance calling for removal of campaign signs by a certain date. I'll bet the Trump people were the ones being stubborn about this, and the local police/sheriff simply agreed with this. A councilman wondered, if law enforcement only enforced laws they agreed with, why does the council pass ordinances?
The Trump people are so fierce in asserting themselves. When you try disputing them, they'll point fingers and say "you're just Trump haters." I've never seen anything like it.
I got home and then wondered if my car would start. I consider my car pretty resilient, but on this arctic day it did not! I attached a battery charger, engaged a space heater for a while and then it started right up! I made a run to Willie's to get a little extra sustenance. Then I parked my rear end at home for the rest of the day.
On to sports:
Toby Gonnerman had the hot hand in the Tigers' 66-49 win over Benson. Gonnerman made nine of his ten shots to put up 18 points. Sam Kleinwolterink made four of five shots to record 11 points. Durgin Decker made both of our three-pointers and finished with ten points. Jackson Loge added to the mix with ten.
A nice balanced attack as the orange and black upped its record to 7-1. Benson is having a below-.500 campaign.
The Tigers led by four at halftime, 30-26, and surged to outscore Benson in second half play, 36-23.
Brandon Jergenson supplied fuel with eight points. These three Tigers each scored two: Andrew Olson, Thomas Tiernan and Riley Reimers. (The point totals from the Willmar paper add up to 63, not 66, sorry.)
Loge was tops in rebounds with eight. He and Decker led in assists with seven and five, respectively. Tiernan and Loge each blocked a shot. Action was Thursday at the Benson court.
Tigers 77, Breckenridge 54
A pair of highly-touted teams took the court at Cowboy country of Breckenridge Friday. The game was on the heels of the MACA Tigers' road win Thursday. Yes, a demanding stint in the schedule. We won on Thursday and duplicated the success Friday. The Friday story was a 77-54 win over Breckenridge in non-conference play.
I remember a time when success was pretty hard to come by vs. the green-clad Cowboys. That was when I was in high school in the "District 21" days. I recall a Breckenridge coach with the last name of Lipp. He guided plenty of success. The year 2021 is a different story. The orange and black worked to a ten-point lead by halftime, 27-17.
The game took on a high-scoring complexion in the second half and this worked for the Tigers. We put in 50 points in the half compared to 37 by the Cowboys. The success upped our won-lost mark to 8-1. Breck came out of the night at 6-2.
Both teams entered the game with high standing in the state picture: Breck had the No. 12 ranking (Class AA) while MACA was positioned No. 16.
Who powered our Friday success? While it was Toby Gonnerman leading the charge Thursday (9 of 10 shooting, 18 points), on Friday Jackson Loge wore the mantle with 32 points as he powered from close to the hoop (reminding us of another Loge from the Tigers' past). Loge made 15 of 20 shots.
Gonnerman was a force with his 11 points, and 11 were also scored by Brandon Jergenson who made our only 3-pointer. Sam Kleinwolterink was nifty with his shooting: nine points. Then we see Riley Reimers with five, Durgin Decker with four, Thomas Tiernan and Andrew Olson each with two, and Mason Lesmeister with one.
Loge vacuumed the boards for 14 rebounds. Reimers led in assists with five and steals with two. Loge swatted aside eight shots.
The radio station website reported that Breckenridge entered the game with the No. 7 ranking. My No. 12 reporting is from the West Central Tribune. Why do these discrepancies happen? Why such a big difference? I always just interviewed the coach and went by everything he said.
Girls: Monte 81, Tigers 68
The MACA girls remain bogged down below .500. Victory eluded the squad on Friday despite five Tigers scoring in double figures. Maddy Grove led the charge with 17 points. Sydney Dietz put in 14. Eleven each came from Cate Kehoe, LaRae Kram and Emma Bowman. Bowman topped rebounds with seven while Grove had six. Kram stole the ball four times.
Monte improved to 6-2 on the strength of this 81-68 win win for them. Action was at Monte.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minneota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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