Stardate February 24, 2021. We continue navigating through our new world of the pandemic with its limitations. Surely we can be thankful we aren't experiencing anything like in Texas. Isn't Texas "the energy state?" Rick Perry has said the people there would rather continue risking adversity than to have the nosy federal government come around and regulate stuff.
There is a clear solution to so much of this: vote out Republicans. Period. Don't listen to them anymore. Don't put them in a position of being quoted in the media, as if what they have to say has legitimacy. Is this so hard? Employ some logic like Mr. Spock. Let responsible engineers like "Scotty" take over. Let them take over with employing renewable energy in the proper way. "Live long and prosper."
Well, we aren't in Texas, we are in Morris MN, "Motown." This blog is called "I Love Morris" and the fondness is probably based mainly on what this town was in a previous time. We were once a town that celebrated people more. Especially kids, like when the boomer youth were among us in such a teeming way. Heaven knows our systems weren't perfect then. But life with its ups and downs seemed more relaxed, more of a joy.
Look what we have lost in Morris. The Coborn's/McDonald's spot was once so bustling: a 24-hour grocery store. Main street retained some decent activity with the two Thrifty White stores where you could buy an assortment of stuff and see your friends/neighbors.
Main street is not now blighted but it is not such a people-traffic place. The old cafe where Riverwood Bank is now located lifted the spirit of community. I remember the way Wally McCollar would "dust off" his booth seat before sitting down. You could catch Fritz Schmidt there on Monday afternoon to discuss the most recent Vikings game. Remember the chocolate frosted cookies there?
I remember Fritz handing me a gag Vikings schedule after an especially disappointing game. It had the Vikings playing playing the Girl Scouts and WWI veterans. (This was in the 1980s.) "Minnesota Vikings will not be allowed to steal the Girl Scouts' cookies."
The Coborn's spot does have businesses now. But it's not the same at all.
Symptoms of apathy, yes
The state of Morris in 2021? Well, it's our Sesquicentennial year and I have heard precious little about it. The yawning attitude seems par for the course.
The City of Morris operation is a disaster. The Chamber of Commerce seems almost nonexistent. The police department is mediocre. We have a "town leadership" of people taking advantage of the relative affluence of today, by having escape places "at the lake" where they gravitate. Right now they might actually want to go to Cancun (rimshot).
Money was not so plentiful when the boomers were young. We seemed more content just sticking around Morris. Yes there were negatives because there will always be negatives. But I look at the photos of high school band musicians playing for our Centennial in 1971, and I doubt such scenes will repeat themselves. We played just off main street. The community had a huge replica "alfalfa arch" constructed.
I was in an ensemble which poked into the Met Lounge before I was legal. People smoked tobacco products everywhere, and seat belt use was optional. Young kids played unsupervised and they learned to be self-starters.
Would I want to return to those times? Sometimes I think "yes."
At present, I must say our school system seems to be run well. It does not appear there is any horrifying stink of politics, paranoia or defensiveness that I once associated with the system. I think a new management theory has taken over. "Conflict resolution" is a buzzword. It does not mean there is no conflict, from what I can surmise - it just means there is an orderly and swift system for managing conflict before it gets in the way of things. In the '80s pure conflict got in the way of lots of things like basic sanity.
How can we celebrate the statement "I Love Morris" in 2021? There is always potential for things to get better. Keep the faith. Let the Democrats have a super majority at least for a while. With time we can allow the Republicans back in, after the cult of Donald Trump has been allowed to dissolve. If it does not dissolve, then heaven help all of us.
I'm wondering if the whole basis for Trump's rise and continuing strong position is sheer homophobia. Such a shame that such a narrow issue has come to possibly imperil this very nation. It's simple: just acknowledge basic gay rights and then move on. Just move on.
Certainly we can love how our MACA boys basketball team did Tuesday! I have never endorsed Mark Torgerson as coach but let's feel good about when things are going well. "We Love Morris" and the Tigers!
The MACA boys showed no mercy in their Tuesday game as they outplayed the 'Waska Lakers at Tiger Center. Jackson Loge scored 35 points. 'Waska as a team scored 35 points. We were up 30-16 at halftime. Our won-lost record now is 11-1. 'Waska is 6-5.
The final score was 75-35.
Loge topped our three-point shooting with three makes. Thomas Tiernan made two from beyond the 3-point line, and Cole Wente made one. Brandon Jergenson finished with ten points and Tiernan with nine. Others who scored: Durgin Decker (4), Toby Gonnerman (4), Sam Kleinwolterink (4), Wente (3), Riley Reimers (2), Tyler Berlinger (2) and Mason Lesmeister (2).
Loge topped rebounds with eleven. Gonnerman showed a deft passing touch to accumulate seven assists. Tiernan had two steals, and Loge blocked eight shots.
'Waska had two double figures scorers: Peyton Johnsrud with 12 points and Aaron VerSteeg with ten. Johnsrud and Mitchell Gruber each made a '3'. VerSteeg collected six rebounds. Hunter Kostelecky had an assist. Sam Hested stole the ball twice. VerSteeg blocked two shots.
Hockey and wrestling excitement too
My update on MBA Storm hockey and MAHACA wrestling is on my companion blog "Morris of Course." I invite you to visit and read, and thanks so much:
My podcast for February 24
My "Morris Mojo" podcast for today expands on the Ravnsborg matter out of South Dakota. So unpleasant: the state's attorney general was in a traffic incident where a pedestrian was killed. I have written before about this. Today I react to the newly-released video of the interrogation that was performed in late October.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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