Monday after Easter: Is it a holiday?

I remember from when Tom Dahl was still with the Morris Post Office, he told a little anecdote about getting a call from someone wondering if the P.O. would be open "Easter Monday." 

"I didn't even know what to say at first," Tom said, as he had never heard the term. Well I'm sure the P.O. was open. The P.O. is normally the first to close when any new holiday arises. Barry Goldwater was skeptical about MLK Day when it was proposed, because it would "just be another day when the mail doesn't get delivered." 

Goldwater reflected the days when Republicans were fiscally conservative, as they ought to be, but were on the whole far more reasonable and human about everything. Goldwater even seemed to mellow some in his later years. Still fiscally conservative, he could nonetheless have a spirit of levity about things. Compare that to the likes of Ron DeSantis, Rick Scott and most notably Donald Trump of today. 

I must ask again: Why is there a big "Trump-Pence" sign on the north end of town out where people turn onto Columbia Avenue? It's close to Greeley Plumbing, not to suggest Greeley's has anything to do with it. Is this on land owned by Apostolics? That would explain it. It is more and more a divisive thing, to see that sign. You could hardly find a more conspicuous place for such a thing. 

Is our Morris MN trying to broadcast to the whole world that we're racists out here? Couldn't local government set a deadline for taking political signs down? This reminds me of an old prank: tell your neighbors there's a legal deadline for taking down your Christmas decorations. 

We just marked April 1 and we don't hear near as much about April Fool's Day as we used to. One reason: legal exposure of getting sued if you really screw up someone's day or state of mind. It can even affect financial matters as we saw with Volkswagon attempting an April 1 gag with the "Voltswagon" name. Money actually moved because of that. 

No, it's best to keep your toe out of the water when it comes to April 1 pranks. The Norman Rockwell days of America are long behind us. Today the rules and regulations are pretty rigid - probably a blessing all things considered. But sometimes we wonder. 

I am writing this on the day after Easter. "Easter Monday," hah! I suppose school teachers would love to see the day designated a holiday - another day off. Like the Post Office. Public school teachers can "knock off" for any new holiday. Will Trump's birthday be proposed as a national holiday? I imagine this would go over great here in Morris - red "Trump country," land of Michelle Fischbach, even more of a Trump sycophant than Tom Emmer. Isn't that something? 

BTW what is Sue Dieter doing now, now that Collin Peterson got his rear end handed to him in the election? 

  

Clarity sought

We in Morris need more elucidation on the "softball complex" project. Has the newspaper been helping on this, I mean to answer some hard questions? Has the newspaper been giving us Pablum? The City of Morris has said "no" on a second request for money, which indicates to me some controversy. 

A legitimate sense of controversy arises in one's mind if you just go over there. It is on my daily walking routes. So on Easter I meandered by again. I can't help but make some disturbing conclusions as I walk by. Honestly, I was really expecting this "complex" to look awfully special by now. 

My yardstick is whether the complex is good enough for Morris to be a candidate for hosting the state high school softball tournament. Based on all the grandiose language from the project's promoters early-on, I really thought it would be in that category. What happened? 

Can you imagine how muddy that place would be after a rainfall now? I was expecting sidewalks to wind through. Surely the place is not handicapped accessible, and I would expect this yardstick to be met just because it's a part of the UMM campus. 

So what gives? I am having a hard time even getting questions answered. I sent a most reasonable email to Mary Holmberg last Thursday and have not received an answer. Maybe she gets "Easter Monday" off. 

I observed the "dugouts" at the softball complex Sunday and they seem overbuilt. They even have doors. I would guess it cost a pretty penny for a contractor to do this, along with the small building at the center. Pressbox and restrooms? 

Overall the place seems very non-fan-friendly. Weren't fans a priority when this thing was drawn up? They should have been. IMHO the whole place should have been re-configured to allow for true grandstand structures. The dugouts would seem to be an obstruction for the sight lines for fans. Dugouts for the shielding from rain? Wouldn't the game get called off anyway with a rainfall? And the fans are supposed to get wet? It's all a huge waste of money IMHO and I consider myself a fair-minded person on such things. 

If Holmberg were to be made aware of my thoughts, she might respond with an ad hominem attack, delivered with a laugh. I've been around a while. 

Let us promote soccer over softball anyway. 

  

Our leadership

Perhaps this is the underlying problem: We have people in leadership positions in Morris who have been at it too long. They have learned to scratch each other's back. So they all learned "the script" for talking up the softball complex. No, I was not in favor of it, but I'd be the first to say it turned out great if in fact it turned out great. Really. 

We need some new community leaders who can assess things more objectively, to replace people who get a thrill out of being in a "groundbreaking photo." How much ground has actually been "broken" out there for this anyway? All those people with shovels as a prop. Sheesh. Better idea: have players with MACA and UMM in photo for the occasion.

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