Jazz Fest shines as UMM imperiled

Positivity about UMM: Yes the Jazz Fest was wonderful. I had the pleasure of attending Thursday night. The UMM music department can still do wonderful things. Yes there have been cutbacks. The ensembles cannot stand on their own, as they now need augmentation from non-students to survive. And yes I was greatly disturbed, disconsolate when first hearing about that. 

I extended "feelers" to the Twin Cities campus about having my family fund for music transferred to benefit the Twin Cities campus which presumably can continue holding its own. 

The reputation of Minneapolis and St. Paul has greatly diminished. So maybe our pride should be elevated out here in the sparsely-populated parts. There are country singers that will sing all day about that. Now we have the guy walking off the set of "Saturday Night Live" right in that spirit. A country singer wearing the "costume" of such folks - you know the trappings, complete with jeans with holes. Such impoverished souls. 

And you might actually believe that, if you still support Donald Trump. I have friends who will detach from my writing immediately if I even mention Trump. They'll scoff at my skeptical attitude. You cannot succeed in making any points with these people. No helpful interaction. They'll just go back to voting Trump. They'll return to their church pews populated by all their MAGA brethren. Easter will be a time for them to celebrate their Savior Donald Trump. 

Go ahead, go to your right wing churches on Good Friday and hear all about the literal torture of Jesus Christ. Shall we call it a celebration of gratuitous violence? I want no part of it. Even if it's historically accurate I want no part of it. Experts have said that no human being could survive the torture inflicted on Christ in the Mel Gibson movie. 

Hey you rubes it's Hollywood! 

Don't be led along by the likes of Elon Musk and the whole gang that gets in the news every day as they holler about the left wing and its spokesmen who become sheer dartboards for their insulting language. Who would want to get into the political arena under these circumstances? Who would want to even try to lead progressivism now? 

But I ask you all to pay heed here in Morris MN. With all that is going on now including the drastic tariffs, take a look at the aggressive anti-DEI push and how this could literally force our UMN-Morris out of existence. Truly it could. 

Maybe the Morris economy is not as dependent on UMM as it once was. Numbers are down at UMM. And could UMM even survive an attempt at a re-start? 

We rejected Kamala Harris who was not perfect because no one is perfect. But she would project love and tolerance. She would surely support entitlement programs that are so helpful for our seniors and retirees. Many such folks live out here where we can hear coyotes howl. 

So, why my renewed concern about what the anti-DEI thing could do to UMM and to the whole of Morris? Here's a fresh headline this morning from the AP: "K-12 schools must sign certification against DEI to receive Federal money, administration says." 

So to accept Federal money, people and institutions must increasingly be required to show support for certain political ideas. 

The administration would say DEI is discriminatory. Everyone knows DEI was designed to lift up historically oppressed groups. So the intention was benevolent. Maybe some of it could be reined in. 

But I hate to see a total merciless "meritocracy." 

David Brooks

David Brooks of the New York Times in fact got lots of attention a few months back by commenting on the "meritocracy" that grew in higher education: this merciless judging of kids with "grades" as if that's all that matters. If you're my age you remember public schools when grading was "tougher." It promoted anxiety. It will trample on self-esteem. 

There was a time when UMM classes were in fact known as "tough, rigorous" etc. My father told a story of a visitor to the campus once who noticed some grades from an assignment posted outside a classroom. The grades were low. So the visitor said "this must not be a very good teacher." That was the "meritocracy." 

If DEI has caused a lightening up with that, then my thoughts about DEI would be generous. Go ahead UMM and have a multi-ethnic building. That building incidentally was where my father Ralph first worked when UMM started. It was the home of the music department. "HFA" not even built yet. 

I think my father's basic philosophy about college music was that it was more extracurricular than serious academics. The groups did perform challenging material though. And I think my father was well liked on the faculty because he ran competent programs while not coming up with grandiose ideas for spending more money all the time. He was happy with the pie slice that he got. 

He was happy with the basics because he had gotten through the Great Depression and then WWII. He was the youngest of five boys and he graduated high school in 1934. 

My dad had the credentials to present jazz. He had played in such groups himself as a young man in the Twin Cities. But the college culture was not ready for an earthy thing like "jazz" in the 1960s. We take for granted the UMM Jazz Festival in its glorious form today. No one questions the appropriateness of jazz. 

We take for granted women's athletics which did not exist when UMM opened. What sea changes. But ironically we must now contemplate the cancellation of UMM as we've known it, due to the anti-DEI push from the top of our Federal government. I have been advising friends that the Feds really mean business on that, right from Donald Trump. 

I have sent an email to Torrey Westrom and he did not answer. I have in the past found him to be friendly. He's blind, isn't he? So does he have emails read to him? I don't know. 

All hell could break loose with the government coming down on UMM for its DEI purpose. I'm just trying to warn y'all. I could warn you on tariffs too. Unfortunately it is a fool's errand trying to discuss such matters with MAGA people who will be filling the pews of our "conservative" churches on Good Friday, to take in the images of Jesus Christ being tortured to death. 

I'll skip it. I'll celebrate Easter with a chocolate bunny from Willie's.

 

Addendum: You know the real reason behind the big anti-DEI push, don't you? It is not what it appears to be. This is an effort to put painful pressure on all publicly-funded schools and really everything that is publicly funded. It will make life miserable for the people who try to run these systems because they will have to fear an end-of-career sanction.

 

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

Now it's "pissing match" on social media

My picture of the library

Oh my, oh my, oh my, I was not going to write about the Morris library matter again, at least not for a while. I'm still in a bit of a funk from having gotten worn out writing about "March Madness." It's a blessing but it can also lure you in and command your attention so thoroughly. 

I wrote about the Alexandria teams that have strong Morris connections. If I ever write about Bev Kieffer's grandchildren again, I will not use the name "Lucken" anywhere. I think she's mad at me about that. My sensitivity is probably lacking. I have never been married or even had an opposite-sex relationship. I think it is fraught with danger and risks. 

Who can forget Rick Lucken? Uh-oh, there I did it again. Well, sorry, I really would like all of my writing to pass muster. 

Yes I was exhausted after our March Madness spell. I was even busy with Minnewaska Area girls basketball, and at the end, West Central Area. Regarding the latter, my main point was about how Morris allowed our hometown girl Becca Holland to "get away" to there, instead of getting a position here in Motown. 

And if anything gets me in trouble in our beloved community, it's observations on sports programs, their coaches and their direction. I assure you I will always find a passion with writing about area high school sports. You can easily ignore me if you wish. 

So soon after the high school basketball mania, we had this hot potato subject of the Morris library land in our laps. Anyone with journalistic instincts and whose formative years go back to Watergate would be instantly mesmerized, wanting answers. (That's me.) 

I am a long-form journalist so you'd probably categorize me as a "dinosaur." People prefer communicating in short bursts in the digital age. Speaking of the digital age having taken over, why do we even need a public library? In fact, what about the redundancy of a city public library, a public school library and a library at UMM? Redundant as all hell, I would say. 

I suppose we collectively shake our heads and say "that's just the way it has to be." Just like re-electing Trump. Happy tariff week. That is, if the tariffs actually start, if it's more than mere talk or posturing. Now, why would I suggest it might be largely talk/posturing? Trump wouldn't mislead us, would he? He wouldn't be "playing" us, would he? He has never done that before, has he? 

 

Not my bag

I hate to acknowledge much about Facebook. I have chosen not to be a Facebook person, or Twitter or any of that jazz. Such scattershot conversations. Impulsive thoughts typically with a tinge of emotion. I stick with "long-form journalism" utilizing two blog sites and you'd probably say "nobody pays any attention to what you write." 

Obviously you're entitled to your opinion. 

Today is Tuesday so the Morris newspaper comes out. The library: what a ripe subject for the print media to put someone to work, Woodward/Bernstein style. Oh but the city council has had these lengthy "closed meetings!" A topic of such gravity obviously. 

Our librarian at the vortex

The library is supported by tax dollars. When a serious matter is being bandied about regarding the library, I think at some point some spokesman for the city has got to come forward with us and share on the most pertinent facts. Otherwise, well you know full well about what will happen: I saw it this morning as I "surfed" a little online. Heavens to Betsy, we have a full-scale "pissing match" having broken out. Surely you'll agree with me that this is the veritable "pissing match" for a small community. 

Is this the only course for the city to take? I have been forced to develop a theory or two on my own, because this is the only available route now. 

A newspaper writer could search around for "background" by talking to "knowledgeable sources" and the like, maybe even a council person himself who would be anxious to get his/her "take" out there. People "use" the press to try to get an advantage. Consider the term "leaks." 

What was "Deep Throat's" motivation?  Absolutely nothing mysterious there. The guy was Mark Felt. He was mad at being passed over for promotion in the FBI. A motive as old as the hills. 

What might we dig up now on the library matter or "mess?" Holy cow it's a mess: three deputies to ensure people's safety at these meetings. Over the library? The friggin' public library? A wholesome place. You almost have to apologize if you are going to criticize the library. 

"Children's story hour" each week. Let's all just step aside and let the library and the - ahem - Viking Library System consume more of our resources. Wait a minute, we do not blindly want to do that! Let's allow for the possibility that this "Viking" thing could be one of those feel-good agencies that may not really deliver services commensurate with what they claim to do. 

I hear even our county board gives money to Viking Library System. And I'm sure the commissioners are always nervous about the money they are having to spend. 

Mr. Anfinson of the SCT always talks about how we need newspapers as "watchdogs." Well here's your perfect opportunity Reed. You might run into some bumps in the road. So what?

Last night at the community supper I tossed out this thought to a friend: "Maybe Anne was given the opportunity to resign quietly and when she didn't, well the city said "Here we go." My, the wheels certainly began turning. With each passing day, I'm sure more of us are perplexed. 

The people who just love Anne no matter what will stick to their guns. I am age 70 and I've seen the "personality cult" thing at the small town level before. It's so distracting. What in heck is going on here? 

 

Below their dignity

I am disappointed that such an esteemed retired lawyer as Bob Dalager would go all-in on the "pissing match" we now see on this thing called social media. I see where Blaine Hill chimed in with a short comment. Below their dignity for these guys to be doing this. 

My approach is to put out a thorough post that I think asks the right questions. 

Maybe I deserve a pie in the face, I don't know. 

I don't see how Anne can continue as librarian now to be frank. I think she's a little "tainted." And if she's "exonerated" that would embarrass the council and city manager who dragged us through this morass of confusion and tension. 

Maybe what I needed was for March Madness to go on a little longer. It's an elixer. Right now I look out the window and the weather is crappy! Oh to be out on the biking/walking trail and petting people's dogs!

  

Addendum: A community controversy like this can lead to boycotts of businesses. Right now I am of a mind to not even go in the library for a while. Speaking of businesses, I am disappointed that Stone's Throw Restaurant closed. Another restaurant - DeToy's - was bustling with business on Sunday afternoon. Which leads us to conclude what? That the Morris economy is in good shape? That inflation is not scaring people here? Or, that maybe Morris could use another middle class type of restaurant.

 

Addendum No. 2: Oh to have Melissa Yauk back at the library with her steady hand. I appreciate more now the steadiness in her work. She's out in Idaho.

 

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