You might say it's just pathos, but. . .

From an email I received from a friend this afternoon. I did some light editing to remove some inside humor I have with this person.

 

The absence of Marshall Hoffman is becoming more evident at KMRS. At 7 and 8 AM, the format has  been National news headlines from the ABC network, then about 10 minutes of regional news, followed by 7 or 8 minutes of local news, then the obituaries. Today, Brett read the regional news, but then said “there is no local news today” and went right into the obits. No local news? A day after Morris made national news because of the police thing? A day after a county commissioners meeting that had lots of topics? Hmm. At least Bill did an interview with Rebecca Young about the meeting in a separate piece.

 

The radio station manager shouldn't be discouraged by such talk. After all, it means we're listening and interested. So, Morris makes huge news splash at the time of year that tends to be the slowest. I used to describe the time of year as "between Prairie Pioneer Days and the county fair." Well, Prairie Pioneer Days is no more, I mean the "real" PPD. 

On the subject of being discouraged, we might consider political sentiment. It's not just sentiment now, it's actions as with the reversal of Roe vs. Wade. More of same to come? Oh my goodness, most certainly. 

I overheard talk at a place of business yesterday that further confirmed a suspicion: today's Republicans consider Democrats as being rather sub-human. The talk is going over the edge. I surmise that these people, who for the purpose of convenience I will describe as "Neanderthals," are influenced by the cultural issues. 

Donald Trump is crazy. Headlines reaffirm that almost daily. "Investigations" roll on that reaffirm that. Many of us who are interested in politics find that we are "marinating" in the whole thing. The most tiresome thing is to read a news account of a new "investigation." We don't need more investigations, we need our Justice Department which is built upon the Judeo-Christian ethic to clamp down on certain things, to force accountability. 

The investigations linger and get stuck in mud. Really sharp lawyers get involved to create a haze. These things just go on and on. You can tune in to MSNBC on any given day and get another dose. And while it's nice to know there is a beacon of truth and wisdom out there, e.g. Lawrence O'Donnell, those of us with sense have a quite understandable level of exasperation. 

The people assigned to do the investigations: do they work weekends? Doesn't a sense of urgency compel them to move faster? It took six months before the January 6 committee was even formed. 

Now we get the news that the Justice Department would be hesitant to push any action vs. an active presidential candidate. This amidst the rumors that Trump could announce for 2024 at any time. 

Today (Wednesday) is just another day so we might expect another nugget of absurdity to go with all the other sludge that has built up.

We wouldn't have believed this if it had come from Richard Nixon. Questionable as Nixon was with his actions, he operated in a world far more sane, with an admission (ultimately) that the rule of law be respected. The burglary was a sordid little affair of course. Well, there were others. But Nixon eventually saw the writing on the wall. He realized as an American patriot what he had to do. And in the end, despite his significant blemishes, he was just that: a patriot. He had been vice president under "Ike" Eisenhower for eight years. 

Nixon was more interested in power than in ideology. It's hard to even compare Donald Trump. Is Trump interested in ideology? Not really, except that his Republican Party of today uses ideology. It goes this way: the GOP tells rural America "we're with you on all the cultural stuff." In return, the GOP has the people of Flyoverland quite loyal to them. 

And with the use of the electoral college, this becomes the ticket to power, and the power is used to lift up the richest Americans. The richest Americans really couldn't care less about LGBTQ, except to the extent that they are probably fine with it, deep down. 

I grew up when "conservatives" were fundamentally good and straight-laced people who felt that order in society was just as important as pure principle. "Conservative" meant you wanted minimal boat-rocking. When "Ike" sent troops to push desegregation in the South, he came right out and said it was for the purpose of order. In his essence he was not a beacon of racial enlightenment. And when a military man like Eisenhower talks about "order," we know he means it. 

Yesterday I heard one of the local fanatical GOP supporters call out Adam Kinzinger. Not exactly a household name but he's one of the two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee. The person who I overheard had quite non-generous thoughts about Mr. Kinzinger. But does any rational person think the committee is doing anything other than objective fact-finding? Weren't you comfortable seeing Cassidy Hutchinson testify? 

The local Trump cultists would say the committee has no credibility - too many Democrats. The America in which I grew up had respect for both political parties. A party could readily acknowledge when it lost. All hell would not break loose. 

 

Something new? Of course

So what's the headline about Trump today? Well, he thinks the 2020 election is still a "thing" for us. Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said on Tuesday that Trump called him last week. Trump asked Vos to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump actually lost the state to Biden by over 20,000 votes. 

Trump has attacked Vos on an online platform as being a RINO (Republican in Name Only). People who use the RINO term believe Democrats should in effect be treated as non-persons. No middle ground to be sought with them, ever. So now John Cornyn gets booed at GOP events. 

Haven't we always wanted our political officeholders to work together to solve problems? Arnold Schwarzenegger has made an impassioned plea about this. What concerns me is that reasonable people like Schwarzenegger are getting suppressed, drowned out. They are becoming losers. 

Hell, Richard Nixon actually created the EPA. Can you believe that? 

The Republicans of today just want to burn everything down. To hell with climate change theory. 

Democrats are being crushed by a defector within their own ranks: Joe Manchin. 

My theory is that Republicans of today love getting people fired up on the cultural issues: so easy to feed the emotions. Look at all the obsequious folks out and around just in our Stevens County. They are sold a total bill of goods. They have made a Supreme Court possible that has wiped out Roe vs. Wade. The Court is primed to undertake other such severe disruptions. While I'm sure a majority of Stevens County churches applaud all this. The more the better to build up MAGA. 

These "investigations" from in Georgia and Washington D.C. become absolutely turgid. Like I said: do these people consider working on weekends? The ultimate absurdity is how lil' ol' me, as an employee of a little newspaper in Western Minnesota, felt tremendous pressure to get certain sports coverage done by a certain time or I'd be thrown to the wolves. But when it comes to investigations designed to ensure we have a stable and respected America - wrongdoing ferreted out and people held accountable - well those investigations just go on interminably. Lawyers amass more riches. 

Even the critics from the media come back for work on Monday and have more material to mine. Well, is Matt Gaetz guilty of child sex trafficking or not? Will Chief Justice John Roberts actually get to the bottom of the big "leak?" He announced an "investigation." There's an IRS "investigation" into the selection of Trump critics for especially intrusive audits. The weeks roll by. 

Will all this end with the end of America itself? With an "autocracy?" Oh yes, "it can happen here," just like Sinclair Lewis reminded us. In the meantime maybe the Neanderthals will get their way with gay marriage, just like with abortion. Contraceptives? 

All this while the super rich just keep lining their pockets more and more? Until there is a revolution. And it will not come from the political right, it will come from the political left. This is what history has taught us. It will be borne of desperation among the common folk, who no longer will care what the "Dow" is doing on a particular day.

On the local police matter

From an email I sent to a friend yesterday: 

Listen, there have been calls all over the U.S. to "consolidate police departments." I follow the news 100 percent more than most people, so I know this. We have a Byzantine system now, something has to be done. Blaine's idea is probably good but people who are ignorant will think "defund the police" etc. and maybe Blaine will be hoisted out on his petard. Or, maybe he'll be able to move up to a bigger city, which is what the softener guy said could be the case. Blaine has scored points with the state by getting the water plant here.

 

From a different email I sent:

 

Morris is really in the Upper Midwest news, maybe even national. There has been a trend toward police consolidation, but did we have to become the "poster child" for this? We sure are now. There's the dissenter Kevin Wohlers. Well Kevin, we have to be able to find guys to come here and take the jobs. I have no problem with the council's decision.

I wonder if cops are stressed watching for people not wearing seat belts. I simply think that is difficult to do. People get ticked off at cops for pulling them over for "small stuff." Cops are human beings, they don't want to be resented. If the cops didn't get buried in so much small stuff, I might say a friendly "hello" when I walk past them at Don's. I ignore them.

Was going to go to the Glenwood State Bank customer appreciation supper 2nite. After researching, I found the best route to "Rolling Forks Vineyard" is the mill dam road, six miles beyond Starbuck where you just take a left and go a few miles. I was going to enjoy this outing, but about three miles out of town, I became upset at the condition of the road. Very bumpy. Was concerned about wear and tear on car, so I came home. I then called up the online map again and saw that the route from the north to that place is more complicated. Maybe the bank scheduled it out there to discourage freeloaders. 

Maybe next year. That was my uncle's bank.

 

Gone, not forgotten

I don't know why Marshall Hoffman left the radio station. A friend and I refer to him as "Marshall Tucker." He gets kudos for supporting the high school band program. I used to think he attended concerts with his mother but I'm told it's his mom-in-law. Bless both of them. They were at the spring ice cream social for band too.

I can speculate on why he left the station. Was it the "stealth" question he asked Rep. Jeff Backer? Backer's appeal is to the "Neanderthals" I reference, IMHO. He rather fits the textbook profile. 

Marshall (Tucker) asked Backer if he'd been vaccinated yet. Given the type of Republican Backer is, the answer would be "no." But I think the question made him squirm. He seemed to fumble for an answer. He said he thought he already had had the virus, well maybe. He said he had been "tired" for a couple days. He further said he wanted people more vulnerable to move up in line ahead of him. But at that time, I don't think there was an issue with the vaccine's scarcity. 

I complimented Marshall in an email for his "stealth" question. I would have gone further to "push" Backer but that's just me. Backer may have subsequently complained about the interview. Given the leverage the people of this political stripe have now, it's risky to cross them. Oh hell, I do.

Backer's biggest local supporter reportedly died of pneumonia. Impressionable as this person was, I'm sure he didn't get the vaccine.

 

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

The "drive-in" as opposed to "drive-through"

Whether it's "pile-up" or "smash-up," this type of photo has always had appeal for marketing newspapers. Note the "Pylin" term in the heading. How many of you remember that establishment in our Morris? An ever-dwindling number to be sure. The Pylin was a classic drive-in restaurant. Let's emphasize drive-in and not "drive-through," the latter having become rather a scourge of our modern age IMHO. 

 

Drive-throughs! They did not exist when I was a kid. Did they begin with banks? Seemed like an odd system at first. What is so inconveniencing about simply walking in to a place of business to be waited on? I personally do not take to the now-established custom of using drive-through. However, it appears most of us do. To each his own. (To each their own?) 

I have occasionally walked up to the drive-through at Bremer Bank here. I do get waited on that way. Reportedly there are fast food restaurants that turn away customers who are on foot. 

I'm thinking about this partly because of watching a video posted by one of my favorite economic commentators. He goes by "Jeremiah Babe." He walked along a seemingly endless line of cars at a Chick-fil-A. I found it incredulous that so many people would wait for so long in their idling cars. They're burning up gas, aren't they? They need their air conditioners on? 

"Jeremiah" lives in the "Palm desert" area of the Southwestern U.S. 

I thought about our fast food restaurants here in Morris, where drive-through seems rather burgeoning. Last night (Sunday) I stopped by the Dairy Queen. The lobby was open and people were inside. But the line of cars was getting pretty substantial, by my standard of judging. Again, "to each their own." I am just having trouble grasping the custom. 

I bring it up here chiefly for this reason: what happens if the trend continues to grow, and we might see the lineup of cars start "snaking" out to along the curb of Atlantic Avenue? Might local public officials have to start dealing with the matter? I mean, just for the sake of orderliness or public safety? It would seem rather jarring. Let's look at the congestion or even pedestrian safety issues. 

McDonald's is popular for drive-through too. McDonald's appears to actually discourage ordering at the inside counter. I would feel guilty if I were to even try. 

I did not submit an order at the DQ last night. I felt uncomfortable as I noticed a "team" of young employees working very harriedly. I admire them but I didn't want to augment their burden. I sense that they, like at McDonald's, prioritize the drive-through customers. There were about three people ahead of me at the counter. I waited a while and then just left, not mad at all - I certainly feel for the employees who seem quite sharp. 

I guess this new environment for fast food places is disconcerting for me. 

On the other side of Atlantic Avenue we have DeToy's which has no drive-through at all. You go in and get waited on promptly and reliably. Increasingly I appreciate this business. I told a friend the other day that DeToy's should get some sort of award for having gone through the pandemic and beyond in such a reliable way. Again: no drive-through. Just go in, take a seat and relax. 

Seems preferable, for me anyway, to sitting a long time in an idling car with the air conditioner on. 

"To each their own." 

Don't rule out one of these days seeing excess congestion of vehicles at the DQ, much like what "Jeremiah Babe" showed us. BTW he's rather a contrarian or skeptic on economic matters. He says "buy gold." Get it? But he's an interesting person to listen to. That's one thing about the "gold bugs" - they can draw you in with their perspective. But I will never feel the need to stock up on freeze-dried food!

 

That was then

The old Pylin drive-in in Morris was along East 7th Street. It was across from the now-razed public school. That part of town was once a "hub" of activity because of the school being there, up through grade 12 until the late '60s. A hub also, because East 7th was the main entry to Morris from the east. 

I have suggested that if Prairie Pioneer Days ever gets going again here - I mean the "real" PPD in summer - it be re-named "Pylin Days," the idea being to "pile in" to Morris. 

Let me add here that the smashed-up car thing with newspaper photos was once satirized by the "Dacron Republican-Democrat," a satirical newspaper. Each front page had a photo above the fold that showed a "smashed-up" vehicle. 

I remember I once took a few photos like this, when I was with the Morris paper. And on at least one occasion, I photographed a "smashed-up" car that had been in a fatal accident. And at least once, the paper didn't publish the photo due to that fact. And in those situations I could be excoriated by some co-workers who were offended that I would even go out (to Sharstrom's place) and take the photo. 

I was also excoriated internally once for photographing the line for the reviewal for Leonard Wulf when he passed on. Poor taste, it was suggested. Shortly after I left the Morris paper, I was looking at the front page of the Willmar paper at Casey's and saw a big photo of a reviewal line at a funeral home. Was the Willmar paper photographer called names, like I was?

 

Church at the park

My church is First Lutheran. We held Sunday service at East Side Park. The online stuff is on-again, off-again, alas. An email from a friend later in the day:

 

Don’t know if you attended the service in the park today, but I tried watching a little on the live stream. The video was good quality and the sound was good, BUT . . . it was broadcast 90° sideways, and reversed image. One had to lie down to watch it (and then through a mirror), and I couldn’t, so didn’t stay with it. Screenshot:

ELCA hangs in there

I called up the online service for St. Martin's Lutheran in Sugar Land, Texas, last night. It's an ELCA church like mine. Seems we are treading rough water these days, what with politics. The St. Martin's pastor noted at the start that the church building had been vandalized with a spray-painted offensive message. 

Is it coming to this now? The ELCA is seen as "liberal" and so now we are under attack? Is it that bad? Maybe it is. One thing about DeToy's restaurant, if you go there in the morning, is that there is a fierce pro-Trump and anti-Democrat element there. I walked past two pickups with Trump stickers this morning as I entered. One read: "Trump - no more bullshit." Such grace in communications. 

This is the nature of living in rural America now, it seems. Will it get worse? Inside the restaurant I overheard a patron attack Adam Kinzinger who is actually a Republican. Yes he is. Liz Cheney would be a like target for that fellow. There was a time not that long ago, when the Cheneys defined the Republican Party. What hath God wrought?

 

Photo of the Pylin

I included a photo of the old Pylin drive-in on my June 23 post on "Morris of Course," my companion blog. In the post I reflect back on times when we appreciated the difference between ten cents and 50 cents, like it meant something. Wow. Here is the permalink for you to enjoy the photo of the "Pylin." Right out of "American Graffiti." Look at the cars!

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2022/06/remember-when-10-cents-vs-50-meant.html 

 

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

Economic forces at work now

Here we are smack-dab in the middle of July. Do you ever mix up June and July in your mind? Both start with 'J' and have four letters. So right now it's the heart of summer. Morris has a history of getting slow in summer. People find places they would rather be, if that's an option they can exercise. 

We got a bad inflation number the other day. People will make a passing mention of this, but it does not appear to be a hot-button issue yet. I remember when it became hot-button in the 1970s. At least then, you could go to a bank and get a certificate of deposit that paid high interest. Today the banks seem to think we all should appreciate that they offer "free checking." Or, "free and easy checking," according to a banner that has been across a bank building on Morris' main street. 

I'd prefer some "easy" interest payments that amount to something. 

Restaurants have been restrained in raising prices. It has happened but to a limited degree. While I was going to McDonald's occasionally, I did notice prices nudging upward with what seemed like fair frequency. McDonald's has become an issue because of their reluctance to take orders at the counter. You can use a "kiosk" but you need kind of a "geek" knack, a generation 'Z' knack. I guess the millennials have moved on up - their digital instincts are pretty good too. The generations that grew up without digital are not "wired" properly. 

I tried using the McDonald's kiosk once and failed to figure it out. I went in with a friend once who I thought was advanced with his skills, and he had no expertise with it. So he went and bugged an employee who, to her great credit, came over to help and gave us each a complimentary pie. So nice, but I still did not pick up the skills. 

Did you see the recent item in the news about a "Good Samaritan" kid at a McDonald's? He noticed another kid being turned away at the drive-through because that kid had approached on foot. That restaurant must have had a closed lobby, a phenomenon that you may have noticed is happening out and around. The boy in a car realized what was happening and gave his own Happy Meal to the other boy - a "happy" outcome to be sure. 

Upon reading this, I wondered with a friend if people who do not drive might only have limited access to fast food the rest of their lives. You might chuckle, as you think maybe your health would be better off anyway. I feel an occasional fast food meal is an acceptable treat. 

What about our Morris Dairy Queen? It seemed like a good option for those frustrated by the McDonald's "kiosk-only" system. When last I checked, McDonald's had "kiosk only" some of the time with a big sign at the counter, making clear you should "get lost" if you couldn't use the kiosk. We have to suspect that McDonald's has an optimal profit margin - what else matters? - by going primarily if not exclusively with drive-through. I think they discovered that during the pandemic. 

But what about the Morris Dairy Queen? I found them to have a closed lobby a couple weeks ago. Don't know if this is permanent. If a customer encounters a closed lobby once, and does not want to drive home in summer with cold treats in the car, that person might not check back any time soon. 

DeToy's Restaurant is a fine place but is no longer open in the evening. I would guess it will never be open again in the evening. Don's Cafe is a wonderful "hometown" beehive of a place - it went from opening at 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., a huge change for many of us to deal with. It takes a major effort by yours truly to "sleep in" so I might have breakfast at Don's now. A positive: they have not raised prices for a while, but hang on to your hat. 

The inflation numbers do not lie. I was out and around in the 1970s, listening to disco music. If our inflation gets really bad, I hope it doesn't mean we'll see more movies like "Smokey and the Bandit" again. Rimshot (maybe). Why did Jackie Gleason degrade himself by taking that role? 

Don's Cafe, Morris MN

I have told Don's I'd greatly appreciate them opening at the "compromise" time of 7 a.m. But the direction of in-person dining seems to be going the other way. 

In-person dining requires that we be willing to pay someone to prepare our meal and another person to bring it to us. We have been able to absorb these costs up until now. Now I'm starting to wonder. I lead a pretty isolated life and it's nice for me to get around people a little by dining out. I don't think I'm alone. But we have to adapt always.

I have never taken to Common Cup. That restaurant's recent history appears, well, checkered. I can't share personal testimony because I don't go there. It's right next to the intersection where the big trucks make a wide turn and force cars to back up for them. IMHO this is ridiculous, primitive. But Mongo just pawn in game of life. A friend has given me an informed update on Common Cup's recent misadventures. You'll find this interesting.

 

There’s been a lot of complaints about Common Cup lately, prices have gone way up and the service and food quality have gone down. So, the church consortium committee that oversees it fired the current manager – this gal had been the manager for only a few months, and wasn’t exactly a “people person." “Financial mismanagement” was the reason. No, not embezzling, just bad management. This is 3rd or 4th hand, but the "shoeshine guy" told me that Sharon Ehlers had to deliver the news to the now former manager. It was said that that was probably the first time in her life that Sharon had been told to “F-off”. Steve Just is also on that committee, and allegedly was sent an email from said former manager resplendent with obscenities and misspelled words.

Ah, a million stories in the naked city. 

Problems arise, but nothing quite like in Freeport along I-94. A camel tried to bite the head off a zoo worker. I didn't even know there was a zoo in Freeport. We associate the town with the "smiley face" water tower or Charlie's Cafe. A friend told me "you should write a song about that - Minnesota head-chomping camels." 

Back when Campbell MN had its own school, didn't they use the "Camels" nickname? A terrific trivia challenge: nicknames/mascots of now-defunct small-town high schools. The Granite Falls "Kilowatts." Neat.

My offer stands

I will repeat: I lead a pretty isolated life. I try to find happiness as best I can. I have found a bond with the University of Minnesota and made a financial gesture toward that. I'm looking at our local public school in the same spirit. This has ended up very tentative. You might say I have gotten to first base but no further. I have a particular proposal which I have previously alluded to in my online writing. Obviously I am "pliable" in all this, if that word applies to a person. Here's from an email I sent to the MAHS band director on June 24:

 

I was able to see the world when I was 17 years old thanks to my involvement in band, so it's appropriate that I "give something back." I remember when we were all dispersed for our "free time" in New York City, I instead got out my trumpet, walked out to the front of the stage at Carnegie Hall, and spent about five minutes just playing - the only music sound in the place at the time. We were told not to move around any chairs or music stands because "the union people" did that!

Someone put my father's composition of "Alleluia" on YouTube. This is a 1952 composition as performed by the 1971 Oregon All-State Choir. The video shows a vinyl record on turntable, so the recording is "archival" but you can still appreciate the quality of the composition of course. My heart is warmed that someone somewhere wanted to share this recording in this way.

Here is the link for that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7vjqlgFe7Y 

 

Still floating in summer

Enjoy it while it lasts, this summer of 2022, coming on the heels of the unpleasant winter and spring. The "derecho" has demoralized me, drained me of some enthusiasm in a fundamental way. The climate is changing. Joe Manchin may have just doomed us all. He calls himself a Democrat. 

Looks like Trump will run for president again and he could win. This would mean no further action to combat climate change. Will Elise Stafanik be his running mate? She talks like she would be totally subservient to him. We can only pray that the inattention to climate change will not be devastating. But I fear it will be. 

For the very present, just try to enjoy the too-short summer. Pretty soon it will be fair-time and we'll start to get a "nip" in the evening air, alas. 

You cannot try to reason with the local Trump supporters. They are rock-ribbed, prickly, oblivious to any facts that ought to prod their better judgment. I'm sure all the local Apostolics would vote for Trump again. 

Here's a book that I feel is most helpful for understanding what is going on: "Jesus and John Wayne" by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. How did a man like Trump get so intertwined with the Christian faith? Nothing I can do about it. Mongo just pawn in game of life.

 

Emailing with McDonald's

I wrote a post on my companion blog of "Morris of Course" about emailing McDonald's corporate. The bone of contention was the Morris restaurant's "kiosk-only." I got a nice personal response with apparent receptiveness to my concern. I have not been to the restaurant since, so I do not know if their policy has budged. You may read my blog post by clicking here.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2022/05/mcdonalds-kiosk-only-can-be.html

  

Addendum: It is Friday evening, July 15, and I noticed just now that the door to the Dairy Queen lobby is open. Looks like the lobby was open. I dined at Don's: chocolate shake with grilled cheese sandwich. The fries are getting to be too much for me. I only have three meals between Saturday and Sunday. 

Morris Floral (kmrs-kkok image)

On way home this evening, noticed that the floral shop on main street continues to sit there, reportedly as a hazard. Or so we're told. The city has expressed such urgency for getting the place torn down. A source of mine who was present at Don's told me the city is now waiting for a possible grant. Sheesh. You know how long government stuff takes. Look how long we waited for the old school to be torn down. 

I should note that my source has not always batted a thousand. He's the one who told me several years ago that charges against the then-high school principal had been dropped. Actually that rumor was making the rounds. I reported this news "tip" on this blog and then got an email from the police chief. My post had stirred things up a bit. Well, charges had not been dropped. My guess on what happened: the alleged victim in the case was telling people she wanted charges to be dropped, so people surmised a conclusion. You know what happens when you assume. 

The principal was charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct, if I remember correctly. Two of them in the first degree? That was a wild ride. A prime news source in Minnesota used the word "assault" instead of "conduct" - not sure if it matters. The charges were eventually dropped. I wrote a post that rather castigated the prosecutor. Was he showboating? Well, who knows? I believe I'm the only local media person who tracked down a photo of the prosecutor. Interesting chapter in Morris history. 

The principal landed on his feet and continued working in education. I do find that rather surprising. I do feel the principal should have been terminated here at the time of the charges, just based on what was known about his behavior on the evening in question. I wouldn't dream of horsing around like that. And I'm not even paid to set an example for the kids.

 

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

A church to make use of park on Sunday

The Killoran stage (mapio image)

Looks like we'll see some activity at East Side Park this Sunday, July 17. My church of First Lutheran is planning its service there. Potluck afterward. Are outdoor potlucks really advisable in the middle of summer? Well, good luck on the venture. 

Activity at the park stage is so rare as to seem nonexistent. I have told friends that the church had better hope the sun is under the clouds. Seems like that's the only way to pull off a halfway successful event there. I realize that the old cement is now gone. If this removal was intended as a jump-start for the Killoran stage, seems like it did not work. 

If the sun is out, people just seem averse to sitting close to the stage. 

An outdoor church service reminds me of the days of the Morris Community Church. Remember them? A nice group of people but they could not sustain the enterprise. Remember when word circulated that they would move into the UBC building? Was accepted as fact for quite a while. I always thought they had a wonderful arrangement with the MAHS auditorium. Maybe the burden of paying rent was too much. I would hope that the school was not too demanding on this. What else would be going on there Sunday morning? And certainly a church crowd would not impose much wear and tear. 

Seemed rather a shock when we heard the Morris Community Church would be no more. What was the wellspring of that church? Did that foundation just slowly erode away? Why? We can speculate. I saw that church as built by members of my generation who had gotten disillusioned by the mainstream denominations. There was a lot of that feeling among my generation. We had grievances with a basis in the big issues of the 1960s primarily. 

The generations that have come along since, either accept or reject Christianity in its standard, established form. No need for a revised or rebellious model. If you choose Christianity, get on board with an established church. So it appears the Morris Community Church withered away and finally went out of existence. It made frequent use of East Side Park in summer. 

I'd ride bike past the park, going to and from my work at the Morris newspaper at its old location, and feel so refreshed just hearing and seeing the activity at the park. The First Lutheran event on this coming Sunday should offer a reminder. But we need to hope so strongly for the sun to be under the clouds. 

I am embarrassed for this community, to think back to events there that had people gather around the perimeter of the park, only. I remember a four-person performance by UMM tuba specialists. Great musicians obviously, although I have reservations about the tuba as a featured or solo instrument. That aside, there was a moderate turnout of people "sprinkled" as it were around the edges of the park. And yes, this was a considerable distance from the stage. 

I get attacked for being too blunt sometimes, but this scene was a "joke." Come on, put on your common sense hat. If the park was such a great place for this stuff why do we hardly ever see performance events there? 

Speaking of revived memories, we can embrace the images of the old Prairie Pioneer Days. Our community just let this joyous event die. And I mean it when I say joyous. Looks like something pretty profound happened in our culture, for this to happen. We are no longer such social animals? 

I do wish First Lutheran success for the coming Sunday. But I doubt that it's any prelude for increased use of the performance stage. Maybe the whole idea is to just try to show that the stage has a reason for existing. I'd be delighted to report a greater role for the stage in community life. It has not happened. 

Even with the old PPD, use of the stage seemed negligible. In the time since, I remember only one time when a music event was held with fair success. I mean with people seated close to the stage. It was the UMM jazz band in early fall, with a cool and pleasant temperature, little wind and most important, the sun under the clouds. The director was Jason Squinobal. People assembled and projected enjoyment. So, maybe once every ten years? Forget it. 

Am I right in my assessment of all this, or might an alternate theory be simply focused on Morris apathy? Del Sarlette of this community has suggested that Morris have an "apathy festival." Problem is, as Del explains, "no one shows up for the planning meeting." Rimshot. 

My current post on my "Morris of Course" blog recalls the last year of the "old" Prairie Pioneer Days. The old PPD was centered at East Side Park of course. For what it's worth, I do have rich memories, so a pox on you if you label me "negative." Half the people who assail me as negative try to spend as little time in Morris as possible in summer. Their objective is to "get to the lake." This has been offered as the prime explanation for why the old PPD was discontinued. 

I write about how the Morris Community Band was not even asked to play at the park in PPD's final year. Not much of a stretch to conclude that certain community leaders wanted PPD to die. PPD was tying them down on a prime summer weekend. Many of us of course actually stay in Morris through weekends and maybe even the July 4 holiday. It's where we live. 

 

Money's honey?

Also in my current "Morris of Course" post, I write about how I have put out feelers for making a financial contribution for MAHS music to fill a need I personally feel exists. When I talk about money, it ought to break through the wall of apathy here, n'est-ce pas? But maybe not. 

Talks among three of the principals on this matter have broken down, unfortunately. We cannot get on the same page. So I will just leave my checkbook in the drawer, I guess, unless someone comes up with a spark of motivation. But in Morris MN? A spark of motivation? A stretch, perhaps. 

You may read my "Morris of Course" post by clicking below. The headline is "Thinking of community focus, youth, music." And I do thank you all.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2022/07/thinking-of-community-focus-youth-music.html 

 

Important reminder: First Lutheran of the ELCA is a church you can feel welcome attending if you disagree with the Supreme Court's decision to erase Roe vs. Wade. We respect women's reproductive health rights. The ELCA is struggling now. Morris MN is highly attuned to Donald Trump which can make things an uphill struggle here. Our mayor has been quoted in the Star Tribune saying he voted for Trump. I didn't think that was necessary. I suppose the Good Shepherd people are elated about our "new" Supreme Court.

 

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

A familiar pattern of crumbling?

The people who supported the Vietnam war were left dazed and confused when the thing ended. It simply ended with the U.S. presence in that hellhole getting out. It was anything but graceful too. The fall of Saigon didn't even happen until 1975. That was well past the time when Americans had reached consensus that the war was unwise for us. 

"Unwise for us" rather rings of understatement. Remember that there was a time when war boosters were pugnacious with their attitude. The skeptics could be forced into defensiveness. 

History may not repeat itself but it rhymes. Is that Mark Twain's wisdom? So today I wonder: Will this incredible wave of pugnacious pro-Trump support across the U.S. fade? Will it fade under the daily headlines of the terrible stuff being turned up about the Trump element when it had power? 

Daily we hear things that would make any reasonable person think it was folly to allow this person to be president for four years. To be in power at the covid outbreak and suggest right to the TV camera that bleach and UV light might be advised. People around him in the room had to be thinking "this is totally nuts." But the guy making the statements was president. He had been elected by less than a majority of U.S. citizens. 

Today the facts are being laid bare, daily I tell you, about how Trump trampled on all principles of fairness and integrity. It's all in our face, quite like the realization that our involvement in Vietnam was never defensible, never even close. I remember reading an account of that awakening once. Maybe it was when amnesty was arranged for those having fled the country to avoid combat, to avoid being killed or killing others. 

Leaving Vietnam was a matter of absolute necessity at the end. "We were killing our own colonels," a panelist on C-Span said. 

All those people who had shown bravado talking up the war: what could they say when the facts were laid bare before them? Really nothing. The piece I read observed that these people were essentially left in a daze. They were left essentially mute. Then they'd move on with their own lives. That's the objective we all follow in the end. Ultimately we look out for No. 1. 

Vietnam? Well, that untidy little matter is left tucked in the past. A "little" matter that got something like 60,000 young American men killed. Oh, I'm sure some women too. We are realizing ever more the pronoun problems with the English language. I think it's sanctimonious when our political leaders talk about "our men and women in uniform," as if we need to stress that both sexes are involved. Well of course they're both involved. 

The pro-war people of the '60s looked up to John Wayne. Wayne was merely an actor, an entertainment professional, and this in no way should have given him credentials for leading a political wave on anything. He was excellent within his profession, did more than just act. But sometimes we as a society feel we need to look up to people like this on matters of great import. To have them hold our hand. 

In the end we saw people clinging to helicopters on rooftops, and helicopters being pushed off boats as people fled Saigon in Vietnam. Fortunately this could be caught on videotape, just as we had seen the famous "Zippo Lighter" story from Vietnam. American ingenuity, I guess: a simple Zippo Lighter that could burn down a whole Vietnamese village. 

And yet it seemed rather like pulling teeth to have the U.S. acknowledge that things weren't working out, that we would have to leave. The pro-war people simply went silent. So if all the revelations now about Donald Trump sink in, will a similar reaction happen? Will the U.S. population come to its senses, employing simple wisdom and ethics, and allow the legal system to mete out the necessary measures? 

Talk about "like pulling teeth." And a sad consequence of this turgid process is the realization - make that a reminder - of our two-tiered legal system in America. Holy balls. The rich and powerful can amass the legal firepower to delay, deflect, obfuscate, whatever. To appeal. To argue facts in reverse. You know the whole routine. You can be edified further at present with all the denials and finger-pointing. 

Shouldn't some of these people start to feel embarrassed? A refined and expensive lawyer can argue that Brett Kavanaugh ("Justice Brewsky") did not really lie to Susan Collins. A lawyer might have to go into contortions but he can still do this, at least good enough to leave you stammering. 

Meanwhile, what about the bottom tier of our legal system? Just one example needed: my driving around town a few years ago and being pulled over by police for no seat belt. No warning, I got a ticket. My parents were in the car with me. I was taking them home from the (now-defunct) senior citizens center. Real scofflaw, I was. No warning, a ticket. 

At the moment the cop comes to the window, I'm toast. I have no real recourse, so unlike the big shots of the U.S. Beltway who can use the high-falutin' attorneys. "So-and-so denies wrongdoing." 

And now, aren't you getting fed up with this day after day? Will we see an ending like the denouement of Vietnam? It would offer relief, yes. But there also would be profound sadness. "Bleach and UV light." The legacy. 

There is still enough Trump sympathy out there, especially here in the hinterlands like Morris MN, for people to come forward and say "you're just a Trump-hater." Aggravating, yes. Reality, yes. Sad, yes. 

 

Happy 82nd, Ringo

Inspired by Ringo

I post this on the day after Ringo Starr's birthday. His 82nd birthday was Thursday, July 7. He wanted everyone to share a "peace and love" message at noon. It's never too late to do this, of course. 

I invite you to read my post done on the day of his birthday. It's on my companion blog "Morris of Course." I reflect on the aging process and get into class reunions. I recall a long-ago newspaper column written by a well-liked Catholic priest here in Morris, Jerry Dalseth. He was a Morris native. I played trumpet with his sister Marcia. She was better then me. Here is the link:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2022/07/peace-and-love-for-ringos-birthday-july.html 

 

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

Howard Moser, RIP

We lost Howard Moser at the start of June. I'm pleased to share the photo of Howard from my personal collection. You see him with "the tool of his trade," the van for the Morris Sun-Tribune newspaper. Remember the "Sun-Tribune?" We published twice a week. We also put out the free advertising flyer on Friday. 

The Morris-based newspaper has been through a series of retrenchment. Not to say it cannot be a pleasant thing to look at. The Anfinsons have done all they can, although I frankly think they have dropped the ball with the website. This isn't to say the website should be a duplication of the print product. But at present I find that the site is not worth visiting at all. One of my old newspaper compatriots from this part of the state says the current Morris newspaper website is "worse than no site at all." 

Nothing personal, but I frankly agree. 

Howard like so many of us was susceptible to the toll of age and infirmity. And like a lot of us, he probably did not adjust to all of that as soon as he should have. But the time came for him to exit his role at the Morris paper. 

I will never call it the "Stevens county paper." Chokio still has its own paper, just like it is hanging on with its school. I hear that the recent graduation removed a swath of students there that will create a more challenging situation. C-A has not had its own sports teams for some time. How I cherish the memory of the "Spartans." Seems unfair that the name has faded out at the same time that Hancock looks to be so vibrant with everything. I of course covered all these activities through my years with the paper. 

I suggest that Howard was a throwback to the days when you could get by with being a character at work. Howard was a most charming character. People thought that pranks were amusing in those days. Today there's a litigation risk. Have you noticed how the media hardly mentions "April Fools Day" any more? For that matter, Valentine's Day has fallen into some obscurity too. Valentine's Day might get you in a bind relative to the #MeToo cause. 

Is it fundamentally risky in the present day and age to simply show personal interest in an opposite-sex person? I am sure I stepped over the line on some occasions relative to #MeToo. It was all verbal. 

Howard Moser made frequent trips to Lowry where Quinco Press is located. This got a little dicey during the whole power line controversy of the 1970s. I think he had to pass checkpoints. Remember that whole mess? It has largely faded into the mists of history. Like so many other things. 

Such as, cultural phenomena like the popularity of social drinking to excess, how we'd be amused by it, how we lived with the late-night "bar rushes" at a couple of the local restaurants. People acted ridiculous and would then smile about it later. Today it would just be seen as ridiculous. 

What shall we remember most about Howard? Well, he was in fact a dedicated employee even with his personal irreverence. He was dependable. Today he'd have to tamp down some of his personal idiosyncrasies, because that's just the way of the world. He had the image of a pervert but in a harmless and amusing way. People who knew Howard will not object to me writing that. He was not offended by x-rated material. Deep down, you weren't either, were you? 

I remember one day Howard was walking along the various pages in back and noticed an item on David Souter being named to the Supreme Court. The item noted that Souter had never been married. Howard paused thoughtfully and said, "makes you wonder. . ." 

Perhaps that anecdote encapsulates Howard's charm. 

Howard was hugely into movies, especially from Hollywood's so-called "Golden Age." He told me he'd sometimes watch the same movie twice in one night. When he was at the nursing home and suffering from the toll of being human, I tried getting a spark of response by mentioning an actress from the time. "Gene Tierney," I said. No real glimmer, unfortunately. 

He had biographies of some of these actors, like Charles Laughton, around his apartment. He had lived in Cyrus until coming to Westwood Apartments in Morris. Unfortunately his decline accelerated there. We were going to see the movie "A Prairie Home Companion" one night. I arrived at his apartment, stepped inside and found him on the floor, unable to get up. We canceled going to the movie and I propped him up on a chair. 

Eventually I found that his issues were getting so advanced, I was taking a personal risk just being involved to any great extent. At the time I read a column by a syndicated columnist in the Willmar newspaper. A national writer, she told her story of simply having to withdraw as a caregiver for someone. Her story could have been my story, 100 percent, and I shot her an email. 

You have to experience this sort of thing yourself to understand. And, I was on the cusp of looking out for my parents in the same exact way. Maybe we ought to resent God for how he created us. 

Howard looked like Willie Nelson. If you didn't know him, you might think he was a little shady. Law enforcement might react that way. So it was probably best that he stopped driving the Sun-Tribune van when he did. And then I took it over. Phasing into that was greatly helpful for my career. 

Howard believed in collectivism. He believed that rich people should be taxed to support the poor. He claimed he voted for the Communist candidate for president, and I think we all believed him. He had a heart of gold. He wanted to see everyone live comfortably and enjoy life. What an attitude to leave behind as a legacy. Howard is in a better place now. Howard Moser, RIP.

 

Addendum: I remember when Howard entered the building one morning, quite interested in how Jerry Falwell (of the Moral Majority) was critical of the "Tinky Winky" character of "Teletubbies." There was speculation that Tinky Winky was gay. Heavens.

 

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

Over-the-top for new steak place?

I'm trying to maintain a habit of once a week going to library to check on the Morris newspaper. Immediately I wondered regarding the current issue: Is it too much of a "free ad" on page 1 for the new steak place? New businesses can be legitimate news for the local press. There ought to be some restraint though. It's not as if we didn't already have established businesses doing this. 

I confess I haven't had a steak meal at Old No. 1, but a check of their menu would seem to suggest it's pretty high-class. I rarely dine out in the evening. Usually it's just Friday, I guess as a way to mark the end of the week, even though that has no real meaning for me now. And about once a month I go to Stone's Throw. That's the other established business in Morris that caters to the steak crowd. 

Everyone knows prices are high there. You are paying extra for certain environmental issues to be served - I think that's the best way to put it. And I don't mind that, occasionally, but people do have their budgets. And we are continually advised about the specter of inflation. 

It is interesting that I have not noticed any real inflation shock yet. Will it come? What if Stone's Throw has to raise prices further? What effect will the new steak restaurant have on Stone's Throw and the Old No. 1? 

The newspaper's very generous treatment of the new steak restaurant is a turn-off for me. It was such a promo. I am wondering if the new place will be a hangout for the rich and successful people of our area. Could it exacerbate the sense of class divisions? I went to Don's Cafe this morning (Saturday) and was pleased to see quite brisk business there.

 

Please visit my podcast

I invite you to visit my "Morris Mojo" podcast! I'm pleased to post on this July 2 about various things that might be on our minds. Thanks so much if you take the trouble to listen to this episode, titled "Greetings on July 2."

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Greetings-on-July-2-e1ko0c1

 

Law enforcement questions

I see in the Morris newspaper that there's tension in city government. I will address that very succinctly: to the extent that City Manager Blaine Hill talks about economy with area law enforcement, I am certain that his comments are not in the vein of "defund the police." It would be ridiculous to think that. 

I have a grudge against police because I think they get carried away with the small stuff. My late mother was always scared when she saw a police car. 

On another topic: a friend emailed to say he'd  been walking his dog and happened by the softball complex. He was struck by "parking all over the place." We want more police so maybe if this is accomplished, they can start issuing tickets to people who continue to park on the north side of Prairie Lane. There have been signs there: "no parking this side." You have to laugh when you consider that. 

I knew from day 1 that parking would be a madhouse there, yet the community doesn't put much stock in my judgment. Had the authorities clamped down with rules right away, we maybe wouldn't be in this situation. If police can constantly enforce the seat belt requirement, they can do likewise with "no parking." Make the people pay. 

We will be mighty regretful if someone gets hurt out there because of the parking madhouse. Like a kid. 

There is a new playing field under construction at this softball "complex." Take a look. I have walked over to check where batters would face the pitchers, and I swear there will be a terrible situation for facing the sun. Weeds are growing in the outfield area. Will the sun prevent any evening games? The parking is bad enough now, what about when the new field finally gets going with games too? 

Will there be lights out there? I thought the funeral home had already provided funds for that. A long time ago, in fact. 

I noticed that lots of cars are parked around the water treatment plant sometimes. Two of the fields out there are simply of "sandlot" quality. I had thought all the fields would be sharper than that. 

 

How about a backyard pool?

Many of us gravitate to the water for a summer holiday weekend. Looks like we have a new holiday weekend with "Juneteenth." But now it's July 4 weekend. The lakes are a magnet for many of us. But is this kind of escape really necessary? 

What I mean is, would it be more fun and practical to have your own backyard pool? Listening to the radio one day last week, I was intrigued. From an email I sent to a friend:

 

I try to have Fargo radio on sometimes, but so often I just have to withdraw. For one thing, they get into sports discussions too often. I suppose it's easy to talk about sports. Like I've told you before, they get those moronic people "calling in" sometimes and I just can't take it.

But yesterday, VERY interesting. KFGO was interviewing someone with a home pool company. Obviously he wanted to sell his pools, but I was receptive to everything he said. Sometimes I see these circle-shaped pools in people's backyards and they look intriguing, just like being "on the lake." So the guy made two big arguments against "going to the lake": "It's hard enough to maintain one residence, let alone two." Amen. Also, "kids are so involved in organized activities in summer now, can you really get away to the lake much anyway?" With a pool at home, it's available any time you want to use it. 

I sometimes wonder about these people with lake places, because it must cost a lot.

 

One more thing

Esteemed long-time U.S. Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming, age 90, has decided to cut through the fog about Donald Trump. This past week, Simpson called Trump a "spoiled brat." This inspires my current post on my companion blog "Morris of Course." Here's the permalink:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2022/07/alan-simpson-seeks-to-poke-maga-force.html 

 

Happy Fourth

Well, enjoy what remains of the July 4 weekend. I'm just relaxing here at home on Northridge Drive. My zinnia flowers have not yet bloomed. I have some new grass coming up where I lost a couple evergreen trees in the hellish "derecho." How I learned to stop worrying and love climate change? (That's a takeoff on an old Cold War line.)

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