Now the MACA boys get humbled

Early-week action involving the MACA hoops teams was cringe-inducing. I have already reported on the girls game and now we're looking at the boys. The Tuesday chapter of BBB saw the Tigers get humbled at Melrose. Out Tigers took the trip down I-94. 

At least the games are being played. Covid attaches a question mark to so much. Are the players still wearing masks? I have suspected that's difficult to cope with. 

Our BBB Tigers actually entered Tuesday with an undefeated record. That finally changed at the home of the Dutchmen. Every time I think of Melrose, I think of superstar Mark Olberding of my youth. He went on to a pro career. Fast-forward to the present: the Dutchmen thumped our Tigers by a margin of 30-plus points. The scoreboard story was 82-49. 

A quite robust offense by the Dutchmen, or pretty serious defensive lapses by the Tigers. Our record now is 5-1. Melrose's mark is 6-0. Melrose led 36-27 at halftime. Our woes increased in the second half as we were outdone 46-22. 

What happened? Well, our congratulations to the Dutchmen to be sure. Mark Olberding! It was as if he's still there. 

Brandon Jergenson was a bright spot for the orange and black: three 3-pointers in four tries. Thomas Tiernan was sharp again with 2/2 in that department. Cole Wente and Riley Reimers each made one '3'. We had three double figures scorers led by Tiernan's 16. Jergenson put in eleven points and Jackson Loge had ten. Other scorers: Sam Kleinwolterink 3, Wente 3, Reimers 3, Durgin Decker 2 and Toby Gonnerman 1. Loge dished out three assists. Tiernan had two steals. Tiernan and Loge each blocked a shot. Rebound stats were not reported in the WC Tribune.

 

Boys hockey: Storm 3, Wadena-Deer Creek 2

Our MBA Storm boys hockey team has pulled up to .500 in won-lost. Tuesday success accomplished that. It was accomplished at the home Morris ice.

The Storm skated past Wadena-Deer Creek 3-2. Zach Bruns was a standout with his hat trick. Our record now is 3-3 while W-DC is languishing at 1-5. 

Bruns put us up 1-0 in the first period with his goal at 3:08. Brady DeHaan assisted. Bruns got our second goal in the second period: he struck at 7:12 with assists from Sam Thompson and Kaleb Breuer. W-DC got on the scoreboard at 10:21 as Wyatt Murray scored with an assist from Cole Woods. 

Then Bruns scored again, 11:37 with an assist from Brady Loge. W-DC finished the night's scoring with a third period goal. It was by Connor Davis with an assist from Evan Lunde (3:14). 

Our goalie was Brady Backman who stopped 28 of 30 shots. W-DC's Josh Dykhoff stopped 23 of 26 shots. 

 

The pandemic drags, yes

We hear that loneliness looms ever more as a psychological issue with the pandemic. Oh, but we also hear that families are getting stressed. Marriages are getting stressed. 

The economics of the shutdown compounds all this of course. The Democratic Party wants to address this as best it can with a major stimulus package. I have some concerns about this, as I fear such moves increase the odds of inflation. A bigger concern is food insecurity and other such immediate matters. 

Many people talk about kids suffering with limited in-school learning. People fear that "remote" learning is no substitute. They talk about a "lost generation." I do not share the worries about kids relying on their online devices. I am concerned about how teacher unions are responding to the current disruption. 

I am 66 years old and with a considerable background of being close to school systems. Teachers would gnash their teeth as they read this - they would know my knowledge is way too intimate about their machinations. There is no way I can overstate my hatred of teachers unions. I assure you they push the 100 percent narrowest interests of members all the time. They do this while applying a "cloak" of ideals about how it's "all about the children." 

Oh no it isn't. If you want to get a reading of the kids' best interests, talk to the board and administration. It's their job to know these things. The teachers look out for themselves, to try to get maximum SECURITY, maximum money and yes, maximum time off. "Oh, how disgusting for you to say that!" Oh no it isn't. I am 100 percent right. Don't bother me to try to argue that. 

A Chicago teacher says normal school cannot resume because, well, the virus is still out there. If that's the measuring stick, get prepared for kids learning at home more or less permanently. What if a standard influenza outbreak happens? Can teachers just refuse without consequence to come to work at the building? Well, it all comes down to power, and if there's one thing that unions understand and utilize, it's power. 

I have observed so much of this firsthand, I could throw up. But I try to contain myself. 

If teachers want to stay at home and do whatever with teaching, it's because they simply like this arrangement. No commuting and less of the stress that comes with managing a hyper "student body" at school. There is no "student body." You can't beat keeping your pajamas on. 

I do feel that kids can learn just fine at home and without constant strict supervision by "strangers," the teachers. The online platforms for learning are ubiquitous. But hey, if this is the route we are going to take in the future, as it should be, we don't need grossly overpaid faculty groups in all our communities. The unions with their irritating power should be shown the door. To hell with their chutzpah and disingenuousness. 

Maybe you all can't see the forest for the trees.

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

Girls take it on the chin in Monday action

What a gloomy day today, Feb. 2, 2021. There is no cheer in reporting the Monday girls basketball results for Morris. That's the way it goes sometimes. We can congratulate the Minnewaska Area Lakers who hosted the game. 

'Waska is where I personally attended a GBB game just before the pandemic and its awful restrictions hit. It was "life as normal" that night. I wondered how the school administrators of my school years would react to the booming music heard at times in the gym. Times most certainly change. My senior year at Morris was when girls varsity sports got started. A shame our society had to wait so long. Girls sports needed time to develop obviously. It surely did blossom in the end. 

But today in the year 2021, high school sports has struggled to keep going as we have to stay mindful of health precautions. My, how time is dragging now. February is when winter starts to get long in a normal year. 

February 2 is an overcast and somewhat blustery day. That does not help. Is there a back story to the Tigers' loss? Was our roster depleted because of the Covid thing? I don't know but the Tigers scored only 23 points. Our previous game vs. 'Waska was on Jan. 21 and we won 51-45 in overtime. On Monday of this week, we fell behind 32-10 by halftime and ended up losing 53-23. 

We were left with a 2-4 record. It's not like 'Waska is sporting glittering credentials - the Lakers came out of Monday 1-4. Yes, the sole win coming vs. our Tigers. 

The Tigers struggled with an 18 percent stat in field goal shooting: just nine field goals in 50 shots. In 3's we were two of 14. No relief to be found. 

Maddie Thorfinnson gave lots of fuel for 'Waska with 21 points. Two other double figures scorers: Isabelle Ortendahl (11) and Makenna Panitzke (10). Then we see Annika Randt with four, Olivia Richards three, Avery Hoeper two and Brecklyn Beyer two. Three Lakers each made a '3': Thorfinnson, Richards and Randt. 

Rebound leaders were Ortendahl (9), Hoeper (7) and Thorfinnson (5). Thorfinnson dished out five assists. Panitzke had four steals and Randt had three. Ortendahl blocked two shots. 

Emma Bowman led the MACA scoring with nine points. The rest of the list: Maddy Grove 5, Sydney Dietz 3, Meredith Carrington 2, LaRae Kram 2 and Shannon Dougherty 2. Grove and Bowman each made a '3'. Dougherty led in rebounds with six followed by Grove and Bowman each with five. 

Let's hope for MACA fortunes to improve and for the sun to come out a little more!

 

My podcast for Feb. 2

I invite you to visit my "Morris Mojo" podcast where I reflect on the weather and the continuing challenge of maintaining church. Oh, and a bonus! I share lyrics/poetry I have written on Trump departing the presidency! The tone of those lyrics? Well, you'll have to listen to see. Thanks.

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Thoughts-on-February-2-epr2t7 

  

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

Don't be so hasty to condemn "nutcases"

The considerable fuss caused by the Cornerstone Church of Alexandria reminded me of a movie from the 1970s. This is not to make a direct comparison between the bad guy character of the movie and the Cornerstone pastor. To do that would be to violate Godwin's rule or principle. Look that up if you want to. I nevertheless see a parallel. 

Often when you see people do outrageous or reprehensible things, you should not race to a conclusion that it is a matter of character. We are flawed human beings, sometimes terminally flawed. This is an understanding we recognize as part of being Christian. Yes we are sinful but we should not wallow in it. Or to celebrate it? It seems the latter direction is becoming more noticeable now. 

The ilk of Conerstone would seem to be more inspired by the image of Donald Trump playing golf than the standard things we would like to think guide Christianity. 

Would you believe, I can see up to a point where the Cornerstone pastor is coming from? Like the bad guy character in the 1976 movie "Marathon Man," he was embittered by things he observed or was forced to ingest as a young man. The pastor had issues with the nature of academia. Although I am on the other side of the coin politically from him today, I understand his perspective. 

The bad guy character in "Marathon Man" was a former Nazi. Can sympathy be cultivated toward this character in any way? On the face it would seem no. I'll suggest some nuance. I saw the movie many years ago but I think I can recall the most revealing scene which was toward the end. It's where "Christian Szell" played by Laurence Olivier is cornered and he lets spill his bitterness to his tormentor. It's a tribute to the actor that the scene came across as so moving, because it would be so easy to make the character sound like he was just pleading for mercy, for his life. But the character's bitterness sounded genuine. 

Perhaps the distress of Germany in the 1920s created a kind of desperation that we in America have not had. The resolution of World War I had basically screwed the country. Hyper-inflation! It was a defining part of life in the nation. Desperation leads to despots. We know full well how the German people, who we totally respect today, became delusional and sold out to the premier despot. We might sense a firebell in the night that we should heed today. 

Look at the headlines in America in early 2021. Look at the "craziness" emerging from the nation's so-called "conservative" element. I might suggest William F. Buckley is rolling over in his grave. Marjorie Taylor Greene? She of the theory of Jewish people with their "lasers from outer space?" 

The German people needed a scapegoat and thus the Jews emerged fully. Jews would be the first to advise us to be vigilant regarding the likes of Greene's crowd. It is intertwined with the Trump element that can increasingly be described as a cult. 

America was not adequately shocked by what happened at the capitol on Jan. 6. In Morris there is still a prominent Trump-Pence sign between the service road and highway on the north end. The election was quite some time ago. Trump inspired the capitol rioters with his words obviously. Why did he even have to address them? Would Pence want anything to do with Trump now? Pence's very family was endangered. 

Most of us just seem too numb to what unfolded right on TV. 

The Cornerstone pastor is embittered by his background as a young adult being surrounded by left-leaning or progressive thought. Of course many people do embrace the left-oriented views with the utmost sincerity. The people who don't at least deserve some deference or respect. 

If the pastor thought the typical college environment was too biased or unyielding, I'd have to tell him this is no revelation. Anyone who attended college, especially a state college, in the 1970s remembers clearly the kind of biases that were dispensed. Don't be so bitter about it. College is but a sliver of your life. 

After college I made a point to seek out a paperback book by William F. Buckley so I could learn what conservatism really was. In college it was presented as pathology. 

My goodness, Pastor Knappen, you have had your whole adult life to develop your opinions as you please. America really is a free and fair country, despite what Josh Hawley, the fool, might assert about being "censored." Hawley doesn't know what censorship is. He is perpetually frowning. The picture of him raising his fist in support toward the Trump mob will become iconic. It will become iconic as a warning. 

Rev. Knappen, I totally understand the wellspring of your frustration. You resent the forces of what you would consider indoctrination. The German young men who became Nazis drew from a wellspring of bitterness and went astray with their reaction. Irrationality ruled as they cast about for adversaries real and perceived. Yes, the Jews. Or, other various categories of human beings too like even the handicapped. 

It's too easy today to just write it all off as pure evil. 

Our environment influences us all the time. Because we are flawed human beings, we can easily become derailed in how we respond. We all feel just a little paranoia sometimes. Colleges acquiesce with climate change because, well, what would you expect them to do? Be climate change deniers? What would be the point of having a science curriculum? 

The problem comes when government might impose certain remedies too fast. It's like the City of Morris deciding it was our responsibility to fight the issue of chloride in the Pomme de Terre River. Government gets ahold of something like this and it can be like a bear with boxing gloves. I sense a push toward the greater implementation of solar panels. In theory that's fine but the government must be considerate and patient. 

Government must understand how its power can intimidate people. And oh my God, academic people probably need to realize this even more! 

The Cornerstone Church of Alexandria and its nationwide brethren are in the scapegoat-identifying process now. Let's look at immigrants, people of color and non-heterosexuals I guess. Seems irrational but that is the nature of these things. Germany went crazy in the 1930s. Take a look at our recent U.S. capitol insurrection. Is it absurd to draw a comparison with the rise of the dangerous elements in mid-20th Century Germany? I think not. 

Pastor Darryl Knappen

I implore Pastor Darryl Knappen to "get over" his bitterness going back to his young adult years in college. Let it be like water off a duck's back. Everyone our age can remember stuff like that. 

I think it's natural for most of college to be in line with what we'd call progressive views. We wouldn't really want it any other way. 

College butts up against the real world in which we don't have the luxury to adapt continually to prescriptions from the "lab" of college. In other words, it isn't practical to expect everyone to purchase a new water softener or to procure solar panels. Or to switch to an electric car etc. Trump supporters have been known to park their pickups to obstruct electric charging stations. And so goes the world. 

The problem now is that the Cornerstone Church and its brethren have become caricatures. They are caricatures worthy of mocking by many of us, just as the "My Pillow" guy gets increasingly mocked. And Marjorie Taylor Greene with her "Jews with lasers" absurdity. Let's make "Saturday Night Live" work a little harder to get its parody material, please. 

A final note about the movie "Marathon Man" (1976): This movie and "Cross of Iron" of the same period had a type of violence that Hollywood has appeared to depart from. Violence too unpleasant for Hollywood? Yes! The form of violence is so unpleasant I will not describe it here. I also don't think it was presented realistically. It seemed too tidy in the the movies. In reality it would be a screaming mess. 

No, I won't describe it. Let's just say that after watching "Marathon Man," I had trouble seeing Roy Scheider in a movie again. You can watch for yourselves. No, don't.

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

Does this church really want all the attention?

 

Dead of winter and our persistent worries

Hope appears limited in this dead of winter of 2021. Vaccines as cure-all? Does not seem certain. And if not, what lies ahead in America and around the world? Can we keep adjusting and making sacrifices indefinitely? How can our economy withstand it? Was our economy really that great before the pandemic? 

The dead of winter makes the sense of duress worse. We are learning of a variant of the virus from South Africa. And this strain appears harder to handle for vaccines. Might we have to confront the reality of no return to normal life for a very long time? What all would the consequences be of that? We aren't quite one year into this. It's just a blip of time in the scheme of things. 

As we plod into spring, yes our spirits will be lifted by milder weather. We'll have to balance this with continued anxiety over the pandemic. Can we count on the vaccines solving everything? Seems like there's no certain answer to that. And we're still waiting on the vaccines to reach the bulk of the population. 

I'm on the waiting list at SCMC. As a 66-year-old maybe I'm in good position. I turned 66 on Thursday. Thanks to Al and Liz Harris for stopping by my place with a couple of tasty cupcakes. Thanks to the University of Minnesota Foundation for sending a nice card. I'm pretty isolated when it comes to family. No longer do I get my annual birthday card from my aunt Mildred of Oregon. She has passed on. 

Perhaps the most frank assessment of the virus is from Jair Bolsonaro, president of Brazil. He has warned that coronavirus will be with us indefinitely. So he suggests we back off from social distancing measures and learn to "live with" the virus. Bolsonaro is my age. Not sure what that means, but I do know he's a strongman leader, the type a large percentage of Americans seem to want these days with Donald Trump. 

We are still taking the wild ride with Trump, his family and his sycophants, as Kevin McCarthy has found it necessary to "kiss the ring" in Florida. Also, these people are flaring up with anger and determination vs. Liz Cheney, a long-time darling for American conservatives. Cheney bravely decided to be an outlier, show courage and favor impeachment of Trump. You know who her father is. She represents Wyoming today. 

Maybe Cheney thought she could set an example for Republicans and "give them cover" for coming forth with a realistic assessment of Trump, to state the obvious. We can't be certain at present how this will all play out. But as I write this, it seems the momentum behind Trump remains most viable. Here in Morris it appears there is a faction that has not backed off at all. I'll share with you an email I sent to friends yesterday:

 

Well Vicki and Bob, it's the "dead of winter." Has anyone made an issue on behalf of the community about the prominent Trump-Pence sign out by the highway where people turn off by Pizza Hut? Is this what our community stands for now? We now have a congressman who voted to reject the electoral college. Even Tom Emmer didn't do that. Incredible. We're Neanderthals out here.

I have mentioned the Trump-Pence sign on my blogs but of course my blogs have very limited reach. I wish it was more but I keep plugging away. Ward Voorhees thought maybe the sign was on a state highway right of way, therefore it would be illegal. And I have asked, based on Jan. 6, would Pence even want to be associated with Trump now? Is our community now like the Cornerstone Church in Alexandria? Unbelievable.

 

If our society continues to crumble because of the obviously crippling effect of the pandemic (as it drags on) and the widespread myopia with Trump, well who knows? What will the America of the future look like? 

"This issue of Covid will continue for life," Bolsonaro says. He says all the social distancing will "lead nowhere." 

We pray that the South Africa variant will not counter our efforts to fight back. There is just something about this "bug" that seems persistent, stubborn etc. So let's trot out the phrase that we must "prepare for the worst." 

Inevitably there will be calls to actually curtail funding for government-supported institutions that have had to cut back services dramatically. Look at our schools. Our libraries. Kids can learn at home and maybe they don't need a professional "teacher" looking over their shoulder. Really. Can the library sit there closed so much and still be funded according to the norm? "Curbside service" is obviously not the same. 

Whither our restaurants? Are they headed for more shutdown periods? Where can you dine out in the evening in Morris now? We have been hunkering down but I think this has been with the assumption that we can count on the storm clouds passing, "normalcy" back. (Or is it "normality?) 

Ah, normality - we'll start saying "the good old days." Of course life was not always rosy then either. Economy was doing great? Hey, we had three straight interest rate cuts, chalked up to the "trade war with China." There are always excuses. My late mother would say "so something bad happened? Well, something bad always happens." 

We went through that with the so-called 2008 financial crisis, which was not an act of God. The common people always seem to get the dirty end with these "crises." The three interest rates cuts were followed by a full one point at the onset of the pandemic. And yet Trump thumped his chest - of course - and talked about how he helped create "the greatest economy in the history of the world." 

He also created a significant insurrection at our revered capitol building, if you all still consider the place "revered" at all. Many of you apparently don't. Many of you might have felt it was an appropriate target for rage. Trumpism is pretty prevalent now here in West Central Minnesota. Do high school civics teachers even dare suggest or imply that the storming of the capitol was an outrage? Or at least inappropriate? 

I wondered in a previous post how the late Morris High School civics teacher Andy Papke would treat the subject. I'm sure it would be with the assumption that the mob's behavior was an abomination. Papke is no longer with us. He might be shaking his head as he looks down. What would he think of Michelle Fischbach? What would he think if he were to read news accounts of what happened with the Cornerstone Church pastor in Alexandria? Christian leaders! What is happening with our country? 

I had a nagging feeling following the capitol invasion: all this is not going to stop. We waited through a long weekend before the Democrats could take action promoting impeachment. (A few Republicans went along, then.) I was horrified seeing two days pass - the weekend, when I guess we don't "work" although I always did - because I knew the inaction could gum up the works. We'd start getting a little emotional distance. Yes, over just two days. 

The Trump people had an intransigent streak that was bound to rear its ugly head. Time was the Democrats' enemy. So we're at an impasse now where Democrats will evidently hold a "trial" but the Republicans are guaranteed to prevent conviction. Not even Liz Cheney with her conservative pedigree could get the worm to turn. 

So this morning I drove to DeToy's restaurant for breakfast, to meet Del Sarlette there, and that was pleasant enough but I still had to look at the "Trump-Pence" sign out by Greeley Plumbing. Again, it could be that Greeley's has nothing to do with it. Why can't we get some answers about who does? Pence could have been killed as part of the insurrection. That's because he did not join the Trump coup attempt. 

Pence felt he had to follow the law. Isn't that exemplary? I followed the law this morning when I put on my seat belt.

 

Addendum: If the extraterrestrials are pulling the strings with the virus, maybe the whole human population will be wiped out. We'll see ever-worsening "variants." The ETs may be taking action because they see climate change is killing the planet. Would make an interesting movie. Starring Keanu Reeves. 

 

My podcast for Jan. 29

Please visit my "Morris Mojo" podcast where I discuss churches' online efforts. These are so important now for connecting with "the flock." Many of us feel rather isolated. We can visit YouTube and connect with our own church or any church in the USA actually! I find it exciting. I'd like to see my First Lutheran Church of Morris do better. Here's the permalink:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Our-churches-online-eplp57

 

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

Success on the road for MACA boys, 63-60

Tigers 63, Redwood Valley 60

High school basketball forges ahead. What a long winter we would have, if such sports were not entertaining us. Is it really a basis for optimism? Or is it something we're doing with fingers crossed? I guess I'm implying the latter. Maybe it's even tentative. Who knows if the best-laid plans, as it were, will be carried out. 

The hope is "yes" as long as we can be guardians of our health. Can we pretend, for the purpose of this sports update, there's no pandemic? Well I guess it's impossible. But let's feel good about the MACA boys' Tuesday success on the road. The Tigers made the trip to Redwood Valley. They gave us a thrill in the dead of winter with their 63-60 win. We're perfect with a 4-0 record. 

Jackson Loge led the charge with 33 points. The game was hard-fought throughout. We managed a narrow edge in each half: 28-26 in the first, 35-34 in the second. 

Loge was joined in double figures scoring by Toby Gonnerman with 12 points. Thomas Tiernan put in seven, then we see Durgin Decker with four, Cole Wente with three, and Brandon Jergenson and Sam Kleinwolterink each with two. 

Three Tigers each made one '3': Wente, Tiernan and Loge. Loge with his 13 rebounds led there. Jergenson with his four assists was tops. Loge complemented his other stats with two steals and three blocked shots. Redwood Valley came out of Tuesday with a 2-1 record.

 

Girls: BOLD 71, Tigers 63 (OT)

The Tigers seemed so close to victory in the closing stages of Tuesday night's game. The BOLD Warriors were the challenge at the Olivia court. Five seconds were left with Morris Area Chokio Alberta up by three. Leslie Snow of the Warriors responded in the clutch with a three-pointer. So the stage was set for overtime. 

And the OT story had an unlikely hero in that it was an eighth-grader. I can remember when Morris varsity teams were grades 11-12 as a matter of policy. Wow! 

BOLD eighth-grader Lainey Braulick not only played with varsity poise, she did so with long-range shooting! Braulick made three 3-pointers of her game total four. So BOLD pulled away to a 71-63 win. You might suggest the game was closer than the score suggests. Three-pointers can change things in a hurry. Obviously you can sink or swim. 

Braulick will likely remember this game for a long time. 

The halftime score had BOLD on top 32-26. The numbers got reversed in the second half with the Tigers gaining the momentum. So it came down to OT and Braulick's spark for the home team. 

Braulick's four 3's were complemented by Mari Ryberg with two and Lily Dean and Snow with one each. Braulick and Ryberg each scored 16 points but it was Leslie Snow leading the Warriors with 19. Abby Meyers put in eleven points. Continuing: Lily Dean 5, Lidia Plass 2 and Caylee Weber 2. 

Ryberg and Meyers led in rebounds with ten and eight respectively. Dean and Braulick led in assists with four and three respectively. Braulick led in steals with three. Weber and Snow each blocked two shots. 

Let's move on to stats for our MACA Tigers. Emma Bowman was at the fore with her 23 points scored. Maddy Grove and Sydney Dietz each put in 12. Meredith Carrington came through with nine and Shannon Dougherty with six. (The individual totals from the Willmar paper are one shy of the team total.)

Carrington, Grove and Bowman each made a 3-pointer. No other MACA stats were available on the West Central Tribune site. Let's fix that. (If you are paying to "subscribe," maybe you aren't getting your money's worth.) BTW I am proud to have my game reports so user-friendly. Really, you just click to read and there it is, no "minefield" of registration and subscription demands, none at all. No ads either. Hey, isn't this what you want? 

BOLD coach Brian Kingery had a touch of understatement in a post-game comment about eighth grader Braulick: "She has a chance to be pretty good." 

He added "it was a great basketball game."

 

Take at look at this photo!

Here's  a cherished piece of Morris history. The photo from Del Sarlette shows the Pylin drive-in restaurant along East 7th Street, to the north of the old school. 

East 7th Street once had a distinctive personality, due in large part - you guessed it- to being next to the school. But that wasn't all. There was a time when East 7th was the main entrance to Morris from the east. Businesses that catered to everyday people traffic were along 7th. A highlight was truly the "Pylin." 

I have suggested that if something like Prairie Pioneer Days ever gets resumed, it might be named "Pylin Days." The idea is for everyone to "pile in," of course. Pile in to Morris. And, remember the old "Pylin" that seemed right out of the movie "American Graffiti." Get some old-time rock 'n' roll music playing in your head. Elvis Presley! 

And yes, the Pylin had "carhops." Del reminded me that Susie Dahl of my high school class ('73) was one. Bev Lucken was another. I believe Bev Lucken and Bob Dalager graduated together, mid-1960s. 

The old school housed up through grade 12 until the late '60s. Imagine the old gym for varsity Tigers basketball! Oh yes, it was reality. I saw some games there. 

The word "carhop" was derived from "bellhops" in hotels. By the mid-'60s, carhop service was being replaced with drive-throughs. But hey, we learn "Sonic" still uses carhops. Carhops are frequently on scene in film noirs and in 1950s 'B' pictures about delinquent youth in hot rods. Moi? Oh of course not. 

If "Pylin Days" doesn't sell, well then let's get Prairie Pioneer Days up and going again. But who would do it? Do we have a Chamber of Commerce?

 

My podcast for Jan. 27

It's the time of year when we can get fixated on the Super Bowl. I do not sense that level of interest now. Just think of the trials and adjustments in our lives. I invite you to visit my "Morris Mojo" podcast. Thanks.

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Super-Bowl-fades-a-little-epi5hi 

 

Addendum: Tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 28) is my birthday, so it would warm my heart if you'd listen to the song "Funny How Time  Slips Away" sung by Elvis Presley. You'll have to click through an ad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZcnT5gqRXk&list=RD_ZcnT5gqRXk&start_radio=1

 

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

MAHACA wrestling thumps BOLD 63-16

High school wrestling has gotten the green light along with basketball. Are the competitors wearing masks? Morris wrestling puts itself forward as "MAHACA," pronounced the way it's spelled. I have never particularly cared for this name. If the athletes and fans like it, fine. 

Anyway, MAHACA fans certainly had to like the results on January 19. It was a Tuesday and the day of triangular action here. Our team went 2-0.

 

Hoops updates too

A reminder that I have two basketball reports on "Morris of Course." Click here to read about the Tiger boys and girls games versus Minnewaska Area, a win for both (girls in OT):

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/01/tigers-overwhelm-lakers-at-minnewaska.html 

 

Click here to read about the boys' win over Sauk Centre and the girls' setback vs. New London-Spicer:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/01/maca-boys-take-command-at-sauk-centre.html

 

Wrestling: Tigers 63, BOLD 16

Five Tigers achieved wins by fall in the first period! Congrats to this group: Andrew Marty, Casey Nelson, Dain Schroeder, Hunter Massner and Toby Messner. The following report of details will have the Morris wrestler reported first for each weight. 

At 106 pounds, Tyce Anderson dropped a 9-0 major decision to Brady Kiecker. Andrew Marty at 113 pounds won by fall in :38 over Tanner Kantz. Dallas Walton at 120 was a forfeit winner. Casey Nelson was our 126-pounder and he got Gavin Hammerschmidt's shoulders pinned to the mat in 1:58. 

Ethan Lebrija at 132 won by forfeit. Davin Rose decisioned Austin Kiecker 4-1 in the battle of 138-pounders. Breighton Logan at 145 lost by fall to Kaden Fischer in 4:31. Caden Rose was our 152-pounder and he got Jesse Manderschied's shoulders pinned to the mat in 3:44. 

Dain Schroeder strode onto the mat as our 160-pounder and he won by fall in :31 over Rylan Gass. Hunter Massner at 170 pinned Connor Plumley in 1:26. Toby Messner was our 182-pounder and he pinned Sabastian Enriquez in :37. At 195 pounds it was Hunter Gibson winning by forfeit. 

Turning to the big guys, first we have Sawyer Knobloch at 220 pounds getting his arm raised via forfeit. Then at 285, Carter Gibson was on the short end by fall vs. Tim Peppel in :16.

MAHACA's other match of the day brought an equally satisfying win, 66-15 over "Spectrum." I'm not sure what Spectrum is.

 

So it's Sunday, Jan. 24

We follow high school sports and perhaps try to imagine that "life as normal" is functioning. It's hard and maybe delusional. You can't blame high school sports fans for being bitter, to the extent that measures must be taken to restrict/abbreviate the normal activities. High school happens just once in your lifetime! The clock is ticking. 

Students strive to make a mark with career statistics. The current data might have to be accompanied by asterisks, like the stats for baseball seasons shortened by player strikes. So I cannot blame parents for getting a little, well, delusional about wanting to find normality. But of course we all seek normality. So this morning I attended church. Only recently did the doors get opened for Sunday in-person. 

Today is the second Sunday I have attended. Totally mixed feelings about being there. Just like the high school sports fans, we feel some exhilaration about such activities being resumed. Distancing is enforced although it seems less than perfect. I'm not sure everyone was six feet apart from non-family members. Should we just shrug and figure we have to accept some risk in life? Are these risks justified by our sheer desperation to have normal activities and see familiar faces? Stop and think about that. 

My spirits are lifted having been to church this morning. It transforms my day. And so now I just composed a high school sports review. My life would not be complete if I could not do some of this. I have covered area youth sports since 1971. In theory I would love actually going to an office again to perform this. I hung in there as long as I could with the Morris paper, at the end when it was under Fargo ownership. 

Media people sometimes just have to internalize that the end of a particular "gig" has come. Larry King had to realize this when he was at CNN. Chris Matthews bit the dust at MSNBC. It can be a turbulent world. We just lost Larry King, you probably heard on the news. Almost certainly a casualty of Covid. So we hear regular testimonials honoring the late King. He was an innovator and forward-looking talk show host, a particular talent who carved out his own niche. 

He went on for years and years. And then, when there was obviously still gas in the tank, the worm turned for him professionally. CNN no longer felt he fit in so well. Tastes, priorities and marketing attitudes change. King had his show ended on CNN, a show considered "appointment TV" for a long time. It was at its apex for the O.J. trial. Night after night we digested our updates on the trial, as a regular cast of guests got formed. 

King delivered his product masterfully at the time. He got replaced by Piers Morgan on CNN. Morgan did not seem to have the magic. Today the approach is to have partisan political jousting almost all the time. Endless sharp and "wonky" minds following their carefully prepared partisan scripts. It's what we digest now. 

Larry King had a fair amount of celebrities and gossip, with the former usually seeking redemption! I felt his tenure could have gone on a little longer. 

And what about my tenure for the local newspaper? I probably stayed there too long based on the unpleasant climate that grew around me, beginning rather suddenly as if on an edict from above. Leave it to the Forum to operate like that. The Morris newspaper enterprise went into rapid shrinking very soon after I left. The Hancock paper was wiped off the map. So was the free shopper, the "Ad-Viser."  The regular Morris paper got steadily smaller. Did they think we wouldn't notice? 

Finally the Forum was set to close things up completely, according to information from a reliable source, then the Anfinsons came and rescued us. 

The Forum put itself forward as a state of the art corporate organization for its time, following all the trendy and faddish things. Well, how did that turn out? There's a more practical operation in place now, some old-fashioned traits I'm sure. At least the Anfinsons were able to keep the ship from sinking. 

There's a famous quote: "The ship be sinking." Who said that? 

Again, it is my pleasure to continue my coverage of Morris youth sports. Also, a pleasure to go to church again: First Lutheran of Morris. I'm proud to say we are not an extension of the cult of Donald Trump.

Reminder to Liz Cheney: If you are going to kill the king, you had better succeed.

 

My podcast for Jan. 24

I invite you to visit my "Morris Mojo" podcast where I remember the old East 7th Street of Morris. It was a focal point of the town with the school being there. Businesses that catered to people traffic were there, like the "Pylin" drive-in. Plus the Dairy Queen, a neighborhood grocery store and Lesmeister Motors which offered "military surplus" items. Here is the permalink:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/The-old-East-7th-Street--Morris-epdhvj 

 

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

Finally, some talk about Sesquicentennial

Music for Centennial, 1971

A community celebration would be so therapeutic for us all, n'est-ce pas? 

It appears our circumstances will not be ready for this. The comment has floated around that "the virus doesn't care that we are getting tired of it." Some ambivalence has been floating around too. It is rather confounding. We go from a pretty tight shutdown, to some loosening, but it's hard to be certain why. Vaccinations aren't that far along, are they? 

It would be easy here to beat up on the now-former president. Plenty of flagellation is going to happen. You might be aware that my own thoughts are oriented that way. Naturally we should focus on where we're at right now. Biden is not going to get the barge turned around immediately. Everyone should wish him well although we know that won't happen. 

Our Morris area has had more than its share of Trump loyalists. They look at someone like me, sniff and say we simply "hate" Trump. The argument can easily get religious. So-called evangelical Christianity has been a bulwark of support for the now-former president. A perfect kindling for conflict, I guess: religion and politics. Well, right now we have to be laser-focused on federal government action relative to the pandemic. 

Democrats are programmed by their nature to be willing to spend money to simply help people. Republicans have a philosophy of everyone having to fend for themselves, and I don't mean to dismiss this orientation out of hand. But the pandemic called for a strong hand from the federal government from the get-go. To unleash the distinct power and assets of the federal government which can always find substantial assets to fight wars. 

Trump said as he exited that a prime accomplishment of his was to keep the U.S. out of any new wars. That's very admirable. If only the man could have put forward more of an attitude of basic caring and compassion. On that count he struck out totally. He couldn't even pretend to show these qualities. 

Rick Snyder, the now-indicted former Republican governor of Michigan, refused some time ago to endorse Trump, and his stance made an impression on me because he based it on Trump being a bully. Such a succinct and dead-on statement. We all know the basic nature of bullies. Snyder is in a heap of trouble because of he Flint MI water disaster. 

We have our own water issues in Morris where it seems city residents cannot get a truly definite clarification on whether we need softeners or not. The newspaper at one point paraphrased the city's position as "stop wasting money on salt." Taken literally, that means we don't need softeners, period and end of question. But the city won't take that step, based on what I have observed. 

Granted I have not seen the Morris paper since the pandemic broke out, turned our lives upside down. Has the paper offered some clarification on water treatment, on whether it's even needed? Would seem to be a fairly straightforward question to have answered. Alas, government channels and bureaucracy can get clouded. With advancing years comes this revelation or wisdom. 

Government includes so many people with CYA motivation. Therefore I sometimes sympathize with those who call themselves "conservatives" and who remind us of the fallacies that can come from government. 

Conservatives have gravely hurt their own cause by allowing Trump-ism to take over, fueled by of all people, the "evangelical Christians." The latter rationalize that we can overlook all of Trump's obvious personal failings by realizing man's sinful nature. God made us that way. Meanwhile it's the people who are outwardly atheist who seem better equipped to tackle public issues in an objective, constructive way. They won't give a pass for anyone being "sinful," like for when someone pays off a pornstar for her silence. Let's see, who did that?

 

Can we envision springtime?

My late mother said that once we're past the first of the year, we can truly start thinking of spring. Well, such thoughts will dance in your head while the reality does not fully cooperate. Close your eyes, imagine the coming warm weather months here in Morris. To what extent will we be free to circulate? Can we get an approximation of our regular lives? 

A few public events would be savored to the utmost. And here I'm proud to point out that 2021 is Morris' Sesquicentennial year. It's the basis for a quite grand community celebration. It's precious for yours truly as someone who had involvement in the Morris Centennial. The year was 1971 of course. I was pleased to play in musical groups under the supervision of our high school band director, John Woell. 

John is extant, happy to say. So is Dick Bluth who was in charge of the grand Centennial. I approached Dick a while back to ask if he was up to being in charge for the Sesquicentennial. I suppose I asked the question in a semi-teasing way because I knew he wouldn't be champing at the bit to do it again. He answered "no" with a smile. 

A friend has emailed to me the recent acknowledgment in the paper of the Sesquicentennial milestone. I was struck by how the announcement was made by the city manager. It's a nice announcement but I'm rather confused why municipal government, rather than the (alleged) Chamber of Commerce would be taking the lead on this. You would think a committee would already be set up, but I accept the excuse that the pandemic has wiped out all sorts of usual routines. 

It's anyone's guess now, how our celebrating is going to turn out. 

I have suggested that the museum do an exhibit on the Centennial. Photos could be submitted but here's a reminder: picture-taking was a less common activity in 1971, long before digital times. A common camera was the Kodak "Instamatic." The Ron Howard movie "Apollo 13" showed a crowd of people poised with their Instamatics. You may have discovered that old Instamatic pictures do not scan well for online. In fact they're terrible. 

The late Florence Sarlette of Morris was ahead of her time with her quality camera, and she took terrific photos of the band kids. We were dressed in period attire. The men around town were encouraged to grow beards. Woell was in the spirit with this. I'm sure he got paid extra for his yeoman's work. What could be more delightful than the sound of band kids? 

I remember a small ensemble, which John called a "German band" - his ethnicity? - along with a larger one that played under the "alfalfa arch" just off main street. Don't confuse this with the small-scale arch that was placed over East 7th Street by the FFA kids over several years for Prairie Pioneer Days. Thanks to the FFA for that. But the arch in '71 was a total re-creation of the original. The alfalfa arch is perhaps the most iconic symbol from Morris history. Refresh yourselves. 

The prospects for our Sesquicentennial celebration are tied to progress vs. the pandemic. Surely the Biden administration will be a sea change in terms of response. Now, you really aren't going to argue with me on this, are you? If you are, you'll probably just say I'm a "Trump hater." That's why these conversations get nowhere. 

The Trump people think nothing of venting hatred toward Democrats. Odd world in which we live. We might have to suppress evangelical Christianity. Obviously that's not the type of church I attend. Reminder to evangelicals: "Beware false prophets."

 

My podcast for Jan. 21

My "Morris Mojo" episode on this blustery mid-winter day - yes, the "dead of winter" - looks ahead to the possibility of a Sesquicentennial celebration for Morris. I share some tidbits from early Morris history. The railroad led to our creation! Here is the permalink:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Tidbits-from-Morris-MN-history-ep96d8 

 

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

John Woell directs Morris High School musicians under the grand "alfalfa arch" for the Morris Centennial in 1971. Can this scene be repeated for the Sesquicentennial?