Our moderate Morris churches need to combine

First Lutheran (my photo)

It is just too cotton pickin' cold out this morning. Climate change for sure, n'est-ce pas? And the cold spell is so extended, unrelenting. Through next Sunday? Yesterday was Sunday which meant another trip to town for church. I was going to write "morning church" but it's really in the afternoon. Coffee hour precedes our Sunday service at First Lutheran. 

First Lutheran! Shall I suggest "how the mighty have fallen?" Our division of the Lutheran faith is now even under attack from the new presidential administration. This new administration is so prickly about so many things. Get up in morning and see new headlines about DJT being angry with this, angry with that. But my goodness, the Lutherans of the Upper Midwest? That bastion of total propriety and conformity? 

Well we certainly used to be the embodiment of mainstream and morality. That's what my parents signed up for with the Lutheran church. I tagged along realizing I'd have to memorize my "Catechism." None of this was my choice. It was mandated for all us kids. 

But no one could keep me from flipping on the TV when I got home from school to get the news about more lost lives in Vietnam. And then we saw the nation's kids rise up and say "hey, what is it with this war? Isn't it rather insane?" 

Well yes, but you could not count on people like my Lutheran pastor to raise their voices about it. My pastor at First Lutheran in Morris was a Nixon Republican. A different clergy member who was assigned to work with my confirmation class ended up years later dying from AIDS in Florida. At least that's what we all accepted as being true. 

But we were all expected to be good little boys and girls and respect the duly constituted authority in America. We were not supposed to rock the boat by questioning the "war effort." The U.S. was a force for good in World War II, right? What if the U.S. had not been drawn into WWII? Prior to the war we had a smaller military than Portugal. Had we not gotten into WWII, would we have ever sent our young men to Korea, to Vietnam? To other places? And what did all that get for us? And think of the lost lives, lost treasure. Oh and of course think of the tragedy among the Vietnamese people themselves. 

But we're supposed to move forward. So now we have Donald Trump developing into the dictatorial ruler of the U.S. And he would not have gotten this far without America's "Christians." 

The ELCA of the Lutheran church has been an outlier. We have tried to take a reasonable view, a reasonable measure, of Trump's MAGA. And now of course MAGA is all about retaliation. So how will all this turn out for the Lutheran churches of Stevens County? Morris has two in-town ELCA churches. Both are without a pastor now. 

We have a church in town that is 1/2 Methodist and it appears quite in line with the ELCA. It strikes me as moderate which I would equate with intelligent and fact-based with its attitudes. Federated Church has been blessed by having a stable pastor situation. 

 

Faith Lutheran

Consolidation?

So here's the deal: I think our community would be greatly blessed by having Faith Lutheran, First Lutheran and Federated combined. And you know what? I really don't think Good Shepherd is far afield from us any more, not like at the outset when it was formed. I don't think it's outlandish to suggest we could have one sort of "mega church" that would reflect true mainstream Christianity. 

Size would bring greater resources to do the kind of things that First Lutheran by itself could once do. For example, have a true "UMM Sunday" that would really be a big deal. Some UMM students would be part of the service. There'd be a big pot luck meal in the basement i.e. fellowship hall. Let me repeat that it was a "big deal." 

We used to have an hour-long soup supper/fellowship time before the Wednesday advent services. I have told people "hey, I'll run to Willie's and get some Chips Ahoy Cookies myself if that would help make it happen." No, there was no social hour. I did not attend. 

 

The ideal, yes

What mainstream Christianity needs in Stevens County is a building on the outskirts of town following the Wal-Mart principle - nice big parking lot. The two ELCA churches and Federated are in-town. Federated has the most agreeable location. 

As for the two ELCA churches, it's probably uncomfortable to discuss their issues. Faith Lutheran? A big advantage is it's all on one floor. This is like a slam-dunk advantage over First Lutheran. However, Faith is located in a part of town that increasingly has a distressed look, i.e. run-down. The fire right next to the church sure exacerbated that. I have walked to that church along Pacific Avenue and seen a residence that bothers me, would seem like a "nuisance." Who wants to look at that? 

Pacific Avenue: when the town was first planned, Atlantic and Pacific Avenues were meant to be co-equal. Benson more or less turned out that way. 

Today west Morris just does not seem as prosperous. Looks like Morris really cannot expand any more to the west. The ground gets too wet. Look at the swampy area close to Morris Lumber and Millwork. 

To the east? Man, that is quite the desirable place for new homes. And many of these are opulent homes like with a garage just for your RV! That really shows up the homes in the old residential core areas of Morris. 

The neighborhoods around First Lutheran have a few of these issues as well. But First Lutheran has the nice big courthouse parking lot right next to it. 

 

Watch your step

The negatives for First Lutheran? My goodness this is uncomfortable to throw out there, but the darn building was designed when no one thought about handicapped/elderly accommodations. And now I am becoming elderly. Egad, steps and stairs all over the place. Elevator is on far end of building because they had no choice but to put it there. And there is a notorious spot outside the east handicapped entrance where ice forms in a low spot in late winter/early spring! 

First Lutheran has a pipe organ that was a big deal when it was first obtained. My father had a role in that. And can you believe, it never gets used any more? I guess I can believe any discouraging news about First Lutheran now, anything. 

 

Federated Church

Affirming strength

If there's one point I want to make resoundingly in this post, it is that the smaller moderate or reasonable churches of Morris should join to form a totally viable one, this to send a message to all of Stevens County that real mainstream Christianity - not the right wing political kind - is truly viable, a survivor here. 

I know we have a congressperson who is an extension of DJT, would salute him at all times, but we can do better than that. And regarding those long-ago Vietnam war protests, just think of how the young protesters were stigmatized, characterized by so many as un-American rabble-rousers. But today? Today everyone agrees that the war did in fact call for vigorous protest. Wow, you could not have convinced Rev. Cliff Grindland of that.

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

Chapin's "W.O.L.D." a diamond in the rough of pop

Most of us have a particular passion that makes us tick. Hopefully it can yield tangible rewards for us. The rewards might not be that great, might not seem to justify our dedication to it. But there is something charming about knowing someone's "thing" in life. The Harry Chapin song "W.O.L.D." got us thinking about guys turned on by sitting down at a radio microphone. 

Such guys might get on TV too. Radio and TV seemed more like an exclusive domain in the pre-digital days. Adding to these categories would be writing for a newspaper. Writing was far more of an exclusive skill when I was growing up. 

A sea change from today when a kid's fingers will start tapping on the keys when almost out of the cradle. 

And I don't care that social media gets derided by many as so much foolishness. Kids develop with communication skills in a dynamic way. 

 

Through cobwebs of time

The bygone days saw "top 40" radio as quite the soothing backdrop for us all. Out of the blue I remembered an old song recently. It was about one of those people who definitely had an irresistible passion. Not a passion to get wealthy either. I mean, I doubt your average "radio deejay" in a mid-size city cleaned up financially. Probably at the low end of making a living wage. All the more power to them. But many of them probably had the innate skills to do better. 

Just as I was drawn to newspaper writing post-Watergate, many young people saw radio as a stimulating place to be, to be right at the heartbeat of where all that glorious music came from. The music that formed a tapestry for the background of the boomer generation's young lives. 

The deejays could develop a small-time sense of celebrity about themselves. Nothing wrong with that. We all want to be in a niche where we'll get noticed in some way. I suppose that's especially true when you're in your early 20s. 

Observing Watergate made writers want to feel their oats. I responded to the same kind of call as the hero in the song "W.O.L.D." Those are meant as call letters of course. Harry Chapin wrote the song with that name. Not an overwhelming hit on the charts but it did OK. 

For me, anyway, the song must have stayed lodged in my consciousness. 

Given the limitless opportunity to research with the Internet now, I can learn so much more background. I can learn so much beyond the "hook line" of the song. Sadly, many of us in the old days who consumed top 40 radio didn't glean much more than the "hook line." And so many of the songs had so much more to offer. 

The  songwriting profession in fact demands that songs have substance. Layers of meaning even. A cryptic message here and there. Ironically so much of this sails right over people's heads. And yes the songwriters stand firm. My own view is that a song simply has to "sound good." And the big problem there is that if you write what you think is a "catchy" melody, you are probably inadvertently copying a pre-existing melody. 

The solution? Maybe it's to write a meandering sort of melody that isn't really a melody! 

I'm starting to digress. 

Harry Chapin

I find Harry Chapin's "W.O.L.D." to be a diamond in the rough in pop music history. I give it the highest possible rating. 

Many of us like particular songs because we can relate to them. I was attracted to newspaper writing because of urges so similar to what the "W.O.L.D." protagonist felt. The guy loves being on radio and to be heard by people all over the place, people who may never see him in person. 

 

Delusions of grandeur?

I was a post-Watergate writer/reporter who actually thought people like me ought to be seen as beacons of wisdom! Well, our "craft" had "won" for a long time, as we were credited with opening people's eyes to the necessity of getting the U.S. out of the Vietnam war. This was after the government used the press in the war's early stages. Then the media "woke up." 

And we woke up to the nefarious wrongdoing of the Nixon administration. For some reason we didn't hear about lawsuits being filed all over the place, not like today! I'm almost scared as a near-anonymous blogger. Once your biases become known - and we all have biases - it can be Katy bar the door. Surely there is a chilling effect. Lawyers and money are guaranteed to do that. 

But I was allowed to feel my oats through much of my career. I was much like the protagonist in "W.O.L.D." who just had a turn-on with being in media and having the broad public consume his work. Many people would be puzzled about such a lure, right? People have all kinds of personal interests and talents. 

Chapin's song "W.O.L.D." is like a time capsule, as it reflects the influence that deejays had over popular music. The deejays had a transient quality, i.e. they moved around a lot according to whims with listeners' tastes. Radio stations would change "formats." Deejays would get the message to move along. Sounds like a big negative. But when someone has the "bug" for being on radio, well it's just an inconvenience. That's the guy in the song. 

Or it might be me. I will always try to stay close to journalism in some manner. 

"W.O.L.D." is a composite of the deejays that Chapin came to know. The guy in Chapin's song is getting a little long-of-tooth for his profession. The song has a message of how we can never change who we really are. The guy in song returns to his former home city and calls his ex-wife who is not receptive - she has moved on. I gather that instead of feeling crushed, the guy continues feeling vitality just from his calling, from having so many people hear him, people all over the place who he doesn't even know. 

I think there is power in that. There is love in that. There is immense personal fulfillment in that. Enough to fill a deep personal void as with a failed relationship or marriage. I think so, yes. 

So I remain at my typing keyboard. What a tragic end to Chapin's life. He died in a traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway in 1981. His widow is now chair of the Harry Chapin Foundation.

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

MACA girls carve up Lac qui Parle Valley

The MACA girls hoops squad really came on strong in their Tuesday game. A score of 74-39 to tuck this game in the win column. So now all eyes will be on Tiger Center this coming Tuesday for the game with 'Waska. It's always hard to forecast what will happen. 

MACA fans might feel heartened by the LQPV game outcome. But it wasn't pretty the last time we played Minnewaska. 

A competitive showing by MACA would lift morale of everyone connected to the program. How much is to be read into "comparative scores?" That's always a good question. Beating LQPV by 35 points would appear convincing. 

On Tuesday we'll be facing the likes of Sydney Dahl and Megan Thorfinnson of the Lakers. I will not repeat what the halftime score was the last time the Tigers played the Lakers. Can the story be different the next time around? 

I recently reminded Neal Hofland of the oft-heard statement from Chris Berman: "That's why they play the game." 

The drama of basketball surely helps us get through the winter. And hasn't winter seemed like a pain of late? I mean, the biting, persistent cold. Day after day. Wait 'til the next heating bill arrives. Basketball is an antidote. And at the college level, look how the U of M women's team has been performing! They took care of Indiana. 

Our Tigers built a 41-10 lead over Lac qui Parle by halftime. The game was at Tiger Center. 

Nice to see that the West Central Tribune at least has our list of individual scorers. I feel like saying "hallelujah." Our advantage over the Eagles in second half play was 33-29. I can report that Chloe Fehr led our scoring with 25 points. Samantha Konz was up there with her total too: 21. Our third double figures scorer was my neighbor Addison Cihak, ten points. 

Also contributing were Mylie Fehr 7, Maddie Fehr 4, Ryla Koehler 4 and Leah Berlinger 3. 

The LQPV scoring was topped by Jalyn Lee with 18 points. Caleigh Conn put in 13. Then we see Zoey Dockter with four and Brandi Meyer and Jaydah Kessler each with two.

 

Minnewaska Area 54, Albany 36

Don't worry, Minnewaska is most alive and well with its fortunes. They roll forward to post-season play with expectations high. So on Tuesday night they took care of business with a 54-36 win over Albany. 

Another night of stellar play from Sydney Dahl who scored 17 points. Megan Thorfinnson completed the 1-2 punch with her ten points. Thorfinnson and Alia Randt each made two 3-pointers and Dahl made one. Let's go over the rest of the scoring list where we see Jayda Kolstoe 9, Lauryn Ankeny 7, Randt 6, Addy Kath 3 and Olivia Danielson 2. 

The West Central Tribune reports the variety of stat categories in connection to 'Waska. In a previous time they did that with our Tigers too. 'Waska's rebounding featured Ankeny with eight, Dahl with seven and Thorfinnson with four. Thorfinnson and Kath each had two assists. 

You can look for Ankeny to be a standout with steals and indeed she had six in this game. Thorfinnson had four and Dahl 3. Dahl and Danielson each had three blocked shots followed by Ankeny with two and Thorfinnson with one.

 

Alexsia Rose scored six.

Gophers over Indiana

I am impressed by the overall size on the court possessed by our Gophers. All things being equal, size always gives you an advantage. The re-cap of the win over Indiana is highlighted by an individual scoring milestone. 

I have a confession to make here: I have never been very interested in individual career milestones like for example 1000 points. Outside of telling us the obvious, that a particular player is very good, I'm just not that excited. I think it's rather arbitrary. Remember the movie "Mr. 3000" with the late Bernie Mac? 

But against Indiana we saw Amaya Battle of the Gophers get to 1,000 career points. The home fans cheered lustily. 

Mainly they cheered the Gophers' success in this 66-56 win over Indiana. Indiana is of course the basketball state. Always a plum to beat the Hoosiers. 

Battle scored the team-best 16 points vs. the Hoosiers. Sophie Hart complemented that with 14 points. Mallory Heyer had her third double-double of the season including ten points. Regular star Grace Grocholski supplied four assists. 

Our height was a factor as we had the rebounding edge 43-25. "Coach Dawn" is doing great with "our beloved rodents." (I have trouble handling the coach's last name. I'll keep working on it.)

  

- Brian Williams - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Will our parks stay totally open to all?

Our East Side Park in Morris, reportedly set for big change! The stage has been woefully underused.

I remember listening to a radio program on one of the Fargo stations that had a park board leader as a guest. Park board leaders must be among the most altruistic souls. Kind-hearted and public-spirited. This individual said that in his background, he has found that any time the board suggests something new, it meets resistance from somewhere. 

So while these people have the best intentions, they can meet determined resistance. In contemporary parlance, "do ya think?" 

Some waves are being made with our Morris MN parks, ahem. I don't have the kind of thorough knowledge like I once would have had when I was at the newspaper. These days I sort of rely on the "shoeshine guy" and by that I mean, people who I casually interact with. And I don't even do as much of that any more. I try to stay interested just to feel enlivened as a human being. 

So, I hear about this group called "NextGen." My immediate reaction to the name is that it seems rather dismissive of older people. In that category I am definitely affixed. Yesterday I was reminded of a famous quote attributed to the great movie guy Roger Ebert. This is a very close paraphrase: "You will reach a time in your life when your biggest source of joy will be to have a good bowel movement." 

My news yesterday was good on that front, and believe me I can remember well. 

Us older folks can be concerned about getting called back to a clinic for some sort of follow-up consultation. Well I have good news on this front too: I went in for a "blood draw" and had the phone ring 2-3 hours later as expected. Good news! A friendly nurse informed me that my A1C had gone down "a whole point." That was the whole goal! I was told to just keep doing my positive lifestyle things. One of these is to take walks. 

I got lucky recently when we had the unseasonably mild temperatures. I got out for my full walks. Lately it has been rather a pisser. Winter will end, won't it? It's all supposed to be uphill after the Solstice. Days can only get longer. But the hope is not exactly affirmed in reality. 

So it's February. Arduous time of the year. What would we do without high school and college basketball, men's and women's? 

 

This image from Flickr is an example.

Can be disconcerting

Think of public parks and you think of exercising. Great for the kids of course. But wait a minute, there is an issue in connection with kids and parks these days. 

We've seen a trend of cities putting up signs in parks telling adults who are not accompanied by children to stay out. Or maybe just stay out at certain times. 

A legacy of the decades-long Jacob Wetterling investigation? Where we learned to have suspicion about a lot of adults based on. . .well based on just a few high-profile cases of perverts being caught? 

So now there's a presumption of suspicion about nearly all old people? How can you not think that's sad? 

 

The extreme of "handcuffs"

Oh my, this in the news now: a quite innocent mom being put in handcuffs because her child was seen walking several blocks away from home. Not a toddler, mind you. I shouldn't have to tell you that news reports have been out and about on such things. 

A college kid decides to relax with a reading assignment in a nice comfortable public park. Isn't that what it is for? Not necessarily in the year 2025 when regulations of all kinds have burgeoned. 

It is no longer the child's responsibility to be careful when getting off a school bus, not like when I was a kid. It is entirely the motorist's responsibility. New flashing lights have been put on school buses - you've noticed these - to better alert drivers of the absolute need to stop. We heard about so many "school bus stop arm violations" and these must have been devastating to those getting tickets, like with car insurance. Not to mention the fine. 

"They had it coming?" Is it really that simple? I believe a former Morris mayor got two of these. While we're on the subject of school buses, do we even need the old system of orange school buses anymore? So very costly to run. The system began in the days when every neighborhood had a batch of school-age children. Seemed logical then. I don't know about now. 

So many kids are in extracurricular after school and they don't even get on the bus. Whenever I see an orange school bus, I change my route to just get way from it. Too risky to get close. 

I mentioned the college kid who wanted to relax in a nice park and consume some pages of reading. What more innocent sight? But some cops came along and told him in a most brusque way: "There are children playing here." Really? So the student is automatically perceived to be a danger? Terrible presumption but this is the legacy of Wetterling and some other sad situations. 

Here's another example from "Reddit"

The encounter with the police and the student is captured on YouTube BTW. Maybe there was a sign somewhere in the park but these can be missed. Law enforcement action is so swift just like with the mom whose kid was seen walking away from the home. That situation got a lot of news coverage and as a legal matter I think it's still ongoing. It shocks people. 

So here's a thought that enters my mind: what about a high school kid under age 18 who runs cross country and wants to get in shape for the upcoming season? The kid wants to run significant miles over the summer. Maybe 3-4 kids of that age would get together for such a thing, but there is no adult accompanying them. You couldn't expect a parent to do that. 

OK someone "calls the cops," unlikely but possible. You never know. Are the parents at risk for being thrown into handcuffs? While Elon Musk invades the U.S. Treasury and there is no immediate law enforcement intervention? But high school kids working out to prepare for cross country? Technically they are "alone" and unaccompanied. The parents could in fact be in trouble. 

But don't kids go to and from their activities unsupervised quite often? Even if it's a few blocks, I guess it's still dicey. Man, my own parents would have been put in handcuffs in a heartbeat. Boomers often talk about such waves of change in our society, how kids and really everyone used to accept so much risk. 

Someone at my church said "the way we handle kids these days, maybe we should just wrap them in Nerf until they're 18." 

What really happens, I guess, is that kids are kept locked indoors where they play video games incessantly and get obese. Once obese, their lifespan is shortened. But I guess this is the way it has to be. 

The real story of the Wetterling investigation is one of law enforcement incompetence. Look at the price we're paying as a society. 

Will the new East Side Park in Morris have signs restricting the presence of adults? Because kids are there? Makes me feel rather stigmatized. I guess I know what black people felt like under Jim Crow.

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

As a "P.K." I look back on U of M-Morris history

The image shows my father Ralph Williams directing a UMM orchestra rehearsal in the 1960-61 school year. That was UMM's first year, "maiden voyage."

 

Here's an interesting archived item in the Williams house (up on Northridge Drive). It's a UMM music concert program. Looks fresh as can be. But it's from May of 1961! John F. Kennedy was in his first year as president. So it was "Camelot" with all the romantic overtones. Exploring space. The glamorous Jackie. 

Am I a misogynist in describing a particular woman as "glamorous?" Maybe I need to catch myself on this. But I remember Dan Rather stepping over the line even worse on this. His comment was about the Clintons during Bill's presidency. Feel nostalgic about that? As much as the Clinton name has become pilloried by right wing talk radio over the last few years, one must note that Bill governed within the norms. He respected established rules and precedent so we had a sense of orderliness. 

And we don't now? Ahem. Right now we can still sort of laugh about what is going on. We'll be very lucky if we can keep doing that. So let's pray we can. 

Anyway, ol' Dan Rather of eventual "superscript" fame thought Hillary was a good-looking First Lady. So he looked into the camera one night and wondered how we'd all feel about having "an attractive First Lady." What a direct insult to Barbara Bush. How inappropriate to even launch such analysis on network news. 

Look how nervous the network people are now under DJT the obsessed litigator: lawsuit here, lawsuit there, "settlement" here, "settlement" there. I'm reminded of the late Vince Bugliosi who talked about the nature of lawsuits being so distracting if you're a target: "You wake up in the middle of the night and you start thinking about it." 

 

UMM's birth, Roger Maris

May of 1961 was early in the Roger Maris march toward 61 home runs with the Yankees. The Yanks had a dynasty going that would end after 1964, abruptly in fact. What was the biggest signal that the dynasty was over? It was the Harmon Killebrew home run at Met Stadium just before the All-Star break. There would be no bigger home run from Twins history. It would have to at least share No. 1 on the list. 

The Killebrew generation of Twins has faded some in our collective memory. That's how it goes with human nature. In the same sense we might start forgetting UMM's earliest days. I have suggested that UMM was the "little engine that could." 

Rod Briggs brought my father here as an important element. Ralph was the only music faculty in UMM's first year. I was a hyper-active kid who I'm sure should have been put on behavior meds, full dosage. Maybe a little more than full dosage. Maybe I felt a burden of expectations. Or maybe my teachers applied a burden of expectation. 

I have heard the initials "P.K." applied to "preacher's kid" as if there's a certain quality to it. Translation: a certain set of expectations. But of course such kids are totally unique souls just like another "P.K." version. That would be "professor's kid." 

I think some kids in either category can go wayward because of expectations they feel. Did I go wayward? In some respects probably. Oh to have my childhood to live over again and to "start at the bottom" with everything. We all have looking-back thoughts. But we know we've been dealt a certain hand with reality. I recall here a statement from John Lennon of the Beatles: "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." 

In other words, there is the theoretical as opposed to what you encounter each day. 

So I grew up as the only child in a family seen as affluent where the father was appointed as a key person to get this fledgling institution called "UMM" off the ground. His interests and aspirations meant everything. Me? Was I supposed to act like I was just along for the ride? Was I supposed to just get out of the way? Was I supposed to just separate myself from my family? Was I supposed to just get lost? My detractors who still hover around would suggest the latter. But I really am a human being and I deserve better than that. 

 

Imposing reputation

I grew up hearing constantly about UMM's superior standing and the intelligent quality of UMM's students. Never for a second did I think I could ever mix with that. Here's a little secret: My father actually thought a lot of that talk as hyperbole. He definitely respected authority because after all, he was a lieutenant in the Navy for WWII and all such folks have it drummed into them to respect authority, even "some S.O.B. sergeant," the way my father put it to me once. 

Make no mistake, I was not close to my father. We felt the effect of the "generation gap" as much as any family. If you think my parents had an unreasonable fixation on me, in terms of wanting to indulge me and flatter me too much, maybe there was a basis for their behavior. 

I was the product of a difficult C-section childbirth. I heard momentary references to this over time but I never sat either Mom or Dad down to tell the story. Many years later my senses were confirmed when my family attended a reunion for the defunct U of M-St. Paul School of Agriculture. We attended because I wanted to run the "Get in Gear" 10K run in Minneapolis, known as the big spring opener for the running season. The "running fad" was still on - perhaps you remember the runaway bestselling book by James Fixx with the red cover. 

My family made a weekend of it and attended the reunion in St. Paul where - ahem - we were seated at the head table. Even me! Again I was being treated as someone special because I was a "P.K." The emcee intro'd my family including me, and at the mention of me a "murmur" of several seconds spread around the room. It definitely meant something. 

So I immediately realized that my birth in 1955 was traumatic and word got around campus. Perhaps my life and the life of my mother were endangered. She had previously had a stillborn child. After my birth she was told she could have no more children. So yes they became inclined to indulge me. Furthermore it's entirely possible that the difficult childbirth could have led to some adjustment problems for me. Well, related to mental health. 

Oh, most of us have dealt with a mental challenge or two in our lives. We try to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. "Meds" help for a lot of us. I have arrived at the theory that to whatever extent I could seem like a weirdo sometimes - to be frank - it's maybe because I'm like Rosemary Kennedy. Rosemary was JFK's troubled sister who had to be "silenced" through a troubling medical practice. Rosemary was quite the product of a difficult childbirth. I dove into this for research purposes once. 

She was a beautiful young lady. The word "retarded" never applied to her. But she became, shall we say, unmanageable. 

It's always best to focus on the present: I'll say that I'm proud to be age 70, proud to reflect on UMM's earliest days and proud to observe the printed music program of May 16, 1961. No "smartphones" then!

UMM's first graduation would not happen until 1964 and I was present for it, outside on the mall. UMM's mall was flat in the early days. In the late '60s you'd see "hippies" flying kites there! A long road of development and excitement, yes. 

 

Whither DEI?

The times at present are troubled. We are so tied-in with "DEI" and yet our new presidential administration is coming down like a sledgehammer on it! What might be the ramifications? We have a multi-ethnic building on campus. BTW that was the original home of the music dept. I used to go upstairs and watch Cougar football out the window facing south when football was played at "P.E. Miller Field." 

Our chancellor now in 2025 shared a "pep talk" with me in a recent letter. I'm happy to share Janet's kind words here. C'mon Brian, let's be "glass half full!"

Dear Brian,

My sincerest thanks to you for your updated estate gift to support the Ralph and Martha Williams Fund at the University of Minnesota Morris. Music continues to be a core part of the UMN Morris experience, and your dedication and support to the Music Discipline to enhance experiences and opportunities is genuinely inspiring. Your gifts support the promise and potential of the University of Minnesota Morris.

 

We are deeply grateful for your generosity and family legacy, which will have a lasting impact on students and their futures.

With gratitude,

Janet A.S. Ericksen, Ph.D.

Chancellor

cc: Erin Christensen, Senior Development Officer

 

Dad directs the chorus at the U of M-St. Paul School of Agriculture, 1950s. I was in my preschool years during that time. I have the warmest memories. It's where I discovered television too! The "Sky King" show, "brought to you by Nabisco."

 

 

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

"Rush" of winter sports will leave us quickly

Let's not fool ourselves, regardless of the weather of the past few days. I'm writing this on the last day of January. Yes January, so we are still technically at the height of winter. We're straining, aren't we, to think we may be seeing early hints of spring. 

The height of winter gets harder to handle as you get older. I turned age 70 this past Tuesday. My health situation calls for a fair amount of exercise if I can get it. So I certainly avail myself like on days of the last few which have been so mild. I must continually remind myself "Brian, this is still winter." An experienced Minnesotan should have no trouble internalizing that. But it's amazing how often we must remind ourselves. 

Maybe an illusion gets built up with the days getting a little longer, so it seems there's more sunlight which there actually is. But the cold and potential snow of winter hover over us most definitely. I will still strive to get exercise. 

What else might help with our state of mind? Well at this stage of the calendar, it would most surely be high school sports. Shall we call it an elixir of some sort? I mean that in a positive way. And then when we get into mid and late March, the "rush" is over. And there really can be a sense of "withdrawal." "How can we get along without this," we might ask ourselves. I know I have. 

 

A turnaround

And you know what I find sad? Spring high school sports comes along and it is absolutely no substitute. It is a pale reflection, literally depressing as fans are forced to huddle in small numbers wearing jackets to deal with the frequent cold and wind. Mud often underfoot. We absolutely do not subject ourselves to this kind of discomfort in winter. It's all indoors.

Winter is a bonanza of fun and anticipation. I look at those little clusters of bundled-up fans/parents at spring sports and get quite the different impression. You might suggest they are there only out of obligation. And I commend them for doing that. It just seems like a night-and-day contrast with winter sports and the "March madness" mania. Is this contrast really necessary? Should we have more indoor sports in the immediate aftermath of the winter season? Pile into the gym bleachers again? 

 

Suggestion

I have tried to make a "cause" out of suggesting an inflatable cover for Big Cat Field here in Morris. St. Cloud State has been able to accomplish this at a stadium that seems just like Big Cat. St. Cloud State as an institution gives the impression that it is collapsing, with a stream of bleak headlines. Tearing down the Performing Arts Center? Tearing down the high-rise dorm "Sherburne Hall" which stood out on the city's "skyline?" Tearing down the education building at a place that was once known for developing future teachers? 

I am familiar with the now-closed SCSU education building, and I immediately think of its design which was avant garde at one time. No conventional classrooms, you know, as rooms closed off with walls and doors. The planners of the time went for "open space" where classes would meet. Just minimal barriers best described as partitions, really. 

So you could hear what was going on in the next room, or "space" as it were. Oh my, revolutionary and innovating just like a lot of concepts in education itself. Faddish I guess.

 

Hear the disco rhythm?

I'm afraid I have vivid memories of the 1970s. We can have fun recollecting the decade as with considering disco music and the "Smokey and the Bandit" movies. The latter had the suggestion that we should poke fun at the local sheriff. I recall a serious op-ed about how Jackie Gleason should not have lowered himself to play the sheriff. Silly rabbit, he wanted the gig as a professional actor. Just like Burt Reynolds. 

Movies reflected what the public wanted, as they always do. 

The 1970s were the apex for St. Cloud State having its unfortunate image with partying, drinking and overall frivolousness. Years later I think all that came home to roost, as new generations of young people came along who realized that if they attend college, they should try to make it count for their future, choose a school with a good reputation. 

 

The image shows the St. Cloud State performing arts center which is suggested as "first on the list" for demolition. Seems shocking. Seemed like a nice building with performance halls. Interim president Larry Dietz says the demo will clear out an area in the middle part of campus. Seems like a cruel joke: open space as preferable to a building like this? It was opened in 1968. I bet it was a big deal when it opened, probably had a celebration.

 

Would anyone argue that St. Cloud State did not have a challenged image? Hah! Today it seems half the place is being torn down. The irony is that the school's athletic facilities have been built up steadily. I'm having a hard time reconciling that frankly. I'm sure there are reasons. 

I'm sure there's a reason why SCSU got a new football stadium for itself in 2004, even though a few seasons later the football program itself would be axed. It has still not been restored. So how do they justify the football stadium? They must have a way as with high school teams coning over to play on some sort of contract basis. I really don't know. But didn't those high schools already have their own fields? Oh, I suppose the fancy artificial turf place was seen as so much more desirable. I guess that's the way our Big Cat Stadium in Morris is perceived too. 

I think one of the biggest blessings of my life was that I never played football. Our culture lures boys into doing this. I suppose we still tell our boys that it builds character or whatever. I will repeat that I am 70 years old now. I don't have to worry about cognitive decline as a result of having played football. I don't have to worry about outright dementia as a result of having played football. 

Think of the tragedy for the men who are affected, and add to that the considerable burden for their family members who must in many cases become caregivers. Oh and the anxieties and sadness. 

Television drew us into football madness. 

We recently lost Bob Uecker

We can be nostalgic about the Bob Uecker Miller Lite commercial. "I must be in the front row." He was at a baseball game but certainly such commercials were stuffed all around football. 

"Don't just play football, young men, drink lots of beer too. Drink our brand, spend lots of money."  

Then along came Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 

 

Softball in March

But look at the inflatable cover for the St. Cloud State football field. I tried hitting various people around Morris over the head with my suggestion a few years back: "Think what that could mean here." Softball teams would be lined up to come here for games as soon as basketball ends. Perfect conditions all the time! Maybe some people have looked into the possibility. So maybe it's just not practical here? Out here in our prairie outpost of Morris? Where we can hear coyotes? 

But I think it would be oh so neat. It's a long-term goal perhaps. Just like it might be considered a long-term goal now for the MACA girls basketball team to be competitive with Minnewaska Area. I get in trouble sharing such thoughts. 

Oh by the way, the Tigers have to play 'Waska again this season: It's on Feb. 18 here in Morris. My goodness: We're justified worrying about that game, but maybe there is some discomfort at 'Waska too over whether their team should "let up" vs. us. Will their coach be under pressure? I would actually hate to see that happen.

 

Sydney Dahl

Minnewaska 76, BOLD 53

How about those Minnewaska Area girls? They continued their winning habit on Tuesday for the home fans, score of 76-53 over BOLD. Familiar names turned up as stat leaders. So it was Sydney Dahl and Megan Thorfinnson each with at least 20 points. 

This is a surprise: the game was tied at halftime! It was tied at 26-all. Something ignited the Lakers for second half play where they had the 50-27 advantage. Remember how our MACA Tigers trailed at halftime against Minnewaska? 

Dahl led the Lakers' scoring with 24 points. but it was Thorfinnson standing out in the 3-pointers department: four makes. Thorfinnson's point total was 20. Others scoring for 'Waska: Lauryn Ankeny 9, Addyson Kath 6, Alia Randt 5, Olivia Danielson 5, Jayda Kolstoe 3, Lauryn Stryhn 2 and Kendall Danielson 2. 

Thorfinnson was joined in the long-range shooting department by Kath (two 3-pointers), Randt (1) and Ankeny (1). Dahl led rebounds with seven. Uh-oh: The West Central Tribune has "Danielson" leading in assists with three. There's more than one Danielson! Oh well. 

Kath set the pace in steals with five. Ankeny who always seems to be all over the court had five blocked shots. 

BOLD's top scorer was Lainey Braulick with 14 points. Layla Pfarr made three 3-pointers and scored 11 points for the Warriors. 

Move over for the Lakers: they are 17-2. How can the Tigers fare against them next time?

  

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

Minnewaska surges forward, MACA ponders future

The Minnewaska Area girls are staying right in sync with the kind of standards they have established season-long. Quite the winter of success over in Laker country, quite close to our Morris. 'Waska hired our activities director away from us and look how they're doing. The word on the street is that he left here for salary considerations. That's the All-American reason for a move, right? 

In terms of girls basketball at 'Waska, standards have been set optimally high. Congrats to our neighbors over by Lake Minnewaska. I have family connections to Glenwood. 

Those Lakers really punched down the accelerator in their recent game versus our MACA Tigers. Holy cow, a halftime lead of 58-4! I have seen this kind of struggling in Tiger girls basketball before. And I do think it is unfortunate. I talked to an old friend just this past week whose memory is as good as mine. And we both experienced the stress of trying to speak out about it. He recalled for me the coach of his daughter, a coach who he said was known to just tell the girls to "go out and have some fun." 

Could you imagine a boys coach being guided by that impetus? "Go out and have fun?" 

Well that particular coach had the position for three years and it was like pulling teeth to effect any sort of change back in those days. My recollection tells me that his third year was when the C-A kids first came over. That infusion of talent could not help his performance. Because, I don't think anything could. 

It would be nice if that coach were just a transitory bump in the road in our GBB program. But we should not countenance any mediocrity for any length of time. I would try suggesting as much and be totally beaten down by the town's "intelligentsia." They'd scold me for being such an alleged Neanderthal for thinking that a well-disciplined program seeking wins was to be cultivated. 

So it as a philosophical clash. Conflicts based on philosophy or ideology are always very intense and unpleasant. I treaded rough water. 

 

Explain this

Here's the irony: the progressive women's liberation advocates of the town, who by nature disliked me with great intensity, should have been on board with me. Odd, because while those people insisted on equal funding and resources for girls sports, they were indifferent about real competitive standards. So, "just go out and have fun." 

There's no reason I can't share the name of the coach I'm talking about: Steve Harter. Oh and there was another coach in the program's history that I could almost write a book about, or at least a chapter. That individual formed a very effective circle of friends/advocates from the "intelligentsia" that I reference - this was good for getting her a third year as coach. And then wouldn't you know that group got energized for an attempted fourth year. 

Keep in mind that the program's performance was mediocre - and without a doubt we had kids with athletic talent and potential. I should have been complimented for being the positive and optimistic one. But oh no, not in Morris MN. 

The community can be toxic in some ways. This other coach who was a woman forced the school board to go on record with a vote before it was all over, and I had a board friend who absolutely hated that. It was a divided vote. But it was in fact a thumbs-down. Oftentimes these changes are like pulling teeth. 

And now in 2025 we have a girls team that trailed Minnewaska 58-4 at halftime. Not 58-14 but 58-4. No typo there. And I don't think this should ever happen against a comparable-size school. I'm suggesting there is no excuse. 

How will my critics attack me now? Because certainly they'll find a way, all these people who form their networks of personal friendships which might be based in a church. They'd say you're being negative toward the players, embarrassing them. Well I'm trying to stick up for the players actually. But hardly anyone ever sees it that way. 

My birthday is this coming Tuesday, Jan. 28, and I'm trying to build up my own self-esteem some. Hope you understand that. 

The Minnewaska Area girls haven't paused to look back. Instead "the future is now" in Laker country unlike in Morris. So the Lakers - I don't even know who their coach is - won on both Thursday and Friday. They beat Montevideo on Thursday 66-45. Then on Friday they dispatched Wadena-Deer Creek 62-34. They'll play our Tigers again on Feb. 18 at Morris. I do hope we do better. But I wouldn't want to set the pointspread for that game.

Lakers 62, WDC 34

The Lakers are ranked eighth in Minnesota in AA. They plugged away against the Wolverines, assuming a 31-14 halftime lead. They had three big guns on this night: Megan Thorfinnson 19 points, Sydney Dahl 14 and Lauryn Ankeny 13. These three were complemented by: Addyson Kath 8, Olivia Danielson 4, Kendall Danielson 2 and Jayda Kolstoe 2. 

Thorfinnson was quite the shooter from long range: five 3-pointers. Kath had the other '3'. Alia Randt with her five rebounds led there. Kath led in assists with four while Ankeny set the pace in steals with four. Ankeny so often seems all over the court to get steals. On this night she also blocked two shots.

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