Johnny Carson reflected the U.S. "monoculture"

"The Groove Tube" was a 1974 movie, the title of which was a takeoff on "boob tube." "Boob tube" was a popular way of putting down the vacuous TV entertainment of pre-digital times, when entertainment creators had to shape a product to try to please everyone. Which of course meant that the entertainment came up short for a lot of people. As opposed to today's "niche programming" which has now been around a long time.

 

"Johnny Carson, our nation urns its lonely eyes to you." The quote is from yours truly on this wet Saturday morning of late spring. We're in that netherworld of weather where we can't be sure what's coming.

Johnny Carson?  He passed on a long time ago of course. He smoked heavily in a time when people sort of shrugged at such vices. I mean like drinking alcohol too. Johnny had guests on his TV show like Dean Martin who at least pretended to love alcohol. We laughed at the jokes connected to that. We laughed at Foster Brooks. 

And so I invoke the name Johnny Carson to address American cultural history and particularly pop culture which of course can influence our behavior. Many of us abused alcohol and unlike Dean Martin and Foster Brooks, were not pretending. "Outlaw country music" went through a wave of popularity, actually approved by the Carters in the White House. The president had a brother Billy whose name was a brand of beer. 

Waxing nostalgic here? Well not really. Of course it's not nice to feel ashamed of our cultural past. Our elders dove in with the norms of the times. And we don't like to be hard on them. We'll rationalize that life was tough for the older folks and so a few vices or failings were OK. Ah, the days of the World War II generation who had been through so much. Had literal PTSD in many cases. The initials had not gained currency yet. You think there wasn't an epidemic of PTSD after the Civil War? World War One? 

Our elders have faced the burden of providing for the next generation as it develops. We cut them slack and it's justified. Well, except that Mothers Against Drunk Driving came along and took care of a certain problem. Ambitious lawyers finally fought and won against the tobacco companies. 

 

The "monoculture" 

I am a baby boomer. For us folks "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" was a staple when growing up. I bring up the show not just to stimulate a little warm nostalgia which it certainly can do. No, the show if watched in "retro" fashion today would be like a lens into our cultural past. It would be a lens into the U.S. "monoculture" that lasted for a long time. It is close to being gone now. 

The monoculture meant there was a true sense of shared culture. Think back to "Look" and "Life" magazines as prime examples from the print media. 

 

Good or not so good? 

"Shared culture" sounds like a positive thing, right? It was really a mixed bag. But right now as I reflect in the year 2026, I find myself pining some. The good outweighed the bad IMHO - actually it was all like a sedative. Well, smoking cigarettes is literally a sedative. We need some forces at present to get people calmed down. 

The "monoculture" of our entertainment world gave way to "niche programming" and my what a miracle this seemed to be. What could be better than having your own particular tastes catered to? We couldn't resist thinking this as the number of TV channels proliferated. MTV! Channels in December that ran the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" ceaselessly because the movie had fallen into the "public domain." The movie was not all that good. But kids who were force-fed this movie can't help but feel fondness for it now. 

Beyond "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" there was the endless panoply of "network TV entertainment shows." The prime time shows that came and went with such frequency, it was kind of depressing. And my, there was the phenomenon of "TV ratings." The western staple "Bonanza" did super for a long time. 

"Bonanza" was pretty vapid and one-dimensional. It followed the nature of TV and movie westerns always wanting to impress morality on us. Especially the kids. You might say the Judeo-Christian ethic. Which can only be good? Not so fast. After years of such fare being dished out, we ended up with an American culture that was hopelessly passive about the Vietnam war. This even with the facts of the war coning at us daily. Americans collectively sat on their hands, even when our young men were being sent into the meat grinder. 

Just think if the U.S. had not followed the siren song (or whatever it was) for getting into that war. Today we can maybe suggest there is a siren song for getting involved in the "endless Mideast wars." The current U.S. president talked for a long time like he and his MAGA crowd would avoid this at all costs. The more things change, the more they. . . You know. 

So now we may have a major new wave of inflation coming at us. After we've already been flummoxed by this. 

Alas, "niche programming" of our contemporary age has given us "conservative media" like Fox News. This empowers all the know-nothings out there, people who try to lead by emotion. In the age of Johnny Carson entertainment, the far right political stuff was marginalized. Would see pamphlets given out at an oddball county fair booth, for example. Today there's the litany of "conservative" podcasters, e.g. Jesse Kelly. 

Will niche programming in the media be our undoing as a nation? People get attention today who in past times would not have had a prayer. Are people conscious of this? 

Richard Nixon was brought down because the old system worked, the system with rules truly based on the Judeo-Christian ethic or framework. Today? Hell's bells, look at the endless abominations committed by the president and really his whole "menagerie" around him. And he has Supreme Court justices playing along. 

In the Johnny Carson era, America went along with a political norm that had "liberals" in an important position because this of course guaranteed that "the little guy" would be taken care of. This was actually very important to the World War II generation, which had the GI Bill among other things to celebrate. The WWII generation could be pretty collectivist. Today "collectivism" is like an obscenity. No man is an island? Oh yes they are. 

So we're ready to wade into an ever-worsening inflation situation because we refuse to insist that our current MAGA leadership be kicked out. We passively read the new batch of headlines every day. The suggestion to convict/imprison Barack Obama, James Comey and others? Well, yawn. 

 

Johnny Carson

Just levity, not scorn

Johnny Carson avoided politics except to "tease" whatever president was in office in an innocuous way. It was simply irreverent. Down deep, Johnny Carson and his audience had faith in the nation's reassuring foundation, you night say our pulse. 

The Johnny Carson show began at 10:30 p.m. Mercy! My bedtime today is considerably earlier. I'm a little ashamed as I recall how I always felt I was missing something if I didn't stay up for a portion of the show. Totally escapist fare. If a movie actor like William Holden started getting into the weeds with cinema craftsmanship - as I observed him doing once - you just knew that Johnny would feel uncomfortable and he'd want to steer the chat back to the normal superficiality. 

We ate it up, we laughed, then we went to bed. Today we can call up endless "podcasts" at that hour including the far-right (political) ones. I suspect a lot of people do that. Is this the same folly that America experienced when we sat on our hands during Vietnam?

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff 54@gmail.com 

UMM wins with command versus MLC

UMM came out of its recent series of games vs. Martin Luther with great satisfaction. Nothing but wins! 

"Martin Luther" means of course we're playing religious people. The real Martin Luther led a rejection of the Catholic Church. Pretty dicey. And right now the Catholic Church is in the midst of conflict and controversy with what is going on between Pope Leo and the U.S. presidency of you-know-who. Why does the nation put up with this? Why doesn't everyone just roundly condemn the president for claiming that the pontiff "wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon?" 

All past presidents have felt the need to respect the Pope as a revered religious leader. The Catholic Church is not perfect because human beings are not perfect.  

Martin Luther College of New Ulm has a "knight" as its logo. Looks like a knight right out of the movies. Looking at this reminds me of a movie scene that made me laugh out loud. It's from the Mel Brooks movies. This was "Silent Movie" that had Brooks himself as one of the three leading actors. I have always felt this was an underrated Brooks movie. 

"Silent Movie" was really a silent movie. Only one spoken line and that was by Marcel Marceau the famed mime! He blurts out "no!" in a scene. Funny. But the specific scene I am referencing in relation to "knights" includes Liza Minnelli. Brooks and his two partners are trying to get Minnelli's attention. They want to make a pitch to her for being in the threesome's planned "silent movie." Liza is seated at the commissary on a movie production lot. 

The three protagonists approach her disguised as "knights" and dressed fully as such, with all the metal! So they simply try to sit down with her. Pretty hard in a knight get-up. So we hear the sound effect of metal-on-metal as the three simply try to sit down. They keep falling over. Real slapstick or physical comedy and it sure worked with me! 

Martin Luther College of New Ulm is certainly Lutheran but not part of the Lutheran mainstream. The college is affiliated with the Wisconsin Synod which in my mind is sort of an extreme or fringe faction. Since we're talking about the Pope let's bring the Holy Father into it: the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church believes the Pope to be the antichrist! So the college would have to answer for that. I don't know why those people stick their neck out in this way. This would only hurt church membership IMHO. 

Churches are struggling to maintain their flocks as it is. But to each his own I guess. 

Yes the Catholic Church has had problems. But right at the present time my sympathies are with those people. 

Before I drop the subject of Martin Luther the person, I'll remind that he was one of the biggest anti-Semites in world history. He wrote a thesis that I would hate to quote because it's so raw and offensive. Martin Luther's words were used in the build-up to the holocaust of WWII. It was that bad. You just have to look at the historical record. 

Maybe the bottom line is that I don't like the divisions in humanity caused by organized religion. I rather admire the Jewish people as long as we're not talking about the outrages caused by Israel and its leader. 

Maybe it's true that "in the beginning, man created God." 

 

Mary Landherr

Cougars shine in three games

Well, the UMM softball team sure had its prayers answered going into the series of three games vs. Martin Luther College. The Knights proved no match for our Cougars who won 13-0, 11-5 and 12-2. Pretty one-sided. All three of these games were played at MLC. 

Taking a look at the 13-0 win, the Cougars pounded out 16 hits. They committed no errors! Our big inning was the second: seven runs. Three Cougars stood out in the boxscore, each with three hits. These hot bats were wielded by GingerAnn Lucas, Mary Landherr and Kendra Schmitz. Landherr drove in three runs. Lucas scored three. Lucas and Alyssa Thornton each had a double. The Cougars turned a double play. 

Alyssa Thornton pitched five innings for the 'W' and she struck out three batters, walked none.

 

Game 2

The 11-5 UMM win saw the Cougars come on strong in the late innings, the sixth and seventh. We finished with seven hits and had two errors. MLC actually out-hit us with ten. 

Kendra Schmitz

Kendra Schmitz was the only Cougar with a multiple-hit game and she went two-for-three with a run and an RBI. Landherr nd Ro Diver each drove in two runs. 

Morgan Wilhelm pitched the whole way for the win and she scattered ten hits. (I remember the major league baseball pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm from my youth, the knuckleballer!)

 

The Friday game 

The 12-2 win by UMM over Martin Luther on Friday saw Cougar bats produce the robust total of 15 hits. Taylor Johnson, Olivia Losee and Kendra Schmitz each had three. Losee and Thornton each had three RBIs. Landherr and Schmitz each had a double, and Taylor Johnson socked a triple. 

Alyssa Thornton pitched three innings and Marissa Anderson pitched two. Each stuck out a batter. Thornton got the win. 

Let's hope the weather gets milder as the diamond action continues.

Olivia Losee

 

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

MACA softball overpowers Montevideo in twin bill

We can sure count on MACA softball rolling over a lot of regular season opponents. And so it goes. The Tigers were overpowering in their Monday doubleheader against Montevideo. Action was at home. And the scores were 16-1 and 19-0 over the Thunder Hawks. 

All such regular season success is super. But the question that hovers - has for years - is whether the Tigers can get past the southern Minnesota teams in the section. Well, that's a long way off as of right now. Let's enjoy the April success as we get impatient waiting for nicer weather to come along. Yes I'm impatient. Am I just getting old and maybe a little crotchety? Oh I don't think I'm alone. 

Right now the weather unpleasantness is in the form of fog. It was quite thick as I departed to town for breakfast. It hangs in the air as of 9:30 a.m. Wouldn't a summer-like day be rather like a miracle? Or, how about a succession of such days? 

Regular season winning thrills are a norm for MACA Tiger softball. And so is the presence of Mary Holmberg as head coach. What a miracle with longevity she is! I covered Tiger softball for the Morris paper back in the program's first year, I believe 1979. Jimmy Carter was president. (I think Carter was much more genuine presenting himself as an ally of Christianity than our current president.) 

The coach all through the program's storied history has been Holmberg. Now let's see, Mary, if you can guide the program past the shoals of the section tournament this season!

 

Tigers 16, Montevideo 1

Holy cow the MACA bats were really sizzling as the twin bill unfolded: 17 hits by the orange and black in the first game. And just two by the T-Hawks. The game was abbreviated to four innings. 

Sure seems like Monte girls teams have taken lumps this school year. I recall that Monte was on the losing side of a historically one-sided girls basketball game this past winter. The winner that night was BOLD. That outcome prompted me to write a blog post where I wondered if people even make an issue of "running up the score" anymore. There was a time when we might hear such an outcry. But times do appear to have changed. Changed since the days when Morris girls basketball could be on the short end of such affairs. Like against Wheaton or New London-Spicer. And I was left puzzled: Why were we so handicapped? And why didn't more people ask questions? 

The kind of number that MACA softball did on Monte Monday revives the issue of imbalance. Maybe we should save some of our runs for the section tournament, like against Jackson County Central et al. 

The Tigers were actually scoreless in the first two innings of Game 1. But wow, what a contrast the third inning was! Twelve runs. Then the Tigers polished things off with a four-run fourth. Our line  score was 16 runs, 17 hits and the perfect "zero" for errors. Talk about mid-season form in April! 

Let's roll up our sleeves to take a look at the hitting parade. Addi Cihak is my neighbor so I'll put her at the front of the line: two hits in three at-bats and two runs scored. Way to go Addi! Then we see Aina Rose with a triple and a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs. 

Harmony Coverdale had a hot bat at three-for-four with one of her hits a double. She scored three runs and drove in three. (Sometimes I think her name is "Cloverdale" but no it's "Coverdale.") 

Samantha Konz was unstoppable as she put up three-for-three numbers. She scored a run and drove in two. Brenna Jergenson was quite in the zone and she had a double and triple as part of going three-for-four. She stole two bases, scored two runs and drove in four. 

Ryla Koehler had a hit, walked, stole a base, scored a run and drove in a run. Ashlin Gibson crossed home plate once. Nora Boyle doubled, drew a walk and drove in a run. Haley Kill went two-for-two and got hit-by-pitch. She scored a run and drove in two runs. Miu Lu Asche stole a base and scored a run. Jade Marty had a hit and a run scored. 

Nora Boyle was our pitcher and she struck out seven batters, issued just one walk and allowed just two hits. 

What a superb showing by the Tigers. I think I did justice to the team by going through the Game 1 highlights. I'm sure Game 2 mirrored the complexion of Game 1. Haley Kill gets a shout-out as pitcher. Lots of exciting action lies ahead. Right now the team stands at 3-0.

And really Dear Lord, how about some weather that brings thoughts of summer?

 

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

Saturday of Easter weekend w/ blanket of snow

"Leporiphobia" is fear of the Easter bunny.

 

There's "Maundy Thursday" and then "Good Friday" but what of Saturday? Saturday of Easter weekend? I'm barely aware of the terminology so I'm in no position to elaborate. "Maundy?" I haven't a clue. But it surely is Easter weekend as I write this. Writing this as I look to the north through my quite large picture windows. I shouldn't say "my" as it's my family home even though I'm the only one left. The Williams family home has quite nice picture windows on both the north and south sides. Nice view through either. We are "semi-rural" up next to the soils laboratory. 

Saturday of Easter weekend 2026 is marked by a "winter wonderland" outside. It has been futile trying to hope for truly pleasant weather that would contrast with winter. Winter may have its (limited) charms but we've had enough of it by now, n'est-ce pas? Wouldn't it be nice to crank up the riding lawn mower to see if it's ready for another year? 

 

In flux? 

The local pest control company appears to be undergoing sort of a "revolt." I was a pushover for the "insurgents" and so now the new name is "Exodus 8." I noticed the Exodus 8 name on the bait station in front of DeToy's Restaurant as well. The changeover seemed to happen in a rather odd way. The cost will now be higher - it never goes the other way - but the stations will be checked four times a year now, not twice. And frankly I like that. 

I discovered one dead mouse in my basement in November. But I have not detected any live ones since the pest control service started. I have never had what you'd call an "infestation" but I finally arrived at a zero-tolerance policy. Several years ago I had the bat specialist come. A bat was in the basement, heavens. The guy who took the calls for the eradication service said the people who call them want someone to come quickly! My problem was solved. The guy had a pretty firm theory on what the problem was, but he addressed three potential problems. 

 

Good Shepherd Church, Morris

A Christian time, but. . . 

So here we are on Easter weekend of 2026 and we ought to feel the proper solemnity. But how are we to understand Easter or Christianity itself? How to understand in the curious age in which the faith has gotten enmeshed hopelessly in politics. Go out to Good Shepherd Church in the barren stretches north of Morris and you'll be among people who voted 100 percent for Trump. And politics most definitely colors their church attitudes. 

Other Stevens County churches are not too far from this church's example. But Good Shepherd was this new "refuge" for many of the alienated souls from the standard Lutheran churches that were such a bulwark when I grew up. And I'm not suggesting that those places were exactly fountains of joy. 

I think most boomers will say that they went to church "because they were supposed to." And, that much of church life seemed to be designed to make you feel guilty. In the process it was boring too. It was an obligation. Did our parents know it was impressing us this way? Or did they care? 

Our parents felt we should simply appreciate the things they were giving us. How could you argue that we shouldn't? But our parents had the power, had they chosen to seize it, of rising up en masse to get the government to withdraw our young men from Vietnam. It got to the point where my generation did not even want to hear the reasons spelled out on why we were involved in the war. 

My pastor at First Lutheran Church would never have been so bold as to say the war was a tragic mistake. We knew he was a Nixon Republican. He probably asked us to "pray for the troops." Oh fine, like that was a constructive step. Was that supposed to make us feel better? So we could go home after church with sound conscience? 

 

Use proper lens 

On this Saturday morning of Easter weekend 2026, we're supposed to be so focused on one missing pilot in Iran. One missing pilot! And in the withdrawal from Afghanistan, 13 U.S. soldiers killed. And man, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota in his re-election campaign made hay out of the 13. But put these figures into context. They say that one death is a tragedy and several hundred a "statistic." Or let's make that close to 60,000 in Vietnam - U.S. soldiers directly killed as a result of the conflict. Countless others in a more indirect way in the years following. 

We lost the war. And why were the parents of the boomers not more aware of the grand scale of the needless tragedy? American boys simply being cut down, killed in many ways most certainly violent. And this passed muster with that older generation? Those folks had John Wayne as a cheerleader for them just as today we have Sean Hannity and others in the same role. 

"Conservatives" always learn to sing off the same page. They feel that the spirit of jingoism is the "brave" stance. 

I assert war is nothing but bad. 

Our congressperson Michelle Fischbach is singing off the predictable script. Why is it that these people can never surprise us? 

Vietnam had to end regardless of the prevailing sentiment, for one primary reason. We were "killing our own colonels." This was "fragging." The term grew from the common technique of a fragmentation hand grenade placed on the bed of a commanding officer. Oftentimes it was just a threat. But lives were taken this way. The "grunts" did not want a commanding officer to order a certain action based on that officer's desire to "use John Wayne tactics" to get his picture in his hometown paper. 

 

John Wayne

Can't ignore Hollywood

John Wayne gave us the movie "The Green Berets" which Roger Ebert described as obscene. The truth about John Wayne was that he was a master of the movie industry and he knew that the drama and conflict of military engagements were really good fodder for movies. He gave us the movie "The Alamo." Turns out that the Mexicans were really the good guys through all that because they were fighting against slavery. The Mexicans did lose in the long run. But they totally overran the Alamo which was not even a fort, it was a Spanish mission. 

John Wayne was way too old for his role in the WWII movie "The Longest Day." Hollywood has typically called on actors who were too old for their roles in war movies. I would suggest the reason is that Hollywood hesitates to show the reality of how it is young men who overwhelmingly bear the brunt. It might seem tragically immoral to reflect the truth. 

 

Can Christ prevail? 

On this Saturday of Easter weekend we wonder if the MAGA imprint on Christianity is going to be long-lasting or even permanent. If it is truly entrenched, can we persuade young people to join the faith? Donald Trump is a dangerous lying fool. We have had ten years to have this sink in, and it has not yet. 

Michelle Fischbach

Michelle Fischbach is jingoistic probably because she senses there is political hay to be made from this. And so ironic: a big priority of MAGA over the last few years has been "no new Mideast wars." We are so human an animal. Not sure I'm using that quote right but it seems apt anyway. 

We will all have to deal with a major new burst of inflation. Interest rates cannot be cut at the present time or even in the next 12 months, apparently, in case that is important to you. 

Oh to have a classy and example-setting president again. And this individual does not have to be in the news every day. Do we really need to be led along by Trump every day of our lives? I am personally affronted by this. 

Jesus Christ thought it was so important to forgive your adversaries. Does Trump know the meaning of this? If not, then please explain yourselves. Oh my, you won't. You will engage in name-calling against people like me. Would this pass muster with your Lord and Savior?

 

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

Day the "Chase" music died in Jackson County

It's in southern Minnesota.

My recent writing about Jackson County reminded me of a tragedy from music history. So it's pop music or to be more precise, jazz-rock. A cutting edge performer in the field was Bill Chase. He played his trumpet in big bands like Woody Herman before forging his own identity. Not sure he really became a household name. I was sure rooting for him. 

I was not present for the one time he played in Morris. The concert made one impression, according to the people I talked with later. "Loud!" Well it was fashionable in those times of the early '70s. Music was "cool" if it was loud. This in the judgment of my boomer generation. 

Seems strange: wanting to hear live music or a recording played so loud, it was uncomfortable to listen to. Bill Chase had sensitivity to the prevailing standards. So he "cranked it up" with the volume in his appearance in the early '70s. We might have forgotten how a premium was placed on sheer volume. 

Legend has it regarding the Chase performance in Morris, about half the crowd left during a break, so off-put they were by the volume. Such a shame because Chase's artistry was top-notch. He had carved out a new type of sound with a unique instrumentation to boot. 

Trumpets! Yes this group was a celebration of the trumpet. Nothing subtle about the instrument! This was Bill's "axe." He had a full trumpet section with him. The group had a vocalist that fit right in with the gravelly sound of some top male vocalists of the time. Think Kenny Rogers along with the group "Blood, Sweat and Tears." But "Chase" was not really derivative. 

Jackson County was where it all came to an end. I wrote about the place recently because of our Morris boys basketball team playing Jackson County Central in the section tournament. The game was in fact for the section championship. And the game was played down south too at Southwest State in Marshall. 

Our basketball team alas came out on the losing end. So the JCC Huskies advanced. And in state they lost to Albany, in fact got demolished by Albany. (Albany too is the "Huskies.") A major irony or surprise is that our Tigers had beaten Albany in the regular season. Go figure comparative scores. 

 

Bill Chase's third album

Tragedy 

Bill Chase was working on a fourth studio album in 1974 when he was en route to a performance at the Jackson County Fair. Shudder, his name was added to the list of musicians who were ill-fated because of plane travel. His life was taken in a crash of a Piper Twin Comanche. Bill was 39 years old. Three of his group members were on board and they died too. So did the pilot and co-pilot. 

 

Innovation in music 

The "Chase" group had its start in 1971. Bill established a style that had pop, rock and blues. Four trumpeters were featured and they often played "cascading notes." Truly that was the trademark. If there is one tune you are likely to remember, it is "Get It On." Our high school jazz band in Morris under John Woell even played this. Why, I believe yours truly was in the trumpet section so I can tell you where the auditorium was. It was the auditorium of our old school which no longer stands. 

Chase's trumpet players were capable singers and they arranged music. The group's instrumental makeup was considered unorthodox. On came G.G. Shinn as vocalist. Del Sarlette and yours truly had the opportunity in 2007 to meet and talk with Shinn at a Chase reunion event in St. Paul. I'm happy to recall that my fellow 1973 Morris High School graduate Mike Eul was at the performance too. Actually I gave Mike the "tip" on this. Mike played trumpet and was quite enamored with Chase back in the day. 

The reunion concert included "alums" of the group who were not on the plane that went down. The group did total justice to Chase's vision and standards The performance was at the Minnesota Music Cafe in St. Paul. "Where the food is great and the music's always cookin.' " 

 

A mega story 

And it might have been a joy all the way around. But there was a major tragedy in the Twin Cities that night. This was when the bridge fell into the Mississippi River. It was a major story but it did not dampen the reunion. Del and I called home upon arrival to assure our family members we were OK. We did not cross the bridge in question. 

Jane Sassenfeld (nee Larson) who was a '73 MHS grad like Mike and I, had some serendipity that may have saved her life. But the musicians in the Chase event seemed totally focused on their music revival mission. This you can sense from the event videos on YouTube. Del, Mike and yours truly were seated just a few feet from the stage. 

Overhead TV screens gave us the live picture of news coverage of the bridge disaster. It commanded all media attention. Of course we couldn't hear anything because of the concert! So you might wonder, was this performance annoyingly loud like (considering the legend) the long-ago event in Morris? Well I would say no. There was a real sense of climax when the group concluded with the hit "Get It On." Talk about cascading trumpets! It was a signature sound, indeed. 

Cover of the first (vinyl) "Chase" album

Why did my generation feel it so important or "cool" to have music set so loud? (This was years before the expression or joke "take it up to eleven," popularized by the faux group "Spinal Tap.") Well, when I was young the capacity of "stereo speakers" to generate high volume depended on the money you were willing to spend. "Loud" speakers with a minimum of "distortion" were a status symbol! You had to spend money and then impress your friends with the loudness. 

Remember the talk about "woofers" and "tweeters?" 

As the years passed we got the "unplugged" movement which was a withdrawal from full-on volume. Music did not have to be loud, it just had to be good. Makes too much sense maybe. I think the advent of CD quality sound meant a lot. Just relax and listen to perfect quality sound and forget about the volume. I remember buying a Paul McCartney "unplugged" CD. 

 

Oh my, "what if?" 

What would Bill Chase have done as the years passed? Jazz fans can get engrossed in the question. He had genius quality. He could not complete his fourth album but others came along to do it for him. Without Bill the album had no meaningful potential. But it was a labor of love, done on principle. Of course we could cry as we wonder how Bill would have packaged it. 

And then, what musical ventures would have lay ahead for him? Death is absolute finality. Just like with John Lennon leaving us. Before him, Buddy Holly and others. Amen to the wisdom of the late John Madden of football: "Just stay on the ground." 

I was up on a small plane just once with a well-known crop-duster guy. I was with our Morris newspaper and I took the short flight with some female pork royalty candidates. So I took a photo to give a little "pub" (publicity). In those days pork royalty was assumed to be female. I do remember the pilot's name: Gary Oleen. Obviously there's a system where the doors are securely locked! 

Remember when our U.S Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife died in a plane crash? I remember being at Quinco Press in Lowry when news of that broke. We can all imagine the horror of the final moments. 

 

Enjoy, don't emulate! 

Bill Chase played the trumpet in a way that you would not encourage for high school kids. The style is often described as "scream trumpet." And who was more famous with this than Maynard Ferguson? Chase played in Ferguson's band for a time in fact. And I heard Maynard and his band at Southwest State in the early '80s. 

I have cited the coincidence of the bridge collapsing on the same night as the Chase reunion concert. Here's another coincidence that goes further back: On the day of the plane crash, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, August 9, 1974. I was in St. Cloud at the time. 

The 1974 "Pure Music" album included the tune "Run Back to Mama," judged so misogynistic by 2007 standards it was not considered for the reunion concert (according to scuttlebutt I picked up). Society evolves. Which is why, the movie "Revenge of the Nerds" seems to have all but disappeared. But what about the old Native American stereotypes in Western movies? 

 

left to imagine 

What would Bill Chase be doing today? What would John Lennon be doing today? Jim Croce? Time is money for pop musicians - air travel is tempting. We saw the Hank Williams character in the movie "The Last Ride" arrange a risky small plane trip. Plane flew just above a storm. The actor Jesse James played Williams' driver, remember? At the end, Hank bequeathed his Cadillac to the young man. Fred Thompson played Hank's manager.

 

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

A touching start to this memorial event

"Jurgs"

Priceless how Fr. Schneider began the final rites for Chris Juergensen yesterday (Thursday). Many people including many young people were present for the event at the funeral home. Fr. Schneider started off the ceremony by saying "are there any sports fans here?" "Jurgs" was part of the local sports scene lifelong. His enthusiasm included UMM in a big way. 

It won't be the same with "Jurgs" no longer seen around the community. The time came when he started using a cane. I have noticed that with more and more of my old acquaintances. Knock on wood re. the possibility that time might come for yours truly. My late father never took to using a cane or a walker. People are different. 

It is unfortunate that at age 71 I have to monitor the obituaries regularly. My family came here in 1960 or '61. We did rent a place in Starbuck on Lake Minnewaska for a few months before settling in "Motown." So I remember the "stuffed animals" at the laudromat in Starbuck! We came to these parts because of the historic launching of the U of M-Morris. 

I remember watching basketball at the old "P.E. Annex," no longer standing of course. St. Cloud State had a building like this, "Eastman Hall," which got renovated instead of torn down. I assume you've heard in the news that a substantial portion of the St. Cloud campus is set to be demolished including some buildings that surprise me. I believe they are still waiting for the money. 

Speaking of waiting for the money, is our Congress going to disgorge significant funds for this treacherous "war effort" abroad? The government will always say there are reasons for a war. So the new disgorgement is $200 billion? The Persia interests may have a strategy as they've done before of dragging us into conflicts that damage our economy. Spending $ on the war only drains us. 

Can't everyone agree that it is odd that our president had a major campaign priority of "no new Mideast wars?" If you are a Trump supporter - odds are high that you are, out here in western MN - can't you agree with me that it is odd or even mistaken? I expected our congressperson Michelle Fischbach in her latest email dispatch to emphasize the need to support the war effort. No such mention. 

The Trump people - certainly Fischbach is one - usually sing in unison. 

Sports is an opiate that diverts our attention from such things. It's an opiate to keep us from feeling down because of the daily headaches of life. Of course that's the glass-half-empty assessment. I grew up during Vietnam so I plead with you to understand how I can express such an attitude. 

Trump is profoundly troubling. On so many levels. But compare our current state of affairs to when young men were drafted and sent to Vietnam. We are so fallible as a human species. 

 

SDSU in the NCAAs today (Friday)

Go "Jacks!" 

I just noticed there is a basketball game that we should be paying attention to today (Friday). Today we should all be cheering for the "Jackrabbits." Boy I laughed the first time when hearing that nickname. It was on my car radio. "Jackrabbits" is the nickname for South Dakota State University. 

Institutions like SDSU were considered quite second-tier when I was young, but boy they can be competitive with the big boys today. But I'm not talking boys right now, I'm talking girls. Actually "women" as the SDSU Jackrabbit women of hoops are set to play in the most prestigious college event. It's time for the "NCAAs." 

And SDSU is right in there albeit as a pretty big underdog today. They are seeded 11th and will play No. 6 Washington at 1:30 p.m. Well I'll certainly have fingers crossed for an upset! I am acquainted with a current SDSU student. Campus is in Brookings SD. 

I remember when I was with the Morris newspaper, someone wrote a letter to the editor quite strongly making the point that Brookings was more welcoming to its student population than our UMN-Morris. I am hopeful that the local climate is changing on this front. And I really think it is. 

For much of its history, UMM has not been the most happy place. It has been oddball in certain ways and this has to end. 

 

Bolstering its future (hopefully)

I implore you 

I am overdue in making the following suggestion but I will lay it out: UMM does not need a "student newspaper." The paper through the years has been far more trouble than it is worth. It has done anything but prompt a smile on so many occasions. It is not needed for any "democratic" ideal. 

Student-run publications should not seek the shield of the "First Amendment" for anything they do. If they are not serving a constructive purpose for the campus, they should disappear. A student-run newspaper is run by a group of students who may not be representative of the campus with their outlook or personality. Ax-grinding sometimes arises. 

And it has made wider the cultural gap between the campus and community. If UMM is to survive at all - yes we need to worry - well that gap needs to be tamped down or eliminated. 

The new chancellor in whom I place faith has stressed how he is going to be talking to public school leaders in this part of the state to see how UMM is perceived and how the image can be made more agreeable for kids out here. I already know some of the things he is going to hear. Don't make me spell it all out right now. The kids and their families out here believe in personal modesty and a sense of decorum that departs from what UMM has exuded all along. 

Is there time to make repairs? Well I'm not sure there is. We can hope. I won't say "hope and pray." But if you want, you can pray for the Jackrabbits of SDSU right now! 

It was nice to see Chris Juergensen "Jurgs" get such a nice send-off to heaven on Thursday. We'll never forget the guy.

 

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

A team that still has "Witts" about them!

Mason Witt ("Voice of Alexandria" image)

Alexandria is up with the "big dogs" now. By that I mean they're in with the state's largest schools in Minnesota's four-class system. 

We're really in prime basketball season now. Many teams have been forced to step aside like our Tigers here in Morris. An undefeated regular season was not enough to get our orange and black to the big show of state. You might say "many are called, few are chosen." 

The MACA boys and girls are done and now they're fans like the rest of us. The boys were stopped by Jackson County Central on Thursday. A stunning outcome for the MACA fan faithful to accept, to be sure. Adding insult to injury, the fans had to make the long trip back from Marshall after the 8 p.m. contest. This with the taste of having lost so fresh. 

Alexandria was the state champion last year in the AAA world. Those schools are relatively big. It must say something about the booming development of Alex that the prepsters are in AAAA. And they are doing quite fine competitively speaking. 

 

Morris ties 

There's a big reason for Morris area fans to show an interest in Alexandria. The "Witt" name remains prominent over there in Cardinal country. Don't y'all remember Jerry Witt as coach of our football team? And his sons as such athletically gifted kids? How can we forget the names Zachary, Forrest and Taylor from years gone by? I remember them as little kids too. 

My, today there's a new generation of Witts turning heads in sports! And yes my hair has turned white. But I'm still doing sportswriting just like I did when the Witts were in Morris. You've heard the lyrics "rock 'n roll is here to stay, it will never die?" You can substitute my name for "rock 'n roll." I think Jerry would laugh about this thought. Jerry played with the UMM football team during that program's 1970s heyday. 

Last year I wrote quite a bit about the Alexandria Cardinals in post-season. I wrote about both the boys and girls. The girls team had Morris connections too. 

 

Touching all bases 

I have been advised that when I write about the athletic genes in the Witt family, I should not overlook the genes provided by Jerry's wife Holly! Actually I never did know her birth/maiden name. Well no problem, fair request. 

Alexandria "Cardinals"

Here's what's going on right now: The Alex boys are in the state tournament thanks to their win at the home gym over Elk River. Yes, not a neutral location. Alex had the top seed, Elk River was No. 3. The Thursday action ended with the Cardinal red triumphant, score of 64-58. So the Cards took the 8-4A title. 

I'm old enough to remember covering some games at the "old" Alex High School. I remember going there to cover the Chokio-Alberta boys. Today C-A has joined in with Morris Area. I think the partnership started when Jerry was still football coach. 

We could have used the C-A boys all through the years. Getting the partnership cemented was a long and pretty arduous process with fits and starts. I remember when C-A tried to set up their own junior varsity basketball schedule when they were not entitled to do that! Oh, and I even remember the short-term pairing of C-A with Clinton-Graceville. The "CACG Thunder." Yes, that registers. 

We have now gotten past small town politics. I got too close to that at times, alas. Could be pretty ugly. I think the state should have moved in and taken charge more often, frankly. Remember how Dawson-Boyd came close to joining the new Lac qui Parle venture? And then they bowed out and ended up being thankful for that? 

Today I am of the view that the MACA programs should just be changed to "Morris" for everyone's convenience. No one should be offended by that. Do you think anyone cares anymore if Cyrus has "town identity?" No. It's a small community that is quiet and safe, just the way people want it. I'm old enough that I covered graduations at Cyrus High School along with some "Panthers" sports events. Oh yes I did. 

There was a period of time when Cyrus was competitive with Morris in basketball! Oh yes it was. And I scratched my head quite a bit. 

 

Distant but striking memory 

I remember publishing a photo of one of the Cyrus Solvie boys with a banner recognizing a career scoring milestone. He was joined in the photo by cheerleaders, everyone all happy, and I thought: "This photo represents a set of wholesome traditional values that the Morris school does not really like." And I assure you, my judgment on this was totally on the nose. 

Eventually we got more accountability for the Morris school. A struggle had to happen first. We had to overcome the avant garde "academic" crowd of Morris. The positive forces eventually won. And who would be against that? Well, mostly a group of teachers/employees within the system that were self-interested and entitled-feeling. They had bought into the avant garde stuff when it was in vogue in the 1970s. The crazy 1970s. 

 

Mason Witt's hot hand 

Mason Witt and Talan Witt play for the Alexandria Cardinals. Not brothers, rather they're cousins. Mason hit a deep 3-pointer to start Alex's scoring on Thursday. This was the first of four straight 3's that he hit. Talan made a layup as part of a 10-2 run by the Cards. 

Elk River kept the game close. Alexandria was triumphant in the end.  More headlines coming for the Alex boys now. Their luster remains bright in the Class AAAA firmament. Our MACA boys are AA. 

A check of the Alex roster shows the name "Scholl" as in Blake Scholl, another Morris connection. Blake is the son of Heather (nee) Lucken and grandson of Bev Kieffer who was known as Bev Lucken when in Morris. Bev was on the school board. She had to deal with some of the unpleasantness as Morris got certain things straightened out. We're talking approximately the year 1988. Our high school principal took over as chief sportswriter for the Morris newspaper. If that sounds strange to you, well it was strange. The school needed a real PR person. And I've never been a PR person. I am a Watergate era writer. 

 

Mason Witt is a captain of the Cards. He became the school's all-time leading scorer midway through this season. Is the "Witt" name German? Those people are competitive by nature as we saw in World War Two.

 

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