Way too easy to oversimplify about "slumlords"

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There are standards and then there are pie in the sky standards. We become more aware of the distinction as we get older. We hear this term "slumlord" when we are young and conjure up the most negative image. It's not a real precise term of course. There is a pejorative air to it.
As with many issues, there are genuine/egregious bad actors, next to which we see a major gray area. It's like sexual harassment: there are egregious cases and then there's Chris Matthews. The danger now, of course, is for the MSNBC program host to get hauled into the whole #MeToo thing. A good cause gets identified and then it gets pushed beyond reasonable boundaries.
We learn from current news reports that Matthews engaged in conduct that many of us would see as awkward, stupid, misplaced, whatever. A big part of the problem is that he is a man in an influential position. Take away that influence and his behavior could just be dismissed as boorish, whatever. A reasonable person could not judge his behavior as prima facie sexual harassment.
We learned about three years ago of a judge, of all people, in the St. Cloud area being an alleged slumlord. I feel the word "alleged" must be used very often as a prefix here.
 
Two sides to the coin
"The other side of the story" with "alleged" slumlords is that they take dilapidated housing and at least make it livable on affordable terms for economically deprived people. The real world has a wide swath of economically deprived people, who we don't wish to notice or think about much. Each day can be a challenge for those people.
It is certainly "nice" to try to set high standards for housing everywhere. But it's pie in the sky. Try making regulations more stringent, and housing gets out of reach for a lot of people. You can't expect property owners not to make reasonable judgments in their own interests, as we all do. Judge Vicki Landwehr and her husband got a ruling in their favor the next year. I won't cry foul about this.
I have heard about supposed slumlords being very defensive or edgy about allegations coming at them from anywhere. They'll have a very capable lawyer at the ready. I heard about a situation where a neighboring resident wanted to buy a dilapidated property just to tear it down. The alleged slumlord bristled at this, got defensive.
 
Get rid of poor people?
We cannot solve the issue of "poor" people in our society by just tearing down all housing deemed substandard or undesirable to be around. There have been news reports lately from around the U.S. about how economically challenged people are basically being chased out of mobile home parks. Well fine, but where are all these people supposed to go?

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Alleged slumlords know that if local government gets too carried away with regulations promoting the highest possible standards - standards which in theory look oh so nice - hardship and anxiety will be imposed on the less-well-off.
Owners of rental property know you "can't let the camel's nose in the tent" with this sort of thing. Thus I fully understand their defensiveness.
Years ago there was a letter-to-the-editor binge in the UMM student newspaper - a binge with "orchestrated" written all over it - taking to task a local family that owned rental properties. I know the husband-wife property owners and consider them fine people. They manage property that hopefully is going to suit the students adequately in this transitory time in their lives.
You can go through the property with a fine tooth comb and probably find "issues." Some issues might appear genuinely worthy of attention. But how practical is it, for the municipality or the government to start clamping down? To impose the pie in the sky principle? Farmers used to live without electricity. My family once spent time at a lake place with an outdoor bathroom. I had an uncle at Lake Amelia near Villard with an outdoor bathroom.
Unthinkable? Well maybe now it is. Just like it's unthinkable to see cigarette smoke in any public place. Just think of the reaction if you were to "light up" in a public place now? But it wasn't that long ago when it was quite accepted. So we definitely have higher standards imposed in many areas of our lives, but we must guard against standards getting so high, poor people are imperiled even worse than they are now.
 
Rose by any other name. . .
"Poor" is sort of a fungible term anyway. I laugh as I remember a news report about our Stevens County commissioners: a commissioner expressed great surprise at certain names on a "hardship" list supplied by the ambulance service. "I know some of these people," the commissioner said, and he sure didn't have the impression they were economically challenged.
We love to posture about ourselves that "life is rough." Oh, and then there's the phenomenon of people who are "insurance poor," yes they spend so much money on insurance. A local banker friend once said to me "insurance is something you spend a lot of money on, and you don't ever want to use it."
Where would cable television be without the ads they sell for "Medicare supplement insurance policies?" Here we see an argument for government-run health care, i.e. expanded Medicare or "Medicare for all": You cut out the need for advertising/marketing. I suppose you wouldn't need highly-paid company executives either.
 
And now, the water softeners
Our City of Morris announced higher standards for the kind of water softener you can have in your home. It's an old refrain: government wants lots of "nice" things. They want everything around them to be "nice." They threaten legal action as our City of Morris did with the softener matter.
I'll state one thing emphatically: I do not like being threatened. Anyone on the council who is in business had better be careful because they might suffer. My life does not revolve around water softeners. It may be an important matter to local government which sees things "pie in the sky." As for the common citizenry, please remember that "the majority of people lead lives of quiet desperation."
 
Addendum: Remember when the LaFave house was donated to UMM? This was a house inhabited by local elites and yet it could not be utilized for UMM's purposes until so much work was done on it, obviously costing much. A public discussion arose about this. Why not just build a new house? Such was the cost burden. Well, if regulations are so stringent that a fortune must be spent on a home of the "elites," it's rather scary isn't it? Don't let the camel's nose in the tent.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

'Waska boys tune up for playoffs with panache

Lakers 56, LP-GE 36
The Minnewaska boys visited Long Prairie Monday and could not have tuned up any better for the post-season.
Indeed the Lakers shot out to a 37-11 advantage by halftime and prevailed in the end 56-36. Thoughts are now focused on post-season play. It was a non-conference contest. The success lifted the Lakers' record to 18-6.
Grant Jensen led the pack in scoring for 'Waska with his 16 points. Peyton Johnsrud came through with 12. Also contributing were Brady Hoffman (6), Aaron VerSteeg (5), Connor Johnsrud (4), Damon Uhde (4), Mitchel Gruber (3), Jaden Stewart (3), Mason Stewart (2) and Luke Barkeim (1).
Peyton Johnsrud connected twice for 3-pointers while Gruber and Jaden Stewart each had one make. Sam Hested and VerSteeg each had five rebounds. Jensen with his five assists topped that category. He was also tops in steals with eight. Peyton Johnsrud blocked two shots.
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle's Christian Bearson made two 3-point shots and Lance Larson made one.
 
Playoffs begin Saturday
Minnewaska should feel primed what with having the No. 1 seed for Section 3AA-North. They'll debut in sub-section on Saturday against winless Montevideo. Obviously that game will be at 'Waska. The Tigers of MACA are seeded second and will play New London-Spicer. Other quarter-final games will have Redwood Valley vs. ACGC and Benson vs. Paynesville.
The 3AA-North semis are set for Thursday, March 5.
 
Lakers 63, ACGC 59
Minnewaska's 17th win was hard-earned. The winning Lakers were up against an ACGC team that proved stubborn. The ACGC Falcons are having a below-.500 season. But those Falcons fought to a ten-point lead by halftime, 30-20. The Lakers then woke up. They turned on the jets to outscore the Falcons 43-29 the rest of the way. So the outcome was a 63-59 Laker win at Grove City on Friday, Feb. 21.
The Lakers are seeking maximum confidence for what they hope will be a lengthy playoff run. They have beaten the top-ranked team in state. They came out of Friday with a 17-6 record. The ACGC numbers are 11-14. 'Waska's win was their eighth over a stretch of nine games. It was their fifth straight win.
There were three big guns propelling the Lakers: Grant Jensen and Aaron VerSteeg each with 18 points and Peyton Johnsrud with 12. Luke Barkeim scored seven followed by Sam Hested (3), Damon Uhde (3) and Drew Nelson (2). VerSteeg sent the ball through the twine twice from 3-point range. Johnsrud and Hested each made one '3'.
VerSteeg also topped rebounding with his eleven. Jensen set the pace in assists with four and in steals with four. Brady Hoffman blocked two shots.
ACGC had an iron man group of five do all the scoring. Dawson Miller scored 17 while Shelby Shoen and Braeden Pickle each put in 15. Then we see Steven Lawver with eight points and Josh Kinzler with four. Shoen made two 3-pointers and Pickle made one. Rebound leaders were Miller and Lawver with eight and six respectively. Assist leaders were Lawver and Kinzler with five and four respectively. Pickle and Kinzler each had four steals. Kinzler blocked two shots.

Girls: Lakers 51, Montevideo 47
The 'Waska girls reached regular season's end on Tuesday, Feb. 18, with a game versus Montevideo. Lakers fans gathered at the home court. They cheered in robust fashion when the two halves were completed, their team up 51-47 over the T-Hawks. The success put 'Waska's record at .500 with 12-12 numbers. Monte has had its struggles this season.
The game had a steady complexion as 'Waska led by three at halftime. Offensive rebounds were a big plus leading to the winning outcome. The plus helped compensate for cool shooting. The Lakers had significantly more shot tries than Monte, thanks to cleaning up on the boards. So it didn't matter that Monte had a good night shooting 3's with 7/14 numbers.
Emma Thorfinnson supplied key offensive fuel in the win: 13 points with several from the freethrow line. 'Waska finished .500 in conference too, at 7-7.

But girls end season
The satisfaction for Laker fans proved short-lived, alas. On February 22 the Lakers embarked on post-season play and their post-season ended up minimal. Their one game ended in a heartbreaking loss to Benson. The score at Benson was 39-38.
The teams were quite familiar with each other. They split their regular season contests. 'Waska was seeded fifth for Section 3AA-North play. The Benson position: fourth.
Things began on an encouraging note for the optimistic Lakers. They gained the early lead 7-2. Hannah Hoffmann hit a 3-pointer. But Benson got in the groove for what turned out to be a decisive 14-2 run. It was a costly six minutes for Minnewaska. Benson got up 26-14 as halftime neared. But Emma Thorfinnson answered with two 3-pointers in what remained of the half. The second of those was at the buzzer. So the Lakers got within seven.
The Lakers really bore down defensively in the second half. Benson went through a drought. Oh, but the 'Waska offense did its share of sputtering too. Opportunity lost for the Lakers. It seemed anybody's ballgame midway in the half. Benson showed poise at the freethrow line in front of their home fans. Freethrows built up their lead to six points, 39-33. Fifty-four seconds left to play.
Maddie Thorfinnson connected for the never-say-day Lakers. A dramatic '3' by Hannah Hoffmann pulled the Lakers to within a point. A last-gasp three-point try by the Lakers was no-go, thus the Benson Braves could celebrate a hard-earned win, 39-38.
The Thorfinnson girls topped 'Waska's scoring, Maddie T. with 13 points and Emma T. with 12. Hoffmann came through with ten. Five Laker seniors played their final game: Michele Stai, Hoffmann, Alexis Piekarski, Emma T. and Elizabeth Murken.

Wrestling in spotlight
Five members of the high-flying 'Waska wrestling unit have made the grade for state. Congrats to these Lakers: Easton McCrory (126), Tyson Meyer (170), Tyler VanLuik (195), Dylan Jergenson (220) and Jakob Swalla (285). All five were champions in the Section 5A meet in Long Prairie.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Barry Pepper shows acting chops in "Snow Walker"

Barry Pepper and Annabella Plugattuk

Many of us probably associate Barry Pepper most closely with his role in "Saving Private Ryan." He made an impression in that movie as the good guy sniper. He got up in the bell tower and sent hand signals about the composition of the approaching Germans, remember?
Pepper is one of those guys who is a total natural in his craft. Whatever he does, he "nails it." While I well-remember Pepper in the "Ryan" movie, it's not the first thing that pops into my head. I'm inclined to call him "Roger Maris." That was my first familiarity with him. He "nailed it" in uncanny fashion as the New York Yankees slugger from the 1961 baseball season. The movie was Billy Crystal's "61*" (asterisk intended).
Pepper's acting was so solid and yet I think the portrayal pushed a little mythology, as I don't think the real Maris was quite so lovable or endearing. He was a good guy but he could be a little cardboard and sullen. In reality he didn't come out of the dugout for such an extended time to wave his cap to the fans - it was more of a token gesture. I've seen the video.
 
Pepper in 2003 cinematic offering
Anyway, all this is my way of introducing the topic of a 2003 Pepper movie. He "nails it" which should go without saying, and in this case his appealing persona comes forward as a brash pilot in the arctic wilderness. The movie in focus here is "Snow Walker."
Let me emphasize: It would be bad form to heavily criticize the movie. It shows the human spirit and the ideal of sacrifice so fully. It shows the brotherhood of man: this desperate pilot and his very ill passenger who is from a quite different ethnic group. As a kid I learned the term "eskimo" which was just like "Indian." They were broad brush terms for identifying certain people who were out of the mainstream of the predominant Anglo-Saxons. We innocently learned the eskimo and Indian terms, not intending any harm. They of course lack precision, and the shortcut nature of the terms could be a basis for some prejudice. No prejudiced bones in my body.
Pepper's passenger is an "Intuit," people who for time immemorial have adapted to the unforgiving far north reaches.
I'm inclined to believe the bad guy character in the movie who expresses futility in the search for the missing pilot. He would not have been aware of the passenger. The bad guy, a pretty coarse and unfeeling person, and a partner cover what seems to be endless reaches of (godforsaken) land. He has background of the futile nature of such searches. His grasp of logic does not come across as sympathetic. It is part of our nature to hope for miracles. Furthermore, this hope is the foundation for many movies that aspire to happy endings.
But wait, "The Snow Walker" does not have a happy ending. I was disappointed to see such an uplifting move end this way. I actually wasn't prepared. Through most of the movie I was expecting the very sick passenger to be in tandem with the pilot as they would triumphantly make it out. The young female Intuit was so sympathetic, so lovable. I did find it implausible that she was so strong and dynamic through stretches of this movie while actually being close to death due to her health crisis. It was as if a scene was carefully inserted here and there to remind of the health situation - a cough, a little blood - but the rest of the time she seemed hale, hearty and ingenious. We rooted for both of them so much.
Traces of love between them? No, that did not become evident. They have a bond nevertheless. The movie is set in 1953 so the Pepper character is a WWII veteran of the flying forces. The movie inserts some "flashback" scenes where Pepper might be haunted in a PTSD kind of way. I had to feel amused as I considered the flashbacks so similar to what we saw in "Airplane." We saw these fleeting crisis scenes and weave them in with the travail of the character at present. In "Airplane" it was all farce/comedy of course. After seeing "Airplane," a friend and I were wondering "what war were they talking about?" Of course it was a generic type of construction, probably for humorous effect - hey it was "Airplane" - where "the war" becomes kind of a generic or throwaway thing. "It happened in the war." Dark humor, yes.
 
But in real life. . .
"The Snow Walker" strains credulity in exactly the same way as your average "survival" movie. Take "Castaway." Unless a person has real extensive, specific training for survival in the bare wild, hell it'd be hopeless, wouldn't it?
We see Pepper's character, "Charlie Halladay," in a futile trek by himself from the crash site. He was going to send help for the passenger. He had flown off his planned route, so rescue efforts weren't likely to locate them. But Halliday blunders again, getting soaked in water which would surely make him ill, wouldn't it? His "eskimo" companion decides not to just sit there. No doubt concerned about Halliday's welfare, this character named "Kanaalaq" played by Annabella Plugattuk, tracks him down and rescues him. He had been assaulted by merciless bugs or mosquitoes. She knows the cure for such things. The mutual survival bond quickly forms.
At one point she speaks to him about the afterlife in Intuit culture, how a gentle voice descends on you and says "it's OK." Such thoughts became comforting and reassuring as the movie ends. Death can be accommodated. Not sure if I felt all that much consolation. Pepper makes it to civilization: a group of Intuits. He will be whisked back to his old associates, we can assume, and they've already held a memorial service for him. Well, Tom Sawyer outlived his funeral, he in fact showed up for it!
No, I do not want to rip "The Snow Walker" because of its gentle tone and the compassion it projected. It would be bad form but I was let down too much by the sadness at the end. It seemed unnecessary, as for so long the pair looked prime to overcome their adversity - the girl could make it to medical care. The sense of miracle would have made everyone exhilarated.
But no, the end was somber, totally somber.
"Josey Wales" had to let his companion die due to lack of medical treatment. Same thing here.
 

Pepper's top role, in my mind

Toward art, not box office
Pepper undertook this project, I'm sure, knowing he wasn't headed for big box office. Given the sacrifice, I wish he would have made a happier movie. I was struck and amused at the times when he spoke lines in the same manner, the same inflections, as when he played Roger Maris! I guess Pepper will always be Maris to me. I was six years old in 1961. While I was too young to pay much attention then, within a few years I was quite interested in baseball and learned all about the 1961 home run race with Maris and Mantle.
"Saving Private Ryan" has become iconic in part because it chose to be so absolutely realistic. I have always felt that wasn't necessary. We all know with common sense that war is unspeakably violent, gruesome etc. The earlier "sanitized" war movies taught us a lot about what happened in the war without all the blood and screams.
Pepper made his mark in several movies, a list that includes "The Green Mile," Flags of Our Fathers" and "True Grit." As much ground as he's covered, he's still a relatively young man. Well, age 49 which by my standards is young and hearty! I hope to see him in more iconic roles.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Low-budget "Crater Lake Monster" (1977) is OK

"The Crater Lake Monster" is a title that could only tantalize sci-fi fans. The 1977 'B' movie was never going to enter the pantheon of sci-fi classics. That was because of its threadbare budget. Knowing the budget, a movie fan is tempted to watch just to see how good a movie could be made.
Watching it for the first time now in 2020, yours truly made it all the way through. I must say, it never felt like a chore. A tip of the hat is in order for the movie's creators.
A cheap sci-fi movie might suggest "camp." The creators might even weave in some camp, so to get a certain irreverent audience. Perhaps the best camp is non-intentional. But "The Crater Lake Monster," despite its rough edges and obscure actors/actresses, is nicely put together, really.
The '70s are baked in with rotary-dial phones, a casual affinity for alcohol, tight-fitting clothes (ouch) and cars that rolled off the Detroit assembly lines in the planned obsolescence days. We get a slice of small town life with a most "white bread" population. People's horizons had not yet been expanded by technology. (Analog technology doesn't count.) Life moved at a discernibly slower pace.
If anyone ended up "stealing" this movie, it was the two guys who rented out boats. Blundering rubes, yes. They had a volatile relationship but with an undercurrent of affection. Lest there be any doubt about the latter, we see one grieving for the other, speechless and staring, after the "monster" did its number. Glenn Roberts played Arnie Chabot. Mark Siegel played Mitch Kowalski.
 
The primitive monster lurks
In one sense the monster is like the Loch Ness one. But I sensed more similarity with the mythic (?) "Champ" creature of Lake Champlain in the U.S.
We see cave drawings as the movie begins, indicating a dinosaur-like creature may have once confronted homo sapiens in these environs. A meteor comes crashing down in a scene reminding me of "War of the Worlds." Crude special effects here but it propels the story.
The meteor lands in the large lake, heating up the water to "incubate" an ancient egg. Thus we get the monster which is presented as a "plesiosaur." We have heard the plesiosaur theory in connection with "Nessie." I do not believe the creatures were amphibious, yet in the "Crater Lake" movie it proceeds onto land - harmless artistic license IMHO.
Today this movie might be made with CGI. Fascinating how CGI began as seeming like a miracle and now it seems tired and boring. The same arc as with Velcro (LOL)?
CGI wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye in 1977.
How to proceed with special effects? This is a roll-the-dice decision. The famous movie "The Lost World" w/ Claude Rains grappled with special effects on a limited budget; BTW that limitation was due to the duress felt by the Hollywood studios due to the "Cleopatra" $ debacle.
 
Economical use of technique
One option for dino special effects was "stop-motion," the great gift that Ray Harryhausen gave us. His classic scene was of the charging skeletons, remember? That might make a kid (like me once) want to keep the light on in the bedroom for a few nights. The original "King Kong" was made with stop-motion.
Extensive stop-motion effects did not come cheap. So, 1960's "The Lost World" had to eschew that and went the risky route of filming actual small lizards as if they were large! I'm sure the effects people held their breath over that. But the movie came off as legitimate sci-fi, successful enough to be featured in prime network TV slots in the 1960s.
You might assume that "Crater Lake" was too austere to tap stop-motion. However, if you watch this movie closely, you'll notice the monster scenes are very limited, as if only a few basic poses or situations needed to be shot. For sure some of these fleeting scenes could be re-used. Maybe shown backwards the second time? Someone described the special effects as "claymation."
The special effects surpassed what I was expecting for this movie. Don't be misled, though: "Count Floyd" of SCTV would not consider this movie "scary." Perhaps a very young child would be scared, that's all. I did not laugh at the dino scenes - I was engaged in the proper way.
A plot absurdity can happen here and there even in the most elaborate and expensive movies. For example, how on earth could Will Smith just jump into an alien spaceship and fly it into space, like in "Independence Day?" When Charlton Heston first heard the apes speaking English, couldn't he have been suspicious that he had landed back on Earth (in "Planet of the Apes")? Hollywood people lose sleep all the time, no doubt, over whether implausible elements can be ignored.
We wonder while watching "The Crater Lake Monster" why a common robber would go into a liquor store and shoot and kill two people for a pint of booze!
The plot was weaved by a person or persons trying to create something meaningful. We came to understand and empathize with the characters, especially the two rubes with their boats. The guys would inspire a Moe Bandy/Joe Stampley song (from the 1970s, like the movie).
The sheriff is a key guy and he is so genuinely small-townish - he seems in charge of everything in his office, with paternalistic air. Richard Cardella plays Sheriff Steve Hanson. (Had to be a WASP-y guy, right?)

An irresistible affinity?
We wonder if any of us are really too different from Arnie and Mitch. We wonder if they are even aware of their own hardscrabble existence. The town suggests country music songs. One wonders upon watching this 1970s offering, if a bigger budget could make the story work as a bona fide hit. (Geez, re-construct the robber a little.)
I'm inclined to think some movies should simply not be re-made or re-imagined. The very unpretentious aspect of "The Crater Lake Monster" is an essential element. We can use our imagination to project bigger stars and more elaborate special effects. Let it stay in our imagination. What seemed real and endearing to me was the prolonged somber look on the guy's face as he is shocked and crestfallen at the loss of his friend. The dispatched plesiosaur lies nearby.
There is the inescapable feeling of Arnie and Mitch as being forlorn. Ah, "the majority of men lead lives of quiet desperation." They showed a modicum of enterprise with their boat rentals. We sense that within their humble reality they could find happiness. Maybe we all can see a little of ourselves in those guys, with the web of impulses like anger, jealousy, partnership and in the end, love.

Not on screen a lot, but effective

A footnote regarding the monster: I read once that the real plesiosaurs were underwater denizens that could not have lifted their head higher than the rest of their body - weight distribution. That spoils a good story of course because sci-fi would surely have them wreaking havoc with their menacing heads and necks.
"Jurassic Park" is the gold standard of such movies but it really just continued a pretty impressive line. Remember "The Valley of Gwangi" with its cowboys and prehistoric animals? The big dino in that movie was an allosaurus. The movie starred James Franciscus who gained fame as "not being Charlton Heston" (in the "Planet of the Apes" series). Talented man, Mr. Franciscus. I guess he was to Charlton Heston what James Whitmore was to Spencer Tracy.
The actors/actresses in "The Crater Lake Monster" are from down on the list, but this isn't to say they didn't submit serviceable acting. They did. And I did make it to the end of the movie, which was task No. 1 for writing today's post. I really give credit to everyone involved. The proof is in the pudding, or money. Amen! The budget for the movie was $100,000. The box office was three million. Enough said? Actually I wonder if Hollywood is really happy with low-budget movies that do well. Too many artistic issues can be presented IMHO.
The director was Wiliam Stromberg who also co-wrote with actor Cardella. Music was by Will Zens, uncredited. The distributor was Crown International Pictures. C'mon, let's raise a toast to "The Crater Lake Monster," you too "Count Floyd."
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Minnewaska wrestlers win, then lose in 5A duals

Lakers 67, BBE 7
'Waska certainly played the role of a highly-ranked team at the outset of post-season duals. I hope the fans enjoyed it while it lasted. 'Waska's exhilaration would be short-lived, as on the heels of the big 67-7 win over BOLD on Tuesday, the Lakers got stopped in their tracks by BBE.
Let's focus first on the Tuesday success, most savory, affirming the team's high state status. They've been as high as third. Minnewaska won 12 of the 14 bouts against the BOLD Warriors. So they climbed to the Section 5A finals. Fans at the home gym, Glenwood-Starbuck, enjoyed the 67-7 rout. The Lakers were seeded third in Section 5A while BOLD was No. 6.
At 106 pounds, Nick Ankeny of the Lakers won by a 13-2 major decision over Brady Kiecker. 113-pounder Mason Schiffler pinned Gavin Hammerschmit of the Warriors in :31. The Laker 120-pounder was Jacob Blair and he edged Austin Kiecker in a 7-6 outcome. Easton McCrory at 126 was awarded a forfeit.
David Lilienthal at 132 handled Rylan Gass with a fall in 1:18. Chase Boelke got his arm raised via forfeit at 138. Momentum kept rolling as Keygan Cruz pinned Neil Young in 3:55. Mason Blair was the Laker 152-pounder and he won by fall in 1:41 over Jesse Manderscheid. BOLD got a win at 160 where Anthony Maher major-decisioned Ryan VanLuik 9-0.
Laker Tyson Meyer at 170 pinned Jordan Amberg in 3:39. Nathan Rankin of the Lakers worked to a fall in 1:15 over Blake Flann. Tyler VanLuik at the 195-pound slot won by fall over Gavin Moudry in :19.
Bring on the big guys! First it was Dylan Jergenson getting his arm raised at 220 with his pin of Sheldon Enriquez, time of 1:02. The 285-pound battle was between Jakob Swalla of 'Waska and Brady Ridler of BOLD, and the BOLD guy won an 11-4 decision.

BBE 38, Lakers 23
I guess you could say the vaunted Lakers ran into a buzz saw as the mat action continued. Their assignment Friday was to wrestle third-ranked and second-seeded Brooten-Belgrade-Elrosa, the Jaguars. Action was again at 'Waska.
BBE came on strong between 126 and 160 pounds to frustrate and deny the Lakers.
BBE had a skein of six wins in the dual. So the Jaguars were on a path to the finals. They turned back the Lakers in the 38-23 score. The Lakers were fourth-ranked and had the No. 3 seed. It was a meeting of mat juggernauts. A rousing ovation was called for at the end.
The following review will report the Lakers' names first, so at 106 pounds it was Nick Ankeny losing by fall to Wyatt Engen in 1:09. Mason Schiffler at 113 pounds was dealt a loss by fall in 4:36 at the hands of Walker Bents. Jacob Blair won by a 3-2 decision over Ryan Jensen. Easton McCrory at 126 lost by a 12-3 major decision to Tyler Jensen.
Caden Koziol was dealt a major decision loss by Maximum Hanson, 15-4. At 138 pounds, Chase Boelke lost by a 10-0 major decision to Blaine Fischer. Then at 145, Keygan Cruz was pinned by Taiton Linder in 3:22. Mason Blair was on the short end of a 12-3 major decision at the hands of Canon Swanson.
160-pounder Ryan VanLuik lost by major decision to Dylan Kampsen, 11-2. You can see that major decisions really helped the Jaguars build up their point total. At 170 pounds it was Tyson Meyer winning by a 20-4 technical fall over Evan Young. Nathan Rankin was the 182-pounder and he decisioned Cooper Wold 4-3.
Tyler VanLuik prevailed at 195 pounds over Michael Doubek, 11-5. Dylan Jergenson came on strong for 'Waska at 220 as he pinned Austin Klaphake in :47. Big guy Jakob Swalla decisioned Bryce Fauerhake 6-1.

Boys basketball: Lakers 62, Sauk Centre 58
The Laker boys of the hoops world continued giving their fans excitement Thursday, as they worked to a 62-58 win over Sauk Centre. The Lakers improved to 9-4 in conference. They have a hiatus now before embarking on a three-game road stretch that will mark the end of the regular season. Action resumes Thursday against BBE.
The success vs. the Streeters upped the Lakers' overall mark to 15-6. It was a tale of two halves, the first belonging to 'Waska, the second to Sauk Centre, but the first half ruled the day. 'Waska was up by 15 at halftime, 35-20, and when the two halves were done, the scoreboard story was a nice 62-58 win. Sauk showed quality with a 38-27 advantage in the second half. Sauk's record: 7-15.
'Waska had two players with 14 points and another two with 13. Scoring 14 were Grant Jensen and Sam Hested. Scoring 13 were Peyton Johnsrud and Aaron VerSteeg. Drew Nelson and Luke Barkeim each added four points to the mix. Johnsrud, Hested and VerSteeg each made a '3'. VerSteeg's seven rebounds put him on top of that list. Brady Hoffman had two steals, and Barkeim and Hoffman each blocked a shot.
Let's look at the Streeters where we see Logan Suelflow with the game-high 18 points. Jay Neubert scored 15 and Macoy Thiesen eleven. Completing the list are Isaiah Hornick (8), Mathew Warring (2) and Riley Gritz (2). The individual totals here add up to 56 points, not 58 - info is from the Willmar paper. Sauk had a decent three-point attack as we see Suelflow and Neubert each with three makes, Hornick with two and Thiesen with one.

Girls: Lakers 47, MACA 45
The 'Waska Lakers played a mighty exciting game in girls hoops Thursday. Rival MACA, the Tigers, were on the other side. The Tigers gave the Lakers all they could handle. Truly this was a game of two halves. 'Waska dominated in the first with a 33-15 advantage. Alas, the wind went out of the Lakers' sails in the second but not enough to deny victory.
The Lakers were outscored by the Tigers in the second half, 30-14, but that difference wasn't enough to deny 'Waska victory. Fans at Glenwood-Starbuck could cheer robustly at the end. Their team had hung on for a 47-45 victory. It was 'Waska's eleventh triumph. MACA came into the game with pretty good credentials.
The Thorfinnson girls were important. Maddie T. was atop the scoring list with 13 points and Emma T. connected for eight. In between was Avery Hoeper whose contribution was ten points. The rest of the list has Isabella Ortendahl with six points, Michele Stai with four and Hannah Hoffmann and Alexis Piekarski each with three.
The Thorfinnson girls had long-range successes as Emma made two 3's and Maddie made one. Hoffmann made the other 'Waska '3'. Maddie exceled in other stat categories as she led in rebounds with seven, steals with three and blocked shots with one.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Yes Virginia there was a Morris Fall Festival

The image shows buttons from the days of disco music!
 
The steady retreat of Prairie Pioneer Days (PPD) hasn't caused as much discussion or "buzz" as I might have expected. You might suggest this is worrisome, a dearth of interest in community events.
Do you agree there is such a dearth? Do you agree that too many people here seek to go elsewhere on weekends, primarily in summer?
And, are many of our purported "community leaders" in that category? You might say they talk the talk but do not walk the walk of being community leaders. They sure can talk, I know from personal observation. But in terms of actions, we have seen diminished commitment.
Believe me, the creation of Prairie Pioneer Days in the early '80s was a big deal. I was with the newspaper, obviously, and I remember working with Catherine Huebner of Extension to puff up the newly-created event. We were going "big league" with our community event, on a level hopefully with Glenwood's long-celebrated Waterama. I sure thought we succeeded.
Yes, the event did lose some luster through the years. I probably didn't set a good example at the end, as the only part I attended in the last year (of the longstanding format) was the Hancock bluegrass group at the museum lawn. That was enjoyable. There was a musical attraction at the park Saturday evening that year. It was a "Christian singer." I teased Jim Morrison about how he'd have to have that on his calendar: he rather notoriously disliked this genre of music.
It was nice to see a special attraction Saturday evening, because one of my pet peeves was how the park would go quiet Saturday night to accommodate Miss Morris. Miss Morris was held at the park at the outset of Prairie Pioneer Days. Then things got fancy, we got affiliated with Miss Minnesota - got the scholarship term thrown in (to show this wasn't a "bimbo" event, right? - and it had to go indoors.
If I remember right, it was held at UMM's Edson Auditorium at least one year. And I believe it was there, where we saw the wrong girl announced as Miss Morris! The correct girl had the last name Stoick. And it was in that same general time period in which we saw the wrong girl announced as junior attendant for the MAHS Homecoming. Wow! The oddity would go viral online today. I considered drawing a little cartoon with someone holding a paint brush next to a newly finished sign: "Welcome to Morris, home of coronation screw-ups."
I doubt the Stevens County Museum will ever give attention to this or other "oddball" things from our community's past. That's where my online writing comes in. Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it. As for my ability to remember stuff, let's quote Mark Twain: "When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not, but I am getting old and soon I shall remember only the latter."
 
Fall Festival in the 1970s here
I sincerely try to remember everything. Like for example, the Morris Fall Festival. After our summer Prairie Pioneer Days got the ax, I engaged some friends in conversation and reflection, and pointed out the old Morris Fall Festival. Mostly they didn't remember. It was the precursor to PPD. People like Huebner assessed that event, and even though satisfied, thought we could move up a notch. Hence, PPD.
I have very pleasant memories of the Morris Fall Festival. The problem with recalling this event, is that many people confuse it with a later event that had the same name, at the fairgrounds. Vicky Dosdall ran that - I believe it is no longer held. Kudos to her.
Well, the PPD of today has moved to the fairgrounds. I had no interest in attending the first PPD there last year.
 
East Side Park was the hub
I have the richest memories of PPD at East Side Park. My late parents loved attending it, dining at Luther's Eatery, listening to the Morris Community Band etc. I'm told the community band was not invited to play at the park in PPD's last year there. That's amazing for more than one reason. The Killoran stage was built precisely for this type of group. And besides, it's the Morris Community Band!
What gives? Unfortunately, I have heard a quite discouraging theory from a well-known person. I think we all feel this individual's theory likely has validity. So here goes: this network of community leaders includes people who really don't want to hang around in Morris in summer. I guess what we're suggesting here is sabotage, or to use gentler words, a self-fulfilling prophecy. People didn't want to be bothered with it any more.
Did this infect the Chamber of Commerce? Should we respond by doing less business in Morris? Well, business vitality appears in retreat anyway - closures and/or consolidation. Does the Chamber have much of a purpose any more? Good question.
The Chamber was proud to be associated with the old Morris Fall Festival. The Fall Festival was held at the park in the days before the stage. My No. 1 memory is of Lee Temte w/ guitar freelancing his entertainment around the park. Temte would be in the list of well-known characters from our community's past.
Our PPD has not only moved to the fairgrounds and into the fall months, it has been cut back since. This is unbelievable. We learn that it's now one day. This inspired a clever observation by the now-departed newspaper editor: Let's call it "Prairie Pioneer Day." Humor or a subtle putdown? We can't disregard the latter.
I have a treasured photo of my parents at East Side Park for PPD, a photo taken by Bettina Blake. Sometime I'll have it scanned and share it. Del Sarlette does that for me, like he did of the buttons that you see with this post. Thanks again, Del.
Del and I are early-1970s vintage for Morris High School - no "Area" - and as we get older, we find our memories of Morris history to be more precious. We were both involved in the Morris Centennial in 1971. Now, that goes way back, doesn't it? We take for granted these memories, but we should work to ensure there's still a viable community memory.
And hey, our Sesquicentennial is supposed to be coming up in 2021! I have to seriously wonder now if enough people are going to care, in order to have a special commemoration. I'd like to be pleasantly surprised. I'm prepared for the opposite, though.
The last year PPD was at the park, I was beginning to see "ribfest" as being too dominant, perhaps pushing aside other attractions. I should give credit to the ribfest people for at least being fired up. The whole purpose of this post is to encourage that stance. There are a couple side issues with ribfest that I'd prefer not discussing here, and it may be I'm off-base being alienated at all.
It looks like our upcoming summer calendar will be basically barren. Let me just say that I think it's sad.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Carrington scores 21, Tigers defeat Melrose

Tigers 71, Melrose 57
The MACA girls played with a more upbeat flair than the boys to close out the week. The girls' story was a 71-57 win on Friday. Not only upbeat, it was a turnaround from when the Tigers previously played Melrose: outcome of 29-32 - man, just 29 points! - on January 7. So, fans at the home gym had much to cheer Friday. They cheered our 13th win against eight losses. Melrose came out of the night at 14-7.
The Tigers were in command through first half play. At halftime the score was 38-24. The second half was a 33-all standoff.
The story the previous night wasn't so great as the MACA boys were humbled by Melrose in a rather offense-starved game by the Tigers. (The boys scored 110 against ACGC.)
The MACA girls' offense on Friday had MacKenna Kehoe hitting two 3-point shots. Meredith Carrington and Emma Bowman each made one from that range. Carrington topped the scoring list with 21 points. She was joined in double figures by Bowman (15), Malory Anderson (12) and Kehoe (10).
Other contributors were Kylie Swanson (7), LaRae Kram (4) and Kendra Wevley (2). Anderson and Carrington led in rebounds with seven and six respectively. Three Tigers each had three assists: Carrington, Kehoe and Anderson. Carrington showed an aggressive stance with her seven steals. Anderson and Wevley each had two blocked shots.
The Melrose stats show a dominant force in scoring. This was Makayla Luetmer with 28 points for game-high. But she needed more support from the rest of the cast. Second-high was Kinsey Wensmann with the modest total of eight. Kyja Birch scored six followed by Ashley Rademacher, Audrey Welle and Maddie Rosenberger each with four. Amy Austing scored three points on Melrose's only three-pointer.
 
Wrestling: MAHACA 57, Benson 21
The MAHACA wrestlers impressed in their dual vs. Benson in the West Central Conference Dual Tournament on Thursday. Tyce Anderson pinned Ed Wah in 3:27 at 106 pounds, putting the orange and black on its way to a 57-21 win over the Braves.
The 113-pound bout had Dallas Walton of the Tigers winning by fall too: a 2:51 job over Macoy Kurkosky. Benson notched a win at 120 where their combatant was Reece Larson. Larson pinned our Caden Rose in 1:16. Bring on the 126-pounders: here it was our Davin Rose winning by fall over Colby Hogrefe in :50.
Roses in February! How about that. Dylan Rose at 132 pounds was in pinning form and his success was vs. Preston McGee (:49). Dain Schroeder stepped forward at 138 pounds but didn't have to work to get his win - he was awarded a forfeit. Toby Messner was in pinning form at 145 pounds. He got Ayden Ehmke's shoulders pinned to the mat in :42.
Noah Amundson likewise came on strong at 152 pounds. Noah pinned Tyler Stewart in 1:26. Josh Rohloff at 160 pounds won by an 11-5 decision over Teagan Hogrefe. Then at 170, Hunter Gibson got the job done vs. Nathan Bolduc: a fall in 1:12. Benson's Thomas Dineen was the victor at 182 pounds with his 8-1 decision vs. Dalton Rose.
Dillon Nelson was unchallenged at 195 pounds so he was awarded a forfeit. Tristian Raths at 220 came on strong to win by fall over Jack Storlien in :47. Bring on the big guys, and here we saw Benson's Alden Syltie pin Carter Gibson in 1:04.
The Tigers would end up in the third place dual of this big WCC affair, where they lost to United in a 55-24 outcome.

Minnewaska boys 79, ACGC 68
Minnewaska Area's stock is rising in boys hoops in this neck of the woods. Indeed, on the heels of the Lakers' huge win over BOLD, they're creating more excitement. The BOLD game was on Thursday and then, not missing a beat, the Laker squad treated their fans to more of same on Friday. The Friday story was a 79-68 win over ACGC at home.
Oh, there was nothing routine about the win, as 'Waska trailed the Falcons at halftime by eight. But the Lakers came out with drive for the second half and they buried the Falcons 50-31, leading to the final score of 79-68 with 'Waska prevailing.
The 'Waska record is now 14-6. ACGC was left at 8-12.
Grant Jensen paced the Lakers in scoring with 27 points. Three other Lakers posted double-digit totals: Peyton Johnsrud (17), Aaron VerSteeg (13) and Luke Barkeim (10). Three other Lakers scored: Sam Hested (5), Drew Nelson (4) and Brady Hoffman (3). Johnsrud and Jensen each made two 3-pointers while Hested, Nelson and VerSteeg each made one.
Hested and Barkeim led in rebounds with ten and eight respectively. Hested dished out two assists. VerSteeg had three steals. Hoffman blocked a shot.
Dawson Miller was the big scorer for ACGC with 27 points. Steven Lawver put in 14 for the Falcons, Josh Kinzler eleven and Braeden Pickle ten. Shelby Shoen added six to the mix. The Falcons were pretty sharp in 3's where Lawver led the charge with three. Kinzler, Shoen and Miller each made a pair of long-rangers, and Pickle made one.
Miller led in rebounds with eight and Kinzler had four. Kinzler and Pickle were top assist producers with six and four, respectively. Kinzler had three steals and Pickle had two.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Get up in the morning, find out the winner?

"Dark Star" of WCCO Radio, RIP

"It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are."
- Clive James
 
I acquired a new sound system long ago, clunky by today's standards but considered up to snuff at the time. It included a turntable. There was also a radio unit which I found almost impossible to use. I was informed, seriously, that the unit was "so advanced," it was difficult to figure out. Well. . .
We seem to be observing a like occurrence in the state of Iowa. What would be the term for this, new sophisticated systems that not only confuse and disappoint, they fail abjectly. So, Iowa is dealing with the aftermath of such a situation.
It's a state that has always been the butt of jokes. Seems to me like a pleasant enough state - but there are no cities large enough to support big league sports. That's what matters, right?
I have a friend with some background about the state. He said a certain type of ice develops in winter in Iowa, a type that requires some adjustment if you're not from the place.
We're tempted in Minnesota to think states to the south must afford some comfort due to a more gentle winter. Then again, it is said that the summer heat and humidity in those mid-America states creates discomfort. Perhaps the discomfort can match the depths of our Minnesota winters. Perhaps we have an advantage with our crisp snow in winter compared to the greater slushiness to the south. I remember an op-ed on these matters once, and it suggested that if you look around when driving through states like Iowa and Missouri in winter, "you won't see people doing anything outside."
But right now the issue is Iowa with its spectacular failure with its somewhat famous caucuses. The embarrassment was caused by the Democrats unfortunately. Let's not vote accordingly. The problem isn't ideology, it's tech and its mystifying powers. Like yours truly grappling with my long-ago sound system.
A system that is too advanced to be understood, or that breaks down to the point of abject failure, is pointless to implement. Think of the origination of the expression "get a horse!" It goes back to when cars were young and obviously presented their challenges. Advanced tech always wins in the end.
Upon learning of the Iowa Democrats' fiasco, I immediately remembered a comment by "Dark Star," whose voice was on WCCO radio for a long time. He is deceased. Dark Star reported a feeling of basic shock and incredulousness, upon arising the morning after the Bush-Gore election. He felt it was assumed that you could just get up on the morning after a presidential election and "find out who won." We plunged into the "hanging chad" mess from Florida and awaited court decisions. Many feel the Supreme Court handed the election to Bush.
It was redux with the Iowa caucuses of the current time: we couldn't assess results the morning after. Instead there was a fog of partial results and questionable results. So, this is where technology has brought us?
 
Memorable voice on radio
Let's remember Dark Star a little more: he was a pretty unhinged person, sometimes making candid and indelicate remarks which could pass in that earlier time but would be too un-P.C. today. One thing I have noticed about cable TV news today: there must be an understood rule prohibiting comments about any women based on "looks." That's a P.C. thing having to do with the "objectification of women." Women bore the brunt of the earlier abuse but the abuse could happen to anyone, like overweight people. Barack Obama once described Kamala Harris as "good looking" and then had to apologize. Isn't that something? (Wouldn't Dean Martin be rolling over in his grave?)
It's probably a good policy but none of us can deny that we evaluate people on the unacceptable criteria sometimes - we're just not supposed to say so.
Back in the days when I was on board with football enthusiasm, I loved the chemistry of Dark Star with Bob Lurtsema on the Vikings post-game shows. I am now ashamed of the enthusiasm I felt about football then. Those young men are beating themselves up out there. They do it because of the cheers and the money. We need to stop this system.
Dark Star could be candid and honest to a fault. These are endearing but also risky qualities. He had the kind of insights we notice in our personal friends who are salespeople by occupation. They "read" people masterfully, an important skill but scary sometimes too. There are some windows we don't want opened too much.
Whither the state of Iowa in light of the caucus debacle? The Iowa caucus tradition is most likely done now. If you wish to wax sentimental or positive about the Hawkeye state, let's remember the old song from "State Fair": "All I Owe Ioway." The song was not in the Bobby Darin version of the early 1960s. I remember an older version that paid homage to the state with this song. A portion of the lyrics:
 
Oh, I know all I owe I owe Ioway
I owe Ioway all I owe and I know why
I am Ioway born and bred
And on Ioway corn I'm fed 
 
The Morris paper, the water treatment subject
Really, I think our newspaper based in Morris - call it "Morris" or "Stevens County" - is fading away. This is just an objective assessment. People in the know say the Forum was going to pull the plug on the paper. So, the headwinds must evidently be great. Should we care? People my age are inclined to say yes, not so much the younger crowd.
The paper seems careless with this week's edition: the preponderance of Hancock news in the first couple pages has become downright irritating. This is the worst it's ever been. Surely the paper has received comments about this. I mentioned the issue to someone yesterday and her response was that Katie Erdman's background was Hancock. I guess Katie is the interim editor. There's been no announcement about a permanent editor, has there? Will we see one?
Katie is probably happy to hang in there. She gets benefits from the government as a senior citizen. The new owners are reportedly not generous with benefits, not like the Forum. I am informed that an ad salesperson has left here and gone back to the Forum in its Willmar paper. Because of benefits? I'd bet that's the case. Someone mentioned that there's only one "holdover" from the Forum regime in Morris. I guess that would be Nancy. Such rapid turnover.

Whither our softener equipment?

I miss the Morris paper's office being right across from the Post Office. Pacific Avenue is out of the way.
The current issue of the Morris paper finally, finally, has a decent exploration of the water treatment matter in Morris, but it's too late. Confusion has circulated for quite a while. I appreciate the new article because it supports the sense of confusion I had - I was not off-base feeling that confusion.
I have written five or six blog posts on the subject. If I remember correctly, I think the first one hit the nail on the head especially well: Remember that the City of Morris has an agenda of satisfying higher government layers, layers that command a reduction of chloride emissions.
I'm not sure how urgent that goal needs to be. Is it trumped up? Is it government running amok? This happens sometimes.
So the city in its desperation is going to try to get as many people and places as possible to disconnect their softeners. Is this a problem? Yes it could be, in the sense many people might be misled into thinking that disconnecting is enough and no special softening of water is needed.
The more I read and hear about this, the more I'm inclined to think some softening is wise and prudent. The issue isn't whether the new water is "safe to drink," although the city chooses to stress that - another vital issue is whether it's wise to have the new system running through your house or institution.
The first time you notice a dripping faucet, it may be due to water that is too hard. And then you'll have a plumbing bill. The new City of Morris water, softened to five grains of hardness, is classified as "moderately hard" according to information online that appears incontrovertible.
This week's top of page 1 article in our Morris paper supports my conclusions and suspicions. You see, the City of Morris does not want to go around telling people "you'll have to disconnect your old non-adjustable softener and spend a couple thousand dollars on a new one." The City knows this approach will grate on many of their constituents. But hell, they just have to get the chloride level down, to satisfy the government people who are watching over.
I have settled my personal situation, albeit with a grimace or two. A frustrating process ended when I got a new softener, following the advice of Eco Water which I now feel was sound. I was unsure for a time. The process happened just before the Christmas season and put me in a lousy mood for the season, unfortunately. I ended up buying some "New Year's cards" at the dollar store to send to some friends and relatives, because I got too late for Christmas cards, sorry. A couple of these people didn't even answer me. It's regrettable.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Tigers succumb to #1-ranked BOLD at the end, 75-72

Quite the atmosphere Friday night at the Morris Area High gym. We're into February when prep sports does so much helping us cope with the extended nature of winter. On Friday the fans were treated to a barnburner, indeed. Our orange and black was up against the top-ranked team in the state! Yes, the BOLD Warriors.
The Tigers summoned a terrific challenge vs. the vaunted Warriors. BOLD had to escape with a win by the thin margin of three points. The final score was 75-72. BOLD escaped with a W/L record of 19-0. The MACA record: 9-6. BOLD led 40-36 at halftime. The second half was a stalemate.
Today's (Saturday) coverage in the West Central Tribune does not tell us about dramatics at the end of the game. I heard some talk about the dramatics at DeToy's Restaurant where I had breakfast. So I consulted with the KMRS/KKOK site and was able to learn something. The very nice review there confirms what I heard at the restaurant. There was a '3' at the end that gave BOLD the margin of victory. Jordan Sagedahl provided those dramatics for the talented BOLD crew.
Jordan sank a three-pointer with just 3.5 seconds showing on the clock. Hence, the three-point margin which gave BOLD its 19th victory. There are other dramatics we can learn from the radio station site, not in the Willmar paper. Like, the Tigers wiping out a 15-point second half deficit. Our surging got the score tied at 72 with 12 seconds showing. It was up to Sagedahl to connect from long-range at the very end. The Tigers let loose with a heave on the inbounds play. But it was Sagedahl who picked off the pass. The Warriors could breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate.
Fans saw the orange and black leading for much of the first half. The score stood 31-27 when BOLD finally got untracked to turn the tables some. So BOLD got its four-point lead at the halfway mark. And BOLD kept on showing superior play into the second half. BOLD lifted its lead to 15. Then the Tigers righted their ship to make a statement the rest of the way. It was anybody's ballgame at the end. Sagedahl settled the issue.
Jackson Loge was again a prime contributor for us: eleven field goals in 18 attempts and 26 points. Durgin Decker was seven of 13 in field goals and put up 16 points. Thomas Tiernan made six field goals in ten shots and had 13 points. Jaden Maanum scored ten while making half his shots. Cameron Koebernick had four points, Cade Fehr had two and Toby Gonnerman one. Our sophomores continued showing substantial punch. Decker, Tiernan and Loge are sophomores.
Let's take a look at 3's where Maanum made two in five tries. Loge made two 3's in five attempts. Decker and Tiernan each made one '3'. As a team we were six of 21 in 3's for 29 percent. Our total field goal numbers were 31-for-58, 53 percent. Our freethrows were few and far between but we made four of our five tries. Loge made two freethrows and Decker and Gonnerman one each.
Loge wrapped up 12 of our 26 rebounds. Maanum and Gonnerman each had four boards. Brandon Jergenson was the standout in assists with seven while Loge had six. Decker added four assists to the mix. Four Tigers each had one steal: Decker, Jergenson, Tiernan and Gonnerman. The stats show just one Tiger with blocked shots and this was Loge with six.

Sagedahl may have been the hero at the end but it was Gavin Vosika, senior guard, who led the Warriors in scoring with 33 points on 15-for-22 in shooting. There's more than one Sagedahl in the BOLD mix, and it was junior forward Drew who was second high in scoring: 19 points. Jordan is a senior forward and his scoring stat was 13 points.
BOLD had just five players in the scoring column. So let's cite Matt Moorse with his six points and Blake Plass with four. Moorse made noise with his two 3-pointers. His mates Drew Sagedahl and Vosika each made two long-rangers also. And of course we have Jordan with the biggest '3' of all. BOLD's rebound leaders were Drew Sagedahl (10), Vosika (6), Jordan Sagedahl (6) and Plass (5). Vosika had eight assists followed by Drew Sagedahl with four and Plass with three. Moorse was tops in steals with five.

Re-write textbooks?
Based on action by Republicans in the U.S. Senate, we might be said to be living under a different form of government now. Don't sweat it, it's not unprecedented. Monarchies have existed and thrived over time. Is that what we really want? Well, maybe it is. We have decided through our voting that Republicans should have a slight majority in the U.S. Senate. And it's Republicans who have decided to now toss out the rule of law and declare a monarchy in America.
We are now living under "King" Trump. My own personal opinion is contrary to this but it appears now that people like me have slipped into the minority, albeit by a very small margin. But we are the minority and maybe it's time we just recognize that the GOP has won, period. So let's just move forward with our new monarchy-based government, and seek happiness the best we can.
A final thought: Why does Alan Dershowitz have to appear on TV? Where is it written that this person has to get so much attention? Half the people with whom I talk at McDonald's have more intelligence than he does.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com