School referendums no longer a "slam dunk" here?

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I am getting up in years so I remember the days when it was like pulling teeth to get a school referendum passed in this community. We got dragged through an ordeal before the first spade of dirt got turned for the "new high school." There was a famous proposal that included a pool. 

Pools are often a matter of contention for communities. Because of my age I remember the "earthen pool" at Pomme De Terre City Park. That's the park out east of town on the dam reservoir, not to be confused with the Pomme de Terre Lake chain. Too many things named "Pomme de Terre" here? I wrote once about the "ghost town" of Pomme de Terre located close to Elbow Lake. Town had a good start but then too many breaks went against it. It shriveled up. Some vestiges are there. 

One can still visualize the "earthen pool" when you're out at the city park. There's a swampy place there now that has some ecological purpose. Just imagine Morrissites flocking there on a midsummer day. It had lifeguards! The lifeguards were kind of a bother because they had to take breaks. Also, they got so excited whenever anyone got on the dike. Don't see why the fuss was needed, but this was a government-supported facility and government has "rules." 

I assure you the earthen pool was a "thing" over several years. I began to realize it was really only an asset on very hot days. At least one child died there which is often cited as reason for the place's demise. 

Now we have the "spray park." It appears to be quite well used. I have used it as a substitute for taking a shower sometimes, as I am midway through my standard walk. But I only go out to the spray if there are no young kids close to me. Obviously people get nervous about protecting kids and that's OK within limits. 

We mustn't assume that older men who happen to be alone are some sort of danger. The fear built up through years of the Jacob Wetterling investigation. What a legacy of fear that left in its wake, fear that in many cases is misplaced. And LE actually had the perpetrator in its grasp early-on. I think that behind closed doors through the years, LE felt a certainty that the early suspect was indeed the perpetrator. They just couldn't nab him? Doesn't LE have tricks for dealing with almost anything? 

The perp might be free to this day if he was not found to have inappropriate (illegal) material on his electronic device. That was the ballgame. But in the meantime look at what our state got dragged through. 

Our community moves forward with amenities like the spray park. Still no substitute for a true swimming beach IMHO. The spray park is great for daycare groups and I often see Hispanics taking advantage. Good for them! I hear that Hispanic kids will probably be the foundation for the new high school soccer team. But I truly hope the appeal goes beyond them. We need to get local boys to abandon the sport of football. Soccer is a much better alternative than the time-honored alternative of cross country. Cross country places such a premium on being lightweight and wispy. It never was a bona fide alternative to football, therefore many boys responded to peer pressure and went out for football. 

 

Impressionable

I remember my first day of junior high at the Morris school. Junior high was grades 7-9. I'll never forget how our science teacher made it so clear he put football players on a pedestal. He had them stand. And I sat there feeling convinced that I was just not as worthy. You know, you just don't forget these things. 

Today I have the satisfaction of knowing I was lucky. I did not abuse my body and brain playing football. So at age 69 now, I don't have to worry about the effects. It's hard enough to get old - enough challenges the way it is. Will I ever have to take the vision test at the DMV again? 

Let's all hope for a wonderful Year 1 of the MACA soccer program. I think in a few years, football will exist as a "club" sport which means that not every little school will have its own football team. The peer pressure on boys will greatly subside. Morris will almost certainly be home to a regional type of "club" team because we have Big Cat field. I almost wish we didn't have it. 

Sports can adjust to the decline of football. What amazes me now are the leaps and bounds shown by women's basketball! Basketball is about as safe a sport as you can find. Plus it is played indoors so weather is not a factor. The jump in popularity of the pro game is making basketball a significant year-round sport: women play through the summer. Well that's great! We all know a certain individual player is responsible for the growth. Let's just call her a "catalyst." I think this was coming anyway.

 

Our Tuesday referendum

Ahem, so we had the school referendum on Tuesday and I might have yawned. These things have been such a far cry from what happened in the 1960s. They have become like actual "slam dunks." No sweat, no worry. So I didn't bother to vote. I would have voted "no." 

Softball complex, not well planned IMHO

School can always draw up a list of things they think they "need." I saw this vote as falling rather in that category, in other words a stretch. Seating at the tennis courts? I pointed this out to a school board member who sat at my table for church coffee on Sunday. Then I asserted: "What we really need is work on the seating at the softball complex." He did not respond. Well, maybe in a future referendum. 

The powers-that-be can always come up with new ideas. Problem with the softball complex would be that in order to develop seating, you'd probably have to re-configure the whole place. Why did the school board choose to sit there and listen to a UMM administrator? These are two separate institutions. And from UMM's standpoint, how does the "complex" serve their specific interests? It does not, it may even be inferior to what they had before. 

 

Bedfellows

So the UMM people ere "schmoozing" with community people? Personal ties and friendships come into play. I've been around the block more than a few times. UMM administrators have kids involved in youth sports too. But they should be laser-focused on UMM's exclusive needs. The U of M feels enough stress the way it is these days. I'm not sure the situation is too good for our Morris campus. 

I'm still offended about how the softball complex was unveiled for the public with the photo of "big shots" lined up for a "groundbreaking." Groups of people like this are always trying to get into our wallets. They sugar-coat everything. 

I compliment KMRS Radio for having the referendum results on its website this morning (Wednesday). The radio station website in my view has taken a tumble since Marshall Hoffman and Brett Miller left. I'm too discouraged about the website to even want to link to it from my blogs. But we "got the numbers" on the referendum this morning. Let's give credit where credit is due. 

So we know that school referendums might not be a "slam dunk" in the future.

But it did pass. Tennis supporters, applaud!

 

Addendum: The following is from "CambridgeCore": Scholars often use referenda as the plural for referendum. This choice is a hypercorrection—it may sound like proper Latin, but it is not. Referendums is always the correct choice. However, we maintain that there is value in using referendums for multiple events and referenda for multiple propositions.

   

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