"Personal" to Kathy from a fan

Please don't stop writing

Hi Kathy,

I was thinking about your email to Gretchen and your embarrassment when it became public. As you know the same thing happened to me. At the time I was kind of ticked. I have thought about this a little bit and have come to the following conclusions.

Both Stan and Tom are/were reporters and as such, any news is to be shared. They want to keep the blog going and as a "blog addict" (and a reader of everything, including cereal boxes :-), I really enjoy what is written, no matter how trivial.
I loved when Katherine Aga Lee sent in her two cents. I got a kick out of Jim Clifford and some of the guys reactions and comments when the Corner Bar was torn down. When Van Eastlund had his health problems, I was so happy when John Herdan kept us updated. Reading about and seeing pictures of weddings and other outings are not boring to me.

Some people have a way with the written word and because of this I think when they read things written as eloquently as your blogs are, they may get intimidated and be afraid to submit any of their own.

I live in Alex and have since I was 8 years old. You were so enthusiastic about the town that I looked at it with new eyes. I drive by Charlies Bazaar everyday on my way to and from work, but after you talked about how cool it was, I,a non shopper, had to check it out. (The owners would like to send you a thank you card by the way. Dave on the other hand was seen wincing as I came in with yet another Charlies' bag).

Where is this going? Please, please do not quit submitting to the blog. Stan could be right, about the fact that not many people actually read the blog. But for us that do, please keep contributing. You, Tom and other regulars are fun to read. You keep us connected.

Your fan, Bonita

Uff Da, those cardiac Cards are just too much, ja

By Tom Obert
Our 2nd-seeded cardiac Cards, reversing a season-long trend, jumped to a big early lead last night against 3rd-seeded Detroit Lakes, and then hung on for a 42 - 28 victory in front of an anxiety addled full-house at Citizens Field.
The Cards had a 28 - 7 lead at the half, so all was right with the world. But before we even ran one offensive play in the 2nd half, the score was 28 - 21. The Lakers scored on a long drive after receiving the 2nd half kick-off, and then scored again shortly thereafter when the Cards fumbled (one of 3 they lost on the night) the ensuing kick-off. When D.L. scored shortly into the 4th quarter, the scored was tied at 28. The Lakers basically ran two plays all night - option left and option right - and their quarterback and fullback proved difficult for the Cards to stop on those plays.
I think D.L. had around to 300 yards rushing. The Cards regrouped - and with our own potent offense (better balanced between run and pass) - scored on a beautiful catch and run by our star receiver, Derek Ludwig. And then, with less than a minute left in the game, on a 4th and 11 (just trying to run out the clock) from D.L.'s 37 (we thought we'd punt them down close to their goal line with little time left), our halfback, Ben Saari-Bovre, took a pitch-out and scored on a terrific run to wrap up the game.
Our quarterback, Eric Hartmann, was 9 - 13 passing with 3 touchdowns (2 to Ludwig) and had about 100 yards rushing. Saari-Bovre was close to 150 yards rushing as the Cards had over 400 yards of offense. Of course, we "coaches-in-the-stands" always want the Cards to throw more to Ludwig - he's 6'4", with good hands, and was 2nd in the state in the 400 meter dash.

Sartell next
So now, in a repeat of last year, the Cards (now 8 - 2 on the season) will face top seed Sartell in the Fargo Dome next Friday for the section championship. Sartell beat the Cards early in the year at Sartell. And also in a repeat of last year, the cub reporters will not be able to go to the game because of the Gopher Homecoming (oh, boy!) the following day. If the Cards win, however, we will host the first round of the final 8 the following week.

Girls volleyball
The cub reporters also went to their first-ever girls volleyball game this week (anything to break-up the monotony of the election season). Our 2nd-seeded Cards took on the 7th seeded Prowlers from Thief River Falls (are you paying attention, Sara?) in the first round of the section tournament - and won in 3 straight games. Just what we needed - another team to get all involved with.
The Cards appear to be a burgeoning power (remember they won back-to-back state championships in the mid-90's, with undefeated seasons), with a team comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores. How do 9th-grade girls get to be 6 feet tall? Our star player is 5' 9" sophomore Sam Dale - a terrific all-around athlete - who also batted clean-up on the softball team as a freshman.
Bud Bruzek said if Sam played basketball, the Cards would go the state tournament - with Bud's "next daughter" (Grace, I believe) as the point guard. Anyway, round two of the volleyball tournament will be here next Tuesday - and we plan on being there.

Only 19 days until the girls hockey home opener!

Not a postcard, not a note, not a how-do-you-do?

Sara Smith Sevey recently returned from a cruise somewhere. We don't know where or when or who she went with because she's sent nary a note or a photo.
Would those of you with greater influence than the trailboss please contact Sara and ask her to send some info forthwith? Bloggers want to know.

What is that line from "Dances with Wolves?"

"How come she don't write no more?"

Super Pete, friends and chicken chili

The following was never intended to be published on the blog. It was written as a private note between two good friends. But the trailboss got a copy of it and, with permission, reprints it for us here. The letter is actually a sweet essay about the importance of enduring friendships and the value they add to the places we love. Besides, it was deemed more interesting than hearing the cub whine about his mailbox. Please enjoy the change of seasons and your friends. -- TB

Will took the boat to the marina Sunday with Steve and Nicky helping - BRRRRRRRRR - He said it was SOOOOO cold, not higher than 38 degrees. He always wants to be about the last one off of the lake. Tries to get in all he can. Oh, by the way, he has his motorcycle today, silly guy -- the long goodbye. :-)
Had a great time in Alex. So fun to actually know people there. Had a great visit with Tom and Ruth at a cute coffee place. Walked with them to the senior center where they were going to eat pancakes! I know their motive was not the fundraiser but the fact that they just wanted to FEEL and LOOK young!

Yogurt covered pretzels
I walked around Broadway a bit, and then off to lunch with Diane Hoffman and Bonita Olson at Doolittles. Three hours -- not long enough! As always, no gossip. JUST discussed world peace and the upcoming elections :-)! Left there, stopped at Super Pete’s (different name now) and ran into Bonita again. I was looking for yogurt covered pretzels for a salad and Pete’s didn’t have any but they thought maybe a store in Peterson’s Drug (they didn’t say that) might have some special foods like that. :-)
I drove there, circled, looking for the parking lot and saw Tom’s Republican SUV at the new wine place. Very cute, -- the place, not the car! So stopped in there to say Hi.

Chicken chili
Then off to Rob’s for the annual fall-terry’s-hunting slumber party. We fixed snacks and Lynn showed up about 7:30 p.m. with chicken chili....we ate and ate. Something we all do well!
Rob and I got up about 6 on Sat. I threw together carmel rolls the night before and they raised beautifully.Rob made a great egg and sausage dish, with lots of cheese! We tossed all in the oven and woke Lynn about 8 for breakfast . After lots of eating and conversation, we went off to shop.
Wouldn’t Priscilla just laugh to hear I now shop in Alex? Friday after leaving Ruth and Tom, I stopped at Charlie's Bazaar and bought some rugs. Well, Saturday morning that was our first stop! When paying for more purchases, the gal was chatting with me, and, long story short, Denny Sherry sold all her family their insurance. She knew him well. :-)

Purse and slippers
There are great stores in Alex now. We also toured the new maritime museum that Rob works for (fantastic) and saw her office! She (and others) has been working with this for years and now it is wonderful to see how their hard work has paid off. Poked around main street for a couple of hours, then off to D Michael Bs for lunch. Then Herbergers, bought a new purse and slippers. There is a Herbergers on 494 but its not the same as shopping in Alex!!!! HA.

Tried retirement
Do you remember me telling you that G'ma Jen worked for Herbergers in St. Cloud for 47 years??!! When we were cruisin' thru Herbergers, I heard, “Kathy Sherry!” It was Lynne Spellman! :-)
She works there in, hmmmm, maybe the makeup department or similar. She tried retirement for 18 months and said, "how often can you vacuum?" She is happy to be busy again!
So, long story short. It was fun to see so many. For years, going to Alex every other Saturday, I didn't see ANYONE. What a difference. Even makes the town look more inviting to me. Hee Hee.

Gotta go to work
later, k

A long-winded anti-war liberal gets a response

Tom Obert writes: It is not paranoia if they really are out to get you!!
Ruthie had two paid political letters in the newspaper this week, and I had a 450 word anti-war commentary.
We suspect they may have had something to do with what we found at the end of our driveway today. We live on a dead-end road, and our mailbox was the only one to be hit - making it appear to be something other than a random incident.
The Douglas County sheriff's department is on the case, and we are demanding the death penalty, or a lifetime watching Jerry Falwell (whichever is deemed to be the harshest), for the culprits if they are ever apprehended!

Trailboss sez: Geez, Tom, sorry about the incident, but judging by the condition of your post, it looks like your mailbox was about to come down on its own anyway. Could have come down this winter when the ground was frozen. You caught a break. Now get down to Menard's for that do-it-yourself homeowner's erection kit and get that mailbox properly set. It will help calm you. And by the way, maybe the criminal was just peeved by the length of your essay. 450 words does seem like an awful lot.

Anon: Hey Tom, check the side of your car for a dent. Might have got a bit close on your way home from the club Saturday night.

Tom sez: The "mailbox incident" will be featured on the next episode of Douglas County, CSI, and it has become the No. 1 issue in the campaign for county sheriff!!

John Herdan's biological father dies at 91

Stan,

For those of you who did or didn't know, I was adopted when I was only 5 days old. Twelve years ago I met my birth family. My mom and dad had gotten married to each other three years and one day after I was born. They had three more boys after me, two of whom live in Brainerd and one who is the Mayor of Sauk Rapids. My mom died in January of 2004. My dad died last Monday. Here is the front page story about my dad that appeared in the Brainerd Daily Dispatch last Wednesday.

John Herdan

Lowell fixture Campbell dies
Family founded Parkerville
By MATT ERICKSON
Staff Writer
F. Parker Campbell, a longtime volunteer at Lowell Elementary School whose family founded Parkerville, north of Brainerd, died Monday.
Campbell, 91, had lived in the Brainerd area all his life. In the 1940s, his uncle sold land in Parkerville on North Long Lake to the American Legion, which built Legionville, a training center for the school patrol.
For the past 21 years, Campbell volunteered as a morning greeter at Lowell Elementary School in northeast Brainerd. He started volunteering when his grandson, Berry, attended the school.
But Campbell did more than just greet people at Lowell's doors, school secretary Nancy Waller said. He would direct kids where to go, give candy bars to the school patrol and staffers, keep watch over the school at night and, on weekends from his house across the street, brush snow off cars - and one time paid to have the school's parking lot striped.
"He was such a big part of our family at Lowell," Waller said. "He was so wonderful. We're just really, really going to miss him."
Waller said that, for a time, Campbell moved into assisted living housing, but within three weeks, he moved back to his house across the street from Lowell because he missed the school too much.
In October 2000, Campbell was named volunteer of the month by Crow Wing County Volunteer Coordinators. At that time, he said he volunteered because, "When my oldest grandson was in fifth grade, he heard they needed hall monitors, so he asked me. I've been doing it for 11 years now. I still do it because I enjoy the children and the teachers."
When asked what his most rewarding volunteer experience was, he answered, "Coming in every morning."
On Tuesday, Lowell School Principal Todd Sauer called for a moment of silence at the school for Campbell. Sauer said he used the school's intercom system to explain to the children that Campbell had died."Without having him there, knowing of the loss and knowing it wasn't temporary, that was the hardest piece," Sauer said of entering the school Tuesday. "He had such a settling presence. He was a bright spot of everyone's day.
"Sauer said that although there was sadness at Lowell, everyone knew Campbell was where he wanted to be - with his wife, Bunnie, who died in 2004.
"But it's hard for us not having him here," Sauer said.
Campbell was involved in several organizations, including the Brainerd American Legion and Brainerd Elks clubs.

Chilled reporter not sure if Cards are champs

By Tom Obert
Well, I'm old and it was really cold out last night!
Anyway, we beat the Otters in the last game of the regular season, 16 - 6. With Brainerd beating undefeated Sartell, I believe that makes our Cards conference co-champions with the Sabres (both 5 - 1 in conference, Sartell beat us head-to-head (Cards were 6 - 2 overall).
So the Cards get the #2 seed in the section, which means we will get at least two home games in the tournament if we win the first - next Tuesday at Citizens Field.
The wimpy cub reporter will provide on-site coverage provided the weather cooperates.

An unsolicited testimonial. . .

Today we received a recommendation from Kathy Skadsberg for music lovers: attend the upcoming Nov. 11 Rose Ensemble concert in Alexandria. For info about group see their web site:

www.RoseEnsemble.org

Here's Kathy's testimonial:

I went to a Rose Ensemble concert last Feb. They were doing a Hawaiian theme and I dragged Will. Not knowing what to expect, I just heard them advertised on the radio. Well, we were BOTH blown away by all their talent.
They will be in Alex , Nov 11....

Exceptional!

Kath

Hey Alexandria, you're in the spotlight, again

Here's what they're saying about Alexandria in today's paper

By Berit Thorkelson, Special to the Star Tribune
We were looking for that typical Minnesota Lake Country experience. The lake cabin, the empty schedule and enough attractions to surprise us should we stray from resort grounds. Alexandria, one of our state's prime lake areas, seemed a sure bet. It was. There's a bike trail, lots of golf courses, a winery and just enough going on in Alex to keep my husband and me occupied for the better part of a drizzly day. Most important, varied resorts edge a cluster of clear, lovely lakes, always the main event.
Why go now
You won't regret carving out time to savor the last vestiges of fall, before winter takes hold. The Alexandria area, with its rolling hills and lakes formed by glaciers, is one of the prettiest places to do it.
What to do
Fish, boat, or otherwise enjoy the myriad lakes. Do the barbecue-and-bonfire thing at night and get in some quality stargazing. You might even catch some Northern Lights if you're lucky. Golf is a pretty big deal here, too. There are about a dozen courses in the area.
Put on the brakes
When your main goal is to slow down, just tooling around on area back roads is an attraction. Antique stores and cafes let you get out and stretch your legs, and Inspiration Peak, one of the state's highest places, holds a couple of short-but-steep hikes to a view author Sinclair Lewis held dear. Before you head out, pick up a handy (and free) Chamber of Commerce map at the office in the Runestone Museum building downtown.
Best souvenir
There's the clear head that comes from technology-free time in the great outdoors. If you'd rather try something with longevity, buy hnefatafl, a chesslike board game along the lines of what the vikings played hundreds of years ago, at the Runestone Museum's gift shop for $12.99. It's good for rainy days or family bonding nights in your cabin. The Runestone Museum (1-320-763-3160) houses, among other things, the Kensington Runestone, found in 1898. Some call it proof the vikings made it to Minnesota. Others call it a hoax.
Great grapes
An impressive representation of Minnesota's expanding wine industry is Carlos Creek Winery , a complex of 200-plus acres that contains grapevines, an apple orchard and Arabian horse stables. Tastings from the lengthy wine list are free. So are the behind-the-scenes tours, which include samples straight from the barrel -- a rarity in winery tours (1-320-846-5443; www.carloscreek winery.com).
Looking ahead
We visited the Minnesota Lakes Maritime Museum's (1-320-759-1114) new building in downtown Alexandria before it closed for the season. There were impressive vintage boats, local resort history and examples of early lakes-area marketing efforts touting Minnesota's smooth roads and healthy breezes. After a winter of perfecting the displays, the museum will reopen in spring (probably May 1, but call ahead to make sure).
Geography lesson
Ancient glaciers created hills and lakes, where prairie and forest mingle.
Weather watch
The Alexandria Lakes Area tends to be a tad cooler than the Twin Cities, a good excuse to bring hot chocolate mix along.
Checking in
Alexandria's big full-service facility, Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center (1-866-386-5263; www.arrowwoodresort.com), is a hotel-like complex, with some new townhouse units. Amenities include stables, indoor tennis, spa, water park, executive putting course and 18-hole golf course (it's being upgraded to championship holes, scheduled to be ready in spring).
There are plenty of smaller mom-and-pops sprinkled around the lakes. The Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce (see "Traveler's info" below) has a great directory that also lets you check availability. (This feature is not always completely up to date, but is a good starting point.) Ask the resort owner lots of questions. Is your cabin on the water? When was it last updated? Does it have a phone? A TV? A fireplace? Is the resort quiet? Kid-friendly? Does it have boat rentals? An on-site store or restaurant? A little investigative work upfront ensures your vacation expectations are met.
Dining out
Plenty of restaurants in and near Alexandria are just fine. One standout is Weston Station (1-320-763-6677; www.westonstation.com), a popular local dinner spot for half a century that's housed, in part, in a 1950s Great Northern dining car. The pasta's homemade, the steaks are aged and charcoal grilled, and Big Band music plays in the background. Reservations are recommended. Specify a table in the dining car.
Traveler's info
Contact the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-235-9441 or www. alexandriamn.org.
Berit Thorkelson is a freelance writer based in St. Paul.

Time to check the gridiron news

Cardinals kick Warriors in windstorm
By MIKE BIALKA
Sports Editor
The answer, my friend, was blowing in the wind.
With a 33-mph north wind howling through Adamson Field it was a decided advantage for the Alexandria Cardinals and Brainerd Warriors to have the wind at their backs, particularly when passing or kicking.
The team with the wind scored all but seven points Friday as Alexandria rallied from 14-0 and 26-22 deficits to stun the Warriors 36-33 in Central Lakes Conference football.
"I thought our kids fought valiantly," Warriors coach Ron Stolski said. "It was just one of those nights where the wind did play a factor."Brainerd scored 14 points with the wind in the opening quarter on 25- and 23-yard runs by Bo Jedinak and Luke Olson.
Alexandria had the wind in the second and hung up 22 points for a 22-14 halftime lead.
The Warriors scored 12 unanswered points with the wind in the third, on runs of one and 59 yards by Jedinak, to seize a 26-22 edge. Jedinak finished with 118 yards on 16 carries.
In the fourth, with the wind, Alexandria scored on its first two possessions, going up 36-26.Brainerd's Jared Mueller tallied on a 9-yard pass from quarterback Nate Schaefbauer, the game's first TD against the wind, with 2:49 left.
Schaefbauer completed 8 of 16 passes for 144 yards. On the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors' onside attempt didn't travel the required 10 yards, giving Alexandria the ball and Brainerd with no timeouts left.
The Cardinals made one first down, ran out the clock and snapped Brainerd's five-game win streak."It seemed like the wind became such a mental factor, more than a physical factor," Warriors defensive coordinator Bob Brakke said. "It was almost like the kids instantly got confidence when the wind was blowing, and lost confidence when they were against it."
Alexandria special teams converted two Warrior mistakes into touchdowns on successive possessions in the second quarter. The first was with Brainerd facing fourth and 12 at its 21. The snap sailed over the head of Warriors punter Nick Rardin, and Alexandria's Jason Nomsen recovered in the end zone.On the next possession Rardin was in punt formation on fourth and four at the Brainerd 26.
This time the Cardinals blocked the kick, recovering at the Brainerd 5. Nathan Kelly converted the block into a 1-yard touchdown run 17 seconds before halftime.Yet another crucial play involved the Warrior punt team. With 6:41 remaining in the game Rardin was in punt formation on fourth and two at the Brainerd 15. This time it was a fake.
The ball was snapped to Jedinak, who was stopped a yard shy of a first down.Three plays later, Kelly scored on a 3-yard run and the Cardinals led 36-26."I take responsibility for that fake punt," Stolski said. "I wanted to call it off, and I didn't. As it turned out that was the margin but at the time it didn't look like it was going to be. We needed to get something going and they were still three up (29-26 after the fake)."

The bride wore. . .

The bride was beautiful in a cathedral-length, empire-waist gown... her finger-tip veil rose above . . .

I can't believe I used to write that way for the newspaper society pages a quarter-century ago, long before Briggs Sonstegaard Rolfsrud became Mrs. Siitari. My beautiful niece was married Saturday at the Chapel at St. Catherine's College in St. Paul. She married childhood chum Bill Siitari, whose wisdom is exceeded only by his charm and excellent taste in women.

The autumn event drew gorgeous weather and a nice crowd, some with Alexandria roots, given the bride's parentage. My brother, Steve, married Nancy Sonstegaard so the entire Sonstegaard clan as well as the Rolfsrud clan was there. Shutters were clicking... no wait, digital cameras were recording the proceedings as well as the dinner and dance in the college ballroom. A few of my personal best follow, along with some facts.


The first photo is of Teri Sonstegaard, grandmother of the bride and wife of the late Buzz Sonstegaard, well-known Alexandria personage, along with Kathleen Rolfsrud and Dr. Greg Sonstegaard, a veterinarian in the Alex area. Kathleen had lots to say to Greg. The St. Paul girl went to the birthing barn at the State Fair this year and watched a calf being delivered. She had never seen such a thing before and was suitably impressed. It's all in a day's (or night's) work to Greg.


The second photo shows the groom's parents, the bride's parents, the bride and the groom, shortly after being pronounced man and wife. Steve, who by now surely knows something about marriage, gives his daughter a pat of encouragement. We used to call this a mixed marriage. She of the Lutheran tradition, he's Catholic. She's Norwegian, he's Finnish. She attended St. Cate's on a scholarship, no less. The school, and Briggs, embrace diversity. It is all very confusing. The next thing? My brother will become a vegetarian. What happened to all our traditions? My head spins.


As I mentioned earlier, the entire clan made it. From left, the trailboss; Solveig Rolfsrud Shearer, a technical writer in Silicon Valley; Steve, father of the bride and administrative law judge in Mankato; Linda Rolfsrud Letnes, in her final year as a schoolteacher in Ft. Collins, CO., before moving to Minneapolis to grandparent a yet unborn baby with the working title, Beverly; Rebecca Rolfsrud Jerdee, semi-retired former divison editor for Meredith Publishing in Des Moines; Virgil Rolfsrud, investment banker in Eden Prairie and possessor of a very fine golf handicap. Kathleen took this picture. The reason we are laughing is that she is unknowingly yet effectively blocking out the official wedding photographer who is immediately behind her, dodging and ducking trying to squeeze in a shot. Kathleen, a five-footer, showed all the skills of an accomplished papparazzi and just kept shooting away with her digital camera.

Picking up the Alex fight song thread. . .

The cub reporter, who started the Alex fight song controversy on this blog in the first place, took his inquiries on the road and queried former Alexandria Band Leader Vince DiNino about the origins. See his bio and photo below. The reporter got the following response, which shed no light on the origin of the song, but opened a new chapter to the controversy. See if you come to the same conclusion after a careful reading of Mr. DiNino's note. It appears that the editor of the Park Region Echo (Obert's Dad) and Mr. DiNino idled away their free hours in the Alexandria Legion Club on Fillmore Avenue, writing bawdy lyrics to the cherished Alex fight song. At least that's the way I read this:

Mr. DiNino writes:
I found this delightful ditty, indeed, in some Henry Fillmore books and marches in the vast Alex Band Library when I came aboard in 1948.
Together John and Natalia and Vince and Jane arrived in Alexandria bearing many liberal and thought-provoking ideas, words and sounds to this little town!
I did some revising and "jazzing" up of the tune, and as I recall the lyrics were pretty much the same as listed in your note. Your father (John Obert) and I, from time to time would write different lyrics at the Legion Club, but none were ever published and were seldom heard, thank goodness.
When I left Alex for Texas in 1955 I left the words and arrangements in that delightful old basement Band Room! The one with the great mural on the wall! (now the Central Junior High Bldg).
Sorry that I cannot add to or create any controversy in this deep and serious matter?! But hope all turns out for the best!
Tell you mother that perhaps the political scene this November is more to her liking!!!!!
Also much love and a big HUG! to alll!
Vince and Jane

She says to Bring 'Em On

Bring 'em on

Please post those photos.

I was thrilled to hear Bev's $25k was not a scam!

Kathy Skadsberg

She thinks Trailboss should Get 'er Done

Now you should have regained your strength by now......

We are only approaching 60 -- not 80…. So let's see those photos.

If I can go to the State Fair from 11:30 to 5:30, confront the drunk neighbor, pill the cat and various other things all in one day and still show up for work the next day, bright eyed--- you should have recovered by Thursday from a Saturday event.

Buck up!!!
Lorlee

If you need more stuff about Alex, etc.,

Tons of local Alex stuff may be found on http://www.bluebirdtoday.com/ - among other things, it has pictures of the homecoming football game and two pages of homecoming parade pix.

Also, spies have noticed we still just have the same 4 people registered on the school alumni website: www.alexandria.k12.mn.us/11302088175811920/site/default.asp!!! Get it together and register!

We'll post more here soon. We got stuff to show and some unfinished business. But the trailboss attended the wedding of his niece, who is the daughter of Steve Rolfsrud and Nancy Sonstegaard, this weekend, and he is tired. Want him to post photos from the weekend? Let him know. (Mary Holt, Mike Geiser's sister-in-law, was there.) The bride is beautiful. Want proof?
trailboss@swpub.com

Breathlessly, we report Breaking News

We have new information on the possible source of the lyrics to the Cardinal Rouser (Cheer Oh Cheer For Alex! Shout 'til the rafters ring.).

We are in possession of an email which undeniably states that distinguished Alexandria bandleader Vince DiNino (pictured) and the late editor of the Park Region Echo together wrote lyrics to the (Henry) Fillmore classic music (from the Bennet Band Book) over drinks at the American Legion Clubrooms -- on (Millard) Fillmore Avenue in downtown Alexandria. This story is becoming increasingly complex so we are carefully verifying the information over drinks in Shakopee and will meticulously report the details herewith as they become understood.

Please bear with us as we faithfully endeavor to bring this new information to your attention.

Bad Axe
Those who don't know Vince DiNino should learn that he was the band and orchestra director and Music Department chairman in Alexandria from 1948-1955 before he departed for the University of Texas at Austin.

His teaching positions prior to coming to Alexandria included Lake Mills, Iowa; Bad Axe, Michigan; Blythe, California; and Assistant Director at the University of Minnesota.
When Vince came to The University of Texas in Austin, a new era of bands opened up. He was to the band program at the university what Darrell Royal was to football.

The first challenge he had was to sell the band directors of Texas on the Longhorn Band. This was a real problem since most of the band directors of the state had earned their teaching credentials from other schools. Vince did most of his first recruiting by visiting high school principals and getting them to recommend good students for possible membership in the Longhorn Band.

Super Bowl
His perseverance paid off and it was not long before the Longhorn Band had a membership of 300 students and became a nationally recognized organization.

During his twenty years as Longhorn Band Director, the band made 17 bowl game performances. The Longhorn Band and Michigan Band are the only major university bands to perform at the Super Bowl. He led the Longhorn Band on a tour of Peru; led the Longhorn Band as the Honor Band in the Fiesta Flambeau Parade for 20 consecutive years in San Antonio; performed at the inaugurals of John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson; and played for numerous Texas Governor’s inaugurals. In addition, the Longhorn Band made many recordings which he produced and conducted.

"Cheer-Oh-Cheer For Alex! Shout 'til the rafters ring" was never mentioned in the official summary of his body of work, which was prepared and published by the University of Texas.

But wait. Original Vince DiNino authored e-mail explanation to come. Keep checking the blog.

Can you see your house from here?

Photos at 33,000 feet by George Schultz, Class of 1967

George was just cruising over Alex the other day. . .

Got this today from young George Schultz, the airline pilot

Stan,
I thought you might enjoy seeing some aerial photos of Alexandria. I took these from 33,000 feet on a trip from Calgary to Chicago. We had a pretty strong tailwind that day, so I didn't have much time to compose the pictures. At ten miles per minute, things happen pretty fast! The last time I did this, it was in the winter, so all the lakes were ice-colored, and the countryside was brown. I think it's much nicer with blue lakes and green farmland! Please ignore the long brown smudge--that was a bug that we smashed on the windshield at about 150 knots on our takeoff roll.
I did get a chance to spend a week in Alex last month. My sister Marie and I were able to get back and have a mini-reunion with our two other sisters who still live there. It was a real eye-opener to drive down Broadway and see all the changes that are taking place. I do manage to get back every year or two, but I still can't believe how quickly things change.
I hope you enjoy the pictures.
George Schultz
JHS '67

How Bev Roers Korkowski is spending the $25,000

Hey, Stan:

It's been awhile since I've checked in but I've enjoyed reading the latest entries to be sent in. Loved hearing about homecoming, gosh, it brings back memories! I saw Kathy Sherry Skadsberg's new title (you go girl!) and of course, the latest on the Twins' games. So, Kathy wondered how I spent my $25,000 (don't forget the year's supply of Pepperidge Farm frozen products!) Well, here's how it's played out....

After almost eight weeks of waiting, the check finally came, along with the 52 coupons for Pepperidge Farm frozen goodies. (Anyone need dessert??)

It was sort of like a comedy of errors....while on 10 days of vacation at the lake, the UPS guy tried three times (and then you're out) to deliver my money. The neighbor picking up our mail contacted me to say she thought my money was here and gave me the contact information.
In calling UPS, they were nothing short of remarkable in trying to get the money (although they had no idea what I was waiting for) to me...deliver to the lake, set up a new delivery date, etc. Finally we agreed to have delivery the day after we returned from the lake; she even gave me an approximate time of 10:30 in the morning.

Couldn't find the envelope
So, all day, I sat here, waiting and waiting and waiting. In checking the UPS site, it kept telling me my package was out for delivery. Finally, at 6 PM that night, the UPS man came to my door, looking nothing short of frazzled! He kept apologizing, saying he was supposed to deliver that morning but once he had loaded his truck, he couldn't find the envelope!!! It was only after day's end, when the truck was nearly empty, that he found the envelope...all covered with dirt marks and gravel! I didn't have the heart to tell him what was in there or he'd probably have had a heart attack. As you can see in the pictures, everything looked sort of smushed.

Then, after taking pictures to prove my wonderful prize, I took it to the bank for deposit. I had already told one of the VPs there that I'd be coming in some day with my winnings. Well, would you believe that the day I came in to deposit my check, they were actually having a meeting of all their VIPs, re: scams!! So, when I show up with my check, which as you can see from the picture didn't look all that impressive, they weren't sure it was actually for real. It was only after I agreed to having a 30-day hold on it that they put it in their system. By then, even I was beginning to wonder if it was real!

Taxes, cabins, countertops
But, 30 days later, the entire amount was in my savings, and there it remains. Our first priority is to make sure we have enough to pay the taxes, anywhere from 30-40% according to the accountants. After that, we have decided to take our entire family (including nine grandbabies) to the family resort that Cliff and I still visit every year but the kids haven't been to since they graduated from high school.

We have cabins reserved for all of us during the third week in June of 2007, and it is our way of celebrating our 40th anniversary which will be in September of 2007. Our kids are absolutely thrilled with the plans since we have had many years of memories take place there over the last 30+ years.

What money is left after that, I am planning on updating my kitchen....new countertops, new lighting, etc. I had already been stashing money aside for that purpose, so this was sort of like icing on the cake to win the jackpot. It's amazing what extra money allows a person to do!! We are so blessed to be able to do these things, and we look forward to many good memories as a result of it.

Bev

Patty Wicken gets us straight on the Rouser

Patty Wicken, who started this discussion on the rouser, writes:

Stan:
Thanks for printing the Cardinal Rouser information received from John Herdan. Last week we were talking about the rouser on KXRA when Alexandria legend Bud Kolstad (of Kolstad Clothing fame) called to say the words were written by Bill Anderson from the Class of '33. That same day, a woman from Glenwood (Alex graduate) called to say that the words were written by a music professor who taught in Alex. He is now ninety years old and she called him to verify before she called Open Line!

Will we ever know?????


ALEXANDRIA ROUSER

Cheer oh cheer for Alex
Shout 'til rafters ring
We're gonna yell-oh-yell for our team
Alexandria, rah-rah-rah!

Never give up hope boys
Fight until we win
Always looking onward,
Doing the best we can.

We can beat old _______________
As we've done before
And we can help our team by yelling
Alexandria, rah-rah-rah

Fight for dear old Alex,
And we'll win this game
And we will carry on forever
Dear old Alex name!

Unbelieveabbble!

When we left for the Twins game this morning we were resigned to having a nice baseball afternoon, sort of a celebration of a great season and best wishes for our team in New York in the Wild Card slot.
Our hopes, of course, were three: 1. Win today's game. 2. Let Kansas City beat Detroit so that we would be Division Winners and get domefield advantage. 3. Let Joe Mauer win the American League batting title.
It turned into a magical day. If you follow sports you know all about it. May we just add that while we attended both Twins World Series victories in '87 and '91, the atmosphere in the dome today has never been more excited or festive.
Things started on a gloomy note: 1. Chicago scored first. 2. Detroit went ahead by six runs. 3. Joe Mauer struck out. 4. Stan spilled some of our $26 dome dog dinner on his vintage Twins T-Shirt.
Then things slowly began to turn for the better. The Twins went ahead, the hated Pierzinski looked like a bufoon, and the runs, you could just smell 'em. Meanwhile, the dome management was playing the Detroit game on a special scoreboard setup, so, all during KC's wild 12-innings comeback game, the distracted Dome crowd would almost randomly burst out in a huge ovation, invariably startling the hell out of the batter and the pitcher, who would pause in their labors to catch up with us. The crowd would chant "Let's Go Royals, Let's Go!" then get back to the Twins game.
In the middle of all this mayhem, I pointed to a spot in the left field and told Kathleen that Joe Mauer, who had a 0 and 2 count, would get a hit right there. (You'll just have to trust me on this) Then he did exactly that, and became the first A.L. catcher in world history to win a batting title.
Unbelieveable!
Go Twins!

Trailboss

Twins Fever back in 2006!

The Trailboss and Mrs. Trailboss pulled out Twins memorabilia to wear to this afternoon's final game with Chicago-- The afternoon will decide who the division winner will be. A beautiful day to go indoors for a ballgame! (Bring on the new park!) In the collection above you will spot Kathleen's 1987 T-shirt, original homer hanky and Stan's 1991 T-shirt. Go Twins!