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| 5/17/2006 1:00:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | Louis I. Ana and the three stadiums
 | Rob Crowe
Columnist
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I was listening to what passes for the news on the radio the other day when I heard a clip about a study that was taken of the geography skills of the products of the United States of America Education system.
It seems many had a problem identifying the locations of some of the places in the news like Iraq and … the state of Louisiana.
Now, with the length of time since I studied geography and the constant change in the world, I sometimes have to find a map and brush up on foreign countries like I did Bosnia when my (courtesy of Uncle Sam) world traveler son went there. I expect one might want to update the specifics of Iraq, but with Louisiana, I had a classmate named Ann who I credit with my ability to remember that state.
In fifth grade, one of our assignments was to write a story, to create a legend about whatever we wanted. I don’t remember what I wrote about but I do remember what Ann wrote. This may not be totally accurate and it may be embellished a bit over the years, but, here goes. There was this giant named Louis I. Ana roaming the continent in the early days. Once he was near the Gulf of Mexico and got into some sort of altercation. Might have been wrestling a giant buffalo or a tornado like Pecos Bill, might’ve even been a hurricane, don’t recollect the exact circumstances. Anyway he lost one of his boots.
Evidently it was quite an operation to locate and retrieve the boot, but it covered quite a large area and after Louie got his boot back, they called the area the boot had been a state and named it Louisiana in honor of Louie. For me and everyone else from Mrs. Kroll’s fifth grade class of 1965, finding Louisiana on the map is an easy task.
By the way, Ann’s last name is Saxhaug, I didn’t know she had a big brother named Tom until many years later.
It is interesting to note that on the same day an article appeared in the Grand Rapids Herald Review telling of Sen. Tom Saxhaug and the unanimous vote in the Minnesota Senate on the massive curtailing of mercury emissions, Saxhaug was excoriated by a liberal democrat editorial writer in this newspaper for not reducing mercury levels enough. Senator Saxhaug might want to re-think his party affiliation with local party leaders like that.
Sometimes taking a stand on issues is a little difficult. Three of the big issues this session are stadiums. I’ve not put forth an opinion on this because I’m really conflicted about it. I should have ironed it out but … anyway … first, the Metro-dome. I made my only trip to the dome about one year ago and really enjoyed it. It was a cold, rainy night in late April, Twins vs. the Angels, Radke pitching. My father-in law had two seats right behind home plate about six rows up. It was neat to be there even though the place is obviously not well laid out for baseball.
Morneau hit a homer in the first inning and the Twins won 4-2. An open stadium would not have been enjoyable on that night. It would be nice to have a roof, but with my attendance record, who am I to say? The fact that the billionaire owners could build the stadiums without public money bothers me, but I believe the Metrodome was publicly funded, the pattern has been set.
I am a little surprised that the University of Minnesota football stadium proposal sailed through the legislature, for the size of crowds that watch the Gophers, the dome appears to be more than adequate.
The only Vikings football game I attended was in the old Metropolitan Stadium. It was a rare loss to the Lions. The Vikings proposal looks to be well thought out, Zygi Wilf is putting up a good share of the money but could put up quite a bit more. I don’t know if losing the Vikings is much different than having losing Vikings. One downside, if they left the sports writers and gossip columnists would miss the annual screw-ups.
The biggest problem I see is the involvement of Senate Majority Leader Dean “Sandpaper the Truth” Johnson. While the mercury emissions bill was a no-brainer, Johnson’s mis-leadership will guarantee that any stadium bill coming out of the Democrat-controlled Senate will not be a positive for the people of the state of Minnesota.
Rob Crowe chairs the Aitkin County Republicans and raises kids and cows on a farm near Hill City.
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