|
A Forest Ranger versus a Texas Ranger. A gender-friendly ranger. No mascot at all — just a symbol as a logo.
Over time in Forest Lake, it seems like finding the appropriate mascot for the high school is a topic that is never fully resolved. And so it is back on the burner in Rangerville, known by some of the younger set Flake Town.
It wasn’t too many years ago when then athletic director Doug Peltier took on the task of creating a gender-friendly mascot. The cowboy-type mascot, presumably that of a Texas Ranger, had served the school for decades. It had been so long that even school officials could not actually determine how long.
There was always speculation that the school’s earlier “rangers” were more in the line of forest rangers. It’s a plausible thought based on the city’s history of lakes and forests.
The new task falls to Joel Olson, the current activities director. By later this spring, he hopes to have a number of potential possibilities to choose from in selecting a new mascot and developing a logo. Good luck, Joel.
Something is certainly needed, but what? Anything would be better, of course, than the “FL” symbols that have been used over the past decade when Peltier came up dry in trying to redo the mascot. Even dressing up the “FL” with a star did little good.
The school planners have tapped a good source for some of the school and community history — Earl Lellman. Earl is a native, local grad, World War II vet and a fellow who just happened to own and edit this newspaper for a year or two (or longer). Not many have better recollections of this one-time whistle stop on the NP line than Lellman and folks can believe what he says.
But it still comes back to what that mascot will be. If it is going to be a man/woman with a pick and a shovel and perhaps a ranger hat, the parameters are narrow. There just might be a patent on that Smokey Bear Ranger man/woman. The district could always beg the DNR if it wants to use the bear.
Olson is hoping some of his creative students will come up with a prize-winner. The mascot contest is for only students in grades K-12 who will be asked to submit entries.
It’s not my planning ballgame, but from here it would seem wise to encourage some public input, too. The more ideas the better, I would say.
Logo submissions will be accepted in March and April with the finalist chosen next month. The unveiling of the new mascot will come in May at a spring pepfest. Questions? Call Olson at 651-982-8411.
If the school runs into a roadblock, there is this idea. Look back to 1975 for the Ranger mascot that stood proudly for at least one basketball season (see photo).
This big fellow was created during the Jim Nelson coaching era and involved a number of students, including the Danielson family of Forest Lake which just happened to have two basketball playing brothers, Kevin and Craig ,and a dad, Bisky, who loved the sport and could build just about anything.
There was a bit of a storage problem and it took an army (almost) to put the big guy up for each game. There was zero chance of taking him on road trips.
It was on a cold winter night in the Ranger gym when some vandal cut the tie ropes that held the big fellow in place and the 200-pound cowboy came crashing down (during a game, no less). After that, it was curtains for the cowboy as school officials (rightfully so) worried that someone might be killed by a falling mascot.
What happened to the 20-foot plus tall Ranger is now lost in lore, but it is a good bet he was cut into firewood and burned during a Homecoming pepfest when bonfires were still part of Homecoming and still legal in this state where very little is now legal.
No, there is not much chance that this Ranger mascot will ever come back. But the old mascot is evidence of just what this school has been forced to go through over the years to really have a mascot.
Perhaps if the 1975 mascot had been gender neutral? Best not go there.
But again, good luck, Joel. A mascot is in need and it should be something that is not a letter or numerical symbol that could lead some to conclude that this is the school formerly known as Forest Lake.
|
