I’m old enough that it riles me when public venues like stadiums and bowl games sell their naming rights to corporations.  “The Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl” and “The Papa Johns Bowl”  – not to mention “Target Field” – stick in my craw.  I loathe today’s media that is filled with rants from the perpetually outraged, but these places should be named for the communities they serve or revered citizens.  While the name “Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome” hardly falls trippingly from the tongue, it is entirely appropriate that such a fixture be named for a revered folically-challenged citizen who served so well.  So today’s news really set me off.

Faux news is reporting that the Ely city council has sold the naming rights to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to Minnesota-based International Dairy Queen.  The Berkshire Hathaway company intends to rename it the International Dairy Queen Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, or IDQBWCAW for short.  This is just another hijacking of public property for commercial gain and must be stopped before the damage is done.  So, write, call, or Email Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet and make sure he knows that this time he’s gone too far.

Yes, it’s April Fools Day.   I saw this in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune this morning and couldn’t resist stealing it.  Apparently, the Ely City Council uses these April Fools Day jokes to promote tourism, and we’re all for that here.  Go check out the Ely Minnesota Tourism website and find out more about this beautiful part of our state.