MASON CITY – Months ago, the local school board sent our beloved Mohawk mascot to that great hunting ground in the sky, but tensions over his banishment still simmer in town as two local elected officials ambushed an outspoken, brave supporter of the moniker at a local eatery.
The incident occurred on the evening of January 14 at The Quarry, a posh (for North Iowa standards) eating establishment in downtown Mason City. According to sources who witnessed the incident, Todd Blodgett, a former Mason City school student and now a prominent local political mastermind who has guided many campaigns to victory, entered The Quarry to have dinner with his 86-year-old widowed mother and other acquaintances. Blodgett, a staunch right-winger who worked for Ronald Reagan and most recently has taken a strong stand to defend the hallowed Mohawk from scalping by the local liberal school board, walked in and greeted friends sitting at a table. Also seated at this table were a Mason City couple whom happen to also be local elected officials – dentist Jay Lala of the Mason City park board and his wife, Lori Lala, of the Mason City school board. Lori Lala was instrumental in sending our Mohawk down the trail of tears to irrelavence in favor of the Riverhawk – causing an outcry in the community. Jay Lala has graced the pixels of NIT several times in the past, as we reported on his beer guzzling in a downtown alley, and in another bizarre confrontation (again, in front of The Quarry), NIT was there when Lala was chased by an enraged, disgruntled former patient who claimed Lala mangled his chompers and kept thousands in taxpayer-funded cash for the alleged hack job.
Now, the standoff in question happened when Mr. Blodgett approached and was being introduced around this table of bigshots waiting for their caviar, fries, sodas and chicken fingers.
“Jay Lala orally assaulted me,” Mr. Blodgett bluntly explained to NIT. “And his wife was in on it. They were mean and nasty and aroused with contempt. They clearly hate our Mohawk and anyone who stands up for his rich history and those who were and always WILL BE Mohawks.”
NIT is told that as Mr. Blodgett was being greeted by two of his friends who were seated at the same table as the Lala’s, Mr. Blodgett and Jay Lala were about to shake hands when Jay Lala realized Todd Blodgett is one of the many local heroes still standing up for the Mohawk monicker and continue to fight hard online to reserve his status.
“He pulled back, then he called me an ASS!” Mr. Blodgett explained.
NIT readers should not be surprised that Jay Lala would resort to vulgarity in dealing with folks, as he let an innocent, hard-working NIT reporter have “the finger” one day while Lala was helping pick out free sculptures for outside his government-funded building, across the street from the public park voters put him in charge of.
“He called me an ass – TWICE!” Mr. Blodgett further explained.
Mr. Blodgett, our sources confirm, took it in stride, and replied, “I’m sorry you feel that way, sir,” to Jay Lala, DDS. Turning to Lorrie Lala, Mr. Blodgett bluntly said, “Changing the name, ‘MOHAWKS,’ has upset many Mason Cityans, myself included.”
Lorrie Lala then escalated matters, by further admonishing Blodgett. She said, according to our sources, “you posted nasty things on FaceBook.“ At that point, Blodgett evidently took the high ground and excused himself.
As the incident was loosely described on social media and hundreds of folks were digesting the dustup, NIT asked Mr. Blodgett what went down at this public pow-wow. He said, “If Jay Lala had said such things to me while not in the presence of some longtime friends of my family, and not inside one of my favorite restaurants, which is owned and operated by good friends, then this matter probably would’ve ended outside, and not to his liking. Those who look for trouble often find it.”
Mr. Blodgett, author of the book “Republican Crackhead” typically does not mess around, as two carnies who stole his wallet once found out – the hard way.
Blodgett added, “Until that night, I’d never met the man, or his insignificant other. I guess they were enraged with my truthful blogging skills. But this dumpy, frumpy-looking dude is actually a professional? What a joke. As our mutual friends introduced us, I reached out my hand to shake his. That’s when Lala quickly pulled his hand away, like a snobby bitch. He and his ditzy wife truly ARE in La-La Land.”
NIT reached out to these two elected officials – the Lala’s – for comment. As of publication of this story, no word from either has been received.
Email sent Tuesday, Jan 17, 11:36 AM, seeking comment:
Todd clearly peaked in high school.
No opinions about this interaction, but this article title is hilarious. It’s like Todd wrote it about himself. It’s the way Trump talks about himself. “Amazing Well-Endowed Hero With 180 IQ Who Can Benchpress 300 Pounds With Three Girlfriends EPICLY DESTROYS Some Local Loser With No Swag” I mean c’mon guys. I genuinely thought it was satire before reading it. Either the guys at this publication just really like Todd or he’s using his scary fed connections to get to people in our community.
Also, because I know you’re gonna see this Todd: Hello! What do you think of Retired NIACC’s comment on this page that you use your FBI connections to get to and discredit people you don’t like?
In reply to LOL: As the adage goes – All is fair, in love and war!
All is fair, in love and in war!
We have met this arrogant freeloader dentist a few times. Just like this article shows, he is not nice. His wife was a ring leader in getting rid of our beloved Mohawks. She should be ashamed.
Good to see Lala’s getting called out for the kind of people they really are, they are not good for Mason city, never have been. They think their you know what don’t stink.
“Orally assaulted”? Eww, David.
That is right. Lala committed oral assault. We were there, and saw it all happen, right from the time Jay started mouthing off to Mr. Blodgett.
For a while, it looked like a fight was about to happen. But Blodgett did the right thing, he walked away. My husband said if it was him, he would not have walked off.
I have never met Mr. Blodgett. I am a Democrat. I am also not sure why that matters in this situation. I am a proud Mohawk alumni. I think Mr. Blodgett showed himself to be a man with great character. It would be nice if Mr. & Mrs. Lala could learn from his example and also change just about everything about their own characters.
Dr. L has been my dentist for a few years now, also my kids’ dentist. But now that I know what he’s really like, we won’t be going back to his Central Park dental office.
There is no excusing his bad manners. Nice people don’t act like this.
Went to John Adams and MCHS with Todd, he knows how to get under people’s skin like nobody else. Doc Lala use to be my dentist, not now. I bet Lala seen what Todd put on face book so he decides to mouth off to Todd when the right time would come.
So thats what went down if you ask me. What Lala did not know, Blodgett he set the trap with his words on face book, old doc took the bait, played right into Todd’s hands.
Todd he has been lobbing verbal bombs since we were 8th graders he plays the long game, he is cagey. Something Jay Lala has learned, the hard way.
This was the dumbest thing I’ve read today.
Thank you, this means a lot
Heard about this from a friend from Rotary. About a month ago, we had Pat Hamilton from MC schools come speak to our group. Some Rotarians are going to contact Hamilton about this thing, they think it would be best if Mrs Lala resigns from the board, or at least say she won’t be running again. I hope they also talk to the City Council about Dr Lala being on the Park commission. This isn’t a good look, I mean for Mason.
Lala’s were dumb to attack Mr Blodgett, especially in a public place. Did they think people wouldn’t find out? Why make such a scene and call names, insults, use bad words, ect, at a nice restaurant.
Lala is not our dentist, but if he was, I would take our business to somebody else. The Lala’s show their true colors on this, both did. They are not nice.
I know Jay and I know Todd, and if Jay thinks he can just let this thing ride, he will have really effed himself. The story makes it look like Jay has a bad temper, and at times, he does. But it can’t be as bad as Blodgett’s. Not even close.
Between these two, Blodgett can be far more vicious, and he is way smarter too, and Jay is nobody’s dummy.
Todd will know how to eff Jay up like no one around here could, and I do mean nobody.
Yes, and that is because Todd Blodgett plays dirty. He obtains information from his FBI contacts on people he goes after and uses it to their detriment. A few years ago, Toddy Boy got into it with a friend of ours who owns a business in Algona.
Through what our friend’s lawyer believes were Blodgett’s FBI connections, he obtained his private, customer contact information. This Patriot Act that Bush signed into law is an awful thing, it gets abused by unethical insiders. His clients received letters and emails which made our friend look like the worst person in the history of Kossuth county.
He lost customers, sleep, time and money, and his marriage suffered. His ex wife was just a wreck. This is how this gun-totin’, depraved, violence-prone rightwingnut deals with those who cross him.
Like I say, he plays dirty. The worst part is, he gets away with it.
Funny stuff!
One would think that well-educated professionals like Jay and Lorrie would know better than to choose to act in such a childish fashion, particularly in public, at a nice restaurant like the Quarry.
They have done themselves no good and now, they have severely diminished their standing in the very locale where they reside, work, raised their boys and hold office.
To us, this is very sad. Until we read this article, we would have thought that Mr. Blodgett would have been the one to conduct himself in such an unseemly manner. We are hugely disappointed to know that Jay and Lorrie chose to be so foolish.
The smartest thing Lorrie and Jay could do, now that this is “public”, is swallow their pride and apologize to Todd Blodgett.
Lorrie is a very conscientious director of our school board and she’s a wonderful mom to Nick and Sam. She has been patient with Jay, who obviously has “anger” issues. We just hope and pray Jay puts this mess to bed, and the best way to do that would be to issue a statement of apology to Mr. Blodgett.
We feel bad for Lorrie that it’s now on Facebook, in the news, being talked about, etc. Our neighbor meets some guys for coffee nearly every morning here in Mason, and they all discussed it yesterday. Jay can put an end to this, and really he should.
As much as it pains me to post this (and, as a lifelong Democrat, it’s painful), Blodgett was, actually, the “adult” in this situation. By walking away, he kept the lid on his emotions even as Jay’s and Lorrie’s anger boiled over, way over.
I know Rachel, the owner, and there can be no question as to her being extremely displeased with what the Lalas did, especially Jay. Todd Blodgett, who is, basically, a Republi-thug (I have met him several times over the years, as has my husband), has lots of good friends who are Democrats. He’s very smart in that sense.
And from what the article shows, Todd had no problem with shaking Jay’s hand and being cordial to both of the Lala’s, despite their political and personal differences.
This can easily become a horrific public relations catastrophe and a professional and political disaster for Jay and Lorrie, if they don’t correct it, and very soon.
This situation has me worried. I have met Dr. and Mrs. Lala a few times, and they are fine people. Both are respected professionals and great parents who always strive to do what’s best for Mason city.
I don’t know Mr. Blodgett, but he knows some acquaintances of mine. It would behoove Jay and Lorrie to end this now, by immediately reaching out to Blodgett and apologizing to him. A friend of mine with whom I had lunch today was nearby, at the Quarry, when this blow-up took place. She told me about it. It was difficult for her to believe Jay was so uncouth. She said she had never, in all the years she has been going there, seen anything so ugly.
Blodgett is a political provocateur who thrives on pushing the buttons of those with whom he disagrees. In some instances of which I’m aware, he has directed his thugs to perpetrate violence on some of these foes. It goes not well for them.
If you’re reading this, Jay, take a deep breath, calm down, and tell Blodgett you’re sorry.
If anybody treats me like that I would of settled things right then and there. Jay thinks he is so important, to bad this didnt move outside, he would of got his fat head handed to him.
If Dr Lala don’t already know he started some bad shit with the wrong man, he just might find out in a painful way. I do not know Blodgett, but our neighbors son was a meth junkie got to know Blodgett from their support group, he borrowed some money from Todd then he refuse to pay back.
This kid who is now, 35-40 he bitches Blodgett out at there narcotic anyonmous meet up’s, Blodgett told him shut up but he kept on. About a week later when the guy gets out his truck to go inside the house, this was like at 3 am, 5 big thug’s they went at him punched and kicked him so bad he goes to Mercy for a week.
And the MC cops would not do nothing.
Good story. Inventive.
” They were mean and nasty and aroused with contempt.” Poor baby. Did your feelings get hurt?
In reply to ‘A-1’: No, not at all.
But having been around elected officials for 50+ years, I’d never seen anyone, anywhwere, subjected to such shabby treatment by an office holders.
Do you condone what Dr. Lala said/did? If so, you’re the only person with whom I’ve communicated since this happened (and scores of north Iowans have called, emailed, texted, sent FaceBook msgs, etc.) who thinks it’s okay.
Of course I don’t think it is ok, but you call people names all the time and then profess to be shocked when it happens to you. Lala should have been a man and shook your hand but he didn’t. Your hero trump is a champion of denigrating and belittling people who disagree with him. You call people snowflakes who find that offensive. Don’t feign shock when it happens to you.
I didn’t “feign” anything, ‘A-1’, and I appreciate your posting that, “Lala should have been a man” and shaken my hand, “but he didn’t.”
Until we were introduced by our mutual friends, I had no idea I was meeting Jay and Lorrie Lala. However, upon realizing this, I remained cheerful, and reached out my hand to shake his. I was prepared to greet Mrs. Lala in the same, pleasant way.
They were the problem, not I.
As I hope you’d agree, this wasn’t the time or the place, or the proper circumstances, for Dr. Lala to instigate such nastiness. He chose to do so, and now, north Iowans know all about it.
Frankly, he’s very unprofessional.
I agree. Don’t like the man and never will.
‘A-1’, I appreciate your honesty. I think we probably agree that nice (and, nasty) people exist on both sides of the aisle.
As far as I know, Jay Lala may well be a registered Republican; I’ve no idea. But he isn’t nice and it’s easy to see why those who know this guy dislike him.
This time the Lala’s, they have bit off more then they can chew. This will not end good for them two.
Well looks like Jay Lala has pick on the wrong guy, starts this trouble with Blodget, bet this will be just the beginning for the fat old doc, we hope so.