Wednesday, April 24, 2024 |
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Frame. Two wheels and tires. Chain and sprocket. Brakes. Handlebars. And a seat. It was that simple but so important. The bicycle may have been one of the most essential possessions for many children spanning several generations. It was a way to get to your friends’ homes without asking mom or dad for a ride. It was something to take care of, a responsibility. And, most of all, it was freedom to explore the town.
My bicycles were nothing fancy. They didn’t need to be. They were hand-me-downs from my three older siblings, and that was fine by me. That blue 10-speed from the local Coast to Coast store worked great. Most of the time.
In my younger years, another bicycle took me to Little League practice, the local parks and the swimming pool. And I never had to wonder where all my friends were, because the stack of bicycles in the front lawn gave it away.
I remember having my first flat tire. My brother stopped at a gas station with me to fill it up. The cannon-like sound of the front tire exploding after being filled too full is one I won’t forget. It certainly got the attention of the neighbors and the attendant at the gas station, too.
The bicycle ride to the public swimming pool was an adventurous one, as it required going down a few hills, creating exhilarating acceleration. I loved the feeling of the wind blowing my Shaun-Cassidy-style hair back. It was all great, until a squirrel ran across the road and leaped into my bicycle’s front tire spokes, jamming in the fork and catapulting me through the air.
Speaking of bicycles in the air, in the 1970s, many young boys were enamored by the motorcycle daredevil, Evel Knievel. We would find some old concrete blocks and plywood to make ramps on the sidewalk in front of our house. Then, the challenge was on to see who could fly the furthest and over the most objects, including a string of boys all lined up, shoulder to shoulder, on their backs. Amazingly, I don’t recall anyone ever getting hurt.
As a teenager, my buddy Dave thought it would be a good idea to ride our bicycles to the nearby town on a county blacktop. It was about 10 miles, and the summer sun was brutal. We decided to ride without shirts and put our nicknames on our backs with tape to see if the sun would tan them in. It worked, although burn would be a better word than tan. The nicknames should have been “Dumb” and “Dumber.”
I sometimes wonder where my old bicycles ended up. In a scrap pile somewhere? At an antique store? Or maybe still in use, piled up in a front lawn with neighborhood kids somewhere. Regardless, in one way or another, the wheels keep on turning.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
See Shane Goodman's previous columns here. |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
A cooler day is ahead, and both today and Thursday look dry. Rounds of thunderstorms begin Thursday night and take us into Saturday morning. It appears we may get a break in the rain for part of Saturday before more storms move in Sunday.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| From the April issue of CITYVIEW | | | BELLY UP TO...
Lessons learned at Middlebrook Mercantile
By Jackie Wilson
You won’t find a teacher or students writing their ABCs at this charming, refurbished one-room schoolhouse in Cumming, but you will see a chalk board with available house wines and musicians singing tunes.
The Middlebrook Mercantile owners opened in 2022 in downtown Cumming. For newbies to Iowa — yes, that is the correct spelling of the town. It’s located just south of Des Moines and is one of the smallest of the suburbs in the county. If you’re a bicyclist, it’s just a block or two off the Great Western Trail. | | | READ MORE |
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| CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | The results have been tallied and published in the February issue of CITYVIEW and online!
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| Featured home for sale | | |
$375,000 6240 N.W. Second St., Des Moines, IA 50313
This ranch home sits on just over 3.55 acres. This home will need some updating by someone who loves some mid-century flare. Two wood burning fireplaces (one up and one down). The main level features a spacious living room and formal dining area, eat-in kitchen, 3 bedrooms and one and a half baths.
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 2808 BRATTLEBORO AVE., DES MOINES
7177 HICKMAN ROAD, UNIT 7, URBANDALE
SALE DATE: 2024-01-17
SALE PRICE: $315,000
SELLER: 7177 HICKMAN VENTURES LLC
BUYER: SIDERIS HOLDINGS LLC
ACRES: 0.872
SQUARE FEET: 7,446 |
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| From the April issue of Grimes/Dallas Center Living magazine | | | Walker makes waves in horse community
High school student is an award-winning hackney rider.
By Lindsey Giardino
Darien Walker first started riding horses around the age of 6. He rode at the barn his grandmother established in Grimes, Heartland Stables, which is now operated by his mom, Amanda Simpson.
“I was born into it,” Walker says.
In the years since he first got on a saddle, the sophomore at Dallas-Center Grimes High School has achieved accolade after accolade for horse and hackney riding. These include the American Hackney Horse Society Junior Exhibitor of the Year Award, the Madison Taylor Pope Sportsmanship Award and the Spirit of the Youth Medallion Award.
A bit lesser-known horse breed, the hackney originated in Great Britain, bred by prosperous farmers seeking to improve the quality and trotting speed of their carriage horses. These elegant, high-stepping horses are popular for showing in harness events, where Walker excels. | | | READ MORE |
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Midwest Living named Oak Park one of the 25 buzziest new things to happen in the Midwest in the last year. The list included lodgings, outdoors, arts and culture, family, as well as food and drink. Oak Park was Iowa’s only representative.
Bird flu virus has flown the coop and hit cows. Dairy farms from North Carolina to Idaho, but not Iowa or Wisconsin yet, have reported the non lethal disease in cows. One human caught it from a cow in Texas. Pasteurization kills the virus that depresses cows' appetites and milk production. (Fox Business)
Deals of the day. Bordanaro's (6108 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a Wednesday-Thursday only special on carryout pizza. They start at $6.50 for a 10 inch cheese pie. Each ingredient added is an extra charg, but this pretty much adds up to half price pies. Bordy's has real good pizza too... Angry Goldfish Pub & Eatery (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a Wednesday special of hot beef sandwiches $11.50... Trostel's Greenbriar (5810 Merle Hay Road, Johnston) offers half priced bottles of wine on Wednesdays... Waterfront (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has yellowedge grouper and red snapper for Wednesday specials this week.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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| RELISH | | | CITYVIEW's Guide to All Things Dining
IN THE SPRING 2024 ISSUE:
Gardens — Not just for the backyard
The return of the neighborhood joint
Spilling the beans
Questing for the holy zip code | | | READ NOW |
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FROM KCCI: Des Moines Public Schools won't allow teachers to carry guns on campus following new law
DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines Public Schools, the largest school district in the state of Iowa, says it won't be allowing its staff to carry guns on campus. On Friday, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed HF 2586 into law, allowing teachers and staff to get a professional permit to carry a gun on school property. It went into effect immediately. The governor's office told KCCI that school districts can opt out of the program. ...READ MORE FROM KCCI
FROM WHO-TV: Winterset Refuge treatment center move under protest by neighbors
WINTERSET, Iowa –Plans were all set to move to a new Refuge Treatment Center southwest of town, when an email came in telling them that the zoning they had applied under, and been approved for, was now not allowed. The center works as a residential Christian ministry treatment center. Men can stay from six months to a year at the center. ... READ MORE FROM WHO
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Iowa QB Deacon Hill enters transfer portal
Hill started nine games for Iowa in 2023, leading the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten West title and Big Ten Championship game berth......READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5 |
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| Movie review | | | “Ordinary Angels”… Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank stars in this movie based on the true story of a flawed woman who is inspired to help a young family after seeing a report on the local news. A movie that could have been a syrupy mess turns into an engaging and, at times, touching film. A seriously ill child, a family struggling to pay their medical bills and an angel trying to help. It’s better than it should be and is a true crowd-pleaser. Bring Kleenex. Lots of them. Grade: A-
By Michael C. Woody. Woody has been reviewing movies on radio and television since 1986 and can be heard talking movies every Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. on KXn0 106.3 with Keith Murphy and Andy Fales. You can also follow him on Twitter @MrMovieDSM. |
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ESPN: Panthers clinch Game 2 in OT thanks to Carter Verhaeghe's backhand goal .... READ MORE
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: 76ers' Tyrese Maxey Wins NBA's Most Improved Player for 2023–24 Season... READ MORE
YAHOO! SPORTS: Pascal Siakam powers Pacers past Bucks to even playoff series as Giannis Antetokounmpo remains out. .. READ MORE |
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1967: Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov killed when parachute fails to deploy: On April 24, 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov is killed when his parachute fails to deploy during his spacecraft’s landing. Komarov was testing the spacecraft Soyuz I in the midst of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Earlier in 1967, the U.S. space program had experienced its own tragedy. Gus Grissom , Edward White and Roger Chafee , NASA astronauts in the Apollo program, were killed in a fire during tests on the ground. ... READ MORE
1980: Iran hostage rescue mission ends in disaster: On April 24, 1980, an ill-fated military operation to rescue the 52 American hostages held in Tehran ends with eight U.S. servicemen dead and no hostages rescued...... READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday Abigail Goodman and Luke LeWarne!
These celebrities were born on this date: Joe Keery, Kelly Clarkson, Kehlani, Jordan Fisher, Kellin Quinn, Barbra Streisand, Carly Pearce, Cedric the Entertainer, Jack Quaid, Chipper Jones, Travis Clark
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle:
Why did the taxi driver get fired? CUSTOMERS GOT MADE WHEN HE WENT THE EXTRA MILE! - Gail Tomlinson. Other answers from William Snyder, Kris Laurson
Today's riddle
What is the leading cause of dry skin?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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KERRY JACOBSEN
Account Executive
Office: 641-755-2115
Mobile: 515-619-2788
kerry@iowalivingmagazines.com
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