We moved one of our publishing offices this week, and it made me think of how many times I have been involved in a move, a remodel or a major cleansing of one of our newspaper offices over the past three-plus decades. I ran out of fingers, but I added up 13 after removing a shoe.

I had a friend who told me that a person should move at least once every five years to avoid acquiring a lot of junk. There is truth in that statement, at home and at work. I also had a boss who told me brick and mortar won’t make us money. I disagreed and proved that they can.

At Big Green Umbrella Media, we moved to two separate offices in Johnston and two other separate offices in Des Moines. Growth in the company, changes in ownership and a couple of flooding incidents spurred those moves. Yesterday, we relocated our Big Green Umbrella Media office in Panora to a location in nearby Guthrie Center, providing considerably more space that creates options for us down the road.

Prior to that, I implemented a major remodel and necessary clean-up of a printing plant I managed in Syracuse, Nebraska, and we tossed out decades of “stuff” stored in the second level of our newspaper office in Nebraska City. We also leased an old building in nearby Hamburg after acquiring that newspaper. All were messes. Traditional publishers tend to be hoarders, sometimes to an extreme. I tend to be the opposite, often to another extreme.

When managing a newspaper in Slater, my pregnant wife and I spent the evenings tearing the office apart and painting it, to the laughter of a curious deputy sheriff who stopped in to see what was going on. That same office had a darkroom in a creepy basement that was usually flooded with water. Today, it is a funeral home. How fitting.

In Nevada, when a brick wall of the old newspaper office collapsed, the building was sold to another individual who “fixed” it and leased it back to our company. When I started managing that newspaper, the basement, which we thought was now safe, clean and dry, filled with water and flooded everything, including more than 100 years of bound book archives. It became a breeding ground for gnats. We moved out and into another building.

While in Adel, we exited another old and crusty newspaper office and entered into what became a modern publishing facility. This was the most drastic environment change I had been part of.

In the early 1990s, I launched an automotive photo magazine in the back room of a publishing office in Boone, where I later was the publisher of a newspaper and shopper. We built new offices, tore out darkroom equipment, and disposed of old and unusable rolls of newsprint.

As the years have gone by, the moves are becoming more challenging. The results, though, make it worth it, even when they are not so visible to the public. So, we stay on the move with an eye on the future and how we can best prepare for it.

As always, I thank you 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.

COLLECTIONS & HOBBIES
Natural bodybuilding requires supreme dedication

By Cyote Williams

Those who consider themselves gym rats might want to rethink that self-imposed title. Bodybuilding is not for the faint of heart. The time and dedication to strict diets and workout schedules have broken many wills, but not Kali Spaulding’s.

“I’ve had friends that competed for a while, and I said I was going to compete but never pulled the trigger. Then I found this show, and I found a coach,” Spaulding said.

[...]

CITYVIEW's seasonal guide for activities and things to do in Central Iowa

EXPLORE: Central Iowa Drinkeries

By Cyote Williams

Wineries, breweries and distilleries make up this list of what we like to call “drinkeries.” Get the best wines, beers and spirits specially made in the heart of Iowa.

Meet Sarah Baker
Creating positive outcomes and helping students succeed.

By Becky Kolosik

Sarah Baker knew she wanted to be a teacher since early childhood.

“During summer breaks growing up, I was the one hosting school in my garage for the neighborhood kids,” she says, laughing. “It didn’t take long to realize I enjoyed working with kids that needed more support to succeed at school.”

After graduating from Ames High School, Baker headed to Simpson College to study education. She almost transferred after finding out that Simpson didn’t have a special education endorsement; however, the college added the program back, and she was able to graduate with the endorsement in May of 2000. A few years later, she earned her master’s degree in education leadership from Drake.

[...]

The price of regular unleaded gasoline held steady, averaging $3.28 across Iowa according to AAA. The national average on Wednesday was $3.51, down 3 cents from last week’s price.

Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 3 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.55. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.58 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 30 cents lower than the national average of $3.85.

Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
Natural gas prices fell 21 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.06/MMbtu.

These celebrities were born on this date: Elsa Pataky, James Brolin, Elizabeth McGovern, Kristen Bell, Vin Diesel,  Chace Crawford, Margo Martindale, Nick Faldo, Richard Branson, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jack Irons, Michiel Huisman, Ricky Skaggs, Dick Button, Joe Torre

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

What’s a breakfast’s favorite Elton John Song? "DON'T GO BACON MY HEART!" Or, Eggs Benny and the Jets! -Dewayne Johnson. Or, Soggy Seems to be the Hardest Word! - Rex Post. Or, Eggo (ego)! - Gail Tomlinson.

Today's riddle

What do you call it when you vandlize things using a hammer?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Iowa Living magazines, contact:

Jolene Goodman
Vice President
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 319
Mobile: 515-326-0082
jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com

©Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc., all rights reserved.
www.biggreenumbrellamedia.com. Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to get it delivered to your inbox for FREE!